If you are the kind of person who would like his perception of the film industry and humankind at large to remain relatively unchanged, unchallenged, then avoid the movie New Year’s Eve.

But, if you’d prefer to indulge your cynicism with some critical thought about this generation’s future, and maybe even become inspired to seek out some real beauty, bleak hope as it is, then I urge you to watch this pseudo-blockbuster disgrace.

The “storyline” is a hackneyed compilation of about fifteen different, but oh-so humanly similar, New Yorkers’ lives. We have a few stereotypical pregnant ladies (one of whom continually sticks her fingers inches deep into an obviously foam belly), a frumpy mom, a lovesick singer, a disillusioned artist, and even an adorable dying man who wants to experience New Year’s Eve one last time.

It is quite refreshing to watch a movie that doesn’t even try to be original. For example, one mini-story involves a young singer becoming trapped in an elevator with Ashton Kutcher; completely stealing the plot from horror-thriller Devil, in which innocents are stuck in an elevator with the devil. One might say that the singer suffered a worse fate with Kutcher than if she had been trapped with an authentic demon.

The movie’s only redeeming element is the presence of Robert De Niro. Yet even his desperate bid to inject life into his character withers from the surrounding lack of intrigue.

Budding actors shall rejoice with renewed self-confidence upon viewing so many famous actors and actresses executing squirm-inducing, cliched lines positively dripping with cheese… a strange phenomenon that rather makes one wonder how these people became famous in the first place.

To follow this line of thought, movies like these are a testament to today’s deteriorating standard of public decency, humor, and a general truth that, maybe, has never socially existed.

At one point in the movie, an awkwardly lip-colored Hilary Swank delivers a speech unto New York about forgiveness, new starts, and mistakes. If any feeling of wonder touched the hearts of the audience, it was the finger of embarrassment for such clearly false words that no one can, and ever will, take seriously in today’s world.