Tag: family dramedy

FRENCH EXIT (2021) – Review

Hey, have you “re-couped” after last week’s virtual comic trek along the East Coast, which despite its title I didn’t consider at all a BAD TRIP? Feeling a bit more adventurous, enough to leave the good ole’ US of A? Well, the “Silver Screen Travel Agency’ has an excursion that might be the cure to your “lock-down” laments. Let’s get those virtual bags re-packed, ’cause the movies are taking us over Spring Break to one of the jewels of Europe, Oh and you’ll be in the company of one of the true cinema goddesses, a talented beauty who has mesmerized movie audiences for five decades now. Quite a “clincher”, eh? She’s our guide and a teacher who can train us on how to execute the perfect FRENCH EXIT.

But before we meet her character, we’re first introduced to her movie son. Malcolm Price (Lucas Hedges) is part of Manhattan’s elite, a drifting twenty-something who can’t be bothered with employment, which would take time away from his “non-committal” relationship with the ever-patient Susan (Imogen Poots). In a flashback, we learn that his big parental influencer is his eccentric glamorous mother Frances (Michelle Pfieffer). He became her constant companion soon after the passing of his father, her hubby Franklin. That’s when she scooped up pre-teen Malcolm and “busted” him out of a snooty prep school. And now things are going to change. After constant pleading with her, the family accountant informs Frances that Franklin’s “financial legacy” has almost evaporated. What to do now? Luckily a close friend offers a radical solution. After liquidating the assets of the plush Price NYC home, Frances and Malcolm can live in the spacious apartment she keeps in Paris. After Malcolm dismisses Susan over the phone, he joins his mother at the harbor loading gate. If they can smuggle in their family’s newest addition, a pet black cat that Frances insists is Franklin reincarnated (it speaks to her in his voice, which sounds just like actor/playwriter Tracy Letts), the two will travel across the Atlantic in a luxury cruise ship. Onboard, Malcolm has a romantic fling with the ship’s “entertainer”, Madeline the Medium (Danielle Macdonald). Upon arrival, the Prices occupy their temporary, loaned new home. Soon they begin collecting a group of new friends and acquaintances including another displaced American, Mme Reynard (Valerie Mahaffey), and quiet intellectual Julius (Isaach De Bankole). Eventually, their lush apartment will include the fired Madeline and Malcolm’s ex Susan who brings along her annoyed preppy boyfriend Tom (Daniel di Tomasso) in her quest for “closure”. They’re all part of the new world that Frances has made for herself and her son.

Since her film roles have been a tad sporadic (sometimes a new project every other year) and of a supporting nature (a small part of the Marvel Studios flicks), Ms. Pfeiffer’s decision to take the lead in this current release is ample cause for celebration. The camera still adores her, helping to draw us in to savor her impeccable line delivery as she recalls the charisma of the icons of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Although she’s always a delight, Frances is just not worthy of her precious time and talents. Perhaps she’s intended as a modern “spin” on the unconventional matriarch in AUNTIE MAME, but the widowed Price is often a spiteful indulgent arrested adolescent. She seems to aimlessly drift from one situation to the next, her half-opened eyes hidden in a perpetual cloud of cigarette smoke. Pfieffer deserves so much more. The character’s casual irresponsibility extends to her son Malcolm who seems to be in a near-constant stupor, an accessory to Frances’ chic fashion ensemble. Hedges plays him with a cool disaffected demeanor but feels too detached. Hopefully, Mr. Hedges will tell his “people” to pass on another role as the escort of an actress “of a certain age” as they embark on an ocean cruise (feels like we just saw him with Meryl Streep in LET THEM ALL TALK). It’s hard to understand his “fling” with Madeline, a character that drains the delightful energy and infectious charm of the usually compelling Ms. Macdonald. At least she fares better than Poots who does her best to bring life to Malcolm’s ex Susan whose intense devotion is so puzzling. A similar loyalty engulfs Mme. Reynard, a character who’s little more than a doormat for the Price duo, and doesn’t make use of the deft comic skills of Mahaffey.

Director Azazel Jacobs makes excellent use of the locations, beginning in NYC, highlighting the excesses of the cruise ship before the wonders of Paris. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to inject much energy into the meandering script by Patrick DeWitt, who adapts his novel. They want us to embrace the Price family as nonconformist rebels who push against those boring “norms”, but the two really come off as spoiled brats sneering at the “worker drones”: the family accountant, the school headmaster, and a hapless waiter (Frances actually starts a fire at the dining table). This attitude is countered by Frances treating the street dwellers as nobility, showering the panhandlers with cash that could be used to reimburse those that have extended a hand to them (living rent-free, for instance). And though Pfieffer can be a truly delightful diva (still the best movie Catwoman ever), after spending nearly two hours with the Prices, you’ll be more than ready to make a hasty FRENCH EXIT.

