Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe (2012)

Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe (2012)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jay Karas

Cast: Jim Gaffigan

Time: 78 minutes

In Mr. Universe, American comedian Jim Gaffigan shares his observations on kids, Disney, pictures, fitness, restaurants, hotels and many other subjects. His humor is relatively clean. I found myself laughing out loud quite often watching this show on Netflix, but I find the little voice changes Gaffigan incorporates into his routine aggravating. In spite of the laughter, the voice always seemed to pull me out of the mood, entertainment-wise. Overall, this is a decent show, just not a favorite comedian of mine.

Rating: «««

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: David Gelb

Cast: Jiro Ono

Time: 81 minutes

This great 2011 documentary is about Jiro Ono, a sushi chef who still operated his Michelin three star restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, in Japan, at the age of 85.

While the premise first made me wonder if this film would be that interesting, I was pleasantly surprised. It is the wonderful true story of a passionate man who persevered in life and worked hard to achieve his goals. You can really feel the love Jiro has for sushi; for him, it is very serious business. And, despite his old age, the chef is still trying to improve and make better sushis.

This is a very compelling documentary that I highly recommend. It is in Japanese, with English subtitles.

Rating: «««««

Louis C.K.: Live at the Beacon Theatre (2011)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Louis C.K.

Cast: Louis C.K.

Time: 62 minutes

In this fourth comedy special of his, shot live from the Beacon Theatres, In Manhattan, New York, Louis C.K. doesn’t hold anything back. The American comedian discusses family, children, drugs, sex and many other topics. Many people would find his stuff offensive, but, heck, a lot of people don’t have much of a sense of humor.

Personally, I loved this show. Louis C.K.’s material is very strong here. There were a few moments I found weaker, but most of it was solid. This one is for fans of the edgier comedy.

Rating: ««««

The Swap (1979)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Jordan Leondopoulos (credited as John Shade)

Cast: Robert De Niro, Jennifer Warren, Anthony Charnota

Time: 88 minutes

After getting out of jail for an unspecified crime, Vito Nicoletti decides to investigate the murder of his brother Sam, a porn film director. Vito’s clear intent here is to find the culprit and avenge his dead brother, in what he refers to as an Italian thing.

In 1969, movie director Jordan Leondopoulos made a film called Sam’s Song, starring a young Robert De Niro, who was relatively unknown at that point, as a political filmmaker. Ten years later, Leondopoulos could no longer afford the star for his new film, so he decided to take archive footage from the original film and reuse it in a new story.

The story of The Swap is interesting enough, though the acting from Anthony Charnota, who plays Vito, is not very good. And you can see a clear disconnect between the old and the new footage. That was a very cheap tactic by the movie director to take footage from one movie to make another without the actor’s permission.

In the footage from 1969, you can catch a glimpse of what De Niro would become, and that is a great thing to see. It is too bad that these images were given such an unfair treatment to serve one film director’s purpose.

Rating: ««

Born to Win (1971)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Ivan Passer

Cast: George Segal, Paul Prentiss, Karen Black, Robert De Niro

Time: 88 minutes

J is a junkie who occasionally runs errands for his dealer Vivian in order to cover his own habit. After meeting Parm, he seems intent on getting his life back on track and move away with her, but, with the cops on his tail, he has to agree to collaborate with them to arrest Vivian.

I originally saw this film because it was advertised as starring Robert De Niro, one of my favorite actors. What we have here is a case of an old movie being repackaged to cash in on the success an actor had later in his career. The Raging Bull actor is only in a couple of scenes in Born to Win, and he was not given anything memorable to sink his teeth into.

As for the movie itself, it just seems to be plodding along aimlessly for close to 90 minutes. By the end of it, I still wondered what was the point. George Segal has offered better performances in his career, and so did Karen Black. This one could easily be skipped without missing much. Born to Win is billed as a black comedy, but I failed to see the humor. 

