COCAINE BEAR (2023)

February 23, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. Dorothy Gale from Kansas may have been worried about ‘Lions and Tigers and Bears”, but even with a wicked witch and flying monkeys chasing her, she never faced anything as fierce as Cocaine Bear! The story is inspired by true events in 1985 when a plane load of cocaine was inadvertently dropped over a national forest in Georgia. Screenwriter Jimmy Warden takes that premise and imagines what would happen if a ferocious bear had ingested mass quantities of the drug and then rampaged while on the ensuing high. Elizabeth Banks, known mostly for her acting (THE HUNGER GAMES), adds this to her growing list of directorial outings (CHARLIE’S ANGELS, PITCH PERFECT 2), and her latest is sure to find a place in cinematic lore.

The film opens with a reenactment of the plane and parachute mishap that caused the drugs to dump into the forest. A crazed Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) bonks his head on the skydiving exit, setting the stage for our bear to discover the scattered drug bricks. Of course, as we know from so many movies, TV shows, and national news reports, when a drug delivery goes sideways, bears aren’t the only ones on the hunt. A local drug dealer played by Ray Liotta sends his son (Alden Ehrenreich, SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, 2018) and henchman (O’Shea Jackson, son of Ice Cube) to retrieve the misplaced shipment … all while a detective (Isiah Whitlock Jr) is on their trail.

Looking-for-love Park Ranger Liz (the always great Margot Martindale) envisions a romantic hike with the Park inspector she fancies (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), but her plans are spoiled when a frantic mom (Keri Russell, “The Americans”) shows up looking for her missing daughter Dee Dee (Brooklynn Prince, THE FLORIDA PROJECT, 2017) and her child’s friend Henry (Christian Convery, “Sweet Tooth”), who skipped school to explore the park. While all this is occurring, there is also a band of thugs wreaking havoc on park visitors, one of which (Aaron Holliday) gets looped in with the drug dealers. Once EMS workers (Scott Seiss and Kahyun Kim) show up, peak bear intensity is reached.

Now all of this may sound somewhat normal for a movie set up, but nothing prepares you for a rampaging bear desperately seeking that next hit of cocaine. I don’t have the words to express just how ‘off the rails’ this thing goes (in a riotous and fun way). What I can tell you is that it’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser, and certainly the most effective movie I’ve ever watched featuring a drug-fueled apex predator. I saw this in a crowded theater and the shared laughter and audience-reactions definitely added to the entertainment experience. Key elements have been omitted here because this is one of the wildest rides I’ve ever had in a movie theater … and my hope is that many other fun-seekers will agree. Not only is there humor, adventure, action, and violence, but there are also some brilliant ‘little touches’ that elevate the story (a cute dog, a double-cross, a broken heart, etc).

For almost fifty years, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) has ruled the Midnight Movie circuit. There have been a few contenders along the way (THE ROOM, THE WARRIORS, EVIL DEAD), but this Elizabeth Banks movie may finally be the one that reignites the late night movie crowd with this raucous, thrilling trip as a coked-up bear (a bear that looks fantastic) runs amok through a national forest, desperate for the next hit. On a side note, this was the final film for Ray Liotta before he passed away in 2022. With a legacy of memorable characters in SOMETHING WILD, GOODFELLAS, and FIELD OF DREAMS, Liotta’s final scene is quite a gut punch. COCAINE BEAR is a “hard R-rating” and not advisable for the 7- and 8-year-old kids brought along by their parents at the screening I attended.

Opens in theaters on February 23, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE QUIET GIRL (2022)

February 23, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. What a treat to watch a film that doesn’t drown us in the obvious or spell out each character’s precise thoughts. There are no explosions or action sequences, and these folks are ever so believable and grounded in life. With the depth of emotions relayed, and the unhurried pacing, it’s remarkable that this is a first feature film. Writer-director Colm Bairead has based his debut on “Foster”, a story by Claire Keegan.

It’s 1981 and a mother (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh) is calling for her daughter … young Cait (an extraordinary Catherine Clinch) is difficult to spot, blending in with nature in the pasture of her family’s farm. Being nearly invisible is how Cait spends her days. Mom is just about ready to deliver a new addition to the already crowded home. One more is one too many mouths to feed since dad (Michael Patric) works the liquor harder than the farm. With no discussion, or even an explanation, Cait (approximately 9 or 10 years old) is unceremoniously dropped off at a relative’s house for the summer. By this time, we’ve noticed she is extraordinarily quiet as she tries to remain unnoticed in her out-of-sync world – a home that lacks warmth and obvious love.

