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Tag: film review

  • I Watched Jennifer Lopez’s “This Is Me … Now” Odyssey So You Don’t Have To

    I Watched Jennifer Lopez’s “This Is Me … Now” Odyssey So You Don’t Have To

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    My most controversial take: Jennifer Lopez can barely act and barely sing, yet we’ve somehow allowed her to build an entire career around both. That’s how we ended up with This is Me … Now: A Love Story, J. Lo’s music video meets semi-autobiographical feature film meets thesis on the merits of astrology (points were made). They’re calling it her Cloud Atlas. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting for the Beyonce Renaissance visuals.

    What is Jennifer Lopez This is Me … Now: A Love Story About?

    Before we get into the plot, if there was one, we have to ask ourselves: what was this movie at all? If you’re the only person in the world who missed it, this is the context. Jennifer Lopez recently married Ben Affleck, king of Dunkin Donuts, after their relationship took a twenty-year hiatus. This is Me … Now is about that tale. It’s also a sequel to her 2002 album This Is Me … Then.

    But it’s not a story of how she met Affleck and found her way back to him. Their romance has been reported ad nauseam by the media, contributing to its initial demise. In Jennifer Lopez’s newest movie, she talks about her journey to loving herself — and how that brought her back to Ben in the end.

    To tell this story, J. Lo spent $20 million dollars of her own money on this three-part project: the album, the hour-long Amazon Prime Video musical film (both released Friday, February 16th), and then a documentary about the making of the record and the film dropping on Tuesday, February 27th.

    The musical film has been the talk of the internet since the tailor dropped. The internet called it J.Lo’s Cloud Atlas, they marveled at the celebrity appearances (which were even more surprising in the full film), and wondered, why, Jen, why?

    What happens in Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me … Now?

    The story is a combination of dream sequences and dance breaks, tenuously stitched together with a therapy plotline starring Fat Joe as the therapist. But before all that, it begins with a heartbreak. Lopez is riding on the back of Affleck’s motorcycle when they suddenly crash. No prizes for guessing what that represents. Then, she launches into the first dream sequence, a dance break in a “heart factory” where workers exclaim: “it’s gonna break.”

    This melodramatic fictionalization of her first breakup with Affleck is emblematic of the insanity that ensues. The story follows as Lopez marries three times and falls into a string of relationships. The lesson is exactly what you’d expect: she has to love herself first. This realization culminates in the title track of the album, “This Is Me … Now.”

    Who is in This Is Me … Now: Cast Cameos for the Ages

    Like a Marvel movie or Oppenheimer, the main merit of this film is pointing at the TV and saying, hey, I know that actor! The This Is Me … Now cast was one for the ages. Quite the cast of characters. But I would have watched it just for them.

    The most iconic scenes were the ones on the Zodiac council, a strange (but honestly satisfying) side plot that showed the council of the constellations watching with horror as J. Lo’s love life unfolded. This was a roundtable worthy of a Variety video. It starred Jane Fonda as Sagittarius, Trevor Noah as Libra, Kim Petras as Virgo, Keke Palmer as Scorpio, Sofía Vergara as Cancer, Jenifer Lewis as Gemini, Jay Shetty as Aries, Neil DeGrasse Tyson as Taurus, Sadhguru as Pisces, and, last but certainly not least, rapper Post Malone as Leo.

    It was at this moment I wondered: “Is this the funniest movie of the year?” Why was Keke Palmer doing a Maya Angelou impersonation? I’ll never know, but I’ll be glad to see it.

    Was This Is Me … Now good?

    I have to give it to J.Lo, she’s an entertainer. We know her limitations when it comes to singing and acting, even if she doesn’t,…but as a dancer? She can perform. However, it would have been a much more satisfying performance if the songs were good. Apart from the admittedly catchy title track, the songs are immediately forgettable and, in the context of the film, feel overly sentimental. But what’s new from the romcom legend J. Lo.

    But I will say: though this task was ambitious and self-indulgent, I commend J. Lo for taking a creative risk and pioneering a new form of musical storytelling. She did what she wanted to do — and it was a blend of Cloud Atlas and Singing in the Rain. I hope more artists break past the boundaries of their bubbles and connect back to their creativity by being bold. I just wish it were good. Beyonce, your turn.

    Watch the This Is Me … Now: A Love Story Trailer here:

    This Is Me…Now: A Love Story – Official Trailer | Prime Videowww.youtube.com

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    LKC

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  • Jeffrey Wright Interview: American Fiction Review

    Jeffrey Wright Interview: American Fiction Review

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    It feels like Jeffrey Wright is in everything these days. His versatility has taken him from character acting in the likes of rThe French Dispatch and Westworld to his recent Oscar-nominated turn in the dark comedy American Fiction.

    What’s American Fiction about? Summary of this Best Picture-nominated feature:

    In American Fiction, Jeffrey Wright plays a jaded writer who finally finds success by jokingly writing a “Black” book — aka a book that caters to the white liberal imagintion. Wright’s character, Thelonious Ellison — or “Monk” — wrestles with the professional consequences of his newfound success while grappling with grief and shifting personal dynamics.

    When Jeffrey Wright accepted the Montecito Award at the 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Thursday, February 15th, he said of American Fiction:

    “For me, the heart is the family. That’s what drew me in. That’s what plucked all of my emotional and psychological strings.”

    “It’s a family that’s recognizable,” Wright continued. “It’s a family that’s as crazy as everyone’s family is.”

    Popdust caught up with Jeffrey Wright on the Red Carpet of the Santa Barbara Film Festival to chat about creating a character like Monk alongside such a stellar cast:

    POPDUST: How do you play such an introspective character while also playing alongside such a powerful cast:

    We do it together. If I weren’t part of an ensemble, it’d be a one-man show. That’d be a very different film. So it’s just the nature of the work. Yeah, we do this stuff together,

    POPDUST: How do you build that chemistry?

    You build it with your fellow actors. What Cord Jefferson did with this film was put together a brilliant cast of actors who wanted to be a part of this story — who read the script and said, Yes, this is important. This is cool. This is funny. And I want to be there. And so we all came together with equal passion for this project. And that made it so much easier because we got on set, and we knew what to do. And we just went about doing it.

    POPDUST: What’s next for you?

    I gotta go back to work next month. I can’t say exactly what just yet, but as soon as I sign the details, you will be the first to know.

    The American Fiction cast is a feat.

    A character can’t easily hide on screen, — from the audience or himself. But the heroic work of the ensemble cast, their chemistry, and the emotional depth they bring to their characters make for performances worthy of a Best Picture Oscar nom.

    To actualize this on screen, it’s necessary for the relationships between the characters to feel lived in. “I hate my family,” Monk says at the beginning. But as the story slowly unspools, we realize the history that belies such oversimplification.

    Alongside Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross plays his sister in one of her best performances yet. Johnny Ortiz plays his agent. Issa Rae plays novelist Sintara Golden. Seth Brody plays a Hollywood film director. All bouncing off Wright’s Monk.

    Is American Fiction worth watching?

    Everyone should see American Fiction. It threads the needle between funny and poignant without moralizing. In one scene, Monk’s romantic interest describes him as “funny like a three-legged dog.” The movie’s like this too. While the family relationships that anchor this outrageous tale provide some chuckle-worthy quips, this satire’s humor is often dark and ironic. It’s like Tar, but racial turmoil is to Monk what gender trouble is to Tar. Both masterful performances of problematic characters played by thespians at the peak of their powers.

    “The stupider I act, the richer I get,” Monk remarks in this comedy of errors.

    Is American Fiction a woke movie?

    This is not some finger-wagging “woke” film (Green Book, I’m looking at you). In fact, Green Book has just the sort of racial narrative the movie makes fun of. If it were a palatable tale of Black and white, good and evil, it would be a shoo-in for the Best Picture Oscar. Instead, American Fiction is a complex portrait of a complicated character struggling to understand his relationship to his own Blackness. Through this journey — making many missteps along the way — Monk may not research any conclusions. But he is forced out of the safe cocoon of his superiority complex.

    American Fiction is based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett. And given the rich tapestry of messy, flawed characters, it’s the kind of book that feels like a novel. Though the film was under the two hour mark (Oppenheimer, take notes), I found myself wanting more. I wanted to see our reluctant hero continue to confront his own limitations. I wanted more time with his family. Above all, every time Sterling K Brown, playing Monk’s brother, was on the screen, I wanted more.

    Fraught, fledgling fraternity: Brotherhood buoys the film’s emotional core

    For the unrestrained brilliance of his performance as Clifford Ellison, Sterling K. Brown received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Together Wright and Brown played brothers separated by circumstance and childhood wounds. Honestly, I’d have watched this film without all the melodrama if it were just about their relationship.

    In moments I wondered: is this film focus on the wrong brother? One of the central tensions, embodied by the fraternal duo, is the tension between wanting to hide and wanting to be seen. Monk’s determined to let everyone know he’s suffering, and hide his success — as well as his most redeemable parts, his vulnerabilities — out of shame. His brother Cliff — Monk’s foil and his mirror — tries to bury his suffering as he assumes a new life of honesty. Unceremoniously forced from the closet, Cliff mourns his former life while attempting to accept his sexuality in real-time while his family does the same. Meanwhile, Wright’s character is being forced out of isolation.

    “People want to love you,” Cliff tells Monk.

    In turn, when their mother’s Alzheimer’s causes her to mistake Monk for Cliff, she says: “Geniuses are lonely because they can’t connect with the rest of us. You’re a genius son … you’ve always been so hard on yourself.” Both are searching for connection, too trapped in their interiority to see it in each other.

    This tension between invisibility and hypervisibility — as it plays out both in internal and external conflicts — takes cues from the tradition of African American literature. W.E.B. Du Bois, writing about double consciousness, wrote about the difference between Black interiority and Black exteriority. Black American authors have been writing about this phenomenon ever since. Everett’s take on it is an examination of how internalized racial trauma — coalescing in a cocktail of our other epistemic traumas and lived experiences — ruptures our relationships.

    American Fiction is in theatres now. Watch the trailer here:

    AMERICAN FICTION | Official Trailerwww.youtube.com

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    Langa

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  • Is Saltburn Satire?

    Is Saltburn Satire?

