[Review] People, Places, Things
This review is being re-posted to coincide with the film's VOD and theatrical release.
In most comedies involving a break-up between parents, the plot tends to naturally vilify the parent opposite of the lead, portraying them as some type of evil entity whom the lead must conquer and triumph over to win. However, this isn't often the case in real life situations, and People, Places, Things does a great job of being an inherently funny film without having to trap its characters in outlandish situations to garner laughs from its audience. However, will that be enough to hold over those who have come to expect such cartoon-like comedies?
People, Places, Things
Director: Jim Strouse
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 26, 2015 (Sundance), August 14, 2015 (VOD, theaters)
On his twin daughters' birthday, graphic novelist Will Henry (Jemaine Clement) walks in on his wife, Charlie (Stephanie Allynne), cheating on him with another man, Gary (Michael Chernus). A year later, Will is a divorcee living in a small studio apartment in Queens with weekend visitation rights. His depression, while never taking over or defining his character, begins to show through his art and teaching during his classes at the School of Visual Arts. After discovering Charlie is pregnant and intends to marry Gary, Will requests more time with the girls, and is shortly given such time when Charlie drops them off one night. Struggling to juggle his job and responsibilities with the girls, he requests help from his student, Cat (Jessica Williams) and her mother, Diane (Regina Hall). Before long, Cat and Will hit it off, but the allure of reuniting with Charlie and completing their old family dynamic threatens to derail anything new in Will's life.
Like I mentioned earlier, most comedies of this ilk like to pit ex-lovers against one another in some type of competition, but People, Places, Things doesn't go that route. In fact, despite a few disagreements, both Will and Charlie genuinely like each other. Rather than creating a conflict that's person vs. person, People, Places, Things falls more in line with person vs. self conflict, and it could be argued that the film is just as much a coming-of-age film as it is a dramedy. Writer/director Jim Strouse wrote the script with some of his personal anecdotes in mind, which help explain why the script feels so grounded in reality. Despite a solid script with well-crafted jokes, the film wouldn't have worked as well had Clement not been cast in the role of Will.
In a way, People, Places, Things is a bit of a vehicle for Clement as he's able to show off his quick-witted timing and his ability to balance that with drama. Fans of Flight of the Conchords will feel familiar with Clement's witticisms and side jokes, but can also appreciate Will's longing to be a good father.
People, Places, Things is a solid dramedy that serves as a highlight role for Clement. Anybody interested in a realistic comedy that doesn't create villainous caricatures of its characters will be drawn to the film, as well. However, audiences that have grown too familiar with Judd Apatow, Will Ferrell, or Paul Feig films may find People, Places, Things a bit too pedestrian for their tastes.
[Review] The Stanford Prison Experiment
This review was originally published as part of our Sundance Film Festival 2015 coverage. It is being re-posted to coincide with the film's limited theatrical release.
By now, most adults are familiar with the Stanford prison experiment. In 1971, a study was conducted to explore the psychological effects of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison. What resulted inevitably proved to be valuable information for psychology, but damaging to some of the participants. The Stanford Prison Experiment is a fictional take on the experiment that dramatizes the various conflicts that took place.
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 26, 2015 (Sundance)
In 1971, Stanford Psychology professor Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) compiles a group of volunteers to conduct his psychological study of the relationship between prisoners and guards. Left to police themselves, the guards quickly exploit their power and creating friction between the two factions. As the mistreatment continues, some of the prisoners, led by Prisoner 8612 (Ezra Miller), begin to revolt back against the guards, led by a "John Wayne-esque" guard (Michael Angarano). As the experiment devolves into a simulation and more of Zimbardo's colleagues leave the experiment, Zimbardo finds himself wholly captivated by the ensuing results. However, it isn't until Zimbardo's girlfriend (Olivia Thirlby) joins the experiment that he truly realizes his mistake and calls the proceedings off... but is it too late for some of the prisoners?
The Stanford Prison Experiment is rooted in its feelings of claustrophobia to characterize the discomfort the prisoners experience, whether they take place in the form of tight, close-up shots in both enclosed closets and open hallways. The suspense builds through the film as each prisoner slowly breaks from their psychological torture, yet The Stanford Prison Experiment never feels like there's anything truly at stake. The tension bubbles and boils, but it never really reaches the breaking point. Could this arguably have been a conscious decision to play with the film's theme of psychological torture? Perhaps, but I think that's giving the film too much credit.
Miller and Angarano shine as foils to one another, but considering the mostly anonymous nature of the experiment, no one really shines beyond the two. In fact, once Miller's character is released from the experiment, no one prisoner/actor steps up to fill the glaring hole in the film's conflict, allowing Angarano's antagonist to take over.
The Stanford Prison Experiment is a psychological suspense/thriller that ultimately doesn't pay off in the end. It doesn't help that the film is very slow moving and feels way too long. I can't express how great Miller and Angarano's performances are, but I'm not entirely sure plodding through the film is worth seeing them.