Cait is immediately struck by the kindness and tenderness shown by Eibhlin (Carrie Crowley), the woman at the new house who casts a fawning gaze at the child. Eibhlin’s husband, Sean (Andrew Bennett), is not nearly as welcoming of the girl, and seems to avoid speaking directly to her initially. Where previously Cait lived a life of isolation, missing the adoration young kids expect from parents, she’s quick to embrace Eibhlin’s attention and chips in with chores around the farm.

For a while, our focus is on Cait and Eibhlin, but slowly it shifts as Sean gradually thaws from his early silent treatment. It’s fascinating to watch the subtle ways in which Cait and Sean develop a bond. He even acknowledges her natural tendency towards silence by advising something along the lines of, ‘many people have missed the opportunity to say nothing.’ For her, it’s been a survival instinct. To Sean, it’s often a wise choice.

The work by Director of Photography, Kate McCullough, is exceptional. The shots of nature are lovely, but it’s the way she shoots these evolving characters that really makes an impact. An example of the complexity embedded in this ‘simple’ story is how Eibhlin informs Cait that secrets within a home are a bad omen; so imagine Cait’s surprise when the neighbor (Joan Sheehy) spills the dark secret held by Eibhlin and Sean.

Gaelic is the predominant language spoken herd, making subtitles a necessity for most of us. Mr. Bairead’s film has received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language feature film, and although the story doesn’t move at the pace we’ve grown accustomed to, the ending strikes us square in the heart as we realize Cait truly feels loved for the first time.

Opens in theaters on February 24, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

JUNIPER (2023)

February 23, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. A tale as old as time. No, this first feature film from writer-director Matthew J Seville is not a new spin on ‘Beauty and the Beast’, however it is a story that has a familiar feel, and one made more meaningful through terrific acting and expert cinematography. We are engaged through characters rather than plot, and in fact, we grow to care about two of these people after initially finding both a bit abrasive.

Charlotte Rampling stars as Ruth, aging mom to Robert (an underutilized Marton Csokas). The two have never been especially close as Ruth’s career as a war photographer allowed her to escape traditional parental duties. With a recent broken leg set in a cast and brace, Ruth finds her wings clipped and Robert senses an opportunity. By moving Ruth into the house during recovery, he can have his son, Sam (George Ferrier), help Nurse Sarah (Edith Poor). Sam is a party boy recently expelled from his boarding school and wants nothing to do with the convalescing grandmother he barely knows.

Dad’s ulterior motive gets off to a rough start. Both Ruth and Sam are hard-headed and rebellious. In fact, it’s these traits that end up drawing them closer. Ruth seems to survive on her all day gin-binges as her vile vocal spewings are those of a woman whose world has shrunk to the point of feeling captive. Sam is one who doesn’t take direction well as he tries to hide his depression and grief driven by the death of his mother. Adding to this mess is Nurse Sarah’s consistent attempts to inject some religion into Ruth before the bell tolls.

What we have is self-destruction times two. Ruth and Sam are rude and self-centered, and those shared traits end up thawing the icy relationship and improving their much different circumstances. George Ferrier is a relative newcomer from New Zealand, and he has the looks and on-screen charm to build a nice career. Of course, Charlotte Rampling is in her seventh decade of acting, and she instinctively knows how far she can push this character and still keep us engaged. It’s a terrific performance that probably deserved an Oscar nomination. The cinematography of Marty Williams works in the enclosed spaces of the house, as well as the beautiful landscape when the characters head outdoors. Some of the scenes may be a bit too much ‘on the nose’, but the humor and acting allows for the desired impact.

Opens February 24, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

MY HAPPY ENDING (2023)

February 23, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. When it comes to death, everyone hopes to go out on their own terms. Perhaps that’s at an advanced age surrounded by family. Or maybe it’s before the loss of physical or mental capacities. And then there are those who just want to pass quietly while sleeping. Whatever terms one might envision, the odds are we will have little say in when, where, or how. Co-directors Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon previously collaborated on THE FAREWELL PARTY (2014), and here they are working on Rona Tamir’s adaptation of the stage play by Anat Gov.

