HE SAYS:
Having wilfully resisted watching celebrity-saturated movies like Love Actually and Valentine’s Day, I decided to be a more open-minded cinema-goer for the upcoming 2012 and give such star-studded outings a chance. After catching New Year’s Eve, there is a strong urge to strike off my resolution.
Given the size of the ensemble cast here, it is appalling that there is absolutely no eye-candy whatsoever. With its overly ambitious goal of meshing numerous sub-plots to pull off a neat, intertwining narrative that warms the heart for the New Year’s eve countdown, character development has been sacrificed in this movie. Not all is lost, however; along the way there are nice reminders about life and what’s important; being brave and sticking to one’s resolutions.
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SHE SAYS:
With the year coming to a close, New Year’s Eve seemed like just the movie I needed—a light-hearted romantic comedy with a good dose of sentimentality and humor. To top it off, the movie boasts a star-studded cast including Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Sounds like a fail-proof formula, but New Year’s Eve proves that star billing makes a poor substitute for a good, decent script. The script lacks heart, with nary a tear-jerking or feel-good moment throughout the whole film; the characters (a lonely, dying father, a single mum, one couple dealing with the breakup from the last New Year’s eve and another couple falling in love in a trapped lift) could have worked magic but given the limited screen-time, coupled with uncompelling dialogue makes New Year’s Eve a rather unaffecting watch. Catch this for talking points at the Christmas punch bowl.
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