Category Archives: Comedy

2022 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, Satire

Triangle of Sadness-2022

July 2, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Triangle of Sadness-2022

Director Ruben Östlund

Starring Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson

Scott’s Review #1,374

Reviewed July 2, 2023

Grade: A

When I realized the director of Triangle of Sadness (2022) had directed Force Majeure (2014) and The Square (2017), I became very interested in seeing it.

I’m not sure I ultimately ‘got’ The Square, but Force Majeure was a thought-provoking slice of cinematic brilliance that I still think about from time to time.

Sure, Triangle of Sadness was rewarded with three Academy Award nominations, which it deserved. Still, Ruben Östlund has a knack for challenging his audience to think outside the box, both cinematically and otherwise, with a robust examination of social classes.

He crafts a subject matter about class systems and the haves and have-nots that has been explored in film many times before. But, in Triangle of Sadness, it feels fresh and fraught with many different possible directions.

The wicked dark comedy explores political talking points such as capitalism, communism, and socialism, and challenges conventional ways of thinking.

It’s on par with the popular HBO series The White Lotus, but on steroids.

I cannot recommend the film more highly, primarily geared toward those seeking expressive and deeply textured films with some meaning.

Despite the dreary title, it’s far from a dour experience. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, especially in scenes featuring severe vomiting amid seasickness.

The rich and famous embark on a luxury cruise with fine dining and servants galore. But after a devastating storm leaves several passengers and staff stranded together on a deserted island, the power exchange begins to shift, and the social hierarchy is turned upside down.

Events mainly surround a celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), who are invited on the luxury cruise for promotional purposes. Yaya is a social media influencer.

They are joined by a Russian oligarch, Dimitry, and his wife, Vera, as well as an elderly couple, Clementine and Winston, who have made their fortune manufacturing grenades and other weapons. Therese, a wheelchair user only capable of speaking a single phrase in German following a stroke, and Jarmo, a lonely tech millionaire who flirts with Yaya.

Besides possibly Therese, there is no a sympathetic rich character to be found.

The yacht staff are more sympathetic, although we don’t get to know all the characters very well.

Highlights include the head of staff, Paula, who demands that the staff obey the guests without question, Abigail, a cleaning woman, and the yacht’s captain, Thomas Smith (Woody Harrelson), who spends his time drunk in his cabin and despises the absurdity of the guests’ wealth.

The main events on the ship take a while to get to, and the film is divided into chapters. Part 1: Carl and Yaya, Part 2: The Yacht, and Part 3: The Island.

I realized after the fact that the point of the slow build is to show the dynamic between Carl and Yaya, the main characters. Both models and living life based on their looks, they are wildly insecure, bickering over money and gender roles.

While not likable nor complete assholes either, enjoyable is a chance to get a fleshed-out perspective on where they are coming from.

My adoration for the film largely stems from not knowing what is going to happen but knowing that at some point the shit is going to hit the fan.

The setup is perfect, especially the put-upon staff. While they are not abused, the relationship is clear. The passengers are in a position of power; the staff is not.

This will soon change.

Late in the game, I unexpectedly found myself rooting for a minor character who takes center stage in the last chapter, turning events upside down.

Comparisons can also be found in the recent Best Picture winner Parasite (2019) and classic international films such as Swept Away (1974) and L’Avventura (1960).

These are all brilliant films, and my hunch is that Triangle of Sadness (2022) will hold up well, perhaps achieving even greater acclaim as the years go by.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Ruben Östlund, Best Original Screenplay

1971 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Satire

The Hospital-1971

June 11, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Hospital-1971

Director Arthur Hiller

Starring George C. Scott, Diana Rigg

Scott’s Review #1,369

Reviewed June 11, 2023

Grade: A

An example of the freedom to craft one’s vision in cinematic works during the first half of the 1970s, The Hospital (1971) is a testament to creativity and exceptional writing, and to what can happen when studios and producers leave the creatives alone to make the film they want to make.

One can dismiss any preconceived notions of the classic medical dramas that flooded television networks during the 1970s and 1980s. The Hospital is not formulaic or contrived.

No, The Hospital is a dark work drooling with satirical examples of the politics and shenanigans within the medical community. Oftentimes, secondary activities come at the cost of reasonable care and quality medicines.

Before you imagine a doctor and nurse cavorting in a janitor’s closet, it’s a deeper film than it appears on the surface, despite the inclusion of witty comedy.

Lax patient care, staff deaths, and the dismissal of nearby residents because of a new drug rehabilitation project are explored in this fascinating film.

At a rundown Manhattan teaching hospital, chief of staff Herb Bock (George C. Scott) is riddled with multiple personal and professional problems after two doctors and one nurse are found dead almost simultaneously.

He assumes the rash of deaths is due to dimwitted staff who are overworked amid the chaos.

Suicidal, he meets the intelligent daughter of a patient who knocks him off his feet with her studious personality and reflections on the world. Diana Rigg plays Barbara Drummond.

The immediately noticeable, clever, well-paced screenplay is by Paddy Chayefsky, who won the Oscar for writing the film. Immediately, the chaos of a city hospital is exposed, but not in a cliched way like a series like ER or Grey’s Anatomy might show.

Nobody is going into cardiac arrest on the operating table or having convulsions in the waiting room amid lame dramatic music.

The Hospital is more cerebral than that.

Unknown patients and little-known hospital staff go about their everyday business like clockwork until confusion with daily tasks causes events to go awry.

Like real-life.

The brilliance is how director Arthur Hiller casts regular-looking actors in almost all the roles. They look and act like everyday hospital staff to set the proper tone. This is even before we meet and get to know Herb and Barbara. They answer phones, walk around with charts, and hustle after emergencies.

Chayefsky and Hiller mirror director Robert Altman in many ways, mostly in their dialogue and in how seemingly unimportant scenes can mean a whole lot.

In robust soliloquy-style scenes between Herb and Barbara, the audience ‘gets them’. They are both desperate, wounded, and unhappy yet possess the sophistication and awareness to realize how similar they are.

They immediately connect, fall in love, and nearly run off together. It’s that simple. They are willing to flee their lives after meeting for five minutes. But will they ultimately take that plunge?

A key character is revealed to be Barbara’s father, and a whodunit begins after it comes to light that the deaths are not accidents. Who is responsible and what their motivation is is the key to the story.

Scott does terrific work with his character, rivaling his excellent performance a year earlier in Patton (1970). Herb is more introspective with the world on his shoulders.

The Hospital has more than one daring scene. Herb, though impotent, basically throws Barbara down on the table and rapes her. The shocker is that she makes light of it the next day and almost seems to have enjoyed it.

Barbara and Herb are both complex characters that the audience needs to ruminate over.

My favorite part of The Hospital (1971) is the setting. That Hiller puts you inside what a real urban hospital was like in 1971 is brilliance. The satire comes into play with the writing, which questions decision-making and incompetence within the hospital walls.

The result is a scathing look at hospital practices that will resonate with anyone terrified of entering a hospital, only never to come out again.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Actor-George C. Scott, Best Original Screenplay (won)

2022 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Epic, Los Angeles, Period Drama

Babylon-2022

June 4, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Babylon-2022

Director Damien Chazelle

Starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt

Scott’s Review #1,365

Reviewed June 4, 2023

Grade: A-

Babylon (2022) is a film that will likely divide audiences broadly. Slightly late to the table, I viewed the film after the awards season hoopla had ended, and the film came up empty-handed.

Sure, a few nominations were received, but much more was expected from the epic Hollywood-themed venture.

I’m a fan of director Damien Chazelle, most famous for the similarly set Los Angeles film La La Land (2016), which I adore.

His direction style reminds me a great deal of Baz Luhrmann’s, with the incorporation of intense musical numbers during many scenes and a strong, chaotic, and frenetic nature.

I realize this style is not for everyone, so I’m not surprised that Babylon is both revered and reviled. This isn’t always a bad thing, as a good film debate can be fun.

I adore Babylon primarily for the potent silent-era Hollywood story and the terror stars of the 1920s faced with the realization that sound had entered their pictures and they were expected to keep up with the times.

Sadly, many careers ended devastatingly, sinking one-time big stars into depression and despair.

The acting is superb, and major props go especially to Margot Robbie as debaucherous film star Nellie LaRoy and newcomer (to me) Diego Calva as handsome Mexican immigrant Manny Torres.

Both actors elicit superb performances that should have landed them Oscar nominations.

The major themes that Chazelle incorporates into Babylon are those of ambition and outrageous excess, as well as belonging and acceptance. The rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood are explored.

As Hollywood transitions from silent films to talkies, ambitious up-and-coming actress Nellie and aging superstar Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) each struggle to adapt to the new medium, as well as a rapidly changing world.

And Manny wants a seat at the table.

Another reason I love the film is the dedication and exposure given to pre-sound Hollywood movies, which are often forgotten. I struggle to recall ever having viewed a film from that era, with my earliest film being the 1930 film “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

The hit film The Artist (2011) may have paid tribute, but it’s not the same, and Babylon goes for the jugular in showcasing an entire movement that is now largely forgotten.

Cinema fans will respect Babylon.

Besides the film’s characters, there is much to appreciate in the movie itself. A Hollywood movie set, repeated takes, scripts, dialogue, lighting equipment, and rehearsals make for a feast of riches for any cinephile.

The weak point is the film’s excessive length. At three hours and nine minutes, an epic length, the erratic structure is a challenge to get through. A piecemeal approach can sometimes affect the continuity, and it did detract a bit in this case for me.

If one can sit still long enough, the final thirty minutes are superb. A tidy wrap-up and truthful storytelling give several characters a proper sendoff.

The film ends in 1952, so a fitting conclusion is in order.

Before we get to this point, though, a nailbiting sequence involving Manny and a fiendish Los Angeles gangster played by Toby Maguire is second to none. Fake money, a rat-eating entertainer, and pornographic dwarves make for an odd adventure that one can’t look away from.

A fascinating and bombastic experience, Babylon (2022) delves loudly into the silent film world and pays a proper head nod to a long-forgotten era.

The film has made me appreciate Hollywood and its history even more than I already do.

Oscar Nominations: Best Musical Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design

1975 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Los Angeles, Political Comedy

Shampoo-1975

May 19, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Shampoo-1975

Director Hal Ashby

Starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn

Scott’s Review #1,362

Reviewed May 19, 2023

Grade: A-

Shampoo (1975) is a dark comedy that reminds me greatly of a Robert Altman film, without the customary overlapping dialogue found in his works.

The political environment against the posh Los Angeles backdrop emotes the vibes of The Long Goodbye (1973) and Nashville (1975) with enough sly satire and humor to generate a comparison.

