Category Archives: Comedy

Queen Bees

Queen Bees                       2 ½ stars

The newly released Queen Bees is a light likeable comedy for the older crowd staring Ellen Burstyn (of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore) as Helen, an older widow who finds herself temporarily forced into an upscale retirement community called Pine Grove where there is plenty of company and activities for the aging residents. Among the widows there is a group of women who rule the community called the Queen Bees or as they say in the movie, they “are like mean girls with medical alert bracelets”. These “girls” are played by TV and movie legends Jane Curtin, Loretta Divine and Ann-Margret, quite a collection of talent. Helen is only here ”temporarily” and has to make the best of the situation, joining the ladies in the bridge club though things don’t go well at first. Any lightweight comedy has to have a love interest and this responsibility is filled by Dan, played by James Caan (of Godfather and Misery fame) an older gentleman who has recently moved into Pine Grove as well. Since Helen and Dan share an interest in flowers it becomes obvious where this is headed. The movie plays like many romantic comedies with friendships formed, tense moments, misunderstandings, the occasional tragedy and the expected happy resolutions. The movie is completely predictable, but with such a fine collection of older actors it is hard to see how things could go badly. There is even a young man who plays Helen’s perfect grandson who shares her interest in quotes by writers and is always looking out for her. Queen Bees is very appropriate for the grandmother crowd or a family outing to the movies.

Moana 2

Moana 2               3 ½ stars

It’s hard to believe that it has been eight years. That was when a young Polynesian woman, Moana went on an oceanic adventure across the Pacific with her demi-god friend, Maui on a mission to save her people in the hit animated Disney movie Moana. That was so long ago that Donald Trump was about to become President. Well, some things tend to repeat themselves. Now we find Moana (Hawaiian actress Auli’i Cravalho), having become a wayfinder is once more on a quest, this time to find signs of other island dwelling people and end her people’s isolation on the South Pacific Island of Matanui. Only, before leaving, Moana experiences a troubling vision telling her that long ago, a god like being called Nalo hid a secret island that had served to bring the island people together and that if things are not restored, it will mean the end of her people. For this journey she recruits a crew with her consisting of an elderly farmer, a sort of canoe design engineer, Loto and her large friend Moni who has a crush on Moana and likes to create images on canvases. After some preliminary adventures involving the coconut pirates, the Kakamora, the crew finds Maui (Dwayne Johnson) who is being held prisoner by a female god called Matangi (Awhimai Fraser). Once freed by Moana and the crew, they team up to accomplish the true mission, to find the lost island and set foot on it which will end the curse of Nalo. Before any of this can happen, we are treated to all sorts of action set to upbeat songs in the usual Disney fashion. Cravalho who plays Moana and is a Broadway actress really can belt out the songs, only the songs themselves are not quite so memorable. This movie does not use the song writing talents of Lin Manuel Miranda, like the original Moana did. While the characters are fun and amusing, the main villain seems to be the storm created by the evil god, who we don’t see much of. Much of the action centers on the characters saving one another from magic tornadoes and various creatures of the sea. Maui does his usual act of transforming into other creatures suited to each situation they encounter. The message here is that we benefit most by working together as a team. And naturally, the animation is top notch in the usual Disney fashion. I would not call it the best animated movie of the year, but you can’t miss by taking a young audience to see it. Judging by the box office, it is one of the major hits of the year.

Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise      2 ½ stars

It’s back to the world of Disney once again, this time with Disney’s latest movie based on a Disney theme park ride. Jungle Cruise takes us on an adventure in the Brazilian jungle with Dwayne Johnson as a wisecracking scallywag named Frank who operates a river boat ride on the Amazon for rich tourists. Johnson is his usual charming self that we have grown so accustomed to in his roles. Like many Disney adventure movies there is a lot of background involving old legends and villains that this time brings a wealthy adventurous woman, Lily Houghton (a very self-assured Emily Blunt) and her brother, MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) from 1916 England to the Amazon in search of the petals of a legendary Tree of Life that is reputed to have mysterious healing powers. She of course hires Frank to take the pair deep into the jungle in search of famed flowers, but they are pursued by a reanimated 400 year old Spanish Conquistador? as well as an evil German Saxon Prince (Jesse Plemons) and his U-boat who are all interested in the same tree for their own reasons. This is all we need for two hours plus of action and conflicts between the various factions interspersed with Frank’s corny one-liners that will have you begging him to stop! There is danger to be had from vicious animals and fish and a primitive jungle tribe just like in the Disney ride. Then there is the ongoing joke of Frank referring to Lily as “Pants” since she insists on wearing trousers, something unheard of in 1916. The movie is reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean with an equal amount of action and supernatural beings that are always returning for more. By the time the movie was over I thought I had seen multiple endings as the villains seemed to have been dispatched several times. I am sure that the kids will love this one, but at times it got a bit tiresome. Expect the ending to leave you feeling that a sequel is in the works just like the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