Rating: «

Jesus Henry Christ (2012)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Dennis Lee

Cast: Jason Spevack, Toni Colette, Michael Sheen

Running time: 92 minutes

Henry is a brilliant young boy who can remember everything he has ever seen or heard in his life. The only thing he does not know is the identity of his father. Created in a petri-dish, he is raised by his single mom, Patricia. One day, Henry meets Dr. Slavkin O’Hara, a university professor who is raising his daughter by himself and using her as a psychology experiment, something that is making the girl very unhappy. Henry starts thinking that Dr. O’Hara is his biological father and he attempts to create a bond with him.

This 2012 full-length movie, based on Dennis Lee’s student short film of the same name, tries to play on two very different fronts, and, in doing so, it is a lot less successful than it should be.

The young boy playing Henry is very sweet and he does a good job on screen. The other actors offer decent performances also. While this film has some charming elements and a good message about the acceptation of differences, the comedy parts are over-the-top and silly in a very unfunny way.

So, in the end, something that could have been very special is simply ordinary.

Rating: «««

Foxcatcher (2014)

Genre: Bographical

Directed by: Bennett Miller

Cast: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo

Running time: 134 minutes

This 2014 biographical sports crime drama is loosely based on the story of Olympic wrestlers, Mark and Dave Schulz, who were hired by philanthropist John E. du Pont to coach a team of wrestlers and prepare them for competition. Dave Schultz was then shot and killed by du Pont.

The first think to say here is that Steve Carell was brilliant as John E. du Pont. His whole physiognomy was transformed. Everything, from his words to his facial expressions and his way of walking, made you forget about the actor at work. He makes you believe it, and you cannot help being absorbed by this character and his silent kind of menace. You know there is something boiling underneath and you know it will be ugly when it comes out. As funny as Carell can be, he can also portray darkness in a fascinating way.

Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum are also very good in their own rights, but their performances pale in comparison to Carell’s.

Storytelling-wise, I felt like Foxcatcher had a few holes that should have been filled a little better, but, overall, it is a very good film about a truly tragic story.

Rating: ««««

The Office - UK (2001-2003)

Genre: TV / Comedy

Directed by: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

Cast: Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis

Number of episodes: 12 (plus a two-part Christmas special)

This classic British TV sitcom was shot documentary style and it takes us through the daily life at the Slough branch of the fictitious Wernham Hogg Paper Company. Characters interact with each other, but they also talk directly to the camera as they are being interviewed by a person we never see on camera.

At the head of this fictitious office is manager David Brent, brilliantly played by Ricky Gervais. While this is played for laughs, Brent comes off as such a tragic figure. He tries so hard to be a cool boss that is loved by his employees. And he fails so miserably. The man has such illusions of grandeur; he thinks he is the funniest man ever. Always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, he more often than not falls on his face.

The rest of the cast is also very solid in The Office. They make you root for or against their character, depending on their role, and they do it well. The humor is crass here. It starts slow, but, by the time the second season starts, some truly cringe-worthy moments are thrown at us. While it is uncomfortable, we cannot help but laugh at the inappropriate humor.

Many of us have worked in an office and have dealt with some of the issues depicted here; maybe not to that extent, but, in some way, it rings true to many. The only fault I can find with this TV show is that it was too short. Nonetheless, it is a fabulous TV comedy that has spawned many adaptations around the world. It is well worth your time.

Rating: «««««

Amy (2015)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Asif Kapadia

Cast: Amy Winehouse (archive), Mitchell Winehouse, Tony Bennett

Running time: 128 minutes

This 2015 documentary focuses on the short, yet full, life of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, who died in July 2011 following years of drug and alcohol abuse and a constant battle with bulimia. Through the use of archive footage and recorded interviews with the late star and her entourage, we are taken on a trip on a road that ends on such a tragic note.

The story of the rise and fall of the great jazz/soul singer that was Amy Winehouse is just as riveting as it is sad. To see such talent wasted away and lost, at the young age of 27, is a truly terrible thing.

Watching this film, it is hard not to get mad at Amy Winehouse’s entourage for not helping her a little more. That being said, addiction is a difficult battle and it is a monstrous beast when you are ill-equipped to deal with its effect. The fact remains, she needed better support. When Amy found great success, with the Back to Black album, she then became a cash cow for everyone around her and there would be no stopping that train, even if there were no tracks left to travel on.

