Searchlight Pictures has debuted the trailer for BEHEMOTH starring Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, Jobeth Williams, Margarita Levieva, with Hank Azaria and Will Arnett.
A gifted cellist, Alex Serian (Pedro Pascal), returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road.
Music, which has been the constant, all-consuming river of his life, begins to carry Alex on an adventure that will change him forever.
Written & Directed by Tony Gilroy, BEHEMOTH opens in theaters December 4th
The Oscar nominated Gilroy (MICHAEL CLAYTON) has been a major creative force behind some of the most critically acclaimed and grounded projects in the Star Wars franchise, serving as a writer, creator, and showrunner. Over a span of ten years, he has been responsible for roughly 26 hours of Star Wars content across film and television.
ROGUE ONE was massive box office hit and is widely regarded as one of the best standalone feature films in the Disney era of Star Wars. ANDOR received massive widespread critical acclaim for its mature storytelling, complex political themes, and avoidance of traditional “Easter eggs”. It was a brutal watch at times and highly recommended! Its first season earned eight Emmy nominations. Its second and final season concluded with 14 Emmy nominations, winning five major awards – including Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
For fans of Pascal (hand raised), it’s refreshing to see him taking a break from his roles in the Marvel and Star Wars universes. Catch up on some of his other series and films (all streaming) with Narcos, THE GREAT WALL and TRIPLE FRONTIER.
A couple invites another couple, their new neighbors upstairs, over for dinner, but that ordinary thing opens the door to an evening neither couple seems likely to forget. The smart, dark comedy THE INVITE is part “Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and part “God of Carnage,” yet neither, as it deals with adult matters of relationships and sex with biting, frank humor. THE INVITE pits hosts Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen), a bickering couple dissatisfied with life who are dismayed by the noise the new upstairs neighbors make, against those upstairs neighbors, Spanish divorcee Pina (Penelope Cruz) and her widower husband Hawk (Edward Norton) as they dance around the issues the hosts have in their own rocky marriage and Joe’s resentment of the loud, late night sex noises they hear nightly from Pina and Hawk’s apartment.
with searing, frank humor. THE INVITE pits hosts Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen), a bickering couple dissatisfied with life who are dismayed by the noise the new upstairs neighbors make, against those upstairs neighbors, Spanish divorcee Pina (Penelope Cruz) and her widower husband Hawk (Edward Norton) as they dance around the issues the hosts have in their own rocky marriage and Joe’s resentment of the loud, late night sex noises they hear nightly from Pina and Hawk’s apartment.
Olivia Wilde directs as well as starring in this sophisticated, sometimes squirm-inducing comedy dealing with grown topics. The cast is superb, individually and as an ensemble, and Wilde’s direction is strong as well. THE INVITE is an excellent showcase for this fine cast, giving the actors real red meat to sink their teeth into. Although it is a comedy, THE INVITE is dark, even hard stuff, with many uncomfortable and even squirm-inducing, if funny, moments, as it frankly, and maybe even perversely, addresses matters of real-life relationships and life.
Joe and Angela’s marriage is in trouble, and the noisy neighbors upstairs are not helping matters. Neither of them are happy people. Seth Rogen’s Joe is a failed musician who now teaches at a local community college without enthusiasm, and seems to wallow in his despair, avoiding even touching the piano he still keeps in his study. He clearly feels a failure but seems determined to embrace that misery as his identity. Angela is a frustrated stay-at-home mom, who cares for their daughter and spends too much money, who is bursting with pent-up frustrations, including over her husband’s embrace of misery. They bicker constantly.
We see plenty of that bickering but the comedy opens with an orchestra performing in a theater. The sole audience member is Seth Rogen’s Joe, clearly their teacher. Yet when the performance ends, he says little and hurriedly leaves, exiting the theater with a bulky item that turns out to be a foldable bike.
