Andie Anderson is a pretty, "how-to" reporter working for Composure Magazine (in real life you will think of Cosmopolitan Magazine). Her latest assignment is to write an article about all the thoughtful but stupid things women do to drive men away. Andie loves doing research, and to get background for this article, she must find a man, make him fall in love with her, then drive him crazy with thoughtfulness, and dump her. Things like picking out their children's names on the second date. Or looking at wedding gown catalogs on the third date. Things that would scare any sane guy into not having a fourth date.
Meanwhile, her prospective target, Benjamin Barry (notice how his first and last name starts with a "B" and hers starts with an "A" . Oh how cute.) Ben has just made a bet with his boss that he can make any girl fall in love with him in 10 days. He has to do all the sweet things that would endear a woman, and of course it doesn't hurt that he's so cute and hunky.
So we have this pretty woman finding this handsome man. Let the cuteness begin. Andie easily makes Ben fall in love with her, but now she has to try to make him dump her in 10 days. After 30 minutes of watching this movie El Hombre felt a churning and gurgling in his stomach and it wasn't from the taco he ate before the movie. This story made El Hombre's cuteness meter go over 300%, which is 200% over where the first barf bag should come out and be ready.
Ladies, if you want to lose a guy in 10 days, make him take you to this film for Valentine's Day. He'll either dump you after the 90 minute movie, or, at the least, he'll barf the expensive dinner he took you to before the movie.
The End of Violence
Why are some of the best movies also the same ones El Hombre never heard of before? This one is from 1997 and stars Bill Pullman and Andie MacDowell. The End of Violence reminds El Hombre of a David Lynch film, except El Hombre understands what's happening as the story unfolds. Pullman was in the Lynch film called Lost Highway.
Mike Max (Pullman) is a movie producer specializing in realistic violent movies and Paige Stockard (MacDowell) is his neglected and bored wife. She wants to leave. He wants to work. On his way to a meeting Mike Max (this would be El Hombre's name if it wasn't already El Hombre) gets carjacked. What happens next changes Max's life (if he lives) and the only witness to the crime. The witness is a scientist working on a top-secret surveillance system in the Los Angeles area.
El Hombre liked the story, the characters, the soundtrack and score (by Ry Cooder). One of the songs in the background was by Tom Waits, one of El Hombre's favorites. El Hombre just bought Waits' cd called "Used Songs" (from 1973 to 1980). El Hombre thinks you'll like this movie.
The Hot Chick
El Hombre is the biggest fan of Rob Schneider. Just looking at Schneider makes El Hombre laugh. Unfortunately, "The Hot Chick" was a little disappointing. Sure, it had Schneider and his comedic genius, but it wasn't enough. Especially after seeing "The Animal" and "Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolow", both standout vehicles for Schneider.
In 2004 we should see a new release for Schneider called "Deuce Bigelow: Electric Gigolow" where he attends a man-whore school. You can bet El Hombre's going to see that one. It sounds funny.
Do you remember Rob's mid '90's show "Men Behaving Badly"? How about his Saturday Night Live character? The photocopy person who, when someone came to get copies, he'd make funny remarks about the person. That was so funny. It cracked El Hombre up. "The Hot Chick" is okay, but wait for the video release or the cable debut.