Interesting Films, I Guess....
"Opening Night"
starring: Topher Grace, Anne Heche, Alona Tal, Lauren Lapkus, Taye Diggs, Rob Riggle, Paul Scheer, Brian Huskey, Carlena Britch, Zach Cregger, J.C. Chavez, Lesli Margherita, Johnny Ray Gill, Nikki Tuazon, Carly Anderson
written by: Gerry De Leon and Greg Lisi
directed by: Isaac Rentz
This is an absolute throwaway film about a failed Broadway actor/singer turned production manager as he puts out fire after fire on his play's opening night off-off-off-Broadway. His musical is about the one-hit wonders from the '80s and his lead actor is none other than JC Chavez (yup, that's right, the "other" guy from *NSYNC).
Ultimately, "the show must go on," but almost immediately you are wishing they'd shut down production on this disaster. It tries to be raunchy, but fails. It tries to be funny, but fails. It tries to make you care about the love story, but it fails. This was miserable.
............................................................................
"Penelope"
starring: Christina Ricci, Richard E. Grant, Catherine O'Hara, Michael Feast, James McAvoy, Peter Dinklage
written by: Leslie Caveny
directed by: Mark Palansky
Christina Ricci has quite the list of indie films to her credits, after making a name for herself as a "child" actress in films like "Mermaids" and "The Addams Family/Values."
The Ice Storm
The Opposite of Sex
Buffalo 66
Pecker
200 Cigarettes
Prozac Nation (a role she seemed born to play)
Pumpkin
Monster (okay, okay, this was an Oscar-nominated film)
Black Snake Moan (underrated)
She's definitely made her money in "larger" projects that were successful to semi-successful, but it seems like she does much better and owns things when there's little at stake.
And if you ever wanted to see her in a type of fairy tale story/film, which also happens to star Reese Witherspoon (?!) and James McAvoy (before his own star rose), then this is the indie film for you.
Penelope (Ricci) and her suitor, Max (McAvoy), pitch woo and conduct their early lovemaking in two separate rooms with a one-way mirror between them, as if she were a robbery victim falling in love with a possible culprit standing in a police lineup. Unfortunately for these two young would-be lovers, no crime has been committed. The reason that mirror separates them is because Penelope has a pig’s snout instead of a nose, the result of an age-old curse placed on her blue-blood family by an angry witch. Legend has it that until Penelope finds “true love with one of her own kind,” she’ll continue to be half woman, half pig. So she and her upper-class crush flirt through a mirror. They talk, and they play chess, and they bat their eyelashes; he even goes so far as to sit in with a full New Orleans jazz band and serenade her (which, to be honest, didn’t make any sense to me at all), but it doesn’t matter. As soon as she comes out from behind that glass and he sees her face, he’s going to run for the door like all the other dowry seekers who came before him, leaving poor Penelope alone with her thoughts, her self-loathing, and her mother (O’Hara), who has raised meddlesome matchmaking to a neurotic art.
The problem with this film can be found in the writing, as the film has many plot strands that never find their ends, disappearing once they are seen without explanation, but you remember them. It's a case of the screenwriter, Caveny, perhaps wanting to include everything from her drafts and just couldn't find it within herself to throw anything away.
But, perhaps most frustrating of all, Max falls for Penelope (in the unconventional way), then leaves, only to return again, but leaves in a one hot minute, like a terrible cat-and-mouse chase game. The film leaves you frustrated and not necessarily happy. For a fairytale, and love story, that's a big mistake.
..........................................................................
"47 Meters Down"
starring: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Matthew Modine, Chris Johnson, Yani Gellman, Santiago Segura
written and directed by: Johannes Roberts (and Ernest Riera, writer)
Have you seen "Open Water?" Were you wondering what would've happened to that couple if instead of floating above the water for 90 minutes or so, they were submerged underwater and had a shark stalking them? This film allows just that, but instead it puts the respectable actress Mandy Moore (yes, you read that right) in the role as the trapped damsel in distress. Say what you will about this late-'90s bubblegum-pop singer who was created in the more wholesome image of Britney Spears, but I love the fact that she turned her back on the music industry and decided to carve her own career path, and I would say, it's worked out in her favor (especially lately, as she's garnered incredible reviews for her role on "This Is Us"). She started off slowly, with a secondary role in "The Princess Diaries" and then, boom! She had an incredible role in "A Walk to Remember" (yes, I loved it, even though it's a quite typical Nicholas Sparks' book-turned chick flick). She made a few indie films after that, "Try Seventeen," "How to Deal," "Chasing Liberty," and then, the unbelievably funny "Saved!" She's even done so voice-acting (re: Sheriff Callie's Wild West, which my nephew used to watch a few years back, when he was younger). She has always teetered on the edge of movie-fame, but clearly her agent has steered her towards some less than good projects. Thankfully, though, "This Is Us" has allowed her to be seen, and admired.
