7 Days in Hell (2015)

Genre: Comedy / Documentary

Directed by: Jake Szymanski

Cast: Andy Samberg, Kit Harington, Mary Steenburgen

Time: 45 minutes

Aaron Williams and Charles Poole are pro tennis players with very different personalities. Williams, while quite talented, is a wild man on and off the court, which leads to a very public meltdown where he swears off his sport and disappears. Charles Poole is a dim-witted tennis prodigy who was pushed into the sport by his controlling mother. Prior to the 2001 Wimbledon tournament, Poole makes comments in the press about Williams, which pushes the retired player to make a comeback. They face each other in the first round, and their match will last 7 days, due to various funny circumstances.

This short comedic film, which was shot in mockumentary style, is hilarious. Many Saturday Night Live alums, such as Andy Samberg, Will Forte and Fred Armisen, took part in the project. I also loved seeing Serena Williams, Chris Evert, John McEnroe and David Copperfield doing cameos. The latter two were especially effective and convincing. With Mary Steenburgen, Lena Dunham, Howie Mandel and Jon Hamm also involved, there was a loaded cast on hand.

A lot of the humor in 7 Days in Hell was silly, but it is clear that the filmmakers were not taking themselves seriously. The end result is a fun and entertaining mockumentary film that is well worth your time.

Rating: ««««

Michael Che Matters (2016)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Osmany Rodriguez

Cast: Michael Che

Time: 60 minutes

In a live comedy special recorded on stage in Brooklyn, Michael Che pulls no punches as he discusses racism, homophobia, the Black Lives Matter movement, Jesus, gun control and many other topics.

From the get-go, I loved how Che was brought on to the stage by a live rock band. That was a nice touch and it gave the whole intro a much more dynamic feel. The man’s comedy is honest and uncompromising. I did not necessarily agree with everything being said, but good points were made and I loved the fact that he dared to go into some uncomfortable zones, comedy-wise. When there was some push-back from the crowd, like on the subject of Trump (this show was recorded before the election), Che showed himself to be very apt at improvising and playing with the reactions.

Overall, Michael Che Matters is a very funny comedy show, with a few weaker moments here and there. Che has that nervous thing where he often giggles at his own premises and punchlines, which can be a little annoying, but, all things considered, the comic still manages to make you laugh and think. Highly entertaining.

Rating: ««««

Anger Management (2012-2014)

Genre: TV / Comedy

Starring: Charlie Sheen, Selma Blair, Shawnee Smith, Brian Austin Green

Number of seasons: 5

Following his very public meltdown and firing from Two and a Half Men by Chuck Lorre, Charlie Sheen landed another gig playing the lead role in Anger Management, a TV series loosely based on the 2003 movie of the same name. In the show, Sheen plays Charlie Goodson, a former minor league baseball player whose career ended due to injury after he broke his bat on his knee in anger. Now an anger management therapist, he tries to help others deal with their own anger issues.

Charlie Sheen knows the role he played here quite well: Drinking, womanizing, anger, etc. He does that role like its second nature. His chemistry with Selma Blair in the early episodes was quite good, it is too bad that relationship soured off-screen and Blair was dismissed. Sheen never quite found that chemistry again with Laura Bell Bundy, his second female counterpart in the show.

Brian Austin Green was a nice surprise as Sean Healy, a character who becomes a regular in later episodes. Green plays something quite far from his 90210 days, and he does a good job of it. Shawnee Smith, on the other hand, I found very aggravating as Charlie’s ex-wife. Something about her voice bothered me. Good thing we saw less and less of her character as the show went on. They had gotten the most out of it anyways.

Anger Management has its moments, but it ended up being very static and repetitive. The characters of Charlie Goodson’s patients were a little too one-note and could have been fleshed-out a little more, though the actors involved did their best with the material they were given. At times, the situations became a little redundant and lacking in oomph. Nonetheless, this show, which was broadcasted on FX between 2012 and 2014, manages to offer a good dose of laughs, in spite of its shortcomings.

Rating: «««

Jen Kirkman: Just Keep Livin'? (2017)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Lance Bangs

Cast: Jen Kirkman

Time: 69 minutes

In this new stand-up comedy special of hers, comic Jen Kirkman discusses womanhood, women’s bodies, guys, meditation and many other subjects.

Like I do with most feminists out there, I found myself disagreeing with a few things Jen Kirkman said her in her comedy special. That being said, I can appreciate her right to share her view of the world as she sees it. She almost lost me towards the end when she felt the need to qualify her previous statements by saying she had nothing against guys, but… Imagine a man who says that he has nothing against women, African Americans or homosexuals, and then following that phrase with the word “but”. But it’s all OK, as in modern society, misandry is much more tolerated than racism, homophobia or misogyny.

I also agreed with some things said in this show. As a guy, I also fail to see the point for a man to harass a woman on the street. It happens, but it should not.