After absurdly struggling up San Francisco’s hills on that ridiculous foldable bike with its tiny wheels, Joe arrives home and is dismayed to learn his wife has invited the upstairs neighbors to dinner. He chides her for not letting him know about the dinner party, although she contends she told him the night before. She chides him for not bringing home some wine, while he contends she never told him to do that. However, since the new neighbors are coming to dinner, Joe thinks it gives him the chance to confront them about the late-night loud sex noises they have been enduring since the new couple moved it. Horrified, Angela forbids him to do that, because she wants to try to befriend the neighbors before raising that topic.
Joe and Angela are still arguing when the guests show up. Everything goes wrong from the start, including what Angela planned to serve for dinner and the lack of wine.
Despite the missteps, things start to go better than expected. Joe is distant, grumpy and brutally honest even towards the guests, although he stays away from the banned topic of noise, but surprisingly, the neighbors’ reaction is an unexpected admiration for his refreshing honesty. It turns out Pina is a therapist, a sex therapist actually, and she and her husband Hawk value honesty above all.
The couples seem to be hitting it off, when new surprises emerge. However, Joe and Angela’s tendency to snipe at each other starts to set off Pina, who is outspoken and sometimes even prickly. When Joe takes a swipe at gentle, quiet Hawk, he gets a response he doesn’t expect. To avoid spoilers, we will leave it at that, and just say things go in very unexpected directions, surprising both couples, and the audience as well.
This is adult comedy, but not particularly graphic, more just honest, sometimes embarrassingly so, about sex and relationships. This also is not laugh-a-minute comedy, although it has wit and its farcical side with some laugh-out-loud moments. This is darkly humor to make you think as well. Many of the scenes are so honest and close to the mark, that couples (or anyone who had been part of a couple) may likely to squirm or cringe with discomfort at something familiar. Other moments are more likely to fall outside most personal experience.
THE INVITE, which was a hit at Sundance, is actually American remake of a 2020 Spanish comedy. The original Spanish film, THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS. was an adaptation of Cesc Gay’s play and has been called an adult comedy for its focus on sex and relationships, although it is more frank talk that visually graphic. The original Spanish film also sparked French, Swiss, Italian and South Korean remakes. The Spanish film’s script was written by the playwright but this remake was written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. A planned 2023 version, with different cast and director, didn’t get off the ground before this present one.
The American comedy shows those origins as a play, by largely taking place in Joe and Angela’s apartment, apart from an opening sequence that sets the story firmly in San Francisco. Despite that bit of staginess, the comedy is intelligent, darkly funny and often uncomfortable as it fearlessly explores issues of relationships, sex and marriage in an adult way. The discussions are frank and adult but the film isn’t graphic. The original Spanish film was so good, there are also French and Italian remakes as well.
The major highlight of this smart comedy is the showcase it provides for this excellent cast, who relish the sharp dialog and its fearlessness in tackling uncomfortable subjects. The whole story takes place in Joe and Angela’s spacious, comfortable apartment, with the attractive setting contrasting with Joe’s palpable anger and despair about his life and Angela’s misdirected compensation for frustrations. The film runs a bit too long, sometimes lingering with a particular fight before it introduces some table-turning twist.
Still, the actors’ excellent work and intelligent, realistic way the script deals with relationship and life issues, makes this dark, biting comedy worthwhile, especially with its glimmer of something hopeful at the end. Long married couples and those who have experienced divorce or death of a spouse will find things that resonate emotionally here. It is a film that leaves you with something to think about, which seems like a good thing.
THE INVITE opens in theaters on Friday, July 10, 2026.
Here’s a first look at director Olivia Wilde’s film THE INVITE, starring Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.
Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places. Have they reignited the spark or lit the match that burns it all down.
The film, written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. In their review, The Guardian said, “It seems that the chance to watch a genuinely funny and uncommonly intelligent comedy for adults is an invite we have all been waiting for.”
The below the line artists are Director of Photography Adam Newport-Berra, Production Design by Jade Healy, Editing by Yorgos Mavropsaridis and Ant Boys, Costume Design by Arianne Phillips with Music by Devonté Hynes.