1.5 Out of 4

FRENCH EXIT opens in select theatres everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and the Hi-Pointe Theatre on Friday, April 2, 2021.

MINARI – Review

Over the last couple of national election cycles, a topic of much discussion and often heated debate has been immigration. In light of the impassionate rhetoric, many have neglected the human, personal side of the issue. it’s sometimes called the “immigrant experience”, the old “planting roots in rich new soil” idea that’s been around since our country (and a big reason the USA began in the first place) started. The movies have mined this topic many times during its century or so, from AMERICA AMERICA to MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON. Now audiences will be treated to another family’s fable, told from an often neglected culture’s perspective, and set in the fairly recent past for just a seasoning of nostalgia. And it’s mainly told from a child’s perspective as he adjusts to his new home while trying to cling to his own land, part of which is another arrival, the “wonderful, wonderful” plant called MINARI.

The time is somewhere in the middle 1980s. The place, a dirt road in rural Arkansas. The Yi family, split between a rental moving truck and the family station wagon, are about to see their new house. In between a big grassy field and the forest sit a mobile trailer home, its wheels held in place by big blocks of wood and concrete. Thirty-something father Jacob (Steven Yeun) is full of hope. His wife Monica (Yari Han)…not so much. For their two kids, pre-teen Anne (Noel Cho) and especially seven-year-old David (Alan Kim), it’s their new locale for adventure. Monica and Jacob met and married in their native South Korea, and after having Anne they emigrated to California. There they amassed a “nest egg” via Jacob’s skills as a “sexer” (separating the male and female baby chicks) at a factory-style hatchery. Now with little David, papa Yi plans to farm out the property by planting the vegetables for Korean foods and selling them to major markets (Dallas, Oklahoma City, Memphis) with big Korean immigrant populations. But to make ends meet the parents find “sexing” work at the local hatchery, as Jacob devotes all of the weekends and spare hours to his farming efforts. Luckily he soon acquires a “hired hand” after purchasing a tractor/tiller from an eccentric (lots of “talking in tongues”) named Paul (Will Patton). Mama Monica though continues to pressure Jacob to move them into a home in town, mainly to be closer to the hospital as she frets over David’s heart condition (a “murmur” that tires him quickly). His compromise, bringing in her mother Soonja (Yuh-Jung Youn). The idea of sharing his room with her upsets David, who has never met his “Grandma”. Slowly they begin to form a bond (mainly a love of mischief, TV wrestling, and Mountain Dew soda pop) as Jacob works hard to achieve his dream. Unfortunately, this adds to the tension between him and his wife. Can the two resolve their many issues and provide a stable prosperous home for the kids and their “Granny”?

A very talented and mostly unknown (to film audiences) acting ensemble breathes life into this 20th-century family fable. TV audiences will recall Yeun as the much-missed Glenn Rhee of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”. Here he gets to truly stretch his formidable dramatic skills (plus he’s an executive producer) as the patriarch struggling to hold his marriage together even as he faces daunting challenges in going for his version of “the American dream”. Through his weary eyes, Jacob looks at his bride with longing and regret, wanting to ease her sadness and reignite the passion they had shared so long ago. Han is a superb sparring partner to him, making her concerns and complaints clear right from the very start (with the mobile home, it’s disgust at first sight), unable to grasp her mate’s optimism, while trying to control her growing anxiety over her little angel’s health (“Don’t run, David” is her main mantra). That sweet smiling guy, David is played with a natural innocence by Alan Kim, still possess an infectious child-like wonder, as the world is still shiny and new full of new places to explore. He’s still a lovable rascal as he pushes for his independence while still often hiding behind his parents when faced with a friendly stranger. Cho as big sister Anne is more tempered as she enters young adulthood, trying to help in supervising her lil’ bro while still joining him in play. However David’s true “partner-in-crime’ maybe be his “grandma” a role that fits Youn like a glove as she steals nearly every scene. Though she hasn’t met her grandson and endures his taunts (“You’re not a real grandma! You don’t bake cookies”) and pranks ( a special cup of “water from the mountains”), she’s his defender and buffer to Jacob’s harch disciplines. But she’s also tough with her own daughter (“Why you make the kid do this crap?’) all while teaching the kids to play cards (and curse) behind her back. Youn’s a delight but she also breaks our heart as her fate instigates a final act tragedy. Also notable is the quirky performance of Patton as the fervent “true believer” Paul, whose odd behavior (his Sunday church service is toting a big wooden cross along the country roads) baffles Jacob, though he’s a big help and even a cheerleader for the farm dream.

