It’s actually a bit unexpected. I didn’t plan this, I just watched Scream IV (2011) and Jill made me love Emma Roberts even more, then I did after watching her as Chanel. So I thought, why not, as good of a choice, as any.
Day 1: Scream IV (2011)
It’s not the movie I want to talk about, but about her character. I mean, how awesome is watching Emma as a psycho killer. Especially a convincing one, that tried to kill Sidney. After watching Scream Queens (2015-16) and knowing how well she plays bitchy characters, it was as entertaining, as expected. In the third act of course. Because she was just a side-character in the rest of the movie. That’s really all I can say. Also, the villain monologue was great, very enjoyable.
Favorite Jill quote:
Jill Roberts: My friends? What world are you living in? I don’t need friends. I need fans. Don’t you get it? This has never been about killing you. It’s about becoming you. I mean, for fuck’s sake, my own mother had to die, no great loss there, so I could stay true to the original. That’s sick, right? Well, sick is the new sane. You had your 15 minutes, now I want mine! I mean, what am I supposed to do? Go to college? Grad school? Work? Look around. We all live in public now, we’re all on the Internet. How do you think people become famous any more? You don’t have to achieve anything. You just gotta have fucked up shit happen to you. So you have to die, Sid. Those are the rules. New movie, new franchise. There’s only room for one lead, and let’s face it, your ingenue days, they’re over.
Isn’t that weird, that her monologue is longer than my text?
Day 2: Wild Child (2008)
A very linear teen drama. Why would I pick that? The real question is: Why not? I mean, yes, it’s stupid, and yes, I’m supposed to be an adult, but I’m still a kid inside, and I know it’s a bad movie, but such movies can also be entertaining. Again, watching Emma playing a bitch is fun, for 20 minutes, but it was still amusing. If we got through the best part, let’s get to business. Her character growth was okay, her friends were okay, their relation was okay. The school bitch was awfully stereotypical, no matter that her first appearance said otherwise. I hoped at least that much from that movie, but eh…
The fun part tho was just turning my brain off for an hour and a half and watching Emma hanging out with some teenagers with cool British accents. It’s still one of my favorite female celebrities. Also, her name was Poppy! It could be like the flower, but hearing “Poppy” made me think of That Poppy. Which is always a little plus. Wow, that “liked things” paragraph is too short. Hey, Nick Frost!
The montage was awful… it broke me from the movie every 30 seconds, which made my relaxing a bit harder. The scene quick before the end was pretty cringy. At least for me. They were losing, then made a dance, and magically won! (The dance was cringe on itself if someone were wondering)
I would place the movie between ‘average’ and ‘okay’.
Favorite quote:
Poppy: I didn’t start it, it wasn’t my fault, and if this were America, I would sue.
Day 3: The Art of Getting By (2011)
There is a thin line between being a good drama, and a pretentious crap. This movie sadly is a little on the wrong side of the line.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed watching this, it got to me, I liked the main character, George, I could see myself in him a bit. I always wanted to be one of the silent guys, who had their own path. They always ended up happy in movies. I liked seeing the world through his eyes. The scene showing how he wanted to get over Sally was beautiful. Or the scene, where Sally broke him with the weird, unappropriated questions, during their “date”. Freddie’s acting was pretty convincing, and I didn’t see the actor, I saw a boy with problems. The relations between him and the other characters, the way he reacted to every rational thing, I enjoyed watching it. I can also say some good things about the side characters. I genuinely liked them. The way they were created, even if some of them didn’t have a lot of screen time, I had still fun spending time with them. Like when Sallys’s mother told her, that she should be with George. It adds to the characters a little. I could also say about how I liked the montage and directing, but who cares? I also liked the “development” of Freddie’s character, like in the first and second parts, when he was becoming worse and worse…
Sadly the thing I was most anticipating in this movie was Emma Roberts and… well, Sally totally blows. I disliked her after 5 or so minutes. I’m not really sure if she’s just a bad actress, or I did not like how her character was written. She was pretty, but that’s just one of two things, that I think George could see in her (counting, that she really cared about and liked him). I also really, really disliked her, when she broke George! I mean, who does she think she is? (that’s just another reason to not like her character) Sally was the second most important character, but she didn’t develop at all. It was painful to watch her in some scenes because I knew that she would just hurt George. He wanted to go forward and she was staying in the same place all the time. I also didn’t like most of the third act. How George suddenly change his attitude to life and so quickly straightened everything. It just wasn’t convincing to me. And pretty predictable. Him, getting the diploma, her, going back to him, Sally being on the painting. Sad. They could work on that a little more.
Favorite quote:
Sally Howe: What were you like as a child?
George Zinavoy: I was such a better person than I am now.
Sally Howe: Come on.