Paramount Pictures are letting fans decide if they are naughty or nice in these two new trailer for BABYLON.
The A-list cast include Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, P.J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Tobey Maguire, Max Minghella, Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde.
From Damien Chazelle, BABYLON is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
See BABYLON in theaters this Friday, December 23rd.
Diego Calva plays Manny Torres and Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad and Li Jun Li plays Lady Fay Zhu in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.
From Damien Chazelle, Babylon is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood. The bigger the dream, the greater the fight.
Damien Chazelle’s BABYLON starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva opens in theatres everywhere December 23 and WAMG is giving away to five of our lucky readers Fandango codes to see the film.
EMAIL michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com to enter.
YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.
WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
Lukas Haas plays George Munn, Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad and Spike Jonze plays Otto Von Strassberger in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.
Florence Pugh follows up her successes in BLACK WIDOW, LITTLE WOMEN and MIDSOMMER with a role as a housewife in a candy-colored 1950s-style planned community in DON’T WORRY, DARLING, actor-turned-director Olivia Wilde’s second feature and her follow-up to BOOK SMART. Harry Styles plays Pugh’s husband Jack, who works at a isolated desert research facility doing mysterious top-secret work, while Alice (Florence Pugh) stays home cleaning, shopping and drinking poolside with the other wives at their home in the planned suburban community of Victory.
The film opens with a wild cocktail party, with the women in cinched waist ’50s dresses and men in the era’s casual shirts, downing martinis like water in a chic mid-century ranch house. The next morning, the smiling wives cook breakfast before sending their men off to work in a synchronized exit of candy-colored, chromed cars from the desert subdivision, before the wives start on their day of housework and shopping.
Something DON’T WORRY DARLING does brilliantly is capture the mid-century period look, from the tiny-waisted, full-skirted dresses in colorful floral patterns to sleek chrome-trimmed light wood furniture to the “futuristic” chrome-trimmed cars. Other fine mid-century period touches in the sets and the spot-on look of the subdivision houses and yards complete the image. The impressive art direction and Florence Pugh’s strong performance, showcased well by director Olivia Wilde, are the main reasons to see this clever if imperfect science fiction drama-thriller. A nicely underplayed, sympathetic performance by Harry Styles adds a perfect grace note.
The “Stepford Wives” vibe is palpable right from the start, with all the smiling conformity and polished surface perfection, so we know something must be lurking under the surface. The film quickly creates the look and feel of a Douglas Sirk movie crossed with Sam Mendes’ 2008 REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, of a conformist, male-centric world that seems perfect on the surface – at least for some – but walking a tight-rope of hidden tensions. “Ideal” planned communities like this one were a real thing in the ’50s and early ’60s, born of post-WWII optimism, where everything was planned out and color-matched, with people who fit in as exactly as the coordinating-color mid-century ranch houses. That this community development is isolated in a remote desert locations next to the facility where the men all work (and it is only the men who work), where a company is doing some kind of secret work, completes the picture. There are hints of a big project the company works on, maybe a military contract, and again, the Manhattan Project and Cold War nukes spring to mind.
The prosperous planned community is led by Victory’s charismatic CEO Frank (Chris Pine) and his elegant wife Shelley (Gemma Chan). Director Olivia Wilde also appears in the film as a neighbor named Bunny.
But only a few minutes in, and one scene upends some of our assumptions about Victory. Alice and her neighbor wives are participating in an exercise class when a Black woman bursts in. Everyone turns and stares, and we expect racist outrage typical of the segregated 1950s. But no, they all know her, she is a neighbor named Margaret (Kiki Layne), and what is causing the dropped jaws is her distraught emotional state. Clearly, she is losing it but it is not sympathy that greets her but a gossipy, get-a-grip discomfort. Apparently she has been struggling with a trauma but the community would rather it be covered up and ignored, so they can get back to cocktail hour in typical ’50s style.