A Real Pain

A Real Pain                          5 stars

I caught up with a truly memorable movie that was first shown at Sundance this year. A Real Pain is Jesse Eisenberg’s second time directing and he does a remarkable job of it. This is a sort of travel movie with two cousins who were very close when they were growing up but have since grown apart. David (Eisenberg) is the serious one who has a family in Brooklyn and takes life very seriously but is full of anxiety, even taking meds. His cousin, Benji, (Kieren Culkin of Succession) on the other hand is the polar opposite. You probably know someone like him. He is the guy who never really grew up. He lives in his mother’s basement. He has to be the life of the party, always oversharing, inquiring into the life of strangers, but quick to take offense at remarks he disagrees with. People often feel the need to apologize after seeing his reactions. But he is good for sharing his prize weed at the opportune moment. David loves him, sometimes trying to get him to tone it down and apologizing to others for his antics. The movie takes the form of a travel movie when David reserves a tour for the two of them who are both Jewish in Poland to see locations associated with the Holocaust. Their grandmother, who grew up in Poland and escaped the Holocaust has recently passed away, so David wants to honor her by visiting what was her home. Benji, who was very close to his grandmother, is excited at the idea and meets David at the airport for their flight, only in a rather irresponsible manner, by not taking any of David’s phone calls. Once they join the tour, Benji engages well with the guide and other travelers sometimes. (In one scene he encourages the group to pose in front of the Warsaw Uprising Monument.) At other times he gets overly emotional and critical of the poor guide, saying whatever comes to mind. You could say that he is a lot. (I should also mention that one of the tour guests is played by Jennifer Grey of Dirty Dancing fame.) Culkin really goes all in for the role and is a perfect fit for the character Eisenberg created. Later, we find there is a family history that helps explain the actions of both cousins. The film’s title is very appropriate both for the cousins’ relationship and for the historical tragedy faced by the Jewish people. After going through the painful experience of the trip we get the feeling that some healing has begun for these two.

The English Teacher

The English Teacher        1 ½ stars

Today we go back eight years to find a well hidden comedy called The English Teacher, starring Julianne Moore as a high school English teacher in a small town in Pennsylvania. Linda is single and has a passion for instructing her students in the great literary works, but has little else going on in her life. Enter Jason (Michael Angarano, who played young Uncle Nicky in This Is Us), a former student, now in his twenties who tried the theater scene in New York, but has given that up to study law (since that is what his father has encouraged him to do). Things start to get interesting when Linda finds out that Jason has written a play that she likes so much she insists that it be this year’s production by the Theater department. It is then that all the hijinks begin with the lies, broken promises, the fooling around involving the vice principle, the drama teacher and various students in the production. The movie can be described as a light comedy that runs short on the comedy and never gets to any very interesting relationships. At one point it seemed like every character was miserable and the high school production was a hopeless mess. Then, within the hour and a half time frame of the movie everything was settled in time for a happy but implausible ending. Julianne Moore, who has had an amazing career over the last three decades, was given a character that is little more than a stereotype. Much better from the same time period were her characters in What Maisie Knew and Still Alice. Seek out those titles instead as The English Teacher gets a failing grade. Or look for the new movie Dear Evan Hansen coming in September.