Director/screenwriter Lee Isaac Chung brings a warm autobiographical feel to the film, as the events could have happened to any family of any origin. Putting the camera at David’s level, Chung really conveys the child’s eye view of this weird, but wondrous new world. The small patch of woods nearby is another planet, while the Yi family’s visit to a local church seems as though they’ve entered another dimension. This is especially true as the locals innocently offend while trying to be welcoming (“Why is your face so flat?” “Tell me if I’m speaking Korean…ching, chong, choom…”). While the kids have fun, they also must deal with new fears. The first night of tornado-producing storms is true nightmare fuel as is overhearing a loud parental argument (they do respond by inscribing “don’t fight” on paper airplanes they toss into the living room). We can almost feel the baking heat of those sizzling summer days with insects providing a smothering chirping bed of noise. Chung has served up a true slice of life saga, full of triumphs and setbacks, of new friendships and love that is lost and regained through tragedy and unexpected acts of brave generosity. In a word, just like the plant, MINARI makes the mundane magical.

3.5 out of 4

MINARI opens in theatres everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac cinemas and at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. It can also be screened virtually through cinemastlouis.org. via the A24 screening room.

ON THE ROCKS (2020) – Review

Okay, who’s ready for “family time” at the movies? Now I’m not talking about the standard “family flick” that’s usually the big animated musical fable that many use as a weekend afternoon “out of the house” excursion. And lots of you may feel a tad skittish about trotting all the kids over to the multiplex (soon we hope). This week we’ve got a real “family” film dealing with lots of adult themes that are aimed at the “grown-ups”. Oh, and it’s focused on a rare “family dynamic”: the father-daughter relationship (or to be precise in this case, mother-grandfather). Often we see dynamic clashes between mother and daughter (2017’s SNATCHED comes to mind) or brittle reunions of fathers and sons as when Indy and his pop went on that “last crusade”. On TV this pairing has been a staple from “My Little Margie” to “Gidget” leading up to the recent, sublime duo of Keith and Veronica Mars (more please Hulu). Oh, did I mention this film is also a most anticipated reuniting of the director and actor from one of the early 2000s most beloved movies? Like the former flick, there’s a marriage at its center, which, like the many cocktails downed over its 90 or so minutes, is ON THE ROCKS.

But things weren’t always that way. We first meet Laura (Rashida Jones) and Dean (Marlon Wayans) on their wedding night, still giddy about their future as they doff their gown and tux to enjoy the honeymoon suite’s hot tub. Jumpcut to that future. They’re living in a plush Manhatten condo with their two daughters, about 9 and 5 years-old. While she’s running the household and trying to finish a new book, he’s dashing and hustling with the new PR firm he formed. Actually, Dean’s gone a lot. And when he is home he’s glued to his phone. This doesn’t concern Laura till one night. Dean returns from a trip in the wee hours and hops into bed with her, waking her with kisses. But when she says hello, Dean is stunned as though he has woken from a trance, rolls off of her, and goes into a deep sleep. Later, when she unpacks his suitcase, Laura finds a women’s toiletries travel case. When asked about it, Dean says it belongs to his co-worker Fiona, who couldn’t fit it in her luggage. That evening at his company’s launch party/open house Laura meets “Fi-Fi” (Jessica Henwick) who is dismissive of her as she runs to be by Dean’s side as his “work wife”. Laura’s “radar” is up and on, though her Gran, Mom, and sister think nothing of it. Then Laura phones her father about it. And he agrees, so much so that he flies in. Felix (Bill Murray), who used to own a “high end” NYC art gallery, adores his grandbabies and his daughter “Shorty”. Over drinks, he bolsters her fears, but Laura isn’t convinced. Then Dean tells her that he can’t be there for her birthday (first time ever) and gives her an early present, a deluxe kitchen mixer/processor before he jets off to a meeting …at a resort on the beach in Mexico…with Fiona. When told about this, Felix erupts, insisting that they also make that “South of the Border” trip. But if they confront Dean, can the marriage be saved?

