I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS: NOT YOUR AVERAGE JIM CAREY FILM...

Steven Russell: Love sure is a funny thing. Makes you happy, makes you sad, makes you do all sorts of things you never thought you'd do before. In fact, love's the reason I'm laying here dying.

I'm the one who liked Cable Guy and Man on The Moon. I did not like Ace Ventura. That should give you a point of reference for this review. Based on the real life story of Steven Russell (Carey) who while married, has a life revelation, decides to come out of the closet and start living a fabulous life, even if it involved fraud and looming jail time. While in jail he meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) who is a soft spoken southern gentleman who Russell falls head over heels for. While Russell's antics to get out of jail and elude the law are humorous, their relationship is not. In fact, it is touching and lovely and well played by both men. It doesn't mean that Jim Carey isn't just a hoot to watch. This kind of based on reality no one could pen. It's gay and flamboyant while also being meaningful and touching. I looked forward to this movie for some time just to see how it would play out and they did a wonderful job. Not a film for everyone, especially those who like to watch Jim Carey talk out of his butt.

500 DAYS OF SUMMER WORTH THE WINTER AND THE FALL

"Author's Note: The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Especially you Jenny Beckman. Bitch."

Maybe best start to a love story ever. But this is not a love story. Hold on tight, like flipping through the pages of a young girl's journal, this movie takes us on a journey, the story of a relationship, starting on (page) day 390 then back to day one. We meet Tom Hansen (Joseph Gorden Levitt) who upon first sight falls head over heels for the lovely Summer (Zooey Deschanel) a beautiful and quirky co-worker. As these things go, it ebbs and flows as they get to know each other, first as friends, then as lovers and then, not so much so. Tight and very clever and true writing helps bring these characters to life, as they were most likely based on just that, some's true life.

MY LIFE IN RUINS

MY LIFE IN RUINS: MY BIG FAT ROMANCE ON A BUS

 Truly a sweet and unexpected romantic comedy... Georgia (Nia Vardalos) is a teacher in Athens who isn't teaching but acting as a tour guide trying to push her knowledge onto a big group of wacky, ungrateful tourists who just want to go to the beach and buy souvenirs. She has lost the joy she once had for Greece and now just follows pathetically along as her tourists begin to teach her. They help her find balance between her love of the academic and love of life.

NUMB

NUMB aka CHANDLER IS DEPRESSED

"Hey look, I don't wanna hold you up, I just wanted to let you know that if you lost all your limbs, we'd still be together forever. I mean I really hope that doesn't happen because I think your limbs are pretty great. I would always try to make you smile when you're tired. I know you think that's pretty hard to do but I could do that. And you would never have to be scared to tell me anything. And if you like this shirt, I wouldn't take it off for a month.

And I would be more than willing to paint your grandmothers toenails so your grandfather doesn't have to do it anymore. You don't have to save me Sara. But I am going to love you for the rest of my life,

so things would be a lot better for me if you were around."

That paragraph is the force guiding this movie. Unless that "you had me at hello" speech really gets you, don't bother with Numb. My apologies to Matthew Perry, Hudson, the star of the film because he will always be 'Chandler Bing', his character on Friends. Hudson is a screenwriter with a terminal case of nothing. He tries pills, therapy, exercise, meditation... everything and anything to find meaning and emotion in his life. Ultimately he finds Sarah (Lynn Collins) who turns his frown upside down and everything is wonderful. Then it's not. Then it is again. YAWN... the end moral of the story is that love cures all. That's comforting to the millions of people who suffer with real mental illness on a daily basis. This film twirls into such a downward spiral the viewer can barely make it out alive. There is some witty writing but the delivery is a bit off. Might have been better with a different Chandler Bing, I mean Matthew Perry.
NOT a pick: Way too cheesy and unremarkable. Watch Friend's again on free TV.

YOU KILL ME

YOU KILL ME WAS A SWEET DEATH This is the most unusual romantic comedy that I have seen in a long time. Stop reading this page and go rent this movie now... I mean it, now!!! The writing was sharp and dialogue clever and witty. Ben Kingsley perfectly portrays Frank Falenczyk, an alcoholic mob hit man gone sloppy. He is sent to San Francisco to dry out and get his life back together. There he meets Owen Wilson (Tom) at an AA meeting. Luke was such a gem in this role, playing a gay man without doing the stereotypical "gay" act. Frank also meets Laurel Pearson (Tea Leone) a sharp witted woman who speaks her mind even at her most vulnerable. This is not a slapstick comedy by any means. This is a comedy based on life, how things are in the "real world" and our human frailty and yes, sometimes life gets pretty complicated and strange, just like this film. There is a back story about the mob life that Frank has left back home, but the most captivating story is the romance between Frank and Laurel. This is a real and honest film and there is no use in guessing how it will end because just like in life, you won't know until you get there. Do yourself a favor and rent this movie as quick as you can.

Rating: Clever and sharp, funny enough to make you laugh out loud. Well done.