I got through both He's Just Not That Into You and Spring Breakdown relatively unscathed. I skipped HJNTIY in theaters, and didn't have the chance to with Breakdown, which played Sundance and went direct to DVD/Blu-ray. Whereas the former plays up the desperation of modern women to remain competent through all their boy craziness, the latter was a refreshing "chick" alternative to the slew of T&A-centric STV junk made exclusively for guys.
Breakdown isn't going on my best of 2009 list, but it deserves a glance, if only for Jane Lynch's gut-busting performance as a senator very similar to Kay Bailey Hutchison, controversially (in GOP circles) passed over by McCain last year for Sarah Palin. "K.B." is expected to be appointed Vice President so long as her assistant (Parker Posey) can keep K.B.'s introverted, renaissance faire-going daughter (Amber Tamblyn) from partying and slutting it up at spring break on South Padre Island.
Posey is flanked by her introverted, mom jeans-wearing college pals played by screenwriter Rachel Dratch and fellow SNL alum Amy Poehler. Dratch is engaged to a man played by SNL head writer Seth Myers who belongs in Bruno's entourage more than a hetero relationship. Poehler's character carries over body image issues from her college days and adopts her "gangsta bitch" persona at one point, which thrilled me. Poehler was the reason I could stand Blades of Glory, so sue me.
There are more out-loud laughs in this movie than many that actually see wide release. It also features the holy grail of "chick flick" rarities: a "who needs these fuckers?" attitude regarding men. Spring Breakdown stands as yet another example of how finding worthwhile entertainment requires more work than ever before. I really did not expect to like this movie nor did I have much interest in seeking it out. Had they put Jane Lynch on the cover, they'd probably sell more of this title. She's become a "that lady" thanks to bit parts on primetime sitcoms and bit parts in 40 Year Old Virgin among others. I'll put it this way: my mother-in-law would see her face and recognize her, unlike the people on the cover currently.
Regardless, Breakdown will get some decent word-of-mouth provided some people actually see it. Included on the Blu-ray are a Digital Copy, Gag Reel [2:03], some Additional Scenes [2:51] that feature more Jane Lynch, and a Feature Commentary with director Ryan Shiraki and writer Rachel Dratch.
He's Just Not That Into You, on the other hand, floats a "you'll be fine not worrying about men" message early on, but falls into by-the-numbers sexism pretty quickly. The women who don't end up with a man are saddled (beast of burden imagery intended) with The Lonely Woman face, not sure how they'll go on living. No female empowerment here, move right along. Ken Kwapis made the most of what he had to work with, as did the actors.
That being said, it's not universally badly-acted, and some of the more histrionic moments actually play more authentically than one might think at first. Jennifer Connolly's "I hate liars" rant aimed at Luis Guzman and later Bradley Cooper in particular felt pretty honest.
Extras include The Baltimore Blade [HD 29:03 total], which is a set of 6 mini-interviews with the actors in-character about where their lives went after the end of the time the movie "documents." These were done on the set during principal photography and more than anything prove Ben Affleck and Justin Long are the best of the cast when it comes to riffing. This is a half hour of your life you can save. 6 Words That Make Up a Film [HD 11:04] is your standard "how the movie happened" featurette. The Director Stages a Scene: Duet for Telephones [HD 4:02] is a mini-clinic on how to choreograph a phone scene, which Ken Kwapis did quite well here. The Deleted Scenes [HD 25:17] w/ Optional Commentary notably feature a whole lot of Scarlett Johansson, but mainly it's content revolving around a subplot with her mom that was wisely sliced. Had they used as much of Johansson as originally intended, she would've been a sub-lead more than the "oh, she's in it" part she ended up with. It's interesting to watch with the Commentary on with Kwapis defending Johansson, but it'd be terribly boring otherwise.
Both titles were released last Tuesday 6/2.
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