Of course, the film, nestled in mid-1970s cinema greatness, is in the right decade. Further, the 1968 setting is perfect for the Los Angeles mood, where the Manson killings, hippies, sex, drugs, and rock n roll were all commonplace.

Listening to the soundtrack of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and other familiar bands of the late 1960s makes Shampoo a grand slam of authenticity and richness.

Director Hal Ashby, who created the dark-comedy classic Harold and Maude in 1971, hits it out of the park again with Shampoo, a study of love, loneliness, and a sense of belonging and fulfillment.

I wasn’t won over right away, and the film took me a while to warm up to, if I’m being honest, but by the end, I was a big fan, especially of the writing.

But some of the slow-build films are the best.

The film takes place against the backdrop of Election Night in 1968, when, eventually, shamed former president Richard Nixon won the presidency. The characters bounce from one election party to the next but barely notice the outcome, choosing booze and lust over politics.

Beverly Hills hairdresser and notorious cad George Roundy (Warren Beatty) runs into trouble when his bedroom antics interfere with a possible business deal with the influential Lester (Jack Warden).

George is sleeping with Lester’s wife, Felicia (Lee Grant), and his best friend and ex-girlfriend, Jackie (Julie Christie), in addition to his current girlfriend, Jill Haynes, played by Goldie Hawn.

Part of why Shampoo sneaks up on the viewer is that it’s not a laugh-out-loud comedy in a physical way. Instead, the intelligent dialogue and the development of its characters are the winning formula.

We first meet George in bed with his older mistress, Felicia, who we assume might be his girlfriend. When he makes an excuse to check on Jill, we realize he is playing the field, but with no ill intent.

He genuinely likes the women he beds, but despite his antics, he feels empty and mindlessly trudging along.

A wonderful scene atop the Hollywood Hills brings George’s peril to a climax when he professes his love for one of the women, but is it too late?

Beatty, who co-wrote the screenplay, fleshes out his character’s motivations well. He really only wants happiness and a successful business. Some of the action takes place in his salon, where he meets his conquests.

The scenes between Beatty and Warden work particularly well, especially when Lester discovers George in a precarious situation, or three, assuming he is gay.

Let’s not forget the ladies. The triple bill of Christie, Hawn, and Grant is a force to be reckoned with. Grant is an interesting character since she has all the wealth she wants, but instead loves the financially struggling George. Should we feel sympathy for her?

Jill presumably will find happiness with a director smitten with her. They seem like a quality pair, and Christie’s Jackie also makes out well at the conclusion of the film.

Surprisingly, the presidential election is more of a background effect and is largely ignored by the characters, who have better things to worry about.

Ashby mostly has the news telecasts and election returns blurred intentionally. The point made is that Nixon’s cheating is a reflection of the self-obsession affecting the United States during that time.

Despite his flaws, the audience nonetheless roots for George. This is a testament to the writing of Beatty and Robert Towne and the rich, slow build that Ashby provides to Shampoo (1975) amid a shiny yet tarnished Los Angeles veneer.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actor-Jack Warden, Best Supporting Actress-Lee Grant (won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction

2022 Films, Adventure, Animated, Comedy, Kids

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish-2022

April 14, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish-2022

Director Joel Crawford

Voices: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault

Scott’s Review #1,357

Reviewed April 14, 2023

Grade: B

There is a connection between the Shrek film series and Puss in Boots, which I didn’t realize until researching this review.

The title character appears in Shrek 2 (2004) and a film called Puss in Boots (2011), which I think I’ve seen but don’t remember well, precedes the 2022 film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

I’m not a big enough fan.

The film is an entertaining adventure, laden with bright, colorful animations and Skittles- or rainbow-type colors, marred by blacks and greys. This works well and provides energy.

There is also a cool incorporation of familiar fairy tale characters. The names are reintroduced mostly as scheming people intent on capturing Puss in Boots, which accelerates the fun and my interest.

The result is a good but not a great film. I’m not sure what would have made Puss in Boots: The Last Wish a masterpiece, but the target audience is firmly set on young viewers.

My two cats glanced at the screen once or twice before deciding on a cozy nap instead. They were not engaged.

Even the darker subject matters of death and dog abuse somehow fall by the wayside in favor of the other cute, adventurous, and fight sequences.

Surprisingly, they do not pack a deeper punch.

Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) returns as the daring outlaw who discovers that his passion for danger and disregard for his safety have taken their toll, and he is forced to consider retirement.

As a cat, he is on his ninth and last life!

He tries to get those lives back by returning to the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star on his grandest quest yet. At the risk of death, Puss will have to ask for help from his former partner and nemesis, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault).

They are joined in their journey by a chatty and cheerful mutt named Perro (Harvey Guillén). Together, they try to stay one step ahead of the fairy tale villains, including Goldilocks and the Three Bears, ‘Big’ Jack Horner, and the Big Bad Wolf.

I didn’t know the character histories of Shrek or Puss in Boots, despite having seen them, but I’m not sure that’s imperative to one’s enjoyment of the film. I quickly caught on that Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws were meant to be an ‘item’.

The story is a compelling enough adventure, but it becomes meandering a some point. I knew the troupe would ultimately emerge on the Wishing Star and all would end well. It did, and the characters rode swiftly off into the sunset.

That’s how a film like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is supposed to end, and I respect that. Best not to tarnish youngsters too early, especially when reality can sometimes be quite dark.

The fun for me was the visuals and specific moments. Puss in Boots’s stunning, gleaming green eyes are astounding and balance nicely with Kitty’s blue ones.

‘Big’ Jack Horner is patterned after Donald Trump. Bullying, fat, and loud, he is a feared pastry chef and a crime lord who plans to use the Wishing Star to gain control of all magic. Snubbed as ‘Little’ Jack Horner as a kid, he vows revenge and exhibits a pouty, snotty vibe.

The writers must have fun with that character.

Finally, a darling sequence featuring Mama Luna, an elderly cat lady who initially takes Puss in, is excellent. Puss in Boots, more like a human being eating human food and using the toilet, is reduced to cat chow and a litter box, like all the other cats.

Director Joel Crawford and screenwriters Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow carefully tone down the violence and darker themes in favor of a robust adventure and largely succeed.

Perfect for kids, it’s not bad for adults either.

Oscar Nominations: Best Animated Feature

2022 Films, Christmas, Comedy, Dark Comedy

Violent Night-2022

April 9, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Violent Night-2022

Director Tommy Wirkola

Starring David Harbour, John Leguizamo

Scott’s Review #1,355

Reviewed April 9, 2023

Grade: B

Violent Night (2022) isn’t the straight-ahead slasher flick with a holiday theme that I thought it might be. Part magic, part action, and part dark comedy make the film a peculiar yet strangely satisfying experience.

In a warped way, of course.

I’m not sure what director Tommy Wirkola was specifically going for, but Violent Night is an entertaining one-hour-and-fifty-two-minute experience. Best watched around the Christmas holidays, I watched the film on a cross-country flight from Los Angeles to New York City in April and still enjoyed it.

It’s a cool concept with lots of gore, a ritzy mansion as the primary setting, and a pleasing interracial element that adds diversity. The film is also a strange take on a jovial Christmas message, like a Lifetime television movie.

A lot is going on in Violent Night, and it openly patterns itself after Home Alone (1990), which one character has just watched for the first time.

David Harbor plays a not-so-jolly Santa Claus who guzzles beer in a London pub on Christmas Eve just before he is set to traverse the world distributing toys to children.

Depressed at the state of the world and the overwhelming amount of naughty people on his list, Santa arrives in upper-crust Greenwich, Connecticut, and witnesses a team of mercenaries breaking into a wealthy family compound and taking everyone inside hostage.

Led by Scrooge (John Leguizamo), the bad guys, dressed as Christmas characters, take the family hostage, demanding money they know is hidden on the estate. St. Nick must save the day and kick some ass to maintain the spirit of Christmas.

The characters, though mostly over-the-top, are my favorite part of Violent Night.

The audience is meant to like seven-year-old Trudy (Leah Brady), a darling innocent with interracial parents who are separated. Jason (Alex Hassell) is part of a wealthy family, and his wife, Linda (Alexis Louder), is a kind woman who has her daughter’s best interests at heart.

All Trudy wants for Christmas is for her parents to be back together.

The other characters are played for laughs, especially grand dame Gertrude, deliciously played by Beverly D’Angelo. She’s terrific as the queen, rich bitch whose family kisses her ass at every turn, hoping to keep in her good graces.

Leguizamo pairs well with Harbour’s Santa, who is effective as the beefy, boozy man. He is a good fellow, but has lost his belief in the magic of Christmas. The relationship between Santa and Trudy also works well.

A couple of belly chuckles exist, which is always a good thing. As Santa takes off on his reindeer-led sleigh to deliver toys, he promptly vomits on the pub bartender’s head. Soaked with barf, she proudly exclaims, ‘He is Santa!’

Violent Night is good fun, though severely unrealistic. The film gets a bit too hammy towards the conclusion when the bad guys get their comeuppance on the spacious mansion’s snowy exterior. One character’s decision to burn money to keep warm is too far-fetched, and the villains quickly disintegrate into caricatures.

The happily-ever-after conclusion and the resurrection of a character are underwhelming and worthy of a Hallmark television-movie send-off.

The Connecticut mansion is a cool set, and the Christmas trimmings make it flourish with strong design. The plentiful rooms and secret attics are fun to watch.

I’ve never seen the film Bad Santa (2003), but from what I know of it, Violent Night (2022) seems on par. Be forewarned, the ‘violent’ in the title is true to form, and the violence is fast and furious at times, with a snug message wrapped within.

1984 Films, Comedy, Screwball Comedy

Revenge of the Nerds-1984

April 8, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Revenge of the Nerds-1984

Director Jeff Kanew

Starring Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards

Scott’s Review #1,354

Reviewed April 8, 2023

Grade: B+

Released in 1984, Revenge of the Nerds is in a similar vein to other raunchy comedies like Police Academy (1984), Animal House (1978), or Porky’s (1981).

Goofy slapstick elements and the portrayal of unpopular or marginalized groups rising above are the thematic commonalities these genre films share.

To say the film is dumb fun is quite apt, and watching it again, almost forty years past the release date, the stereotypes and gags are ever so noticeable. The term ‘date rape’ was not known then, but it is known presently, leaving a slightly uncomfortable feeling during one scene.

Also dated is the classification of what a nerd is. In 1984, the last name one would like to be called was a nerd.” Today, it’s a term of endearment or even something to aspire to be!

