MOVIE REVIEW: PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

 

Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be -- she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.

Director: Emerald Fennell

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Connie Britton

Release Date: December 25, 2020

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Rated R for strong violence including sexual assault, language throughout, some sexual material and drug use

Runtime: 1 h 53 min

Review:

Promising Young Woman is a wickedly sharp dark comedy/revenge thriller from first time filmmaker Emerald Fennell.  Fennell writes and directs her film with an impressive bit of visual flair.  Certain scenes are framed with such meticulous care that you have to appreciate the talent and craftmanship on display.  Her script is equally impressive with biting dialogue that pops from the opening sequence.  At the center of the whole thing is a career defining performance from Carey Mulligan who delights in playing against type.  Her Cassie is a force of vengeful nature whose laser focused on her task.  Mulligan is clearly enjoying herself in the role but she and the script are savvy enough to open up Cassie and give her some semblance of happiness during the middle of the film.  Fennell and Mulligan lull you into an uncomfortable sense of calm before ripping the rug right from under your feet.  It's one of the most searing gut punch of a finale of the year that's bound to stay with you long after the film ends.  The ending is a bit too tidy for my taste but you can't deny that it's a cathartic release and the indictment of the bro/rape culture especially in our current environment.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE RENTAL

Two couples on an oceanside getaway grow suspicious that the host of their seemingly perfect rental house may be spying on them. Before long, what should have been a celebratory weekend trip turns into something far more sinister.

Director: Dave Franco

Cast: Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Sheila Vand, Jeremy Allen White, Toby Huss

Release Date: July 24, 2020

Genres: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for violence, language throughout, drug use and some sexuality

Runtime: 1h 29min

Review:

Dave Franco’s debut film is polished but inconsistent.  Franco does a good job of setting up the interpersonal dynamics which gives us a palatable sense of tension from the get go.  He lets it simmer until it comes to boil in the final act with gruesome results.  Unfortunately, most horror fans will see most twist coming a mile away and it’s ultimately a retread of countless home terror type films like The Strangers.  Still a strong cast led by the ever reliable Dan Stevens keeps the whole thing watchable.  He and his cast have great chemistry together which makes these characters feel like living breathing people and not just fodder for the meat grinder.  This gives the film an air of authenticity that makes it easier to overlook some of the story’s shortcomings.  Those horror fans looking for something super gruesome or supernatural will be left wanting because this film is solely focused on the terrible things people do which ultimately might be scarier than anything.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART

The citizens of Bricksburg face a dangerous new threat when LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space start to wreck everything in their path. The battle to defeat the enemy and restore harmony to the LEGO universe takes Emmet, Lucy, Batman and the rest of their friends to faraway, unexplored worlds that test their courage and creativity.

Director: Mike Mitchell

Cast: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman,Will Ferrell, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz Maya Rudolph

Release Date: February 8, 2019

Genres: Animation, Action, Adventure 

Rated PG for some rude humor

Runtime: 1h 46 min

Review:

The Lego Movie 2 The Second Part has a lot to live up to since the original was such a breath of fresh air.  The original film was a candy colored concoction that was enjoyable for children but was just as enjoyable for adults since it was an incredibly meta story that offered layers of depth.  Throw in the fact that we've had two other Lego related film's released with diminishing returns.  Thankful the sequel is just as enjoyable and thoughtful as the original even if it doesn't quiet reach the heights of the original.  The story is fun and thoughtful at the same time which speaks to the effort put into making this the best film possible.  The returning cast are all great, clearly more comfortable with their roles even if we do miss Liam Neeson's Bad Cop since there's not really a memorable villain.  The addition of Tiffany Haddish and Stephanie Beatriz help ease that loss with solid characters even if they're slightly underused.  The film does decide to embrace song and dance sequences which are mostly effective even if it take a moment to settle into them.  When it all said and done, the film's message is even more pointed and effective than the first film.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: GET HARD

When millionaire hedge fund manager James (Will Ferrell) is nailed for fraud and bound for a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart) to prep him for a life behind bars. But despite James’ one-percenter assumptions, Darnell is a hard-working small business owner who has never received a parking ticket, let alone been to prison. Together, the two men do whatever it takes for James to “get hard” and, in the process, discover how wrong they were about a lot of things – including each other. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Etan Cohen    

Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip "T.I." Harris, Alison Brie, Craig T. Nelson.

