MOVIE REVIEW: PRIMETIME

 

Chris Hansen, host of "To Catch a Predator," sets out to make television history in 2006.

Director: Lance Oppenheim

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Bokeem Woodbine, Anna Faris

Release Date: September 25, 2026

 

Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Rated R for disturbing sexual material, graphic nudity, some violent content, and language.

Runtime: 1h 50m

Review:

Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime takes beats from the 1976’s Network and 2014’s Nightcrawler to capture the standard definition sensationalism of To Catch a Predator, powered by stellar turn from Robert Pattinson.  Oppenheim’s first narrative feature is neon tinted character study of Chris Hansen as he and his producer’s drive to make their show the biggest thing on TV.  He gives his film a tangible immediacy from start to finish even as the whole thing turns into a fever dream of misguided self-aggrandizing, justice.  It’s a fascinating film that envelopes you on multiple levels as we go down the rabbit hole along with the characters in the film.  None of the characters are portrayed in a particularly favorable lights with most of them, outside of Skyler Gisondo’s naïve Decoy Dan, being painted as little more than hollow people chasing notoriety and relevance at any cost.  There’s a griminess to it all that bleeds through the screen that’s hard to ignore which gives you a clear idea of what the filmmaker thinks of the whole endeavor.  At the center of it all is Robert Pattinson who perfectly captures Hanson’s inflections and tone which makes it easier to ignore the fact that he looks nothing like the real person.  Pattinson delivers some of his best work of the year, impressive on its own after delivering memorable performances in The Odyssey and The Drama earlier this year.  He’s entrancing anytime he’s onscreen which makes you wonder why the film devotes so much time to Skyler Gisondo’s character.  That’s not to say Gisondo performance isn’t great because it is, but the character just isn’t as interesting as the film’s version of Hansen. Pattinson manages to capture the character’s drive to be respected for what he considers a noble task regardless of how he gets there, highlighted by a couple of hilarious encounters with Dateline stalwart, Stone Phillips.  Merritt Wever is devilishly good as Hansen’s producer that’s more than game to get as much of the salacious content as possible until she slowly starts losing control of the show.  The film takes a much more abstract approach in the final act which won’t work for everyone, but it doesn’t detract from the electric energy of Primetime and its central star.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: MARRIAGE STORY

A stage director and his actor wife struggle through a gruelling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes.

Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever, Wallace Shawn

Release Date: December 13, 2019

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Rated R for language throughout and sexual references.

Runtime: 2h 17min

Review:

Noah Baumbach’s Marriage story is as subtle as it is familiar.  You’d be hard pressed to ignore echos from films like 1979’s Kramer vs Kramer which starred Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep or even 1989’s The War of the Roses with Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas.  Perhaps every generation needs one or two films that captures the slow-moving disintegration of a love story perhaps to act as a counterweight to the endless Rom-Coms that Hollywood churns out.  Baumbach’s film does a fine job of capturing what those singular films have in the past by capturing the ordinary and mundane that can lead to larger life events.  We never see the marriage in its heyday and it’s probably for the best that its only referred to but never explicitly shown, capturing how those fiery moment have faded into the mundane.  At the film’s center are two performances that keep your attention even through the quieter moments which pepper the film.  Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson keep it watchable and engaging throughout.  I’ll readily admit that I’ve never understood Driver’s appeal, in my opinion he’s been playing version of the same character since he first hit the screen, but it’s hard to ignore his measured but realistic performance.  The film paints his character in a slightly more sympathetic light which makes him easier to like since the film tends to follow him more than Johansson.  Scarlett Johansson is just as strong even if her character is a bit more distant from the center of the film.  Still both are likable for the better part of the film even as things start to get more and more pointed leading to an explosive confrontation which is realistic in its gloves off emotional brutality.  If this makes the film sound like a decidedly dour affair, it’s not.  In fact, the film is an ebb and flow in emotions with moments of levity coming as readily as the sadder moments.  The supporting actors all have fun moments with Laura Dern channeling her Big Little Lies character.  Alan Alda and Ray Liotta both have smaller roles, but each leave a lasting impression and make you wish they’d been on screen just a tad more.  As a whole, Marriage Story is a bitter sweet tale about what happens once the romantic comedy moments end

A