natalie morales – We Are Movie Geeks

LANGUAGE LESSONS – Review

A surprise gift of Spanish lessons via Zoom launches the funny, charming, and touching LANGUAGE LESSONS, a comedy drama that soars on the magical performances of its two actors, Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales. Duplass and Morales co-wrote the script and Morales directed this surprising charmer where the characters only even interact on Zoom yet develop a strong bond of friendship. Duplass and Morales build such well-drawn, appealing characters, and the script is so steeped in humor and well written that, despite the Zoom call format and two languages, we can’t help but be drawn in, laugh delightedly, and then have our heartstrings tugged.

In this clever film, the two characters, who live in different countries, develop a friendship while only communicating via Zoom. LANGUAGE LESSONS begins with a surprise, when Spanish teacher Carino (Natalie Morales) contacts her newest student Adam (Mark Duplass) by Zoom to start his first lesson, only to find him barely awake, sipping his first cup of coffee and completely unaware that his husband Will (Desean Terry) has bought him Spanish lessons as birthday present. Two years of weekly lessons. Playful Will also failed to let the Spanish teacher, Carino, know it was a surprise, and he giggles joyously off screen at both the flustered student and teacher. Despite the rough start and Adam’s doubts about fitting weekly lessons into his rigidly-set morning routine, teacher and student agree to begin the next week.

Adam and Carino have very different lives – she’s a financial-struggling divorced woman in Costa Rica and he’s an affluent, married gay man in Oakland, California – yet they quickly hit it off. But when tragedy strikes, an unexpected bond is formed between them.

The pandemic created big challenges for filmmakers, and this is not the first pandemic-made film to incorporate Zoom. If you had too much Zoom already during the past year, your first impulse might be to run screaming from the room at such a prospect, but then you would miss out on a fast, smart, sparkling comedy, with two outstanding on-their-toes performers who generate a terrific chemistry on screen. This is the best use of Zoom in a film I’ve seen so far in a pandemic-made film. And the pandemic isn’t even part of the story, which takes place in some near contemporary but pre-pandemic time.

There is something refreshing about that too. You might think a movie where the characters only appear together with separate screens and speak a mix of Spanish and English would be challenging to watch. Far from it, LANGUAGE LESSONS is sparkling and smooth as glass, immediately launching into funny with rapid-fire dialog and Morales’ and Duplass’ mix of awkwardness and warmth.

LANGUAGE LESSONS isn’t a romantic comedy, as it is about a platonic friendship between a gay man and a straight woman, but it has many of the same beats as romantic comedy. Early on, tragedy strikes one of the pair, but as that character works through that experience, both the kindness of the other and their shared sense of the off-beat leads to both healing and humor.

The pair quickly discover that they share a playful sense of humor but have very different lives. He lives a comfortable affluent life of leisure in a gorgeous house with a large pool in Oakland, with his successful husband, who runs a dance troupe. She is far less affluent, struggling to make a living giving Spanish lessons on Zoom and teaching English at home in Costa Rica. He once spoke Spanish long ago, grew up poor, and traveled around before meeting his husband. She is divorced, also traveled, and once lived in the U.S. and is fully bilingual.

Morales proves to have the right touch as a director on this project. It feels like she and Duplass are having the best time, with the freedom and time to fully explore their characters and the growing friendship, and to play off each other, which is fun for the audience too.

Despite the restrictive format, the film never feels confined because there is so much going on with the actors. It is not visually static. as screens alternate between side by side and minimized, the characters move around their space in a natural way, and they take turns dominating the conversation. The lessons are practicing Spanish conversation, which also feels natural as they get to know each other, and the conversation is sprinkled with playful word gaffes, some slightly risque. He is the more talkative, outgoing character and she is more reserved, but her sharp mind and their shared sense of humor means they are evenly matched.

It feels a bit like listening in on two friends in a very lively, funny, interesting conversation. As story darkens and the relationship deepens between them, we are completely drawn in and our hearts can’t help but be touched by their experiences.

LANGUAGE LESSONS opens Friday, Sept. 10, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac and select theaters nationally.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

STUBER – Review

Here’s good news for those needing a brief break from the superhero epics, franchise flicks, and assorted reboots. How about a good ole’ cop buddy comedy? I know we had variations of that staple in this summer’s so-so sequels MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL (basically two mismatched space cops) and SHAFT (not buddies, but family, one P.I., one C.I.A.). Luckily this new entry has a bit of a twist since it really focuses on the laughs (much like THE HEAT), and one of the guys isn’t a cop (shades of MIDNIGHT RUN with the ex-cop bounty hunter and fleeing mob accountant). The civilian here was the star of the best comedy of 2017 (he nabbed an Oscar for co-writing it), and the “man” is a part of one of those big comics-inspired franchises (we just saw him in action ten weeks ago). And just what is up with the one-word title? Well, that’s the source of some chuckles (and a chunk of the plot) in STUBER.