Queenpins

Queenpins          3 stars

This week I found a rather silly comedy called Queenpins that is certainly worth a few laughs. While it’s based on a true story about a pair of suburban women who seek to make some money from couponing, it is not above creating some ridiculous situations and the use of bathroom humor to get some laughs. Kristen Bell stars as the cheerful Connie Kaminski and Kirby Howell-Baptiste is her partner JoJo who love to save money by clipping coupons and buying in bulk. The pair decide to expand their enterprise by selling coupons through the mail which is not illegal. The problem comes when they decide to expand further by “procuring” the coupons from a printing company through a couple working on the inside of a plant in Mexico. That would be the illegal part. Soon they realize they are in over their heads so they seek the help of a computer hacker named Tempe Tina (Bebe Rexha) who advises them how to set up fake businesses and use false identities to cover their tracks. While Connie and JoJo are making millions, their activities are soon noticed by a hapless loss prevention manager of the local food store, Ken (played perfectly as a bumbling fool by Paul Walter Hauser of I, Tonya and Cruella). Ken eventually gets the attention of a Postal Inspector (Vince Vaughn) and the hunt is on. Ken is along for the ride and must constantly be reminded that he is not a law enforcement officer. Vaughn with his serious tone and Hauser as the clueless schmuck play off well against each other.  The caper is reminiscent of the McMillions documentary about the real scheme to steal Monopoly games pieces, but Queenpins is strictly for laughs and is never to be taken too seriously. It is a super light comedy that is a bit of fun to start the fall off with.

Soul

Soul       4 ½ stars

Disney Pixar’s award winning animated film Soul is a bit of a departure from the studio’s usual productions. While intended mainly for young audiences there is a blend of metaphysical wisdom mixed in with the colorful magic that only the more mature watchers will appreciate. We meet Joe (Jamie Fox), a middle school band director who hasn’t reached his dream of being a jazz performer in New York despite years of trying. He gets his chance at a great gig when due to an accident he finds that he is transported to an otherworldly realm referred to as the Great Before. This is the place where souls receive their personalities before they travel to earth to be matched to a new body. Joe is mistaken for one of the mentors, old souls that have lived their lives and now pass on their wisdom to the young new souls. Joe meets one unfortunate new soul called Soul 22 (Tina Fey) who has rejected past mentors like Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, Copernicus and Carl Jung for thousands of years and is an irritation to the Counselor Jerrys that run the Great Before. Then because of an unlikely accident the pair travel to earth together to be united with Joe’s body, though not in the planned way. It is then when the real magic happens with 22 encountering real life in the city and must learn to appreciate the many wonders of living while Joe struggles to find a way to make his appointment for his jazz performance. There are some moments of great tension and scary scenes, but they are done with enough care so are still appropriate for the young viewers. Still the message comes through that our hopes and dreams are what makes our lives worth living. Be sure to give Soul a try if you haven’t already.

Emilia Pérez

Emilia Pérez       4 ½ stars

Emilia Pérez by director Jacques Audiard is a movie that defies genre. It’s part crime thriller, part opera and part melodrama. Perhaps most of all it’s about trans identity and redemption of the past. It certainly goes against any expectations I may have had. Early on we meet, Rita (Zoe Saldana), a lawyer who defends criminals in the courts of Mexico City. She is good at her job, but also very alone. She is “called on” by a cartel leader named Manitas Del Monte (Karla Sofia Gascón in a career defining role) who wants to hire her for a most unusual job. Manitas wants to change his life and become the woman that he feels he was meant to be. Rita accepts the offer which entails her finding a doctor to perform the transformation, move Manitas’s family out of Mexico and to help fake his death. Years later, while working in London, Rita meets a woman at a gathering named Emilia Pérez. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that Emilia is the transformed Manitas and that she is not finished with Rita yet. Emilia misses her children and wants to have Rita reunite the family, but with Emilia posing as a long-lost aunt so that even her own family does not know the truth. Even Manitas’s wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez) does not recognize her. To relieve her guilt, Emilia establishes a foundation to find the tens of thousands of victims of the drug wars so that relatives can know the truth of what happened to their loved ones, many of whose deaths she was responsible for. Thus, the movie brings the tragedies of the drug wars out into the open showing what has happened to a society that has lost so much. Mexico has lost more than 100,000 people this way. And all of this is done in performances of song and dance, making the movie an opera with a tragic story to tell. Zoe Saldana is especially talented as a dancer as she condemns the evildoers she has been acquainted as she moves from one tabletop to another. But it is Sofia Gascón especially who gives the greatest performance as both parts of her role. The actress is herself a transgender making her well suited to the role, in addition to her acting ability. Selena Gomez also puts in a convincing performance as the wife in a part that is miles from her Disney girl roles of the past and allows her to connect with her Mexican roots. The movie is probably not for everyone, but if the idea of a crime thriller set to music piques your interest you should give it a try.