Andie MacDowell stars as Julia Roth, a once famous actress who is attempting to receive medical treatment while remaining incognito. Arriving for her first chemotherapy session, she admits to not having told friends, family, or even her loyal assistant Nancy (Tamsen Grieg). The three women currently receiving chemo all recognize Julia, but it becomes clear that no one being treated for cancer cares much about spotting a celebrity. It’s interesting to watch as Julia is brought down a notch or two from her arrogance as she realizes two things: these folks aren’t impressed, and her own cancer is much more advanced than she originally thought.

This little chemo support group provides the heart of the film. Screen veteran Miriam Margolyes plays Judy, a retired teacher and lifelong single. Sally Phillips plays Mikey, a former rocker and the most optimistic of the group. Rakhee Thakrar plays Imaan, a young Muslim mother hoping to be cured so she can watch her kids grow up. They are all being treated by Tom Cullen, who they’ve nicknamed, “Dr Handsome”. Julia’s motivation is the upcoming wedding of her daughter, and the mood shifts quickly when Nancy shows up to “take care of this” for her boss.

There are times in life when we must be open to the help and guidance of others. Julia is a bit slow on the uptake, but soon enough, figures out that listening to those who have been going through what she’s about to go through provides the insight she needs to make up her own mind … finding a way of doing things on her own terms. Given the subject matter, the film from Granit and Maymon offers a good dose of humor, and it’s also effective in reminding us that taking a “vision trip” can be the holiday that leads to clarity and making decisions that work best for ourselves.

Opens in theaters on February 24, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

EMILY (2023)

February 16, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. These days, it seems like we know entirely too much about the personal and professional lives of writers, actors … well, just about everyone. Of course, it wasn’t always like that. And taking that to an extreme is the all-too-brief life of Emily Bronte. Imagine if someone wrote a book today as popular and terrific as “Wuthering Heights”. We would likely know the name of their pet, their spouse, and where they eat lunch. For Emily Bronte, the details are not only scarce, but also not totally trustworthy, given that much of it comes from her older sister who had a touch of envy, or at least a competitive edge.

Frances O’Connor (known as an actor in such films as AI: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE and MANSFIELD PARK) chose a dramatic imagining of Emily’s life as her first feature film as writer-director. Emma Mackey (DEATH ON THE NILE, 2022) stars as Emily Bronte, and turns in a really nice and believable performance as someone whom we can only imagine her life in the 19th century. The reputation is that of someone who was socially awkward, and a bit of a sickly recluse. We do know that she died at age 30. We can also relate to the opening scene when Charlotte asks an ill Emily “How did you write it?” (referring to “Wuthering Heights”).

In fact, filmmaker O’Connor likely based her entire script on that question, and what she presents is quite interesting – regardless of how accurate it might (or might not) be. Emily and her younger sister Anne (Amelia Gething) spend days constructing stories together, and then Emily takes it further by writing poetry. As the eldest sibling, Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) is the favorite of their father (Adrian Dunbar), a priest at the local church. Emily is known as “the strange one”, despite her beautiful piano playing, and mostly secret writing skills.

Emily and her brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead, DUNKIRK, 2017) have an unusual bond. He’s a troubled young man weakened in spirit by spirits (the alcoholic kind). All of the dynamics shift quickly when William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, MR MALCOLM’S LIST, 2022) arrives as the new curate. His sermons are a form of poetry, and this intrigues all Bronte sisters, especially Emily. As Weightman teaches her French, their relationship transforms from one of butting heads to one of clandestine intimacy … and both are changed.

Although the film does explore the effect of the mother’s previous death, in real life, this family faced even more grief from death … including Emily’s at age 30. The sibling rivalry is a believable aspect, as Emily wrote “Wuthering Heights” and Charlotte wrote “Jane Eyre” (and a portion of “Emma”). With such a legacy, we have been left to wonder what became of Emily’s other writings, and Ms. O’Connor offers up one idea. The proof of Emily’s brilliance and talent is on the page for all to read, however, we will never truly know her inspirations and desires. Kudos to Frances O’Connor and Emma Mackey for filling in the gap … even if we will never know how close or far from the truth they landed.