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of this low-key family “dramedy” is the surprisingly potent, enduring star power of Murray. Yes, he’s been an “above the title” leading man for over 40 years now, but as that whisp of hair goes shiny silver, he can move us unexpectedly by revealing new textures beneath his “laid back” forever cool persona. Is it old fashioned charm or his unique charisma that still connects? Murray utilizes all of it as the rakish Felix, who’s always “hustling”, whether it’s attending a wake to scope out a potential art score or casually “schmoosing” a server (“You studied ballet, right?”). But he’s pure in his love of his daughter. Does that account for his zeal in uncovering her marital worries? Partly, but more likely it’s a form of atonement. In their quieter conversations, Felix cuts through his anthropological and biological justifications (“Monogamy’s not in the male DNA”) and shows us a man of many years facing past regrets, hoping that his helpful actions will somehow ease the guilt of his weaknesses. This aging player’s more tragic than funny. And Murray is more than up to this acting challenge with his most subtle work in years. Luckily, he’s got a terrific screen partner in Jones, who has mostly made her mark on TV with the great comedies “Parks and Recreations”, “Angie Tribeca” and “#BlackAF”, here establishes herself as a gifted film actress. Her Laura still has a great passion for life and her family but thinks that perhaps she’s lost her hubby’s eye, that her domesticity has made her less worldly and interesting. But she’s got to put up a “solid front” as she hides her discomfort at the office party, then feign joy over an appliance gift, while also disappointed that Dean will be away on her birthday. She is also smitten with Felix but finally vents her anger over being swept up in his “mindset” as she calls him out on his “science” excuses for bad behavior. Jones makes Laura a great heroine to root for, and gives the story its beating heart. Another pleasant surprise is Wayans, who jettisons his zany comic persona, to be an affable, but often clueless “everyman”, who just can’t quite “get the vibe” of his partner, nor her pop. An added bonus is the fabulous Jenny Slate who elicits lots of laughs as the “emotional vampire” Vanessa. another mom at the school where Laura’s eldest attends, who drones on about her romantic problems as Laura is trapped with her in a hallway or at the school entrance. Slate’s way overdue to lead another quirky comedy.

Oh, the reunion I mentioned earlier? It’s a reteaming of Bill Murray with director/screenwriter Sofia Coppola, seventeen (really) years since the much loved LOST IN TRANSLATION. Ms. Coppola again takes double duty (triple since she’s also a producer) and has created another relationship and bonding fable between the generations that offers lots of wit while not backing away from life’s darkest fears and worries (what if he’s moved on). Though not using the exotic locales of the earlier project, Coppola finds the spacious beauty in the canyons of NYC, even in the big rental buildings and the “old school watering holes”. Ah, but there is that third action section in Mexico where the ocean breezes seem to slow down time, but not ease Laura’s near-panic. All are captured in warm golden hues by cinematographer Phillipe Le Sourd and accompanied by the soulful music score from Phoenix. And although most of the humor is subdued, a scene in which Felix picks up Laura in a classic 60s convertible for a night of spying uses some great slapstick (the car looks great, but sputters and backfires as they zoom past angry commuters) and is topped with another remarkable bit of Murray charm (it works on the ladies, but what about “John Law”). As far as daughter/father family dramedies go, ON THE ROCKS is on the money, a very bright spot in a dark dreary year.

3.5 out of 4

ON THE ROCKS opens in select theatres on Friday 10/2. It will be streaming on AppleTV beginning on 10/23.

KAJILLIONAIRE – Review

As if this movie year wasn’t odd enough, here’s yet another film all about a family dealing with money, but aside from the “dinero” element, they couldn’t be more different. In last week’s THE NEST, it was about how economics become a wedge between a married couple while causing chaos for their uprooted kids. With this week’s family trio there’s no big dissent (at least for the first act), because they’re a united team, operating with their own synchronized actions and often speaking in a “shorthand” code. And there’s no estates, furs, and high-profile positions. There’s really no jobs at all as these folks get by on the margins of society by hook and (certainly) crook. This is a family of grifters, scammers, con-artists (insert your own “low-end” criminal term) who occupy most of their days plotting and cheating folks out of their hard-earned moola. Ah, but their “leader”, the Papa, does have his own twisted ethics. He states his disdain for the “norms’, although, like them, he secretly dreams of becoming a KAJILLIONAIRE.