Anyone under the age of forty will not appreciate Revenge of the Nerds or even get it. It was made at a very different time, but it will be appreciated by the older folks and provide a burst of uproarious nostalgia.

Revenge of the Nerds is one of my favorite selections when I think of the 1980s and yearn for a slice of mind-numbing entertainment.

Geeky college students Gilbert (Anthony Edwards) and Lewis (Robert Carradine) are excited to leave their repressed small town and venture off to the mind-opening University where, in their minds, they are bound to score with countless women.

Once there, they are ridiculed mercilessly by the jocks and evicted from their dormitory when the Alpha Betas, who recently burned down their own fraternity house by accident, confiscate the building.

When the college forces first-year students to live in the gym, Gilbert, Lewis, and their fellow dorks relocate to a run-down house. When the Alpha Betas, led by jock Stan (Ted McGinley), repeatedly humiliate them, the nerds plot revenge.

Naturally, in an attempt at gender parity, there is a nerd sorority named Omega Mu featuring Judy (Michelle Meyrink), who becomes Gilbert’s girlfriend.

And as a fabulous addition, there is one equivalent to Alpha Beta, consisting of cheerleader types who are bitchy and mean to the nerds, led by Betty Childs (Julie Montgomery), the object of Lewis’s affections.

Revenge of the Nerds succeeds well because it’s easy to root for the Nerds to exact their revenge on the jocks. But this would not be the case without the characters of Gilbert and Lewis.

Edwards and Carradine infuse them with likability and a flavor of fairness. More than just horny nerds, they choose their brethren from all walks of life.

There is a gay nerd, a black nerd, an Asian nerd, and even a nerd who picks his nose and is effectively named Booger (Curtis Armstrong).

Despite the subject matter, it’s easy to see that the producers were attempting some early diversity and inclusion. They exist within the confines of stereotypes, but at least the representation was visible.

McGinley as Stan is the perfect foil. The actor is a blonde and a surfer dude, so he is the perfect ‘big man on campus’ type. The secondary jocks are all loud and obnoxious, but are happy to be second bananas to Stan.

Adorable is how the distinction bubbles up to the school dean, played by David Wohl, who is at first intimidated by but finally gets the better of loud Coach Harris (John Goodman). And Lewis’s father, Mr. Skolnick (James Cromwell), is his doppelganger.

Revenge of the Nerds is successful at bringing out the thirteen-year-old boy in all of us with its incorporation of mooning scenes, belching, and a hilarious Peeping Tom scene in the hated popular girls’ sorority.

It’s not film art or anything in the way of classy, cinematic camerawork or visual effects, but Revenge of the Nerds (1984) does provide some good-humored laughs.

It’s well-intentioned and holds up surprisingly well on its own merits, while some 1980s ‘quality’ films do not.

1973 Films, Comedy, Drama

Paper Moon-1973

March 23, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Paper Moon-1973

Director Peter Bogdanovich

Starring Ryan O’Neal, Tatum O’Neal, Madeline Kahn

Scott’s Review #1,352

Reviewed March 23, 2023

Grade: A-

Peter Bogdanovich’s follow-up to the 1971 brilliance of The Last Picture Show is a film called Paper Moon (1973), named after a song introduced during the opening sequence.

While similar in texture and tone to the former, the latter takes much more time to become absorbed in. But the payoff finally arrives. There are also hints of comedy in Paper Moon, which The Last Picture Show had virtually none of, but they are companion pieces for sure.

The cinematography could even be classified as a carbon copy, and the isolated Midwest (this time, Kansas and Missouri rather than Texas) is on full display, rather than a 1950s Korean War dilemma.

In Paper Moon, the time is the 1930s Depression Era United States, when everyone and their brother was looking for a way to survive.

To make things interesting, real-life father and daughter star together. Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal are a remarkable dynamic duo, and the connection is evident.

They portray slick con artists Moses Pray (Ryan) and Addie Loggins (Tatum), who play off each other in a relaxed, easy manner.

When “Moze” is unexpectedly saddled with getting the nine-year-old Addie to relatives in Missouri after her mother’s death, his attempt to dupe her out of her money backfires, and he’s forced to take her on as a partner.

Swindling their way through farm country, the pair is nearly done in by a burlesque dancer (Madeline Kahn) and an angry bootlegger (John Hillerman).

Knowing that years later, Ryan would unwittingly proposition his daughter at a funeral, unaware of who she was, is both comical and sad.

But, I digress.

The chemistry makes Paper Moon work, though Bogdanovich’s direction is second to none in creating the proper mood, as he did so well two years earlier. The muddy, crusty atmosphere is palpable with miles and miles of desolate land on full display for the viewer.

Everything looks dirty, dusty, and depressing, which is to the film’s credit.

The small characters are a winning formula as they hope against hope that the scheme Moze is selling (a first-rate Holy Bible inscribed to them by their recently deceased loved one) could be true, and it is heartbreaking.

I’d give the first half a B or a B+, but the second half earns a solid A. The events start slowly and are a bit tough to get into from a storyline perspective.

I wasn’t so enamored of Madeline Khan’s character, though the actress is one of the film’s strongest aspects. Moze is hot and heavy for Miss Trixie Delight, but besides being busty, she has little else to offer.

She doesn’t treat her downtrodden teenage maid, Imogene (P.J. Johnson), very well and makes a spectacle of herself wherever she goes.

Satisfyingly, Addie and Imogene make quick work of her when they conspire to have Moze catch Trixie in bed with a hotel clerk. Khan is a hoot, but Trixie is mediocre.

When events get back to the Moze and Addie story, it’s off to the races. An enthralling final sequence occurs when the pair uncovers a bootlegger’s store full of whiskey, steals some of it, and sells it back to the bootlegger.

Unfortunately, the bootlegger’s twin brother is the local sheriff, and he quickly arrests Addie and Moze. The climax is on par with 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde without the killings- instead, the pair are on the run and foraging for an uncertain future.

The characters may not have the best morals, but they are survivors, and that makes them appealing. I’d venture to say Tatum O’Neal is the standout, though Ryan’s good looks are hard to ignore.

Paper Moon (1973) starts slow but becomes infectious during the final thirty minutes or so.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actress-Madeline Kahn, Tatum O’Neil (won), Best Screenplay-Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Sound

2022 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama

The Banshees of Inisherin-2022

March 2, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Banshees of Inisherin-2022

Director Martin McDonagh

Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon

Scott’s Review #1,348

Reviewed March 2, 2023

Grade: A

Martin McDonagh, who directed The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), is known for films such as In Bruges (2008) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

His films typically feature dark humor stories about humanity and unpleasantness, and require some reflection to consider the characters’ true nature.

This film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, who reunite after their collaboration in In Bruges for another turn playing men dealing with depression, loneliness, and the complexities of friendship.

McDonagh is British/Irish, so the period and surroundings likely resonate well with him. The gorgeous islands off the coast of Ireland are integral to the story and serve as a counterbalance to the troubles and tribulations of the characters.

Pádraic (Farrell) and Colm (Gleeson), are lifelong friends and inhabitants of an island off of mainland Ireland. They find themselves embroiled in a feud after Colm one day announces he is ending their friendship.

This confuses Pádraic, who vows to mend the relationship at all costs.

Their reunion is thwarted by severed fingers, a fire, and the mysterious death of Pádraic’s beloved pet donkey, Jenny.

Mixed into the events are Pádraic’s sister, Siobhán (Kerry Condon), and the troubled young islander, Dominic (Barry Keoghan), who have their own problems to face.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a slow-paced and cerebral film, and many questions will be pondered but left unanswered. This will likely disappoint viewers who prefer a clear conclusion to the characters’ lives.

However, this is a key part of the film’s beauty. I might have liked a big, no-holds-barred argument scene between Pádraic and Colm, or more closure in Dominic’s or Siobhán’s stories. Instead, McDonagh challenges the audience to feel perplexed or unsure and use their interpretations.

For example, I wonder if Dominic was being sexually abused by his policeman father, who has a penchant for sitting naked in the living room chair and masturbating.

Or, what does Siobhán leave the island for, and will she ever return?

On a separate note, I wonder if McDonagh was influenced by the epic 1970 gem Ryan’s Daughter, directed by David Lean. The flowing Irish landscapes and unpleasant, embittered townspeople have key similarities.

The winning formula is ambiguity. The audience is treated to terrific acting all around, particularly among the four principals (Farrell, Gleeson, Condon, and Keoghan), all of whom were awarded Academy Award nominations.

Each provides subdued performances dripping with contained emotion and complexities buried beneath the surface.

Audiences can draw their conclusions, but my takeaways were loneliness, longing for new adventures, depression, and begrudgingly accepting a meager existence amid the most lavish countryside one can find.

The 1920s Irish Civil War serves as the backdrop, although those events are not central to the plot.

Since Colm’s desire to create music is a central part of the story, the accompanying music is crucial to the film. The use of fiddles is incorporated rather than traditional Irish music, except in the sprinkling of pub scenes.

A hearty round of applause is due to McDonagh and company for crafting and performing a thinking man’s film. The comic bits are not syrupy but tragic in their honesty and cadence.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) separates cinematic thinkers from passive viewers with a quiet story about the friendship between two men and the layers that exist beneath the surface.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Martin McDonagh, Best Actor-Colin Farrell, Best Supporting Actor-Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, Best Supporting Actress-Kerry Condon, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score

1974 Films, Comedy, Horror, Horror-Comedy

Young Frankenstein-1974

February 27, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Young Frankenstein-1974

Director Mel Brooks

Starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr

Scott’s Review #1,347

Reviewed February 27, 2023

Grade: A

Young Frankenstein (1974) is one of the funniest, most authentic examples of slapstick comedy done right. The physical timing, facial expressions, and dialogue delivery are sheer perfection from the well-known cast.

Many of whom are stars of the comedy genre.

The fact that director Mel Brooks took a classic horror film as distinguished as Frankenstein (1931), and made a cross-genre sequel, is pure brilliance.

Even better is the incorporation of black-and-white filmmaking, resembling the 1930s masterpiece, so the setting feels similar. This is aided by the recreation of the lab equipment designed by the original set designer, Kenneth Strickfaden, from the 1931 film.

Brooks co-wrote the screenplay with star Gene Wilder, a comic legend, and the writing is brilliant, crackling with wit and energy.

The 1970s film, watched decades later, has lost none of its original appeal, holding up astoundingly well even after most of the cast and the director have left this world. It can be watched over the Halloween season for the proper atmosphere or at any time.

Ideally, recommended to watch Frankenstein either before or after seeing Young Frankenstein for ideal pleasure.

Respected medical lecturer Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder) learns, much to his chagrin, that he has inherited his infamous grandfather’s estate in Transylvania, Romania.

