I'm glad I saw this long and slow but pretty story of a matriarch who hires a young woman to help her and her grown daughter work their farm in France during World War I. I'm also glad I was alone because I didn't have anyone to complain to me that I picked it.
Nathalie Baye (she has just over 100 credits and her name rings a bell but the only ones that I can recall are the two Truffaut filmes Day for Night (1973) and The Man Who Loved Women (1977) as well as Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002)) plays the 60-something Hortense who is tense for many good reasons. One thing I never figured out, though, is whether the disabled man her age at the farm (wheat, cows, hogs) is her husband or not. Baye's real-life daughter Laura Smet (about two dozen credits, none that I've seen) plays Hortense's daughter Solange, and Iris Bry, in her debut, is the farm hand Francine with the strong back, sweet disposition, and voice of an angel.
Director/co-writer Xavier Beauvois (last blogged for Of Gods and Men) adapted the 1924 novel by Ernest Pérochon with co-writers Marie-Julie Maille (many editing credits, including this one, and one other co-writing gig) and Frédérique Moreau (new to me). It seems to me that when your editor has had a hand in the script, overly long sequences, in this case swelling the run time to 2:15, are predictable. There's plenty of plot, revealed after a while--you just have to wait--not least of which are the agony of war and the advent of farm machines.
One sad bit of trivia is that on December 5, 2017, this movie was released, and on that same day Johnny Hallyday died. He was a French actor/pop star ("the French Elvis"), ex-husband of Baye, and father of Smet. A happier bit of trivia is that the adorable blonde child who appears late in the movie has the last name of Beauvois. I'm guessing she's the director's granddaughter.
The beautiful cinematography is by Caroline Champetier (she shot Of Gods and Men and then Holy Motors though I didn't mention the latter).
Jazz pianist and composer Michel Legrand (Oscar winner for scoring The Summer of '42 (1971) and Yentl (1983) as well as the song Windmills of Your Mind from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), nominated for others, and scored hundreds more, including The Go-Between (1971), Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Ode to Billy Joe (1976), Best Friends (1982), and Ready to Wear (1994), just to mention some I've seen) gives us lovely themes which I cannot find online for you. This track may or may not be from the movie but it is nice. Here's another movie theme by Legrand and a medley of some of his best known work.
92% of Rotten Tomatoes' critics have certified this "fresh," while only 50% of its audiences have done so, certifying it "rotten." I would have liked it better without the long, long actionless shots, but still didn't hate it. On my netflix page, I have the option to save it, so someone is planning to release it someday on DVD.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Monday, May 28, 2018
Book Club (2018)
With formidable star power it should be outstanding, but, sadly, this story of four older women whose lives are changed by reading 50 Shades of Grey is just okay. It wastes the talents of Diane Keaton (last blogged for Darling Companion), Jane Fonda (after Youth, I loved her 55 episodes of Grace and Frankie (2015-now and renewed for 2019!)), Candice Bergen (most recently in The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)), and Mary Steenburgen (after I profiled her in The Proposal and mentioned her in Last Vegas, I saw her in six episodes of Orange Is the New Black (2015-17), six of Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000, 2007, 2009, 2017), and am slogging through to finish 57 of The Last Man on Earth (2015-18)).
Perhaps we can blame director/co-writer Bill Holderman, who makes his directing debut and has co-written one other movie which we didn't see, and his co-writer Erin Simms, also a debut. I tried to read 50 Shades of Grey when it got so popular but was put off by the bad writing and the whole bondage thing, which this feminist finds icky. And I was put off by the mediocre writing of this movie, even though the stars are good fun.
The women are joined by Andy Garcia (most recently in City Island), Craig T. Nelson (last blogged for The Company Men), Don Johnson (best known for 111 episodes of Miami Vice (1984-90), he was also good in The Hot Spot (1990), and Tin Cup (1996), to name a few), Alicia Silverstone (I gave her short shrift when writing about The Art of Getting By, so she's best known for Clueless (1996) and I liked her in Blast from the Past (1999)), Richard Dreyfuss (some of his best work includes American Graffiti (1973), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), The Goodbye Girl (1977), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Stand by Me (1986), Nuts (1987), What About Bob? (1991), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), W. (2008) as Dick Cheney, and four episodes each of Weeds (2010) and Parenthood (2011)), Ed Begley Jr. (since Whatever Works he's done many things, including five episodes each of Family Tree in 2013 and Better Call Saul in 2016), Wallace Shawn (last blogged for Admission), and many more.