Opening February 17, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

MARLOWE (2023)

February 16, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. The great Raymond Chandler created the now iconic Private Investigator, Philip Marlowe. Over many years, we have gotten to know Marlowe through novels and film adaptations. Actors as varied as Humphrey Bogart, Robert Montgomery, Dick Powell, Robert Mitchum, and Elliott Gould have played the cynical P.I., and now Oscar winning writer-director Neil Jordan (THE CRYING GAME, 1996) has added Liam Neeson to the list. Oscar winning writer William Monahan (THE DEPARTED, 2006) adapted the screenplay from John Banville’s (writing as Benjamin Black) 2014 novel, “The Black-Eyed Blonde”.

It’s 1939 in Los Angeles when Clare Cavendish (Diane Kruger) strolls into Marlowe’s (Neeson) office and hires him to find Nico Peterson (Francois Arnaud). Simple enough, only there’s a catch (of course): Nico has been declared dead and the body identified by a relative. Adding to the intrigue (of course) is Clare (she prefers to be called Cavendish) herself, the daughter of powerful former film star Dorothy Cavendish (played by two-time Oscar winner Jessica Lange, TOOTSIE, BLUE SKY).  As you would expect, the case leads Marlowe to cross paths with many ‘bad’ folks and a few instances of danger, which he (of course) manages to maneuver or outmaneuver.

The supporting cast is strong and includes Colm Meaney, Alan Cumming (with a southern accent?), Danny Huston (a nod to his father’s noir classic CHINATOWN?), and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. A couple of things are unfortunately quite clear. First, every noir cliché and trope is included here; and second, Liam Neeson is not the guy to pull off the Marlowe role – unless it was a full-on parody, in which case, he might have been a better fit. If he has put forth any effort into the role, it was apparently to ensure that his Marlowe is the least memorable one ever. There is no personal stamp on the role, and because of that, nothing really clicks here.

On the upside, the set decorations and costumes are divine. The film has the right look, but just brings nothing new or exciting to one of my favorite genres. It’s a throwback to hard-boiled detective crime stories of the 1940’s without the grit or charm. Marlowe first appeared in Raymond Chandler’s 1939 novel, “The Big Sleep”, and most iterations bring something new to the character or story. Perhaps the only thing director Jordan serves here is a shootout near the end. It’s more drawn out and noisy than what we would have seen 80 years ago, and it’s probably the right choice for today’s audience.

Opens in theaters on February 15, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

DEVIL’S PEAK (2023)

February 16, 2023

Greeting again from the darkness. It’s been (crudely) stated that one can pick their nose, but not their family. That sentiment has been the basis for many movies over the years, and it’s the driving force behind the latest from director Ben Young (HOUNDS OF LOVE, 2016) working from a script that Robert Knott (APPALOOSA, 2008) adapted from David Joy’s 2015 novel, “Where All Light Tends to Go”.

The film opens with a man frantically bounding from his truck to cock his rifle and aim down the road, clearly expecting trouble around the bend. Jacob (Hopper Penn) is the young man with the rifle, and also our narrator. The rest of the movie leads us back to this tense moment on the road. Jacob is the son of menacing Charlie (Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton), the local drug lord who deals the methamphetamine that has ruined so many lives in his area of Appalachian Mountains in rural North Carolina. Charlie rules with an iron fist and expects blind loyalty, especially from his son … which is a problem since Jacob is the sensitive type who wants nothing to do with the family business. Instead, he’s focused on Maggie (Katelyn Nacon), the college-bound daughter of a local politician (Brian d’Arcy James).

Charlie intimidates his much younger girlfriend Josephine (Emma Booth), pays the local sheriff (Jackie Earle Haley) to look the other way, and mostly ignores his ex-wife Virgie (Robin Wright), as she battles addiction and tries to give Jacob a chance at a better life. So what we have is a ‘Romeo & Juliet’ story in the middle of a “Justified” episode. Life is tough here, and most anyone would dream of leaving, but after he fails in a task assigned by his dad, and another tragedy strikes, Jacob decides he and Maggie must get out now. Of course, it can’t possibly be that easy … and Jacob finds out it’s not.

