Ricky Gervais: Humanity (2018)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: John L. Spencer

Cast: Ricky Gervais

Time: 79 minutes

Like me, in a way, Ricky Gervais does not like humans very much, but he still called his latest comedy special Humanity. Taking the stage from London’s Eventim Apollo, the Brit comic does not hold anything back. Gervais will joke about anything: Rape, pedophiles, religion, atheism, dead kids, transgender people and much more. One sensitive subject to the next, Gervais touches it all, with the same biting style that some will love and some will loathe. I love it. As he says, joking about a bad thing is not the same as doing the bad thing. The comic also delves into such topics as social media and animal cruelty. The sensitive souls out there are best stay away from this one. The others should love and be fully entertained.

Rating: «««««

Disjointed (2017-2018)

Disjointed (2017-2018)

Genre: TV / Comedy

Starring: Kathy Bates, Aaron Moten, Elizabeth Alderfer, Tone Bell

Number of episodes: 20

Ruth Whitefeather Feldman is a former lawyer and cannabis advocate who now operates a pot dispensary with her son and a team of merry budtenders in Los Angeles.

Disjointed sure contained a good dose of funny moments and some more tender ones too. Kathy Bates was a highlight to me, though the supporting cast was also pretty good. Some of the jokes got repetitive and some of the attempts at thinking outside the box kind of missed the mark, but, overall, this show was quite entertaining for the little time it lasted.

Rating: «««

Cedric the Entertainer: Live from the Ville (2016)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Troy Miller

Cast: Cedric the Entertainer, The Tennessee State University Marching Band

Time: 60 minutes

Live from the legendary Ryman Auditorium, in Nashville, Cedric the Entertainer took the stage to discuss such topics as getting old, weight loss, music, parenting and politics. While some will probably like this comedy special, this was not for me. The material and the delivery did not grab me and most of the musical references went way over my head. There were a few jokes I found funny, but, overall, I did not care much for this one.

Rating: ««

Book Club (2018)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Bill Holderman

Cast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen

Time: 104 minutes

Four aging women have been friends for decades and have been getting together every month to take part in their own book club. After Fifty Shades of Grey became the book to read for the month, all of the four women start to reevaluate their respective love lives.

Talk about a loaded cast. Along with the four main stars, we have Don Johnson, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Richard Dreyfuss and Alicia Silverstone. It is nice to see Hollywood offer such fun roles to a big group of aging stars. Book Club offers a laugh-out-loud collection of moments, with a sweet and tender edge to them. This is a very entertaining little piece of cinema. Highly recommended.

Rating: ««««

Let's Be Cops (2014)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Luke Greenfield

Cast: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., Rob Riggle

Time: 104 minutes

Justin Miller and Ryan O’Malley are best friends. One is a struggling video game designer and the other is an unemployed former college football star. Both dissatisfied with their lives, they decide to pretend to be Los Angeles police officers. In the process, they manage to get themselves in big trouble.

Maybe it was because I went into this movie with low expectations, but I was actually somewhat entertained. Sure, the premise is kind of stupid and requires one to totally suspend disbelief. Sure, the acting is just okay, with the two main actors lacking in the on-screen chemistry department. Nonetheless, I did not really hate this flick. I enjoyed the flawed ride while it lasted.

Rating: «««

1987 (2014)

Genre: Franco / Biographical / Comedy

Réalisateur: Ricardo Trogi

Distribution: Jean-Carl Boucher, Sandrine Bisson, Claudio Colangelo

Durée: 105 minutes

Dans cette suite du film 1981, nous retrouvons Ricardo Trogi, maintenant âgé de 17 ans. Comme tous les jeunes hommes en devenir, il est préoccupé par son avenir, par les moyens de gagner un peu d’argent et, surtout, par le moment où il pourra enfin perdre sa virginité.

Il s’agit encore une fois ici d’un film autobiographique écrit et réalisé par Ricardo Trogi, qui y raconte la fin de ses études secondaires, un moment charnière dans la vie de tout adolescent. Cela étant dit, j’ai été quelque peu déçu de cette suite. Il y a de bons moments, le jeu des acteurs est solide, mais l’histoire n’a pas su garder mon intérêt autant que 1981. Ce deuxième volet n’est pas un mauvais film, mais ce n’est pas extraordinaire non plus.

Note: «««

Other People (2016)

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Directed by: Chris Kelly

Cast: Jesse Plemons, Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford

Time: 96 minutes

David Mulcahey, a struggling comedy writer, moves back with his mom to take care of her as she is in the last stages of her battle with cancer. As he is coming to terms with his mom’s upcoming departure, David, a gay man who came out of the closet to his family ten years prior, must also cope with an unsuccessful career, the end of a love relationship and a father who still does not want to accept his son’s sexuality.

With this film that he wrote and directed, Chris Kelly managed to deal with a very loaded and difficult subject matter without falling into melodrama territory. The story walks the line between drama and comedy; some moments will make you laugh, some will make you smile and others will make you shed a few tears.

I was quite amazed by the performance of Molly Shannon. I had never seen her carrying such a load on screen and she did great. The rest of the cast was also solid.

This is a beautiful emotional roller-coaster of a film: Highly recommended.

Rating: «««««

Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! (2013-2014)

Genre: TV / Comedy / Drama

Starring: Brody Stevens, Zach Galifianakis, Jen Kirkman

Number of episodes: 12

Steven Brody Stevens is a former baseball player now turned stand-up comic. His comedic style is in your face and brash, like the bipolar disorder he refuses to accept. After a very public meltdown, he tries to put his life and career back on track, with some assistance from his best friend, comedian Zach Galifianakis.