This starts with a flashback several years ago to the “cop” part of the story. We meet hulking bespectacled detective Vic Manning (Dave Bautista) and his partner (one of his co-stars from that “super series”) as they try to arrest the vicious, brutal drug kingpin/assassin Oka (Iko Uwais). Of course the bust goes bad (Vic’s darned eyeglasses) and Oka vanishes into the crowd exiting the LA Staples Center. Cut to today, and we’re at the big box sporting goods store where Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) does his 9 to 5 gig. He’s just signed the papers with longtime “galpal” Becca (Betty Gilpin) to open a “spin” exercise center. To help pay for this business venture, Stu uses his leased electric car as an Uber driver after clocking out (this is why his obnoxious retail boss calls him “Stuber”). Meanwhile, Vic is still on the force and still trying to track down Oka. Unfortunately, his boss, Captain McHenry (Mira Sorvino) informs him that the “feds” are taking over the stalled case. This on the day he’s to get laser eye surgery. But Vic gets a visit from his artist daughter Nicole (Natalie Morales) reminding him of her gallery reception that night. How can he get there after getting his peepers zapped? She takes his phone and registers him for Uber. Later, after the surgery, as he’s resting in his dark apartment, wearing his shades, Vic gets a call that may lead him to Oka. So is he gonna’ let a little thing like temporary blindness get in his way? And who’s his Uber driver? Well, it’s gotta’ be Stu? But he wants none of that track down stuff since Becca drunk called him saying she broke up with her cheating NBA star beau. She just may want more than a shoulder to cry on. But somehow these very diverse strangers bond over a deadly night in the mean streets of Los Angeles. So, just what will Stu do to get a treasured “5-star” driver review?

Nanjiani proves that his SICK success was no mere fluke by being a solid comedy anchor for this satiric studio action/thriller. Should be no surprise since his vocal performance in the latest MIB a few weeks ago was one of that dreary flick’s few bright spots. His Stu is an endearing “fussbudget” in the same vein as Felix Unger, at least when it comes to his auto devotion, making his pleading cries of “It’s a lease!” a most hysterical “call back” bit. And somehow Stu is an also another screen “everyman”, especially in his romantic frustrations concerning his “torch” for Becca. She opened the locked door on her “friend zone” cage one glorious night, and Stu thinks that one more “booty call” will release him forever. It seems his one big hope after thinking that he’s got to forget career passions in order to survive in LA. All that, plus Nanjiani’s dry line delivery and brutal verbal stabs make Stu a memorable but unique action hero. A more standard hero is the surly, brawny Bautista, who gets a great chance to stretch his dramatic “chops” and deliver caustic put-downs in a style similar to the beloves galactic brute Drax. Vic’s haunted by his past tragedy and is singled-minded in his own quest for justice. But he’s also eager to repair the crumbling relationship with his grown daughter (though her talents are perplexing). And his “slow burn” glaring looks at Stu always deliver. Morales as Nicole is a most engaging screen partner to Bautista, always standing up and chipping away at his stubborn “old school” behavior. It’s great to see Oscar-winner Sorvino back on the big screen, though her taciturn boss with a twist, is one that seems too familiar. Finally, Uwais is a most compelling martial arts human cyclone as the relentless Oka who is a convincing threat to Bautista’s “wall of muscle”. After the RAID flicks, and MILE 22, this dazzling film fighter deserves his own studio franchise.

Director Michael Dowse deftly handles the laughs (he’s a TV and film comedy vet) along with the bone-crunching action set pieces. The elements are fairly evenly balanced in the script by Tripper Clancy, which gets in some inspired jokes at pop culture (when a thug won’t talk, Stu makes him “sing” by grabbing his phone and tweeting his love for a certain hunky actor). It all clocks in at a fairly lean 93 minutes with little footage wasted, as they make use of some interesting LA locales (zipping from a MAGIC MIKE-style club to a hot sauce factory). The only thing that may take some viewers away from the clever comedy bits is its extreme violence. That “R” rating is truly earned in the opening moments when high caliber blasts make heads explode like ripe juicy melons (shades of Gerard Butler’s FALLEN flicks). Plus the sex jokes are plenty raw, particularly in that earlier mentioned club. But if you’re a fan of the lead actors, there’s plenty to enjoy in the inspired pairing of Nanjiani and Bautista in the bullet-riddled STUBER. And since we don’t go to five, I’ll give this ride and the driver a solid….

