Bob Roberts (1992)

Bob Roberts (1992)

How intrigued are you, based upon seeing the trailer?

Anne: Interesting

Jack: Cool

Impressions based on the trailer

Satirical comedy about folk-singing, extreme right-wing senatorial candidate.

Comments after seeing the film.

Anne: trailer does a pretty accurate job of summarizing the film. I think I enjoyed both equally, but differently. The trailer presents it as a comedy where you would get to know the lead character, but the film maintains a constant distance with its fly-on-the-wall style.

Jack: a top-notch political satire that is eerily more relevant now in the Sarah Palin/Tea Party era, when the voices in conservative politics are the ones making broad and cheap emotional appeals, drowning out any logic and reason. Robbins does a brilliant job acting and directing in the “Spinal Tap” style. Trailer reflects this pretty well.

Final Grade for Film: B

Trailer Accuracy: 75%

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Greenberg (2010)

How intrigued are you, based upon seeing the trailer?

Anne: Yes, totally

Jack: Looks good

Impressions based on the trailer

Modern The Graduate feel, amiably plotless character study, darkly comedic, man-child, low-key comedy

Comments after seeing the film.

Anne: The subtle, low-key comedy that they were advertising actually looks a little more appealing to me than the drama that the film ended up being, but I still enjoyed the film a great deal. The lead character is not an everyman, or even a disaffectedly relatable slacker, but in fact a depressed and mixed-up former mental patient – something not advertised in the trailer.

Jack: I greatly enjoyed the film, though not as much as The Squid and the Whale. Stiller gives an incredible performance as an unlikable and deeply screwed-up person. Trailer oversells it as a comedy, which it isn’t really, and also makes it seem like Baumbach’s squeeze Jennifer Jason Leigh has a bigger part than she does. However, these are really minor complaints – all in all a very strong film.

Final Grade for Film: B

Trailer Accuracy: 50%

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I Love You Philip Morris (2010)

How intrigued are you, based upon seeing the trailer?

Anne: Made for me!

Jack: Definitely yes

Impressions based on the trailer

Snarky, smart, raunchy comedy. An unbelievable series of events based on the true story of a homosexual con man. From the looks of the trailer it would appear that the filmmakers called Anne up and asked her for a specific list of criteria for a movie she would like to see.

Comments after seeing the film.

Anne: Leslie Man is more prominently featured in the trailer but has a less significant part about half way through and practically disappears. There is more to the film regarding his con-man lifestyle and newly-found homosexuality than the grounded, religious, family life at the beginning of the film. Other than that, I would say that the trailer does a good job at displaying the themes and general mood of the film. It was great.

Jack: The red band trailer sells this as a very raunchy sex comedy about gay con artist, pointing out that it is jointly directed by the co-writers of “Bad Santa.” In fact, this film isn’t really, really raunchy, but it is really, really good. It may very well be Jim Carrey’s career-best performance, and the real heart of the film is the love story between him and an adorable, Bambi-eyed Ewan McGregor. It’s a real shame that this great film was given a release with almost no advertising and is currently only playing in two theaters in all of New York, but I think over the years it will soon find an audience.

Final Grade for Film: A-

Trailer Accuracy: 50%

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Barry Munday (2009)

How intrigued are you, based upon seeing the trailer?

Anne: Possibly great

Jack: Curious

Impressions based on the trailer

Slightly raunchy, quirky, coming of age 30-something comedy. Pregnancy and virility seem to be central topics.

Comments after seeing the film.

Anne: I think the movie is summarized very well and anyone interested in this trailer will enjoy the movie. I liked the awkward chemistry between the main characters and always appreciate large roles for Judy Greer.

Jack: I’d agree that the film is pretty truthfully advertised in the trailer. The movie is a nice little comedy about it never being too late to man up and take responsibility. A great comic part for Patrick Wilson, who I am used to seeing in intense dramatic roles, and peppered with appearances by people we haven’t really seen in a while (Cybil Shepherd! Lando!)

Final Grade for Film: B+

Trailer Accuracy: 100%

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The Social Network (2010)

How intrigued are you, based upon seeing the trailer?

Anne: Definitely Intrigued

Jack: Looks Perfect

Impressions based on the trailer

culture, internet entrepreneurship as a Scarfacian rise-and-fall story, edgy, Ivy League, backstabbing, betrayals, and courtroom drama.

Comments after seeing the film.

Anne: The montage in the beginning of the trailer doesn’t match up with the biographical film, but does make the viewer feel like a part of the history being made. I think that I can excuse that minor disconnect because the rest of the trailer does a great job getting you interested in the story of the founders of Facebook and their personal and legal tribulations. I had a genuine fear upon seeing the trailer that this topic is too current and ever changing and might be handled like an episode of Dawson’s Creek. Although with dialogue by Aaron Sorkin and Direction by David Fincher I was enthralled with the film.

Jack: The trailer thematically compliments the film perfectly: a darkly ironic montage of photos and status updates is set to an eerie “We Are The World” type ballad – this transitions to scenes from the film, snippets of Aaron Sorkin’s verbal sparring. It’s a perfect pitch for a film in which characters’ legal backstabbing and entrepreneurial one-upmanship are all extensions of their neurotic personalities, with Jesse Eisenberg at the centerpiece as the world’s most silently angry, defiant, dejected dork.

Final Grade for Film: A-

Trailer Accuracy: 75%

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