As far as I can tell, this is the first lead role for Hopper Penn, the real-life son of Robin Wright and Sean Penn, who is named after Dennis Hopper. He has a kind of young Adrien Brody look to him, and it will be interesting to see if this leads to more high-profile acting jobs. This movie has a good look to it, but the story doesn’t really offer anything new. However, it’s always a pleasure to watch Billy Bob Thornton turn evil, and Jackie Earle Haley play any role.

Opens on February 17, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

OF AN AGE (2023)

February 16, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. One of my (many) pet peeves involves movies where we are supposed to believe a couple finds eternal love after barely spending any time together. Now I fully understand some artistic license must be taken in love stories, as there are only a couple of hours to work with, but the challenge is making the audience believe it. For the films that do it right, it’s a thing of beauty.

Macedonian-Australian writer-director Goran Stolevski handles this expertly in his first film since the excellent (and much different) YOU WON’T BE ALONE (2022). A frenetic opening pace has 17 year old Kol (Elias Anton) panicking when his best friend Ebony (Hattie Hook in her first feature) phones after a wild night of partying. The two are supposed to be in the finals of an amateur ballroom dancing contest. Kol gets a ride from Ebony’s older brother Adam (Thom Green), and as the two search for Ebony, a natural bond begins as easy conversation covers numerous topics. When Adam matter-of-factly admits he’s gay, Kol’s nervous energy shifts into overdrive.

This bond only has a 24-hour window to blossom, as Adam is headed to South America for graduate studies. But what a 24-hour period it is. The two men continually cross paths, and so much is conveyed with very few spoken words. Glances, body language, and eye-contact are all that’s needed. That opening period takes place in 1999, and we then jump ahead to 2010. My, how time and age changes things … and yet, doesn’t.

We often see the fallout from unrequited love, but what of ‘partially’ requited love? Few films have better captured longing and emotional pain. We feel the aching and see it on Adam and Kol. Many scenes take place in a car, adding to the closeness and feeling of magnetic pull. For me, director Stolevski utilizes a few too many close-ups, although the approach does add to the intensity of some moments. The film may not be heavy on plot, but the emotions are strong enough to keep us invested.

Opens in theaters on February 10 and expands on February 17, 2023

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Posted by David Ferguson

SHARPER (2023)

February 10, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. We’ve seen just about every kind of con on the big screen. Heck, we’ve even seen a wide variety of cons play out in real life through politicians and corporate types. The fictional cons provide some entertainment value, as we get to use our sleuthing and deductive skills in an attempt to figure out what’s happening before it actually does. Solving the mystery is often one of the fun pleasures of cinema; however, sometimes, the filmmaker manages to weave such a tangled web that we are better off just sitting back and letting things unfold.

Director Benjamin Caron is known mostly for his TV work on shows like “The Crown” and “Andor”, and here he is working from a script by frequent comedy collaborators Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka (the writing team behind THE SITTER, 2011, and “Animal Practice”). The film serves as a departure from the norm for all three, and it opens with a definition of the film’s title used as a noun: “one who lives by their wits.” And while there may be very little comical wit on display here, there is plenty of intellectual wit and strategy used by all of the characters. Even the chapters are divided into the character names so that we see things develop through their perspective. It really feels like we are assembling an ever-evolving jigsaw puzzle as the shape of pieces shift in our hand.

Tom (Justice Smith, JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM, 2018) runs a bookstore in the city and seems to be a really nice guy. We first see him reading Poe, and he stops when the lovely Sandra (Brianna Middleton, THE TENDER BAR, 2021) steps into the store in search of a specific book for her PhD studies. The two hit it off, and this relationship becomes the foundation of the film, even though we rarely see the two together. Max (Sebastian Stan who plays Bucky Barnes in the Avengers movies) is our next chapter. He’s a slick conman who also plays a vital role in the elusive jigsaw puzzle being worked. Mr. Stan proved he could play a creepy dude in last year’s FRESH, and his best work here comes in scenes with Oscar winner Julianne Moore (STILL ALICE, 2014), whose name, Madeline, graces the next chapter. She’s in a relationship with a billionaire (John Lithgow) whose health is fading, and who has a tie to another character in this roster of tricksters.