[Review] The Overnight
[This review was originally published during our Sundance 2015 coverage. It’s being re-posted to coincide with the film’s limited theatrical release.]
The Overnight represented a change of pace for my Sundance 2015 coverage as the first comedy of the week amidst an onslaught of dramas. Featuring a stellar cast comprised of Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black), Jason Schwartzman (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation), and Judith Godreche (Stoker), The Overnight is a well-told comedy that utilizes a plot twist the likes of which M. Night Shyamalan could never accomplish.
The Overnight
Director: Patrick Brice
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 23, 2015 (Sundance), June 19, 2015 (limited)
Making new friends as adults and parents can be difficult sometimes, especially when moving to a big city like Los Angeles, as Alex (Scott) and Emily (Schilling) discover. However, during a trip to the park, Alex’s son RJ (R.J. Hermes) befriends another boy, Max (Max Moritt), which leads to his father, Kurt (Jason Schwartzman), to introduce himself to the couple. After sensing something special within them, Kurt invites Alex and Emily over for dinner that night. As the night progresses and the liquor pours, Alex, Emily, Kurt, and Kurt’s wife Charlotte (Godreche) begin to form new bonds. However, things slowly begin taking a sinister turn as Alex and Emily soon realize Kurt and Charlotte might have ulterior motives for inviting them over.
The casting in The Overnight is spot-on with each actor fitting into their roles perfectly. Scott plays to type with the innocent, naïve Kurt, Schilling plays the strong, guarded Emily, Schwartzman plays the douchey but well-intentioned Kurt, and Godreche plays the sexy, sultry Charlotte. Each actor plays off each other well, especially when Scott and Schwartzman are given free reign to bounce off one another.
[youtube id="QoN2F22eUBA"]
The comedy in The Overnight is a bit raunchy, but not to Apatow levels. However, in saying that, expect some cod pieces and a plethora of pubic hair (too much, if you ask me). The visual gags are funny, sure, but as I mentioned earlier, the true humor is within the interaction between the cast. I’ve softened my stance in regards to Schwartzman over the past few years, and I think The Overnight helped me realize just how comfortable and proficient he is in playing wealthy, indulgent types while still being likable and relatable.
The Overnight is a different type of comedy that we see nowadays. It’s not too clever for its own good, nor does it rely on the raunchiness of its jokes. Rather, it combines the right amount of wit and perversion that anybody would enjoy.
[Review] Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
This review is being re-posted to coincide with Me and Earl and the Dying Girl's theatrical release.
Going into Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, I expected something akin to The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete in the sense that it would be a grounded, coming-of-age film about friends trying their hardest to get through adversity. In a way, I was both completely off the mark and somewhat on the money, but in the best ways possible. Simply put, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ultimately proved to be the breakout film of Sundance 2015.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 25, 2014 (Sundance)
Greg (Thomas Mann) has made it to his Senior year without pledging allegiance to any one high school faction, yet has built up enough rapport with each to not also cause friction with them. Despite this, he has no friends, save for Earl (RJ Cyler), his partner-in-crime since they were little. Together, they spend their lunches with their history teacher (Jon Bernthal) and watch classic films, even going so far as to re-create them. Greg's status quo is thrown off when his mother forces him to hang out with Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a fellow Senior recently diagnosed with leukemia. As their friendship progresses, the two begin to grow closer as Rachel's illness unfortunately begins to progressively get worse.
Greg soon begins to break out of his shell and actually finds himself as a whole, individual being rather than a transparent everyman meant to appeal to everybody. He also begins to form actual friendships and relationships (throughout the film, he refers to Earl not as his friend, but as his "co-worker" for fear of attachment and loss). The chemistry between Mann and Cooke is front and center for this progression. Mann's been building his star since his role in Project X, and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the perfect type of film to show off his penchant for both comedy and drama. Cooke's take as a girl inevitably facing death but still trying to not have the disease define her is more layered than the typical "damsel in distress," but is sometimes relegated to a supporting character to Mann's spotlit performance. However, Mann's performance wouldn't be nearly as strong were it not for his interaction with Cooke.
[youtube id="eCGyXDU0HOM"]
Throughout the film, snippets of the sweded films Greg and Earl shot are shown, similar to Be Kind, Rewind, homaging such varied films as Apocalypse Now (A Box O' Lips, Wow), Breathless (Breathe Less), A Clockwork Orange (A Sockwork Orange), and more, which should make for a good special feature when the film's released on home media. Beyond the easter egg nature of the films, they prove to establish Greg and Earl's characters, and represent the biggest subplot of the film that culminates in Greg's final film dedicated to Rachel. In a way, the completion of that film completes Greg's year-long journey to becoming a tangible person with tangible attachments and feelings.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl balances comedy and drama perfectly, with the high and low emotional hits coming at the proper moments. By the end of my screening, there was a hushed silence as everybody processed everything they saw, which ran counter to the beginning of the screening with everybody laughing loudly. It's hard to make comedies and make people laugh, and it's hard to make dramas and make people think - it's doubly as hard to accomplish both effectively within the same film, but Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is more than able to carry the load. Better yet, while the film teases and hints at a romantic slant between Greg and Rachel, it smartly avoids going down that predictable path, proving that a dramatic film starring opposing sexes can be successful and entertaining without the necessity of romanticism.
