New Year's Eve

It's been a while since I caught this and well, have been caught up with stuff.

New Year's Eve is a multi-story movie that explores relationships, regrets and hope. Don't expect a hype-up mood to give you a ra-ra to the countdown, which was the whole premise of the show happenings with the various characters on New Year's eve (NYE).

You have the Vice-President of the NYE Ball Drop committee (or something to that effect), Claire (Hillary Swank), who was managing the Ball Drop for the first time.

Then there's the timid Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her resolutions that she wanted to fulfill...all in one day, but with the help of a dispatch boy, Paul (Zach Efron).

There are the 2 couples fighting to give birth to the 1st New Year's Day baby, vying for the cash prize.

The chef, Laura (Katherine Heigl), and her ex beau, Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi), the rock star, as the latter tries to win her back.

The costume designer cum divorcee (Sarah Jessica Parker) with her teenage daughter (Abigail Breslin).

The eligible bachelor, Sam (Josh Duhamel) with the 1-year pact with a woman he met one year ago.

The anti-New Year comic artist (Ashton Kutcher) and the aspiring back-up singer (Lea Michelle) stuck in the lift.

The dying man (Robert De Niro) whose wish is to see the NYE ball drop for the last time.

And many more.

For me, the early part of the show wasn't that engaging for me, but what turned things around was when Hillary Swank's character gave that moving speech addressing the stall in the NYE ball raising. As it moved those in the show, it moved me. And that was when the show took a more emotionally driven direction, though I felt it still didn't get one so connected still, maybe because the emotional highs of the scenes (whether happy or sad) weren't held long enough before the change of scene, which often felt to me to brush off that climatic moment with a scene that wasn't in the similar mood. I guess that's the way it is with this kind of shows.

However, the show did bring across some good messages about new hopes, new promises, fulfilments, relationships,  reconciliation and kindness. You can say each story had an icing on the cake, or maybe a silver lining. I liked the part when Griffin Bryne (Seth Meyers) finally gave up on winning the cash prize as he saw the other vying couple needed the money more. I believe their child was born earlier, but he gave a later time.

I also liked the funny turn when Claire and Sam crossed paths and the audience were like surprised, because most of us were led to think that Sam's wait was for Claire (there was some 1 year thing going on for both of them). But a quick reassessment of the remaining folks still yet to make that nice ending easily brought us to derive the complete relations of the cast. However, the "grand entrance" of Sarah Jessica Parker at the end was a tad too contrived with the horse carriage and all. I guess it was to create that "magic moment" but I felt maybe it's just because its SJP's style. But how do you get that through the streets on NYE?

The acted blooper scenes at the end were pretty fun to watch, rounding up the show.
Before I end, I was surprised how far Michelle Pfeiffer has aged. Yes, it's been quite a while since I saw her on screen. And Abigail has grown so big and getting prettier! Still remember her as Little Miss Sunshine.