Some February thoughts

There were not that many releases worthy of attention in February.

Identity Thief opened to start the month.  The road trip identity-stealing comedy, starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy started off the month.  This was McCarthy's first leading big screen role.

Seth Gordon directed the film from a script by Craig Mazin.  Mazin co-wrote The Hangover: Part 2 so it should come at no surprise that this film was a letdown.  There were funny jokes, don't get me wrong, but I felt that the film, overall, just didn't reach the level that it should have reached.

This was Gordon's first feature since the release of the 2011 hit comedy Horrible Bosses, also starring Bateman.

Running just shy of 2 hours, the film is closing in on $100 million at the domestic box office.

I'd say that I would give it a C-.

*****

Side Effects was the other film that I saw in February.  This says something about the films released in February.

Side Effects stars Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Channing Tatum.  Mara shows that she can, indeed, lead a film.

Mara's character is prescribed a new drug that is intended to treat anxiety.  There's a lot that happens but I can't divulge too much without giving away the plot.  The drug has side effects, or there would be no film.

The psychological thriller-neo-noir film directed by Steven Soderbergh, who is supposedly retiring after the release of this film.  Soderbergh directs from a screenplay by Scott Z. Burns (Contagion, The Informant!, The Bourne Ultimatum).

The thriller is Hitchcockian in nature.  It's smart and clever, too.  There is a twist, too, that you never see coming.  I know that I didn't.

Here's for hoping that March is a better month for movies.  Lord knows that February wasn't.