This documentary also shows a very nasty portrait of the paparazzi situation in Europe. Even the sanest person in the world might be prone to snapping when surrounded and “attacked” like that with cameras. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for a fragile Amy Winehouse.

All things considered, this is an awesome documentary. The story is sad, but it is a great look at a talented woman we lost much too fast.

Rating: «««««

Hart's War (2002)

Genre: Thriller / Drama

Directed by: Gregory Hoblit

Cast: Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard

Running time: 125 minutes

During WWII, First Lieutenant Thomas Hart is captured by German soldiers, tortured for information and then sent off to a POW camp, where he will meet ranking officer Col. William McNamara. When two black pilots are moved into the camp, racial tensions arise. After a man turns up dead, one of the pilots is accused and set to be court-martialed. McNamara appoints Hart as legal representative for the accused, but the whole trial might well be a sham, created as diversion.

The acting is pretty good here, especially on Terrence Howard’s part. I really appreciated his performance.

The major issue here is that this film offers a loaded storyline that became a tad convoluted as it went on. Though the subject matter of racism is an important one, the ending was overly dramatic, in a Hollywood cue-in-the-violins kind-of-way. What started out promising became somewhat laughable by the end of it.

Nonetheless, in spite of the evident flaws, the acting was good and the storyline still compelling, though convoluted, so this movie gets a passing mark from me…by a slim margin.

Rating: «««

The East (2013)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Zal Batmanglij

Cast: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page

Running time: 101 minutes

Jane works as an operative for a private intelligence firm called Hiller Brood and she is given the task to infiltrate the ranks of an Eco-Terrorist group called The East. Her goal is to expose them as corrupt, but she soon comes to sympathize with the members of this clan, who seeks revenge on rich polluters.

While the cast is clearly talented and the premise offered much promise, something got lost along the way in the delivery. It started off nicely, but I totally lost interest in what became a convoluted mess of a story. Very disappointing film.

Rating: ««

Adam's Rib (1949)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: George Cukor

Cast: Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn

Running time: 101 minutes

Adam and Amanda Bonner are two lawyers married to each other. When a woman is accused of attempting to kill her unfaithful husband, the usually tightly-knit husband and wife find themselves on opposite sides in the trial that follows. While Adam doesn’t mind his wife having a strong personality, can he accept a direct challenge from her?

A big part of the charm of this black-and-white Hollywood classic resides in the evident chemistry between Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The fact that those two ended up having a relationship after working together is no surprise; they work so well off each other.

It must also be said that Adam’s Rib was ahead of its time. Considering the movie was made in 1949, it deals with issues that are still very touchy today; I can only imagine what it was back then. Issues of feminism, women’s equality and such must have really rubbed some people the wrong way then; it sometimes does so today.

Overall, this is a very entertaining romantic comedy, with a good deal of laughter. While it does not take itself seriously, it does manage to carry an important message. It is a bit cheesy, but that can be forgiven.

Rating: ««««

Must Love Dogs (2005)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Gary David Goldberg

Cast: Diane Lane, John Cusack, Elizabeth Perkins

Running time: 98 minutes

Sarah and Jake are both having a tough time after their respective divorces, and both of their entourages are doing their best to get them both back in the dating world. When their paths cross, nothing comes easy, but maybe it is worth a try.

Diane Lane and John Cusack are both good and loveable in their respective roles. It is easy to root for these two to get together, but there is something missing in the material given to the actors to make this film truly great. This movie is loaded with clichés and ends up being a very uninspired package of predictable cheese-fest.

Must Love Dogs gets the passing grade from me, mostly due to the performance of the two main actors, but there are much better romantic comedies out there.

Rating: «««

Jimmy Carr: Funny Business (2016)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Sam Wrench

Cast: Jimmy Carr

Running time: 62 minutes

In his latest Netflix comedy special, Jimmy Carr is as crude and rude as ever. He may seem proper when you look at his clothing and his appearance, but do not let that fool you: He will either offend you or make you laugh, or both of those things one after the other depending on your particular sensibilities.

Carr offers an avalanche of dirty jokes in Funny Business. The punchlines are raunchy and they come fast, like your mother, as the Brit comedian would probably say. Some of the gags felt a bit old and formulaic, but the great majority of them was great and made me laugh out loud.

