http://www.threedonia.com/archives/1411 These are our principles. If you don't like them, we have others... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:43:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.threedonia.com/archives/1411/comment-page-1#comment-5228 Rufus Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:25:40 +0000 http://www.threedonia.com/?p=1411#comment-5228 "Your Friends and Neighbors" is where I finally parted permanent company with Roger Ebert. Sure he had steered me wrong many times before, but I decided to give him one, final chance. The script was so ridiculous, the characters so 2 dimensional, the plot so immature... I would not be surprised to learn Neil Labutte wrote the film as a sort of creative writing exercise; write a screenplay that puts 6 of the least interesting, most self-centered men and women together. The characters' behavior made no sense. They existed solely to be scum. Fine. I like a movie with some scummy characters, but their scummyness needs to make some sense. There was no valid explanation for why any of these people hung out together. Painfully immature and two-dimensional. Make that one-dimensional. I walked out of there wondering how a seasoned pro like Ebert could possibly give it a great review. Even a no-nothing like me could see it was underdeveloped, poorly written garbage. Oh, wait, it made professional people and marrieds look like wanton imbeciles. It's then I finally noticed the pattern; well written, good movie showing good people living decent lives = bad Ebert review. Poorly written, bad movie showing bad people living bad lives = good Ebert review. Roger Ebert hates me. Might as well return the favor. “Your Friends and Neighbors” is where I finally parted permanent company with Roger Ebert. Sure he had steered me wrong many times before, but I decided to give him one, final chance. The script was so ridiculous, the characters so 2 dimensional, the plot so immature… I would not be surprised to learn Neil Labutte wrote the film as a sort of creative writing exercise; write a screenplay that puts 6 of the least interesting, most self-centered men and women together. The characters’ behavior made no sense. They existed solely to be scum. Fine. I like a movie with some scummy characters, but their scummyness needs to make some sense. There was no valid explanation for why any of these people hung out together. Painfully immature and two-dimensional. Make that one-dimensional. I walked out of there wondering how a seasoned pro like Ebert could possibly give it a great review. Even a no-nothing like me could see it was underdeveloped, poorly written garbage. Oh, wait, it made professional people and marrieds look like wanton imbeciles. It’s then I finally noticed the pattern; well written, good movie showing good people living decent lives = bad Ebert review. Poorly written, bad movie showing bad people living bad lives = good Ebert review. Roger Ebert hates me. Might as well return the favor.

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