Beyond the matters of opinions, the fact remains that the material in Jen Kirkman: Just Keep Livin’? is quite often laugh out loud funny. When a comedy show can entertain you AND make you question yourself, well it is clear that it has hit the mark.

Rating: ««««

Jim Gaffigan: Cinco (2017)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jeannie Gaffigan

Cast: Jim Gaffigan

Time: 73 minutes

In his fifth hour long comedy special, the American stand-up comic best known for his Hot Pocket routine discusses weight issues, the American Midwest, cheese, religion, Hitler and many other topics.

Gaffigan’s humor is relatively clean. Even when the comic brushes upon a riskier subject, he remains tame. A lot of the material is funny, but my bigger issue with Jim Gaffigan is the voices. He keeps switches voices, either to comment on something he says or to incorporate various points of views in his routine. These voices tend to annoy me. That little segment with Gaffigan’s family to open the show, shot in horror movie style, was cute.

Rating: «««

Curling (2010)

Genre: Franco / Drama

Réalisateur: Denis Côté

Distribution: Emmanuel Bilodeau, Philomène Bilodeau, Roc Lafortune

Running time: 96 minutes

Jean-François Sauvageau, un homme timide et craintif qui gagne sa vie comme concierge, élève sa fille adolescente Julyvonne seul dans un coin isolé du Québec. Il tente du mieux qu’il le peut de la protéger de tout, refusant même de l’envoyer à l’école, mais des circonstances inattendues viendront tout chambouler dans leur vie.

Dans ce film écrit et réalisé par Denis Côté, il est facile de retrouver une inspiration de Fargo, des frères Coen.

Le paysage hivernal occupe une place importante dans Curling et il est transmis avec plein de beauté à l’écran, même si c’est une saison que je déteste. Le dialogue est minimaliste, mais le matériel est drôle, et les comédiens le rendent avec talent. Solides performances de la part de tout le monde dans ce film.

Curling est une œuvre remplie de mystère et de non-dits. Le problème pour moi est que le film se termine en queue de poisson, sans qu’on sache trop où le tout s’en va. C’est un film très artistique qui a peut-être le grand défaut de trop se prendre au sérieux.

Rating: «««

Cristela Alonzo: Lower Classy (2017)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Marcus Raboy

Cast: Cristela Alonzo

Running time: 66 minutes

In her latest comedy special, available on Netflix, stand-up comedian, actress and writer Cristela Alonzo takes the stage in San Antonio, Texas, and delivers a solid set of very effective comedy. She discusses the American election (of course), Trump’s wall, Mexican stereotypes, The New Kids on the Block, her family and many other topics.

It was particularly interesting to hear the point of view of a Hispanic woman though comedy. While she’s not overly crude, Alonzo pulls no punches and tells things as she sees them. That is always refreshing. Some of her mimicry was a tad overdone on stage, but overall this is a very funny stand-up comedy show with a good dose of reality.

Rating: ««««

Bill Burr: Walk Your Way Out (2017)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jay Karas

Cast: Bill Burr

Running time: 77 minutes

Recorded live in Nashville shortly before the last American election, the latest Bill Burr comedy special offers another serving of the comedy stylings the comedian has come to be known for. Burr discusses Trump and Clinton, fat people, racism, Hitler and Stalin, and many other topics.

It can be easy for some to get offended by Bill Burr’s material. After all, he never shies away from difficult topics. But, I don’t offend easily. Even when he shared his annoyance with certain fat people, I had to agree, though I am no small man by any means. I have always been convinced that we are the only people to blame for the damage we do to ourselves.

As for this comedy show itself, it was very good. Many moments had me laughing out loud. The jokes about Trump’s wall were hilarious. At other times, it provoked thought. There were a few weaker spots, but not many. I appreciate Bill Burr’s comedy because it dares to go in uneasy places, even if it means not having a laugh every 15 seconds. Burr also happens to share many thoughts, ideas, opinions and sensibilities with myself. Highly recommended, though it will not please everyone.

Rating: ««««

Neal Brennan: 3 Mics (2017)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Neal Brennan

Cast: Neal Brennan

Running time: 65 minutes

With the help of three different microphones, writer/comic Neal Brennan delivers three distinct styles of comedy on stage: one-liners, classic stand-up and deep emotional stuff.

Brennan, who made his name mostly writing for The Dave Chapelle Show, moves on from one style of comedy to the next with ease, using a short black-out on stage to move on to the next mic. The one-liners are witty and are sure to make you smile and even laugh. The stand-up comedy part has a great rhythm and the material is quite funny. The deep emotional stuff is really effective at grabbing your heart and making you unsure whether you should laugh, shed a tear or feel compassion for the plight of a human.

Brennan manages to keep us walking that edge between laughter and tears all the way through. In the end, you feel a little drained emotionally, but it also feels like you have just witnessed something truly special.

Rating: «««««