The original Frankenstein’s reputation is so tarnished that Frederick wants nothing to do with the name, even going so far as to change the pronunciation of his surname to “Fronkensteen”.

Begrudgingly arriving at the castle, Dr. Frankenstein soon begins to recreate his grandfather’s experiments with the help of servants Igor (Marty Feldman), Inga (Teri Garr), and the rigid Frau Blücher (Cloris Leachman).

After he creates his monster (Peter Boyle), a new set of complications ensues with the arrival of the doctor’s fiancée, Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn), and the unleashing of the frightening beast on the small town.

Comedy and horror are worlds apart, but Brooks and Wilder pay tribute to the classic horror film by not mocking it but instead embracing it and enhancing the story in Young Frankenstein.

You could say it’s a sequel in addition to a spoof made over forty years later.

The characters are the best part, and each one is brought to fine form by its actor. Wilder, as the mad scientist, is led by ug-eyed Igor (pronounced ‘Eyegor’ naturally), who is revealed to be the grandson of Igor in Frankenstein, my personal favorite, followed by Garr as Wilder’s secret romantic interest.

My favorite scenes are when Igor reveals that he took the wrong brain for Frankenstein’s experiment, belonging to ‘Abby Normal’ instead of ‘Abnormal’ as the label read.

Inga and Frederick have instant chemistry, leaving Kahn’s Elizabeth in the dust as far as a romantic triangle. Hilarity between the pair occurs in the final sequence when, after a lobotomy, she is delighted to realize that Frederick has received the monster’s “enormous Schwanzstucker”.

This is not to diminish Boyle, Leachman, or Kahn, who each do their part to make Young Frankenstein an ensemble. Apt viewers will spot Gene Hackman as Harold, the blind man.

As an aside, Brooks brilliantly pays tribute to Bride of Frankenstein (1934) by giving Elizabeth the same hairstyle.

The double entendre is fast and furious from knockers to the male anatomy.

The only scene that didn’t wow me was the sequence where Frankenstein and his creation perform “Puttin’ on the Ritz”. The monster singing and dancing was too amateurish for me, but for some, it’s a favorite scene.

A parody that works on nearly every level and is the best of all the Brooks films (even barely usurping my forever fondness for 1977’s High Anxiety), Young Frankenstein (1974) is a treasure.

Silly, devoted, and creative, it revives a classic in the best possible way and is filmmaking 101 on how to create a proper spoof.

Oscar Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound

2022 Films, Comedy, Cuisine, Dark Comedy, Horror, Horror-Comedy

The Menu-2022

February 20, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Menu-2022

Director Mark Mylod

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy

Scott’s Review #1,345

Reviewed February 20, 2023

Grade: B+

The premise of The Menu (2022) immediately elicited my utmost pleasure. A self-proclaimed ‘foodie’ with a long way to go in being an expert, a film about a high-caliber restaurant with an extravagant and sophisticated tasting menu was impossible to ignore.

Throw in the horror and dark humor genres, and you’ve got the icing on the cake.

After all, being fortunate enough to have experienced fine dining, as depicted in the film, makes me repeatedly reminisce about those adventures. Those enchanted by such tasting menus, rich in flavor and style, must see The Menu.

Cinematically, the film reminds me of parts of Saw (2004) and Knives Out (2018), with a dash of novelist Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians story and a sprinkling of a Jordan Peele project for its social commentary.

A young couple Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) travels to a sunny coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant named Hawthorn, where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu.

They are joined by other guests, including a food critic, her editor, wealthy regulars, three business people, a washed-up movie star and his assistant, and the chef’s alcoholic mother.

As the evening commences and the dishes are served, the chef has some diabolical surprises in store for the guests. Secrets are soon revealed as it becomes apparent they have been summoned to the island for a reason.

Mark Mylod, a new director to me, peppers the film with dark, macabre humor, mostly related to the food, which is slyly placed and pairs well. Those who savor fine dining and tasty ingredients will smirk with delight.

The title and ingredients of each course are named, and by the third course, the sins of the diners are revealed on tortilla shells for all to see. The audience knows they are not innocent people, and the chef and his team are intent on punishing them a la carte style.

The revelation that Margot is not supposed to be there is satisfying because, so far, the chef, his assistant, and a guest have been eying her mysteriously. Tyler was initially scheduled to bring another woman with him.

Instead of limiting the story, this only enhances it. Could Margot be convinced to align with the chef, or does she hate him? Jealousy among the staff and guests quickly spirals out of control.

Another win for The Menu is the incorporation of class distinction. The haves and the have-nots, and how they feel about each other, is a crucial sidebar, and it is easy to understand the motivations of the characters.

The Menu loses its way during the final thirty minutes, with an unsatisfying and perplexing ending that hardly wraps up the story for the audience in a neat doggy bag.

I was left with more questions than answers regarding the plot.

The analysis can be somewhat forgiven with a deathly serving of s’mores for dessert, with the bodies of the guests as the marshmallows and their heads mirroring the chocolate tops.

A laugh-out-loud moment occurs when a spoiled guest fails to understand the quality difference between cod and halibut. Every foodie should be aware of the superiority of halibut.

It’s not all polish and high cuisine, as the preparation and consumption of a good old-fashioned greasy cheeseburger are made with such precision that I could nearly smell the wonderful indulgence.

The sizzling meat, combined with the heavenly melted American cheese, made me want to reach for my phone and order Grubhub.

Fiennes and Taylor-Joy are the standouts as their complex relationship and chemistry are palpable. Special notice must be given to Hung Chau, Judith Light, Janet McTeer, and John Leguizamo, who make the ensemble quite good.

With a terrific idea and enough tastes and smells that almost emerge from the screen, The Menu (2022) is a winner. It’s unsatisfying at the conclusion, but the experience is enjoyable and the creativity is championed.

I felt like a guest at a restaurant myself.

2023 Films, Comedy, Horror, Horror-Camp, Horror-Comedy, Science Fiction, Slasher

M3GAN-2023

January 31, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

M3GAN-2023

Director Gerard Johnstone

Starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw

Scott’s Review #1,338

Reviewed January 31, 2023

Grade: B+

M3GAN (2023) is the sleeper hit of the year, quickly becoming a ‘water-cooler’ topic (remember that phrase?) after getting stagnant cinema lovers back into theaters in droves.

Released in the traditionally dismal month of January when studios usually ‘dump’ film releases with little or no bang for their buck M3GAN is already set to spawn a sequel. The possibilities for a different story to correlate with the original are endless.

The poster (see above) and the movie trailer are instantly grabbing. We see a doll-like/robotic little girl with long flowing blonde hair and mesmerizing, sparkling eyes that are cat-like and creepy.

Almost life-like, it doesn’t take a genius to conjure images of the Chucky doll from the Child’s Play franchise (1988-2019). Seemingly lovable but turning sinister, the concepts are more or less the same.

When robotics engineer Gemma (Allison Williams) takes in her orphaned niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), she creates the perfect companion for her, a lifelike doll named M3GAN, who serves as a friend, confidante, and sensible role model.

Cady and M3GAN immediately bond and become inseparable pals.

M3GAN can listen, watch, and learn from other people and objects as they relate to Cady, using advanced Artificial Intelligence to store their idiosyncrasies.

As expected, things soon go awry when M3GAN uses her superior intelligence to destroy anyone whom she perceives as a threat to Cady.

I’m not one to suggest a film tone down the blood and gore in a horror film but in the case of M3GAN, it works to the film’s advantage as proven by tremendous box-office receipts.

Far from kid-friendly, one of the main characters is eight to ten years old which might encourage parents, especially parents who are horror fans, to take their youngsters to see the film. At first, Cady and M3GAN invoke an idealized pre-teen female relationship, and a bully intent on harming Cady gets his comeuppance.

Most of the other characters who suffer dire fates are unlikeable. A boorish neighbor, a vicious dog, Gemma’s obnoxious boss, and his conniving assistant all get their due one way or another at the hands of M3GAN.

She’s not exactly a ‘hero’ but the fun is watching hated characters suffer at her hands. The setup is perfected as each character reveals their obnoxiousness to the rabid audience thirsting for a slashed throat or two.

My point is that parents and kids alike can enjoy this film and simultaneously share a startle and a giggle.

The campy nature of the film is another win since the humor evens out the horror elements. There are enough funny lines, mostly delivered by the supporting players, to evoke laugh-out-loud moments.

The grand finale is inevitably predictable but enjoyable because it’s what the audience can’t wait for. M3GAN, once prim and proper in her little girl dress, shrieks and spits curses at her former friends as her now disfigured face and ravaged hair make her look disheveled and monstrous.

M3GAN’s true colors are revealed and the audience will hoot and holler with delight.

Unlike many films, M3GAN goes right for the jugular in the first scene with a deadly car accident and keeps the fast pace for the entire one hour and forty-two minute running time.

Williams, well-known for starring in Jordan Peele’s 2017 masterpiece Get Out scores another win in the central role. She capably plays a loving yet inexperienced surrogate parent and carries the film, along with M3GAN of course.

Incorporated is a relevant knock on mass consumption of technology gadgets and a robot replacing good parenting. This is more evidence that parents should see M3GAN.

I can’t wait to see what the writers next have in store for the little terror when the sequel drops.

2022 Films, Best Feature- Independent Spirit Award Winners, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Favorite Film of the Year, Independent, Independent Comedy, Science Fiction

Everything Everywhere All at Once-2022

January 26, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Everything Everywhere All at Once-2022

Director Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan (Daniels)

Starring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Kwan, Stephanie Hsu

Scott’s Review #1,337

Reviewed January 26, 2023

Grade: A

Released in March 2022, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a film that built momentum throughout the year, resulting in an astonishing eleven Academy Award nominations.

Traditionally, films vying for awards season attention and subsequent praise and honors are released in the fourth quarter, while earlier releases are relegated to the discount racks.

But Everything Everywhere All at Once breaks the mold thanks to being a visionary, absurd comedy that demands the appreciation it has received.

As of this writing, it is the highest-grossing film released by A24, a champion of independent and quality cinema.

Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) plays a flustered and bedraggled immigrant mother who runs a laundromat along with her goofy husband Waymond (Ke Huy Kwan).

They reside in the laundromat with Evelyn’s irritable father, Gong Gong (James Hong), and daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu), who is gay.

In trouble with an IRS inspector, Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis), Evelyn is contacted from a parallel universe and told that only she could save the world. She must quickly learn to channel her newfound powers and fight through the timelines of the multiverse to save her home, her family, and herself.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is not conventional and is admittedly a complete mess, meant in the finest of ways.

