SPACEMAN (2024)

February 29, 2024

Greetings again from the darkness. Have you hugged a spider today? Adam Sandler has. Well, technically it’s his character who does the hugging. Jakub Prochazka, is a Czech astronaut 189 days into his year long mission. He’s flying solo on “the outskirts of Jupiter” to explore the Chopra cloud which is expected to reveal the beginning of time.  Honestly, it feels like a job worthy of more than one man, however, that’s what the source material provides. Based on the 2017 book “Spaceman of Bohemia” by Jaroslav Kalfar, Johan Renck directs the adapted screenplay by Colby Day. Mr. Renck is not one that jumps to mind when thinking of an Adam Sandler movie. His previous credits include the excellent mini-series “Chernobyl”, as well as multiple episodes of acclaimed series, “Breaking Bad” and “Bloodline”.

The reality is that Adam Sandler is a solid dramatic actor, as evidenced by his roles in PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (2002), and more recently, THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (2017) and UNCUT GEMS (2019). In fact, many of us much prefer heavy-drama Sandler to goofy-comedy Sandler. In this latest, he goes low-key extreme. In fact, Jakub is rapidly sinking into depression, though it has little to do with the loneliness and solitude of space. That’s right … it’s a woman. His pregnant wife, Lenka (the always stellar Carey Mulligan) is missing and won’t communicate with her galactic husband. We know what’s going on with her, but the mission Commander (Isabella Rossellini) refuses to tell Jakub due to his fragile mental state. On top of that, his deteriorating spacecraft is preventing him from sleeping properly.

Soon, that rickety old space toilet is the least of Jakub’s worries. He’s sharing the claustrophobic space with a giant talking spider. Jakub is unsure if this is a figment of his imagination or some alien creature. Passively voiced by Paul Dano, Hanus the arachnid initially appears to be a manifestation of Jakub’s subconscious, but as time goes on, it appears he’s a creature with knowledge of the universe. The low-key vocals from Jakub and Hanus don’t generate much excitement for us viewers, but the therapy Hanus provides, allows Jakub to better understand himself … and also drives Hanus to binge eat. There are no Sandler tantrums or screaming moments … instead his sad eyes and droopy face tell us much about Jakub.

Hanus calls Jakub “skinny human” so many times, it feels like that should be the film’s title. It gets old pretty quickly. Other supporting work comes from Kunal Nayyar as Jakub’s virtual doc, and Lena Olin as Lenka’s mother, although the film struggles to give anyone beyond Jakub much definition (including the underutilized Mulligan). It’s a bit baffling to look at this cast and associate them with the Czech Republic space program, but it’s Hollywood, where the 20-year age cap between Sandler and Mulligan also matters little. The film spent almost three years in post-production for reasons I don’t know, but it’s safe to say it’s one of the better talking spider movies you’ll see, yet not one of the finest lonely astronaut flicks.

Begins streaming on Netflix on March 1, 2024

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

MURDER MYSTERY 2

March 31, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. You know who you are. You are either a fan of Adam Sandler movies or you’re not. And no, we aren’t referring to his stellar dramatic turns in films like UNCUT GEMS (2019) and PUNCH DRUNK LOVE (2002). Rather we mean ‘funny Sandler’ and his distinctive comedic style. Of course, Mr. Sandler doesn’t much care about your judgment, as his comedy movie empire becomes more enormous and successful with each release – and his partnership with Netflix has taken things to a new level. This time he returns with leading lady Jennifer Aniston for a sequel to their 2019 hit, and it’s again written by James Vanderbilt (ZODIAC, 2007), but with a different director, Jeremy Garelick (THE WEDDING RINGER, 2015).

An opening “previously” sequence catches up anyone who has forgotten what happened in the original MURDER MYSTERY (2019), and anyone who didn’t watch. The basics are that it’s now four years after Nick and Audrey Spitz (Sandler and Aniston) solved their first case, and they are struggling to get their detective agency up and running. It’s causing a bit of marital strife as Nick is a bit tired of talking business and the relentless pressure, while Audrey (and Aniston’s “free the nipple” ways) wants her husband to be a bit more committed to the cause.

The couple gets what they need when their old friend (from the first movie) Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar) calls them and invites them to his wedding being held on his own private island. Nick and Audrey embrace their friend, as well as the lavish surroundings of the Indian wedding – even though the bride to be, Claudette (Melanie Laurent, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, 2009) is not Indian. A murder and kidnapping for ransom ruin the wedding party, although that happens after a boisterous Bollywood-style song and dance number.

Much like a traditional whodunnit, everyone close to the Maharajah is a prime suspect in his kidnapping. This includes his sister Saira (Kuhoo Verma: his ex-fiancé, Countess Sekou (Jodie Turner-Smith, AFTER YANG, 2021); his demoted head of security (returning from the first film) Colonel Ulenga (John Kani); and even bride-to-be Claudette. When Miller (Mark Strong) shows up, he quickly becomes the detective-in-charge … after all, he wrote the book. Unlike a traditional whodunnit, there are non-stop comedic twists, even permeating the more-impressive-than-expected action sequences.

