Movie Review: Magic Mike

Not so magical!

The new film Magic Mike was less than magical, but that didn't stop hoards of horny house moms from rushing to the midnight premiere to see the films hot bods: Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street, GI Joe Retaliation), Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, A Time to Kill), and Joe Manganiello (True Blood) take it off on the big screen. 

This is the latest project from veteran director Steven Soderbergh, he directed such gems as Oceans Eleven and Contagion. It seems as if this movie was made for the sole purpose of appealing to women's panties instead of moviegoers minds. The movie is about a self made male stripper, Magic Mike played by Tatum, and his struggle trying to manage his nighttime stripper life and his daytime realities. He makes loads of money and becomes mentor to another young dancer. He also develops a relationship with a girl he really likes but doesn't know how to manage her and his job. 

The plot seems empty to me. But if you like naked men, and c'mon who doesn't? It is quite a visual treat. And even more intriguing is that the story is based on Tatum's real experience as a male dancer before he made it big in Hollywood land. It's one of those throw away movies that is made for money not art and in this economy I guess we can't blame Soderbergh for making it. 

Reasons to watch Magic Mike:

1. Hot naked guys.

2. Funny moments.

Kudos For Emily Browning

Emily Browning has done it again in 

her latest  film Sleeping Beauty. 

This child-star turned Hollywood hottie haunted us in such films as Ghost Ship, Darkness Falls, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and The Uninvited (based on one of my personal favorites: A Tale of Two Sisters). Browning kicked ass in the break out comic based film Sucker Punch and now she's back in Sleeping Beauty. 

Browning plays Lucy, an ordinary university student who, like many of us college bound kids, works a bunch of crap jobs for even crappier wages. She volunteers as a test subject at the university medical research lab, works as a waitress at a coffee shop, and as an office assistant. And from time to time prostitutes at a local bar.

She rents a room from "friends", but she spends most of her free time with Birdman, a love-sick drunkard and all around unusual companion. Birdman is in love with her, but she doesn't love him back. Though their relationship is strange Lucy finds a shade of happiness with him, in his small unkempt apartment, playing house. 

The real mind-fuck begins when Lucy responds to a job ad for freelance silver service in lingerie. She would get paid to serve drinks to old wealthy men, in her underclothes. Seems easy enough. After she tries her hand at this her new boss who insists on calling her Sara offers her a more intriguing position as a Sleeping Beauty.... Which proves to be a nightmare she cannot wake from. 

The film was first shown last year (2011) at Cannes and captivated audiences. Browning gives a revealing performance one not yet realized in her young career until now. 

Sleeping Beauty will leave your head spinning and ever pondering the relationship between life and death, men and women, and most importantly our relationships with ourselves. 

Watch it! 

~NIKA