Movie Review 'Fever Pitch hits a

Fever pitch hits a home run with viewers

BY ANNA LOUSTAUNAU

For the Daily Titan

Full of comedic pitches and romantic curveballs, "Fever Pitch" should score big with audiences this weekend, thanks to the hilarious Jimmy Fallon and intelligent Drew Barrymore who stars in the funny fl ick.

At fi rst “Pitch” begins with the unique interaction of high school geometry teacher (Fallon) and the workaholic and math magician Lindsey Meeks (Barrymore). Through acts of bravery, food poisoning and hilarious humor, Ben, the obsessive baseball fan and Lindsey’s friendship rapidly develops into a comforting relationship of trust and companionship—at least until the summer season of 2004 erupts into sunny days and baseball tickets.

As Lindsey becomes increasingly aware of Ben’s extreme passion for the Red Sox, she starts to question her importance to him and whether she would ever come fi rst over the ball team.

Ben, on the other hand, is confused by his newfound ultimatum between choosing a rare loving family and the team that he has grown up with for 23 years. Based on the Red Sox’s 2004 season of winning the World Series, “Fever Pitch” silences those pesky rumors of Fallon and Barrymore dating, while revealing many Red Sox facts, plays and secret curses to both baseball beginners and longtime fans in the theater stands.

Directed by the funny duo, the Farrelly brothers, Peter and Bobby (also known for their productions “Stuck On You,” “Dumb and Dumber,” and “There’s Something About Mary”), “Fever Pitch” has all the right ingredients of a winning Red Sox game: great seats to eyecatching imagery, lots of humorous hand actions, the Red Sox players and an unforgettable fi nale.

Both Fallon and Barrymore’s onscreen friends also add extra insight into the fl ick’s story, the women giving their stereotypical (foul ball) advice, while the men dance wildly like chickens for baseball tickets, perhaps subconsciously revealing each gender’s reaction to a new relationship. Based on a version of Nick Hornby’s hit novel, “Fever Pitch” is a must-see fi lm for teens, couples, and families, but not the best tale for a young child with the frequent sexual humor and mature content established in the story (even through the elaborate sport context).

20th Century Fox At a romantic dinner Lindsey (Drew Barrymore) is taken aback by the antics of new boyfriend Ben (Jimmy Fallon).

'City' big on sin small on heart

In short, “Fever Pitch” is an excellent addition to the Red Sox Hall of Fame (with a bonus feature of the real historic 2004 post-season celebrations), and jam-packed with uproarious interactions, blissful romance, a new artistic fl air for obsession, and the ability to have both a “summer family” and a “winter kin.”

BY REINA V. SLUTSKE

Daily Titan Staff

"Sin City" is a throwback to another time. Even though the style is post-modern, the refl ections of post-war moviemaking are strong. Most people who watch the fi lm probably do not think of the famous fi lm noir of the 1940s, done in black and white with the same misty qualities that "Sin City" possesses.

At least, it possesses them from time to time. "Sin City" has the look, but it never quite has the heart. The dark characters menace you, and the gruesome aspects hit you hard. But you don’t feel a thing for most of the characters that cross the screen; in fact, you’re just like them: completely

numb to the gruesome aspects of their world.

Inspired by the Frank Miller graphic novels and co-directed by him and Robert Rodriguez, using three of the stories: “The Long Hard Goodbye,” “That Yellow

Bastard,” and “The Big Fat Kill.” Using splashes of color in a blackand-white world, the visual style is cool and no doubt incredible.

The mood it sets is perfect, but for the most part, you don’t really care about the characters. In fact, you want most of them to die.

Three characters—Marv (Mickey Rourke), Dwight (Clive Owen) and Hartigan (Bruce Willis)— navigate you through the stories. They are three different stories that intermix and have no plot, and you wander lost in the movie, amazed by its style, but not knowing where to go next.

When the cast was right, from Owen’s Dwight to Jessica Alba’s Nancy, it worked and helped the movie fl ow. But when it’s wrong, from Brittany Murphy’s Shellie and Alexis Bledel’s Becky, it makes you squirm and feel very uncomfortable.

The best scene of the movie, directed by special guest direction Quentin Tarantino, is when Dwight is in his car and the corpse of Jackie Boy (Benecio del Toro, great in everything he does) in the front seat next to him, giving him pointers as a cop is pulling Dwight over.

Although Rodriguez gave up his Director’s Guild Membership to get more than one director credited into the fi lm, you begin to think that maybe there were too many hands in this movie. This fi lm could have been a true landmark, a vision of the future of independent moviemaking. Unfortunately for us, it’s a few steps behind.