Peter Nashel's (scored I, Tonya) music isn't available online and I don't remember it from seeing this movie last week.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences, averaging 58 and 63%, respectively, are as tepid as we are. Streaming and DVD are estimated for August 2018. If you want to see this, it's probably best to watch it at home.
Perhaps we can blame director/co-writer Bill Holderman, who makes his directing debut and has co-written one other movie which we didn't see, and his co-writer Erin Simms, also a debut. I tried to read 50 Shades of Grey when it got so popular but was put off by the bad writing and the whole bondage thing, which this feminist finds icky. And I was put off by the mediocre writing of this movie, even though the stars are good fun.
The women are joined by Andy Garcia (most recently in City Island), Craig T. Nelson (last blogged for The Company Men), Don Johnson (best known for 111 episodes of Miami Vice (1984-90), he was also good in The Hot Spot (1990), and Tin Cup (1996), to name a few), Alicia Silverstone (I gave her short shrift when writing about The Art of Getting By, so she's best known for Clueless (1996) and I liked her in Blast from the Past (1999)), Richard Dreyfuss (some of his best work includes American Graffiti (1973), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), The Goodbye Girl (1977), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Stand by Me (1986), Nuts (1987), What About Bob? (1991), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), W. (2008) as Dick Cheney, and four episodes each of Weeds (2010) and Parenthood (2011)), Ed Begley Jr. (since Whatever Works he's done many things, including five episodes each of Family Tree in 2013 and Better Call Saul in 2016), Wallace Shawn (last blogged for Admission), and many more.
Peter Nashel's (scored I, Tonya) music isn't available online and I don't remember it from seeing this movie last week.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences, averaging 58 and 63%, respectively, are as tepid as we are. Streaming and DVD are estimated for August 2018. If you want to see this, it's probably best to watch it at home.
The Other Woman (2014)
This came out in April 2014, and I know we saw it then and think we liked the silly story of three women who've been cheated on by the same man teaming up to get revenge. Cameron Diaz (last blogged for My Sister's Keeper), Leslie Mann (wrote about her minutes ago in Blockers), and Kate Upton (a former model, she's had a few small acting parts here and there) are the women and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (new to me, he has plenty of credits including Game of Thrones) is the cheater. Directed by Nick Cassavetes (covered in My Sister's Keeper), it was written by Melissa Stack in her feature screenwriting debut. I write about it now because I need to have my movies counted accurately!
Blockers (2018)
Jack and I laughed a lot at this silly slapstick about parents trying to prevent a prom-night virginity-losing pact made by their three high-school-age daughters. It's not as bad as we predicted, and Leslie Mann is hilarious, as always (she was last blogged for How To Be Single). The other main parents are Ike Barinholtz (most recently in Snatched), and John Cena (a WWE--World Wrestling Entertainment--star, he was in Trainwreck and Sisters, to name two that I've seen). The girls are Kathryn Newton (last blogged for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Gideon Adlon (new to me, she is Pamela Adlon's daughter), and Geraldine Viswanathan (also new to me), and the latter has many good lines. June Diane Raphael (plays single daughter Brianna in 55 episodes of Grace and Frankie, and much more) and Hannibal Buress (covered in Spider-Man: Homecoming) are among the supporting players with funny scenes.
We noted that, with only one exception (it's been a week and a half since we saw it), the characters are not mean-spirited and that makes a nice change in this day and age.
Kay Cannon (made her writing debut with Pitch Perfect) makes her directing debut here, working from a script by brothers and writing partners Brian Kehoe and Jim Kehoe
I don't remember the music by Mateo Messina (I've heard his work on Juno (2007), 23 episodes of Fairly Legal (2011-12), 13 of Growing Up Fisher (2014), 52 of Superstore (2015-18), and 44 of Casual (2015-18)). Of course, as in any teen-centered movie, there are lots of pop songs, some of which are streaming from spotify.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 83%, and not its audiences at 51, drove us to this movie when a scheduling snafu caused us to pick something in a big hurry. No need to rush out to see it. It'll be released streaming on June 19 and on DVD July 3, 2018.
We noted that, with only one exception (it's been a week and a half since we saw it), the characters are not mean-spirited and that makes a nice change in this day and age.