Anora

Anora    4 ½ stars

The movies made by writer/director Sean Baker always seem to feature those struggling to survive on the edge of society. Think of The Florida Project about a young single mother living in a rundown motel or Tangerine about a transgender sex worker. Baker seeks to humanize those who live in the margins. The same can be said about Anora, the movie about a young sex worker in New York named Anora or Ani (Mikey Madison) whose world intersects with New York’s Russian oligarchs. At the start of the movie Ani is seen grinding away with clients along with several other nearly nude women at a strip club. Until a rich young Russian man named Ivan asks for a Russian speaking girl. Ani fits this requirement and is pleased to make his acquaintance. Ivan asks her if she works outside the club, and she agrees to meet at his mansion. It’s not really his mansion as Ivan is the son of a Russian oligarch and he is supposed to be in America to get an education. Ivan, whose English is only passable behaves like a horny puppy as the two go at it in the bedroom. Soon Ivan offers to buy her services for a week, paying a hefty price. He gets to be seen by his friends with a beautiful woman on his arm and she gets to live like a queen for a week. The fairytale romance escalates when the pair travel to Las Vegas along with Ivan’s entourage and they decide to get married, allowing Ivan to stay in America instead of returning to Russia to work for Daddy. At this point the movie seems like a new Pretty Woman, but then reality sets in when Daddy and Mother who are in Moscow find out that their son has married a hooker. A trio of Russian strongmen arrive at the mansion led by Toros (Karren Karagulian), a sort of babysitter for Ivan, who was unaware of Ivan’s antics. They have been ordered to check on the situation and upon finding it to be true follow Father’s orders to get the marriage annulled. What follows can only be described as manic comedy as Ani battles against the Russians with profanity and physical resistance while the misbehaving boy, Ivan runs away, abandoning his new bride who is now a captive. This group of four are a good copy of the Keystone Cops in an extended scene traveling all over New York trying to find the lost Ivan before his parents arrive from Moscow in their private jet. The movie belongs to Mikey Madison who makes Ani a sympathetic character despite her chosen profession. Some might remember her from Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood as the Charles Manson follower incinerated by a flamethrower. Expect her performance in Anora to be long remembered. The movie should also make audiences despise the privilege awarded to the insanely rich Russians living in America who make their billions off the working class in Russia. I must also mention that director Sean Baker manages to give one of the Russian goons named Igor a level of humanity as he takes pity on the poor Ani performing an act of kindness toward the end of the film. Baker as usual finds ways of giving his characters true humanity.

The French Dispatch

The French Dispatch       4 stars

Fans of Wes Anderson will instantly recognize the director’s style in this latest anthology and tribute to The New Yorker magazine in The French Dispatch. It’s a collection of stories that are presented as belonging to the final issue of a fictional magazine called The French Dispatch. Each of the writers present their stories, all set in a French village called Ennui, that all seem surreal yet plausible at the same time. The movie has the same style we remember from Isle of Dogs, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom: the fascinating sets, the quick editing, the dry narration and a collection of well known actors. In fact this time we get a real overload of them including Bill Murray, Francis McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, Benecio del Toro and Adrian Brody just to name a few. Anderson is said to have a fascination with The New Yorker so many of his characters are meant to be representations of various writers, art critics and the like, which means little to me. I just enjoyed the movie and the way that he tells the stories. I won’t go into any detail about the individual stories except to say that my favorite was the one about the man in prison for a double murder who attracts the attention of the art world with his abstract nude paintings of one of the prison’s guards. I have seen most but not all of Wes Anderson’s movies, so now I may have to look up the ones that I missed. His movies aren’t for everyone, but those who are fans of his previous movies will undoubtedly love The French Dispatch.