When we first meet the “family unit”, they’ve started their “workday”. While dad Robert (Richard Jenkins) and mom Theresa (Debra Winger) play the “bystander lookouts”, twenty-something daughter Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) deftly slithers (evading those security cameras) into a neighborhood post office. Using a key, she opens up a P.O. box, reaches through (making sure none of the staff is watching), and grabs a package from the adjoining box. They open their “gift” while bending down below the “fence”eye level to avoid their landlord. But their home is pretty “unrentable”. It’s the office space next to the landlord’s small factory. At a specific time each day, a wave of pink foam oozes from the back ceiling and down the wall as the trio uses bits of tile and wood to scoop the suds into plastic waste cans. They then settle into their “bedrooms” which are tight office cubicles (they sleep on the floor). However OD (named after a lottery in winner hopes he’d put her in his will) is using the phone (a forgotten landline) for the next big ‘con”. They’ve gotten a complimentary flight to NYC from LA (perhaps a “resort share” promo), which gives her a great plan. They will fly out as a family, then, ASAP, they’ll hop back on a return flight, but as a couple and a stranger. The duo will grab all the bags so OD can file a lost luggage claim from the airline and collect a $1500 settlement. Of course, things don’t go as smoothly as she plans. On the way back home Robert and Theresa befriend the young bubbly woman sharing their three-seat row, Melanie (Gina Rodriguez). Later, at a nearby saloon, OD is shocked that her folks have brought Melanie in on the scam (a big “no-no” to her). Melanie seems to get a “rush’ from the petty thievery. This change threatens the socially awkward OD, who sees no need for a “new sister”. Could these bust up the “family team”?

From the film’s opening moments it becomes clear that the story’s main focus is Old Dolio, played by Wood as the antithesis of so many of the glamorous characters she portrayed in film and TV over the last couple of decades. Earlier I mentioned that OD was socially awkward, a true understatement as she keeps her gaze pointed at the ground during most of her painful verbal exchanges. Dressed in form-less tracksuits, her Crystal Gayle-length hair leaving only a sliver of face, walking with a short-step shuffle while twitching and swaying, Wood sometimes goes a tad over the top with the physical “busyness” (and vocally as she sounds like a combo of napoleon Dynamite and Spongebob’s BFF Patrick) but eventually draws us into OD’s closed-off world, which includes the acrobatic skills of Keaton, Lloyd, and other “silent clowns”. What appears to be “on the spectrum” is really an incomplete young woman, denied the most basic nurturing as she was trained to join in on the “jobs” from near-infancy. When is finally able to connect, Wood conveys almost a new being breaking out of a smothering cocoon. She’s truly taking her talents into a new level. Plus she gets great support from two polished screen vets. Jenkins, who almost stole THE SHAPE OF WATER, makes Robert a stern taskmaster, a “mastermind” who likes to disparage humanity, but really wants to lord over the masses. And he almost has a gleeful smile as he contemplates pulling off a new scheme against “the man”. He saves his real passions for his partner Theresa, played by an almost unrecognizable Winger, peering under a grey Lady Godiva wig, who dutifully limps (could that be the result of a botched scam) while improvising in each new situation thrown at her, effortlessly “bobbing and weaving” like a boxer. The real “wild card’ tossed into this unit is the effervescent Melanie played by TV vet Rodriguez as a mix of wide-eyed schoolgirl and mercenary vamp. Initially we see how cheating the airline gives her an electric charge (walking, or really skipping, on the “wild side”), but as her new “crew” takes on the lonely old folks she’s targeted, we see her panic as their prey now has a face. She pleads to Robert to “call it off”, but there’s no abort switch on their greed. She can’t control this “pack”, though she has a break-through as she learns to really emotionally connect with another person. This film’s talented main quartet is its biggest asset.

They are certainly needed to move along the whimsical, often too precious original story from Miranda July, who also directed. Sometimes the quirks feel forced. The landlord says he has “no filter”, so he cries, rather than bellows with fury when threatening Robert over the rent. Ditto with the numerous shots of the “bubble waves” in the office/home. Scenes at a parenting class may be intended to awaken OD to her poor upbringing, but they slow down the film’s pacing. Plus the behavior of some characters switches with a near whiplash impact. Robert buys a hot tub which leads to the movie’s most disturbing sequence, really earning that “R” rating (real ugliness from an engaging duo). When the story slides into its confusing final act, the parents almost disappear as they do a “family catch-up” that feels as out of place as the intensifying friendship between OD and Melanie. This connection doesn’t feel authentic but rather a hasty attempt at a sentimental final fade-out. And despite my affection for the actors, I wanted at least one of the characters brought to justice for the two nauseating “daylight” home “invasions”. The cast’s skills are almost criminal, but the meandering quirky script makes KAJILLIONAIRE an unrewarding investment. Beware of scam artists’ movies, cause they all can’t be THE STING.

