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YOU HURT MY FEELINGS (2023) – Review

Hey, who says we can’t enjoy a quirky NYC-based character comedy written and directed by one of our lauded indie directors? We’ve got the big fairy tale musical, the turbo-charged thriller, and the new MCU entry, so the blockbuster fanatics have their choices, but happily, there’s room for something a little quieter and more clever. It’s hard to believe we’ve not gotten a feature from this filmmaker in nearly five years. Welcome back! And bonus, it reunites her with the star of a terrific romantic comedy from ten years ago. Yes, there’s a romance at the center of this, but the title reveals it has a bit of a “darker edge” as the lead bemoans to her on-screen hubby, YOU HURT MY FEELINGS.

That “proclaimer” is Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who lives with her hubby Don (Tobias Menzies) in one of the Big Apple’s trendiest neighborhoods. He’s a therapist who works with both individuals and couples in a lush downtown office. His clients are loyal but pretty quirky. Beth is a published author who made a modest splash with her memoir a few years ago. She’s completing her first work of fiction, which Don really likes, though her agent doesn’t seem enthusiastic. In the meantime, she’s teaching a writing course to a small group of historically unaware students at the New School. Happily, it’s not far from where her only son works. Eliot (Owen Teague) is an aspiring playwright, but as he’s fresh out of college, he’s clerking at a cannabis dispensary (which worries Beth). Aside from the teaching gig, Beth spends some time with her younger sister Sarah (Michaela Watkins), either helping out with a charity clothing drive or visiting their prickly widowed mother Georgis (Jeannie Berlin). Sarah is an interior designer for the city’s ultra-rich and is living with frazzled, aspiring actor Mark (Arian Moayed). After a visit to Mom, the sisters decided to surprise their guys, who are clothes shopping at a fancy store. As they quietly sneak up on the unaware duo, they overhear the ongoing conversation as Don tells Mark that he really doesn’t think much of Beth’s new novel. The sisters rush out as Beth endures a panic attack, Sarah thinks she’s overreacting, but Beth sees it as a betrayal. Could this “artistic fib” lead to the end of their marriage, or can she even move past it?

We’ve been inviting her into our living rooms for so long via her amazing TV career, from SNL to “Veep”, that we almost forget the incredible range and performing skills of the wonderful Ms. Louis-Dreyfus. So, consider her complex Beth a big reminder. Her intelligence shines through in the scenes with her various family members and even her clueless students, We can see Beth straining to restrain an eye-roll or snarky comment. Then when she hears of her hubby’s lie, Louis-Dreyfus through her gestures and expressive eyes tells us that Beth has been stabbed in the heart as her soul seems to escape into the ozone. But then during a tense moment at her son’s job, the sublime physical comic actress makes the scene a true showstopper. Though he’s often her “straight man”, Menzies as Don tries to coast through the turbulent sessions of his clients, but is flummoxed by Beth’s new frigid demeanor, all the while considering a “nip and tuck” fearing he appears “tired” Watkins shines as the “kid” sister, who sometimes has to be the parent to the emotionally flailing Beth while holding in her frustrations in trying to please her obtuse wealthy bosses. And she’s got to be supportive of her neurotic actor beau, played by Moayed as a bottomless well of self-doubt and insecurities whose real joy is obsessing over fashion and fame. And Beth and Sarah are a strong emotional “tag-team” as they face off against their somewhat sweet, often surly unpredictable mother given bombastic life by Berlin. Kudos also to Teague, who wants to “break away’ from his folks, but still yearn for their help and support even though watching them share food makes him a bit ill. Oh, as for Don’s patients, Zach Cheery is a passive-aggressive wrecking ball as the near-lifeless Jim. But the movie’s MVPs may be the battling, bickering couple played by real-life marrieds, Amber Tamblyn and David Cross. Their sniping and scowling are the story’s highlights, as they lose patience with each other and silently observe Don. They harken back to the zanies on the Chaicago couch of Dr. Bob Hartley on TV, who might think the arguing was part of their foreplay. What a terrific team!