So then, "47 Meters Down" falls into the category of films that are less than good, because it is merely asking her to display panicked desperation and justifiable apprehension. Pretty easy. But, her character is void of any dimension. Trapped in a shark-viewing cage, escaping a few times to try to rescue herself.
..............................................................................
"Fun Mom Dinner"
starring: Katie Aselton, Bridget Everett, Molly Shannon, Toni Collette, Rob Huebel, Adam Scott, David Wain, Paul Rudd, Adam Levine
written by: Julie Rudd
directed by: Alethea Jones
Chalk this one up as another one of those "Hangover" sub-categorized movies dubbed "women behaving badly (too)" that is just not that funny and tries too hard. Riding the coattails of "Bridesmaids" and falling short, much like "Bachelorette" and the Amy Schumer-vehicle "Trainwreck."
However, director Alethea Jones and screenwriter Julie Rudd, both first-timers, manage to create little moments in which the movie really clicks. The film’s real bonus is the game cast, anchored by veterans Toni Collette and Molly Shannon, and given able assists by director/actress Katie Aselton and live-wire Bridget Everett. These four are a strong combo, even when the material underserves their talents.
The moms all meet through their children’s preschool. Jamie (Shannon) is recently divorced and has jumped into the world of Instagram and dating; Melanie (Everett, a revelation) is an overzealous volunteer drop-off guard at the school; Kate (Collette) is a mother of four, who’s had her fill of PTA meetings and the usual mom activities; and Emily (Aselton) is Kate’s old college friend who’s just moved to town and wants to fit in and, perhaps, perk up her sex life with hubby Tom (Scott, an executive producer on the film and husband of producer Naomi Scott). Jamie and Melanie partake in a standing fun mom’s night out every couple of weeks, and invite newcomer Emily to join them. Emily, in turn, tricks Kate into coming along, and what begins as an icy exchange is warmed up by the joint Kate has stowed in her purse. When the group flees the restaurant after setting off the fire alarms while smoking in the ladies’ room, a night of adventure is launched. Their escapades are crosscut with those of their hapless husbands (Scott and Huebel) back home minding the kids and musing on life. For eye candy, Adam Levine is off-handedly tossed into the plot as a Lothario bartender, who serves to test Emily’s commitment to monogamy.
Perhaps two of the main reasons why the film was made are found behind the scenes, behind the women: Adam Scott (who also plays one of the husbands), who is married to the director; and Paul Rudd (husband to the screenwriter). I'm sure both women are able on their own, but definitely looked for support from both of them, in the art and emotionally. I wanted to enjoy this one, but unfortunately it pales in comparison to "Bridesmaids."
...................................................................................
"Goon: Last of the Enforcers"
starring: Seann William-Scott, Alison Pill, Marc-Andre Grondin, Liev Schrieber, Wyatt Russell, Kim Coates, Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel, Callum Keith Rennie, Jonathan Cherry
written and directed by: Jay Baruchel
Jay Baruchel had a chance to really make a name for himself with the Judd Apatow produced Fox show "Undeclared," but much like "Freaks and Geeks" it was canceled to soon and not given a chance. He's always played the sort of geeky sidekick in buddy films, especially ones with the much more famous Seth Rogen (re: Kocked Up, This is the End, etc.). He basically had one chance to prove himself as a leading man with "She's Out of My League" which I thought was pretty damn good. Then, he wrote and directed "Goon" a hockey film starring Seann William-Scott as an enforcer, but ultimately, it was about the tough-man stereotype/exploitation of manhood.
