Tag: Debra Messing

BROS (2022)

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Directed By: Nicholas Stoller 
Written By: Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller 
Cinematography: Brandon Trost 
Editor: Daniel Gabbe 

Cast: Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Amanda Bearse, Guy Branum, Miss Lawrence, TS Madison, Dot Marie Jones, Jim Rash, Bowen Yang, Eve Lindley, Monica Raymond, Guillermo Diaz, Jai Rodriguez, Debra Messing 

Two men with commitment problems attempt a relationship.

This is a Film where it never quite decides on its toll whether it’s going to be over a top wacky, romantic, romantic comedy so it always feels shaky even if it’s construction. Which leads to it being slightly disappointing.

It seems to live or die on its jokes much work a few more times than that but it still doesn’t quite feel like enough.

Star & Co-Screenwriter, Billy Eichner Tones down his usual personality it offers more of a full-fledged performance that still has hints of his Comedic gifts.

It’s in that is a mainstream, romantic comedy that is more about LGBTQ characters, but it also is obviously aimed at that audience while being open to the more curious mainstream and also trying to paint all relationships as the same though it still might be a little too hardcore for those who still feel uneasy with this type of material, I am happy that the film was made 

No, it seems more aimed at comedy, than romance. As it tries to cover a lot of ground and seems to be more of a kind of statement in the presentation than having a strong story maybe because it is a romantic comedy, we’ve kind of seen this type of story before only now with two men in love and trying to make a relationship work work

One wishes it was stronger or made more of a debt, but it feels somewhat forgettable and light no matter how down and dirty it might get at times 

Can you just come out expecting more of it and from it no, it’s perfectly fine. I was just looking for a romantic comedy and something to entertain so it seems to aspire for a bit more. 

Happy that it goes there in sex scenes and doesn’t be calm more of a before and after let’s just sail over scenes that might make some uncomfortable.

Maybe as the humor always seems the writing seems more sitcom-ish than actually creating a movie or screen story.

He throws a lot of jokes out to see which sticks and what at times feels more spoofish. The film has a strange rhythm but still works. It’s hit or miss but still funny.

Only the main characters actually feel like real characters the rest feel more like setups, for situations and scenes, or more like personality types instead of characters. Though you constantly want to see more of them. 

One can give the film credit as one of the first of its kind really that is released by a  major studio and released as a mainstream movie.

The film might be made for a certain audience but is inclusive and wants others who would typically avoid it to give it a chance which they should. As it does, stay joyful and energetic throughout.

Grade: C+

HOLLYWOOD ENDING (2002)

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Written & Directed By: Woody Allen
Cinematography: Wedigo Von Schultzendorff
Editor: Alisa Lepselter

Cast: Woody Allen, Tea Leoni, Treat Williams, George Hamilton, Debra Messing, Mark Rydell, Isaac Mizrahi, Erica Leerhsen, Aaron Stanford, Fred Melamed, Douglas McGrath, Lu Yu, Barney Chang, Marian Saldes, Tiffani Theissen, Greg Mottola, Mark Webber 

A director is forced to work with his ex-wife, who left him for the studio’s boss, bankrolling his new film. But the night before the first day of shooting, he develops a case of psychosomatic blindness.

This is where Woody Allen lost me after having a  period of disappointing films. At this point, I eagerly awaited every new film he had made since 1992. When I saw HUSBANDS & WIVES. Even though some were not as good as others I stayed loyal though I can admit to not seeing the previous two years’ films.

CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION and SMALL TIME CROOKS even to the day that I am writing this review, but I took a chance on this film and saw it in theaters as I figured it would be a return to form in making fun of himself. That comes across as a tone-deaf parody of himself. 

Unfortunately, the jokes are stale and the situations Seem like a good setup but don’t ever come around to getting the best use out of them. It makes him seem out of touch to a certain extent and tries to portray youth he doesn’t exactly understand. Which is characterized by the character of his punk rock son who calls himself scumbag. 

There are plenty of Hollywood and anti-California Jokes but even the movie he is trying to make within the movie seems pretty bad.

The film feels almost like it was put together or written like a puzzle. Where it is trying to put itself together as it goes along. To kind of have a running theme and story.

It seems to try and spoof Allen himself with the preference of foreign-born cinematographers who speak little English. Which opens up the avenue of having to hire a translator. Who he confides in about his condition. Who pretty much is his confidante, but who he begins to have artistic conflicts with as the translator who is not into showbiz or movies. Becomes almost a co-director and has artistic opinions of his own. This could have been a great side story of giving more time to it, but sadly more wants to focus on past loves and mental trauma as well as blind director Jokes.

