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Monster-in-Law
Category: On DVD
Posted by Patrick Vu | May 06, 2005 | 05:30 PM
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 Grade: A- |
Genre: Comedy
Summary: It's "J-Lo vs J-Fo" in a heavy weight bout where only the stronger can survive. The extremes that the two take against each other are slap-stick entertainment, and you're laughing your arse off.
Gasp...an A- rating?! For a film I originally had no interest in seeing, I must admit that I had a great time and still find myself playing gut busting scenes back in my head. Jennifer Lopez may have received top billing, but the real star of the show was Jane Fonda who played the title character with such natural ability, you wonder if life imitates art. Also notable was Wanda Sykes who, like a bandit, stole the scene every chance she could get. The two make for an interesting pairing that totally works and is the latest incarnation of the "The Odd Couple."
The night of May 5, 2005 was an opportunity to attend a red-carpet premiere of Monster-in-Law to benefit G-CAPP (Georgia Campaign For Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention), a charity spearheaded by Fonda and a worthy cause that has educated and given so many young mothers an opportunity for a more fulfilling life. All of the film's primary stars were in attendance (minus Michael Vartan due to the filming of Alias), which had the star struck crowd happy and in good spirits going into Atlanta's Fox theatre. |
Charlie (Lopez) is a carefree spirit and a woman of multiple professions. From a morning dog walker to afternoon gigs as a medical clinic temp to a bashful artist in her free time, she has yet to conquer the romance department. On one normal morning of dog walking, while reading a fortune cookie prophesying that love is right in front of her, she locks eyes with a jogging Kevin (Vartan) but is too love stricken to say anything. After chance meetings thereafter the two finally meet and life is good...that is, until Kevin's mother steps into the picture. Confucius didn't see that one coming.
Meet Viola Fields, a powerful veteran talk show host who has just been told she will be replaced by a younger peppier version of her yester-youth. Always the proud and dignified professional, or so she believes, Viola concedes to finish the season on her own terms and to move on. In one unforgettable scene, she interviews a ditsy Britney look-a-like, who has no clue of the world around her. When asked what she likes to do in her free time, the Britney clone gushes over her love for "old movies." However, she's not talking about Casablanca or Gone with the Wind. Her classic films collection includes Grease 1 and 2, Benji, and of course the eternal feel good film, Free Willy. Reminded of how old and replaceable she has become, Viola snaps, and the next thing you see is her screaming and lunging for Britney. It's the result of her emotional balloon filled beyond capacity with rejection and betrayal, and you don't want to be within reaching distance when it finally pops.
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| Monster-in-Law |
| Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan, and Wanda Sykes |
| Director: Robert Luketic
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| Don't Miss Monster-In-Law! |
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After 3 months in a mental institution, Viola is finally released and has plans to start over and spend the summer in Africa with her son, Kevin. What she doesn't know is that Kevin, by now, is engaged to Charlie and that the woman whom he will spend the rest of his life with is not her, but in fact Charlie. When she learns of the news, those feelings of rejection and insecurity come rushing back, and Viola is desperate to keep the one thing that makes her life whole, her only son, Kevin.
What's a loving mother to do but anything she can to keep the two apart. Viola, with the help of her assistant and cohort, Ruby (Sykes), researches Charlie hoping to find anything she can to use against her but to no avail. Her last resort is to fake an illness requiring the personal care and attention of relatives. Viola is able to worm her way into Charlie and Kevin's new home where she spreads her seeds of destruction. From invasions of privacy to excessive emotional baggage, Charlie is in over her head and can't seem to climb out from under the Louis Vuitton baggage Viola has dumped on her. It becomes "J-Lo vs J-Fo" in a heavy weight bout where only the stronger can survive. The extremes that the two take against each other are slap-stick entertainment, and you're laughing your arse off.
Monster-in-Law definitely delivers. J-Lo is good as Charlie, though she tries too hard to be too cute. It's not distracting but is noticeable. Michael Varaton, though a solid actor, is basically an ornament that comes between the feuding women and gives those in the audience something pretty to look at. Jane Fonda gives it her all for her first film in 15 years (Stanley & Iris was her last) and is the reason MIL is as good as it is. She and Sykes are the heart and soul of the film that get most, if not all, of the laughs and together carry the movie far beyond what Lopez could have. Dare I rank it up there with Meet the Parents? For now, I'll just liken it to Meet The Fockers. Whatever the case, this is a crowd pleasure and one you can't go wrong with.
Note: The spirit of the night was guided by G-CAPP, and if you haven't had a chance to hear of the work that they do, please visit their website at www.gcapp.org.
Original Post Date: May 6, 2005
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