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    After the trailer was (finally, finally) released for the new Emerald Fennell feature film, Saltburn, I asked the question: what the hell is SaltburnSaltburn? Now, a week after watching it and turning it in my head for days, I still don’t know the answer. This sick, salacious, yet ultimately satisfying film is a reinvigoration of its genre. But what genre is it aspiring to? And is it succeeding?

    There are a few things I’m sure of. Saltburn is a study of dichotomies. Rich and poor. Filth and fabulousness. It’s the haves and the have-nots. Some have power, beauty, privilege, and love. The others have not.

    Saltburn is also a masterclass in acting from Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick. Jacob Elordi holds his own as Felix, shedding his Netflix-star skin and playing a more substantive golden boy. Alison Oliver as Venetia is a breakout star in her role, teeming with both vulnerability and venom.

    But most dazzling are the scenes with Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and Keoghan together, both masters of their craft at their very best, (honorable mention to Carey Mulligan’s scenes too.) But Keoghan has shown in this role that he doesn’t just play a part, he embodies an entity. Every cell of his body, every muscle in his face, is so carefully trained to play Oliver. His choices are always satisfying and surprising — and in a role as complex and cunning as this, he plays the audience like a fiddle.

    The internet has, of course, been enamored and appalled by this film. Its blend of dark academia and homoerotic subtext of course makes it fodder for niche internet subcultures and instant cult status. And casting Jacob Elordi in anything also guarantees its interest from the mainstream audience — I mean, I firmly believe that if Call Me By Your Name had been made today, Jacob Elordi would have replaced Armie Hammer.

    But the real question is: is Saltburn a satire?

    Saltburn | Official Trailerwww.youtube.com

    The era of watching the rich eat the rich

    The “eat the rich” genre has increased in popularity over the last few years. And Saltburn is an immersive deep dive into the world of the wealthy. From the halls and balls of Oxford to the sweeping grounds of Saltburn manor. Through its characters, we know what it’s like to be loved and lonely in these beautiful places, embraced and shunned by these beautiful people. And in every moment, the scepter of class disparity hangs over the settings and the relationships ensconced within them.

    I can wax poetic about the promises and pitfalls of the genre’s unapologetic navel-gazing, with shows like Succession and White Lotusleading the pack. While we love to watch terrible rich people do terrible things to each other in beautiful locations, the genre is hardly subversive. It’s also not new.

    Saltburn reminds us of the long lineage of class commentaries — especially those with homoerotic themes. Think The Talented Mr Ripley, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow as young and beautiful Americans in Italy, unable to escape the trappings of their class and the cradles of their privilege. Sound familiar? But no one would ever accuse Ripley of being a satire. So why are we so desperate to cast Saltburn as one?

    Perhaps because Saltburn is, at its core, hilarious. The characters are almost cartoonish in their wealth and rituals- especially Pike as Elspeth, who insists on a black-tie dress code for family dinners and throws extravagant parties on a whim. Yet, even in its laughable strangeness, even these moments are not hyperbolic. For the characters, they’re real. And we only see their absurdity through the eyes of Oliver, Keoghan’s character. Which may be critical of the wealthy characters, but still covets their life.

    What is the point of Saltburn?

    But Saltburn is more than just a portrait of a rich family. The underlying darkness is what has compelled reviewers to call it a homoerotic thriller and to ascribe morality to its characters and its ending. But Saltburn cannot be a satisfying takedown of the wealthy if that’s not its goal. Here rests the tension between those who love Saltburn and those who loathe it. Does the film seek to understand and empathize with the wealthy? Or does it villainize them? In short, what is the point?

    I think Saltburn is a character study in which class is a character itself. The antagonist, even. More attention is paid to the trappings of wealth, its various dimensions than is given to even Felix. Though we are told everyone loves Felix and he is bestowed with good looks and a first-class education, he is a shallow character. And this feels intentional. Felix is not beloved because he is Felix, he is beloved because he is Felix Catton, a symbol of all things upper-class and wealthy. Wealth here isn’t about money. We can assume many of the other students surrounding him have a lot of it. Instead, it’s about power. Which is the central theme of the film, and a fixture in the legacy of British class hierarchies.

    American viewers might misunderstand the complexity of the British class system. It really is as shameless as it seems in the film — especially in 2006, before the 2009 financial crisis. This was the era of indie-sleaze (made clear by Jacob Elordi’s eyebrow piercing and carpe diem tattoo) and extravagant parties. Even old money stewards like Saltburn’s fictional Catton’s were not too invested in stealth wealth. And, a key component of this wealth is that it’s inherited for generations that predate the very existence of America.

    Even Elordi, an Australian trying to understand the role, marveled at the revelation that English upper-class kids really can be so self-absorbed and pretentious. “I lived in Chelsea, and I would just go down to the coffee shops and listen to people talk and order their flat whites,” he told Vanity Fair. “That was kind of the final puzzle piece to realize you couldn’t really go too far with it.”

    So while Saltburn ends with a line in which Oliver professes how hard he’s “worked” (this is all I can say without delving into spoilers), hard work is not valued in this system. Unlike the US and its fixation on self-made fortunes as the American Dream, fictional though they may be, those at the top of the British class system are proud that they have worked for nothing, and gained everything through birth. And this idea, that one inherits pedigree that cannot be replicated and is always out of reach, is what Saltburn is interested in.

    Yet, it doesn’t approach this with satire. Director Emerald Fennell is not counting on our laughter, our morality, or even our praise. She wants us to be interested — in the characters but also in their place in the world. And with that, she succeeds.

    Is Saltburn good?

    Saltburn is beautiful (and also has some of the grossest shots I’ve seen in cinema, be warned). Saltburn is charming and deeply compelling. It’s also disgusting and feral and dark. I gasped aloud in the theater at first watch and instantly wanted to see it again. It’s an instant cult classic, cementing Barry Keoghan as a leading man and Jacob Elordi as a heartthrob. It’s one of the best films of the year. But it’s one that you have to see to believe.

    A friend said, “Saltburn did for bathtubs what Call Me By Your Name did for peaches.” To understand how achingly accurate that is, I implore you to run to the theater and experience this shocking tale for yourself.

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    LKC

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  • More Cringe than Camp: Why “Dicks: The Musical” Falls Flat

    More Cringe than Camp: Why “Dicks: The Musical” Falls Flat

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    A24’s Dicks: The Musical promised campy glory. The Indie Darling movie studio — responsible for some of the most iconic cinema of the past decade — was proud to announce its first-ever musical feature film. After hitting it out of the park with psychological thrillers like Midsommar and Hereditary, queer landmarks like Moonlight, and coming-of-age masterpieces like Lady Bird, Mid-90s, and Euphoria, I had high expectations for Dicks. But, respectfully, I came out of the theater with one thought: what the hell was that?

    I’m no stranger to cinema that leaves you speechless. Just this summer, I was astounded by films like Bottoms, which immersed me into an absurdist fantasy like nothing I’d ever seen before. But coming off the heels of the funniest queer film maybe ever, Dicks didn’t just fail to match that energy…it was an emb34567890-oiuytrewqSZDFGHJKL;’

    embarrassingly cringe attempt at camp that won’t make its way into the annals of queer comedy.

    Dicks: The Musical | Official Trailer HD | A24www.youtube.com

    What is Dicks: The Musical about?

    Dicks is pretty much a grown-up version of The Parent Trap. But instead of two baby Lindsay Lohans scheming adorably to reunite Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid, you have two emotionally stunted sales bros trying to pair up their eccentric parents while forging a relationship of their own.

    Starring writers Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp as the self-obsessed businessmen, the cast alone was enough to get me into theaters. The stars of this film include Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, and Bowen Yang as God. But a good cast does not a good film make.

    Why did Dicks: The Musical flop?

    The film, which unsurprisingly began as a sketch, feels like an overrun SNL skit. The premise is funnier than the actual storyline, which feels complete in the first third of the movie and gets slowly beaten to death through the course of the film. This musical monstrosity failed to consistently deliver laughs — or even jokes. Yes, there were some well-delivered one-liners from Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally as the divorced parents. However, the majority of the film felt like an endless parade of the same three jokes.

    Unlike films like Bottoms, which was continuously surprising and always compelling despite its absurdity, the absurdity in Dicks didn’t feel earned. “Yes, and” can only take you so far as a dramaturgical philosophy. The characters were flat, their problems were unsympathetic, and the overwrought plot of the “sewer boys” took up surprising real estate for absolutely no payoff. There was absolutely nothing in sight to ground the insanity in anything real enough to make me care about it.

    What about the music?

    You’d think a musical comedy starring Megan Thee Stallion would at least be entertaining. But alas, not a bop or a banger in sight. Though Megan played her role as the She-EO of the boys’ sales company to the best of her ability, the character was underdeveloped and her musical number didn’t come close to making the most of her star power. Though Megan was the best part of the film by a long shot, her natural charm and charisma could not save it.

    This year saw musical comedy Theater Camp (starring Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Ayo Edebiri, and Molly Gordon) smash box office expectations for not just its charm and hilarity, but for its actually good musical numbers. This is proof that, even in a comedic show, musical numbers have to be good for it to be a good musical. And unfortunately, Dicks doesn’t deliver.

    The final verdict:

    Dicks is a parody of a parody of a parody of itself. Talking about Dicks is funnier than the film itself. Every interview about Dicks is funnier than the film itself. It’s a hilarious concept — but disappointing reality.

    No one wanted to like this movie more than me. But if I, who loves queer chaos and musical nonsense, almost walked out of the theater 30 minutes in, then I can’t recommend anyone else even try. Take my Dicks: The Musical review to heart, just rewatch Bottoms instead.

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    LKC

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  • “Sitting in Bars With Cake”: A Portrait of Platonic Love for the Loneliness Epidemic

    “Sitting in Bars With Cake”: A Portrait of Platonic Love for the Loneliness Epidemic

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    If you were in a bar, on a night out, and two girls offered you a slice of cake, would you eat it?

    While this could be the premise of a Chuck Palahniuk novel (Cake, a sequel to Choke, perhaps?) or an A24 psychological thriller about eating and intimacy or something equally uncanny, the reality is in fact … based on reality.

    Based on true events, Sitting in Bars with Cake tells the story of two 24-year-olds in Los Angeles: Corinne (Odessa A’Zion), the outgoing aspiring agent, and Jane (Yara Shahidi), her wallflower roommate, childhood best friend, and aspiring lawyer.

    What is Sitting in Bars with Cake about?