The scene reveals things may not be quite what they seem but even if we are not in the past, there is still plenty of the era here. And there is more to come in this science fiction tale. DON’T WORRY DARLING is a clever idea, and although not everything is perfect in this film, Florence Pugh darn well is.
Florence Pugh is the main reason to see this film (along with the polished art direction), although it does offer an interesting sci-fi fantasy tale with a femme-centric bent. Pugh dominates every scene, capturing the right combination of dewy young ’50s housewife innocence and a sense of a person with more depth, heart and curiosity than some of the other Stepford-like wives. While the other wives are unrelentingly critical of the neighbor who is losing it, Pugh’s soft-hearted Alice wants to extend more understanding and even tries to reach out to her on her own. But what the troubled neighbor says is both confusing and disturbing, and involves breaking some of the Victory company’s fundamental rules, rules that are required of families working on their secret project and are conditions of the well-paid, comfortable life in the planned community.
While the husbands drive cars to work, the wives ride a trolley, which takes them to the town’s shopping, schools, gym and so forth. The trolley travels out to the edge of town, beyond which is desert, which they are told is dangerous. They are told not to venture into it, for their own safety, and also not to approach Victory’s headquarters. lest they endanger the secret work. There are sometimes earthquake-like events, and the specter of something like underground nuclear weapons testing looms, but questions are forbidden under the secrecy rules.
We watch as Pugh’s Alice’s open heart, curiosity and her previously untapped brains lead her down paths that threaten to uncover what is hidden and upset. More cracks in the facade open with the arrival of a new couple, with Sydney Chandler as Violet, a shy, dark-haired Audrey Hepburn-ish wife.
Pugh handles Alice’s shifting emotional state and evolving character with impressive mastery. As we see Pugh’s Alice drawn into the mystery, her husband Jack becomes unsettled. While Jack remains supportive and loving, others in the community start to change. Harry Styles is perfect in the role of Jack, stepping back and letting the powerhouse Pugh shine, by not getting in her way. Early in this film’s development, there was talk of casting Shia LaBeouf in this role, an actor who likely would have battled Pugh for audience attention, but the right casting choice was made. Harry Styles’ sweeter, low-key performance makes a more poignant and effective film.
However, not everything is perfect in Olivia Wilde’s sci-fi drama, a big departure from her first BOOK SMART, and the film starts stronger than it finishes. Close attention is needed to what is said in later scenes to unravel the mystery but the story is resolved well in the end.
Still, DON’T WORRY DARLING is a worthwhile film, as Florence Pugh continues her rocket rise with another strong performance, and Olivia Wilde demonstrates her skill with a film that is a marked departure from her first. Add in a nice performance for the Harry Styles fans (including a surprise dance sequence) plus visual delights of the polished mid-century landscape and a femme-empowering sci-fi tale, and you get entertainment value enough to satisfy.
DON’T WORRY DARLING opens Friday, Sept. 23 in theaters.
From New Line Cinema comes DON’T WORRY DARLING, directed by Olivia Wilde (“Booksmart”) and starring Florence Pugh (Oscar-nominated for “Little Women”), Harry Styles (“Dunkirk”), Wilde (upcoming “Babylon”), Gemma Chan (“Crazy Rich Asians”), KiKi Layne (“The Old Guard”) and Chris Pine (“All the Old Knives”).
Check out the brand new trailer now and see it in theaters September 23.
Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Pine)—equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach—anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.
While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley (Chan)—get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.
But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?
An audacious, twisted and visually stunning psychological thriller, “Don’t Worry Darling” is a powerhouse feature from director Olivia Wilde that boasts intoxicating performances from Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, surrounded by the impressive and pitch-perfect cast.
The film also stars Nick Kroll (“How It Ends”), Sydney Chandler (“Pistol”), Kate Berlant (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”), Asif Ali (“WandaVision”), Douglas Smith (“Big Little Lies”), Timothy Simons (“Veep”) and Ari’el Stachel (upcoming “Respect the Jux”).