Kay Cannon (made her writing debut with Pitch Perfect) makes her directing debut here, working from a script by brothers and writing partners Brian Kehoe and Jim Kehoe
I don't remember the music by Mateo Messina (I've heard his work on Juno (2007), 23 episodes of Fairly Legal (2011-12), 13 of Growing Up Fisher (2014), 52 of Superstore (2015-18), and 44 of Casual (2015-18)). Of course, as in any teen-centered movie, there are lots of pop songs, some of which are streaming from spotify.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 83%, and not its audiences at 51, drove us to this movie when a scheduling snafu caused us to pick something in a big hurry. No need to rush out to see it. It'll be released streaming on June 19 and on DVD July 3, 2018.
If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast (2017)
Jack and I loved this delightful documentary in which Carl Reiner talks with other nonagenarians to prove how vital they still are.
Reiner (born in 1922, covered in The Jerk) talks with Mel Brooks (born in 1926, mentioned in Mr. Peabody & Sherman, won his Oscar for writing The Producers (1967), and some of his best writing/directing/acting includes 139 episodes of Your Show of Shows (1950-54), 138 of Get Smart (1965-70), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), History of the World: Part I (1981), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), The Producers stage musical (2001), and four 2004 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm), Stan Lee (born in 1922, last blogged for Avengers: Infinity War), Dick Van Dyke (born in 1925, his Dick Van Dyke Show was my favorite when I was a kid--he made 158 episodes (1961-66) and 72 of The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-74) and I also loved his work in Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Mary Poppins (1964--and he'll be in the 2018 remake), Divorce American Style (1967), and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), to name a few), Kirk Douglas (born 1916, Oscar-nominated for Champion (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Lust for Life (1956), and known for Spartacus (1960), Seven Days in May (1964), Tough Guys (1986--I had a little uncredited job on that picture), and Greedy (1994), just to name a few), Fyvush Finkel (1922-2016, profiled in A Serious Man), Norman Lear (born 1922, Oscar winner for writing Divorce American Style (1967), his other work includes 208 episodes of All in the Family (1971-79), 135 of Sanford and Son (1972-77), 324 of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (January 1976-July 1977!), 48 of Fernwood Tonight (1977), 141 of Maude (1972-78), 133 of Good Times (1974-79), and 253 of The Jeffersons (1975-1985)), Betty White (also 1922, covered in The Proposal), and many more.
Directed by Danny Gold and written by Gold and Michael Mayhew (both new to me though they're not newcomers), this is available to HBO subscribers and, I imagine, will be on Netflix eventually.
We saw it the day after seeing RBG (a youngster, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born in 1933) and heartily recommend it, along with 100% of Rotten Tomatoes' critics (I say "Bah!" to the audience average of 63%).
Reiner (born in 1922, covered in The Jerk) talks with Mel Brooks (born in 1926, mentioned in Mr. Peabody & Sherman, won his Oscar for writing The Producers (1967), and some of his best writing/directing/acting includes 139 episodes of Your Show of Shows (1950-54), 138 of Get Smart (1965-70), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), History of the World: Part I (1981), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), The Producers stage musical (2001), and four 2004 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm), Stan Lee (born in 1922, last blogged for Avengers: Infinity War), Dick Van Dyke (born in 1925, his Dick Van Dyke Show was my favorite when I was a kid--he made 158 episodes (1961-66) and 72 of The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-74) and I also loved his work in Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Mary Poppins (1964--and he'll be in the 2018 remake), Divorce American Style (1967), and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), to name a few), Kirk Douglas (born 1916, Oscar-nominated for Champion (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Lust for Life (1956), and known for Spartacus (1960), Seven Days in May (1964), Tough Guys (1986--I had a little uncredited job on that picture), and Greedy (1994), just to name a few), Fyvush Finkel (1922-2016, profiled in A Serious Man), Norman Lear (born 1922, Oscar winner for writing Divorce American Style (1967), his other work includes 208 episodes of All in the Family (1971-79), 135 of Sanford and Son (1972-77), 324 of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (January 1976-July 1977!), 48 of Fernwood Tonight (1977), 141 of Maude (1972-78), 133 of Good Times (1974-79), and 253 of The Jeffersons (1975-1985)), Betty White (also 1922, covered in The Proposal), and many more.
Directed by Danny Gold and written by Gold and Michael Mayhew (both new to me though they're not newcomers), this is available to HBO subscribers and, I imagine, will be on Netflix eventually.
