Tag: Comedy

Yesterday Won Me Over Completely

The review:

I’d forgotten what a romantic Danny Boyle is, and his love of the absurd,* and those two things, combined with an interesting premise, elevated Yesterday far beyond my expectations. Himesh Patel’s varying levels of despair—even as he was gaining fame by “writing” songs by the Beatles—was fun to watch, as was Kate McKinnon as Debra Hammer—a money hungry manager. I also found myself surprised by the turns in the story, which always makes for a good film; as does good music, which the Beatles produced in quantity.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Academy Theater—nearly a full house.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*The movie Millions has a special place in my heart
**There’s a moving turn near the end I didn’t see coming, which was also delightful.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Though it was not in the original script, director Danny Boyle was so taken with the discovery of a recording studio by a railway track that he had the text altered to incorporate the trains and utilize the location as Gavin’s studio.

Falling Inn Love: Wait. Am I Watching a Hallmark Movie?

The review:

Falling Inn Love (directed by Roger Kumble) was a movie that had me asking early on, “Just how different is this from a Hallmark movie?”* and by the time it ended I had devised a strategy to mostly avoid pressing play on these types of films.** This was a perfectly adequate film, one that I couldn’t find many faults with aside from it hit every single romantic comedy beat without giving me anything extra. Christina Milian (Gabriela, the “winner” of the Inn) has got some chops and I’d love to see her in other things, and I was quite taken with Claire Chitham (the plant store owner) who apparently is a New Zealand television actress.***

The verdict: Good

(Though it’s more of an: it’s not a bad film.)

Cost: Netfix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching/watching instead:

Further sentences:

*I’ve not actually watched a Hallmark movie, but, from what I’ve read about them, this seemed to be checking all the boxes. (Although there were no sweaters, because: New Zealand.)
**Strategy revealed: On Thursday, sketch out my movie watching plan for the weekend. There were about 20 movies I could have watched on Kanopy that would have been better worth my time. I think going through the list of choices a day or two before watching will quell that nervous scroll-and-choose thing that has been going on for the last few months.
***Interestingly, most of the movie’s actors do not have an IMDB profile.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The high street of Beechwood Downs was filmed on location in a town called Thames, 1.5 hours from Auckland.
(It was a cute little town, maybe watch it for travel possibilities?)

Good Boys is a Profanity-Laden Best-Friends-For-Now Film

The review:

Gene Stupnitsky’s Good Boys is a hilarious capturing of sixth grade boys who know exactly how very young they are as they navigate the choppy waters of middle school.* All three leads are brilliant, and this is the kind of boy movie baked in the Apatow mold: boys have feelings, their lives and friendships are complex, and there are a lot of reasons to cry. I loved the adventure, but what made this movie incredibly funny was their nascent understanding of life.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $15.00
Where watched: Studio One Theaters (this is a new theater and my first time visiting. It’s very fancy and not that much more than a non-discount Regal admission.) (Although I rarely pay full price at Regal)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*When we watched the preview, I thought it looked like a very funny movie. I also felt torn, because I think tweens should stay children for much longer than they do, and I think this R-rated film will propel that age group in the opposite direction of my preference.
**This carried out in a number of ways, but is most hilarious in the verbal realm, such as the use of the term “social piranha” and thinking that a misogynist has something to do with giving massages.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In the opening Point Grey logo, one of the things written on a school desk is “Thor=Sippy Cup,” which later becomes a film plot point.
(I noticed this!)

Blinded by the Light is a Perfectly Fine Film

(which is not to be confused with a “fine film”)

The review:

Gurinder Chadha creates a perfectly pleasant and predictable* Sunday Afternoon Movie* with Blinded by the Light. Springsteen’s music is ably used to further the plot—especially when Viveik Kalra’s character Javed is first introduced to the Boss during a terrible storm.** I had a lot of problems with this film, but enjoyed the lead performances, the depiction 80s-era discrimination, and period details.***

The verdict: Good

(just barely)

Cost: $11.00
Where watched: Baghdad Theater with an audience of Bruce fans who clapped at the end.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Literally every scene played out in a way that was not at all surprising.
**A movie watched as the last pleasant gasp of weekend before the unpleasant chores to gear up for the week begin.
**That said, with the depth of the Springsteen catalog, I would have liked them to not have used “Born to Run” in two different parts of the film.
***Though it did the thing I hate: deploy outdated technology for no purpose except to make the audience laugh. In this movie there was a scene with an early mobile phone. The phone had no reason to be in that scene.

Favorite IMDB Trivia Item:

The movie is inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor and his love of the works of Bruce Springsteen. It is based on Manzoor’s memoir Greetings from Bury Park

The New Romantic is a Different Take on an Old Story

The review:

Carly Stone’s The New Romantic isn’t a love story and it isn’t a screed. Instead, a college newspaper columnist (Jessica Barden) skips out on dating for a different kind of experience.* Hayley Law is great** in the best friend role and Brett Dier is an amusing fellow journalist.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home, having failed to make it all the way to the theater for the movie I was planning on watching. (There was traffic)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*One that is filmed so it’s not as titillating as it might have been.
**Will we get to see her in a starring role?