Wilde directs from a screenplay penned by her “Booksmart” writer Katie Silberman, based on a story by Carey Van Dyke & Shane Van Dyke (“Chernobyl Diaries”) and Silberman. The film is produced by Wilde, Silberman, Miri Yoon and Roy Lee, with Richard Brener, Celia Khong, Alex G. Scott, Catherine Hardwicke, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke executive producing.
Wilde is joined behind the camera by two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Matthew Libatique (“A Star Is Born,” “Black Swan”), production designer Katie Byron (“Booksmart”), editor Affonso Gonçalves (“The Lost Daughter”), Oscar-nominated composer John Powell (“Jason Bourne”), music supervisor Randall Poster (“No Time to Die”) and costume designer Arianne Phillips (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”).
A New Line Cinema presentation, “Don’t Worry Darling” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters in North America on September 23, 2022 and internationally beginning 21 September 2022.
Getting a lot of attention is Harry Styles upcoming film, DON’T WORRY DARLING, from director Olivia Wilde. The first trailer hit today. Check it out now.
From New Line Cinema comes “Don’t Worry Darling,” directed by Olivia Wilde (“Booksmart”) and starring Florence Pugh (Oscar-nominated for “Little Women”), Harry Styles (“Dunkirk”), Wilde (upcoming “Babylon”), Gemma Chan (“Crazy Rich Asians”), KiKi Layne (“The Old Guard”) and Chris Pine (“All the Old Knives”).
Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Pine)—equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach—anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.
While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley (Chan)—get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.
But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?
An audacious, twisted and visually stunning psychological thriller, “Don’t Worry Darling” is a powerhouse feature from director Olivia Wilde that boasts intoxicating performances from Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, surrounded by the impressive and pitch-perfect cast.
The film also stars Nick Kroll (“How It Ends”), Sydney Chandler (“Pistol”), Kate Berlant (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”), Asif Ali (“WandaVision”), Douglas Smith (“Big Little Lies”), Timothy Simons (“Veep”) and Ari’el Stachel (upcoming “Respect the Jux”).
Wilde directs from a screenplay penned by her “Booksmart” writer Katie Silberman, based on a story by Carey Van Dyke & Shane Van Dyke (“Chernobyl Diaries”) and Silberman. The film is produced by Wilde, Silberman, Miri Yoon and Roy Lee, with Richard Brener, Celia Khong, Alex G. Scott, Catherine Hardwicke, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke executive producing.
Wilde is joined behind the camera by two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Matthew Libatique (“A Star Is Born,” “Black Swan”), production designer Katie Byron (“Booksmart”), editor Affonso Gonçalves (“The Lost Daughter”), Oscar-nominated composer John Powell (“Jason Bourne”), music supervisor Randall Poster (“No Time to Die”) and costume designer Arianne Phillips (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”).
A New Line Cinema presentation, “Don’t Worry Darling” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters in North America on September 23, 2022 and internationally beginning 21 September 2022.
Sneaking in before the end of the year, nearly buried in the glut of award-contenders based on or inspired by true events, comes an intimate profile that’s also a cautionary fable that’s still relevant to today. Perhaps with the advent of social media, it hits home now more than in the late 1990s. Yes, unlike those films based on very recent headlines, like BOMBSHELL, DARK WATERS, THE TWO POPES, and THE REPORT, this one rolls back the clock more than two decades (as opposed to the century plus of 1917). But it also evokes the themes of classic fiction thrillers with a man (or in this case a trio) facing impossible odds in order to clear his name and prove his innocence ala THE FUGITIVE of TV and film. But, this is very real, dominating the news media for many days. And the very unlikely hero at the center of it all was the man named RICHARD JEWELL.
