Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Ian Harding, Joe Rudnitsky, Kristen Chenowith, Tim Meadows, Judy Reyes, Katie Baker, Dan Bucatinsky, Ash Santos, Henry Czerny, Chris Parnell, Kurt Yue
Avery and Logan haven’t spoken in the 10 years since they broke up. As Christmas approaches, they discover that their new partners are siblings, and both of them have been invited to stay with the family for the holidays. Avery proposes that they keep their past a secret to avoid any awkward confrontations, but hiding the truth turns out to be more difficult than it seems–and spending time together reignites old sparks.
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The film Has the screwball comedy concept down.
In veteran director Stephen Herek’s hands makes what could have easily been insufferable into something more memorable. Very formulaic
It get’s a bit racy but never over the edge and stays quite clean. Though goes a few places you wouldn’t expect, but keeps its subjects and targets soft. After all it is a movie aimed at the holidays for families for the most part.
I will admit I watched this movie mainly to see actress Lindsay Lohan. I was a fan when I was younger and was alway rooting for her through her turmoil with fame, but always thought she was talented and had the skills. Making quite the comeback here. Though not as full fledged as one would hope. Though she is trying and sells the material.
So looked forward to her many comebacks. Luckily they have recently seemed to stick, but mostly here does what is required. She comes across a bit stiff and too poised. Especially when she needs to throw herself into it more.
The film Is filled with reliable recognizable and reliable actors who the audience will instantly recognize.
It’s a Sweet romantic comedy that is a bornvoer the top yet relatable. As most of the characters throughout are holding secrets. None that small they are all quite devastating in the end.
Which at least leaves the movie with some gravity. As most of the other gags seem forgettable and never quite Go for the full damage or gambit of consequences, but still Manages to leave a smile on your face.
Directed By: Phil Lord & Chris Miller Written By: Michael Bacall Story By: Jonah Hill & Michael Bacall Cinematography By: Barry Peterson Editor: Joel Negron
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Alison Brie, Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Chris Parnell, Rob Riggle, Deray Davis, Dakota Johnson, Rye Rye, Caroline Aaron, Ellie Kemper, Jake M. Johnson
In high school, Schmidt (Jonah Hil) was a dork and Jenko (Channing Tatum) was the popular jock. After graduation, both of them joined the police force and ended up as partners riding bicycles in the city park. Since they are young and look like high school students, they are assigned to an undercover unit to infiltrate a drug ring that is supplying high school students with synthetic drugs
First and foremost this is one of the few films that I actually ventured to go see on opening day. Which I haven’t done in years. That is how badly I wanted to see the film. Like SCREAM it not only makes fun and spoofs the conventions of the genre of tv show remakes and buddy films, While soon falling into them and being good at it. Just like SUPERBAD not only does this spoof teens and teenage films. It has moments of emotional truth and kind of being a bromance. It’s not artistic, but it is a really entertaining popcorn film. with quick cuts that don’t make it seem like you have A.D.D.
Channing Tatum is the real surprise in this film. He comes across with charisma and expert comic timing. It’s hard to believe he Turned the film down numerous times until Jonah hill personally reached out and convinced him to take the role. He hasn’t been this interesting as an actor since A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS. They both executive produce the film.
I have to admit when Channing Tatum was first announced to star I thought the film was doomed. But he is one of the elements that make the film a winner.
Jonah Hill plays his usual type of character but brings the laughs and makes it feel new and different each time. He has a way of making moments awkward and true yet bring it around to being funny and always make it feel improvised.
Even if you never watched the show. It’s enjoyable, but if you remember and/or like the show. The film is just incredible. The action scenes are simple yet exciting that make them seem realistic until they get a bit ridiculous and abused. The cameos are great and bring the movie full circle. The film shows the generation gap even though it has only been 7 years and manages of course to include pop-culture references. It truly is a different landscape. The film does still rely on the old television cliché of mixed up identities leading up to half the hilarity. How now what was uncool. Now is cool which a character even comments on.
Dave Franco, James’ Brother finally steps out of his shadow to create a memorable character and handles the role well. Brie Larson who I am a huge fan of from SCOTT PILGRIM Vs. THE WORLD among other films. Which I will admit at times I have watched only because she was in them. Is here as charming as ever in a role originally offered to Emma Stone who couldn’t take the role due to scheduling with another film. It would have been a nice reunion for her and jonah, but the role doesn’t leave her with much to do. It’s nice an experienced newcomer got the chance to play it.
Some things feel like pure comedic inspiration like the characters having to live with his parents makes no sense. Ice Cube as the angry black captain even comments on his own situation. The Rapper who called himself the N*gga you love to hate and used to be anti-cop. Now playing one here is ironic and in a good way.
Jonah hill originally offered the directing gig to Rob Zombie. The film makes fun of all the aspects that the original series held so dear or dealt with as special issues. When the show first premiered I hated it thinking it was a beefcake show of hunks that wasn’t worth my time. My mom liked the show and would always watch it. Then in its second season, there was nothing else on and I decided to watch it and thought it was actually quite decent and stayed a life-long fan. I even watched and enjoyed the spinoff BOOKER.
I even watched it until it’s end in syndication long after Johnny Depp left the show. When only the Captain was the really long-lasting cast member. The show also introduced me to Johnny Depp.
SPOILER
The film unfortunately not only has a cameo by Johnny Depp and Peter Deluise as their characters from the original, But also the death of there characters which really hurt and for the rest of my life I will always see DeRay Davis as the man who killed my favorite TV Cop characters.