It takes the cinematic formula and tips it on its ass, but intelligently incorporates heartfelt scenes and gripping performances so that the viewer falls in love with the characters before knowing what’s hit them.

I semi-cried when I heard the film was an action mix with science fiction and superhero multiverses, none of which are my genre of choice. The film goes beyond that with a sensory overload, a warped onslaught of colorful wackiness that includes hot dog fingers, butt plugs, and a drag performance.

You can’t make this up, kids.

Michelle Yeoh kicks ass (literally!) and gets the role of a lifetime. At sixty years old, she has played a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and a rich bitch Mom in Crazy Rich Asians (2018), decent roles, but nothing like Evelyn.

Directors, the Daniels, show through Evelyn’s character how her life has disappointed her. Never appreciated by her father and living in a state of doldrums, she becomes an angry and frustrated young woman, but eventually develops into a person who enjoys the small moments of human connection in her life.

We can all learn from Evelyn.

What a treat to see Jamie Lee Curtis chew up the scenery playing Deirdre. Displaying her gut, wearing a bizarre grey wig, she plays part IRS agent, part lesbian lover, depending on which universe she inhabits, and is a hoot.

Ke Huy Kwan is famous as the child actor from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, and not much since. He somersaults back into the acting spotlight in the role of Evelyn’s kind husband.

Finally, Stephanie Hsu is a gem as Stephanie, who wants to be loved by her mother. The actor has a bright future ahead of her.

These actors get to play four or five different characters, showcasing their acting chops.

Stylistically, the film is off the wall. Dizzying special effects and absurd editing bombard the viewer with ‘stuff’ that can be analyzed from a technical perspective for weeks.

But at the end of the film, you will shed a tear or two at the emotion that sneaks up from behind in the most wonderful way. Quiet scenes between the noisy ones show humanity and love for one another.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) has reaffirmed my appreciation of film and the creativity and beauty that can be mastered.

Oscar Nominations: 7 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (won), Best Actress-Michelle Yeoh (won), Best Supporting Actor-Ke Huy Kwan (won), Best Supporting Actress-Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis (won), Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Original Score, Best Original Song-“This is a Life”, Best Costume Design, Best Editing (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 6 wins-Best Feature (won), Best Director-Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (won), Best Lead Performance-Michelle Yeoh (won), Best Supporting Performance-Ke Huy Kwan (won), Jamie Lee Curtis, Best Breakthrough Performance-Stephanie Hsu (won), Best Screenplay (won), Best Editing (won)

1977 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Musical, Musical Comedy

Cinderella-1977

January 14, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Cinderella-1977

Director Michael Pataki

Starring Cheryl Smith, Brett Smiley

Scott’s Review #1,333

Reviewed January 14, 2023

Grade: B

This telling of the legendary fairy tale Cinderella (1977) differs significantly from the sentimental, wholesome story of a rags-to-riches Disney princess we all know and love.

It’s for adults only; even many adults will scurry to grab the remote and turn it off before their significant other or, god forbid, children, catch them slyly peeking at what emerges from the screen.

The film is pornographic. This fact doesn’t offend me or influence my critique, and in reality, piques my interest tremendously in how the filmmakers turn Cinderella into a porn film.

It’s 1970s-style pornography with the bulk of the nudity going to the female characters, with barely any male flesh to view, though there is some.

During the fleshy numbers, there is music and dancing to be had, usually with the female performers singing while topless.

The familiar story involves a lonely prince (Brett Smiley) who tries several young women in his kingdom in his search for the one he met at a royal ball. Naturally, it’s Cinderella (Cheryl Smith), the gorgeous yet abused waif who sings and dances while doing her chores, longing for a better life.

The prince is jaded and feels no satisfaction from traditional sex as he boldly reveals in the musical number ‘My Kingdom Won’t Come’. His sex-crazed father the King (Boris Moris) decides to host a lavish ball so that his son can find what he wants.

You see, the weapon that Cinderella possesses is a special snapping female genitalia that the prince experiences at the ball while blindfolded and in an orgy. This quality is irresistible to him and he must find and be with the woman who is the one who has the magic vagina.

The film is naughtily personified, and the fun is seeing how far out director Michael Pataki and screenwriter Frank Ray Perilli will go for a shock. Pataki was mostly an actor who dabbled in directing, which makes sense since Cinderella feels widely experimental.

Events get off to a perfectly indecent start when the royal chamberlain, played by Kirk Scott, wanders the forest, encountering nude females who coquettishly make out with each other for fun and the affection of the handsome man.

There is more than the sex scenes to keep one thrilled. The costumes and makeup, especially the disgraceful pancake colors applied to Cinderella’s devilish stepsisters, are in-your-face and gratifying. The gowns at the ball are professional and stylish.

The film teeters into art-film territory at times, like when Cinderella performs a musical number while soaping in the tub and parading through the forest.

Her wacky Fairy Godmother is a black man played by Sy Richardson, who is just a burglar intent on robbing Cinderella’s home, but he does provide her with her special ‘gift’.

These many idiosyncrasies make the film Cinderella a cross between a lewd John Waters film and a bombastic Russ Meyers party film.

Cheryl Smith is excellent in the title role, providing a gorgeous face and figure with a lovely voice. She perfectly delivers the numbers and carries the film.

Among all the many incarnations of Cinderella, circa 1977 is the most outrageous and courageous. How this film was even made, and with an R rating, baffles me. It’s nearly impossible to find on streaming platforms or in stores, and it was only a spontaneous purchase that let me see it.

My suggestion is for cinematically creative film fans to give Cinderella (1977) a whirl, but with extreme caution. Viewed with the wrong companions could be disastrous, and a 3 am start time with adult nibbles is highly encouraged.

No kiddies allowed.

2009 Films, Adventure, Animated, Comedy, Kids

Fantastic Mr. Fox-2009

December 30, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Fantastic Mr. Fox-2009

Director Wes Anderson

Voices George Clooney, Meryl Streep

Scott’s Review #1,329

Reviewed December 30, 2022

Grade: B+

I have fond memories of either reading or being read Roald Dahl’s famous 1970 children’s novel entitled Fantastic Mr. Fox.

The story involves the clever and hungry Mr. Fox and how he outwits his farmer neighbors to steal food from under their noses.

In 2009, it was adapted into a stop-motion animated film by Wes Anderson and includes the voice of George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox.

Anyone familiar with Anderson’s work knows that an added dose of eccentricity will inevitably be included, along with a unique narrative.

I confess to either being in the mood for an Anderson film or not, but at least I know what I’m in store for.

Anderson co-wrote the screenplay with Noah Baumbach, known for making witty and intellectual comedies like The Squid and the Whale (2005) and Greenberg (2010).

Fantastic Mr. Fox pairs well with 2018’s Isle of Dogs if we are talking about Anderson films. Both include the thoughts and peculiarities of animals, similar stop motion, and a story about trickery and revenge pitting man against animals.

There is an eerie and prominent comparison to Animal Farm, a 1950s George Orwell novel and film adaptation, that I noticed.

The farm, animals, class system, and desire for power and authority.

When Mr. Fox’s nightly raids on three nearby farms raise the tempers of three selfish farmers who are losing their chickens, he must outwit the outrageous plans to catch him.

After all, in his mind, he is merely trying to feed his hungry family and neighbors, and Mr. Fox must find a new way to get his paws on the bounty.

Billed as a children’s film probably because it’s based on a children’s novel, Fantastic Mr. Fox contains aspects that will go way over kids’ heads.

This suits me well, however, because I have a fascination for animation that pushes the envelope or moves beyond the overdone ‘safe genre’.

Think of it as a kid’s film for adults.

It would appear difficult to side solely with Mr. Fox since he is a thief. We are all taught at a young age not to steal, but it’s difficult not to root for Mr. Fox. He steals not to gorge himself but to feed his family and community.

Of course, he is addicted to being a cad and quickly returns to his thieving ways, finding his calling and strong satisfaction.

A good lesson for kids and adults is the neighborly aspect of Fantastic Mr. Fox. There is a camaraderie amongst the animals that I find lovely and inspiring. They band together and cohabitate in an underground community and later the sewer, always having each other’s backs.

The farmers are portrayed as the villains, though we can certainly understand their hardships at having their animals stolen and eaten.

But Anderson hits home that the farmers are greedy and obsessed with their wealth, happy to kill any animals they see fit. It’s satisfying to see them get defeated.

The story is outshined by the visuals, though. It’s difficult not to focus on the technique and stunning attention to detail, especially in the tunnel sequences.

The character performances and shadowy framework make one realize just how far stop motion has come.

The autumnal colors of red, orange, and yellow perfectly enhance the visual style and season that Anderson and team create. Even the cue card titles between scenes are meticulous art that harkens back to sophisticated cartoons of yesteryear.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) is a creative, edgy, and intelligently written and scored production.

Multiple generations are featured, meaning young kids, parents, and grandparents with a hunger for a left-of-center and thought-provoking approach will be well satisfied.

Oscar Nominations: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score

2021 Films, Christmas, Comedy, LGBTQ+ Comedy, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ Romantic Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Single All the Way-2021

December 21, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Single All the Way-2021

Director Michael Mayer

Starring Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane

Scott’s Review #1,325

Reviewed December 21, 2022

Grade: C+

Single All the Way (2021) is an LGBTQ+ romantic comedy film released by the streaming behemoth Netflix. However, I swear the film feels like a Hallmark or Lifetime television movie of the week offering.

The film, a Christmas-themed romantic comedy about gay men, is the streaming service’s first gay holiday film.

As inspired and momentous as this may sound, please hold the accolades and champagne for just a hot second. I had hoped for a bit more danger, complexity, or even darker drama from Single All the Way, given it’s the first of its kind.

Instead, I was presented with a childish, cliched, saccharine-induced, run-of-the-mill story that swaps the standard straight-laced, blue-eyed, blonde-haired straight couple from the Midwest, USA, with gay characters.

Everything else remains the same.

Since the LGBTQ+ is to be celebrated, the result is a marginally enjoyable romantic comedy featuring gay men and a timid triangle where the audience knows all along how it’s going to play out.

Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter (Michael Urie), who lives in Los Angeles, convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to join him for the holidays in snowy New Hampshire and pretend that they’re now in a relationship.

But when Peter’s mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a blind date with her hunky trainer James (Luke Macfarlane), the plan goes awry. Peter becomes caught in a quandary about either confessing his feelings for Nick or pursuing relations with James while his family schemes to unite Peter and Nick.

Let me make clear that the only reason Single All the Way rates as high as a ‘C+’ is that I applaud the decision to write, produce, and release an LGBTQ+-themed film. It’s about damn time, but I wish it were a better film.