If you are easily offended, stay away from anything Jimmy Carr has ever done. If it is not a problem for you, enjoy.

Rating: ««««

L'Audition (2005)

Genre: Franco / Drama

Réalisateur: Luc Picard

Distribution: Luc Picard, Suzanne Clément, Denis Bernard, Alexis Martin

Running time: 124 minutes

Louis Tremblay travaille comme collecteur depuis longtemps. Donc, quand des gens ont des dettes qu’ils ne paient pas, c’est Louis qui a la responsabilité d’aller leur casser la gueule. Secrètement, Louis veut devenir acteur. Afin de se préparer pour une audition, qu’il a réussi à obtenir à l’insu de tout le monde dans son entourage immédiat, Louis rencontre Philippe Chevalier, un comédien qui lui servira de coach.

Dans L’Audition, Luc Picard occupe deux rôles importants, soit celui de réalisateur et celui d’acteur principal. Dans les deux cas, il fait le travail avec brio. Fidèle à ses habitudes, il joue plus que juste, toujours sur le bon ton. Presque trop parfait. Les acteurs de soutien sont également très bons. J’ai particulièrement apprécié Alexis Martin, dans le rôle de Marco, l’assistant de Louis dans le travail de collecteur. Il apporte une petite dose d’humour à ce film.

L’Audition est comme un long et beau poème sur la poursuite de ses rêves, sur l’enfance, sur la paternité et sur la soif de vivre. Cette scène du père qui fait ses adieux à son fils, que Louis prépare pour son audition et que nous entendons plusieurs fois dans le film, est d’une beauté et d’une vérité extraordinaires. Ce film est vraiment à voir.

Rating: «««««

John Adams (2008)

Genre: TV / Historical

Directed by: Tom Hooper

Cast: Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Stephen Dillane

Number of episodes: 7

This seven episode TV miniseries covers the life and times of John Adams, the second president of the United States of America. Over the course of approximately 500 hours, we are taken through a long journey that starts in the Boston colony, where Adams is a lawyer who sticks to his principles in spite of outside pressures. Then, we see his role in the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the road that lead to him becoming the first vice-president of the US, under George Washington, and then the second president.

John Adams has been a controversial figure in American history and his importance in the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been somewhat eclipsed by characters such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. I feel that the point of this miniseries was in large part to fix that. In doing so, it seems that a lot of poetic license has been taken by the makers, which is unfortunate. It is especially ironic since, in a scene, we have John Adams complaining about people revising history.

Nonetheless, in spite of the few historical inaccuracies in this TV miniseries, the subject matter is a very important part of American history and the performances offered by Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, as John Adams and his wife Abigail, was magnificent enough to carry this historical drama to greatness. The sets and costumes also made this work of art very realistic; it feels as if you are transported back in time.

Overall, for people interested in history and for those who appreciate great actors at work, I recommend John Adams.

Rating: ««««

Bill Burr: You People Are All the Same (2012)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jay Karas

Cast: Bill Burr

Running time: 69 minutes

This is the third Bill Burr comedy special I have watched recently, and it is plain to see now: I am a huge fan of his.

In You People Are All the Same, Bill Burr does what he does best: He makes you laugh. He also dares to go where many comedians will not want to venture. His whole section on domestic violence got quite a few reactions of discomfort in the crowd, but he had interesting things to say. He had some valid points and some good jokes on the sensitive subject. I also dug his bit about owning a Pitbull, which is another subject that is more present than ever in the news these days.

Again, if you are an overly sensitive person or if you get offended easily, avoid Bill Burr’s comedy stylings. If you have an open mind, you’ll like it.

Rating: «««««

Kalifornia (1993)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Dominic Sena

Cast: Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny, Michelle Forbes

Running time: 118 minutes

Brian Kessler is a journalist who has just gotten a book deal to write about serial killers. To study the subject matter  and visit famous murder sites, he decides to travel by car from Pittsburgh to California with his girlfriend Carrie, a photographer. Wanting to cut costs, he posts an ad looking for traveling partners. Early Grace and his girlfriend Adele get on board, but what Brian and Carrie fail to realize at first is that Early is a psychopath out on parole who was not supposed to leave town.