The aforementioned filmmaker is the gifted Nicole Holofcener, who was last part of the screenwriting team on the underappreciated THE LAST DUEL. Here she’s back in the director’s chair and providing the witty, sophisticated script. Making wonderful use of the Manhatten location, Holofcener eschews any flashy camera or editing flourishes, allowing her actors to scoop up these marvelous bits of dialogue and character quirks and run with it. Everyone gets their moment to shine and score with a look or a quick retort. The last time she worked with Louis-Dreyfus was the engaging ENOUGH SAID, which makes for part of a near-perfect set of cinema “book-ends”. Yes, the big deception at the heart of the story seems trivial, but Holofcener never mocks her characters and allows us to understand their flawed sensibilities. And at 96 minutes, these funny folk don’t overstay their welcome. Let’s just hope that Ms. Holofcener will welcome us back to her cinema world much sooner after gifting us the great YOU HURT MY FEELINGS.

4 Out of 4

YOU HURT MY FEELINGS is now playing in select theatres

Annapurna Pictures Releases Trailer For Director Boots Riley’s SORRY TO BOTHER YOU

Here’s a first look at the brand new trailer for director Boots Riley’s SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, an Annapurna Pictures release. The film screened on Sunday at SXSW.

The cast includes Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, Patton Oswalt, Steven Yeun, Terry Crews, David Cross, Danny Glover, Omari Hardwick, Marcella Bragio,Tom Woodruff Jr., Kate Berlant, Jermaine Fowler, Robert Longstreet, Teresa Navarro.

In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe.

In January The Wrap reported that “Annapurna had picked up the Sundance telemarketer drama, which is the directorial debut of Boots Riley and produced by Forest Whitaker’s Significants Productions, the studio behind Ryan Coogler’s debut feature film, FRUITVALE STATION.”

(l to r.) Lakeith Stanfield as Cassius Green and Armie Hammer as Steve Lift star in director Boots Riley’s SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, an Annapurna Pictures release.

SORRY TO BOTHER YOU opens in theaters July 6.

Visit the official site: sorrytobotheryou.movie

Catch the new posters below.

Meryl Streep And Tom Hanks Headline New Trailer In Steven Spielberg’s Oscar Hopeful THE POST

Opening during awards season on December 22 is the much anticipated THE POST from 20th Century Fox.

Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in THE POST, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers – and their very freedom – to help bring long-buried truths to light.

THE POST marks the first time Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have collaborated on a project. Streep has been nominated for 20 Academy Awards, winning three Oscars (THE IRON LADY, SOPHIE’S CHOICE and KRAMER VS. KRAMER), while Hanks has been nominated 5 times and garnered two back to back Oscars for PHILADELPHIA and FORREST GUMP.

In addition to directing, Spielberg produces along with Amy Pascal and Kristie Macosko Krieger. The script was written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, and the film features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods.

THE POST will be released in select theaters on December 22, 2017 and in theaters everywhere on January 12, 2018. Fox’s other BIG Oscar hopeful, opening on December 20th, is THE GREATEST SHOWMAN which stars Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum.

Check out the official site foxmovies.com/movies/the-post

L-R: Tom Hanks (Ben Bradlee), David Cross (Howard Simons), John Rue (Gene Patterson), Bob Odenkirk (Ben Bagdikian), Jessie Mueller (Judith Martin), and Philip Casnoff (Chalmers Roberts) in Twentieth Century Fox’s THE POST. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise.

Meryl Streep stars as Kay Graham in Twentieth Century Fox’s THE POST. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise.

Tom Hanks (as Ben Bradlee) and Meryl Streep (as Kay Graham) star in Twentieth Century Fox’s THE POST. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise.

Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon And Bruce Greenwood Starring In Steven Spielberg’s THE PAPERS

Tom Hanks (left) and Steven Spielberg in BRIDGE OF SPIES

Twentieth Century Fox and Amblin Entertainment’s riveting drama inspired by actual events, THE PAPERS, began principal photography in New York on Tuesday, May 30th. Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg helms a powerhouse cast including Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in THE PAPERS.

