ReaderKenka
Let's be realistic.
SteinMo
What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.
FuzzyTagz
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
Paul J. Nemecek
One of the several new movies opening this weekend is the comedy farce Three to Tango. In this ultralight vehicle Matthew Perry plays a partner in architectural firm. His partner is played by the ubiquitous Oliver Platt (A Time to Kill, Indecent Proposal, The Three Musketeers). To make a thin story short, Perry and Platt really need the multi-million dollar project they are bidding on. The millionaire who will fund the contract (played by Dermot Mulroney) needs someone safe to keep an eye on his mistress. Due to a misunderstanding, Mulroney thinks Perry is gay (actually Platt is gay). Perry is commissioned to be the chaperone who must avoid falling in love with his charge (Neve Campbell). He does. So does she. What a mess!And what a mess just about says it all. The only stroke of genius here is in the casting. The two main characters are one-dimensional caricatures. Fortunately, the casting director was able to find two actors who have become real-life one-dimensional caricatures (Perry and Campbell). The real tragedy here is that there are some great supporting actors relegated to mindless supporting roles. I usually divide movies into categories: see it at the theater, wait for the video, or wait for it to come on television. This film deserves a whole new category--wait until you find someone that needs to be tortured.The good news is that there is another film playing that, while a bit light and predictable, is also charming and witty with some great performances. The Story of Us is directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, Princess Bride). Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer play a middle-aged couple who have lost that lovin' feeling and don't know what to do about it. The plot line is predictable, but there are some great scenes along the way, and some witty lines scattered throughout. Rita Wilson has one of the more memorable scenes as she skewers thoughtless males everywhere. There are some wonderful montage sequences with great accompaniment by Eric Clapton.The Story of Us is not great art, but it is a timely story told with a wonderfully wry sense of humor and some excellent pacing throughout. Willis and Pfeiffer are at their charming best, and it is worth sitting through the entire movie just to see Michelle Pfeiffer's speech at the end of the film. If you are trying to choose between these two films, the choice is clear. Reiner's The Story of Us is a solid triple while Three to Tango strikes out with just three pitches.
FlashCallahan
Ben and Katie married fifteen years ago and gifted with two children. They stay together but their hearts had separated long ago. After the kids are send to summer camp, they both start living separately and eventually preparing to break news of their separation to the kids. But being alone in each one's own world makes them to think about the other. When the day comes Katie and Ben stick together for the good of their children, and maybe there is still a spark there.....I'm a sucker for these types of movies, Reiner is a master of these films, having talking heads and flashing back to better times, whilst the toe main characters begin to pine for each other, then meet up for dinner, argue, and then fall for each other all over again.There's nothing new here, Willis has his group of friends with their ideals, as does Pfeiffer, and there are no prizes for guessing how the film ends.Willis and Pfeiffer have wonderful chemistry, and despite some 'tense' moments of mild altercations, it's a pretty safe film that ticks every romantic comedy box..But the maker forgot about Forget Paris, five years earlier. It's literally the same storey and narrative.
Clay Loomis
The problem I had with this movie was that it focused so much on the worst parts of long term relationships. In the first half hour I must have had 10 or 12 minutes of couples screaming at each other, and another 15 of these same couples trying to make up. This was all covered over by some of the most melancholy love songs ever written.I'm in my 50's and understand the dynamics involved here, but just being pounded by the worst parts of relationships gets grating on the eardrums. We finally got to a good comedy scene about 40 minutes in, but it devolved into screaming as well. It must have been tough to do, but Rob Reiner even managed to put Betty White in a bad light.I mean, the movie is truthful and all. A lot of what happens is true to life, but taking all the worst parts of life and concentrating them in a movie this way..... Well, it got to be too much for me. It might work better for women.Great cast though.
efiz400
The movie might have been somewhat slow at times, but overall I enjoyed it. It was real. It was not a typical Hollywood marriage movie. My husband and I enjoyed the way movie went through the years of the marriage. I enjoyed Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer---I think they had good chemistry together. Years after having seen it, my husband and I still refer to little things we remember from the movie--great for real married couples---even if there is a good bit of arguing in it. :) It is also one of those movies that keeps you on your toes and keeps you guessing. I think people who have been married, people who have experienced struggles, would be able to identify with this movie.