We saw it the day after seeing RBG (a youngster, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born in 1933) and heartily recommend it, along with 100% of Rotten Tomatoes' critics (I say "Bah!" to the audience average of 63%).
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
This is probably great for big fans of the series but it's just okay for others. The good news: a wonderful Stan Lee cameo, some jokes, some special effects. The bad: too many characters, not enough jokes, and a crazy ending meant to bring us back for #20 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We have Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr., last blogged for Spider-Man: Homecoming), Thor (Chris Hemsworth, last in Ghostbusters), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, last in Now You See Me 2), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans, last in Gifted), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, last in Isle of Dogs), James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle, last in Miles Ahead), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, last in Doctor Strange), Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland, last in Spider-Man: Homecoming), T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman, last in Black Panther), Gamora (Zoe Saldana, last in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Nebula (Karen Gillan, also in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, though I didn't say so), Loki (Tom Hiddleston, last in I Saw the Light), Vision (Paul Bettany, last in Avengers: Age of Ultron), Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen, last in Ingrid Goes West), Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie, last in Detroit), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan, last in I, Tonya), Heimdall (Idris Elba, last in Molly's Game), Okoye (Danai Gurira, last in Black Panther), Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt, last in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), and, way down in the credits, the terrifying villain Thanos (Josh Brolin, last in Hail, Caesar!) in complex makeup and CGI. Whew! That's not even all of them. Too many, right?
Brothers Anthony and Joe Russo direct, and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFreely wrote the screenplay, as all four did for Captain America: Winter Soldier, though eleven other writers are credited for creating characters that first appeared in other stories and/or media.
Alan Silvestri (last scored Allied) provides a suitable soundtrack that you can stream from this playlist.
We saw it three and a half weeks ago and I've been avoiding writing about it because it's sort of a cultural phenomenon that left me cold (Jack liked it a little better, but not much).
We're not in line with Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 83%, nor its audiences at 91. If you're a fan, you've already seen it anyway.
We have Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr., last blogged for Spider-Man: Homecoming), Thor (Chris Hemsworth, last in Ghostbusters), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, last in Now You See Me 2), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans, last in Gifted), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, last in Isle of Dogs), James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle, last in Miles Ahead), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, last in Doctor Strange), Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland, last in Spider-Man: Homecoming), T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman, last in Black Panther), Gamora (Zoe Saldana, last in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Nebula (Karen Gillan, also in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, though I didn't say so), Loki (Tom Hiddleston, last in I Saw the Light), Vision (Paul Bettany, last in Avengers: Age of Ultron), Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen, last in Ingrid Goes West), Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie, last in Detroit), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan, last in I, Tonya), Heimdall (Idris Elba, last in Molly's Game), Okoye (Danai Gurira, last in Black Panther), Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt, last in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), and, way down in the credits, the terrifying villain Thanos (Josh Brolin, last in Hail, Caesar!) in complex makeup and CGI. Whew! That's not even all of them. Too many, right?
Brothers Anthony and Joe Russo direct, and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFreely wrote the screenplay, as all four did for Captain America: Winter Soldier, though eleven other writers are credited for creating characters that first appeared in other stories and/or media.
Alan Silvestri (last scored Allied) provides a suitable soundtrack that you can stream from this playlist.
We saw it three and a half weeks ago and I've been avoiding writing about it because it's sort of a cultural phenomenon that left me cold (Jack liked it a little better, but not much).
We're not in line with Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 83%, nor its audiences at 91. If you're a fan, you've already seen it anyway.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Disobedience (2017)
Jack and I really liked this story of Ronit (roe-NEET), a woman returning from New York for her father's funeral in the London Orthodox Jewish community she left under a cloud. The audience's discovery of what drove her away isn't shown right away but every description, the trailer, and even the poster, will tell you that she had a sexual relationship with another woman, Esti (ES-tee).
Rachels Wiesz (pronounced vice) and McAdams (last blogged for Denial and Game Night, respectively) are terrific as Ronit and Esti, the former a modern cosmopolitan and the latter trapped in the traditional customs of her faith. As the third side of the love triangle, Alessandro Nivola turns in a powerful performance as Dovid (dah-VEED), childhood friend of both and husband of Esti. Every time I write about Nivola--most reecently in Ginger & Rosa--I mention how handsome he is. This time I can honestly cite his acting talent, which is prodigious.
