Tag: Dramedy

REVIEW: Chaotic ‘Saturday Night’ has plenty of ups and downs

An episode of “SNL” usually includes its likable cast performing a plethora of sketches, some good and some bad, for a fairly average experience. In that sense, this movie is pretty similar

A dramatic comedy, “Saturday Night” takes place inside Rockefeller Plaza in New York as producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) prepares to get his new live television show ready for broadcast. Unfortunately, things aren’t going entirely well and NBC doesn’t have much faith in the show.

It’s already considered a long shot, as it’s populated by unknown comedians like Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien) and John Belushi (Matt Wood). The situation is made worse by mishaps on set. However, Lorne remains committed to make sure “Saturday Night” goes live.

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REVIEW: ‘Kinds of Kindness’ is a constantly fascinating anthology

The guy who made the new film “kinds of Kindness” is kind of a good director.

Obviously that’s not true, as Yorgos Lanthimos is a great director and once again shows off his abilities to make a bizarre, amusing and insightful picture. His latest film is an anthology with three stories full of dark comedy and absurd moments.

Each story features the same set of actors, but they’re all standalone tales and the cast play different characters.  That cast includes Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau, and more.

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REVIEW: ‘Ghostlight’ is an endearing dramedy about the impact of art

Despite the name, “Ghostlight” is a film more about stage fright, and less about a fear of apparitions.

The film stars Keith Kupferer as Dan, a man who is at wit’s end at the movie’s outset. His son died roughly a year ago, he’s dealing with a wrongful death lawsuit he filed in the aftermath, and his daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) has been having disciplinary issues.

The stress gets to him during his construction job and it leads to a blow-up. The moment is witnessed by an actress named Rita (Dolly de Leon), who invites Dan to participate in a community theater presentation of “Romeo and Juliet.” As he becomes part of the production, he starts being able to process his grief. Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Ghostlight’ is an endearing dramedy about the impact of art”

REVIEW: Love story saps sharpness from ‘Society of Magical Negroes’

I feel like the organization in this movie was the JV version of The Brotherhood from “Undercover Brother.”

Justice Smith stars in this film as Aren, an artist who focuses on sculpture creations, mostly out of yarn. Unfortunately, Aren’s career hasn’t taken off, and his latest attempt at showing his work at a gallery ends in failure.

However, after the event, Aren meets a man named Roger (David Alan Grier), a member of the American Society of Magical Negroes who wants the struggling artist to join. The organization assigns African Americans to assist white people and make them more comfortable around people of color. Aren joins, but his first assignment gets complicated because of a love interest.

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REVIEW: ‘Poor Things’ is positively weird and wonderful

When director Yorgos Lanthimos makes a film, you can usually expect it will make a person laugh, think and be taken aback. “Poor Things” is another example, and it’s also pretty damn good.

Willem Dafoe portrays scientist and surgeon Dr. Godwin Baxter in the film. Early on in the movie, we learn that the latest experiment by Dr. Baxter, a sort of Frankenstein-like mad scientist, was the resurrection of a young woman who had jumped off a bridge.

To do so, Baxter utilizes a brain that he recovered from the baby that the woman was pregnant with and calls the revived being Bella (Emma Stone). The experiment results in Bella getting a crash course in living, as her intelligence rapidly develops while she’s learning about life experiences and the world around her.

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REVIEW: ‘Dream Scenario’ is wonderfully creative and comedic

Meeting Nicolas Cage would probably be a cool experience, but having it be during a dream could be a bit much if it’s anything like this film.

That’s the situation many people have to go through in the movie “Dream Scenario,” though, where Cage plays Paul, a man who ends up appearing in random peoples’ dreams. A college professor, Paul’s appearances in dreams begin with his own family, then to his students, followed by the general populace.

Paul has been struggling lately, not able to move his career forward, so at first he welcomes the new popularity. However, it begins to be an overwhelming experience. Additionally, while he at first did nothing in the dreams, people who see Paul in their sleep begin having terrifying nightmares, which turns him into an antagonist for many.

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REVIEW: ‘American Fiction’ is astute and immensely funny

Truth is often stranger than fiction, but in “American Fiction,” the tale made-up by the protagonist is far more outlandish than his reality.

Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious Ellison in the film, although many just call him by his nickname, Monk. A writer and college professor, Monk finds himself in a bit of a career rut, with little interest coming from publishers in his new novel. At the same time, he sees other black writers getting a ton of success by writing stories about African American trauma and hardships.

Wanting to make a statement, Monk writes his own book in the same style, hoping that it will be taken as a satirical jab on the genre. Instead, it’s taken seriously and becomes a success. As he needs money because of a personal tragedy, Monk plays along.

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REVIEW: Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers’ is a funny, emotional winner

This just in, Paul Giamatti continues to be a national treasure.

The Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee portrays Paul Hunham in “The Holdovers.” A teacher at a private boys high school in the 1970s, Paul has earned himself a reputation as a notoriously tough teacher and not the most pleasant to chat with.

Unfortunately for some students who have to stay at the school during the holiday break, they have to spend their days with Paul, who’s the designated the chaperone. One student in particular, Angus (Dominic Sessa) has to spend an extended time there. But as time goes on, he finds himself bonding with both Paul and the school’s head cook Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph)

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REVIEW: ‘Asteroid City’ is a fine addition to Anderson’s filmography

Another Wes Anderson movie. Come for the quirks, stay for the feels.

The latest film from the auteur director is a few layers deep. The movie showcases a television broadcast of the play “Asteroid City,” and through that broadcast, the audience is also able to see behind-the-scenes of that production.

In the play itself, Jason Schwartzman plays the character Augie Steenbeck, whose son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) is attending an event celebrating teens who excel at science. During the event, the small rural town, known for being next to a crater where a meteor struck, is visited by an extra-terrestrial. Through this event, the audience learns more about the characters in the play, as well as the cast and crew of the production.

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REVIEW: It doesn’t hurt to watch ‘You Hurt My Feelings’

The many complexities that exist in a relationship, even a loving one, come up in this smart dramatic comedy.

“You Hurt My Feelings,” written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth. The film opens with Beth, an author and writing-class teacher, feeling somewhat discouraged. Despite her efforts over the last several months, her latest novel just isn’t getting a great response from her agent.

That feeling only grows when she overhears her husband Don (Tobias Menzies) saying to another person that he doesn’t like her new book, despite saying otherwise to her face. The rest of the movie explores how this impacts their relationship and the people around them.

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