Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike and the former Dr. Who David Tennant star in this charmingly absurd family comedy. They play a divorcing couple who ask their three cute kids to lie to their grandfather (Billy Connolly) at his birthday party that they are happily married. The movie takes a delightful turn in the middle and this portion--with the 3 kids and the grandfather--is brilliant. The movie has a strong grasp of character and relationships, even though some of the subplots are extraneous. But overall this is a very fun movie. Pike, Tennant and Connolly are exceptional and the three children are terrific and believable.
A lot of film buffs love this movie, about an 18 year old loner who makes parodies of classic movies. There are lots of fun references and easter eggs for movie lovers. But the actual plot of the movie--where the titular "Me" tries to make a video as a present for the "Dying Girl" is cliche and annoying. This is very much a "white boy has world revolve around him" kind of story. Olivia Cooke from Bates Motel plays the Dying Girl and she offers such a good performance that I wished she was the main character. The film has a very cutesy look to it and it's effective but too precious for my taste.
Woody Allen's latest film had come under some flak for pairing twenty-something Emma Stone with forty-something Joaquin Phoenix. But Allen has some tricks up his sleeve because the movie plays the relationship quite smartly. And the trailers don't really tell you how much a black comedy the movie is. While Allen seems to be rehashing some older ideas, his cast is great. Phoenix and Stone make a fascinating. Parker Posey turns up to steal the whole show. The movie has some unexpected twists and turns. As a fan of Woody Allen, I really enjoyed Irrational Man.
This German film is about post WWII Germany and its effects on citizens. The film concerns a Holocaust survivor who gets plastic surgery to look like her old self after severe burning to her face and body. When she spots her husband at a nightclub, he assumes she's just a doppelgänger and asks her to pose as his "late" wife to get the inheritance. It's a heartbreaking thriller, with Hitchcock elements and a terrific ending. The film has some really dark, sad undertones and it's quite beautifully shot. Performances are really strong and the film is a tight 98 minutes. This is one to check out when it appears on demand/Netflix.
Jason Segal and Jesse Eisenberg star in this biopic of iconic 90s author David Foster Wallace. The film touches on themes of male competitiveness, jealousy and admiration. Jason Segal is getting most of the praise for his near-perfect performance as DFW. Maybe that's true but I don't have knowledge of the author. Segal is terrific in his smart-goofball act, with sadness and loneliness under the surface. Really I want to highlight Eisenberg, who crafts a layered performance full of equal parts pettiness and hero worship. He always looks like he's on the verge of an angry tantrum and it's brilliant work. The movie has a low-key feel and it's quite a somberly beautiful look at life. Well, the life of the 30 something privileged, straight white men, a demographic all too underrepresented (lol, sarcasm).
MATM Must See: The End of the Tour
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