Kalifornia is a thrilling road movie that keeps you guessing with a compelling storyline and some strong unpredictable characters. We get some really solid filmmaking here.

The highlight for me is Brad Pitt’s performance. Over the years, Pitt has not always delivered strong performances. As Early Grace, though, he stabs his way through the screen with an amazingly realistic performance. You forget the actor and you look at a man whose path you would never want to cross in a million years.

Juliette Lewis is also very good as young and innocent Adele, a child in a woman’s body who fails to realize how much of a bad fellow her man truly is. Lewis is so good she makes you care about her character. You just want to hug her and protect her.

David Duchovny’s performance was a weak point to me. He was given some good material with his character, but I just did not feel it with him. Michelle Forbes was pretty good as Carrie, Brian Kessler’s girlfriend, the first one in the group to realize there might be something really wrong with Early.

All things considered, Kalifornia remains a very good road thriller that is well worth a couple of hours of your time if you have yet to see it. If you have seen it already, watch it again, even if it is just to see Brad Pitt at his best as an actor.

Rating: ««««

Janis: Little Girl Blue (2015)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Amy J. Berg

Cast: Janis Joplin (archive), Cat Power, Dick Cavett

Running time: 103 minutes

This is a wonderful documentary about my favorite female singer of all-time, Janis Joplin, who, over the course of a too-short-life, left behind great treasures for music lovers around the world.

From the beginning, young Janis Joplin never seemed to fit in in conservative Port Arthur, Texas, where she was born and grew up. A typical outcast, and attracted by the music, the Beat poets and the freedom, she moved on to San Fransisco. This “black sheep”, so to speak, eventually would make a huge, albeit quick, splash on the music scene before dying over a drug overdose at the age of 27.

Janis: Little Girl Blue is loaded with great archive footage of Joplin doing what she did best: Sing on stage for the people and for her own sake. There is also a great amount of backstage footage. Having singer-songwriter Cat Power read passages of letters sent by Janis to her folks and to her lovers was a nice touch and a great way to show the extreme vulnerability of a woman who so needed to feel loved by her fans and mostly by her entourage. Some of those letters are absolutely heartbreaking to listen to.

The documentary also gives a voice to friends and family members of Janis, former road or life partners who could share some insight into who she was. I was quite surprised by Dick Cavett’s contribution, as a man who interviewed Janis many times. You could feel his genuine love for her.

All things considered, this is a film that I loved and that I intend to watch a few more times, so as to better grasp everything about it. Highly recommended.

Rating: «««««

Working Girl (1988)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Mike Nichols

Cast: Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Melanie Griffith

Running time: 114 minutes

Tess McGill is a young secretary with loads of ideas and big aspirations for something more career-wise. When her boss ends up in the hospital with a broken leg after a skiing accident, Tess decides to take advantage of the situation and of her employer’s connections to arrange a merger deal.

I still fail to see why this film received so many accolades. Yes, the story is somewhat compelling and the acting work done by all parties involved is decent, but I found this film cheesy and predictable. Maybe a movie that was 80’s to its very core simply did not age well. Maybe it was great when seen in that era.

That whole section in the middle, where Tess is seen in various shots looking away in the distance, deep in her thoughts, with the overly sentimental music in the background; I found that so laughable, it took me right out of the movie for a while.

When seen today, Working Girl is an OK film. Wish I had seen it when computers, hairdos and makeup looked like they did in that movie. At least, this film had something to say; a decent message about women in the workplace.

Rating: «««

Rogue (2007)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Greg McLean

Cast: Michael Vartan, Radha Mitchell, Sam Worthington

Running time: 99 minutes

A group of tourists on a river cruise in Australia find themselves stranded on a small island after a crocodile, being overly protective of his territory, attacks their boat, leaving it unable to go on. As the night comes, the tourists and their guide Kate will have to find a way to leave that island before it is submerged by the tide and without being eaten by the angry and ferocious animal.

