Jessica Williams – Cut To The Chase

Directed By: Fletcher Moules
Story By: Kid Cudi and Kenya Barris
Written By: Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams, Esa Lewis, Sidney Schiff and Judnick Mayard
Editor: Carole Karvetz Aykanian

Featuring: Kid Cudi, Jessica Williams, Laura Harrier, Ty Dolla $ign, Vanessa Hudgens, Timothee Chalamet, Macaulay Culkin, 070 Shake, Jaden Smith, Christopher Abbott, Keith David, Arturo Castro, Teyana Taylor, Luis Guzman, Kenya Barris

Jabari, a charming, streetwear-clad artist on the cusp of real success. After a chance run-in with his cool new photographer neighbor, Meadow, Jabari has to figure out whether he can make space for love in his life.

This was initially supposed to be a series for Netflix before it was decided to just combine all the episodes and make it into a film. Which explains the episodic nature of the film. As well as why the film is broken up into chapters. It’s all for the better here.

This film might come across as a Kid Cudi vanity project. As he created it, produced it, and came up with the story. to go with his album of the same name or the movie was thought out first and he just made music for it. Either way, it is a triumph.

Like the animated Spider-verse movies with the same kind of animation. Only here it is used to tell an urban love story with a lot of surreal imagery and a kind of fantasy version of an urban life love story. That constantly feels like a dream, you want to live in and makes New York into the wonderland you always wanted or remembered. Adding to its legendary status.

This is a movie you wish was told in love action, but the animation makes it come off more magical without it. It might make an impact but not as strong.

Even if the story is familiar as a love story. Only with more modern and hip elements. That is to the overall experience. As we get side characters telling their tales as advice that are comedic elements all their own, and add to the climate, but also shows how what the main character have is special. Especially as this film features characters of color and also adds in certain sexual elements that the spider-verse couldn’t delve into.

The dialogue and script could be a bit sharper, but works leaving room for realism and the reality of the moments.

This truly is a rare type of film where an audience of color gets to see themselves represented in a love story that isn’t all about sex and fighting for your relationship to survive. Where the audience gets a colorful point of view with a diverse cast and cutting-edge animation. While focusing on the love story has something today about microaggressions and the prejudice minorities deal with, especially in professional settings and even the art world. Though that never overpowers the narrative

Grade: B+

Directed By: Patrick Brice Written By: Sam Bain Cinematography: Tarin Anderson Editor: Christopher Donlon

Cast: Demi Moore, Ed Helms, Jessica Williams, Karan Soni, Nasim Pedrad, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Jennifer Kim, Calum Worthy, Martha Kelly, Dan Bakkedahl, Leland Orser

Team-building trips are the work of the devil. And if you think that’s not true, try telling it to the staff from the edible cutlery company run by the self-centered Lucy Vanderton, sent on a day-trip that ends with all of them trapped in a cave; an ideal scenario for labor unrest to literally lead to cannibalism.

The cast is better than the material and this feels like SUPERSTORE the movie is only way darker and with a smaller cast.

It reminds me of a failed cynical web series combined into a feature that never got a chance

Maybe I liked it as it is a Film that feels sitcom-ish and has the right cynical attitude that while it doesn’t quite work as a satire of that was its aim but shows the pettiness of a group who do manage to at first turn on one another but form a group synergy by the end. Out of necessity.

Seeing Demi Moore tackle Comedy is a welcome fix that she hasn’t ventured too often and while she fails to impress she is game and has fun with the role. As it is called upon for a star and outlandish. Sharon stone was originally supposed to play the part and she would have fit the role better but with Demi Moore is mroe unpredictable and off-center which prepares you for the film really

Though it is to the film’s benefit that she is here as the star. She draws an audience and plays the role broad. You trust her to pick good quality material and considering the cast is recognizable as talented yet no superstars yet. She takes center stage as kind of the leader even if she is an albatross as we come to see her but the others shine around her while orbiting around her

While Ed helms is one of the bigger names attached in the cast he isn’t In It for long then the movie is just shy of 90 minutes.

Not recommending this movie for everyone but I had fun With it and believe most audiences will too. As It isn’t the most energetic but a film that entertains

Written by Sam Bain of the British sitcom PEEP SHOW fame (Which I will admit to being a fan of) it has that funny yet dark sensibility of characters who appear normal at first but are secretly selfish and petty who let that show once there are no rules. Kind of the same attitude he brings to the film FOUR LIONS screenplay.

It also helped lift me out of a bad mood. In the end, this film amounts to A broad comedy in a small space. that is more low-key.

Grade: C+

Tag: Jessica Williams

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