The Los Angeles Times has kindly published this list, which begins with today's releases.
I haven't read the whole thing yet, but I see that Dough, which I saw and loved at last year's Jewish Film Festival, is scheduled to be released today, at least on the coasts.
Also due for release today is Rio, I Love You. The two I've seen so far, Paris, je t'aime (2006) and New York, I Love You, are among my favorites, and they're all part of the Cities of Love franchise, artfully woven short films.
We won't have time to see all the movies on the LA Times' list, but it's fun to hope!
Friday, April 29, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Elvis & Nixon (2016)
Jack and I loved this only-slightly-fictionalized story of the actual meeting between the two disparate personalities on December 21, 1970, with Michael Shannon's and Kevin Spacey's tours de force in the title roles and many laughs. Shannon and Spacey (last blogged for Freeheld and Horrible Bosses 2 and, of course, Spacey plays a tricky politician on 52 episodes of House of Cards) inhabit their characters so fully it's almost jarring at the end to see the actual Presley and Nixon in vintage photos.
When I panned Colin Hanks' performance in The Great Buck Howard, he had not yet come into his own. I'm now a fan, due to his TV work in Dexter and especially Fargo and Life in Pieces. Here he adds much, playing Egil "Bud" Krogh, a Nixon advisor who later became one of the White House "Plumbers." Handsome Alex Pettyfer (mentioned in Magic Mike) has some range as Elvis' right hand man Jerry Schilling.
The script is credited to Katey Sagal's younger brother Joey, his ex-wife Hanala Sagal, and actor Carey Elwes. It's a screenwriting debut for all three and both men were considered to play Elvis. Sagal does appear as an Elvis impersonator in an airport scene. Director Liza Johnson has made three previous features which look interesting but I haven't seen them. She will be someone to watch in the future.
There are no songs by Elvis in this movie. There are, however, six kickass tracks from the period (it seems like many more) listed here. The original compositions by Ed Shearmur (blogged for Before I Go to Sleep) can be sampled on youtube and amazon.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 75% and its audiences 80. We grade it higher than that. With many closeups (and Amazon Studios credited as the main production company), there's no need to see it on the big screen if you have other priorities, But see it you should!
When I panned Colin Hanks' performance in The Great Buck Howard, he had not yet come into his own. I'm now a fan, due to his TV work in Dexter and especially Fargo and Life in Pieces. Here he adds much, playing Egil "Bud" Krogh, a Nixon advisor who later became one of the White House "Plumbers." Handsome Alex Pettyfer (mentioned in Magic Mike) has some range as Elvis' right hand man Jerry Schilling.
The script is credited to Katey Sagal's younger brother Joey, his ex-wife Hanala Sagal, and actor Carey Elwes. It's a screenwriting debut for all three and both men were considered to play Elvis. Sagal does appear as an Elvis impersonator in an airport scene. Director Liza Johnson has made three previous features which look interesting but I haven't seen them. She will be someone to watch in the future.
There are no songs by Elvis in this movie. There are, however, six kickass tracks from the period (it seems like many more) listed here. The original compositions by Ed Shearmur (blogged for Before I Go to Sleep) can be sampled on youtube and amazon.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 75% and its audiences 80. We grade it higher than that. With many closeups (and Amazon Studios credited as the main production company), there's no need to see it on the big screen if you have other priorities, But see it you should!
The Boss (2016)
Because of the trailer, we thought we would love this comedy about a convicted businesswoman who imposes on her employee and helps some teenage girls save for their college funds. It has a few laughs. But Melissa McCarthy (last blogged for Spy) and her husband Ben Falcone should have stopped co-writing scripts for him to direct after Tammy, a disappointment in 2014. It's too bad because apparently McCarthy has been working on this character, the red-haired businesswoman Michelle who wears turtlenecks, for years.
The addition of third screenwriter Steve Mallory (in his debut; he's a friend of McCarthy's and Falcone's from the improv group The Groundlings) didn't rescue it, despite the best efforts of Kristen Bell (besides Frozen she has 58 episodes of House of Lies to her credit) and Peter Dinklage (blogged only for the 1995 comedy Living in Oblivion, he was also wonderful in The Station Agent (2003) and Death at a Funeral (2007). I didn't see the 2010 Chris Rock remake of Death at a Funeral nor 47 episodes of Game of Thrones). McCarthy, whom I agree was robbed of an Oscar nomination for Spy, can assemble a plethora of talent--other standouts include Tyler Labine (covered in Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Annie Mumolo (co-wrote and had a cameo in Bridesmaids). The couple's daughter Vivian Falcone makes an appearance as 10-year-old Michelle.
I don't remember the music by Christopher Lennertz (which is what I said about his score to Horrible Bosses 2) and his own website isn't updated to include this project, but there are a bunch of great songs, listed here.
With a 19% average from critics and 47 from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, this is one that you could definitely wait for a free option. That said, it's fifth at the box office in its third weekend now and it did make us laugh. So if and when you do see it, wait for the outtakes at the end.