For fans of independent coming-of-age films, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl will sit perfectly alongside your collection. Mann delivers a performance that should elevate his already rising career, Cooke will garner praise, and Cyler will hopefully find more open doors in which to showcase his talents beyond a sidekick role. When the hype begins to build for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (and it will), know that, for once, it's actually truly justified.
Official Trailer for Post-Apocalyptic Love Triangle Film, Z For Zachariah
[youtube id="Brbj4Hbff7Y"]
Z for Zachariah might be one of my favorite "underrated" films of the year. I cautiously use the term underrated because I still reviewed it fairly well, the cast got their praise from various outlets, and the film hasn't even been screened for general audiences yet. Still, it's the type of film you see that, months later, you'll hear wind about and instantly remember everything you liked about it.
Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad), Chris Pine (Into the Woods), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) star in the minimal film about survivors of some nuclear war. Robbie finds herself at the center of a love triangle between Ejiofor's non-religious scientist and Pine's religious, adventuresome type. As seen in the trailer, the tension is very high as you can begin to see the rivalry between the two men slowly grow.
Z for Zachariah will be in theaters on August 21st. You can read the film's full synopsis below.
In the wake of a nuclear war, a young woman (Margot Robbie) survives on her own, fearing she may actually be the proverbial last woman on earth, until she discovers the most astonishing sight of her life: another human being. A distraught scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor), he’s nearly been driven mad by radiation exposure and his desperate search for others. A fragile, imperative strand of trust connects them. But when a stranger (Chris Pine) enters the valley, their precarious bond begins to unravel.
[Sundance Video] Sundance Film Festival 2015 Recap
Video shot and edited by J. Frank
With January 2015 well behind us, we can officially say so long to Sundance 2015. As United States' first major film festival of the year, Sundance represented what to expect from some of our favorite festival films this year. Ranging from heart-wrenching dramas, hilarious comedies, and harrowing psychological thrillers, Sundance had it all.
However, it's not all movies, as myself and our camera man J. Frank showed. If you missed our photo recap, we also found some time to explore Park City, UT, as well as attend some special film parties. As if that wasn't enough, we also have our full Sundance video recap detailing everything we had the opportunity to participate in. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this video is worth millions.
With that said, re-visit all of our coverage from Sundance 2015 below the video.
REVIEWS
[Sundance Review] The Summer of Sangaile
[Sundance Review] Z for Zachariah
[Sundance Review] Cronies
[Sundance Review] Stockholm, Pennsylvania
[Sundance Review] Entertainment
[Sundance Review] The Overnight
[Sundance Review] Ten Thousand Saints
[Sundance Review] Mississippi Grind
[Sundance Review] Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
[Sundance Review] The Stanford Prison Experiment
[Sundance Review] People, Places, Things
[Sundance Review] I Am Michael
INTERVIEWS
[Sundance Video Interview] Cast and Director of Cronies
[Sundance Video Interview] Justin Kelly (Director of I Am Michael)
[Sundance Roundtable Interview] Jason Isaacs and Saoirse Ronan (Stockholm, Pennsylvania)
[Sundance Roundtable Interview] Jim Strouse and Jemaine Clement (People, Places, Things)
PHOTOS
[Sundance Photos] Sundance Film Festival 2015
[Sundance Photos] Sundance Film Festival 2015 Red Carpets
[Sundance Photos] Sundance Film Festival 2015 Red Carpets
Photos by J. Frank
In addition to the atmosphere/environment photos J. Frank took at Sundance 2015, he also took part in some red carpet events for various films! You can see some of those photos below, featuring such actors as Brad Pitt, James Franco, Sarah Silverman, Jason Sudeikis, and more!
[Sundance Photos] Sundance Film Festival 2015
Photos by J. Frank
Throughout our stay in Park City, UT, camera man extraordinaire J. Frank took some amazing footage and photos from about a dozen events we attended at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The official Sundance Film Festival 2015 video will be coming soon, as well as some red carpet photos, but for now, enjoy these random photos J. Frank took last week. The photos include the Sundance Day One Party, the Lipton Lounge featuring DJ Mom Jeans (AKA That 70's Show's Danny Masterson), various scenery shots of Park City, UT, and some special appearances from Entourage's Adrian Grenier and Chicago rap legend Common.
