Movie Reviews | Jmunney's Blog

This is a Movie Review: Sleeping With Other People

October 10, 2015

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Alison Brie, Jason Sudeikis, Sleeping with Other People Leave a comment

Imagine, if you will, a romantic comedy in which two friends want to prove that they can prevent romance from getting in the way of their platonic status. You don’t have to imagine it – there are already plenty. So what does Sleeping with Other People have to add to this subgenre (other than a strong cast, fiery wit, and Alison Brie dancing to “Modern Love”)? Because even with all the fun on display, you figure that at its core, this is still the same old tale. But there actually is a twist on the formula: where sex is usually what gets in the way of the friendship, this time friendship gets in the way of friendship.

Despite their history of emotionally unhealthy sex, Jake (Jason Sudeikis) and Lainey (Brie) understand the importance of a deep personal bond in a relationship. They also recognize how strong a match they are for each other. Therein lies the conflict: it would be so easy if they were to only kind of like each other, or if they were to not realize how strong their attraction is. But at the same time, it is not easy to just stop spending time and sharing everything with a soul mate. This particular rom-com concept has inspired groans because of contrivances; Sleeping with Other People gets it right because of honesty.

This is a Movie Review: The Intern

October 9, 2015

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If The Intern were to focus solely on Anne Hathaway, it would be pretty dispiriting. As Jules, the founder/CEO of an e-commerce clothing company, her struggle does not go much beyond “Can successful women have it all?” While this conundrum is fairly cliché, it can potentially produce an interesting story. But it is tough for The Intern to do that when Jules’ husband (Anders Holm) is supremely underdeveloped.

Luckily, The Intern instead focuses on the relationship between Jules and Ben Whitaker (Robert De Niro), the titular intern. Nancy Meyers’ films are (understandably) criticized for being fluffy wish-fulfillment, but a restless retiree getting hired at a fast-paced new media company is a decent concept. It could easily be screwed up, though, with too much of a focus on “old people don’t understand technology” gags or “why isn’t the current generation like the older generation?!” diatribes. Thankfully, the former disappear after about the first 10 minutes, and the latter are few and far between. Ben proves to be adept at picking up 21st century skills, and he is an excellent employee not because he is old-fashioned, but because he is observant, diligent, and empathetic. He is a paragon of virtue, and De Niro gives an appropriately virtuous performance – his best in a non-David O. Russell film since Meet the Parents.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The Visit

September 23, 2015

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The Visit is easily the most beautiful found footage movie ever made. With M. Night Shyamalan, there is no chance it was ever going to be any other way, for while his writing has become increasingly frustrating, his directing skills have remained strong. Specifically, there is his knack for tensely controlled composition and atmosphere, which allows him to pull off surprises exactly when he means to. That’s right, he’s back with one of his patented twist endings, and this is a contender for the best one of his career.

Shyamalan sneakily misdirects in an endearing manner, by taking an empathetic approach to the most frightening and suspicious characters. The grandparents display a lot of concerning behavior, but it is not completely unusual for their age. Paranoia, random physical ailments, incontinence, and disturbing laughter provide for many alarming moments, but they are explained as facts of life that can be dealt with. Further eccentricities like nude sleepwalking and overenthusiastic hide-and-seek play are posited as weirdness that might be embarrassing but should be accepted as perfectly acceptable. Shyamalan gets you on everyone’s side, so that the full reveal is both satisfying and devoid of any cruelty that could have plagued this premise.

This Is a Movie Review: Straight Outta Compton

September 22, 2015

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Straight Outta Compton is a collection of scenes. Some of them are electric and combine for quite a cinematic statement. Some of them are not really necessary, getting in the way of true cohesion. And surely others are left out, for good or for ill.

All the musical moments capture the power and immediacy of N.W.A. at their best. The recording session of “Boyz-n-the-Hood” presents Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E emerging as a hip-hop star with the most unlikely flow of all time. The racial consciousness is assured, especially when the group is hassled by police, led by a black officer, outside the studio during recording of Straight Outta Compton. (As the film would have it, this is the direct inspiration for one of their most iconic songs.) Any scene that focuses on Ice Cube is a winner, with O’Shea Jackson, Jr. nailing his father’s poetry and business savvy.

The moments with Dr. Dre beyond N.W.A. are a little extraneous, which is no knock on Corey Hawkins. It is just that his chemistry is strongest with his original team. His collaborations with Snoop Dogg and others could really stand to be their own movie.

With Ice Cube and Dr. Dre serving as producers, it is hard to shake the sense that Straight Outta Compton portrays N.W.A. as a little too saintly. They hardly come off as perfect, with Dre’s troubles with the women in his life clearly present, for example (though what has reportedly been excised makes it clear that a lot worse has been left out). The theme of insisting upon speaking a needed message when the public does not want to hear it is invaluable, but it is tempered by the knowledge of how much that message is being controlled.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: Sinister 2

September 14, 2015

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Sinister 2 1 Comment

So many sequels fail by simply rehashing the original. This is especially true with horror films, which tend to live or die by their hooks. Deaths of major characters in the original allow for repetition almost too justifiably. Sinister 2 follows the formula of its predecessor, in which the demon Bughuul seduces a child into murdering his or her family. But it takes a new approach that allows this premise to move towards a different sort of resolution.