The addition of third screenwriter Steve Mallory (in his debut; he's a friend of McCarthy's and Falcone's from the improv group The Groundlings) didn't rescue it, despite the best efforts of Kristen Bell (besides Frozen she has 58 episodes of House of Lies to her credit) and Peter Dinklage (blogged only for the 1995 comedy Living in Oblivion, he was also wonderful in The Station Agent (2003) and Death at a Funeral (2007). I didn't see the 2010 Chris Rock remake of Death at a Funeral nor 47 episodes of Game of Thrones). McCarthy, whom I agree was robbed of an Oscar nomination for Spy, can assemble a plethora of talent--other standouts include Tyler Labine (covered in Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Annie Mumolo (co-wrote and had a cameo in Bridesmaids). The couple's daughter Vivian Falcone makes an appearance as 10-year-old Michelle.
I don't remember the music by Christopher Lennertz (which is what I said about his score to Horrible Bosses 2) and his own website isn't updated to include this project, but there are a bunch of great songs, listed here.
With a 19% average from critics and 47 from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, this is one that you could definitely wait for a free option. That said, it's fifth at the box office in its third weekend now and it did make us laugh. So if and when you do see it, wait for the outtakes at the end.
City of Gold (2015)
Dan, Jack, and I loved this documentary about Pulitzer Prize winning food writer Jonathan Gold, whose adventures in ethnic neighborhoods of Los Angeles and beyond have kept mouths watering for decades. Laura Gabbert was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for writing and directing. The music, by Bobby Johnston, is uplifting and you can hear some clips here. Apparently there's another composer's music in the movie, too.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are in agreement with us, all averaging 90%. I can't find a DVD release date, so I subscribed to the movie's website to find out when it will be possible to stream it.
When you do get to see it, don't turn it off right away because more video plays over the music credits. Afterwards we looked on Yelp and found a great Chinese restaurant that was new to us. This is going on my Food Movie list. Thanks, Mary Ellen, for passing on the suggestion!
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are in agreement with us, all averaging 90%. I can't find a DVD release date, so I subscribed to the movie's website to find out when it will be possible to stream it.
When you do get to see it, don't turn it off right away because more video plays over the music credits. Afterwards we looked on Yelp and found a great Chinese restaurant that was new to us. This is going on my Food Movie list. Thanks, Mary Ellen, for passing on the suggestion!
I Saw the Light (2016)
We wanted the critics to be wrong, trashing this bio-pic of country star Hank Williams. But its timing is all off and its focus on his marriage to a narcissist just brought us down. Tom Hiddleston (last blogged in Only Lovers Left Alive) is a talented actor and here does all his own singing, either live or in a studio beforehand (here's a track). And, despite her skill, there is little chemistry with Elizabeth Olsen (most recently in Kill Your Darlings), even in the early parts when they're supposed to be in love. Bradley Whitford (last in Saving Mr. Banks and seven episodes of Transparent) and Cherry Jones (six episodes of Transparent as well as small parts in The Beaver and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) do their best to redeem this.
It's the sophomore directing effort of Marc Abraham, whose first movie was the excellent Flash of Genius, and his first screenplay, having adapted the book by Colin Escott, George Merritt, and William McEwen.
April Fools on us when we saw this on its opening day three weeks ago. The critics' average has soared to 20% (from 19% at the time) and audiences are at 50 on Rotten Tomatoes. Buyer beware.
It's the sophomore directing effort of Marc Abraham, whose first movie was the excellent Flash of Genius, and his first screenplay, having adapted the book by Colin Escott, George Merritt, and William McEwen.
April Fools on us when we saw this on its opening day three weeks ago. The critics' average has soared to 20% (from 19% at the time) and audiences are at 50 on Rotten Tomatoes. Buyer beware.
How To Be Single (2016)
This mildly entertaining fluff of a comedy gave Jack and me some laughs. Not just a chick flick, it nonetheless is all about the women, starring Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, and Leslie Mann. Johnson is the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, starred in Fifty Shades of Grey (which we didn't see) and the series Ben & Kate (which we did). She joins her co-stars (last blogged in The Brothers Grimsby and Mr. Peabody & Sherman, respectively) at self-deprecating humor, venturing into humiliation, which is no big stretch for the latter two. Alison Brie's (best known as Annie Edison on 110 episodes of Community and Trudy Campbell on 38 of Mad Men) character is just as crazy but not as funny as the other three. It's been almost four weeks since we saw it so I can't go into much detail.
Liz Tuccillo's (story editor on Sex and the City, co-wrote the 2004 book He's Just Not That Into You based on a SATC episode, and wrote and directed a feature which no one saw) 2008 book How to Be Single was adapted by writing partners Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein (scripts for Never Been Kissed (1999) and the 2009 movie He's Just Not That Into You, and story for Valentine's Day) and Dana Fox (The Wedding Date (2005), What Happens in Vegas (2008), and series creator and writer of Ben and Kate with Johnson). The director Christian Ritter is new to me.
Rotten Tomatoes ratings of 49% critics and 54 audiences are pretty valid. But it wouldn't ruin a date night to stream it after its DVD release May 24.
Liz Tuccillo's (story editor on Sex and the City, co-wrote the 2004 book He's Just Not That Into You based on a SATC episode, and wrote and directed a feature which no one saw) 2008 book How to Be Single was adapted by writing partners Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein (scripts for Never Been Kissed (1999) and the 2009 movie He's Just Not That Into You, and story for Valentine's Day) and Dana Fox (The Wedding Date (2005), What Happens in Vegas (2008), and series creator and writer of Ben and Kate with Johnson). The director Christian Ritter is new to me.
Rotten Tomatoes ratings of 49% critics and 54 audiences are pretty valid. But it wouldn't ruin a date night to stream it after its DVD release May 24.
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