FRIENDSHIP is a sly rapscallion of a film, part edgy suburban noir, part situation tragedy, part existential comedy, and all a gloss on loneliness and alienation as viewed through the prism of Craig (Tim Robinson), a symphony of well-meaning beige schlubness. Writer/director Andrew DeYoung suffuses this cringe-genre satire with an ironic absurdity that serves all… Read More »
DEATH OF A UNICORN
As Fitzgerald summed it up so well a century or so ago, the rich are difference than you and me, and Alex Scharfman’s sly black comedy, DEATH OF A UNICORN, expounds on that beautifully while also pointing up where the not nearly as rich fall short when in thrall to the 1%. There is nothing… Read More »
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE
The important takeaway from GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, and, if one is being blunt, the only reason for it to exist, aside from those delightful miniature Stay-Puft marshmallow imps, is the delightful discovery that Kumail Nanjiani may very well be the cinematic heir of Bill Murray. Certainly, they are the only ones who consistently seem to… Read More »
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM
Seth Rogan has given us a refresh on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, that 80s TV phenom that delivered as advertised. In TMNT: MUTANT MAYEM, we have the origin story of the unusual Chelonians and their equally mutant rat father, Splinter (Jackie Chan). Unlike the previous TMNT films, and the iconic Nickelodeon series, the visuals… Read More »
ROLE MODELS
ROLE MODELS is ragged around the edges and pretty threadbare in between. Co-writer Paul Rudd, sharing credit with a small army of fellow screenplayers, has a genuine gift for a sight gag, and there plenty popping up here. Alas, he falls short with all the stuff that links them together. Yet, for all its failings… Read More »
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
George (Paul Rudd) is perhaps the last honest man in working in the financial sector. Its not a trait that has done him any good as HOW DO YOU KNOW opens. In fact, his sense of honor has put him in the way of an SEC investigation. The particulars are a mystery to him, but… Read More »
OUR IDIOT BROTHER
OUR IDIOT BROTHER, profane title notwithstanding, is a liltingly transcendent comedy. The humor, character-driven and smart, is pointed, but delivered compassionately. And this is perfectly in keeping with the esoteric underpinnings at play here. The eponymous character, Ned (Paul Rudd), is not so much the hero of the piece as the Holy Fool, a hippie… Read More »
ADMISSION
ADMISSION is a thoughtful comedy being tragically hyped as a comedy of the screwball variety. Its a disservice to a story that is both funny and intelligent, as well as to a ticket-buyer led to believe that he or she will be enjoying something mindless and fluffy. This is anything but. The theme is passion,… Read More »
THE SHAPE OF THINGS
Neil LaBute starts his latest film, THE SHAPE OF THINGS, off with a sly dig at what the story is going to be about. His stars are not given character names in the credits, they’re listed as “actress” or “actor” in much the same way that credits traditionally list “director” or “writer”, both of which… Read More »
ANCHORMAN
ANCHORMAN is a film without a reason to exist. Sure, there are one or two moments that are genuinely funny, but when co-star Steve Carell steals the film out from under the higher-billed Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, and star Will Ferrell, you know that theres a problem. Its a badly paced, unevenly written and ill-advised… Read More »