Nick being light-skinned black is also a way to promote at least a bit of diversity, although the other characters and environment feel as white as the fake snow draping the wintry set design.

Despite being slightly effeminate, he works as a rugged handyman, which somehow doesn’t quite work out.

The main issue is that there is no chemistry between any of the three men. It’s unbelievable that Nick and Peter have been roommates for years, and it takes a trip to New Hampshire for them to realize their undying love for one another.

Macfarlane, well-known for appearing in Bros. (2022), the first gay romantic comedy released by a major studio, is almost distractingly good-looking. Hunky and drop-dead gorgeous, it’s laughable to think his character would be the odd man out against the semi-cute Peter and Nick.

It’s as if someone wanted the average Joe to beat out the hunk, finally.

Realistically, Peter would have at least slept with James instead of hemming and hawing before declining an invitation to James’s apartment after a date.

The family, led by Peter’s mother Carole (Najimy), is beyond irritating. Wanting desperately for her son to find love, she is what every gay man doesn’t want his mother to be.

Landing Jennifer Coolidge, a gay icon, is a significant win wasted by casting her in the cliche-riddled role of Aunt Sandy, a man-hungry diva.

If that isn’t bad enough, Peter’s two sisters’ scheming to separate Peter and James’s burgeoning romance and unite Peter and Nick is silly and not worthy of a daytime soap opera.

At the end of the day, Single All the Way (2021) is barely even a cute film. It’s as safe as can be with every cliche (straight and gay) imaginable, as if someone was so thrilled to be making an LGBTQ+ film that they didn’t dare take one single risk.

2022 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Slasher

Bodies Bodies Bodies-2022

December 11, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Bodies Bodies Bodies-2022

Director Halina Reijn

Starring Amandla Sternberg, Maria Bakalova

Scott’s Review #1,321

Reviewed December 11, 2022

Grade: B

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) is an admirable attempt at merging straight-ahead slasher whodunit with a good dose of dark comedy and camp. It doesn’t always hit the mark, but it provides entertainment and is thought-provoking.

The film is never dull and will keep the viewer guessing. There is plenty of diversity with a twist at the end, which I’m still not sure is satisfying or not.

While watching the film, I wasn’t always sure if the dialogue was intended to be played for laughs (it’s sometimes terrible). I’m still uncertain whether the debut director, Halina Reijn, was poking fun at 1980s-style slasher flicks or paying homage to them.

The inclusion of Saturday Night Live alumnus Pete Davidson provides a bit of humor. He pushes the film toward comedy territory, though his character is more of an asshole than comic relief. It’s other characters who deliver the funny lines.

Having not heard of the film before, the premise was intriguing and made me watch it during a long international flight. I needed to spend about ninety minutes.

When a group of wealthy twenty-somethings plans a dubious hurricane party at a remote family mansion, they drink and use drugs. A party game goes awry.

I knew right away that an incident would occur, one that would see them knocked off unceremoniously, one by one.

A hefty dose of cattiness between both the male and female characters will make the viewer smirk with pleasure. The backstabbing and fake friends angle is as delicious as the offing of several characters.

I love that Sophie (Amandla Sternberg) and Bee (Maria Bakalova), the central characters, are a lesbian couple. Bee is from Eastern Europe, while Sophie is of mixed race and affluent, and Bee is working class.

There are many differences to explore, which can lead to an insecure relationship.

It’s suggested that they are a new couple, early in their relationship, and one of the other girls, Jordan (Myha’la Herrold), has previously had a relationship with Sophie. On top of all that, Sophie is a recovering drug addict.

I’m not sure the myriad of drama elements is all that necessary, but it does reinforce the complexities of the characters. At the end of the day, what the audience wants to see is violence and dripping blood, and I felt a bit cheated in that department.

Don’t get me wrong, people do die, but nobody is shown squealing or running for their life. Because they are playing a game, aptly titled ‘bodies bodies bodies’, the victims pretend to die but then wind up dead.

Besides Bree and Sophie, the other characters are unlikable. I slowly realized that’s the fun of Bodies Bodies Bodies. Since the characters are whiny, rich, and spoiled rotten, we want them to get their just desserts.

My main criticism of Bodies Bodies Bodies is that its intention is not always clear, which can be confusing. Is it a message movie, a slasher flick, or an argument over a spoiled and clueless generation?

As the credits rolled, I wasn’t even sure who the killer was or why. Turns out, my immediate hunch was correct, but I second-guessed myself.

In hindsight, I like the ultimate twist, but there are so many aspects to Bodies Bodies Bodies. Generation Z hatred, societal clashes, love triangles, and a potential serial killer all rolled into one. That’s a bit much for a ninety-minute affair.

Comparisons to April Fool’s Day (1986) and Scream (1996) come to mind. And, Agatha Christie’s novels, in which a group of characters flocks to a remote locale for a good whodunit, also occur.

As I absorb Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) more and more, I realize that Reijn brings a fresh perspective to a sorely oversaturated genre, and that’s a good thing.

The film could have been fleshed out more.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Director-Halina Reijn, Best First Screenplay

2020 Films, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Kids

The Witches-2020

November 16, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Witches-2020

Director Robert Zemeckis

Starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer

Scott’s Review #1,314

Reviewed November 16, 2022

Grade: B

A remake of the 1990 film starring Anjelica Huston, The Witches (2020) sometimes delivers the goods and occasionally derails off the tracks into campy, over-the-top, wackadoo.

Mostly, on the part of the star Anne Hathaway, who plays an evil and powerful witch.

But, regardless of what this adult thinks, it will please, surprise, and fascinate youngsters who see it. There’s a comforting and vital message of friendship and family roots ingrained in the story, which is a nice touch.

In 1968, seven-year-old orphan Charlie Hansen (Jahzir Bruno) travels from Chicago to Alabama to live with his grandmother, Agatha (Octavia Spencer), after his parents are killed in a car accident.

After a dastardly witch approaches him in a grocery store, they flee to a seaside resort to avoid the child-hating witches. Agatha has a troubled past with the witches who long ago turned her best friend into a chicken.

When the two arrive at their hotel, they find a coven with villainous plans. They are accompanied by a mouse named Daisy and an English boy named Bruno (Codie-Lei Eastick).

I much prefer the first half of The Witches to the last.

The wonderful and caring relationship between Agatha and Charlie is a beautiful dynamic. When she envelops him with love and southern cooking in her cozy home, understanding the trauma he has endured, it is heartwarming and genuine.

Spencer is terrific in any role she plays, of course, but her calm and stoic demeanor when paired against the witches is lovely. She is prepared for trouble and sneaks to a back room where she keeps crystals and other anti-witch weaponry.

But the relationship with the little boy is darling and top-notch. I wish they would have just stayed at home and nurtured their relationship with Daisy and Bruno.

The weakest section of the film involves the witches themselves. As they flock to the hotel for a convention to plot the destruction of children everywhere, they appear more silly than scary, especially when they remove their wigs and reveal bald, scabby heads.

Director Robert Zemeckis must have given Hathaway free rein to ham it up because she certainly does just that.

I’m a fan of hers, so it’s not a personal knock, but she teeters toward ridiculous pretty quickly. I understand the need to make a children’s film villain colorful, memorable, and loud, but there is no restraint, which causes the character to feel more silly than terrifying.

On the plus side, Hathaway must have had a ball letting loose and leaving all constraints on the sidelines.

Inevitably, the kids are changed into cute mice and must convince their loved ones that they are themselves while figuring out how to change back to human children.

Not much has changed from the 1990 version, except for a few tweaks here and there, and the story remains the same. However, I prefer the original by a hair.

Huston beats Hathaway in a comparison.

Some inconsistencies emerge, such as how Agatha can afford to stay in a grand hotel. She knows someone connected to the hotel, but the who’s and why’s aren’t clear.

It’s never explained what happened to Agatha’s friend who wound up as a chicken, and I wanted more from Stanley Tucci than an uninteresting hotel manager role with little to do.

However, the action sequences are adventurous and energetic, and it’s fun cheering as the Grand High Witch (Hathaway) is transformed into a rat.

I wanted more of the homespun love between Agatha and Charlie, as well as the simple Southern town that felt so lovely and welcoming. Still, The Witches (2020) provides family-friendly entertainment that many can enjoy.

2009 Films, Bromance, Comedy, Guy Films, Screwball Comedy

I Love You, Man-2009

October 24, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

I Love You, Man-2009

Director John Hamburg

Starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segal

Scott’s Review #1,311

Reviewed October 24, 2022

Grade: B

I Love You, Man (2009) is another one of these ‘feel-good’ types of ‘bromance’ comedies to grace the silver screen in the 2000s.

It takes a familiar storyline of two male friends bonding, usually involving a female in the mix to complicate matters, with hilariously awkward moments thrown in.

It’s nothing groundbreaking or overly severe, but rather a mildly satisfying ‘guy film’ that a female audience can also enjoy because there exists a romance and a happily ever after.

I’m simplifying the specific gender tastes quite a bit, but what I mean is the film is light, and there can be something for everyone to enjoy.

While there are some innocent homoerotic playful moments between the men, for laughs, of course, the genre avoids anything LGBTQ+ related other than a gay supporting character who cleverly teaches the straight male how to ‘meet’ men.

Director John Hamburg is involved in similarly themed projects like Meet the Parents (2000) and Along Came Polly (2004), so he knows the common premise required for a film like I Love You, Man, as well as what the audience wants.

As his wedding day approaches, nerdy Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) realizes he has no one to serve as his best man.

Through a series of “man-dates,” he finds abrasive Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), and the pair become instant friends.

But as Peter’s “bromance” with Sydney grows stronger, it threatens his relationship with his intended, Zooey (Rashida Jones), forcing Peter to make a choice.

It’s not a bad effort and Rudd and Segal have good chemistry as polar opposite characters. The differences are a big part of the laughs, but Jones is somewhat unnecessary to the plot other than the required female component to satisfy the formula.

She dutifully plays her role as the straight woman immersed between two goofballs but has very little to do other than get in the way and be a roadblock to the guys’ fun.

It’s not a great role for her and the chemistry is lacking between her and Rudd, but maybe that’s just the point. I’m not too sure, but I found the humorous moments entirely left to the boys to provide.

My favorite section of the film is one that many may dismiss or deem secondary. The legendary progressive rock band Rush makes an appearance as a way that Peter and Sydney ultimately bond.

Any fan of music, especially a thinking man’s band like Rush, can attest to the genuine bond that can be created between followers of a specific group.

