London

I've been reading a lot of very negative reviews posted here about "London" in the past couple of hours. Most of the reviewers complain about rich yuppie kids with no jobs snorting coke and bitching to their therapists. Yes, this is what goes on in the background for 2/3 of the movie.

However, even though bitchy, rich yuppies are not likable characters, the movie portrays them very accurately. Having spent some time with "these people", I felt the movie was incredibly honest and dealt with pertinent issues. Maybe not pertinent to you in particular, but pertinent to these types of people in this age group.

The acting is really superb. Chris Evans strips down his likable "flaming" side to become an annoying, ego-maniacal prick. Stratham gives a powerful performance, which for some reason screams of Bruce Willis's "finer" work. Biel is the weakest of the main actors, mostly due to the script edging her out of most of the movie. All the actors are right on the money with their characters. Within 10 minutes you start to feel like you've known them for years.

But beyond the drugs, beyond the obnoxious mannerisms, lies a story of a real relationship. By way of flashbacks, but we are given some great insights into how the relationship worked, and how it fell apart. The characters screwed it up, and its amazing watching Syd (Evans) re-live both his best and worst memories. That is the most essential and successful part of the film.

Good movie that makes you think a little bit...or reminisce, one of those. It's not too funny not too serious, not a chic flick, and not a total drug/sex movie...I liked it! It had a good balance and a meaning behind it. If someone lays out for you what the movie was it sounds kind of bland...it's basically a guy still in love with his girl and he wants her back even after they've been apart for awhile and he does coke...sounds lame, doesn't it? But seriously, the conversations in this movie are wild and definitely make you think, and there are some funny parts too, and...maybe some gross ones lol. See for yourself. A hot and talented cast with a good setting and awesome camera techniques, really loved the flow of the shots.

"You can't blame people for being the way they are, only yourself for expecting something else from them..you can change yourself for two reasons.. either you learn enough that u want to or you've been hurt enough that you have to..either way, you make mistakes, you try to learn from them...and when you don't...it hurts even more."

Not a bad way to spend 89 minutes. Good Script. Good Acting.

Believable, if sometimes annoying, main characters, which i think was the point of the writing.

As a side note i always wondered how they can shoot a movie in a room full of mirrors, have the actors stand right in front of the camera & not see the camera in the mirror behind them. I just wondered.

I thought both Joy Bryant & Jessica Biel were under-utilized in this film. As a matter of fact that's all the films they've been in. But I digress.

Great music by the Crystal Method.

This film makes me interested in what Hunter Richards will do next.

Surprisingly, for the type of dialog driven movie that this was it was pretty good. I think it was mainly a movie about the human psyche and how it can screw with people hardcore sometimes and screw up good things (relationships). This is also very accurate in portraying how someone with anxiety might feel and act after a very hard breakup. Not everyone will be able to relate to the guys actions here or may think it is because he's a druggie, but I think this movie is more about anxiety. When he is seemingly going nuts (around the time talking to the shrink)it was very realistic of the helpless feeling someone with panic attacks will have.

Almost every conversation, mood and situation in this movie I can relate to, and have been in before. I've had the same conversation with a few ex girlfriends when they were trying to push religion on me. So I don't think the dialog was trying to be too pretentious or philosophical at all. It was just portraying the stupid things people argue about that someone may have been very caught up in during the passion of the moment, but then thinking back to them they seem very stupid to fight about.

Directed by newcomer Hunter Richards, London is a complex tale of a man scorned by a traumatic breakup. Jessica Biel plays the title character, a savvy sophisticated woman who was the love of Syd's (Chris Evans) life. Since she left him, he has become a complete wreck. He now spends his days drinking and snorting cocaine. Six months later, he finds out through a random phone call that London is moving to Los Angeles. The worst part is that her friend Becca (Isla Fisher) is throwing a going away party - one that he isn't invited to. Determined to get London back, Syd decides to crash the party along with his unsuspecting dealer Bateman (Jason Statham), a banker who sells drugs on the side. When they get there, they eventually wind up in the bathroom. They snort huge amounts of coke and talk about life and love as Syd attempts to get up his nerve and talk to London. Along the way we are introduced to a number of eccentric characters, such as feisty bartender Mallory (Joy Bryant) and high-school student Maya (Kelli Garner). Each one plays a part in Syd's tripped-out journey of self discovery.

Although it features a cast full of popular young stars, London is not an easy sell in the slightest.. Audiences aren't likely to respond due to its strange and offbeat plot. It reminds me a lot of 1999's Go in this regard, although it is considerably less mainstream. It is truly a character study of many different individuals, all of them reflecting on life as the events unfold before their eyes. It moves at a slow pace but is never boring thanks to excellent performances and stylish direction.

Chris Evans is on screen for almost every frame and delivers another excellent performance. He shows his dramatic chops here and exhibits an ability for both comedy and drama. His character is very complex and has many different layers, all of which are revealed throughout the course of the film. Jason Statham, well-known for his action roles, plays against type here as the straight laced businessman Bateman. He shows his talent in both comedy and drama, and also has great chemistry with Evans. Jessica Biel is radiant and fascinating as London, a woman longing for complete commitment in an otherwise stable relationship. She has strong chemistry with real-life boyfriend Evans and her character is believable and likable. Most of her scenes are flashback sequences, so it is interesting to watch her character progress.

The supporting cast is great for a film of this size. Joy Bryant is solid as Mallory and gets the most to do of the side characters. Kelli Garner makes an impression but isn't given a whole lot to do, maybe appearing for fifteen minutes total. Isla Fisher, who was hilarious in last year's Wedding Crashers, gives another strong comedic performance here as the naive and unsuspecting party host. The rest of the actors are fairly insignificant overall, with most being reduced to mere walk-on roles (such as comedian Dane Cook).

Richards writes and directs this project and shows great promise in his first outing. The direction is stylish and he finds many interesting takes to use - making the film easy to watch and helping it from dragging on. The screenplay is also solid. It seems like something originally written for the stage, but it works on film thanks to the way each scene is handled. While there are comedic elements, there are also several sweet and poignant scenes. The best scene in the film is the final confrontation between London and Syd in an airport. The Crystal Method provides the score for the film, a techno-fringed mixture of various beats that fits well with the tone of the film.

Overall, I can see why London isn't appreciated by critics and won't be embraced by audiences. It's a strange film that requires patience from the viewer due to its slow pace. But thanks to excellent performances and stylish direction, it turns out to be a completely fascinating and involving tale.

8/10 (B+)