Release Date: Mar 27, 2015    

Rated R for Pervasive Crude and Sexual Content and Language, Some Graphic Nudity, and Drug 

Material    

Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min.    

Genres: Comedy    

Review:

Get Hard is exactly what it presents itself as, nothing more and nothing less.  It’s dated jokes about race, sexuality and just about anything feels like a retread.  Anyone’s enjoyment or lack there of will depend on how much you like Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart.  Ferrell and Hart have excellent chemistry together throughout and make even the laziest jokes work.  It’s all juvenile and sophomoric but if you were expecting anything deeper or more important then you walked into the wrong movie.  It’s a breezy film with enough laughs to keep it from getting stale.  It’s the definition of predictable and far from Ferrell’s best work, but still funny enough to make fans happy. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's The Lego Movie & The Monuments Men

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the cinema for two flicks about which I'd been very excited: The Lego Movie and The Monuments Men.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

So, dear Blog, you may ask WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING going to the Lego Movie on a Saturday afternoon that was nice enough for people to GET out, but not nice enough for people to BE out, thus ensuring I'd be sharing the experience with a roomful of kids? I suppose my answer would be: No. Earthly. Idea.

The Lego Movie follows an ordinary Lego guy on his adventure as he tries to save the universe from an evil Lego tyrant...with a little help from some familiar Lego faces.

The Lego Movie was, indeed, packed wall-to-wall with young 'uns (including two birthday parties, if my eavesdropping skills are accurate). They talked, they ran around, they slammed into my seat, and one little boy directly in front of me stood, hand on hip, waving his drink at his mother and yelling, "There's no straw!" until I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one considering stuffing him in the bin. That being said, they didn't ruin the movie for me, which can mean only one thing: it's a damn good movie.

The Lego Movie is, first and foremost, a unique experience; the art and animation are extraordinary. This is a movie that grabs your attention in the first minute and never lets go, and I think that would be the case even if nobody ever said a word. Luckily, the little Lego people do say words, and they're funny words at that. The Lego Movie is "family entertainment" that really does entertain the whole family and, while my 200 kidlets brought down the house over pantsless Lego people, there were plenty of jokes for the grownups, too. The cast is comprised of notable folks that, even if you don't know their names, you'll surely know their voices. Will Arnett is particularly effective as a grumpy, Bale-esque Batman, and Charlie Day's spastic 80s robot is a treat. The movie smartly doesn't wear out its welcome, and I think I speak for the 200 kids when I say it left us all wanting more.

The Lego Movie clocks in at 100 minutes and is rated PG for "mild action and rude humor."

Though 2014's Oscars haven't even been handed out yet, it's hard for me to imagine something that's going to beat this as Best Animated Feature at 2015's. (Disclaimer: With How to Train Your Dragon 2 on the way this year, I fully anticipate having to eat those words.) Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Lego Movie gets seven and a half.

The second half of yesterday's double-feature was George Clooney's The Monuments Men, based on the true story of a group of unlikely soldiers tasked with saving stolen art from the Nazis and returning it to its rightful owners.

When I first started seeing trailers for The Monuments Men, the cast and the subject matter had me thinking it would be an awards-season favorite. The release date and the Internet (which never lies, right?) tell me that's not the case, and for the life of me, I just don't get why not.

While it may be about as historically accurate as Argo, The Monuments Men does its job as a movie; it presents a relevant, interesting story in an entertaining way. The film moves at a good pace, holds your attention for the duration, and reinforces a message that's important even 70 years later. In addition to Clooney (who also handled directing and co-writing duties), the terrific cast includes Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin (that's "dude from The Artist that I'm still mad at for stealing Gary Oldman's Oscar," in case anyone didn't know), Hugh Bonneville, and Bob Balaban. It's a smart, moving, and, yes, sometimes funny look at a not-at-all-funny historical event, and the reaction around my theatre tells me I'm not the only one who thinks it's getting shortchanged by critics.

The Monuments Men runs 118 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some images of war violence and historical smoking." (Is that really a thing..."historical smoking??")

While it may not be setting the world on fire like the Oscar-hopeful it once seemed, for my money, The Monuments Men is a total success, no less entertaining for having an important point. Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Monuments Men gets seven.

So, dear Blog, that's all the news that's fit to print for now. Next weekend brings the year's first Gary Oldman Cinema Experience, so there will be swooning a-plenty on this front.

Until next time...



Your efforts are futile in the face of my box-office prowess!