So, following on from the success of The Dark Knight Rises, I wondered if those lovely PR peeps at Warner Bros. could make it a double whammy and decided to watch New Year’s Eve (12), the second DVD they sent in our Christmas stocking. However, Mayfair Dad couldn’t commit to making it a date night, as he had some work to do, so I pulled up a box of Christmas chocs and watched it solo.

Film info:

• Length: 113 minutes approx
• Director: Garry Marshall
• Stars: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank, Sofia Vergara
• Rated: 12
• Genre: Romantic/Comedy
• DVD Price: £8.00 on http://www.amazon.co.uk

Synopsis:

Described as an all-star ensemble romantic comedy, that’s pretty much what this film is. If you want a film that is going to move you but not turn you into the emotional equivalent of a spineless jellyfish, (quite a popular choice I imagine for those of us who, post-partum, can’t even watch an advert for Children in Need without breaking down!), then look no further! Love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts are all over this baby like a bad nappy rash. Set in New York it follows various mini stories.

So what did I think? Well, reading the reviews from the film’s launch, I prepared myself for disappointment, as those worldly and well-watched critics didn’t exactly rate it as Oscar material…

“…films don’t get much more dispiriting than this…” said The Guardian and http://www.rottentomatoes.com gave it a mere 3.1 out of 10!!

Well, I found it easy going to watch. I felt the stunning array of cast members pulled off a convincing portrayal of their characters and yes, it was a little hard to see Jon Bon Jovi as a “star attraction” for Times Square on arguably the biggest night of its year, looking as he did, a bit middle-aged and sensible to be “rock ‘n roll”. The first mum to “pop” (give birth) after midnight also seemed a little like they threw it in for laughs at the last minute but genially I enjoyed it. Maybe I was in the mood for something easy to watch, nothing too intellectually challenging, ground breaking or soul searching but it was just a fun, harmless story for a cold, run of the mill Saturday night.

Link to official trailer here.

Ratings:

Given that I had no strong feelings about this movie, neither loving or hating it, I’ve given it an equally middle of the road score. But sometimes middle of the road is what you want and mediocre is actually excellent!

Likeability of characters:7/10
I particularly loved Michelle Pfeiffer’s character – the gutsy middle-aged woman with a list of life changing resolutions to complete by midnight – kind of inspired and worth watching just to see her of the Fabulous Baker Boys trying to act like she can’t dance…!

General story line: 5/10
The main story was New Year’s Eve itself, with a host of mini stories revolving around it, rather than tying together, as the director’s previous film, Valentine’s Day did.

The Ending: 6/10
You were expecting some kind of final scene, that tied up or rounded off something. I shan’t spoil it but there was nothing stunning or totally unexpected so I’ve scored accordingly.

Overall score? 6/10

Overall impression:

Not much more stimulating than an episode of Friends really, but given that was probably one of the USA’s most successful shows ever, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, is it?