    When Jane — who prefers to spend her nights listening to podcasts, studying for the LSAT, and baking whole cakes as stress relief (I could never) — brings a home-baked birthday cake for Corrinne to a karaoke bar, a tradition is born. To force her shy friend out of her shell and to meet new people (especially guys) all around Los Angeles, they invent the concept of Cake Barring. Aka: sitting in bars with cake.

    This quirky icebreaker brings together their friends, makes them new friends, and, most importantly, signifies a new era for the best friend pair. Things are looking bright and delicious. Until Corrine gets diagnosed with cancer.

    Suddenly, the pair are braving hospital rooms together and it seems like the cake barring must come to an end. But Corrine, insisting that she needs joy now more than ever, won’t let it. Thus, a year of cake in bars and tears in hospital rooms.

    This new feature film from Amazon Prime Studios is heartwarming and refreshing. It feels realistically youthful — for example, the 24-year-olds actually talk like 24-year-olds —but also wise beyond their years.

    Who stars in Sitting in Bars with Cake?

    This whimsical tale is anchored by standout performances by Yara Shahidi and Odessa A’Zion. Neither of the pair are new actors. Shahidi has been acting since childhood in films like Butter and The Sun is Also a Star but is best known for her starring roles in black-ish and grown-ish. A’Zion is a rising star in the indie circuit in films like Fresh Kills and Hellraiser, plus a starring role in the sitcom Fam and the Netflix drama Grand Army.

    Yet, I can’t help but feel like Sitting in Bars with Cake is a reintroduction to both actors. Shahidi’s performance is understated and mature, while A’Zion steals every scene with her magnetism and charm. Together, their chemistry creates the foundations of the friendship that we root for through its highs and lows. I see myself in them both, but most of all, I see my friends — which is the true feat of this film.

    How Sitting in Bars with Cake teaches us about friendship

    Remember when the young adult film and literature genres were saturated with tales of kids falling in love in cancer wards? This film grounds the genre in reality rather than romance. It’s a tale of friendship, of growth, and resonates more than ever due to the phenomenon the media is calling the “friendship epidemic.”

    The premise is this: we all have fewer friends and, to take it further, we’re all worse friends than generations past. The obvious thing to blame here is the pandemic year. Many people moved away from their friends, either temporarily or permanently, and most of us were separated with limited to no contact with our friends for over a year. Then, with the rise of remote work and our deeply set reliance on conveniences like food delivery and online shopping, people have less occasion to see friends with no more work and fewer nights out to restaurants.

    This is underscored by the shifting cultural norms about what friendship is — and what it isn’t. Every week a new debate surfaces all over social media: should you ask your friends to help you move? Should you ask your friends to Venmo you for gas? Should you offer guests food in your home?

    And, as we redraw the lines around what relationships should look like, the influx of “therapy speak” (aka people weaponizing clinical language for self-serving purposes) is letting people get away with toxic behavior in the name of boundaries. All this to say, you could never make Friends now — they would’ve spent the whole time on that coffee store couch worrying about how to split the bill.

    However, if you look deeper, you can see that this shift didn’t start with the pandemic. It didn’t even start with social media. Society has been trending towards loneliness for decades. According to Robert D. Putnam in the 2000 book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Putnam writes about how we have become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, and neighbors.

    Putnam says people sign fewer petitions, belong to fewer organizations that meet, know their neighbors less, meet with friends less frequently, and even socialize with their families less often. We’re even bowling alone. And this book came out before social media really took over — so imagine the state of our social lives now.

    Call it a symptom of late-stage capitalism. Call it part of the inevitable apocalypse. But it can be easy to feel hopeless about the state of our friendships. And to feel like you should have more and closer friends. Everybody feels like that, probably.

    But movies like Sitting in Bars with Cake remind us that, at their core, these relationships are about love. And how powerful platonic love can be.

    This film is a portrait of a symbiotic relationship — both parties taking care of each other the ways they know how. They both give and give and give to each other without keeping score or asking for anything in return. They operate on the unsaid understanding that their problems are not a burden and that their friends want the best for them — even when they’re struggling or even in the middle of a fight.

    This inspiring narrative is an emotional tour de force — not because of the cancer of it all. But because, like a grown-up version of a Disney movie, it reminds us of the power of friendship (the crowd awws).

    So grab a friend and watch this film for a cozy night in, sharing a cake with your friends. Perfect for fall.

    Watch the trailer here:

    Sitting in Bars with Cake – Official Trailer | Prime Videowww.youtube.com

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    LKC

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  • “Bottoms” Review: Girl Failures Are the New It Girls

    “Bottoms” Review: Girl Failures Are the New It Girls

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    We started the year blessed: by the “girl failures” tweet. In a viral post on the app formerly known as Twitter, user @ricshatty said: “enough girlbosses i need girlfailures. just an absolute loser of a female character. more women who suck!!!!!”

    This summer, movies have delivered exactly what we asked for.

    Joyride offered us an eclectic cast of messy, hilarious, and diverse female characters on the craziest road trip of all time. Barbie, the movie of the summer, gave us existential crises, and depression Barbies, and made a tired mom the most badass hero of the summer. And now, taking this new trope to the extreme is Bottoms, the lesbian high school fight club movie you didn’t know was missing from the canon.

    After a limited release on August 25th in 10 theatres around the country, the comedic masterpiece has already received rave reviews, a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the fourth-highest per-theatre opening of the year. The little girl fight club comedy that could.

    What is Bottoms about?

    Helmed by the hall-of-fame comedic duo of Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, directed by Emma Seligman of Shiva Baby, and anchored in no sense of reality, Bottoms lets women be awful — and punch each other in the face.

    The premise is outrageous enough to give you insight into the unhinged space this film occupies in the zeitgeist. Two lesbian high school outcasts (Sennott, Edebiri) start a fight club under the guise of empowering women with self-defense while really their goal is the same as other high school movie protagonists before them: finally have sex. Preferably with the hot, popular cheerleaders (played by Havana Rose Liu and Kaia Gerber).

    Bottoms | Official Trailer (2023)www.youtube.com

    What ensues in the 88-minute runtime of the film, you have to see to believe. It’s a laugh-out-loud comedy that had the cinema in stitches. And there’s enough blood and violence to rival a Marvel movie.

    Is Bottoms funny? So funny you’ll need stitches.

    With a cast that fully buys into the absurd caricature of high school — including ex-football player Marshawn Lynch and Nicholas Galitzine, fresh off his victory lap for Red, White & Royal Blue — the commentary is self-aware but never pretentious, and the chemistry is unmatched.

    Every single detail is off-the-charts funny. Don’t blink, or you’ll miss something else to laugh at. The way the football players (who are the epitome of Mojo Dojo Casa House era Kens) wear their full game-day attire at literally every waking moment. The campy posters lining the hallways. The “Creation of Adam” style portrait of Jeff (Galitzine) painted like a mural in the cafeteria. It’s an immersive experience in absurdity.

    Of course, the stand-out performances belong to our unlikely heroes, Sennott and Edebiri. Like the loser protagonists before them — Jonah Hill and Michael Cera in Superbad, Beanie Feldstein and Kate Dever in Booksmart — their comic timing is hilarious, their quips and banter are irresistible, and you want to watch them forever.

    What makes a movie like this work is that even if you don’t believe anything else in its world, you believe the characters you’re supposed to be rooting for. And, although in-articulate and insane, I believed in these fight club girls. I was rooting for these fight club girls, even (especially?) when they were awful.

    And lord, could they be awful. From Sennott’s Tyler Durden-like intensity to Josie’s outlandish tale-telling, plus their combined and fruitless attempts at cringe-inducing flirting, these characters are the girlfailures we asked for. The losers we want to root for. The types of characters we both see ourselves in and are repulsed by.

    More of this, please. Until we get another duo as charmingly chaotic as this one, I’ll be waiting for Bottoms to be released nationwide on September 1st.

    GET TICKETS TO BOTTOMS HERE

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  • How ‘Love in Taipei’ Tackles The Immigrant Experience

    How ‘Love in Taipei’ Tackles The Immigrant Experience

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    It’s a particular experience to be a marginalized person in a predominantly white setting. When you’re an immigrant in any Predominantly White Institution (PWI) in the U.S., you’re both defined by and alienated from your ethnicity. The idea of your ethnicity feels like a shroud that separates you from the people around you, while also obscuring the complexity of the reality of your place of origin.

    Typically, mainstream attempts at reconciling this feeling are imperfect at best. Flattened. Oversimplified. Mantras like “too Black for the white kids, too white for the Black kids” and “too foreign for America, too American for home” are familiar but … now feel trite. Personally, I roll my eyes when I hear them since they’re often built on stereotypes and are followed by scapegoating. That incomplete idea of the “other.”

    Love In Taipei takes a different approach.

    Love in Taipei | Official Trailer | Paramount+www.youtube.com

    When Ever Wong (Ashley Liao) — a first-generation Taiwanese-American student raised in Ohio — goes on a cultural immersion trip to Taipei, she’s exposed to a city and a group of friends that she never expected. But this transformative journey leads her to discover a version of her heritage that embraces the multiplicity of her culture — a culture that embraces her.

    The film’s heart is the eclectic cast of friends that Ever encounters at the program — fondly nicknamed “Loveboat.” “This isn’t the 90s,” says her fast friend Chelsea (Sophie Ha), “Everyone knows Asians are cool now.”

    I also love the chemistry between Liao and her two love interests Rick Woo (Ross Butler) and Xavier Yeh (Nico Hiraga). It’s still so rare to see Asian men as romantic leads in mainstream American films. And these two are both equally charming, playing off Liao so perfectly I wanted her to end up with both of them! And Nico Hirago told SSENSE in 2019: “A dream role would be a super romantic and sensitive dude who gets his heart broken, some sappy shit.” So I think he actually manifested this role.

    Like any good rom-com, the formulaic romance arc is only part of the plot. This story focuses on Ever as she follows her passions and experiences life surrounded by people who look like her and also are individuals with stories of their own. This places Love in Taipei in the contemporary zeitgeist of films celebrating the multiplicity of the Asian-American experience like Joy Ride, Crazy Rich Asians, and more.

    By exposing herself to an expansive version of her culture, Ever finds an expansive version of herself.

    Stream Love in Taipei now on Paramount+.

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  • Is Movie Magic … Marketing Magic?

    Is Movie Magic … Marketing Magic?