The film is one of the few of his films. At least at the time that felt like an assembly line production. He usually puts out a film a year, comes up with a story fast, and tries to build a screenplay around it without feeling it out or doing follow-up drafts. As it feels like he isn’t trying to have any interest in the material. This might have worked more in the ’80s or ’90s but when it came out it felt. I curated it without any nuance. Jaded for no real reason. Almost a Rushed homework assignment.

As always it feels like a prestige film but has little input and feels haphazardly put together. Especially when it comes to casting which seems very random. 

The romance in the middle of the film seems sloppy and unearned other than being entirely predictable. 

The film lives up to Its title, but overall the film deserved better and more. 

Grade: D

CELEBRITY (1998)

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Written & Directed by: Woody Allen 
Cinematography: Sven Nykvist
Editor: Susan E. Morse 

Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Winona Ryder, Famke Janssen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gretchen Mol, Greg Mottola, Charlize Theron, Judy Davis, Douglas McGrath, Joe Mantegna, Andre Gregory, Sam Rockwell, Adrian Grenier, Michael Lerner, Melanie Griffith, J.K. Simmons, Famke Janssen, Becky Ann Baker, Issac Mizrahi, Anthony Mason, Kate Burton, Debra Messing, David Marguiles, Tony Sirico, Bebe Neuwirth, Patti D’Arbanville, Ingrid Rogers, Jeffrey Wright, Hank Azaria, Karen Duffy, Aida Turturro, Allison Janney, Donna Hanover, Celia Weston, Wood Harris, Donald Trump 

Lee Simon, unsuccessful journalist and wanna-be novelist, tries to get his foot in the door with celebrities. After divorcing his wife Robin, Lee gets to meet a lot folks of the rich and/or beautiful, partly through journalism, and partly because he has a script to offer. But life amongst those from out-of-this-world is hard, and his putative success always results in defeat. Meanwhile, Robin meets a very desirable television producer and takes the first steps in the world of celebrities.

This seems to be more of a moralistic take more than a character piece. filming in black and white the film does come off looking beautiful and Classic but just like the characters, it’s empty.

This isn’t a typical woody Allen film. This feels more aggressive and verbose than usual a bit more hardcore. Where you can’t tell if he is angry or trying to fit in with the cinematic trends and language of the time. As this film and DECONSTRUCTING HARRY have that in common. 

While we have the typical Woody Allen type surrogate lead character played here by Kenneth Branagh. Here he feels disposable and never quite makes a mark. As he is just one of the many unlikeable characters throughout the film.

The characters are all physically beautiful but seem to be grotesque internally. As it seems only the lead character seems to know better. As he constantly cheats on his wife as his profile seems to rise, but as he slowly gets his comeuppance his suffering wife seems to become famous herself and finds love and good fortunes. 

The film seems more like a commentary on modern life at that time. The nature of celebrity web tabloids. A kind of acid commentary on it all. While feeling like a tabloid itself how it jumps around from character to character and tale to tale. Though it also feels like with this film though not surreal Allen seems to try to emulate Fredrico Fellini’s LA DOLCE VITA to a degree. While it tries to feel like that movie it never quite rises to that level. 

Using the nature of having a lot of big names in his cast. They are here for a reason. While this little is a commentary the film seems scattershot and ultimately lost because it never seems to come to a point. Just cruelty  As the Lead and the movie goes on many misadventures on his way to trying to achieve being a great writer and screenwriter. He finds the romantic entanglements prove to be as artificial as the proper and the world he is trying to enter. Even if all are around him are supposed to be artists and of such depth and passion. Showing all to be more in the moment and inauthentic with a love of self More than anything. 

Falling in love with the image in which others see them and list after them. Loving their own image More than anything else. 

The most noteworthy thing about this movie is that it has Leonardo DiCaprio in it. Mirroring his TITANIC fame of popularity but this was filmed before that film’s release. So it seems like life imitating art. Though some of the films revolve around him, he isn’t actually in it much. 

While not a classic the film is admirable in it’s own ways. It is beautifully shot and tries to say something overall it just has a funny way of showing it. 

Grade: C

SEARCHING (2018)

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search

 

Directed By: Aneesh Chaganty
Written By: Aneesh Chaganty & Sev Ohanian
Cinematography: Juan Sebastian Barron
Director Of Virtual Photography & Editor: Nicholas D. Johnson & Will Merrick 


Cast: John Cho, Debra Messing, Michelle La, Joseph Lee, Dominic Hoffman, Briana McLean 


After David Kim’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter’s digital footprints before she disappears forever.

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