Rush is legendary for just that, and it makes I Love You, Man feel fresher than it otherwise would have. Besides, other than Led Zeppelin, is there a better example of a ‘guy’s band’?

Otherwise, the film is particularly run-of-the-mill. There are familiar arguments, misunderstandings, breakups, and makeups to be endured.

Events start with a marriage proposal and unsurprisingly end with a wedding ceremony, so anything in between is rather superfluous since we can see the outcome a mile away.

Naturally, as much as Zooey wants Peter to have more male friends, she becomes suspicious and otherwise threatened by the new blood, feeling left out.

There is a hint that Sydney may be trying to manipulate and pull the wool over Peter’s eyes over a financial loan, but things work themselves out just fine.

As predictable as I Love You, Man (2009) is, there is a sentimental, even heartwarming sensation to be left with, and a few good chuckles along the way.

1972 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Up the Sandbox-1972

October 18, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Up the Sandbox-1972

Director Irvin Kershner

Starring Barbra Streisand, David Selby

Scott’s Review #1,308

Reviewed October 18, 2022

Grade: B

Up the Sandbox (1972) is likely the least successful film in the Barbra Streisand collection and more obscure than likely desired. The star performs no songs, and the film is experimental, but it’s unclear whether it was intended to be.

Streisand takes a break from comedies and musicals to venture into unknown territory, risking a payoff that doesn’t always come through.

On the flip side, she never looked more beautiful in a film.

The film has its moments. It’s shrouded in early progressive feminism, which provides intrigue, and it’s tough to go wrong with a bankable star like Streisand in a lead role.

Still, the fantasy sequences get too weird and sometimes unnecessary, and the film doesn’t always make a lot of sense.

The film gets taken down at least a notch for two anti-gay slurs that are shamefully unnecessary to any plot direction.

I award Up the Sandbox credit for thinking outside the box and being unconventional. Still, the parts don’t come together into a cohesive unit, leaving me unfulfilled while recognizing the superior qualities.

The cover art (see above) is wacky and thought-provoking.

Margaret (Streisand) is a young wife and mother who is bored with her day-to-day life in New York City, playing second fiddle to her successful and too-busy husband, Paul (David Selby).

He is a professor at Columbia University, and they reside in a cramped yet fairly sophisticated apartment.

To combat boredom, she regularly escapes into increasingly outrageous fantasies: her mother breaking into the apartment, an explorer’s demonstration of tribal fertility music at a party causing strange transformations, and somehow joining terrorists to plant explosives in the Statue of Liberty.

Streisand is well cast, and while other actresses could have given a fine performance, she plays New York Jewish better than anyone. Her struggle to break out of her life of doldrums is perfectly conveyed as she yearns to achieve a balance between men and women.

She resents going down the path of a housewife, just like her mother did, and vows to be nothing like her, as the women bicker and feud throughout the film.

The sequences involving her mother are the best in the film. Played by Jane Hoffman, Margaret’s mother provides all of the expected Jewish mother stereotypes, like nagging and judging, hilariously.

The funniest mother/daughter sequence sees Margaret smash her mother’s head into a giant birthday cake. Naturally, it’s just her fantasy.

Up the Sandbox wins big for the large number of location sequences set in early 1970s New York City, which is absolutely fascinating to watch. One with an appreciation for Manhattan can be assured of a pleasant viewing experience.

The most heartfelt and sentimental moments occur during a long shot of the still-under-construction World Trade Center. Seeing the Twin Towers still being erected brings back teary memories of 9/11.

Lavish sequences are set in and around Columbia University in upper Manhattan, and the campus is frequently seen as Margaret and her friends trudge their baby strollers through the campus and surrounding areas.

Where the film fails is when it teeters too far out in fantasy land. It makes little sense why Margaret would join terrorists intent on blowing up Lady Liberty, or what the group’s intentions are.

Perhaps it is a metaphor for something that went over my head.

Even when the screenplay is a dud, Ms. Streisand holds her head high and plays the comedy or drama with sincerity and professionalism. With her well-known perfectionism, she would have been aware when things were not working.

A film not remembered well, Up the Sandbox (1972) scores some points with its locales, progressivism, and star power, but stumbles off course too many times to recommend.

If only Streisand had belted out a number or two amid her scripted fantasies, the film might have worked better.

1990 Films, Comedy, Screwball Comedy

Kindergarten Cop-1990

October 12, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Kindergarten Cop 1990

Director Ivan Reitman

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger

Scott’s Review #1,306

Reviewed October 12, 2022

Grade: C+

Before Arnold Schwarzenegger found politics and after he left professional bodybuilding, he starred in a string of films during the 1980s and 1990s.

At first, he was solely a bankable action figure due to his bulky frame, but he later delved into more comedic, friendlier film roles.

Kindergarten Cop (1990) is one of those films, yet there is enough mild violence to draw in the male crowd as well.

Some of his films were better than others, with the best being The Terminator (1984) and True Lies (1994).

Kindergarten Cop is a fair-to-middling effort that attempts to transport the brawny star into a likable teacher, but the result feels more forced than genuine.

Naturally, the main character finds himself in a quandary over whether to fight crime or teach youngsters after he falls in love with them and with another teacher.

The setup is way too similar to other films in the action-comedy genre, and it’s very standard fare. The bad guy and love interest are tired and cliched, and the gags involving the kids are overly juvenile and mostly fall flat.

Despite these trite characteristics, Kindergarten Cop is not a terrible film, thanks to Schwarzenegger’s appeal. He is good-natured, and his transition from grizzled cop to a kindly teacher is not unfun.

It provides some family-friendly light entertainment that can be enjoyed on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Unusual circumstances force cop John Kimble (Schwarzenegger) to pose as a kindergarten teacher to apprehend the major drug lord Cullen Crisp (Richard Tyson) and his accomplice and mother, Eleanor, played by Carroll Baker.

While pretending to be a kid-friendly instructor, Kimble falls for pretty fellow teacher Joyce Palmieri (Penelope Ann Miller) as he tries to balance unruly children with the dangerous bad guys.

In a twist seen coming a mile away, Joyce and her son are the people that Cullen is pursuing.

Kindergarten Cop all seems so perfectly thought out.

It’s like a bunch of suits were sitting at a round table making sure the elements were all included: hero, bad guy, love interest, kids, enough action sequences, and a chase finale.

There is even one standard black kid and one Asian kid to check off the diversity box.

And enough precociousness to last a lifetime.

The comedy mostly comes in the classroom, where it’s frequently humorous to watch a gigantic man teach little kids, especially when he has no idea what to do.

Careful not to be too silly, there are a couple of sentimental moments and social situations, like when Kimble threatens a father who is abusing his son.

Director Ivan Reitman, quite familiar with screwball comedies, directed funnies such as Meatballs (1979) and Stripes (1981), so he knows what makes people chuckle.

The action sequences do not work well, other than providing a reason for Kimble to run around and protect the kids and Joyce. We all know he will eventually best Cullen, which he does.

Even the amazing Linda Hunt is wasted as a one-dimensional principal who initially hates Kimble but then comes around and accepts him.

Kindergarten Cop (1990) is too blueprint-ready to recommend since it contains elements used in hundreds of other films. But for fans of the hulking Schwarzenegger, the film is a safe offering that sees the star in a softer light.

2022 Films, Comedy, LGBTQ+ Comedy, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ Romantic Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Bros-2022

October 5, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Bros-2022

Director Nicholas Stoller

Starring Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane

Scott’s Review #1,304

Reviewed October 5, 2022

Grade: A

Even if Bros (2022) were a bad film, it would still hold the monumental distinction of being the first LGBTQ+-themed romantic comedy released and supported by a major distributor.

In 2022, years after the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States and various other milestones that would take too long to list, Bros is the first of its kind.

Fortunately, Bros is not a poor film but an exceptional one with brazen confidence and a lot to say.

Led by crisp and intelligent dialogue, lovable lead actors, a cast comprised solely of the LGBTQ+ community, strong characters, and hilarious moments, it has something for everyone, whether gay, straight, or otherwise.

Before readers pigeonhole the film as one only to be seen by the LGBTQ+ community, I will cry bullshit.

Straight audiences will fall in love with the characters and learn valuable lessons about stereotypes and deep-seated emotions of gay men who are not always comfortable in their skin.

Unfortunately, Bros was not the box office smash hit the studio had hoped it would be. Some straight viewers felt the film was not for them, and that’s a shame.

There is still more work to be done to eliminate conscious and unconscious bias and educate others to embrace differences.

Billy Eichner, who co-wrote the Bros screenplay along with director Nicholas Stoller, stars in the film, alongside Luke Macfarlane.

Eichner plays a sardonic, gay Jewish male named Bobby Leiber who resides in New York City. We meet Bobby while he is recording another episode of his New York podcast and radio show, The Eleventh Brick at Stonewall, where he talks to callers about his written works on gay history and gay icons.

He claims to be okay with being single and not having found love, instead hooking up with random men through a dating application called Grindr, although he is successful in his career and has good friends.

He awkwardly meets Aaron Shepard (Macfarlane), a hunky, masculine guy deemed ‘hot but boring’ by those in Bobby’s circle, in a gay club.

The two men slowly develop a romantic relationship despite their commitment problems and hectic schedules, which seem designed to put the kibosh on love.

Despite all the other aforementioned wins, what makes this LGBTQ+ film stand out is that the screenwriting feels fresh and intelligent. Above all else, it wisely paints the struggles that most gay men seeking a relationship of substance face.

As in other romantic comedies, specific setups and situations create conflict that risks preventing Bobby and Aaron from getting together. Bobby feels Aaron is out of his league, preferring other muscular men to his overbearing and critical approach.

One can understand Bobby’s angst, but in one of the film’s most poignant and beautiful scenes, Aaron tearfully reveals that Bobby constantly challenges him, and it feels good.

He needs to be with Bobby because it is right. Bobby serves as a mentor to Aaron as he wrestles with being true to himself. Stuck in a depressing yet financially secure job, Aaron longs to be a chocolate maker instead.

Beauty is only skin deep. Regardless of occasional insecurities, the two men are firmly connected, and that beats everything else.

On a personal level, both characters resonated with me, evoking their angst. One would assume that Aaron the hunk would be more confident, but is that the case? Both men teach and learn from each other, which makes their relationship powerful.

In addition to the romantic moments, Bros has its share of raunchy and comical scenes, which justify its ‘R’ rating. In typical Judd Apatow (the film’s producer) form, the sex scenes are revealing.

There are enough orgies, toe-sucking, and fist-sucking to make the prudish blush. The planned ‘rimming’ scene was cut from the final cut. One wonders what that would have been like.