With the mixture of comedy and drama in this one season TV show, it is sometimes hard to tell if the people involved are serious or not. But, in the end, it felt very real. There were some funny moments, and some very human and touching aspects to it also. The first few episodes might be off-putting and disconcerting, but it is well worth toughing it out for the whole 12 episodes. This show gives a very interesting look at how mental illness can affect one’s life and how having a good entourage can help you a lot.

Rating: ««««

27: Gone Too Soon (2018)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Simon Napier-Bell

Cast: Steve Blame, Paul, Gambaccini, Dan Gillepsie Sells

Time: 90 minutes

Thousands of rock stars have passed ahead of their time over the past decades, but a sort of mystique has been created around a small group of them who all died at the age of 27. Those artists were Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. The first four all died over a short span of about three years, which largely contributed to the aura that surrounds this 27 Club. This documentary looks at the six people involved and tries to shed some light on the whole thing.

When I saw this title was available on Netflix, I jumped at the opportunity to see it. I’m a huge fan of a few members of the 27 Club, so the subject matter fascinates me. It was even weird for me when I reached the age of 28. Unfortunately, the film was quite a letdown.

The musicians and music journalists who spoke in this film briefly tried to explain the whole phenomenon and then they rehashed well documented info about all 6 members of the 27 Club. There was not a bit of new information. And, all the people involved were so monotone and boring; I could barely keep my attention onto the movie.

Overall, while the subject matter really fascinates me, the product delivered left me highly disappointed.

Rating: ««

1981 (2009)

Genre: Franco / Biographical / Comedy

Réalisateur: Ricardo Trogi

Distribution: Jean-Carl Boucher, Sandrine Bisson, Claudio Colangelo

Durée: 102 minutes

À l’âge de 11 ans, Ricardo Trogi arrive dans une nouvelle école. Cette dernière est surtout fréquentée par des élèves dont les parents ont plus d’argent que les siens. Afin de se faire des amis et de gagner le cœur de la charmante Anne Tremblay, la fille de ses rêves du moment selon lui, il doit apprendre à mentir.

Ce film autobiographique, mais sûrement légèrement amplifié pour l’effet, a été écrit et réalisé par Ricardo Trogi, qui raconte ici l’histoire de l’année de ses 11 ans, un moment marquant de son enfance. Le ton est drôle, les textes le sont tout autant, les personnages sont absolument attachants, les comédiens campent tous bien leur rôle; ce film est un petit bijou du cinéma québécois. En plus, personnellement, je me retrouve tellement dans l’authenticité du début des années 80. À voir.

Note: «««««

The Wedding Ringer (2015)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jeremy Garelick

Cast: Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting

Time: 101 minutes

Doug Harris is a successful tax attorney who is about to get married to his fiancée Gretchen. Doug had lots of money; unfortunately, he has no friend to serve as best man for the wedding. So, he decides to call upon Jimmy Callahan, a man who offers best man services for a fee.

Going into this film with low expectations is the best way to go. I did just that and I was actually entertained. This is an okay comedy with a silly premise but decent delivery and a good heart. Kevin Hart and Josh Gad worked well off each other. The movie went into overdrive in silly territory towards the end, but I was still entertained. I have seen much worse in that genre.

Rating: «««

Indian Horse (2018)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Stephen Campanelli

Cast: Sladen Peltier, Forrest Goodluck, Evan Adams, Michiel Huisman

Time: 100 minutes

Based on the Richard Wagamese novel of the same name, this film tells the story of Saul Indian Horse, a young native boy, which is uprooted from his family to be brought into the Indian residential school system. While at this school, Saul develops a passion for hockey and soon discovers that he has a natural ability for the sport that will lead him to leave the school for a foster family in a mining town.

This film is beautiful, though its absolute brutal honesty about the fate of all these native kids is so heartbreaking. Watching this movie touched me and made me so mad, it managed to intensify my aversion for organized religion and the people within it. What some folks will do in the name of God is absolutely disgusting.

I thoroughly recommend this film. It is sometimes intense and hard to take, due to its honest and direct take on things, but it is really well done. Indian Horse tugs at our heartstring, but never does so with cheap ploys and tools.

Rating: «««««

Bored to Death (2009-2011)

Genre: TV / Comedy
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis, Ted Danson 
Number of seasons: 3

Jonathan Ames is a struggling novelist working as a journalist as he tries to find inspiration for a second book. After his girlfriend leaves him, Jonathan decides to moonlight as an unlicensed private investigator. His best friend Ray Hueston, a male genitalia-obsessed comic book artist, and George Christopher, the libertine magazine editor Jonathan works for and a father figure of sort for the young author, will assist the bored man in the new adventures that will come his way as a bumbling sleuth.

This 3 season series, originally aired on HBO, was created by the real Jonathan Ames, who wrote a fictional story using his real name for the main character. This show is off-beat and quirky, in a very charming way. The chemistry between the three main actors is solid on screen, and it was particularly nice to see Ted Danson on screen again.

Overall, this was a very entertaining show that lasted just long enough not to get stretched out too much. What we have here is a collection of 24 short episodes that are quite entertaining. There are also some interesting cameos to watch, from the likes of Mary Steenburgen, Olympia Dukakis, Patton Oswalt and Isla Fisher.

Rating: ««««