3 out of 4 Stars

Emma Stone and Steve Carell In First Trailer For Tennis Drama BATTLE OF THE SEXES

With The French Open and Wimbledon right around the corner, the Grand slam matches are on the minds of every tennis fan.

Today, Fox Searchlight Pictures has released this first trailer for the upcoming film BATTLE OF THE SEXES.

The electrifying 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was billed as THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES and became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time. The match caught the zeitgeist and sparked a global conversation on gender equality, spurring on the feminist movement.

Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposite sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. With a supportive husband urging her to fight the Establishment for equal pay, the fiercely private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past.

Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis courts and animated the discussions between men and women in bedrooms and boardrooms around the world.

The huge cast features Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Austin Stowell, Jessica Mcnamee, Natalie Morales, Fred Armisen, Martha MacIsaac, Mickey Sumner, Bridey Elliott, Eric Christian Olsen, Wallace Langham, Matt Malloy and Elisabeth Shue.

Directed by Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) and produced by Danny Boyle, BATTLE OF THE SEXES opens in theaters at the start of awards season on September 22, 2017.

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/battleofthesexes/

AFRICAN CATS’ Co-Director Keith Scholey Talks To We Are Movie Geeks

Earlier this week, I had a few minutes to speak with co-director Keith Scholey about the experience of filming the extraordinary story of AFRICAN CATS out in the African savanna. “First of all we had a great team working with us and out in the Masai Mara, there are many great camps and resources that were most helpful. Everyone worked really incredibly together and that made it a little easier to be out there for the couple of years it took to film this story.”

I asked Scholey about some of the challenges they faced in trying to stay with the animals, or “characters” in the narrative:

“With such a huge time commitment with these animals, the biggest fear is that after all that filming, they just disappear and you lose track of them. Over the few years that we were out there filming, we had great field teams and we were able to stay with the animals day after day. For example, with Sita (the cheetah) we developed a routine of going out at first light to the place we last saw her and got to know her habits and routines. Same with the lions, although they move around more at night. There are times when you don’t see them for a day or two – it takes an incredible amount of patience.”

Directors (L-R) Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey

With so many animals in such a large landscape, I wondered how they were able to tell the animals they were filming apart from all the rest:

“After a being out there as long as we were, we got to know our subjects pretty well and it became easier to tell them apart. Many of them have certain places they go and certain habits that made it easier to know who they were.”

I then wanted to touch on the aspect of wildlife filming that I think a lot of people wonder about – not interfering with nature. I’ve always wondered how hard it would be to watch a defenseless cub or a weak calf carried off by predators.

Said Scholey, “First off, there are very strict rules within the national park system in Africa. You are not allowed to interfere in any way with the animals. It’s against the law. But then there is the question of do you have the right to interfere? And the answer is no. You have no right to interfere because you have to consider the consequences. Interfering even once causes a chain reaction and you end up having to go further and further to manage the situation and where does it stop? A perfect example is the thousands of wildebeests that cross the Mara River each year during the migration. Hundreds are lost to the crocodiles in the river. People have often asked “why don’t they just build a bridge?” Suddenly you are directly affecting the survival of the crocodiles and the other predators of the river and the delicate balance of the whole eco-system.”

When speaking about the awesome experience seeing this film on the big screen, Scholey couldn’t have agreed more. “I’m so glad you said that! It is quite different than seeing it on a small screen or DVD. You feel it so much more seeing it on the big screen. You almost feel what its like to actually be there.”

Synopsis:

An epic true story set against the backdrop of one of the wildest places on Earth, AFRICAN CATS captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. Narrated by Oscar®-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, the story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mothers strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion and his sons. Disneynature brings “The Lion King” to life on the big screen in this True Life Adventure directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill (Earth). An awe-inspiring adventure blending family bonds with the power and cunning of the wild, African Cats leaps into theatres TOMORROW on Earth Day, April 22, 2011.

Like AFRICAN CATS on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Disneynature. Follow the film on Twitter: twitter.com/Disneynature

There was a special NY screening of AFRICAN CATS on Saturday, April 16th, at the Crosby Street Hotel!

Filmmakers Keith Scholey & Alastair Fothergill hosted the following special guests and their families: Keri Russell, Brooke Shields, Sophia Coppola & NBC’s Natalie Morales.