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    On July 21st, Barbie and Oppenheimer are set to open in the biggest box office battle since 2008’s Mamma Mia and The Dark Night. And if those two films taught us anything, it’s that we can have it all: a gritty Christopher Nolan film and a fun, fresh, flirty, female-helmed, camp musical.

    So why is the entire internet pitting these two films against each other? It just may be part of the marketing strategy.

    Much has been said about the seemingly untrammeled Barbie budget — especially the collabs. From a Beis luggage collection with actress Shay Mitchell to a splashy array of makeup launches and even the Malibu Barbie Dream House AirBnb, Barbie’s marketing is downright delirious.

    But we must remember, Barbie isn’t just a movie — it’s a decades-old brand that helped to forge the identities of generations of women. While the high-budget film has a hand in much of this marketing, the corporation behind the doll, Mattel, is also invested in the movie’s success — and Barbie’s comeback.

    So Mattel is footing much of the bill. Making the Barbie movie pretty much a sponsored cinematic feature — like Timothee Chalamet x Scorcese’s Chanel short film (when, oh when will that short film come home from the war?).

    @jaiyagill

    it’s Barbie Pink summer #barbiemovie #barbiegirl #pink #barbiepink #barbieairbnb #beis #airbnb #moontoothpaste #barbiehotel #greenscreen #progressivecommercial #ryangosling #gretagerwig #margotrobbie

    Oppenheimer’s marketing, although intense, is mostly focused on the (Christopher) Nolan and the (Cillian) Murphy-ness of it all. But by all accounts — with an international press tour (now canceled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike) and giant billboards — it must have a giant budget. But nothing compares to Barbie’s boffo budget.

    And it feels like every movie of the summer is competing for air while the whole planet is talking about the girl in pink. So, instead of trying to out-do the joint forces of BarbieMattel, other film marketing teams have embraced the theory: if you can’t beat them, join them.

    The Barbification of Movie Marketing

    Have you seen the photos of Tom Cruise posing with a Barbie ticket and poster? And then have you seen the response-pic of Margot Robbie holding a ticket for Mission Impossible?

    Rather than trying to outdo the colossal pink winner on this year’s slate, other summer blockbusters are hopping on the Barbie marketing bus and hoping a titch of that infectious pink rubs off.

    The prime example is Tom Cruise’s ticket post that influenced the Barbie cast to recreate it.

    What This Means for the Future of Movie Marketing

    One of the most commendable things about Barbie’s marketing is its consistency. The branding isn’t just pink — though there’s certainly enough of that. Everything’s a reference to historic Barbie toys — like the dream house and Margot Robbie’s thematic outfits on the press tour.

    The press tour looks — before the SAG strike, of course — are ones for the books. Each of Robbie’s looks is custom designer pieces made to reference vintage Barbie outfits. Meanwhile, all other cast members served fashion to rival the Met Gala.

    And like the Met, the press tour looks seem like costumes. The branding feels like an extension of the movie. Instead of actors leveraging their personal brands to promote the film, the worldwide press tour felt like an unending trailer. Just look at Ryan Gosling. He’s literally Ken. This is peak method acting. And it’s working on us.

    And whenever the SAG strike ends (studio execs: I beg you to pay your actors so we can all go back to bingeing your content), I anticipate future press tours will take note from Barbie and make their press rollouts more gimmicky. The bigger, the better is now the name of the game.

    But What About the Small Films?

    But what about the movies that can’t afford it? What about those modest films that aren’t essentially product bankrolled and marketed by a global company like Mattel? What about the movies that aren’t able to exploit the personal capital of Margot Robbie, Christopher Nolan, or Tom Cruise?

    We’ve already seen the deleterious effects of streamers on cinemas. When a property’s not a giant blockbuster, are cinemas willing to screen smaller or independent films with their tiny box office returns? And with the entire industry on strike and struggling to earn a living, will studios take risks on movies with unknown actors?

    The magic of movies used to involve viewing something brand new and being wowed by an immersive experience. Now, the magic of movies feels like being swept up in a huge trend the entire world is talking about. Movies feel like a product of marketing and don’t feel separate from the narratives surrounding them. A prime example: Don’t Worry Darling was a bad movie, but successful nonetheless, frankly, because of the IRL drama surrounding it.

    And yet, Barbie is on track for similar success. I won’t be surprised if that silly Wonka film gets the same treatment. And while I’ll be sitting in the theatres for all these films, let’s keep that same energy for movies that lack million-dollar marketing. Otherwise, god help us, movies will just merely be ads.

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  • I Can’t Stop Thinking About the “Maneater” Scene in ‘No Hard Feelings’

    I Can’t Stop Thinking About the “Maneater” Scene in ‘No Hard Feelings’

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    Picture me with my stepmother in a college neighborhood in Seattle. We’re looking for something to do, preferably with air conditioning. We’ve sampled the artisanal ice cream shop on the main street (every college has one). But our rapidly melting cones’ reprieve from the heat was short-lived. We head to a small theatre. We decide that we’ll watch pretty much anything to escape Seattle’s unprecedented heat just for a couple of hours.

    When we say “pretty much” anything, we mean anything but The Flash — which we will not be partaking in for obvious, Ezra Miller-related, reasons. And in that tiny, retro theatre, we only have one other choice: No Hard Feelings, the new movie starring Jennifer Lawrence and newcomer Andrew Barth Feldman.

    NO HARD FEELINGS – Official Red Band Trailer (HD)www.youtube.com

    It’s immediately clear to me that this is not a movie to watch with their stepmother. From the raunchy themes to the full-frontal nudity, the film is the definition of a late-night comedy. The premise is kind of: grooming?

    Essentially, a pair of Hamptons helicopter parents hire a local girl (Jennifer Lawrence) to … turn their son into a man in exchange for . . . a car. Yes, this is precisely what it sounds like. What ensues is sometimes tough to watch. Lawrence plays Maddie (31) and Feldman’s Percy is only 19. And if this isn’t enough, she pursues and pressures him to “seal the deal” despite his constant insistence that he’s not ready. Yikes.

    The only thing that saves this film is that, inevitably, they don’t go through with it. Conveniently, they both learn lessons, grow up, and get what they truly want. See? The movie seems to imply, all that discomfort and the murky dealings with consent turns out okay. Although this remains debatable, the most memorable scene in the movie is one of my favorite film scenes of the year.

    The scene is part of the sequence that signals the turn from a raunchy comedy to a coming-of-age story. On the night the odd couple is supposed to finally go all the way, they . . . go to dinner — you know, because it’s a classy affair.

    During dinner, Maddie asks Percy to play something on a vacant piano. After some convincing, he starts in on a Hall and Oates’ cover of “Maneater” — a song that references their first date.

    @9or0studios

    Jennifer Lawrence is 🔥 #jenniferlawrence #andrewbarthfeldman #nohardfeelings #maneater

    Clearly, the song has resonance in Percy’s life, and the camera keeps dramatically panning to Maddie’s tear-filled eyes to make sure we get the point. We get the point. Though the song and its symbolism hits us over the head, what’s surprising is how good Feldman is as Percy.

    Feldman’s take on the song is artfully executed. True to his role, he’s tentative at the beginning, then earnest, then full-out confident. Triumphant. Musically, it’s an excellent arrangement. And Feldman? He’s got it. A voice like Ben Platt, sincerity without being saccharine, and genuine feelings.

    This scene has been playing in my head all week. While problematic in premise, this film wasn’t horrid. I’ve already forgotten the trite antics — though they might have scarred my stepmother for life. (I did apologize profusely afterward for forcing her watch it. Shockingly, she insisted that she had a good time.) But despite it all, it’s this seemingly innocent scene that I keep returning to.

    Whether it’s the movie magic of a musical number that always gets me — a la every fine 90s film — or the of Feldman’s surprising tenderness, this scene gave me chills. Perhaps it’s the scene’s contrast to the rest of the movie. Perhaps it’s because both Lawrence and Feldman are at their finest as actors, both vulnerable and no longer playing to the ridiculousness of the movie’s conceit.

    Whatever it was, it’s worth watching No Hard Feelings just to see that scene. Or simply streaming the cover on Spotify:

    Maneater (Live)

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  • “The Lesson” Review: Killing Your Darlings — And Your Heroes, Too

    “The Lesson” Review: Killing Your Darlings — And Your Heroes, Too

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    Spoiler alert: This review contains spoilers for the film The Lesson

    A friend — another writer, because we masochists have to stick together — tells me she’s not worried about her novel. This is a different tune than she’d been singing all year as she works on this mammoth project that every writer dreads, yet flirts with: writing her first book.

    What’s changed? I ask. Turns out — she tells me — all the writers she’s researched say the same thing: you’re doomed to write a bad book in your twenties, then either bury it and never look at it again or completely rewrite it years later. But the bad first novel is crucial. It means you’ve had the discipline face the screen for months, even years. It means you’ve written a book. But a bad first novel removes the agony of showing it to anyone.

    Of course, there are exceptions. But for most writers, the first book won’t be a masterpiece. It’s a jumping-off point — a dock at the edge of a pond.

    This is what Liam Sommers (played by Daryl McCormack, who received a BAFTA nomination for Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) learns in The Lesson. At one point Liam rips up his first novel and hurls it to the bottom of a pond — and that’s not even the film’s climax.

    What is The Lesson about?

    The Lesson follows Liam during a formative summer. He’s just graduated from Oxford University, he’s hired by his favorite writer — J.M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant) — to tutor his son, Bertie (Stephen McMillan).

    Liam gets a front-row seat to their family drama, learning what makes everyone tick, and what not to mention. He’s even invited into his hero’s inner literary sanctum. Of course, this is where it all begins to unravel.

    THE LESSON | Official Trailer | Bleecker Streetwww.youtube.com

    What happens in The Lesson?

    Liam soon finds himself embroiled with each family member. He becomes Bertie’s confidant and Mr. Sinclair’s editor. And, later, Mrs. Sinclair (Julie Delpy) — known only to Liam as Hélène — becomes Liam’s lover. As he swept up in the middle of the Sinclairs’ lives, he finds a renewed passion for his own project: his own first novel that he had previously abandoned and, by the middle of the film, finally finishes.

    The Lesson is a tale about writers writing, and the agony of it — not merely the act of scribbling on a page (Liam writes longhand, of course) but the tenuousness of your art being perceived — especially by those you idolize. Liam confronts these fears when he shares his novel with Sinclair. It’s then he discovers these fears of the nascent author are what killed Sinclair’s eldest son.

