Tag: Karan Soni

FOUR SAMOSAS (2022)

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Written & Directed By: Ravi Kapoor

Cinematography: Akashi Raj 

Editor: Anisha Acharya 

Cast: Venk Potura, Sonal Shah, Sharmita Bhattacharya, Nirvan Patniak, Sujata Day, Karan Soni, Summer Bishil, Maya Kapoor, Ravi Kapoor 

An unmotivated South Asian American rapper, along with three other first-time thieves, plans a heist on a grocery store owned by his ex-girlfriend’s father, in order to steal her wedding diamonds and disrupt her pending engagement.

This film is inspired by or in the same style as a Wes Anderson film with a little NAPOLEON DYNAMITE mixed in, only set in a South Asian community in a small town. 

It maintains a dry deadpan goofy innocent humor and comedic antics throughout. As the film takes a look at a community yet stays ridiculous and pure throughout.

It manages to make a small town feel epic with so little. Exposing its own universe and still being a bit romantic. Even as it maintains pretty low steaks and feels more character-based than plot-based.

The film has its own charms that retain a sweetness to it all. 

Just like BOTTLE ROCKET, it revolves around a ridiculous heist that exposes their neurosis and gives them a chance to run away from their own individual problems Or dilemmas and bonds them more but also exposes that they need to move on with their lives.

But they are so likable you want to see them have more adventures and see how they grow and change though hope they don’t at their core 

Grade: B 

CORPORATE ANIMALS (2019)

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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+

LIKE A BOSS (2020)

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like-a-boss

Directed By: Miguel Arteta
Written By: Sam Pitman & Adam Cole-Kelly
Story By: Danielle Sanchez-Witzel
Cinematography: Jas Shelton
Editor: Jay Deuby 


Cast: Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne, Salma Hayek, Billy Porter, Jennifer Coolidge, Jessica St. Clair, Ari Graynor, Ryan Hansen, Jimmy O. Yang, Karan Soni, Jacob Latimore, Natasha Rothwell  


Two friends with very different ideals start a beauty company together. One is more practical while the other wants to earn her fortune and live a lavish lifestyle.

This is a film that feels like a let down as it has a good cast but where as the trailers looked hilarious and fun. The film doesn’t rise to the occasion and really the only thing that keeps the film afloat is the cast.

As this film is the equivalent of a buddy comedy. Where there is an Intimacy between the two friends that isn’t romantic but are life partners in a way.

Tiffany Haddish again plays her familiar comedic type. Blunt sex crazed and honest with an attitude. Once you get used to her she doesn’t offer many surprises.

Rose Byrne plays her best friend and business partner and she seems to try to play more the emotional parts of her character and her problems but can be counted on to be funny when needed. This is kind of her out of her range. Even though over the years she has done the odd comedy.

The problem is that the film leaves plenty of set up’s for certain scenes that never seem to rise to the occasion of how funny they can be. Not are they as funny as they can be. Only in one scene does it rise to that level and that is due to Billy Porter then anyone else.

The film just feels haphazard and lazy. As it stays so plot oriented yet wants to have comedic highlights and just when those scenes seem to get started they either end or deflate. Which is disappointing especially when you have such a dependable cast.

Though it is nice to see a mostly female cast comedy where they actors are actually funny they just needed a better or stronger script.

Just as the side characters need more to do as they are quite funny but really are given nothing to do and you wonder why they are there at times. Especially their three other best friends who provide good laughs but anytime we see them it seems only to set up a comedic set piece.

It’s disappointing as the film has a lot of comedic energy and players but seems to falter giving them not as much to do as they could. As the cast tries to salvage the material.

Grade: D+