2 Out of 4

SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER – Review

Oh, the ups and downs of family life with its joyous highs and tragic lows can make a most surprising emotional journey, particularly at the movies. And when three generations try to live under one roof (something very common over the past few months), well anything is bound to happen. In this tale past disappointments erupt into verbal warfare as a looming tragedy begins to chip away at the possibility of a mutual truce. Throw in the British tradition of burying one’s feelings and you’ve got the foundation of a gripping drama. Or a whimsical comedy. Or both. It helps that the center of this “dramedy” is not the typical film avuncular “Grampa”, but an eccentric and aloof “grifter”. Ah, but he’s still an offbeat charmer thanks to the casting of a terrific character actor. And he does dole out a few nuggets of real wisdom, from which springs the title, SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER.

We’re introduced to Alan (Bill Nighy) as he tries to balance his cellphone and umbrella as she strolls along the seashore. He’s talking to his youngest son, Peter (Sam Riley) to plan a rendezvous, They’re going to meet, pile into one of their vehicles, and make the long drive to a little town’s office of the coroner. Yeesh! Seems a body has turned up, and they need to find out if it’s the longtime missing eldest son Michael. But the official is shared with another small town, so the two just miss him. Peter, who wants to spend as little time with his pop as possible, wants to go back home and return the next day. Ah, but Alan thought ahead and reserved rooms at a local inn. In its pub, they meet a long-married couple, Arthur (Tim McInnery) and Margaret (Jenny Agutter). At Alan’s prodding, they engage in a game of Scrabble. This annoys Peter because as a child they always got the cheaper “knock-off version” Scribble with flimsy “punch-out” cardboard tiles. He retires after a round, but the game continues with Arthur making a wager with Alan. During a game break, Margaret tells Alan that they too are there to “ID” the body. This doesn’t stop Alan from trouncing them in the game ( he’s a Scrabble hustler). This makes the nest day at the morgue even more awkward, though the corpse is not either party’s relation. Father and son head home, but Alan is restless in the office of his failing men’s clothing store. After locking up he arrives at Peter’s doorstep, to his dismay while delighting his wife Sue (Alice Lowe). She invites him to stay but can only offer a bed (part of a “bunk”) in their teenage son Jack’s (Louis Healy) room. When he’s not at school his head is buried in his computer, playing an online multi-user fantasy war game. But while Jack’s away, Alan goes online, saying he’s upgrading the hard drive, but really playing Scrabble. One of the players who goes by the alias “Skinny Thesaurus” attracts Alan’s attention. He tells Peter that this must be Michael attempting to contact him. As Peter dismisses him and returns to work, Alan leaves, determined to track down this “word master”. Angry, but fearing for his dad, Peter searches for Alan, hoping that he can bring him back to reality before he’s another victim of the “dark web”.

The role of family patriarch serves as a showcase for the dry acerbic wit and deliciously halted line readings of the supremely talented Nighy. A scene-stealer in his far-too-brief role in the recent version of EMMA., Nighy runs with the role of Alan, a fella’ that’s surprisingly difficult to embrace and makes the film his own inspired character study. While with son Peter, Nighy gives Alan a passive-aggressive tone, condescending one moment, then defensive of their shared history (“We did with what we had”). He keeps much of that vibe when he spots a “mark” in the stuffy Arthur. He later asserts himself as he “invades” Peter’s home/sanctuary and resumes his mission (finding Michael) with a fanatical zeal. But he also sees this time as a chance to point his grandson in the “right direction” (the title refers to his rule about the front three buttons on a suit coat or jacket). As the story’s main focus, Nighy truly “delivers the goods”. Plus he’s got a great sparring partner in Riley (maybe best known as the sidekick human/raven in the Maleficent flicks) who has a terrific “slow burn’ as he deals with his ever-frustrating father. While in pop’s company every “old wound” begins to open up. During a flashback montage of him as a child being continuously disappointed at birthdays and holidays (“I couldn’t get ‘Action-Man’, so it was ‘Action-Joe’! He didn’t have the kung-fu grip!”). Riley expresses Peter’s sadness through his half-lidded eyes and slouching posture. But when Alan slowly tries to “take over” his home, Peter stands his ground. Caught in the middle is the bubbly Lowe as the peacemaking Sue who often stumbles while calming them and trying not to lose her teenage son, even “stalking” him near the bus stop to his school (where he hopes to connect with a lovely classmate). Healy as son Jack is often the typical surly, close-mouthed movie teen, but being a “flatmate’ to his Gran’dad seems to open him up. leaving the virtual world and rejoining his folks in the real one. Aside from the family, McInnerny scores some big laughs as the oafish patsy Arthur, while Agutter exudes a sultry frisky charm as the randy Margaret (can AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON really be nearly 40).