    We learn, as Liam learns, that the eldest Sinclair boy, Felix, had also aspired to be a writer. And his father’s ceaseless criticisms were the likely cause of his suicide in the family’s pond. As the summer goes on, Liam fits into the family almost as if he’s their lost son — there’s a scene where Liam borrows some of Felix’s old clothes.

    Playing this role of pseudo-son, the story takes on an Oedipal framework as Liam grows disillusioned by Sinclair, as a writer, a father, and as Hélène’s lover and partner.

    Richard E Grant, Julie Delpy, Stephen McMillan, and Daryl McCormack in The Lessonvia Falco Ink

    Is The Lesson good?

    Like the Oedipal myth, much of this film relies on oft-used literary tropes to spring conflict upon the cast rather than building tension and character. Instead, much of the film is spent admiring the elegant manor and the beautiful countryside and yearning — just like Liam — to go for a swim in the old pond.

    The final third features much of the conflict — and the majority of action — which makes the film feel unevenly paced. As a viewer, you wish there was less fluff and distraction. Considering Bertie’s lack of development — beyond the stereotypical sullen teenage — the relationship between Liam and Hélène feels especially trite. Viewers aren’t privilege Bertie’s own motives — the film only reveals Bertie as his father views him: a boy unable to get out from under his brother’s shadow.

    Liam’s character is similarly hard to parse, as he’s caught between the role of participant and observer. As a novelist, you’d think the film would give him a wider perspective. We understand that he’s a Sinclair fanboy, he’s obsessed with rewatching Sinclair’s speeches in the opening scenes, and he even wrote his thesis on Sinclair. And we understand that he is a writer, talented, too. Other questions are raised but not answered: how did he actually become a tutor? What does he want from life?

    The ending feels neat and wrapped up. But a more satisfying ending would be one in which we better understand our protagonist — did he achieve what he set out to do? Was it worth it? Or is he destined to repeat the sins of his pseudo-father?

    With greater insight into Liam’s internal motivations, the film would overcome and surpass cliches. However, it’s the world-class performances by both McCormack and Grant that transcend these drawbacks and makes the battles of this pretentious pair captivating. All I wanted was more.

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  • “Cold Copy” Review: Tracee Ellis Ross’s Magnetic Personality Buoys Flaccid Film Noir

    “Cold Copy” Review: Tracee Ellis Ross’s Magnetic Personality Buoys Flaccid Film Noir

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    When you think of Tracee Ellis Ross, you think of her big hair (shoutout to Pattern Beauty) and her big smile. You might even think of her mother, Diana Ross, although Tracee’s one of the rare, iconic nepo babies who has managed to forge a spectacular career separate from her famous parent.

    However, in her latest role as powerhouse journalist Diane Heger in Tribeca Film Festival’s Cold Copy, Ross is unrecognizable — and not just due to of her black hair and bangs. Known for comedic roles like Black-ish, Girlfriends, and The High Note, Ross is an expert at leveraging her larger-than-life personality for laughs.

    In Cold Copy, she uses her undeniable presence as Heger strikes fear into the hearts of aspiring journalism students who want to follow in her footsteps as a successful media personality and host of her own show. This is where we meet Mia Scott — indelibly rendered by Bel Powley. Scott is a budding journalist, eager to impress her hero and succeed at any cost.

    Early in the film, Mia’s sitting with her roommate and best friend, discussing their hopes and dreams. Classic weekday night for college students. “What else is there?” Scott muses about the value of success. And the rest of the film shows her clawing and climbing to the top, making enemies, and losing friends on the way.

    Written and directed by Roxine Helberg, this female-helmed film noir has a predictable plot but is saved by its captivating cast. The story struggles to justify its characters’ motives with high enough stakes, making Scott’s actions seem desperate and unanchored, though well-rendered by Powley. Yet, despite the uneven script and stilted pacing, Ross and Powley make a compelling duo.

    “What do people see when they look at us?” Heger asks Scott in the film’s second act. A teacher and student? A mother and daughter, she proposes. Lovers, even? It’s all about perception, is the lesson Heger’s imparting. And, as journalists, it’s all about perspective.

    But for a film about perspective, about insight, it doesn’t hold much of its own. Some themes, like the price of success, are raised, but the message is unclear. The ending, too, raises more questions than it answers.

    Like Mia Scott, the film is desperately clawing for a storyline, for meaning, but can’t quite reach it. And, like Scott, the charismatic actors in front of the lens are more substantive than the flimsy tale they’re weaving.

    What results is a satisfying watch but so unsurprising. It’s a mixture of Tar and Miss Sloane, but without the intensity of either. Although the plot’s overly familiar, the visuals are sharp and the casting choices are fantastic. Backed by brilliant acting and an undercurrent of intriguing questions, it’s worth your time.

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  • ‘The Adults’ Review: ‘Succession’ for Theatre Kids

    ‘The Adults’ Review: ‘Succession’ for Theatre Kids

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    “Wait, is he the actor in Molly’s Game?” I ask myself as I watch Michael Cera in The Adults as he obnoxiously wins a poker game — making enemies of everyone at the table.

    But he wasn’t the actor in Molly’s Game. I’m thinking of Jesse Eisenberg, a quick Google search tells me — a different awkward white boy playing that same type. Of that set of indie film darlings, Michael Cera is best known as the one from Superbad. Or as the one who does theatre. The latter is why he is so fitting for his role as Eric in The Adults.

    In this film, Cera’s character plays the eldest — and most estranged — of three strange siblings. He’s visiting his hometown for a quick trip, he insists. He’s here to meet a good friend’s baby, he tells everyone, and hang out with a few of the old gang. Out of obligation, he stops by to see his sisters. We know their relationships are strained before we even meet Rachel (Hannah Gross) and Maggie (Sophia Lillis). One lives in their childhood home alone and the other recently dropped out of college.

    Poker? We get scenes and scenes of it — hence my Molly’s Game musings. Plot? There’s not a ton of that. Just the grappling for connection and the messy reforging of a sibling bond.

    What makes this movie different and dynamic is one key element: these siblings love to sing. Their family dynamic is like if the Succession kids went to theatre camp. The little we learn about their childhood comes through songs and skits they made up as children and then turn to as adults in order to process their trauma. Maggie, the youngest, is dying to return to a time when things were simpler and they all got along by singing. Rachel is cynical and cold to Michael, which comes to a head in a visceral fight in the third act.

    Until then, we learn about the siblings through the harmonized songs and accompanying dances from their childhood. We find out about Eric’s passion for poker — which is really his appetite for power and winning that’s reflected in his familial relationship. And we watch as Eric extends his trip day after day, breaking down wall after wall, until you wonder if he might just stay.

    Audiences will certainly relate to something in this tapestry of suburbia: house parties where everyone knows everyone, catching up with old friends or family members after far too long, and laughing at inside jokes with the people you grew up with. Theatre kids — like Cera himself — will identify with the eclectic sibling bunch and their catalog of childhood songs. And anyone with a strained family relationship will definitely see themselves in this misfit bunch.

    With The Adults, writer-director Dustin Guy Defa has created an immersive world and a nuanced family unit that sits at the heart of it. This is a film that screams “INDIE MOVIE” — and it feels like it’s made by and for audiences that are seeking just that.

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  • ‘Maggie Moore(s)’ Review: Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, and Not Much Else

    ‘Maggie Moore(s)’ Review: Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, and Not Much Else

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    Everybody loves a juicy murder mystery. The True Crime boom proves it. So does the spectacular success of shows like Dahmer, Only Murders in the Building, and Peacock’s latest… Based on a True Story.

    SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers for Maggie Moore(s)

    In every media form, fictional or fact, creators aim to capture society’s curiosity for the twisted and morbid. Biopics like the American Crime Story series or Zac Efron’s performance as Ted Bundy in Incredibly Wicked and Vile are all the rage, capitalizing on this fervor despite some concerns about the ethics of this obsession. For many psychological thrillers, slapstick comedies and dramedies murder is the business.

    No exception to the rule, Tribeca Film Festival saw the premiere of Maggie Moore(s), a dark comedy about the murder of two women both named Maggie Moore. Despite its title, the film is really about Jon Hamm’s character, Jordan Sanders, the police chief in a small New Mexico town.

    Hamm’s character is mourning his wife’s death, but tentatively taking steps to venture back into the dating world. Naturally, he looks for advice from his jocular deputy (Santosh Govindaraju). Between failed dates and days dealing with petty crimes, Hamm’s life is much like the desert town: uneventful.

    That is until the first Maggie Moore gets murdered. And then the second. Suddenly, Hamm’s embroiled in a mess of a police chase while viewers get behind-the-scenes access to the wacky cast of characters cooking up the scam.

    The eclectic cast makes Maggie Moore(s) an enjoyable watch. That and John Slattery’s keen directorial eye. The actual murder plot takes a back seat to the distinctive, at-times-cartoonish, characters who run around wreaking havoc.

    Of course, Tina Fey is a stand out here. Fey plays Rita – a nosy neighbor of one of the Maggie Moores. A recent divorcee, she’s hankering for company — first from Moore, then from Sanders. Fey is redemption for the nosy neighbor trope, as she finds herself helping with the case and starting a relationship with Hamm.

    The scenes between Hamm and Fey — and any scene with Govindaraju — make the most compelling case for Maggie Moore(s). In an enjoyable yet unsurprising journey to catch the man who murdered the lamentable Maggie Moores, the rest is ambient noise.

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  • “The Line” Review: White on White Violence — Alex Wolff and Austin Abrams In a Portrait of Privilege

    “The Line” Review: White on White Violence — Alex Wolff and Austin Abrams In a Portrait of Privilege

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    In The Line — the latest film by Ethan Berger, starring Alex Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Halle Bailey, Austin Abrams, Angus Cloud, Scoot McNairy, John Malkovich, Bo Mitchell, and Denise Richards — a group of fraternity brothers experience a turbulent pledge season.

    SPOILER ALERT: THE FOLLOWING INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR THE FILM THE LINE

    What follows is just what you’d expect: a ton of homophobic and racist language, a culture of privilege, rampant misogyny, and — of course — the ubiquitous, unchecked male aggression. However, there are unexpected moments, too — Halle Bailey’s incandescent (but all too brief) performance, the surprising empathy we feel for Tom (Wolff), and the death that occurs in the third act.