One should not go in this movie expecting a new Jaws with a crocodile instead of a shark. That being said, though this independent film has no hope to live up to such a classic, it does a fine job in creating tension in the people watching it. The acting is good and the story is compelling enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, at least for the first part. The story took a weird turn towards the end and it became so unbelievable that it kind of pulled me out of it for a moment.

Visually-speaking, the scenery is wonderful and they did a good job bringing the deadly croc to life. That last confrontation between the animal and one of the tourists was well done, as far as visuals go; that was a high point for me.

Rogue is a good horror flick that is not without its faults, but that will most probably please the fans of the genre.

Rating: «««

The Resurrection of Jake the Snake (2015)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Steve Yu

Cast: Jake Roberts, Dallas Page, Scott Hall

Running time: 93 minutes

This 2015 documentary chronicles the road to recovery of Jake the Snake Roberts, after years of addiction and self-abuse, with the help of yoga guru Dallas Page.

Jake the Snake Roberts was a big name in the pro wrestling world in the 1980’s. He had that “it” factor that many wish they had. His lived and breathed his character, and he could command attention from any group even without screaming at them or having a physique chiseled out of stone. Deep inside him though, he had that troubled childhood of abuse undermining his opinion of himself. When the 90’s came around, years of drug and alcohol abuse started to take their toll on Roberts, who started becoming more and more of a mess, losing jobs and alienating his own children.

Then, another former wrestler that Jake Roberts help train back in the day, Dallas Page, heard that his former mentor was in a really bad place. Page had Roberts move in with him to help The Snake stay sober and lose weight with DDP Yoga. Along the way, another wrestler battling addiction, Scott Hall, joined them, hoping to also find help.

This documentary pulls no punches. It is in your face and gritty. Some scenes are hard to take, especially for a fan like me who grew up watching guys like Jake Roberts doing what they do best. I highly recommend this title, now available on Netflix.

Rating: «««««

The Guitar (2008)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Amy Redford

Cast: Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankolé, Paz de la Huerta

Running time: 95 minutes

Moments after learning she has terminal cancer and just two months left to live, Melody Wilder also loses her job and gets dumped by her boyfriend. This woman who spent her life denying herself so many things decides to rent a luxurious loft and max out her credit cards living the life before she goes. But, maybe life has other plans for her.

This film is a slow-paced poem with a very compelling storyline. Unfortunately, something seemed to have gotten lost in the delivery. In the end, what had the potential to be great is just good.

Saffron Burrows is good as Melody Wilder, offering a very honest performance. And a woman playing guitar is something I have always found a little sexy. The cast around Burrows, though, was bland and did not offer much.

As for the story itself, there are a lot of plot holes, and when we reach the end, the climax feels unsatisfying. Maybe that was the desired effect, but it left me a little disappointed.

Rating: «««

Bo Burnham: Make Happy (2016)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Bo Burnham and Christopher Storer

Cast: Bo Burnham

Running time: 60 minutes

Three years after the release of What, comedian and musician Bo Burnham is back on Netflix with a new comedy special called Make Happy. Fans of Burnham’s style will find more of what they love about him. He is still all over the place, though a little more structured this time around.

Unlike What, Make Happy starts strong and then fades more and more to end flatly. Strong moments come in the form of an ironic song about the difficulty of being a straight white male and in another ditty about the fakeness of certain country artists.

Overall, this show has its moments, but it managed to lose my interest every now and then.

Rating: «««

Bo Burnham: What (2013)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Bo Burnham and Christopher Storer

Cast: Bo Burnham

Running time: 60 minutes

I first discovered Bo Burnham’s work online, with his infamous song about repetitive love songs (Repeat Stuff). A friend directed me to this live show of his, which is still available on Netflix, to get a better idea about his material. Right off the bat, I must say that, overall, Bo Burnham’s style is not really my thing.

In the case of What, I totally disliked the first half of the show. There is heavy use of a prerecorded narrative voice-over, and I really could not get into that. Then, Burnham was all over the place with jokes that I would call hit-and-miss. And the hits were small ones.

With the second half of the show, business picked up, so to speak. I really dug when Burnham sat down with a prop book and started reading a bunch of short poems, filled with various play-on-words. Then, he read a little story, which was also quite funny. The show ends on a strong note with Repeat Stuff.