The first Sinister follows the efforts of the dad to understand and survive Bughuul, while the sequel’s lead is ex-Deputy So & So (James Ransone), who supported the fight in the original and has now made it his mission to destroy every house that might be targeted by this haunting. There is a new family, but their story is more about mom Courtney’s (Shannyn Sossamon) custody battle, as she is never really aware of the horrors her sons are getting into. So & So is a promising protagonist, as he is not specifically in the line of fire. Bughuul’s process harms bystanders only as much as they get in his way. Sinister presented an ominous, damn near omnipotent vision of evil; Sinister 2 offers hope for victory, or at least survival.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The End of the Tour

September 5, 2015

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An especially striking aspect of The End of the Tour is how much everyone likes each other. This is most obvious in the reaction to David Foster Wallace’s (Jason Segel) radio interview in Minneapolis. His driver Patty (a note-perfect Joan Cusack) cheers about how perfectly it went and how much she is enjoying Infinite Jest, whereas a more cynical film would make this character totally clueless about her client.

This is not to say there is no conflict, but what conflict there is is driven not by resentment but by jealousy and overindulgence. Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) wants to be Wallace, but Wallace rebukes him and deep down, Lipsky knows this is not quite right. Wallace has a wealth of sadness lurking not so deeply in his psyche. He has an eclectic appreciation for both high and low culture. Paradoxically, this deep capacity exacerbates his emptiness. It overwhelms him, and the success it confers him does not remove the profound lack that never goes away. Wallace and Lipsky seek pleasure and fulfillment outside themselves, which is fine, but (to paraphrase the book the film is based on) they still remain themselves.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The Gift

September 4, 2015

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About a third of the way through The Gift, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn’s (Rebecca Hall) St. Bernard, Bojangles, goes missing. This occurs soon after Simon has unceremoniously broken things off with his suspicious former classmate Gordo (Joel Edgerton). A dead dog is a cheap, but effective way to establish pathos, and it seems like The Gift is interested in devastating its audience in this way. But then a few days later, Bojangles is back home and perfectly fine. He survives the film, and there is never any explanation as to whether Gordo kidnapped him or any foul play is involved.

The whole m.o. of The Gift is to leave the audience hanging. [I’M KEEPING IT VAGUE, BUT SPOILER ALERT NONETHELESS.] About halfway through, there is a twist that flips the script of a typical “unwelcome visitor from the past” thriller. Then there is a much nastier twist at the end that is unnerving, bordering on exploitative. The mystery of Bojangles is a microcosm of the whole film’s unsolved, but mercilessly teased mystery. Simon is right to worry about Gordo, but ultimately he does not know exactly why he must worry, and therein lies the rub.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: The Diary of a Teenage Girl

September 2, 2015

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The Diary of a Teenage Girl features an open-minded sexual awakening, but it is complicated by happening via an affair. As Minnie, Bel Powley is refreshingly frank and straightforward in bringing to life female sexual desire. But it is hard to be thrilled by her story. She is sleeping with her mother’s boyfriend, and she is way too immature and insecure to deal with the situation. This puts the viewer in a fundamentally vexing position, wanting to cheer the sex positivity but recognizing the harm in the main relationships.

Then there’s Christopher Meloni as Minnie’s ex-stepfather Pascal. He remains in contact with Minnie and her sister, disapproving of the bohemian San Francisco lifestyle their mother (Kristen Wiig) is raising them in. He is a straight edge, but there is a slight ironic veneer to Meloni’s performance. He likes to keep it cool, but he can lose his patience, and when he does so, he is amusingly insane. That is to say, he is not too far removed from his Wet Hot American Summer performance.

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: Shaun the Sheep Movie

August 30, 2015

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Mr. X, Shaun the Sheep, Shaun the Sheep Movie 2 Comments

Shaun the Sheep Movie shares some DNA with the work of David Wain, specifically in its propensity for significant plot developments to transpire in an absurdly short time frame. After a conk on the head causes the Farmer to forget his identity, his skills for shearing lead him to believe he is a renowned stylist, and he soon becomes the talk of the Big City. This is a process that one would assume would take months, or at least weeks. Maybe days. Meanwhile, Shaun and the rest of the flock track him down to return him home and restore his memory. Their run-ins with the overzealous animal-control worker and the rest of the Big City could not possibly be taking place over more than a couple of days, based on what is presented. Thus, the Farmer becomes the new celebrity stylist “Mr. X” literally overnight. This time compression deserves to be considered as prominently as the whimsically crafted slapstick set pieces, such as the sheep attempting to mimic the human behavior of restaurant patrons or their transporting an elaborate fake horse disguise (whose butt the animal-control guy gets adorably stuck in).

This Is a (Quickie) Movie Review: Irrational Man

August 12, 2015

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For its first half hour or so, Irrational Man consists mainly of the masturbatory philosophizing that it rails against, just a different form. Luckily, it kicks into gear when its premise springs into action. It is not the first film to attempt to justify a major crime, nor the best, but it is gratifyingly self-assured.

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