My first impression of the trailer of Jacques Audiard’s (Dheepan) The Sisters Brothers was that it too quickly and too easily reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino movie. The trailer teetered the line of whether it was a drama or a comedy, a comedy masquerading itself as a drama, a drama trying to go for so much dark humor, or a variety of other techniques made famous by one of our generation’s most recognized and revered directors. But, honestly, to compare Audiard’s film to one of Tarantino’s would be doing a disservice to Audiard because this movie is better than anything Tarantino has directed since Pulp Fiction, except for 2009’s Inglourious Basterds. This Tarantino was one that I liked, but one, like each of his movies, had more than a few scenes that were difficult to watch.
Category Archives: Comedy
Eighth Grade (2018)
Director Bo Burnham’s full-length feature debut, Eighth Grade, is a movie that feels very real in the time and age it was filmed. For a movie to feel this authentic, the individual writing the story and the person behind the camera must be entuned to the nuances and have experienced first-hand what his protagonist has experienced. Burham, at age 28 at the time of this film, isn’t so far removed from the experience that he can give his characters full life and meaning. Still, he is skilled enough to tell a story that is presented in a way that can successfully capture those emotions, progress a storyline, and make an end product that feels both rewarding and entertaining. While I didn’t love this film (I much more preferred the similar Mid90s, which was also about a character around or near 8th grade and released at around the same time as this film), it is an essential watch for persons in the age of 12 to 15 range and also caregivers of children of that age, or even slightly younger and slightly older.
The Favourite (2018)
Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of the Sacred Deer) is not my favorite director. His latest film, the Olivia Colman (Murder On The Orient Express, Locke) led The Favourite, is not my favorite film. His style doesn’t work for me. I like creative movies. I like unique films. I sometimes like eccentric movies. But weird movies are hit or miss, and his are mostly a miss for me. Ironically, The Favourite is probably his most “normal” to date. But I found myself disinterested in it from the start. Just as ironically, the much lesser recognized Mary Queen of Scots, which was released within a week or two of this movie (and a film that I enjoyed), was widely disregarded by critics and audiences alike (63%, 44% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to 94%, 61% for The Favourite). I’m only reviewing this movie because it will likely get nominated for many Academy Awards, and sadly, Best Picture will be one of those.
A Simple Favor (2018)
Capitalizing on the same success as 2014’s incredibly meticulous Gone Girl and 2016’s cluttered and underwhelming Girl on a Train comes Paul Feig’s (Bridesmaids, The Heat) adaptation of A Simple Favor, an adaptation of a 2017 novel by the same name. Unfortunately, this movie feels like a lousy knockoff with two Hollywood A-listers made hastily with a less-than-believable story by a director who was clearly over his head with this genre. This movie was preposterous in its concept and was only topped in absurdity by its cursory character development and inability to define a genre clearly. It leaves us asking as many questions about the movie’s style as it does its other elements.
Blindspotting (2018)
Blindspotting, one of the mid-summer hidden gems of a promising 2018, is a highly ambitious movie from two unknown actors who will likely be household names. It’s undoubtedly a breakout for the film’s stars, Daveed Diggs (who won a Tony for his role in Hamilton) and newcomer Rafael Casal, who also wrote the film. Adding to the virginity of this experience was first-time director Carlos Lopez Estrada. This movie has been a hit with critics and audiences alike (93% and 86% on Rotten Tomatoes). It is a good movie that teeters on the verge of being great. However, it feels like a few different films weaved into one. Worse, it goes back and forth between these different styles and intents and ultimately leaves us needing clarification as its two lead characters, but in entirely different ways. I could empathize with their situation and their confusion. What was hard to comprehend was the character’s rapidly changing thoughts, feelings, and actions. People can act differently in particular situations, but these two characters went through the complete gamut in four days. Ultimately, it left me with many questions to ponder. I also felt like I was watching a series of one-act plays rather than one cohesive movie.