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Reviews
Eddie the Eagle (2015)
Typical feel good sports film
I originally wrote a longer and more in depth review on the movie itself rather than the history but it disappeared so now I'm just going to give a brief synopsis of my thoughts. This is a pretty typical film that is supposed to make you feel good and root for the underdog. It has some nice moments of comedy to it and you'll feel attached to his success since you spent the last hour seeing all the hardships he went through to get there. Which is why it only gets a 7. This film takes the inspired by concept about as far as it can be taken. The real Eddie the Eagle said the film is probably 5% true. I get annoyed by films based on real events or real people but don't resemble the truth at all. The caveat to that being when reality is pretty amazing too, it just isn't as Hollywood.
**Start major spoilers**
The film essentially says this is a child with everything against him chasing his dreams. He had some kind of issue as a child that made him forced to wear a leg brace, think Forest Gump style, but didn't let that malady which is never explained stop him. He attempted to be on an Olympic team but was super clumsy lacked skill and pretty much sucked. He was inspired by an amazing athlete in another sport and decided to do that. That system was against him but thanks to his coach, the only person other than his mother who believed in him, he made it to the games anyway despite not jumping much.
Almost none of that reflects reality. He didn't have a medical issue that out him in braces. He was a crazy daredevil of a child that got injured cause he did stupid things. He wasn't some awful failure at his chosen event. He was one spot short of going to the Olympics. When he couldn't cut it he went to Lake Placid to get better at that sport. Still couldn't cut it and decided to switch sports primarily due to money and the guarantee of going to the Olympics since he was the only competitor. His coach isn't real and is based on the dozen of coaches that took time to help him at Lake Placid. The "system" wasn't against him. That 61m rule would be awfully impressive for him to pass since he didn't manage that distance at the Olympics and while a little over a year is nothing compared to 20 years of practice, he was far from a guy who didn't jump much.
I know I am nitpicking over a movie but the guy was probably the only unsponsored athlete at the Olympics. Great story! He had to keep his helmet on with twine until one was donated to him because he had no money to chase his dream. Such adversity! He was doing 60+ jumps a day. What dedication! He found out he would go to Calgary when he was staying in an Asylum cause it had cheap rent. Truth is stranger than fiction! My point being they didn't need to make a bunch of things up to show what an inspiring story Eddie the Eagle was for a Great Britain that honestly sucked and needed some heroes underdog heroes at the time.
Kill Your Friends (2015)
Please stop comparing it to American Psycho
Probably not a spoiler cause I am going to be vague, but marked just in case. I don't care for the thinking that this is the American Psycho of this generation. I loved American Psycho, I mean, feed me the kitty is gold. I didn't get that humor from this and it is much more simplistic psychologically. The start of Kill Your Friends is definitely setting the same tone and the homages were noticed and appreciated. I am all about the amoral character and loved those moments. Kill Your Friends has some seriously dark, cynical humor and that is awesome.
The problem is that the path of these two movies is very different. One is all about the decent of the mind and the realization of what can happen with an unreliable narrator. That is satire. Business card scene anyone? This movie does not have a decent into madness story line that develops the character as you are along for the ride. Instead, it has a decent into whiny bitchdom with no real reason or purpose to it other than to fill time. I got bored at some point and was wondering what happened to the film that I was initially watching.
*spoiler* it does redeem itself in the final act as he realizes who he is surrounded by. However, even that was a stupid moment as he started off telling us that exact thing and yet, he somehow forgot while he was curled up in a ball crying. I say it is a movie in three acts and the second act is when you should go get that popcorn. You won't miss anything meaningful.
Like, unfortunately most things nowadays, it is simple and shallow if you want to compare it to the past. It is not the next American Psycho movie, but I have a feeling it is probably a hilarious book.