In June 1971 The New York Times, the Washington Post and the nation’s major newspapers took a brave stand for freedom of speech and reported on the Pentagon Papers, the massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned four decades and four US Presidents. At the time, the Post’s Katherine Graham (Streep) was still finding her footing as the country’s first female newspaper publisher, and Ben Bradlee (Hanks), the paper’s volatile, driven editor, was trying to enhance the stature of the struggling, local paper. Together, the two formed an unlikely team, as they were forced to come together and make the bold decision to support The New York Times and fight the Nixon Administration’s unprecedented attempt to restrict the first amendment.

THE PAPERS marks the first time Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have collaborated on a project. In addition to directing, Spielberg will also produce along with Amy Pascal and Kristie Macosko Krieger.

The script was written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer and features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods.

An Amblin Entertainment production, THE PAPERS will be distributed domestically by Twentieth Century Fox and will be in select theaters December 22nd, going wide January 12th, 2018. Internationally, the film will be distributed through Amblin’s deals with Universal Studios, Reliance Entertainment, eOne and other international distribution partnerships.

KUNG FU PANDA 3 St. Louis Premiere Saturday Jan. 16; Win A Family 4-Pack To The Special Advance Screening!

Ready for the return of Jack Black as Po and his fun-loving band of friends, voiced by Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Simmons, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Kate Hudson?

In 2016, one of the most successful animated franchises in the world returns with its biggest comedy adventure yet, KUNG FU PANDA 3.

When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible—learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas.

The film is directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni and produced by Melissa Cobb.

KUNG FU PANDA 3 hits theaters everywhere on January 29, 2016.

DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox are hosting 70 mini premieres of KUNG FU PANDA 3 on Saturday, January 16th throughout the U.S.

St. Louis is hosting one of the red carpet premieres at the AMC Chesterfield 14 at 2PM.

The local red carpet along with activities starts at NOON. Video from the Hollywood premiere begins at 2PM with the screening following immediately after.

We’re giving away a family pack of passes to ONE lucky winner to see the movie early.

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win FOUR (4) passes to the advance screening!

Answer the following from the original KUNG FU PANDA:

What business is Po’s father in?
What famous martial artist voiced Master Monkey?
Which group of renowned Kung Fu Masters are the protectors of the metropolis of Gongmen City?

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWERS AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

Rated PG.

KUNG FU PANDA Official Socials

Website: http://www.dreamworks.com/kungfupanda/movies/kung–fu–panda–3

Facebook: facebook.com/kungfupanda

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Hashtag: #kungfupanda©2015 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Jack Black Is Back As Kung Fu Master Po In New KUNG FU PANDA 3 Trailer

DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox have released a new trailer for KUNG FU PANDA 3.

Check out the trailer below and get ready for the return of Jack Black as Po and his fun-loving band of friends, voiced by Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Simmons, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Kate Hudson and more.

In 2016, one of the most successful animated franchises in the world returns with its biggest comedy adventure yet, KUNG FU PANDA 3.

When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible – learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas.

The movie is directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni and produced by Melissa Cobb.

KUNG FU PANDA 3 hits theaters everywhere on January 29, 2016.

Check Out Our Interview With CALL ME LUCKY Director Bobcat Goldthwait

I recently had the opportunity to speak to writer/director/producer Bobcat Goldthwait about his new documentary CALL ME LUCKY, which chronicles the story of Barry Crimmins, political satirist and former stand-up comic and comedy club owner.

Himself a survivor of childhood abuse, Crimmins notoriously testified before the U.S. Senate in the 1990’s to expose internet service provider AOL for allowing images of child sexual abuse to be displayed and traded in its public chat rooms, before becoming somewhat of a recluse in the past few decades.

Read our review HERE. Travis Keune says CALL ME LUCKY “may very well be one of the most important documentaries you will see in 2015.”

WAMG: First of all, I had never heard of Barry and his story and it was so fascinating to me. I know you have a lot of different projects going on –writing and producing and directing. Where did this project fall in the priority of things that you are doing?

