New Years Eve (2011) Review

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Synopsis:

Let the countdown begin.

“New Year’s Eve” celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, with intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.

Review

New Year’s Eve. I personally hate the day, eve, event…whatever you want to call it. So many people put it on a pedestal for something grand or amazing to happen, when it usually ends up being a flop or not how you intended it to be. To be fair, some people really do get a kick out of it and have a good time. To each – their own (as I like to say). I have learnt to take the event as it comes. With that in mind, I was rather intrigued to see how this “New Year’s” movie would pan out. I did catch the trailer and it doesn’t give too much away. It was enjoyable to a certain extent, but wasn’t the greatest and I have seen worse.

The film begins on New Year’s Eve. We are introduced briefly to most of the main stars in the film that we follow on the day to see how all their experiences differ. This is a big cast, a REALLY big cast, so the intros aren’t all that long, though they do seem to catch the essence of each character well enough for you to understand where they are coming from (or are about). The movie is strongly character driven, so when it’s time for each cast member to do their thing, they do it decently enough in the short period they are given.

I was slightly disappointed that certain cast members don’t get as much screen time as others (though I did kind of expect it). On the other hand, with such a vast variety of known actors starring in the film, it does somewhat make the film feel they are portraying real life people and when put in those situations, could actually happen. The story is rather clichéd and predictable which I was hoping it wouldn’t be, so nothing happened that I didn’t already expect to, apart from one instance, but that isn’t enough.

With the whole film being shot in New York City over a period of one day and in the December period, we get some great shots of how the city would look like a few days after Christmas. It’s a great build up to the main party in Time Square, as we are being shown a host of different views on the day, the surrounding areas change just as much, which is just what the film needed. Everyone’s experience on the day is going to be different and it comes across perfectly. I also enjoyed the fact that they showed you what might go into the preparation for the major party in NYC.

There is nothing in the terms of special effects in the film, unless you count sound and lighting, but because it is character driven, the acting and the way the members bring it across and interacted with each other was very important. It felt believable. There are quite a few heart-warming and emotional scenes in the movie, which I wasn’t expecting. Some of the cast members did stand out more from the rest as I hadn’t ever seen them act the way they did, it was really something different to see in that light and I enjoyed it for the most part. The film has very mild humour thrown in throughout the film, so don’t expect a laugh-a-thon walking into the cinema. I am quite confident to say that’s not what they were going for, but rather a drama/romance with feeling.

At the end of the day, “New Year’s Eve” was an enjoyable film – nothing mind blowing or extraordinary, but it will be accepted by a select audience for that reason. It’s a film about hope, love, 2nd chances and never knowing what might happen in the end…and I feel that message comes across in certain scenes. The film has barely broken even with its budget, costing $56Million and grossing $53Million. Be sure to stay seated when the credits start to roll for a fun end dance scene and some amusing bloopers.

Worth the watch if; you are looking for a light-hearted romantic comedy with elements of human emotion, the perfect flick to take your girlfriend/wife to or want a film that is a little different from the norm.

Trailer

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