When it comes to comedy, I have always preferred a more straight-forward approach. Going deep into a big bag of tricks, Burnham’s shtick often becomes performance art, and that’s when he tends to lose me. Some of his stuff makes me crack up, but it is definitely not a constant enough thing.

Rating: «««

42 (2013)

Genre: Biographical

Directed by: Brian Helgeland

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Behane

Running time: 128 minutes

This 2013 biographical sports film tells the story of how Jackie Robinson broke down racial barriers and became the first African-American to play baseball in the major leagues, after getting signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers.

42 focuses on the first two seasons of Jackie Robinson with the pros, the first one with the farm team of the Montreal Royals and the second one with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Chadwick Boseman, who would also later portray James Brown in a film, did a very good job in the title role. He is very convincing as the strong-willed man who has to ignore the acts of racism around him because his reaction will be the only thing considered if he erupts. Kudos also to Harrison Ford, who did some great transformational work to play Branch Rickey, general manager for the Dodgers, the man who had the idea of calling on an African-American player for his team. It took me a while to recognize Ford. While I have always found the experienced actor a little wooden in his performances, he is really good in 42.

This movie is a very entertaining one and it covers a very important slice of our modern history. While racism still exists, we sure have come a long way.

The only fault I can find with this film is that some lines sounded fake, like nothing these characters would ever have truly said. I feel like, in some cases, the filmmakers got too cute in wanting to show how some men were visionaries and some were racists. In doing so, they embellished a bit. But, other than that, this was compelling tale about a very important figure of our time.

Rating: ««««

I Am Chris Farley (2015)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Brent Hodge and Derik Murray

Cast: David Spade, Bob Odenkirk, Tom Arnold, Mike Myers

Running time: 95 minutes

This 2015 documentary is about the life of comedian Chris Farley, from his birth in Madison, Wisconsin, to his success on Saturday Night Live and in Hollywood, and to his untimely yet not totally unexpected death at the age of 33.

Along with a good deal of archive footage of Farley, this documentary gives a voice to a large number of personalities, all sharing their love for the deceased comedian. First off, we hear from Chris Farley’s brothers and sister. They talk about their childhood with Chris. Then, we hear from friends about his rise to success in the improv world of Chicago. Then came SNL and the years of excess with drugs and alcohol. It got worse and worse, and we hear from many a person who was by his side at that time.

I Am Chris Farley is a great documentary for fans of the late comedian. It is a beautiful tribute to a man that gave all he had to get a laugh, often forgetting to think about himself in the process. It might also help some other people discover who he was. As a longtime fan, I loved it. I laughed, I shed a tear…I was profoundly touched.

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Bill Burr: Let It Go (2010)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Shannon Hartman

Cast: Bill Burr

Running time: 62 minutes

This is the second Bill Burr comedy special I have watched on Netflix, and I must say that I really dig the guy’s work. There is the “angry comedian edge” to his stuff, and that is one style I appreciate very much. In this hour-long show, the American comedian discusses many subjects, such as women, relationships, stupid people, his dog’s aggressiveness (for which he blames himself) and many others.

I found this particular stand-up comedy show laugh-out-loud funny. It might not be pleasant for those who are easily offended, but I loved it.

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Gabrielle (2013)

Genre: Franco / Drama

Réalisatrice: Louise Archambault

Distribution: Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, Alexandre Landry, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin

Running time: 104 minutes

Gabrielle et Martin se côtoient jour après jour au sein d’un chorale formée de gens souffrant de diverses déficiences mentales. La chorale prépare un spectacle dans lequel elle doit chanter avec Robert Charlebois. Gabrielle et Martin s’aiment et souhaitent plus que tout obtenir leur indépendance et vivre leur amour ensemble, mais leur entourage ne le voit pas de cette façon.

L’actrice principale de ce film, Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, est réellement atteinte d’une maladie, soit le Syndrome de Williams. Elle transperce l’écran dans le rôle-titre. Elle est touchante et convaincante, une vraie pro. Alexandre Landry, qui est pour sa part en parfaite santé, est lui aussi très convaincant dans le rôle de Martin.