Bobcat Goldthwait: Well, I always knew I wanted to tell Barry’s story, especially after he had written an article in the Boston Phoenix, after he spoke on the Senate floor and the judiciary hearing where he exposed AOL and that they were allowing child pornography to be exchanged in the chat rooms. He had written this article and it read like a Frank Capra movie, you know, so even though he was a friend and a mentor, I just thought this was an amazing story. Over the years I thought I would write it as a narrative, but I write a lot of screenplays and I have a lot of different movies that I’m usually interested in making. I land them when they come. It’s like an air-traffic controller. After World’s Greatest Dad, I wrote 11 screenplays. I make the movies when I get the money and when it makes sense to make them and they’re all different sizes and shapes. This is one that I am passionate about, so when the opportunity came to finally make it, I was more than willing to pull the trigger on it.

WAMG: The subject matter goes back and forth between being sort of really dark and serious to having these funny moments and talking to all these well-known comics. How did you balance that out without making it too dark or to light?

BG: I thought it was really important that the movie was entertaining and funny, and then at the same time we had the message in it, because you can tell a story that is important, but if it’s not entertaining… One of the things that I’m proud of about the movie is that it is life reaffirming for such a heavy subject. So I don’t know how I balance it, I guess that kind of stuff seems to come through on all the movies I tend to make. There always is a heavy subject, but there’s always comedy in them because maybe that’s how I see the world.

WAMG: Regarding the comics and other well-known people you spoke to in the film – do you think that having them there will draw in an audience that might not otherwise be interested because they may not be as familiar with Barry as they are with say, Steven Wright or Patton Oswalt?

BG: Yeah, I spoke with all kinds of different folks from Barry’s life and I’m really grateful that comedians of their stature were willing to be interviewed in the movie. It says a lot about how much they admire and what they think of Barry. And it also says that even though they are successful comedians, they’re not a-holes. It means a lot that these people made time to be in the movie. No one turned me down.

WAMG: I read somewhere that Barry said that doing this movie was like putting his life in your hands. Was there a certain amount of pressure that came along with that to tell it the right way?

BG: That was probably the most difficult part of making the movie. Making sure that he was happy with the final product was something that really concerned me, but on the other side, that’s a small thing compared to the life he led and the example he gives. You know Barry hadn’t seen the movie until it played at Sundance, so I was nervous, I wanted him to like it. It was very nerve-wracking.

WAMG: Once I got to know who Barry was and I starting YouTubing and watching his old material and his bits, I realized that he really was edgy for his time with his political humor. After this new exposure, do you think he has a lot to say about the current political climate and want to contribute?

BG: Oh yeah, he continues to write material, and he’s working on a book and speaking engagements. You know that is why I felt it was important to film Barry now on stage. Often in documentaries they’ll have the scene with the band’s reunion or the triumphant performance and I wasn’t very interested in that. I wanted to have Barry on stage so that you saw that he was still a valid entertainer and he has a lot of things to say now. I mean, for a guy who just made a documentary, I loathe nostalgia, viciously. I spend so much time talking to people about things that happened so long ago, and it’s nice and I appreciate it, and I’m respectful, but I’m always making stuff and I’m excited about the latest and newest things.

WAMG: So speaking of the latest and newest, what is on the horizon for you? What are you doing next?

BG: Well, it’s one of two movies – one is more of my take on Preston Sturges’ HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO. I wrote a movie similar to that. I just try to make different genres because that’s what interests me. I love the challenge of saying, oh can I make a documentary? Can I make a scary movie? I want to make a musical. I really do! I just love movies so I want to see how many I can do before I die.

WAMG: That actually comes across in your body of work. You never do the same thing twice, so everything feels different every time.

BG: Well thanks, yeah it probably doesn’t behoove me to do that, because it’s not like I have a style. I don’t generate an audience because the movies are similar in tone. Although I guess tonally they all have something in common.

CALL ME LUCKY OPENS IN THEATERS AUGUST 7.

http://www.callmeluckymovie.com/

CALL ME LUCKY – The Review

“Barry Crimmins is pissed.” That one, simple line does sum up the film rather well, but it doesn’t truly do justice to the new documentary from Bobcat Goldthwait. CALL ME LUCKY is the story behind the story of Barry Crimmins, a comedian’s comedian that heavily influenced the Boston comedy scene in the 80s and beyond, but may not be widely known today by the general public. This film is your chance to change that unfortunate hole in your intellectual experience.

