MOVIE REVIEW - Movie 43

It is amazing what some Hollywood "stars" are willing to do on screen. And the new Movie 43 is certainly proof positive of that.

For those who are running out this weekend to see this thinking that this is some kind of edgy, groundbreaking style of movie, slow down a bit.  They have been making movies like this for 30 years or so, but seldom this tasteless.   This is one of those short vignette movies that stages a series of unconnected stories.   All are designed to be more edgy and provocative than the last one.  Or in this case, tasteless and really just gross.  The intent is to lampoon many things in our society.  Big business, dating, superheroes, race, education, venereal disease, sex, animation, and the movie business in general  

The difference with this one is this.  In decades past the actors that starred in these things were unknowns, or unknowns at the time.  All willing to do things on screen that were exceedingly degrading, and embarrassing to them I'm sure.   But Movie 43 will have non of that. The cast includes, Kate Winslet, Emma Stone, Dennis Quaid, Greg Kinnear, Naomi Watts, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Elizabeth Banks and a bunch more.  This is almost unbelievable.  

This year alone, Jackman is up for an Oscar for Les Miserables (first time.)  So is Watts for The Impossible.  Kinnear is a former Oscar nominee,  and Winslet has won a bunch of awards throughout her career.  Plus, let's not forget that Berry is an Oscar winner.  How sad is this.   We are supposed to take these people seriously as real actors, when they choose to star in junk like this.  They may think this shows a side of them that makes them hip, or cool.   When the reality is, it makes them look small, and attention starved.

There is a laugh or two, but I noticed that the laughing that started out at the beginning in the theater sounded forced, quickly faded, and then there was just tumbleweeds.  The vulgarity got old very fast.  What is really sad is our movie makers are probably thinking this is envelope pushing or offensive. Truth is, you can't even give it that merit.   This was such a bad idea, it's not even offensive.   It's pathetic that there was this much effort put into this.

Truth is, many of the people that choose to go see this, will think this is the funniest movie ever.  I have little doubt that this will make it's money back and then some.  This is one of those movies that people will think is hilarious before they even walk in.  What this really is, is a sad commentary on how far many of our most honored "stars" are willing to go for a buck, or to be excepted as fun, or just to show how bad their decision making really is. 

Movie 43.   Not for everyone for sure.  Buyer beware.   Horrible idea.