I certainly didn't think it needed a sequel, but apparently Baruchel had more to say. Seann William-Scott returns as Doug, the enforcer with a lot of heart. Much of the underlying story lines seem directly lifted from Rocky 2 and Rocky 3.
Doug (Seann William Scott), once a tormented underdog, is now a respected pit bull of the minor league Canadian hockey circuit who’s happy with his pregnant wife, Eva (Alison Pill), though he’s also doubtful about his personal future, as beating people has a limited shelf life. Clubber Lang comes Anders Cain (Wyatt Russell), who aims to beat Doug into oblivion, which he does with disconcerting ease in the film’s opening scene. Permanently hurt and facing retirement, Doug stages a comeback with the help of an old foe, Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber), who helps Doug reacquaint himself with his, well, eye of the tiger.
It's too bad that Baruchel doesn't seem to just want to have fun and take the audience on an entertaining ride (albeit, some of the violence, even as a hockey player, is cringe-worthy), because he seems to spend a lot of time within the film justifying its existence, especially as a sequel.
The film definitely belongs to Seann William-Scott and he does a fantastic job as Doug, perhaps his best acting role to date.
As Doug, Scott continues to channel a moving sense of stillness that reflects unease and discomfort with middle-class society, which is gracefully complemented by Schreiber’s warrior-sage vaudeville and Russell’s comic portrait of resentment. Baruchel and his actors understand that these athletes don’t merely wish to administer a beating, as they also yearn to be beaten without mercy as an externalization of their self-hatred and alienation.
starring: Topher Grace, Anne Heche, Alona Tal, Lauren Lapkus, Taye Diggs, Rob Riggle, Paul Scheer, Brian Huskey, Carlena Britch, Zach Cregger, J.C. Chavez, Lesli Margherita, Johnny Ray Gill, Nikki Tuazon, Carly Anderson
written by: Gerry De Leon and Greg Lisi
directed by: Isaac Rentz
This is an absolute throwaway film about a failed Broadway actor/singer turned production manager as he puts out fire after fire on his play's opening night off-off-off-Broadway. His musical is about the one-hit wonders from the '80s and his lead actor is none other than JC Chavez (yup, that's right, the "other" guy from *NSYNC).
Ultimately, "the show must go on," but almost immediately you are wishing they'd shut down production on this disaster. It tries to be raunchy, but fails. It tries to be funny, but fails. It tries to make you care about the love story, but it fails. This was miserable.
............................................................................
"Penelope"
starring: Christina Ricci, Richard E. Grant, Catherine O'Hara, Michael Feast, James McAvoy, Peter Dinklage
written by: Leslie Caveny
directed by: Mark Palansky
Christina Ricci has quite the list of indie films to her credits, after making a name for herself as a "child" actress in films like "Mermaids" and "The Addams Family/Values."
The Ice Storm
The Opposite of Sex
Buffalo 66
Pecker
200 Cigarettes
Prozac Nation (a role she seemed born to play)
Pumpkin
Monster (okay, okay, this was an Oscar-nominated film)
Black Snake Moan (underrated)
She's definitely made her money in "larger" projects that were successful to semi-successful, but it seems like she does much better and owns things when there's little at stake.
And if you ever wanted to see her in a type of fairy tale story/film, which also happens to star Reese Witherspoon (?!) and James McAvoy (before his own star rose), then this is the indie film for you.
Penelope (Ricci) and her suitor, Max (McAvoy), pitch woo and conduct their early lovemaking in two separate rooms with a one-way mirror between them, as if she were a robbery victim falling in love with a possible culprit standing in a police lineup. Unfortunately for these two young would-be lovers, no crime has been committed. The reason that mirror separates them is because Penelope has a pig’s snout instead of a nose, the result of an age-old curse placed on her blue-blood family by an angry witch. Legend has it that until Penelope finds “true love with one of her own kind,” she’ll continue to be half woman, half pig. So she and her upper-class crush flirt through a mirror. They talk, and they play chess, and they bat their eyelashes; he even goes so far as to sit in with a full New Orleans jazz band and serenade her (which, to be honest, didn’t make any sense to me at all), but it doesn’t matter. As soon as she comes out from behind that glass and he sees her face, he’s going to run for the door like all the other dowry seekers who came before him, leaving poor Penelope alone with her thoughts, her self-loathing, and her mother (O’Hara), who has raised meddlesome matchmaking to a neurotic art.