Director/co-writer Sebastián Lelio (did the same for A Fantastic Woman) makes his English language debut, aided on the script by co-writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz (she co-wrote Ida, though I forgot to say so in that post). They adapted Naomi Alderman's 2006 debut novel of the same name. Lelio has said that he wasn't sure until the first day of shooting whether or not Weisz and McAdams would have the right chemistry. They do, indeed.
Cinematographer Danny Cohen gives us many shades of gray, literally, in a film shot in color, just as he did in Final Portrait.
Interesting factoid: Weisz, who co-produced this, is 48 and announced her pregnancy, with husband actor Daniel Craig, in April. Her first child, with director Darren Aronofsky, was born in 2006.
Matthew Herbert (last scored A Fantastic Woman) gives us eerie music that you can stream from this playlist. Love Song by The Cure is also played during the movie.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 85% to its audiences' 78. You should see this but don't bring your kids. Rated R for "strong sexuality," you'll either want to protect them from seeing it or from being in the same room with you when they do.
Rachels Wiesz (pronounced vice) and McAdams (last blogged for Denial and Game Night, respectively) are terrific as Ronit and Esti, the former a modern cosmopolitan and the latter trapped in the traditional customs of her faith. As the third side of the love triangle, Alessandro Nivola turns in a powerful performance as Dovid (dah-VEED), childhood friend of both and husband of Esti. Every time I write about Nivola--most reecently in Ginger & Rosa--I mention how handsome he is. This time I can honestly cite his acting talent, which is prodigious.
Director/co-writer Sebastián Lelio (did the same for A Fantastic Woman) makes his English language debut, aided on the script by co-writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz (she co-wrote Ida, though I forgot to say so in that post). They adapted Naomi Alderman's 2006 debut novel of the same name. Lelio has said that he wasn't sure until the first day of shooting whether or not Weisz and McAdams would have the right chemistry. They do, indeed.
Cinematographer Danny Cohen gives us many shades of gray, literally, in a film shot in color, just as he did in Final Portrait.
Interesting factoid: Weisz, who co-produced this, is 48 and announced her pregnancy, with husband actor Daniel Craig, in April. Her first child, with director Darren Aronofsky, was born in 2006.
Matthew Herbert (last scored A Fantastic Woman) gives us eerie music that you can stream from this playlist. Love Song by The Cure is also played during the movie.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 85% to its audiences' 78. You should see this but don't bring your kids. Rated R for "strong sexuality," you'll either want to protect them from seeing it or from being in the same room with you when they do.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
RBG (2018)
Jack and I and a sold-out preview audience loved this documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, appointed to the US Supreme Court at age 60 by Bill Clinton in 1993. With cameo appearances by many (only Gloria Steinem and Nina Totenberg are credited), lots of vintage photos and home movies, and a thoroughly modern sensibility, this movie celebrates a champion of equal rights for women in a most entertaining way.
Julie Cohen, producer/co-director of four previous feature documentaries (one of which included Ginsburg), teams up with co-director Betsy West, the latter making her directing debut after producing several documentary projects.
We agree with Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 97%, more than its audiences at 79.
Julie Cohen, producer/co-director of four previous feature documentaries (one of which included Ginsburg), teams up with co-director Betsy West, the latter making her directing debut after producing several documentary projects.
We agree with Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 97%, more than its audiences at 79.
The Polka King (2018)
Jack and I quite liked this made-for-Netflix bio-pic of Jan Lewan (pronounced YON le-VON), an effusive hard-working Polish musician striving to make it big in Pennsylvania and beyond. We were tickled to read later how true most of it is. The ebullient Jack Black (last blogged for Bernie, another bio-pic) is a great choice to portray the ebullient Lewan, not least because Black can really sing. Lewan tells people to pronounce his name however they want and his American wife Marla, played by Jenny Slate (most recently in Landline), and her mother Barb (Jacki Weaver, last in these pages for Silver Linings Playbook) Americanize his name, saying it like the first syllable of January. Jason Schwartzman (most recently in My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea) is Jan's best friend and clarinet player.
Supporting strength includes J.B. Smoove (last blogged for Top Five) (to avoid spoilers I'm not going to say who he plays) and Vanessa Bayer (after Trainwreck she and her irrepressible grin are still lighting up Saturday Night Live--149 episodes and counting) as Bitsy Bear.
Director Maya Forbes (most recently helmed Infinitely Polar Bear) once again co-writes with her husband Wallace Wolodarsky (he plays Vince in this movie, and, though I neglected to mention it when writing about the above movie, has written a few other scripts with Forbes, and collaborated with others on three Tracey Ullman episodes and ten of The Simpsons).