Carl Hunter makes a confident debut as a feature film director after many TV credits. He keeps the pace bouncy, even as the first act set around the morgue threatens to become morbid. With the story divided up in chapters headed by a dictionary definition (the Scrabble connection) and the use of kids’ book style limited animation interludes, the film almost veers into the sickeningly precious, but Hunter succeeds in this tricky “balancing act”. It’s whimsical without being cloyingly cute. Credit must go to veteran screen scribe Frank Cottrell Bryce who provides an expert “roadmap” for this family journey. He adds an air of mystery and suspense to the pathos and comedy, making us fear for Alan’s safety as he becomes more obsessed with his “quest”. Plus the UK locales, from York to Liverpool, are expertly used (especially the lonely seaside in the first few minutes). For fans for (honest) family films and especially admirers of the talented Mr. Nighy, SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER is just as compelling and entertaining as any game of Scrabble, or even Scribble. As they say in the film, “It’s a Bingo!”.

Three and a Half Out of Four


SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER is available as a Video On Demand through most cable and satellite systems, along with most streaming apps and platforms.

BABYTEETH – Review

Okay, enough with the somber serious stuff, we’re finally getting into some real Summer cinema subject matter. No, it’s not a big bombastic superhero epic, nor an action thriller, or even a raunchy slapstick comedy. This one’s a story of young people in love, and though it’s based on a play it does incorporate several themes from movies based on YA or Young Adult novels. There’s the impending disease doom of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and FIVE FEET APART and the opposites attract vibe of THE SPECTACULAR NOW. But unlike many “YA-based” films, the parents (one set at least) pretty much get major “screen time” (mmm, maybe not “equal”). Oh, and then there’s the setting: the suburbs of Australia (and a lot of cities like New South Wales and Sydney). Combine all those elements and you get the sweet and sour “dramedy” dish called BABYTEETH.


It all starts at a commuter platform, where sixteen-year-old Milla Finlay (Eliza Scanlen) opts not to join her classmates on the current train. Instead, she encounters a motor-mouthed twenty-something street hustler named Moses (Toby Wallace). When she gets a nosebleed, he’s quick to doff his shirt and calm her. After he asks her for some spare changes, Milla gets him to agree to cut her hair (she digs Moses’ self-styling). Meanwhile, in the office of her father, therapist Henry Finlay (Ben Mendelsohn) has his lunch interrupted by wife Anna (Essie Davis), as it is their scheduled hour for sex (one of the couple’s many quirks). That evening, Milla brings along Moses for the family dinner. Henry is stunned while the horrified Ana (“He’s 24!”) turns him away (and the smitten Ella follows). Later she takes her weekly violin lesson with Eastern European emigree Shaun (Arka Das) who still has a crush on Anna. Speaking of crushes, Henry becomes “distracted” by his very pregnant across the street neighbor Toby (Emily Barclay) who spends most days yelling for her dog, also named Henry. As the days pass we learn that Milla has been battling cancer, which soon takes her hair prompting her to wear a wispy blonde wig to school. This is where she continually meets up with Moses and gets drawn into his “low rent” downtown drug-dealing life (he’s long banished from his family home). All this takes a toll on the emotionally fragile medicated Anna. When Milla takes a turn for the worse, Henry makes the radical decision to bring Moses into their home (and give him access to his prescription pad) to provide some happiness for his daughter in what may be her last days. But will Moses “man up” and be a dependable final romance to Milla?