The problem with this film can be found in the writing, as the film has many plot strands that never find their ends, disappearing once they are seen without explanation, but you remember them. It's a case of the screenwriter, Caveny, perhaps wanting to include everything from her drafts and just couldn't find it within herself to throw anything away.
But, perhaps most frustrating of all, Max falls for Penelope (in the unconventional way), then leaves, only to return again, but leaves in a one hot minute, like a terrible cat-and-mouse chase game. The film leaves you frustrated and not necessarily happy. For a fairytale, and love story, that's a big mistake.
..........................................................................
"47 Meters Down"
starring: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Matthew Modine, Chris Johnson, Yani Gellman, Santiago Segura
written and directed by: Johannes Roberts (and Ernest Riera, writer)
Have you seen "Open Water?" Were you wondering what would've happened to that couple if instead of floating above the water for 90 minutes or so, they were submerged underwater and had a shark stalking them? This film allows just that, but instead it puts the respectable actress Mandy Moore (yes, you read that right) in the role as the trapped damsel in distress. Say what you will about this late-'90s bubblegum-pop singer who was created in the more wholesome image of Britney Spears, but I love the fact that she turned her back on the music industry and decided to carve her own career path, and I would say, it's worked out in her favor (especially lately, as she's garnered incredible reviews for her role on "This Is Us"). She started off slowly, with a secondary role in "The Princess Diaries" and then, boom! She had an incredible role in "A Walk to Remember" (yes, I loved it, even though it's a quite typical Nicholas Sparks' book-turned chick flick). She made a few indie films after that, "Try Seventeen," "How to Deal," "Chasing Liberty," and then, the unbelievably funny "Saved!" She's even done so voice-acting (re: Sheriff Callie's Wild West, which my nephew used to watch a few years back, when he was younger). She has always teetered on the edge of movie-fame, but clearly her agent has steered her towards some less than good projects. Thankfully, though, "This Is Us" has allowed her to be seen, and admired.
So then, "47 Meters Down" falls into the category of films that are less than good, because it is merely asking her to display panicked desperation and justifiable apprehension. Pretty easy. But, her character is void of any dimension. Trapped in a shark-viewing cage, escaping a few times to try to rescue herself.
For most of the movie, Moore’s Lisa is trapped with her sister Kate (Holt) in a shark cage which has landed at the bottom of the ocean (you guessed it – 47 meters down) after the winch snaps on the boat that launched them. Panic and desperation are perfectly reasonable responses, especially since we’ve been told that each has only about an hour of oxygen in her tank, and we can observe the salivating sharks circling their human chum. It’s actually a pretty concise little premise as shark movies go, with almost all of the story happening underwater and a plot that has little on its mind other than survival. Still, a little bit of characterization would have been a nice addition.
All wet is the rationale that gets the sisters into deep water in the first place. Lisa and Kate are vacationing in Mexico on a trip that was meant to be enjoyed by Lisa and her boyfriend. However, said beau has dumped Lisa because he thinks she’s “too boring,” so Lisa takes her adventurous sister Kate on the trip instead. Playing to her Achilles heel, Kate entices Lisa to join her in a shark cage to prove her bravery to her ex and because a couple of cute guys have invited them on the expedition. Cut to the rust bucket that’s captained by a dubious character played by Matthew Modine.
There are moments in the film, above water, when you think there's something sketchy going on between the guys and the two sisters, like it's all a horror film set up or something. But, for a film that dives into the deep end of the ocean, that plot is anything but shallow...............................................................................
"Fun Mom Dinner"
starring: Katie Aselton, Bridget Everett, Molly Shannon, Toni Collette, Rob Huebel, Adam Scott, David Wain, Paul Rudd, Adam Levine
written by: Julie Rudd
directed by: Alethea Jones
Chalk this one up as another one of those "Hangover" sub-categorized movies dubbed "women behaving badly (too)" that is just not that funny and tries too hard. Riding the coattails of "Bridesmaids" and falling short, much like "Bachelorette" and the Amy Schumer-vehicle "Trainwreck."
