American Dreamz (2006)

I don't traditionally like pop culture comedies, or political comedies, so I pretty much got this with my fingers crossed hoping it'd be entertaining. Turns out, it was. Even the political stuff didn't bug me, and the American Idol spoofing was dead-on and absolutely hilarious. This flick hit all the right notes for me while managing to be the sort of film I never enjoy seeing. Now that's pretty impressive. Much of that is due to the nearly-always-present charm of Hugh Grant, but not all of it. Most of the other actors do a wonderful job as well. Even Mandy Moore is much funnier and more interesting than usual, creating a character I could actually believe in this time around. Good stuff. 4 stars.

About a Boy (2002)

Plot: Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling novel, About A Boy is the story of a cynical, immature young man who is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy.

Now I can finally take it off my "want to see it" list and put it on my "finally saw it" list. This movie was recommended to me by both Anna and Sarah L, so I figured there had to be something to it. There definitely was. This movie kept me solidly entertained the whole way through, and there were even a few moments where I laughed out loud. But besides just being amusing, it was also making a bit of a point. Sometimes movies that make a point end up sounding pretentious and preachy, but this was... surprisingly heart-warming. Definitely quite a good movie. 4 stars.