The story’s tragic and comedic elements are balanced by the brave confident performance of Scanlen as the complex heroine Milla. At times she veers close to the almost cliche portrayal of teens in films ( surly, disrespectful), but steers away in unexpected nuance. Yes, Milla wants to dance to her own inner song (which occurs a few times), but she yearns for the warmth of her homes and her sometimes too ‘clingy’ parents. Scanlen presents her character’s vulnerable side in a powerful scene set in the school’s lavatory. A pushy classmate barges in on Milla and insists on trying on her blonde wig (“to see how I’d like in a different style”) trapping Milla in a mix of righteous anger and humiliation. Her assured work somehow melds with the naturalistic unpredictable acting of Wallace as the free-spirit that’s difficult to embrace or trust which puts us with the elder Finlays. Near the third act, we see that Moses is in a constant battle between his mercenary instincts and his own need for family (a separated by patio glass door reunion with his adoring kid brother is heartwrenching). He frustrates us by making bad choices (leaving a sleeping Milla at the top of a city building), but we root for him to comfort Milla. One who can’t seem to do that, despite her fevered attempts is mother Anna played with fragile despair by the quivery Davis. At any moment her prescription pill produced panic will melt her into a shrieking shrike. Which agitates her devoted but addled hubby Henry, who’s played by screen vet Mendelsohn as a sweaty everyman overwhelmed at all that life has thrown at him. It’s a testament to his range that he expertly can go from a Star Wars villain and a Marvel “movie-verse” mainstay to a fellow desperately trying to keep from falling apart as he tries to plug the holes of his rapidly sinking ship that is his life (his water bailing can’t hold it afloat). He’s solid as are the eccentric comedy turns by Barclay and Das.

Shannon Murphy directs the screenplay from Rita Kalejais (based on her stage play) with a light touch, knowing when to get “tight” on the actors for an emotional close-up and when to take several steps back so we can drink in all the actions and their surroundings (the Aussie locales are quite inviting). Unfortunately, the leisurely pacing begins to wear out the viewer as the film lurches from one big kitchen table shouting match to the next. Attempts are made to lighten the mood with the Toby and Shaun subplots which never really “pay off”. Plus the film wraps up with a “twist-around” flashback whose purpose seems to try and end the tale on an upbeat note but feels like a frustrating falsehood for the characters we’ve followed for nearly two hours. In that sense, despite some good performances, BABYTEETH just doesn’t have much “bite”.

2 Out of 4

BABYTEETH opens in selected theatres and is available as a Video-On-Demand on most cable and satellite systems along with many streaming apps and platforms

BOUNDARIES – Review

Christopher Plummer and Vera Farmiga in BOUNDARIES. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

With a fine cast headed by Christopher Plummer and Vera Farmiga, BOUNDARIES looked promising but the road trip dramedy manages to hit every cliche pothole along its way. Which is a shame – such a good cast deserved a better script.

Laura (Vera Farmiga) has daddy issues, and talks with her therapist about how she needs to set “boundaries” with her charming but unreliable father Jack (Christopher Plummer). Laura’s problem is a big heart, taking in endless strays and bordering on animal hording, but she is most devoted to her 13-year-old son Henry (Lewis MacDougall). It has been just them since her equally unreliable ex (Bobby Cannavale) abandoned them early on but Laura has carved out a stable life for her son.

When she gets a call that her dad has been kicked out of his retirement home for dealing pot. He’s broke and Laura has to pick him up. He wants to move in with her but Laura refuses, determined to protect her young son from the influence of her wily, law-breaking father. Laura’s plan is to put Dad on a plane to go live with her always-sunny younger sister JoJo (Kristen Schaal) in her studio apartment. When they pick him up, Dad insists they have to drive his old car to his new home, so he can transport his copious supply of adult diapers. Of course, Dad is transporting more than Depends and his secret plan is to sell his stash of pot to his old buddies along the way to raise some cash.

That sets up BOUNDARIES’ road trip premise. The strong cast has a lot of talent that goes to waste, including Christopher Lloyd as one of dad’s pot-smoking old hippie buddies, and Peter Fonda as another old buddy, although one who has done very well financially.

Writer/director Shana Feste could have crafted a charming offbeat family drama out of this film with this cast. Instead she steers the film into every cliche pothole and avoids anything like authentic human feelings. Laura complains endlessly about driving across the country but they are really only driving from Texas to California. Along the way, she can’t help but pick up more stray dogs, a cute conceit that is supposed to be heart-warming but instead comes off as contrived. Hilarity ensues every time charming Jack enlists his grandson’s help to unload the pot.

Feste’s script does not allowed the characters to evolve and develop into real people in real relationships. Every character remains two-dimensional and none of the sentiment in the film rings true. The cast sometimes tries to wring something out of the too-familiar situations but the trite script gets in the way. Still, they manage a few moments, although not enough to save the film.

BOUNDARIES is a disappointing experience that could have been much more, and a shameful waste of a good cast. No reason to take this trip.

RATING: 2 out of 5 stars