Who is playing whom? Everyone can’t be the smartest person in the room, right? We are told you can’t cheat an honest man, but I’m not sure if the phrase is incorrect or if there are just no honest people. One thing for sure, in this movie, there are multiple webs of deceit overlapping each other, and the challenge is for viewers to make sense of all the swindling. It’s not really double-crossing when you lose count of how many crosses there have been. For psychological misdirection, it’s tough to beat David Mamet’s 1987 HOUSE OF GAMES. In 1990, THE GRIFTERS was a fun one for small time con artists, but more recently, the two NOW YOU SEE ME movies are just pretending to play in this pool, as they are missing the cleverness required. Director Caron’s film may waver a bit in the final act, and perhaps doesn’t quite earn the ending (a good one that takes us back to THE USUAL SUSPECTS). It seems most will be entertained by the shenanigans of these characters, and these days, that’s a win.

Opens in theaters on February 10, 2023 and then moves to AppleTV+ on February 17

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Posted by David Ferguson

SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW (2023)

February 9, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. As consistently as January brings horror films, we can count on February to deliver Romantic Comedies released around Valentine’s Day. Although, these days, even rom-coms tend to arrive carrying the weight of social messaging wrapped in inclusion, with a concerted effort to avoid ruffling feathers and hurting feelings. The husband and wife writing team of Dave Franco and Alison Brie, with Franco directing and Brie in a lead role, have managed to play by the new rules and still deliver a watchable film – albeit one that I found more sad than comedic.

Ally (Alison Brie, THE POST, “Mad Men”) is a showrunner/producer of a dessert-centric reality TV show. Season three has just wrapped, and Ally has been informed her show will not be renewed. As with any career-minded person, Ally is devastated and heads home to visit her mother and clear her head. The hometown she left a decade ago to chase her dream of being a documentary filmmaker in Los Angeles is the ‘always Christmas’ town of Leavenworth in Washington state. An awkward intrusion on her mother (Julie Hagerty) sends Ally to the local bar where she bumps into the former flame she dumped to purse those doc dreams.

Ally and Sean (Jay Ellis, TOP GUN: MAVERICK, 2022) quickly fall into the comfort zone of a long ago relationship, and spend the night frolicking about the town. Sean does refuse the intimate offer from Ally, which leads her to blindly stumble into his engagement weekend the next day. Yep, it’s a detail Sean conveniently forgot to mention during their wild night, and now Ally is face to face with Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons, ANTEBELLUM, 2020) and Sean’s entire family. His mother’s (Olga Merediz) request for Ally to be the wedding videographer is just the opening Ally needs to begin her battle plan of stopping the wedding.

It’s at this point where we can’t help but think of MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING (1997), and the writers take this head-on with a mention. We can’t tell if Ally thinks she can win back Sean or if she is merely taking out her frustrations in recognizing what she turned down years ago when she chose career of Sean. The tone begins to shift when Ally sees Cassidy performing with her punk rock band, and as the two women talk to each other, it becomes clear that Ally views Cassidy as a younger version of herself. Cassidy even discloses that her bisexuality caused the estrangement with her closed-minded parents. So how does one undermine the wedding of another who isn’t so bad after all?

Also involved are Ally’s old best friend Benny (Brie’s “Community” co-star Danny Pudi), who injects some humor and tries to prevent her meddling, and Sean’s stepbrother played by Haley Joel Osment, who tosses out a Brendan Fraser reference … actually kind of funny, especially in comparison to the Jeremy Renner joke that will likely cause mass cringing. Most of the characters are grounded enough that it’s a difference from many rom-coms, but we do get the feeling a few times that much effort was put forth in creating something outside the normal tropes, rather than the typical “aww, how sweet” moments we are usually subjected to in this genre.

Dave Franco is the younger brother of James Franco, and is a frequent actor who previously directed THE RENTAL (2020), one that varies substantially from this one. Alison Brie is best known for her acting roles, but also previously wrote HORSE GIRL (2020) and SPIN ME ROUND (2022). Here, she doesn’t shy away from a character that we initially pull for, yet end up kind of annoyed with. It’s not a typical break-up movie, or sappy romance, or he/she is ‘the one’ story. Instead, it draws on mean girl tendencies, jealousies, and regrets … yet also delivers the message of staying true to one’s self. As a compliment, it can be said that the film cannot be lumped in with our usual Valentine’s Day saccharine.

Opens in theaters on February 10, 2023

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1 Comment | Drama, Rom-Com | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

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