Review of New Year's Eve (2011) by Richard C — 16 Sep 2012

I kind of wanted to not like this movie. I fought for a long time I was still angry over going to see the awful Valentine's day in theaters. So another ensemble comedy centered around a holiday didn't sound so great.

Well I was wrong not to say this is a great film by any means but a monumental, vast improvement over that other film that shall not be named again. If you've seen the trailer it's exactly what you'd expect a bunch of stories that link up in surprising ways on the holiday.

Some of the stories work better than others I loved Sarah Jessica Parker and Chloe Moretz Grace mother daughter story, I liked the way the Hilary Swank story concluded but wasn't a big fan throughout the film, I liked the story with Ashton Kutcher and the super talented Lea Michelle and for the first time in a long time I thought Halle Berry did a solid job and I liked her storyline as well.

Less effective were the Jessica Biel pregnancy, the Ludicrous, the Katherine Heigl and Bon Jovi and the Michelle Pfeiffer and Zack Effron story lines.Although the last one definitely had its moments. But surprisingly after a slow burn for the most of the film it kicks into high gear for its last quarter and I found myself emotionally moved by the way all of it turns out.

The film explores heart ache, heart break, magical reunions and other culminations even though they feel a bit rushed in some places. Although there's no real reason for the film to have been made and I'm not too sure there is even a real point to all of this besides Josh Duhamels narration slightly forced wrap up at the end.

Still it's plausible enough to past the time and maybe an annual viewing on the title holiday.