George Zinavoy: I’m serious. I was happy. I was open. I was curious. But I’ll tell you this: I knew when it was ending. I was overwhelmed with sadness when I realized that I was going to change and that it was all most likely going to get worse, like a nostalgia for the present. I couldn’t shake it…
Day 4: Nancy Drew (2007)
So I just looked up (on Wikipedia of course), that, as I thought, the movie is based on a book series for teenagers, with the same title.
I’ll start with the things I liked. And don’t let it fool you, there weren’t many. The start was quite fine and fun to watch. The city and the characters living in it. Just the world created around Nancy in her home town was quite adorable, just fine for a few minutes. I also liked Nancy at some point. I guess Emma can play charismatic characters. Which is good, but there wasn’t much talent involved, since the role didn’t need a good actress. The writing was so doll. My bad, I was supposed to tell, what I liked first. I liked the side characters from her home town, for example, her father or Ned, and some of the LA characters: Jane and Leshing. I also enjoyed the styling. I think the setting around our main characters was cute. Her dressing style, the style of the “haunted” house or her home town. Hey, Bruce Willis!
That’s sadly all, not many good things to say. The writing tho. Ugh! It was pretty bad. Mixed with average acting, it was painful to watch. Just because I liked some characters, does not mean, that I think they have been well written or acted. They weren’t. None of them. Maybe Nancy and her father a little, but that’s all. The story… meh. After half an hour the feeling of mystery was gone. And talk about tension, there was none. Even the scene when they were just about to kill Nancy, nothing. I was also annoyed every time, the side characters from her new school appeared on my screen. I hated them. Especially Corky. It felt like a story written by a teenager, but nope, it was two adult people. I mean, do they know, they can make a movie for children, that’s also entertaining for adults? Look at Teen Titans GO: To the Movies! (2018) for example.
Favorite quote:
Carson Drew: Phone call. Long distance from Scotland. Something about the Loch Ness Monster and some missing diamonds.
Nancy Drew: Another case!
Well, despite how much I disliked this movie, I would definitely watch a sequel with Nessi. But it didn’t gross enough. No surprise here.
Day 5: Paradise Hills (2019)
What a weirdly boring movie. Maybe I didn’t pay too much attention, but it didn’t get me at all.
I wanted to watch something new, to see how her acting has “grown”, but… Again, she didn’t get much to play with. Which is very disappointing.
To start with some good stuff. The movie is extremely beautiful. It looks so magical. It has just a 6 million budget, but that was enough to hire Emma Roberts, Milla Jovovich, Awkwafina and build a gorgeous set. The CGI was sadly very visible, but only in like two scenes (for example, the car on the beginning). And… That’s all? The acting of most of the main cast was fine, I guess.
Where do I even start now? The idea for the story: very unoriginal. It’s felt much like The Island (2005) and a little like Sucker Punch (2011), maybe a mix of both. It’s not bad, it’s just made not well made. The script: dull, slow, and predictable. I don’t like saying this, because I mostly shut off my brain, try to have fun, but it was hard, to say correctly, what will happen in every scene next. The ending tho. Seriously, too predictable. And no, I couldn’t guess, that Jovovich is playing a fucking rose witch/vampire. That only thing, that actually surprised me. The characters: they were okay but mostly too ordinary, for example, Milla’s witch, Emma’s main, and the side character singer. I’m just complaining about the same things again.
Favorite quote:
Duchess: *screams, while changing into a bush*
Day 6: Palo Alto (2013)
I can’t say. I enjoyed this movie. I thought Emma will play the main character, which she has and hasn’t in a way. She was one of the main cast, with Teddy. I’m almost sure. I was supposed to watch a critically acclaimed movie this time, but it has 69% on RottenTomatoes, so I’ll count it. Also! It stars James Franco. I liked the acting. I’m disappointed, that Emma still didn’t get much to play. I’m not sure if she’s just an okay actress, or she takes parts of the empty blonds. I still like her a lot, it’s just getting harder and harder to watch her playing a non-charismatic character. I’m not sure if the actor playing Teddy (performed by Val Kilmer’s son, while Val Kilmer portrayed April’s father, a little fun fact) was playing himself, but I’m happy with what I got to see. The same goes for Fred, the coach, and April’s father. Finally, after these few disappointing movies, I got something with characters, that I liked and had fun watching them get better, or worse, or not changing, or having a quick cameo.
The story was… okay. I don’t really have much to complain about. The tempo was a bit slow with April’s story, and a bit too fast with Teddy’s. Like The Art of Getting By (2011), this movie crossed a bit the thin line, of being too pretentious. But this didn’t bother me as much.
Favorite quote:
April: I’m not depressed, why do you always think I’m depressed? I’m just tired.
