Tag: Dramatic Comedy

REVIEW: ‘Jay Kelly’ is a forced, over-sentimental melodrama

Just a short while after reviewing “Sentimental Value” and here comes another film where a cinema artist tries to reconnect with his kids.

In “Jay Kelly,” George Clooney stars as the titular character who’s built a career as a celebrated actor. Like Clooney himself, Kelly has managed to star in both major blockbuster releases and arthouse flicks, allowing him to develop a strong reputation.

In the twilight of his career, one can see he’s had a successful run. However, the same can’t be said outside of the studio lot. He has a strained relationship with his daughters, and his assistants, namely Ron (Adam Sandler), are getting tired of his shenanigans. He makes an attempt to turn things around, though, with a trip to Europe where one of his daughters is visiting.

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REVIEW: ‘Rental Family’ succeeds thanks to Fraser and sincere writing

Who would have guessed we’d have two films this year with a guy pretending to be a member of a family? It’s like “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon” again.

OK, in reality, unlike “Roofman” with Channing Tatum, the lead character in this movie isn’t a criminal on the run. Instead, Brendan Fraser stars as actor Phillip Vandarploeug. Once able to get steady work in Japan, acting in commercials and TV, Phillip’s job prospects have dried up.

Looking to keep his career rolling, he decides to take a gig with a different type of agency. Rather than acting in media productions, the company he starts working for has him portray relatives of family members. Skeptical at first, Phillip begins to build connections in the role.

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REVIEW: ‘Is This Thing On’ mostly works, though doesn’t stick landing

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel if Will Arnett wasn’t available for this flick, Jason Sudeikis probably could have filled in well enough.

Anyway, Arnett lends his talent in this flick to play Alex Novak, a man whose marriage appears to be coming to a complete end. Alex agreed to separate from his wife Tess (Laura Dern), and a divorce appears to be on the horizon.

With his relationship likely over, and subsequent strain on being a dad to his two boys, Alex finds himself struggling to process the situation. He finds a way to channel his thoughts, though, in going to an open mic night and giving stand-up comedy a try. Fortunately for him, it ends up working fairly well.

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REVIEW: Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Bugonia’ is a hard-hitting riot

This sequel to “The Beekeeper” is wild.

Kidding, this is not a sequel to the 2024 action vehicle for Jason Statham. Instead, the beekeeper in this film is Teddy (Jesse Plemmons), a paranoid conspiracy theorist who believes aliens have infiltrated Earth for nefarious reasons. The dastardly plot of the aliens, he thinks, is the purposeful destruction of bee colonies.

To put a stop to this effort, Teddy and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) decide to kidnap who they believe to be a high-ranking extra-terrestrial. That individual is Michelle (Emma Stone), the CEO of a large pharmaceutical company. The duo is successful, and they hold Michelle with a demand that she help negotiate an end to the aliens’ occupation of Earth.

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REVIEW: ‘Blue Moon’ is an enchanting look at a tortured artist

Raise a glass of Blue Moon to this one, because its charm earns a toast.

A film mostly in a single location, “Blue Moon” centers on lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke), a musician known for hits on Broadway and the song that shares the film’s name. Hart begins the film at the opening night for the production of “Oklahoma” before going to a nearby lounge where an after-show party will be taking place.

While there, he begins speaking with others at the establishment, from the bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale) to American author E.B. White. As the night progresses, he shares his vision of where music should go, his creative clashes with former partner Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) and his infatuation with a young woman he made a connection with, Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley).

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REVIEW: ‘Roofman’ reaches some heights, but doesn’t top genre

As is the case with many films ripped from the headlines, truth is often stranger than fiction.

The latest example is “Roofman,” which dramatizes events in 2004 when a prison inmate escaped the penitentiary and hid for several months in a Charlotte Toys “R” Us.” We’re introduced to that inmate, Jeffrey (Channing Tatum), during his original crime spree.

Desperate for money, Jeffery’s scheme was breaking in to fast-food restaurants from the roof before grabbing the cash and making his getaway. After his prison escape, the film follows how he befriended those around him when not in the toy store, and started a relationship with an employee, Leigh (Kirsten Dunst).

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REVIEW: Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’ is absolutely abysmal

This year’s slate from A24 has been unsatisfactory so far, to say the least.

The latest movie from the studio, which has released many films that have populated my top 10 lists over the last decade, is set in 2020, a year we all remember but would rather forget. As the name implies, the picture is set in the town of Eddington, New Mexico where a mayoral race is underway.

The favorite is incumbent Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), but he soon gets a challenge from the county sheriff, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix). In addition to being at odds already with Garcia for past issues, Cross is motivated to run by his many disagreements with the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Eventually, the race starts to turn ugly.

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REVIEW: ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ doesn’t commit to its bit, to its detriment

The war movie genre benefits overall from films that show the impacts of foreign conflicts back home. This is one of those films, but unfortunately, it’s not one of the category’s best.

“My Dead Friend Zoe” centers on U.S. Army veteran Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), who’s back home in the United States after serving in Afghanistan. Lately, life has been hard for her, as she’s run into some trouble with the law, and forced to attend group therapy sessions because of trauma, though she can’t bring herself to speak about her experiences.

That trauma revolves around her friend Zoe, who passed away. However, she still sees Zoe often as a ghost who she speaks with regularly. Her life only gets more complicated when she is asked to take care of her estranged grandfather who has early Alzheimer’s. Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ doesn’t commit to its bit, to its detriment”

REVIEW: Wes offers style and substance again in ‘Phoenician Scheme’

Michael Cera’s career has been hitting a pretty good stride in the last few years, starring in solid flicks like “Gloria Bell,” “Barbie” and “Dream Scenario.”

That positive streak continues in his latest appearance, playing a key role in Wes Anderson’s new project. Cera co-stars in the film as Bjorn, alongside Mia Threapleton as Liesl and Benicio del Toro as Korda. The movie centers on Korda, who’s a powerful industrialist staking his empire on an infrastructure project in Phoenicia.

Making it a reality is tricky. Kordo has enemies against him and obstacles to overcome. To navigate the situation, he sets up his daughter, Liesl, to be heir to his throne in case of his demise, and brings her and Bjorn on a wide-reaching journey to make the scheme a reality.

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REVIEW: ‘A Real Pain’ is a real disappointment

If you ever wanted to see Roman Roy from “Succession” hang out with Mark Zuckerberg, but without the money, this is sort of the movie for you.

No, that’s not quite accurate, although the film does star Kieran Culkin from the hit HBO series and “The Social Network’s” Jesse Eisenberg. In this film they play two cousins, David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Culkin), who are visiting Poland to learn about their grandmother’s home town, and experience surviving the Holocaust.

To do so, they join a historical tour through various towns in the country with several other interested people and a knowledgeable guide. During their time on the tour, they not only have their eyes opened about family history, but what’s been happening in their own lives, too.

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