We saw this two weeks ago and I think I liked the original music by Theodore Shapiro (he last scored Snatched) but his tracks aren't available online. Anyway, you're more likely to remember the Jack Black Polka Band. Here's a playlist. You might also enjoy this video of the real Jan Lewan.
This spoiler-filled article, best watched after seeing the movie, mentions a 2010 documentary. Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are not dancing for this one, averaging only 59 and 53% respectively. Yep, it's corny. But lots of fun.
Supporting strength includes J.B. Smoove (last blogged for Top Five) (to avoid spoilers I'm not going to say who he plays) and Vanessa Bayer (after Trainwreck she and her irrepressible grin are still lighting up Saturday Night Live--149 episodes and counting) as Bitsy Bear.
Director Maya Forbes (most recently helmed Infinitely Polar Bear) once again co-writes with her husband Wallace Wolodarsky (he plays Vince in this movie, and, though I neglected to mention it when writing about the above movie, has written a few other scripts with Forbes, and collaborated with others on three Tracey Ullman episodes and ten of The Simpsons).
We saw this two weeks ago and I think I liked the original music by Theodore Shapiro (he last scored Snatched) but his tracks aren't available online. Anyway, you're more likely to remember the Jack Black Polka Band. Here's a playlist. You might also enjoy this video of the real Jan Lewan.
This spoiler-filled article, best watched after seeing the movie, mentions a 2010 documentary. Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are not dancing for this one, averaging only 59 and 53% respectively. Yep, it's corny. But lots of fun.
Tully (2018)
We were predisposed to like this dramedy about a woman with post-partum depression hiring a night nanny to care for her newborn and we did love it. Charlize Theron is terrific as the overwhelmed heroine Marlo (she was last blogged for Mad Max: Fury Road and had many nominations and wins for that role) as is Mackenzie Davis (most recently in these pages for Blade Runner 2049 right around the time the last of her 40 episodes of Halt and Catch Fire aired) as the luminous Tully. Ron Livingston (last blogged for Dinner for Schmucks) and Mark Duplass (most recently in Beatriz at Dinner) are Marlo's husband Drew and brother Craig, respectively. It's also important to note that Marlo and Craig have two other children, one of whom seems to me to be on the autism spectrum, but is only referred to as "quirky," just as the word "depression" is not used, as I recall.
Theron, a willowy former model, has taken issue with people calling her "brave" for gaining fifty pounds in four months for this role (it took her 18 months to lose it!). In this interview, she discusses the process and compares it to the thirty she gained for her Oscar-winning role in Monster (2003).
Director Jason Reitman (after helming Men, Women & Children he produced the Hulu series Casual and directed several of its episodes) worked with screenwriter Diablo Cody (last blogged for Ricki and the Flash) and Charlize Theron on Young Adult, which we also loved. It was funny and so is this. There is a montage of the baby crying over and over that had me laughing a lot.
Rob Simonsen (most recently in these pages for Going in Style) gives us a nice indie-style soundtrack, some of which can be streamed from this spotify playlist. The iTunes soundtrack, with 14 songs in 28 minutes, has under eight minutes of Simonsen's work. The longest track is on youtube.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 87% and its audiences 71. Jack and I whole-heartedly recommend you see this. After seeing it, and ONLY AFTER, read this spoiler article.
Theron, a willowy former model, has taken issue with people calling her "brave" for gaining fifty pounds in four months for this role (it took her 18 months to lose it!). In this interview, she discusses the process and compares it to the thirty she gained for her Oscar-winning role in Monster (2003).
Director Jason Reitman (after helming Men, Women & Children he produced the Hulu series Casual and directed several of its episodes) worked with screenwriter Diablo Cody (last blogged for Ricki and the Flash) and Charlize Theron on Young Adult, which we also loved. It was funny and so is this. There is a montage of the baby crying over and over that had me laughing a lot.
Rob Simonsen (most recently in these pages for Going in Style) gives us a nice indie-style soundtrack, some of which can be streamed from this spotify playlist. The iTunes soundtrack, with 14 songs in 28 minutes, has under eight minutes of Simonsen's work. The longest track is on youtube.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 87% and its audiences 71. Jack and I whole-heartedly recommend you see this. After seeing it, and ONLY AFTER, read this spoiler article.
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