Day 7: It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
I absolutely loved this movie! It hooked me from the very beginning. Totally my kind of humor. The main character was easy to equate with, like, being a bit assholish in the beginning, then turning in a fully good and empathetic person. The great character arc for a feel-good movie. It took me by surprise, how much I enjoyed it. The movie has average ratings and is rotten on RottenTomatoes. I know why, but the things, that for others were a flaw, for me made good quality. I didn’t read the reviews, but I notice the flaws myself. I know, it’s a basic story, a bit predictable even. But again, I sat down, shut my brain down for a while, and had a lot of fun. The characters seamed 3-dimensional. Everyone, at some point. I totally believed, these weren’t actors, these were actual people. Especially the main trio obviously. I didn’t know Zach Galifianakis can perform something more than the stupid fat guy in comedies, but he played fine a regular guy with problems. And Emma, still not what I expected, but still better. Even Craig’s parents felt so real, and his friend and his love interest in the beginning. The acting was great. Whoever thought, to bring Viola Davis to this project, made a good decision. Even if it was for just a few minutes. I also liked, how the movie was directed. For example, how the scene, where they sang together, looked, just fabulous.
So what are the flaws? It was predictable if you just try to think a little. I didn’t realize that, till after the movie. Also, some characters turned to flat, just to drive the plot. The thing they did with Nia, it was unnecessary. It was written, just so Noelle would get mad at Craig. It didn’t add anything, and winning Noelle back was “super easy! Barely an inconvenience.” Which was pretty disappointing.
Favorite quote:
Craig: Do you like music?
Noelle: Do you like breathing?
Bonus: A few words about Channel and whole Scream Queens (2015-2016)
This series also took me by surprise. I admired Ariana Grande at that time, and that’s the reason I took interest in the series. Her character died in the first episode. But it was enough, to buy me with its humor, characters, and slashing. Jamie Lee Curtis is a wonderful actress and watching her going “against” bitchy Emma Roberts was extremely entertaining. The world-building, so bizarre, it’s fun. Chanel killing a random lady? Yes, please. Besides the main cast, it’s filled with a lot of interesting side-characters, that added much to this show. Even if they got killed eventually. Obviously, the first season was way better, then the second. But the second was even more bizarre, which recompensed a bit its flaws. Do I like the decisions, who got the be the killers in both seasons? Yes, of course! For example, the chemistry between Dr. Cassidy and Chanel #3 was great in the second half of the second season. Just awesome.
About Chanel. She was wonderful, stole every scene she was in. Not a character, you could lift a show on, but definitely a good choice for one of the main cast.
Favorite quote:
Chanel: Good morning, sluts.
Chanel #2, #3 and #5: Good morning, Chanel
How could I pick anything other, than this legendary piece of writing?
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What do I think about Emma in the end?
She’s not great, but a good actress, she could lift the whole movie, if she got a charismatic character to play, like in Wild Child (2008). It was not much, but she was still a teenager then and made it.
Do I see her in dramatic roles?
Yes, actually. I adore her when she plays bitchy, charismatic, or even psycho characters because she’s really great at it. But I’m still interested in seeing her other side. A hard part to play, in which she can shock everyone in how good of an actress she is. Maybe I didn’t pick a good movie for it, or she didn’t get any part like this with a well-written screenplay, but I don’t give up hope. I’m patient.
I hope she gets more lucky and popular at some time. She’s still under 30 (29 years old, while I’m rewriting it), so she has most of her roles before her. And she can already show off an impressing filmography. I wish her all the best.
Source:
Pic. 1 Jill trying to get out with a murder, Emma Roberts, Scream IV (2011), dir. Wes Craven, Dimension Films
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Pic. 2 Poppy and her friends taking a picture, Emma Roberts, Juno Temple, Linzey Cocker, Sophie Wu, Kimberley Nixon, Wild Child (2008), dir. Nick Moore, Universal Pictures
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Pic. 3 George standing next to his painting, Freddie Highmore, The Art of Getting By (2011), dir. Gavin Wiesen, Fox Searchlight Pictures
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Pic. 4 Nancy in a train, Emma Roberts, Tate Donavan, Nancy Drew (2007), dir. Andrew Fleming, Warner Bros. Pictures
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Pic. 5 Paradise Hills (2019) poster, Emma Roberts, Milla Jovovich, Eiza González, Danielle Macdonald, Awkwafina, Paradise Hills (2019), dir. Alice Waddington, Alfa Pictures
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Pic. 6 Smoking April, Emma Roberts, Palo Alto (2013), dir. Gia Coppola, Tribeca Film
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Pic. 7 It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010) poster, Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Zach Galifianakis, It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010), dir. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Focus Features
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Pic. 8 Chanel waking up, Emma Roberts, Scream Queens (2015-16), created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Palchuk and Ian Brennan, Fox
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Princess with Pancakes 