MovieChat Forums > Serena (2015) Discussion > This movie just looks really awful

This movie just looks really awful

posted 10 years ago by whitakeroh
13 replies | jump to latest

I'm not a movie critic. I have no reason to pick a fight with anyone who thinks this movie looks fantastic. However, I have never been enamored with Bradley Cooper and think he is wildly overrated in the sense that I don't believe his performances in anything I've seen him in justify his level of popularity. I think Silver Linings was a pile of horse manure and represented mental disorders ridiculously unrealistic- at least in how Cooper portrayed this man with alleged bipolar disorder. In any event, this movie seems to be a very heavy-handed attempt to forcing these two current toasts of Tinseltown in a movie for ratings and ticket sales. Lawrence, delivers some
Cringe inducing lines in the trailer. And, no offense, but a close up of her face shows a rather pudgy woman underneath the vain attempts to highlight her beauty. Bottom line: she does not look attractive in this movie at all as compared to her semi-trashy look in American Hustle. Cooper looks his same fraternity brother self. Cooper is at his best playing vain jerks like in Wedding Crashers and the Hangover cash grab movies. I dunno folks. I am not trying to attack these two but this was just my take on the trailer and the movie will surely be worse. The trailer itself didn't present any sort of coherent plot. Rich man with secrets meets and romances attractive woman with secrets until the secrets come out and rich man actually is poor and has a family not known about due to the racism or other unsavory reality of the times then. She is...who knows or cares.

And I hate to say this, but almost anytime I've seen a A level movie with a female director it almost always sinks into cliches and forced unrealistic romances and obvious outcomes that i really just try to stay away. And with the movie called "Serena" after the lead character's name, I think asking for originality from the director and script is asking for way too much. I don't know, we'll see I guess.

[–] Faustus5 10 years ago

And I hate to say this, but almost anytime I've seen a A level movie with a female director it almost always sinks into cliches and forced unrealistic romances and obvious outcomes that i really just try to stay away.

A. Wow, what a misogynist.

B. You've been gamed by a trailer that completely misrepresents what the movie is really about. Not your fault, it's just true.

[–] ibrarules 10 years ago

Interesting rhetoric combining

I have no reason to pick a fight

I am not trying to attack these two

with

I have never been enamored with Bradley Cooper and think he is wildly overrated
I think Silver Linings was a pile of horse manure and represented mental disorders ridiculously unrealistic
this movie seems to be a very heavy-handed attempt to forcing these two current toasts of Tinseltown in a movie for ratings and ticket sales
close up of her face shows a rather pudgy woman underneath the vain attempts to highlight her beauty
Cooper looks his same fraternity brother self
Hangover cash grab movies
and the movie will surely be worse

You know when you're a hater of something (nothing wrong with that) just admit you are :)

And btw - if you see the movie you will be surprised, at least based upon your comment about female directors and cliches/romance/obvious outcomes etc. This is NOT a typical Hollywood romance script. Whether it's good or bad - who knows.

[–] extraordinarilyordinary 10 years ago

@OP- I agree with everything but the female director part. Jane Campion and Kathryn Bigelow are good directors that don't fit within your stereotype.

[–] MicahFish 10 years ago

I was just going to point both of them out, and Jordan Scott. Regardless, I also agree.

[–] pulp5555 10 years ago

Jennifer Lawrence was awful in Silver Linings Playbook ( bad line reading with a blank facial expression). and American Hustle ( hideous NJ accent and bad line readling ). Plus, it looks like she is giving another bad performance in Serena. People are going to get wise to her limited acting ability and stop over-praising her.

[–] iloen 10 years ago

Don't forget the Hunger Games. Especially Catching Fire shows how one-dimensial she is. Big eyes, screaming, crying, just not believable.

Michael Scott: 'Dwight, you ignorant Slut!'

[–] ShadesOfCool 10 years ago

She has a very goofy face, so it's very hard to take her seriously. She doesn't look good on the big screen. Her eyes are dead, she has a fat face, and her smile is "derpy". I bet she knows how weird she looks (as well as directors), so she limits her emotions. Her line delivery is grating most of the times.

[–] iloen 10 years ago

Wow, I didn't think anyone would feel the same way about her as me! :D

Michael Scott: 'Dwight, you ignorant Slut!'

[–] jameslee20072007 10 years ago

From the trailer, the film looks visually impressive but the script is probably awful - and Bier is a mediocre director. Lawrence looks pretty good though, although I suspect that this performance may involve some overacting thanks to Bier's direction. Incidentally, I can't understand the idea that JLaw has 'blank' facial expressions, or is 'one-dimensional', or has a limited range of emotions - there's more expression on her face in the final moments in Catching Fire than many actresses manage in a career. Her challenge is keeping her expressiveness under control, not being limited or 'one-dimensional'.

[–] benmasta 10 years ago

i believe her goofy look is the reason shes so popular.

i know theres a name for this kind of situation, but im not sure what it is.

Shes considered beautiful, talented, amazing, and is always portrayed positively because she looks like what 90% of girls believe they could personally pull off. So in essence, when they champion JL, they are championing themselves too since they feel similar to her.

Its not so much the unattainable beauty and talent u get with how they portrayed britney spears. Girls would just idolize someone like that. With JL they see themselves in her, or at least a possible version of themselves.

So since the kids like her, shes basically untouchable. Its the 11-18 year olds that are the most harsh when it comes to criticism. The older generations may have a stronger say, but its the kids that call the shots. Older generations base their opinions on the younger generation, because the kids are spending the money, and the adults want them to spend the money.

So then the parents hate a celebrity because they make the kids want to spend money, UNLESS the celeb is "wholesome" which is somethin JL has pulled off. So with the parents okay with the kids liking JL, the kids liking JL, guys wanting to do JL, you have the generally negative people unable to follow a negative bandwagon (as they are rare for JL).

The people who will hate on JL will be mostly those who do not see themselves in her, and are unable to grasp the concept, so they will hate the fact that they dont understand why shes popular. Shes competent in acting, looks good (but not TOO good), is in shape, fashionable, likeable, and wholesome (hollywood wholesome lol) so shes basically gonna be untouchable until shes got a sex tape, or comes out racist or something.

[–] TooPrettyInPink 10 years ago

YES, THANK YOU! I feel the same way about her, too. Her past couple performances were terrible and overhyped, I'm still in disbelief that she won an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook. She wasn't convincing to me at all. I think the fame is getting to her because she overacts in every movie now. Her performance in Catching Fire was extremely over the top, especially considering how subtly she played Katniss in the first installment. I just think the constant buzz around her has got to stop. She could really use some formal training.

[–] dikayakoshka 10 years ago

I agree, this movie looks horrible! The way Lawrence delivered the last line in the trailer literally made me laugh out loud. I like her a lot, but this just isn't a good vehicle for her. Upper class just isn't her thing. Never been impressed with Cooper. Whatever. No one watches films released in February anyway, so it shouldn't hurt Lawrence at all, which is all I really care about. She's the best at what she does well, but she needs to stay away from stuff like this.

[–] iloen 10 years ago

so… what exactly does she do well in your opinion?

Michael Scott: 'Dwight, you ignorant Slut!'