    In many ways, it’s a classic movie about fraternities, hazing, and toxic masculinity so it lets its characters off easy. But, in part, that’s the point, too. The film was intensely researched by Berger and his co-writer Alex Russek, which is evident in its attention to crucial details.

    It’s a visceral portrait sharpened by expertly crafted details. From the familiar frat boy wardrobe, the 2014 soundtrack, and the rich characters, Berger creates a world that feels immediate. Real. And terrifying. The result? A profoundly unsettling movie that will stay with you long after you leave the theater.

    What’s The Line about?

    It’s about a fictional fraternity — Kappa Nu Alpha — at Sumpter College, a fictional college in the south. It follows Tom (played by Alex Wolff), a lower-income student with a single mother, who is entering his sophomore year. After a summer working a service job in his home state of Florida, Tom’s eager to return to life that being a KNA brother promises: connections, escapism, and a room tricked out with the full “Martha Stewart” treatment and the latest tech, all courtesy of his roommate and best friend, Mitch (Bo Mitchell).

    Tom’s friendship with Mitch is central to the film. Mitch’s dad is the owner of Piggly Wiggly and offers Tom an internship proclaiming that it’s important to “align yourself with the best.” While Tom holds the leadership chops important to their frat president, Tom’s deeply insecure about his lack of connections and family money.

    This becomes apparent as the new pledge class begins initiation. Soon, Mitch goes to war with a star pledge, Gettys O’Brian (Austin Abrams). Unimpressed by the pledge’s attitude, Mitch lashes out and lights the fuse that forms the film’s central conflict.

    At some point, Gettys says, “I would rather be an asshole than a loser.” This illustrates Tom’s struggle to fit in at the expense of his morals and his desires — particularly his attraction to Annabelle (Halle Bailey).

    Alex Wolff and Halle Bailey in The Linevia Tribeca Film Festival

    The Line had its World Premiere on June 9th at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, garnering critical acclaim for the searing story and shattering performances by Wolff, Mitchell, and Abrams.

    Is The Line good?

    In an interview with Salon, Director, Ethan Berger said: “Maybe the film will force [people who participate in fraternity culture] to ask themselves if it was worth it — whether this institution that they pledged allegiance to has an allegiance to them? I’m not looking to answer anything, just provoke questions.”

    The Line successfully raises a web of questions and creates characters that further complicate those questions. It’s not simply a flat indictment of every “frat boy.” We feel genuine empathy for Wolff’s character as we join him on his journey. There’s the painfully accurate portrayal of freshman bravado and insecurity. (This reminded me of Bo Burnham’s 8th Grade — another film that’s too humiliatingly true to look away from.) And there’s all the minutiae that goes into creating a world that doesn’t come off as trite.

    What makes it distinct are the details. From Tom’s sartorial signifiers — boat shoes and vests when he’s deep in the brotherhood contrasted with a faded hoodie and slides when he is disillusioned — to the constant, casual bigotry displayed by the brothers, Berger plunges us into an immersive world that (purposefully) makes our skin crawl.

    The acting is similarly immersive.

    Wolff, known for playing mild-mannered boys in drowsy indies (and, of course, The Naked Brothers Band), completely transforms for this role. A buzzcut and a “fake Forrest Gump accent” are just the start of this fantastic transformation. Wolff gives an achingly intense performance, especially in scenes with Bailey or Abrams. He plays off his castmates and deftly delivers both the high moments — giving a rousing speech to the pledges — and the low moments — holding back tears in the interrogation room.

    The Line is a memorable journey that will resonate long after the final credits roll. In the hierarchy of fraternity films, it’s easily number one with a bullet.

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  • ‘The Good Half’ Review: Nick Jonas and Brittany Snow Are Heartbreaking and Heartwarming

    ‘The Good Half’ Review: Nick Jonas and Brittany Snow Are Heartbreaking and Heartwarming

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    Nick Jonas is on a roll. He’s in the middle of The Jonas Brothers’ THE TOUR (think their version of Taylor’s Era tour, where they perform 5 of their albums in one night). He just appeared in Love Again as a secondary character alongside his wife, Priyanka Chopra. And now, he’s starring in The Good Half, an indie dramedy that premiered at Tribeca Film Festival on June 8th.

    Written by Brett Ryland and directed by Robert Schwartzman, the film is a tale of grief that sees its creators pouring out their personal experiences to connect with audiences on its universal themes. And hopefully, get them to crack a smile.

    The story is a familiar one: a family comes together in the wake of a tragedy and strained relationships (in this case, the one between a brother and sister) heal as they learn to accept their loss. The message is familiar too: that grief is not linear and that families leave too much unsaid.

    Nick Jonas in The Good Halfvia Tribea Film Festival

    What’s most surprising is Nick Jonas’s performance as the leading man. Playing the joke-cracking, emotionally avoidant protagonist, Renn, Jonas is magnetic — making an otherwise unmemorable (and potentially unlikable) character easy to love.

    Jonas’s character has few distinguishable features. The script gives him a good balance of comedic and contemplative moments, and Jonas plays them all perfectly. He leans into Renn’s emotional distance and what emerges is a character who is flawed, but sympathetic.

    The story takes him through the motions of preparing for his mother’s funeral and taking steps to fix the strained relationships with his father and sister while building a new relationship with Zoey (Alexandra Shipp), a girl he met on the plane.

    The themes of grief and nostalgia are countered by the budding relationship between Jonas and Shipp’s characters. Their exchanges are funny and light, but their chemistry feels more playful and platonic than romantic. With not much to anchor Zoey’s character on, the moments she appears feel like plot devices. Their conversations — including a well-done monologue by Jonas in which he finally admits his griefs, a moment that should feel intimate and powerful — feel like convenient vehicles for Renn’s growth. And while he is finding escape in Zoey, the abrupt tonal shift between their scenes and the rest of the film makes the film feel like a collage instead of a cohesive story.

    Nick Jonas and Alexandra Shipp in The Good Halfvia Tribeca Film Festival

    The sibling relationship between Renn and Leigh (Brittany Snow), however, is the most compelling part of the film. From well-rendered sibling bickering and banter to an eventual catharsis, Jonas and Snow play off each other seamlessly. As a viewer, I wish the story had spent more time here, as a more developed version of Snow’s character would have made Renn’s emotional moments with her more weighty.

    This movie will exist in the canon as another Elizabethtown or Garden State wannabe — complete with the underdeveloped romantic interest who absorbs all of the protagonist’s trauma. But it’s an easy watch and a compelling case for Nick Jonas’s return to acting.

    I hope to see him in more roles like this, where he can show off his full range (because yes, he sings in The Good Half in a sweet karaoke scene). Do people still call it a “triple threat” when someone is great at singing, dancing, and acting? Because Nick Jonas has proven that he’s got what it takes.

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    LKC

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  • ‘Eric LaRue’ Review: After Soaring in Succession, Skarsgard Transforms in ‘Eric LaRue’

    ‘Eric LaRue’ Review: After Soaring in Succession, Skarsgard Transforms in ‘Eric LaRue’

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    There’s a lot to be said about Eric LaRue. It’s Michael Shannon’s directorial debut. It’s a meditative adaptation of Brett Neveu’s 2002 play. And it stars Judy Greer, Alison Pill, Tracy Letts, Paul Sparks, and a just about unrecognizable Alexander Skarsgård. The latter is what the film will undoubtedly be remembered for, but let’s start from the top.

    Eric LaRue premiered on June 10th at Tribeca Film Festival. This highly anticipated drama is a fresh perspective on a timely and important topic: gun violence. The film follows two parents (Greer and Skarsgård) whose son commits a school shooting. After murdering three of his high school peers, the title character Eric LaRue is sent to prison. In the aftermath, his parents struggle to repair and adjust to life without their son and as pariahs in their cookie-cutter suburban town.

    The film poses a number of questions. Whose to “blame” when such a shocking tragedy occurs? Who takes responsibility? How does a community heal? And what is our responsibility to ourselves?

    However, while the film provokes and prods, it doesn’t build avenues toward solutions. With nebulous questions that have no right answers, a film like this leans on its characters to raise and elaborate on the issues. Although the characters are compelling and entertaining — and well rendered by the actors — they aren’t complex enough to lead us toward an honest conversation about the film’s themes.

    Within the film itself, the characters attempt to have conversations among themselves. Most of these attempts are just that, with no results. And while this is intentional, when problems are repeatedly introduced nothing moves forward — the action is inert. For the viewer, Eric LaRue feel repetitive and monotonous. A shame, considering the astonishing direction, the striking cinematography, and powerhouse performances.

    As Michael Shannon’s directorial debut, this is a triumph. The actors interact with each other seamlessly. And the establishing shots of suburbia clue the viewer into this community’s rules and the enormity of the coming transgression. It’s also a career-defining role for Judy Greer — who plays the devastated mother, Janice LaRue. Her quest for answers and healing is portrayed with a brilliant blend of melancholy, torment, and messiness.

    However, the most memorable performance is by Skarsgård. It’s always a treat to see one of your favorite actors in a role where you barely recognize them. Skarsgård achieves this with phenomenal results.

    Fresh off a scene-stealing appearance in Succession as the eccentric — and often-shoeless — tech founder, Alexander Matsson, Skarsgård chalks up yet one more title to his already stacked filmography. This film, I think, will live on largely as an example of the actor’s extensive range.

    Rather than the charming, authoritative figures he often plays, Skarsgård transforms into Ron LaRue — an awkward and aimless father. Somehow he wrangles his giant Viking frame into khakis and flannel to bumble around the house. Skarsgård balances power and heartbreak — searching for himself as much as he’s searching for answers. We view him as Janice LaRue sees him: as lacking. And Skarsgard’s complete immersion in his role truly convinces us.

    Overall, Eric LaRue is a half-realized execution of a dynamic concept. Although the pacing is slow and stilted, those moments between characters are so riveting, you can’t look away.

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    LKC

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  • “He’s Not A Villain, He’s An Animal:” Alex Montaldo On Playing “The Bad Guy” In The Seeding

    “He’s Not A Villain, He’s An Animal:” Alex Montaldo On Playing “The Bad Guy” In The Seeding

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    There’s pandemic isolation, and then there’s ‘trapped in a crater in the middle of the desert’ isolation. One of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival midnight premieres, The Seeding is a slow-burn horror about the human relationships and pack mentalities that smolder outside the prying eyes of civilization.