The film follows a distinct comedy formula and includes a helping of standard annoying, clueless, or over-the-top colorful characters that appear to justify its mainstream comedy placement.

The genius is that Bros works.

I implore straight audiences to give the film a chance, if for no other reason than to show that gay people are as different from each other as apples and oranges. As Bobby makes clear, some are nice and some are assholes.

Bros (2022) treads conventional but with a twist, and shows that gay characters are as genuinely funny as straight characters. It provides laugh-out-loud moments and teary sentimental ones.

I’m eager for the next project from Billy Eichner.

2012 Films, Comedy, Drama

Magic Mike-2012

September 28, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Magic Mike-2012

Director Steven Soderbergh

Starring Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey

Scott’s Review #1,302

Reviewed September 28, 2022

Grade: B

In 2012, Channing Tatum was a major Hollywood star. He was cast in starring roles focused on his looks but parts that also allowed him to showcase sensitivity and even some acting chops.

Magic Mike (2012) takes Tatum’s beefcake body and makes a likable hero out of his title character. He is not just brawn but possesses intelligence and a worldly quality that is sometimes lacking in comedic roles.

Unfortunately, the screenplay isn’t developed well and we get just a glimpse of what Tatum, the good actor, could do. Fortunately, two years later he would play his best role to date in Foxcatcher (2014).

Magic Mike teeters a tad too soft for my liking and gives the stripper world a glossy, lightweight haze. Given the subject matter and the director, Steven Soderbergh, the film could have gone much darker as Boogie Nights did with the porn industry in the late 1990s.

Still, Tatum is a star and boogies and shakes his muscular body enough to warrant the price of admission. Matthew McConaughey is also appealing and shockingly plays against type as an older and wiser former stripper, now the manager of club Xquisite.

By day, Mike (Tatum) works as a struggling employee of odd jobs-handyman, car detailing, or designing furniture. But when the sun goes down and the hot spotlight comes on Mike is the star attraction in an all-male revue.

Mike mentors a nineteen-year-old named the Kid (Alex Pettyfer) and teaches him the tricks of the trade. However, Mike’s blossoming romance with the Kid’s sister Joanna (Olivia Munn) is threatened when the drama begins.

Most viewers are not going to see a film like Magic Mike for the dramatic bits or any other measure of story. We’re not discussing The Conversation (1974), Chinatown (1974), or other heady and smartly written dialogue.

That’s a relief because the plot is banal. Who cares if Mike and the Kid are at odds or if Mike and Joanna break up, make up, or launch a mission to the moon?

No, the recipe of the day is flesh and there is plenty of it. Nobody goes full monty or anything but between Tatum, McConaughey, Matt Bomer, and Joe Manganiello, who plays a character aptly named Big Dick Richie, the audience will be left aflutter and quite satisfied.

Soderbergh, an impressive director, knows this and the best sequences occur on the stage. There is music, lights, and razzle-dazzle, as the troupe dance and strips with gusto. With each tie or vest shed amid a shimmering dance routine, pulsating energy makes the sequences appealing.

As showy as these numbers are, and there are plenty of them, I longed for some down-and-dirty drug use or ‘gay for pay’ situations but Soderbergh doesn’t dare copy Boogie Nights with any seriousness.

He intends to entertain and he does.

I wanted more darkness and more investment in the characters. We know little about the supporting characters except for McConaughey’s Dallas, who sadly will never leave the industry.

In the end, I was okay with the stories being secondary. This one has plenty of buff dudes taking their shirts off, and more, for the camera.

And who doesn’t like that?

Magic Mike (2012) was followed by the disastrous and stupid Magic Mike XL (2015) which makes the former seem like a masterpiece.

2022 Films, Comedy, Drama

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris-2022

September 24, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris-2022

Director Anthony Fabian

Starring Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert

Scott’s Review #1,301

Reviewed September 24, 2022

Grade: B+

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) is an endearing film enveloping the viewer in warmth and good cheer. It exudes empathy and heart while sprinkling in some good luck, chance, and a big dream.

It shows that, every once in a while, a reasonable person prevails in life.

It is the third film adaptation of the 1958 novel Mrs. Arris Goes to Paris, written by Paul Gallico. Angela Lansbury played the role in an earlier incarnation.

British actress Lesley Manville stars in the film as the title role. A talented cast surrounds her, delivering good performances, notably from the legendary French actress Isabelle Huppert in the role of the foil.

Unsurprisingly, in a film where good fortunes are the theme of the day, even she comes around in the end, though, where most characters dutifully assist in the ultimate happiness of Mrs. Harris.

There is drama encircling this film, but in the lightest of ways. The comedy elements pair well, and the romanticism aligned with Paris is palpable, as seen in other characters like young lovebirds André (Lucas Bravo), the Dior accountant, and Natasha (Alba Baptista), a Dior model, who find love for each other.

Everyone gets a happy ending.

It all begins in 1957 London, where Ada Harris, a widowed cleaning lady, becomes obsessed with one client’s haute couture Dior dress. She is impulsively inspired to buy her Dior dress one day. However, finding the money is the biggest challenge.

As fate would have it, she suddenly receives a war widow’s pension and travels to Paris to buy her dress. She stumbles into a showing of Dior’s 10th-anniversary collection and is befriended by André and Natasha.

However, the Dior director, Claudine (Huppert), resents Ada’s intrusion into the exclusive world of haute couture and schemes to prevent her purchase.

Director Anthony Fabian, who is very new to directing, wisely provides a hefty dose of the British way of living, counterbalanced with the glamour of the Parisian lifestyle that works. The character, and thus the viewer, alternates between London and Paris.

The film is a safe experience and will not ruffle even the slightest of feathers or the tightest of asses.

It’s all pure, silly fantasy, of course, but done in the best possible way.

I was immediately immersed in the film and instantly wanted to champion happiness for Ada.

Manville is perfectly cast, though I could easily see other actresses in the role. Imelda Staunton, Emma Thompson, or Helen Mirren would have been terrific. Taking nothing away from Manville, who’s got charisma and acting chops, it’s a role that others could also successfully play.

I can’t say the same for Claudia’s role. At the risk of merely being a throwaway role as the heavy, Huppert, whom I adore in films like Amour (2012) and Elle (2016), instead brings her from a full-on bitch to a sympathetic character.

Huppert is one of the greatest actresses in the world and can and has made the most despicable characters worthy. That’s tough to do.

Naturally, there is a hefty dose of exterior scenes that I find pleasing. Having visited both Paris and London, as well as the surrounding areas, it’s lovely and reminiscent to catch glimpses of the Eiffel Tower or see cobblestone streets lined with bakeries or pubs.

The musical score is fresh and atmospheric, especially during the Parisian sequences. Boisterous and cultured French music emerges from the screen.

Besides all of the pleasant trimmings, romance blossoms for Ada as well as the youngsters. Encouraged to find the love she thinks she might have with the rich and sophisticated Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson), who takes a shine to her.

But when he awkwardly tells her she reminds him of his childhood nanny, she is crushed.

I secretly enjoyed this heartbreak only because I was never convinced Ava truly belonged in that world daily.

True to form, the filmmakers teeter towards a setup between Ava and regular, beer-drinking, local friend Archie (Jason Isaacs).

Box-office receipts will likely determine whether Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) receives a sequel. But I’ll be keen to follow this richly drawn character as she lands in New York City or other interesting geographies.

Oscar Nominations: Best Costume Design

1983 Films, Comedy

National Lampoon’s Vacation-1983

September 19, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

National Lampoon’s Vacation-1983

Director Harold Ramis

Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo

Scott’s Review #1,300

Reviewed September 19, 2022

Grade: A-

The film that spawned a slew of sequels, remakes, spoofs, and other things, National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), had more influence on 1980s movies than it probably should have.

The slapstick road trip became overused, familiar territory, a situation comedy rife with silly scenarios and possibilities.

Despite having started it all, my favorite National Lampoon film will always be the 1989 Christmas Vacation installment, but for some snickers, hoots, and belly laughs, Vacation is fresh and authentic. holding up well in the nostalgia category.

So what if Chevy Chase was a douchebag in real life? His portrayal of Clark Griswold is his finest achievement and is firmly placed in the annals of slapstick comedy’s greatest characters. Endless quotes and impersonations of the bumbling dad have emerged over the years.

Great fun is looking for other comedy actors like Eugene Levy and John Candy, who would later forge their paths into comedy legend.

Accompanied by their children, Audrey and Rusty, played by Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall, Clark Griswold (Chase) and his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), decide to drive instead of flying from Illinois to a California amusement park named Wally World to enjoy a much-needed summer break.

Clark is convinced that some togetherness is just what the family needs.

As Clark increasingly fixates on a mysterious, sexy woman (the acting debut of Christie Brinkley) driving a red sports car, the Griswolds deal with car problems and the death of a family member, Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca), as they face hi-jinks on the way to their vacation.

Exhausted, they finally reach Los Angeles, but when Clark worries that the trip is being derailed again, he acts impulsively to get his family to the park.

National Lampoon’s Vacation is a rarity in screwball comedy, where almost all of the setups and gimmicks work. Typically, the situations feel stale and tried-and-true, but there is an authenticity brimming over the top, and that’s largely thanks to Chase.

Don’t get me wrong. The film is hardly worthy of study in film school, and the script is polished and patterned out, but like other screwball comedies I love, like Caddyshack (1980) and Clue (1985), it’s got something solid.

I think it’s because the characters are very relatable. Who doesn’t have a wacky Aunt Edna or a Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) somewhere in their family tree?

Long-suffering, suburban housewife Mom Ellen has a heart of gold and represents the classic 1970s or 1980s homemaker with a glimmer of progressiveness.

She dutifully scrambles eggs for breakfast and shops for cereal and dog food, but also keeps Clark at bay before he does something ridiculous.

Chase and D’Angelo have tremendous chemistry, bouncing one-liners off each other as naturally as a real-life conversation, so that we buy them as husband and wife.

What kid who grew up in this period can’t relate to the horrid paneled oversized station wagon that ran rampant in suburbia? I sure remember those gas guzzlers being eventually replaced by minivans.

It’s perfection to see that style of car represented in this film, as it adds to the hilarity and is a character in itself.

The fun continues because the Griswolds embark on a trip across the United States. So, the film provides a slice of Americana and harkens back to a time when, if you were an American, you were united and bonded even if you had differences.

What National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) does so well, watching in modern times, is remind us what that felt like. An adventure across the good ‘ole USA was not such a bad thing, and the folks you met along the way were friendly and warm without suspicion.

The film is like a dear old friend who has emerged from the woodwork, dusty, but still full of life.

Welcome to my blog!1,545 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my featured films of the month, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.