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.
No comments:
Post a Comment