    When a lost young boy lures science photographer Wyndham Stone into a deep crater within a Utah canyon, his only hopes of escaping lie with Alina, the seemingly passive woman with him, or the gang of feral, desert-raised boys circling above them, that lives to serve her.

    Popdust sat down with Alex Montaldo who plays the leader of the sadistic pack of young men – think Peter Pan to the Lost Boys.

    In your own words, tell me about The Seeding.

    The Seeding is a horror film, but more on the psychological side. To me, it has a lot to do with the primal human fears and the relationship we have with nature, which is broken in too many ways I think, and how this could turn sour and bad and dangerous – just ‘cause we think we’ve been put in charge by something, someone which is just an illusion and then when you face reality then, it could go bad. [Laughs]

    What was it like filming out in the middle of Utah?

    It was gorgeous, I loved it. It was so uncomfortable. And that helped me a lot.

    My idea was just to become part of the desert and take it all in and see what it did to me. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the sky in Utah, but you can see every single star. And I felt this overwhelming feeling of being so tiny and at the same time, so huge, that it’s just I don’t even know what I was doing … [looking up at the sky] was one specific moment that gave me a lot.

    Normally I’m afraid of heights, but most of my scenes were actually up on top of the rim of the canyon. As the character? I could look down, had no fear whatsoever, and I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s kind of why I like doing this.

    What drew you to the role of Corvus in the first place?

    I was able to visualize it immediately – he’s like a carnie, like a carnival barker type, but he’s also a shaman – meaning he’s this guy who strives to feed this goddess he and his tribe worship. And there’s also a very human side to him which is more related to the men he kidnaps and kills.

    In the desert, I rule. And is that evil? Good? Bad? I don’t look at it that way. I mean if you’ve seen my character, you probably think of it as a bad guy – I don’t at all. It’s all out of love, in a way, for the sister/mother/goddess, and this need to create something very human and very much not human at the same time.

    The essence of my character is really on his name at the end of the day. Corvus means crow, right? [Alex laughs and points to a crow tattoo on his left forearm.] I had this before… In celtic mythology, crows are messengers of death. And my character is high on death to a certain extent. He has this connection with arcane knowledge. So it all goes back to that.

    Also he reminded me of Iggy Pop and Mick Jagger and Peter Murphy so it was cool for me to just go for it… [The writer/director Barnaby Clay] has got a rock’n’roll style in his aesthetic I was just drawn to.

    The Seeding

    XYZ Films

    What was the dynamic like on set between you and the other feral boys?

    [Laughs] It was cool. I never worked with children before. But it was great ‘cause they have much more freedom. They don’t have all those layers of ‘Oh it’s me, it’s my scene, now I gotta do this, I gotta do that cause it’s gotta look a certain way’ – no, they just go for it.

    When I can, I like to create the same dynamics the characters have outside of the – ya know – as much as I can, without talking about it. And I think I did. I was protective of them. Concerned about them. And that was a big part of it. I think the character cares about them even though he may end up killing some of them. It’s for a greater good, a greater purpose, but there’s still like a pack bond between them.

    A lot of the movie’s tension comes from Wyndam not knowing about Alina’s codependence with you and the boys. What was it like working with Scott Haze and Kate Lyn Sheil?

    It doesn’t happen a lot that you’re so lucky that you get to work with people you respect and like and get something out of. Scott [has] this movie star Robert Redford type quality to him and yet this captivating intensity that I really liked. Working with him was so easy for me.

    I really love the way [Kate] was so quiet and focused on set. She can play a doctor or a lawyer or in this case, a goddess, and there’s gonna be something unique to it. If I were to describe it, it’s like a grace and strength at the same time that made her character so interesting to watch.

    Tell me your ideal audience reaction, coming out of the theater.

    Ideally, I would like ten people to have ten different opinions on it. [My character is] an animal, in the best possible way. Is he mean? Sure, whatever. I don’t judge. I hope that everyone gets something different out of it.

    The Seeding is playing twice more at the Tribeca Film Festival on Tuesday, June 13 at 9pm and Saturday, June 17 at 9:30pm at the Village East by Angelika.

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    Allie Lembo

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  • 16 Films To Look Forward to at Tribeca Film Festival

    16 Films To Look Forward to at Tribeca Film Festival

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    It’s film festival season. After a stunning display of fashion and film at Cannes, we are finally deep in the pomp and circumstance that comes with film festivals.

    And as much as I love the red carpet looks, the interviews, and the star-studded events, film festivals are unique to other premieres because they really remind us to celebrate the achievements of films themselves. More than the politics of award shows or the polish of press tours, film festivals feel like the truest celebrations of the current climate in film.

    Tribeca Film Festival, held annually in New York City, is one of the most anticipated festivals in the festival circuit. Started in 2003 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, Tribeca has strong roots in independent film — celebrating the most innovative and interesting films and artists in the cultural zeitgeist.

    This year, Tribeca Festival will be held from June 7 to June 18 in New York City, with a lineup of exciting films, events, and artist conversations. Film lovers will be running around downtown New York City to witness some of the highly anticipated films and conversations on the lineup.

    As we prep for a summer of blockbuster movies like Barbie, we’re also highly anticipating smaller projects that will be premiering at Tribeca this year. Here are 16 of the films we’re looking forward to seeing this year at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

    The Good Half

    After years spent avoiding his problems, Renn Wheeland (Nick Jonas) is forced to face his greatest fear: the recent death of his mother, Lily (Elisabeth Shue). While traveling home to Cleveland for her funeral, he forges a new relationship with fellow passenger, Zoey (Alexandra Shipp), and later, heals an old one with his overbearing sister, Leigh (Brittany Snow). Together, with the help of his eager-to-connect father, Darren (Matt Walsh), an old high school friend, and a hoarder priest, Renn tries to confront his past, his problems, his step-father (David Arquette), his grief, and his new reality.

    Starring: Nick Jonas, David Arquette, Brittany Snow, Alexandra Shipp, Matt Walsh, and Elisabeth Shue

    Eric Larue

    In the aftermath of a shocking crime at the hands of their son, two parents seek solace in rival religious congregations in Michael Shannon’s emotional directorial debut.

    Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Judy Greer, Alison Pill, Tracy Letts, and Paul Sparks

    Smoking Tigers

    ​Set in the early-2000s SoCal, Smoking Tigers follows a Korean American girl as she navigates derision and growing tensions while balancing the duality of her low-income family and wealthy, elite high school environment. Staggered by the separation of her parents, a Korean-American girl struggles to find herself. Caught between supporting both parents in their work while longing for their old life together and burdened by the responsibility of a younger sibling, few things seem to be falling into place. Upon starting a new year of high school among wealthy elites, she also has to balance the duality of her new friends and low-income reality.

    ​Starring: Ji-Young Yoo, Jung Joon Ho, Abin Andrews, Erin Choi, Erin Yoo, Phinehas Yoon

    Cold Copy

    An ambitious journalism student falls under the thrall of an esteemed yet cutthroat news reporter whom she’s desperate to impress, even if it means manipulating her latest story… and the very idea of truth itself.

    Starring: Tracee Ellis Ross, Bel Powley, Jacob Tremblay, Nesta Cooper

    Cypher

    Cypher is a fictionalized version of the life and career of magnetic rapper, Tierra Whack. It is a semi-autobiographical characterization with a twist. The film satirizes all the conspiracies and theories about secret societies running the music industry.

    Starring: Tierra Whack

    Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed

    This timely exploration of Hollywood and LGBTQ+ identity examines the life of legendary actor Rock Hudson, from his public “ladies’ man” persona to his private life as a gay man.

    The Adults

    When Eric’s (Michael Cera) short trip back home turns into an extended stay, relationships with friends and family come to a head. The trip reunites him with his sisters, Rachel (Hannah Gross) and Maggie (Sophia Lillis), and unearths some old wounds as Maggie yearns to rekindle moments of their youth. At the same time, Eric falls back in with his old poker buddies, asserting his dominance as the best poker player in town. They gradually reveal their complicated inner lives, trauma, and relationships through theatrical performances and shared histories. The film’s strength lies in the cast’s nuanced performances and writer-director Dustin Guy Defa’s use of raw emotion and close-ups to convey the siblings’ complicated dynamic.

    Starring: Michael Cera, Hannah Gross, Sophia Lillis

    Fresh Kills

    The daughters of the Larusso family struggle to break the unspoken code of the women behind the men in the mob world of Staten Island in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Unlike any mob movie you’ve ever seen before, FRESH KILLS reveals the women behind the men — the stories never told. Violence, fear, and unspoken rules dictate who they are and who they are allowed to become.

    Starring: Emily Bader, Odessa A’zion, Jennifer Esposito, Domenick Lombardozzi, Annabella Sciorra, and Nicholas Cirillo

    The Lesson

    Liam (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring and ambitious young writer, eagerly accepts a tutoring position at the family estate of his idol, renowned author J.M. Sinclair (Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant). But soon, Liam realizes that he is ensnared in a web of family secrets, resentment, and retribution. Sinclair, his wife Hélène (Academy Award nominee Julie Delpy), and their son Bertie (Stephen McMillan) all guard a dark past, one that threatens Liam’s future as well as their own. As the lines between master and protégé blur, class, ambition, and betrayal become a dangerous combination in this taut noir thriller.

    Starring: Richard E Grant, Julie Delpy, Daryl McCormack, Stephen McMillan, and Crispin Letts

    Maggie Moores

    When two women with the same name are murdered days apart, small-town police chief Jordan Sanders (Hamm) finds himself wading through an unlikely collection of cheating husbands, lonely hearts, nosy neighbors and contract killers in an effort to put the pieces of the case, and his life, together. The film is inspired by actual events.

    Starring: Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Micah Stock, Nick Mohammed, Happy Anderson, and Mary Holland

    The Line

    Ethan Berger’s feature narrative debut THE LINE is an engrossing dramatic thriller that contemplates blind adherence to tradition from the viewpoint of Tom (Alex Wolff), a devoted “brother” from a fictional college fraternity. Tom is charmed by the promises of high social status and alumni connections that open doors, and pledges allegiance to an institution without fully understanding the cost of that loyalty. As the sophomore year begins, Tom’s view of his fraternity culture, and his own identity, is challenged by a new acquaintance outside his social circle (Halle Bailey) and by the dangerous fraternity hazing antics perpetrated by his best friend (Bo Mitchell) as he goes to war with a freshman pledge Gettys (Austin Abrams) who won’t conform. As the exuberant freedom of college darkens, Tom’s dedication to his fraternity threatens to overshadow his future and makes him question everything he thought he valued. Led by Wolff’s gut-wrenching performance, the coming-of-age film also stars Mitchell, Bailey, Abrams, Lewis Pullman, Angus Cloud, Scoot McNairy, Denise Richards, Cheri Oteri, and John Malkovich.