When we meet Richard (Paul Walter Hauser), he’s a derided supply manager of a legal office. His only “work friend” is lawyer Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell). During a game of Galaga at the nearby arcade, Richard tells him that he’s leaving to pursue his dream job in law enforcement. The route leads him to a short time as a security officer at a local college. An altercation at the dorm leads to his dismissal, but Richard has a goal to work at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. He’s happy to leave the apartment he shares with his mama Bobi (Kathy Bates) and trek downtown to work as a private security staffer at Centennial Park for the free outdoor concerts. Less happy to be there is FBI agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) and ambitious newspaper reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde), as each considers this a dull assignment. During the show, Richard accosts a group of teens tossing empty beer bottles at the side of an audio/video control tower. But as they leave, something under a nearby bench catches his eye, an abandoned backpack. After much persuading and pleading, Richard’s bosses finally bring in the bomb squad. Meanwhile, threatening calls warning of a device come in to the FBI and police switchboards. Richard’s suspicions prove true, chaos ensues, and two lives are lost. In the next couple of days, he’s hailed as a hero whose prompt actions may have saved many. But the pressure is on to find the real culprit, quickly. Thinking she can get a scoop, Kathy uses her…uh…journalistic skills to squeeze a scoop out of Agent Shaw: they are looking at Jewell as the bomber. Wanting to be first with the story, her bosses splash Richard’s face over the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As the media begins to hound him while the feds question him in, he calls the only lawyer he knows, Watson, who now has his own small firm. But can these two “little guys” get the truth out there as Richard’s reputation goes from media darling to evil murdering mastermind?
A great deal of the film’s strength comes from the superb casting, particularly in the title role. Rather than going for a big or medium name actor (Jonah Hill is an executive producer, in part because of his early interest in starring), they’ve wisely recruited Hauser, who made an impact a couple of years ago as the self-proclaimed “intelligence consultant” in I, TONYA. Here, minus that character’s clueless bravado, Hauser immerses himself in the complexities of Jewell’s personality. We sympathize with him over his obsessive desire to “serve the public”, but he frustrates us with his allegiance to those who would take advantage, making us squirm until Bryant snaps him out of her subservient stupor. This makes the powerfull last act, when he finally, as Bryant says pleads, he “gets mad”. For many, his strutting, socially awkward persona makes him the butt of derision ala Paul Blart or closer to Seth Rogen in OBSERVE AND REPORT, but Hauser imbues him with quiet dignity, going from easy caricature to rounded (yes, he is “husky”) human being. This is a remarkable performance.
Happily, Hauser has some great “back up” from several screen vets. Rockwell brings some great motor-mouthed energy in the role of Jewell’s pal and defender, who knows that he’s playing David to the law and media Goliath twins. At times he seems to be acting as Jewell’s “big brother” who, like Captain America, doesn’t like bullies. But he’s gotta’ be tough with his client, playing the “bad cop” to Bates as mother Bobi as “good cop”. Actually “adoring, loyal cop” may be more like it. Similar to Hauser, she brings dignity to this simple, soft-spoken lady who wants to protect her only son, perhaps close to a “mama grizzly”. Hamm truly makes a compelling villain as the swaggering, arrogant Shaw. He’s the “idol cop” that Jewell seems to dream of being, but he’s closer to a mean-spirited jock who’s trying to pin something on a kid he stuff into lockers. He’s Don Draper with a badge and less booze. But like that iconic TV role, he likes the ladies a bit too much, which brings in the fabulous Wilde as the temptress who may cause his (and Richard’s) downfall. Her Kathy sees the future of print media (newspapers appeared to have no serious rival in 96′) and doesn’t care about climbing over her co-workers (especially the other women who see right through her). Ms. Wilde proved herself a gifted director this year with BOOKSMART, but let’s hope she continues in front of the camera with spirited work like this.