However, director Alethea Jones and screenwriter Julie Rudd, both first-timers, manage to create little moments in which the movie really clicks. The film’s real bonus is the game cast, anchored by veterans Toni Collette and Molly Shannon, and given able assists by director/actress Katie Aselton and live-wire Bridget Everett. These four are a strong combo, even when the material underserves their talents.
The moms all meet through their children’s preschool. Jamie (Shannon) is recently divorced and has jumped into the world of Instagram and dating; Melanie (Everett, a revelation) is an overzealous volunteer drop-off guard at the school; Kate (Collette) is a mother of four, who’s had her fill of PTA meetings and the usual mom activities; and Emily (Aselton) is Kate’s old college friend who’s just moved to town and wants to fit in and, perhaps, perk up her sex life with hubby Tom (Scott, an executive producer on the film and husband of producer Naomi Scott). Jamie and Melanie partake in a standing fun mom’s night out every couple of weeks, and invite newcomer Emily to join them. Emily, in turn, tricks Kate into coming along, and what begins as an icy exchange is warmed up by the joint Kate has stowed in her purse. When the group flees the restaurant after setting off the fire alarms while smoking in the ladies’ room, a night of adventure is launched. Their escapades are crosscut with those of their hapless husbands (Scott and Huebel) back home minding the kids and musing on life. For eye candy, Adam Levine is off-handedly tossed into the plot as a Lothario bartender, who serves to test Emily’s commitment to monogamy.
Perhaps two of the main reasons why the film was made are found behind the scenes, behind the women: Adam Scott (who also plays one of the husbands), who is married to the director; and Paul Rudd (husband to the screenwriter). I'm sure both women are able on their own, but definitely looked for support from both of them, in the art and emotionally. I wanted to enjoy this one, but unfortunately it pales in comparison to "Bridesmaids."
...................................................................................
"Goon: Last of the Enforcers"
starring: Seann William-Scott, Alison Pill, Marc-Andre Grondin, Liev Schrieber, Wyatt Russell, Kim Coates, Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel, Callum Keith Rennie, Jonathan Cherry
written and directed by: Jay Baruchel
Jay Baruchel had a chance to really make a name for himself with the Judd Apatow produced Fox show "Undeclared," but much like "Freaks and Geeks" it was canceled to soon and not given a chance. He's always played the sort of geeky sidekick in buddy films, especially ones with the much more famous Seth Rogen (re: Kocked Up, This is the End, etc.). He basically had one chance to prove himself as a leading man with "She's Out of My League" which I thought was pretty damn good. Then, he wrote and directed "Goon" a hockey film starring Seann William-Scott as an enforcer, but ultimately, it was about the tough-man stereotype/exploitation of manhood.
I certainly didn't think it needed a sequel, but apparently Baruchel had more to say. Seann William-Scott returns as Doug, the enforcer with a lot of heart. Much of the underlying story lines seem directly lifted from Rocky 2 and Rocky 3.
Doug (Seann William Scott), once a tormented underdog, is now a respected pit bull of the minor league Canadian hockey circuit who’s happy with his pregnant wife, Eva (Alison Pill), though he’s also doubtful about his personal future, as beating people has a limited shelf life. Clubber Lang comes Anders Cain (Wyatt Russell), who aims to beat Doug into oblivion, which he does with disconcerting ease in the film’s opening scene. Permanently hurt and facing retirement, Doug stages a comeback with the help of an old foe, Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber), who helps Doug reacquaint himself with his, well, eye of the tiger.
It's too bad that Baruchel doesn't seem to just want to have fun and take the audience on an entertaining ride (albeit, some of the violence, even as a hockey player, is cringe-worthy), because he seems to spend a lot of time within the film justifying its existence, especially as a sequel.
The film definitely belongs to Seann William-Scott and he does a fantastic job as Doug, perhaps his best acting role to date.
As Doug, Scott continues to channel a moving sense of stillness that reflects unease and discomfort with middle-class society, which is gracefully complemented by Schreiber’s warrior-sage vaudeville and Russell’s comic portrait of resentment. Baruchel and his actors understand that these athletes don’t merely wish to administer a beating, as they also yearn to be beaten without mercy as an externalization of their self-hatred and alienation.
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