Unlike the first movie where much of the happenings occurred on a boat, this film ‘escapes’ the private island and heads to beautiful Paris, France where the iconic Eiffel Tower becomes a significant set piece. This move also allows another reunion from the first movie when Inspector Delacroix (Danny Boon) shows up to work on the case. Sandler and Aniston have good chemistry and play off each other quite well, and there aren’t many movies that feature animals wearing diapers so as not to mess the grass. Sandler gets in some zingers, and it’s fun to watch Strong’s macho posing, but I still can’t believe they skipped a final “Gary” joke. Anyway, this will please fans of the first movie, and likely set the stage for a third, assuming Sandler and Aniston are up for it.

On Netflix beginning March 31, 2023

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

HUSTLE (2022)

June 7, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. As a sports fan and movie fan, I approach every sports movie with trepidation and low expectations. Let’s face it, most actors aren’t great (or even good) athletes, and most athletes aren’t great (or even good) actors. We would have no interest in a western where the cowboys can’t ride horses, just as we have no interest in watching John Goodman portray a baseball legend in THE BABE (1992). I tell you this to convey my state of mind while preparing to watch this basketball movie from director Jeremiah Zagar and co-writers Will Fetters (A STAR IS BORN, 2018) and Taylor Materne. It gives me pleasure to say that even though the premise is kind of similar to Kevin Bacon’s 1992 film, THE AIR UP THERE, this one should satisfy most sports and basketball fans.

Adam Sandler stars as Stanley Sugermen, a long-time scout for the Philadelphia 76’ers. An opening montage gives us a taste of why he’s worn out and beaten down after so many years on the road. Rushing to catch flights, too many fast-food meals, crashing in one hotel after another, and chasing down tips on the next great player … it all adds up to frustration and too much time away from his wife Teresa (Queen Latifah) and teenage daughter (Jordan Hull). Feeling unappreciated and questioning his professional future, Stanley is ecstatic when the long-time Sixers owner played by (Oscar winner) Robert Duvall promotes Stanley to assistant coach. Unfortunately, the dream-come-true turns into a nightmare when the beloved owner dies, leaving his cocky son Vince (Ben Foster) in charge of the team. Vince has little respect for Stanley and promptly sends him back on the road.

It’s in Mallorca, Spain where Stanley stumbles on a nighttime game at a local outdoor court. Immediately catching his eye is an intense, lanky player in work boots. NBA player Juancho Hernangomez stars as Bo Cruz, a true previously undiscovered diamond in the rough. The dream of all scouts is to be the first to find a transcendent player, and once they hear the NBA minimum salary, Bo’s mother and young daughter are on board with Stanley taking Bo to the United States. Of course, things don’t go according to plan. Vince rejects Bo, and a history of anger issues comes back to haunt Bo. Stanley ignores the naysayers, trusts his instincts, and takes on the project of preparing Bo for the scouting combine. The training montage is very well done, as Sandler and Juancho are both believable and draw us in for support.

Cinematographer Zak Mulligan and director Zagar deserve credit for filming the basketball sequences in a style that highlights the athletic talent without resorting to cheap editing tricks. Of course it helps that the basketball sequences are loaded with actual NBA players and playground legends. These guys look like they can play because they CAN. I’ll leave the closing credit montage to highlight most of those involved, but a couple of standouts include Boban Marjonovich and Anthony Edwards, the latter playing Bo’s head-game nemesis, Kermit Wilts. Also making appearances are Kenny Smith as a player agent, and the great Julius “Dr J” Erving, who has a couple of scenes.

When most people think of Adam Sandler, his long list of sophomoric and absurd man-child movies come to mind. Certainly, he can’t be blamed for giving the masses what they want. It’s made him a very rich man. However, his talent in more dramatic roles should not be ignored. The recent UNCUT GEMS and THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES are examples, and going back further, his turn in PUNCH DRUNK LOVE remains one of his best. As Stanley Sugermen, Sandler injects humor into his love of basketball, tossing in a couple of ‘soccer’ and ‘geezer’ jokes. Overall, he successfully captures the essence of an everyman seeking redemption for his self and his family.

Streaming on Netflix beginning June 8, 2022

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

UNCUT GEMS (2019)

December 23, 2019

 Greetings again from the darkness. It’s debatable whether this movie should be labeled an indie crime thriller or a ‘Scared Straight’ session for gambling addicts. Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie are filmmaking brothers who seem to specialize in adding a frenetic pace to the lives of characters who consistently make bad decisions. Their excellent 2017 film GOOD TIME (starring Robert Pattinson) set the tone for their latest, featuring an Adam Sandler performance unlike anything we’ve previously seen from him.

After a brief prologue at an Ethiopian mine, we are dropped right into Howard’s world. Well, more specifically, we find ourselves on the camera end of Howard Ratner’s colonoscopy, while also seeing the vibrant glow of the rare opal extracted from that opening mine. Remarkably, the colonoscopy may be Howard’s (and our) most relaxing moment of the movie. The character of Howard is based on a guy the Safdie brothers’ dad worked for in the Diamond District when they were growing up. He’s played here by Mr. Sandler, who delivers a performance so memorable that we now can’t imagine anyone else in the role.