The real Richard Jewell
Speaking of actor/directors, this film is yet another triumph from one of the most prolific ones, Clint Eastwood. Really, it’s his most compelling since AMERICAN SNIPER. He has tackled tales of the wrongly accused before, in the underrated CHANGELING, TRUE CRIME, and even SULLY, but here his subject allows him to comment on being tried by the media. Reporters and camera crew swarm around the entrance to the apartment complex of the Jewells, acting like piranhas circling prey, crushing anyone trying to plow through while pelting them with a Gatling gun of questions, “Where were you?” “Didya’ do it?” “Make a statement!”. These paparazzi are closer to vultures picking at the flesh of a wounded animal. Eastwood is also skilled in turning the drabbest surroundings into a grim cage, particularly the Jewell living room when he’s told to repeat a threat into the phone. The same can be said of the film’s most suspenseful sequence, when Eastwood turns the festive park concert into a nail-biting, edge of your seat thrill ride, reminding us of Hitchcock’s theories of building tension for an audience (we know it’s gonna’ happen, but not when). It helps that he’s working from a terrific script by Billy Ray based on Marie Brenner’s magazine article. There’s great location work at the actual spots (I could almost feel the humidity) and Eastwood’s expert guidance of his gifted cast. All of them combine to make RICHARD JEWELL one of the year’s most engaging and provocative films.
You don’t have to be a genius to get through high school and into a great college. There’s not a specific mold one has to fit into to advance in life. Smarties can be losers, stoners can excel, and jocks aren’t always jerks. BOOKSMART presents these labels and more, and just as quickly, shows off how in 2019, the John Hughes 80s-movie stereotypes don’t apply. And much like actress-turned-director Olivia Wilde, you can defy the expectations set out for you.
Olivia Wilde directs a raunchy comedy from the modern, high-school girl perspective in the spirit of SUPERBAD and CAN’T HARDLY WAIT with a healthy dose of BROAD CITY thrown in. Despite the unoriginal premise of the “final party before high-school ends,” the screenwriters (a team of four talented women) prove that you don’t need an original concept when you’re making a clever and laugh-out-loud statement about stereotypes and high-school tropes. You just have to beat them at their own game. And between Wilde’s carefree confidence behind the camera and the writing team’s admiration for the characters, it’s no wonder that BOOKSMART is one of the best high school stories put on screen.
Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and her best friend, Molly (Beanie Feldstein), are ready to move on to two of the top schools in the country. While their intentions may be good, their elitist attitude towards this achievement quickly vanishes when they learn all of their classmates are also going to top schools despite what their appearance and weekend partying may signify. This leads the duo to prove that they are also brainy and fun, like the rest of her classmates. There’s just one catch: they need to figure out where’s the big house party that takes place the night before graduation.
Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein lead this comedic freight-train that barely takes a minute to breathe through the breezy 97 min runtime. Their presence on screen and the love they extend to the characters make the constant jokes feel much more natural than it sounds. The two have dynamic and infectious chemistry that you feel in every scene, leading to one of my favorite comedic duos in recent memory.
More than most high-school films, the supporting characters are just as important (even a throwaway character is the crux to the entire conclusion of the film). These characters accentuate the themes and aren’t just roadblocks in the way of our leads’ end goal. In fact, many of them have just as strong arcs by the end of it. Billie Lourd is fantastic, playing a Puck-like character (one of a few Shakespearean allusions in the film) that mysteriously pops up throughout the film for some off-kilter fun. But its the quirky bond between the strong, feminist duo that provides most of the heart and humor in the film.
While many films depict the lives of high schoolers as narcissistic, callous, and lacking any sense of what the “real world” is like, Olivia Wilde offers a softer and more sensitive lens to her characters. Their high school revelry, including trashing the hallways on the final day of school and rowdy late night parties, is depicted without judgment (albeit, with a strong knack for slo-mo flare set to some amazing pop songs). Unlike SUPERBAD and other high-school comedies, the struggles of the two leads aren’t trying to get booze or laid – they simply want to have their voices heard. In the end for Amy and Molly, it’s telling their respected crushes how they feel and also to prove a point to their classmates that they can have fun too. But it’s much bigger than that. As the feminist references and jokes throughout the film remind the audience, it’s making an enthusiastic statement at a time when it’s needed most. The two “nerds” at the center of the film don’t need to follow the rules to get through life, just as the woman at the helm of the film doesn’t have to stick to the book when it comes to teen comedies. And that’s what makes it smart.