I can see that as the main reason why Johnny Depp took the role. As he acknowledges it helped start his career but during his last seasons he hated being on the show. But respected Steven J. Cannell to finish off his contract. Holly Robinson Peete also cameos her character gets to live. At least the characters die giving more meaning to the theme of the film, But still a sad way to go. I would have rather them just go on in my imagination. I could honestly recognize Johnny Depp as his character immediately though he isn’t really revealed until the end. It’s the cadence of his voice. END SPOILER
Directed by: Larry Charles Written By: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel & Jeff Schaffer Cinematography By: Lawrence Sher Editor: Greg Hayden & Eric Kissack
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, Bobby Lee, Aasif Mandavi, Jason Mantzoukas, Joey Slotnick, Kevin Corrigan, Chris Elliott, Kathryn Hahn, Megan Fox, Ian Roberts, Jon Glaser, Chris Parnell, Chris Gethard, Fred Armisen, J.B. Smoove
The Republic of Wadiya is ruled by an eccentric and oppressive leader named Hafez Aladeen. Aladeen is summoned to New York to a UN assembly to address concerns about his country’s nuclear weapons program, but the trip goes awry.
It seems most of the time the only real comedy in this film is more the shocking aspects of the material. As the regular, more comic nature gags seem like they go well on paper, but physically fall flat.
The film plays like a Saturday Night Live skit character who gets their own film But struggles to fill out the premise. So that the film feels like a collection of skits tied together with a rather thin plotline. Soon the envelope is pushed so far all the outlandish details become common. You start to wonder if anything will be considered sacred.
Unfortunately when it comes to Sasha Baron Cohen who is a gifted comedic performer. His best ability that has so far been shown is his ability to stay in character while improvising around and off of real people not in on the joke, With hilarious awkward, and shocking moments. As others around him seem to drop their guard and open up themselves mostly to his questions and suggestions that have worked for him so far. While he has defined characters he also became more recognizable. So with small roles in other films the natural next plateau was to try to create feature films with characters though more scripted. Though try to feature the same type off the cuff comedy. With a certain looseness in the filmmaking leaving room for happy accidents. In this film he seems to be the only one allowed to do anything really funny, others try but are either cameos that go nowhere or just weak. So this film feels almost like a vanity project.
He is funny and a good performer, but he is also better than this material. Which only seems to only be shocking to be shocking. No real reason it can’t be funny without going to such extremes. It’s like stand-up who’s act is full of offensive and shocking scenarios. Just no real jokes or sense of humor. Though everything said is supposed to be in some type of humor. Which is a shame especially when you have a cast that is full of funny actors.
It feels like a mash-up of Different Charlie Chaplin scenarios and scenes from his films only updated badly. –It seems that Sasha Baron Cohen is the closest that we have to a modern Peter Sellers as he totally allows himself to truly be lost in character and there seems to not be any breaking and not know where one ends and where another begins. Also, his films tend to revolve not only around characters that he plays but almost exclusively around him and his character. There are other comedians and characters but most of the humor revolves around only his and others’ reactions to him.
His previous films that play more off of hidden cameras and regular people reacting to his antics are a bit more powerful as they reflect more of a social satire with a reality. This film is more sketch than anything else scripted satire that is made to look off-kilter but is obviously more formulaic. It’s a shame as the film shows peaks of comedic brilliance and some interesting ideas that are quickly dropped for more traditional comedy in the form of just trying to make the jokes way too offensive and shock humor. Which seems to be on the rise in the form of comedy instead of humorous jokes and situations. Comedies seem to be more of a barometer of how much they can get away with that is off-color. There are of course exceptions, but Comedies seem to be going the way of horror with torture porn. The more shocking and graphic it seems the better.
Like the film, it seems to be inspired by just a bit Charlie Chaplin’s THE GREAT DICTATOR it has a great speech at the end that tries to inform and send a message. It’s more didactic and not inspiring like its influence.
The film has a love story that doesn’t work nor is it really needed, but since it seems that most films today have one whether they are needed are not have one involved in the film. Why not this one?
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Written By: Scott Z. Burns
Based on the Book “Secrecy World: Inside The Panama Papers Investigation Of Illicit Money Networks and The Global Elite” By: Jake Bernstein
Cinematography: Peter Andrews
Editor: Mary Ann Bernard
Cast: Meryl Streep, Antonio Banderas, Gary Oldman, Jeffrey Wright, David Schwimmer, James Cromwell, Sharon Stone, Robert Patrick, Larry Wilmore, Rosalind Chao, Matthias Schoenaerts, Nonso Anozie, Miracle Washington, Jessica Allain, Jay Paulson, Melissa Rauch, Will Forte, Chris Parnell
A widow investigates an insurance fraud, chasing leads to a pair of Panama City law partners exploiting the world’s financial system.
Directed By: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris Written By: Simon Beaufoy Cinematography By: Linus Sandgren Editor: Pamela Martin
Cast: Steve Carrell, Emma Stone, Bill Pullman, Andrea Riseborough, Natalie Morales, Sarah Silverman, Elisabeth Shue, Martha MacIssac, Alan Cumming, Eric Christian Olsen, Fred Armisen, Mickey Sumner, Wallace Langham, Matt Molloy, Bridey Elliott, Chris Parnell, Mike Vogel, Tom Kenny, Jamey Sheridan
In the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of the women’s movement, the 1973 tennis match between women’s world champion and ex-men’s-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs was billed as the BATTLE OF THE SEXES and became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. The fiercely private King was not only championing for equality, but also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, as her friendship with Marilyn Barnett developed. And Riggs, one of the first self-made media-age celebrities, wrestled with his gambling demons, at the expense of his family and wife Priscilla. Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court, sparking discussions in bedrooms and boardrooms that continue to reverberate today.
Cut To The Chase 