Thinking back to the glory days of 1980s comedy, we’ll recall Bobcat Goldthwait as the wild, manic and seemingly uncontrollable comedian who spoke strangely, had crazy hair and appeared in the POLICE ACADEMY movies huffing aerosol. This is not your 1980s Bobcat, having kicked his penchant for drugs and alcohol years ago, Goldthwait is now one of the most intriguing fringe filmmakers, push boundaries and testing limits with a very smart, funny and diverse repertoire of films. Goldthwait’s style of filmmaking is like walking into one cave after another, each time gently poking the sleeping bear inside just enough to see what half-dazed reaction slips from its hibernation-addled lips.

CALL ME LUCKY is, in part, a fascinating film because it explores an artist whose life encompasses what Goldthwait is doing with his films. Barry Crimmins sees the world as it is, honestly and with the disgust it deserves, but does so in a thoughtful, engaging way that says “this is what’s wrong and it makes me sick, but I understand and I want you to be aware.” Brimmins is highly intelligent and hilarious, so his ability to make us laugh while making us think is nothing short of genius and I would dare venture to say he succeeded where Lenny Bruce may have ultimately failed in comparison.

Goldthwait has so meticulously constructed this documentary that, as a viewer, it does not become apparent until well past the halfway mark that in reality, CALL ME LUCKY is as much a mystery as it is a non-fiction film. The drama comes in the form of a secret buried deep in Crimmins’ past and Goldthwait is marvelous at slowly revealing this secret in a way that parallel’s Crimmins’ own revelation of the truth. We learn a great deal about Crimmins, his comedy and his political activism through that comedy and outside of the stage. We get to know Barry Crimmins as we was in the 80s and who he is now, how he’s changed and how he is very much the same.

CALL ME LUCKY is a character study of one man who stands for many. He may not say things in the nicest ways, but what he says has power and purpose. Goldthwait interviews a number of comedians of varying styles and of varying perspectives on the world, some of which are in alignment with Crimmins’ and others are quite opposed, but the one common denominator is that Crimmins’ respects them all and they intern respect him. That is a rare trait that deserves the spotlight shown in this film. Interviews portrayed in this film include Steven Wright, Patton Oswalt, Margaret Cho, and many others comedians, but one of the most compelling interviews is the one which Goldthwait slowly coaxed with care from Crimmins’ sister as he attempts to poke the sleeping bear of this story. This slowly burning, uneasy advance towards the truth gives the film an edge of mystery and an emotional uncertainty that adds to the film’s appeal. Perhaps this may be seen as a touch too tabloid in how it unfolds, but its done with respect and the results are raw, honest emotion captured on film and heightens the viewer’s connection with the story.

Ultimately, what Goldthwait has done is provided a much deserved and much needed portrait of a personality at endanger of being forgotten. Crimmins’ now resides in a remote section of woods away from society, but as is apparent in the film, still keeps up with domestic and global politics and events and is as willing to express his thoughts as ever, just not on stage as a comedian garnering laughter in the process. CALL ME LUCKY may very well be one of the most important documentaries you will see in 2015 and is certainly one of the best this year, so do yourself a favor and seek it out.

CALL ME LUCKY opens in theaters on August 7th, 2015.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Meet Po’s Dad In First KUNG FU PANDA 3 Trailer; Plus New Photos

In 2016, one of the most successful animated franchises in the world returns with its biggest comedy adventure yet, KUNG FU PANDA 3.

When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible – learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas.

DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox have just released the brand new trailer for the highly anticipated film. Check it out.

The star-studded cast returns to this franchise with Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, and David Cross; joined by newcomers Bryan Cranston, Rebel Wilson, and J.K. Simmons.

The film is directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni and produced by Melissa Cobb. Watch our interview with Nelson and Cobb when they were nominated in the Animated Feature Film category at the 2011 Oscars.

KUNG FU PANDA 3 hits theaters everywhere on January 29, 2016.

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