Ce film traite d’un sujet très délicat, soit l’amour et le sexe chez les gens handicapés. J’ai le sentiment que la réalisatrice, Louise Archambault, a abordé le tout avec amour et respect. On ne sent jamais de jugement dans le propos du film. Malgré l’aspect dramatique de certaines scènes, il y a aussi beaucoup d’humour. Gabrielle est une œuvre cinématographique absolument touchante, qui fait sourire, pleurer et rire, et ce, malgré quelques petites longueurs ; c’est à voir.

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Knockout (2011)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Anne Wheeler

Cast: Steve Austin, Daniel Magder, Jaren Brandt Bartlett

Running time: 91 minutes

Matthew Miller is the new kid in town, as he is moving with his mom in her new man’s house. As he starts school, Matthew soon becomes a favorite target of bullies. Though he’s the grandson of a former boxer and a big fan of boxing, he has never learned to stand up for himself and fight, having been sick as a child. Dan Barnes, the school janitor, who was a boxer himself in his younger days, sees something special in Matthew and takes him under his wing.

From the way this movie was shot to the acting and the script, this totally has the feel of a TV movie-of-the-week. It is meant to inspire, but the ending, though predictable, is totally impossible. It makes no sense whatsoever. As for the acting, it is cheesy as heck.

As a wrestling fan, I saw this film because of Steve Austin’s presence. Well, I have seen better performances from the old Stone Cold. He is much better suited as an action star than as an inspirational coach. Maybe if he was given better material, he would do better. But, the script for Knockout is so cheesy it should be melted in some macaroni. Skip this one, unless you are starved for punishment.

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Hateship, Loveship (2013)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Liza Johnson

Cast: Kristen Wiig, Hailee Steinfeld, Guy Pearce, Nick Nolte

Running time: 104 minutes

Based on an Alice Munro short story, Hateship, Loveship is the story of Johanna Parry. After the old lady she had been working for passes away, Johanna finds another job in the home of Mr. McCauley, an older man who had been taking care of his teenage granddaughter, Tabitha, after her mother died in an accident. Johanna finds herself attracted to the girl’s father, Ken, an ex-con who was visiting his daughter. Noticing the attraction, Tabitha and her best friend decide to play a nasty trick and to write loving messages Johanna thought were from Ken. Not used to these kinds of feelings, Johanna will go overboard in her demonstrations of love.

When I first saw the poster of this film and when I noticed it starred Kristen Wiig, I first though it was a comedy. How wrong I was there. This is clearly a drama. In going against her typical casting, Wiig showed some great range. She shows the necessary amount of restraint in her portrayal of Johanna, a woman having a hard time breaking out of her shell. She was absolutely believable; the transformation was amazing. Guy Pearce is also very good as Ken, a very flawed man with some goodness buried deep inside him.

The pace of Hateship, Loveship is very slow; this is not a wild ride, easily consumed and thrown away afterwards. It took some time, but, by the end of it, I was fully immersed in the story. And, my appreciation for it has been growing since then. A very subdued performance by Wiig and a very compelling story made for a good evening of movie-watching for me. This was a nice surprise.

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The People vs. George Lucas (2010)

Genre: Documentary / Comedy

Directed by: Alexandre O. Philippe

Running time: 92 minutes

This comedic documentary looks at the relationship between filmmaker George Lucas and the fans of his most-renowned work, the Star Wars franchise. After making the original trilogy, Lucas decided to make some changes to these movies, while at the same time making the older versions unavailable in newer formats. That has pissed off a lot of fans. The prequel trilogy was also massively disliked by many of the most rabid fans.

Right off the bat, I will admit to never having watched the Star Wars movies. I have never been a big fan of science-fiction, but I love a good social and cultural phenomenon. The makers of this documentary were not taking themselves seriously, and that made the whole thing very charming. I will say one thing: Star Wars fans are an intense and passionate bunch.

Through new interviews and archive footage, this film tries to look at both sides of the proverbial coin: Is George Lucas the sole owner of the Star Wars franchise and can he do whatever the hell he pleases with it, or, since he has launched it onto the world, should the fans’ feelings also be considered?

Even as a non-fan of the subject matter, I found this documentary interesting. I can image that many fans will totally love it.

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