The Farewell is Well Worth Your Time

The review:

Lulu Wang’s The Farewell is a quiet bit of funny and sad as we watch Billi (Awkwafina) come to terms with her Chinese grandmother’s terminal cancer diagnosis.* Shuzhen Zhao (Nai Nai—the grandmother) is a delight, full of vim and opinions and ways to get rid of the negative energy. It’s a movie full of moments that weave together into a loving portrait of a family spread far apart by geography but with a very close bond.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: The Hollywood Theatre, with S. North (who paid, because I forgot my wallet)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Complicating the diagnosis: in China it’s common to withhold the diagnosis from the patient so everyone must act as if the family is only gathering for a family wedding.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In addition to writing and directing, Lulu Wang also plays piano on the film’s soundtrack.

A Serious Man is Full of Serious Expressions

The review:

Ethan and Joel Coen are not in any hurry to tell Larry Gopnik’s story in A Serious Man which makes for a meditative viewing experience. The gradual decay Mr. Gopnik’s life is expertly captured by Michael Stuhlbarg* and his misfortune lays the foundation for our entertainment. It’s a slow-moving movie in nearly every way, but constantly amusing and the period details are great.**

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching these Coen favorites:

Further sentences:

*He has such good facial expressions!
**Also well captured: the amount of profanity spoken in early adolescence. I suspect the ages of 12—15 are peak profanity for most youth.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The Coen Brothers stated that the opening scene was nothing more than a little short that they made up to get the audience in the proper mood, and that there is no meaning behind it.

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood…is Too Long.

The review:

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is the story of a friendship* between two men that had me shifting in my seat at the 90 minute mark and wondering for the next 71 minutes what all the other people in the theater were interested in. I’m on record of not being a fan of Mr. Tarantino** but man, this movie had too much movie for what it was saying.**** Both Pitt and DiCaprio bring great performances, the period detail was great, and still: No.

The verdict: Skip

Cost: $8.00 (Hollywood Theater Member pricing!)
Where watched: Hollywood Theater with friend Kelly

Consider watching these other movies set in the 60s:

Further sentences:

*I don’t think it can really be called a friendship when one person is paying the other, but we have no word for that. Frempolyment? Employship?
**Good things he does: dialog (though not so much in this movie); music; period detail. Problems I have with him: his movies are too damn slow; the films I’ve seen have the same structure that ends in too much violence; the violence is somewhat cartoonish, which leaves me ill physically and spiritually.***
***In my screening, the violence actions directed at women in the big scene at the end had several audience members expressing bro-like appreciation in a way that would not have been out of place at a gang rape. That made sitting through that gory scene that much worse.
****All of the Sharon Tate scenes could have been cut, and just about every tense scene went on long enough to have the tension transition to irritation.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

As the Tate party enters the El Coyote restaurant for dinner, Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring discuss a movie premiere they can see taking place further down Beverly Blvd. at an erotic movie theater. “They have premieres for dirty movies?” asks Sharon. The theater in question is the Eros, a real adult theater of the time. The building still exists, though it is now a repertory cinema called the New Beverly Cinema, and it is owned by Quentin Tarantino.

When in Rome: Is It a Good Movie?

The review:

Mark Steven Johnson’s When in Rome* is a perfectly competent entry into the second-tier rom-com cannon. It leans heavily on the comedy part of the equation—Dax Shepard, Jon Heder, Will Arnett and Danny DeVito all play enchanted suitors—and the comedy would perhaps be enhanced by having drunk a few adult beverages before watching. This is a movie that isn’t bad, but also is barely holding on to its Good rating.**

The verdict: Good

Cost: $3.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*True story: I was jonesing for some Kristen Bell—I had just read a Vanity Fair article with interviews with the cast of Veronica Mars—and remembered that this movie was the genesis of the Kristen Bell/Dax Shepard relationship. Then, I mistakenly assumed that he was the lead and was initially confused as to why Josh Duhamel was taking up so much screen time.
**Perhaps due to the above confusion, I wasn’t fully rooting for the couple. But Kristen Bell’s friends are fun, it’s an interesting premise, and Rome looks good.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

After her return from Rome, Beth receives a phone call from Joan informing her that she is front page news due to her climbing into the Fountain of Love. A cutaway shows a newspaper with the headline “Stupidissima.” This translates not simply as “stupid,” but rather as “the pinnacle of stupidity.”

I no longer remember the context of this line, but I think it’s good advice, no?

Late Night: A Grown-up Comedy I Heartily Recommend

The review:

Nisha Ganatra gives us a rare object in Late Night: the grown up comedy. Aside from a great cast* it’s also an interesting look at how those past-your-bedtime** comedy shows get created. It’s got some laugh-out-loud moments, and many chuckles and I found myself thoroughly charmed.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: the Laurelhurst Theater

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Emma Thompson of course, and Mindy Kaling. And all those writers in the writers room were fun to watch and I enjoyed seeing Paul Walter Hauser, who was so good as the not-so-smart buddy Shawn in I, Tonya
**It occurs to me that probably no one thinks of these shows this way any longer. I’m asleep by 10, but still see bits from late-night comedy shows because they are available on YouTube

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

A poster for director Nisha Ganatra’s first feature, Chutney Popcorn, can be seen on the wall of Molly’s room.