Here is what we learn about Howard: he’s arrogant and foolish and energetic and hopeful. He lives life on the edge … or perhaps he’s already tipped. He’s a Jewish jeweler based in inner-city Manhattan, and as the film begins, he owes a lot of money to someone who has hired goons to collect. Howard has an irascible wife Dinah (Idina Menzel, Elsa’s voice in FROZEN) who is fed up with his antics … one of which is his employee/mistress Julia (newcomer Julia Fox). Howard has an insatiable gambling addiction and he’s always on the brink of a life-changing big score or a colossal failure that could cost him everything. He’s a hustler who has to move faster each day to prevent the collapse of his house of cards: sports bets, pawns, loans, lies, and empty promises.

So if you think you now have a feel for this, I can assure you that you are mistaken. The frenetic pace is relentless to watch. We kind of like Howard, but yet, we want nothing to do with him. His latest scheme involves the expectation that the rare opal will solve his many financial woes. In the meantime, his business associate Demany (LaKeith Stanfield) brings him a high profile client … NBA player Kevin Garnett. The film looks and feels like a gritty 1970’s flick, but it’s based during the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, and Garnett plays himself (and quite well). Garnett borrows the opal for good luck and that’s when all ‘heck’ breaks loose. Also in play here is Howard’s rotten brother-in-law (Eric Begosian), to whom he also owes money. Adding even more NYC flavor are Judd Hirsch, John Amos, and sports radio host Mike Francesca, as Howard’s bookie.

Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never) provides an electronic score that helps ensure we are never comfortable watching what is unfolding, and cinematographer Darius Khondji (EVITA) keeps his camera in constant motion – just like the characters. Production Designer Sam Lisenco creates Howard’s world through the jewelry shop, the house, the apartment, and especially that back office. Set Decorator Kendall Anderson wins a place in my heart for the Pete Maravich poster.

The Safdie brothers co-wrote the script with their editor Ronald Bronstein (who also worked on GOOD TIME), and afterwards you’ll find yourself going back through all the poor choices made by most every character. The brilliantly sustained level of uneasiness includes a segment featuring The Weeknd, and one revolving around a school play for Howard’s daughter. The Safdie style is present throughout, and most conversations are loud and heated and threatening. If you are the type that needs at least one likable character, or a serene environment, or respectful adult conversation, you are out of luck here. Howard is an exhausting character in an exhausting story within an exhausting movie … just as it was intended.

watch the RED BAND trailer (PROFANITY WARNING):

 

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

ZOOKEEPER

July 11, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. We are all fine with the endless stream of animation featuring talking animals. The rules change a bit when the movie is live action … and the animals still talk! Not only do they talk, but they are giving lessons in love to zookeeper extraordinare Griffin (Kevin James) ala Dr. Phil.

Personally I think Kevin James is more suited to television, but it’s hard to argue with the huge box office success of Paul Blart Mall Cop. This movie isn’t quite as creative as that one, but for mindless summertime fun in an air-conditioned environment and a kid-friendly theme, it’s passable.

 The kid-friendly theme is somewhat misleading. To me, it’s the greatest flaw of the movie. It can’t seem to decide if it wants to be a kids movie or a “clever” film for kids that adults will enjoy. I don’t think most adults will enjoy it much, and I think most kids will be confused and bored by the adult plot of helping Kevin James land the girl and discover his true self.  But for kids, the animal scenes should sustain them.  I am not sure that TGI Fridays is enough for adults.

If you are going to have talking animals these days, you must have high priced voices … even though you can’t recognize them. Some of the vocal talent on display includes Sylvester Stallone and Cher as lions, Nick Nolte as the gorilla, Jupp Apatow as an elephant, producer Adam Sandler as the monkey (“throw poop”), Faizon Love and Jon Favreau as arguing bears, Maya Rudolph as an off-key giraffe, and Don Rickles as a frog.

 The story is this: Kevin James is a nice guy zookeeper who is loved by the animals, but spurned in marriage proposal by his girlfriend Leslie Bibb, who wants him to make more money. He works with nice gal Rosario Dawson who likes him so much that she agrees to help him get the shallow Bibb back. Other zoo co-workers include Donnie Wahlberg and Ken Jeong, who must be in every third movie released this year. Yada, Yada, Yada … animals give advice, Kevin James learns about real love, gorilla learns some people can be trusted, they all live happily ever after. I don’t consider that a spoiler.

The movie is produced by Adam Sandler and directed by his buddy Frank Coraci. Coraci also directed a comedy I kind of like (The Wedding Singer) and a couple I absolutely couldn’t stand (Click, The Waterboy). Anyway, if you are looking for mindless fun with the family, this one is safe though not inspired.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you don’t believe anyone (including a gorilla) can have fun at TGI Fridays.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: a step down from Night at the Museum is a step you prefer not to take

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Posted by David Ferguson