    Starring: Alex Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Halle Bailey, Austin Abrams, Angus Cloud, Scoot McNairy, John Malkovich, Bo Mitchell, Denise Richards

    Shortcomings

    ​Ben, a struggling filmmaker, lives in Berkeley, California, with his girlfriend, Miko, who works for a local Asian American film festival. When he’s not managing an arthouse movie theater as his day job, Ben spends his time obsessing over unavailable blonde women, watching Criterion Collection DVDs, and eating in diners with his best friend Alice, a queer grad student with a serial dating habit. When Miko moves to New York for an internship, Ben is left to his own devices and begins to explore what he thinks he might want.

    Starring: Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Debby Ryan, Tavi Gevinson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jacob Batalon, Timothy Simons

    Blood for Dust

    ​Cliff, a traveling salesman drowning under the weight of providing for his family, finds himself on a dangerous path after a chance encounters with Ricky, a colleague from a dark past. Desperate to keep his fragile home life intact, Cliff agrees to partner with Ricky running cocaine across Montana, and finds himself embroiled in a struggle to get away clean, in a business where no one does.

    Starring: Scoot McNairy, Kit Harington, Josh Lucas, Stephen Dorff, Ethan Suplee, Nora Zehetner, and Amber Rose Mason

    Downtown Owl

    Welcome to Owl, North Dakota, 1984, where a widowed farmer invents his happiness, righteous teens uncover a local scandal, and an English teacher searching for more out of life upends the peaceful existence of the locals. “Downtown Owl”, based on Chuck Klosterman’s novel, is a rollicking dark comedy, about running away from home in order to find it.

    Starring: Lily Rabe, Ed Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, August Blanco Rosenstein, Jack Dylan Grazer, Arianna Jaffier, Finn Wittrock, Henry Golding

    Mountains

    Xavier, a dutiful middle-aged Haitian demolition worker, is outgrowing the Little Haiti home he shares with his wife Esperance – a seamstress and school crossing guard – and their adult son Junior, caught between two cultures as he pursues a standup comedy career.

    Mountains is a multigenerational drama that explores the relationships between immigrants and their children, Miami’s own stratification of race and nationality, the looming threat of gentrification, and the pursuit of the American dream. What results is a loving portrait of the Haitian community in Miami.

    Starring: Atibon Nazaire, Shelia Anozier, Chris Renois

    The Perfect Find

    Looking for a fresh start and career comeback, Jenna (Gabrielle Union) returns to the workforce, where she must navigate a challenging workplace, a demanding boss, and a lusty secret romance.

    Starring: Gabrielle Union, Keith Powers, Aisha Hinds, DB Woodside, Janet Hubert, Alani “La La” Anthony, Gina Torres

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    LKC

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  • ​Guy Ritchie Films: Ranked

    ​Guy Ritchie Films: Ranked

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    Movie distribution is a complete mess. With studios holding out for theatrical releases while streaming services poach viewers from cinema seats, industry giants seem to be at war. And We, The People — who only want to watch exceptional movies — are the victims.

    Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis were hailed as the saviors of cinema screens, while Netflix’s Glass Onion gladly passed on box boffo office numbers in order to usher their hit film to their site. Who can say who will win this war. But when it messes with release dates for my most-anticipated films, that’s when I say, please! When will the madness end!?!

    The last movie I saw in an actual theatre — this was pre-Covid-2020 — was Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman. Everything looked so beautiful up there, on the big screen: the slick production values, the dramatic action sequences, Charlie Hunnam.

    So, it seems poetic that the first blockbuster film I’ve seen in the movie house this year is Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to the cinema since. But as a lover of indies and small theatres, I hadn’t watched anything of this scale on anything but my laptop in years.

    And I was not disappointed. The silver screen did the film justice. Explosions! Car chases! Panoramic views of exotic locations! And no Charlie Hunam, but so-so much Aubrey Plaza — who could complain?

    Critics, apparently. While I concede that OperationFortune is a cookie-cutter Hollywood action-adventure film, I still had a fantastic time watching it. And that’s more than I can say for Best Picture Nominee, Top Gun: Maverick. Yet, the critics have disparaged my dear Guy Ritchie, advising viewers to pass on the film.

    The film only scored a 51% on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, after being delayed for months, its release was even further stalled due to political controversy. The film’s main antagonist is flanked by Ukranian gangsters … which studios decided was maybe not the right message to send while that country is at war.

    Given the unfortunate casting and the krappy reviews, this is not Ritchie’s big cinema success. But it’s the kind of low-stakes, movie-fun, feel-good that makes going to the movies such a light-hearted affair.

    You win some, you lose some. And in Guy Ritchie’s case, he hasn’t lost me yet.

    If you’re new to his chaotic cinematic universe, here is my definitive list of the most notable Guy Ritchie’s films, ranked from worst to best.


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    Swept Away (2002)

    Did you know: Ritchie used to be married to pop icon Madonna? For close to 8 years! This film is one of the most lasting artifacts from their marriage — unfortunately for them both. The film is a remake of the 1974 Italian classic. If it sounds like a departure from his usual work, it was. And it didn’t turn out well.

    Aladdin (2019)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foyufD52aog

    Another flop … sorry to that, man. Although this Disney live-action feature was a highly anticipated, big-budget film, its critical reception was a bust. I mean, it’s a Disney movie, so I wasn’t expecting art. But Guillermo del Toro pulled it off with Pinocchio so … just saying. In any case, Ritchie and Aladdin were not a match made in heaven.

    Revolver (2005)

    Revolver seemed like a quintessential Ritchie movie: a con man, a city full of criminals, Jason Statham. But somehow, the film fell flat. It’s a Vegas casino thriller, so fans were expecting a Ritchie take on the Oceans films. Its all-star cast also includes Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore, Mark Strong, and André 3000. It’s often overlooked in Ritchie’s canon due to a tepid critical reception, but there’s one thing fans will never forget: Jason Statham’s wig.

    Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

    Ritchie’s rendering of the Sherlock Holmes films is actually quite iconic. He takes the tired old, oft-told stories of Holmes and Watson and adds his signature style: dark and seedy London, camera-twisting violence, cheeky humor, and a charismatic cast. Ritchie and Rob Downey Jr. prove to be a dynamic duo. Unfortunately, the sequel was less thrilling than Ritchie’s first Sherlock take, so Game of Shadows was the final installment in the series.

    King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword You (2017)

    This film in the Ritchie canon is also overlooked. And it’s partly because it’s another one that doesn’t feel like Ritchie. It feels like a studio’s cookie-cutter attempt at something edgy. Essentially, Ritchie was tasked with creating a Universe — literally. King Arthur was supposed to be the first in a franchise that would expand into an entire world like Marvel or DC, with films focusing on different characters. The first installment, however, was not compelling enough to pave the way for any further films. But one silver lining: it added Charlie Hunnam to Ritchie’s list of frequent collaborators. More on him later.

    Wrath of Man (2021)

    Released during Covid, this quiet film is a sleeper in Ritchie’s canon. In terms of both subject matter and reputation. Instead of the loud, brash style that Ritchie is known for, it simmers with a mysterious intensity. Statham returns as the protagonist, but instead of the witty, funny side of him that Ritchie usually unlocks, he’s a silent, brooding hero with hidden motives. Overall, it’s a fine movie. Just notably different from Ritchie’s style. But after atrocities like Aladdin, a welcome return to his core themes.

    Sherlock Holmes (2009)

    Ritchie’s inaugural Sherlock Holmes film was critically acclaimed. RDJ and Ritchie forged a cult-classic take on the Holmes character — a Holmes as troubled and chaotic as he is brilliant and charismatic. Jude Law’s Watson plays the perfect foil to RDJ, and with Ritchie at the helm of this mayhem, we’ve got a pair of instantly iconic characters.

    Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)

    Controversial as it may be, I would put Operation Fortune right here at number 8. Despite its slick, Hollywood veneer and admittedly convoluted plot, the Guy we know and love is out in full force. He pulls actors from his usual Rolodex — Statham, Hugh Grant, Bugzy Malone — but it’s the addition of lovable Aubrey Plaza that brings fresh energy to this film, combining her brand of comedy with Ritchie’s distinctive — and distinctly British — humor.

    The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

    Another slick, spy film from Ritchie, but this time set in the 40s. Although the movie performed well and received great reviews, for some reason it remains an underrated film. Perhaps the shadow of Armie Hammer as one of the leads is to blame. This film remake of the famed 1960s television series concludes with a cliff hanger, but we probably shouldn’t expect a sequel.

    RocknRolla (2008)

    Now we’re getting to the meat of it: the films that exemplify Guy Ritchie at his best. A quintessential Ritchie film, it’s sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll in this punchy, putrid comedy of errors. Don’t take your eye off any of the characters for one single second because in this film, every twist and turn is as unpredictable as the last.

    Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

    His first feature film, this put Ritchie on the map — and millions still claim it’s his best. Lock, Stock . . . tracks a gang of criminals against criminals, all stacked on top of each other in quintessential Ritchie style, bumbling around London, all with their eyes on the prize. The film was his first foray with Statham, a partnership that continues to this day. And like many artist-muse relationships, it’s obvious from the very start as to why.

    The Gentlemen (2019)

    The Gentlemen has all the charm of Ritchie’s hottest films and all the glossy production values of pure Americana. This is the perfect marriage between sleek studios and Guy’s gritty vision. Down to the cast and the plot. The Gentlemen drops the American protagonist into Ritchie’s usual London setting and features Matthew McConaughey and Jeremy Strong alongside Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, and Ritchie frequenters Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, and Bugzy Malone.

    Snatch (2000)

    Number one just has to be Snatch. This tale of boxers, Roma travelers, gangsters, thieves, and good old-fashioned bookies funs all of Ritchie’s familiar tropes. It’s impossible to describe and a wonder to watch — just like Brad Pitt’s outrageously indecipherable accent.

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    LKC

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