Monthly Archives: June 2014

They Came Together: The Finer Points

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Hi, can I please be friends with both of you? I’m kind of cool and not desperate, I swear. Image via Vanity Fair

I can’t do it. I just…I can’t do it. I can’t…review…They Came Together.

Don’t worry, I haven’t reached my breaking point. I have just found a film that has rendered itself unreviewable. That is not to say that They Came Together is bad or difficult to understand; it is just to say that is so self-aware that at times it won’t feel like you are watching a movie, but rather two idiots with too much imagination pitching their idea for a romantic comedy. And that is not a diss at all.

They Came Together starts with a double date where the story of Joel (Paul Rudd) and Molly’s (Amy Poehler) relationship goes on for a very long time, and turns out to be just like “a corny romantic comedy.” Thus, they proceed to tell the story of the worst romantic comedy possible. They Came Together tries to be bad, and that is what makes it so good.

For that reason, I feel like an ordinary review would not work here. So here is a long of jumble of thoughts on They Came Together:

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Orange is the New Black, Obvious Child

Episode 15: Ian and Cassie talk about how season two of Orange is the New Black made an already great show even better and why Obvious Child is a breath of fresh air in a crowded summer movie season. Plus, what we’ve been consuming (watching, reading, listening, etc.) this week.

Seth Rogen and Kim Jong-un: Using Comedy to Fight Evil

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For the record, this poster is awesome. Image via Screen Crush

In response to the recent trailer for Seth Rogen’s upcoming The Interview (which looks amazing), Kim Jong-un released a statement from Pyongyang condemning the film. Okay, that makes sense, as I wouldn’t like a film about my death either. Then, he went so far as to call the movie “an act of war” and that America would be in big trouble if they supported it. It is probably important to note that Seth Rogen co-directed The Interview with Evan Goldberg, and it is probably even more important to note that Rogen is actually Canadian.

Rogen responded to the statement with a statement of his own:

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Movie Review: Obvious Child

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Seriously…what’s the deal with babies?! Image via Sundance

Obvious Child has been labeled as “that abortion movie,” which is the equivalent of labeling Trainspotting as “that heroin movie.” Obvious Child is not a film about a controversial topic, it is a film about people dealing with issues and, well, being people.

Obvious Child is the feature film debut of writer-director Gillian Robespierre who, despite sharing the last name of an evil historical figure, has a gentle touch in dealing with tough and sensitive issues. Sometimes, Obvious Child feels so naturalistic that it resembles something that is not even a film at all. It tells the story of Donna Stern (Jenny Slate), a Jewish comedian (I have to point this out, given that this movie is Cultural Judaism incarnate) going through a millennial crisis, which is a midlife crisis that somebody in their 20s might go through. Her stand-up is funny and honest, yet it isn’t getting her much work.

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Netflix Does Late Night, Louie, 22 Jump Street

Episode 14: In the latest episode, Ian and Cassie discuss the most recent late night shakeup following Chelsea Handler’s move to Netflix. Plus, a recap of season four of Louie, a review of 22 Jump Street, and new Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors!

A Helpful Guide to the Most Memorable Dogs in Cinema

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Image via The Next Reel

In a recent interview on Fresh Air, Joel and Ethan Coen said they would rather work with dogs than cats, because dogs “just want to please people” while cats “just want to please themselves.” Perhaps this is why dogs make the best supporting players, both in movies and real life.

Besides monkeys, dogs are probably the best movie characters to come out of the animal kingdom. Sure, they can’t read any dialogue, but sometimes they can steal the show with a well-timed reaction shot, or a ridiculous outfit. Get it? They are wearing clothes! Animals aren’t supposed to wear clothes! What a world!

Anyway, I thought it was about time that man’s favorite four-legged friend got some recognition, because they will never get to win an Academy Award. Before I present my list, here are some important ground rules:

1. No dead dogs! If Game of Thrones has taught me anything, it’s that all men must die, but that doesn’t mean you need to use a dead dog to make an audience cry. Sorry, Marley & MeMy Dog Skip, and Every Wes Anderson film. Seriously, I still don’t know why Wes Anderson likes killing dogs so much.

2. No animated dogs! These dogs must be reel and real. Sorry, Oliver & Company and All Dogs Go to Heaven.

3. There must be actual dogs in the movie. Sorry, Dog Day Afternoon and Reservoir Dogs.

Clearly, I put way too much thought into this. Anyway, here is my list of ten of cinema’s most memorable dogs:

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Movie Review: 22 Jump Street

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Image via E! Online

In 2012, 21 Jump Street became one of the best bad ideas Hollywood ever had. It was a reboot of a TV show that nobody asked for, yet it has more heart and originality than most “original” ideas have nowadays have. But of course, when a movie works well, a sequel must be made.

22 Jump Street proves that lightning only strikes twice in Hollywood. It is by far the best movie to come out this summer all while making fun of everything that we have come to know about summer movies.

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Tonys 2014, Veep Season Three Recap, The Fault in Our Stars

Episode 12: In this week’s episode, Cassie and Ian discuss the Tony Awards, share highlights from the brilliant third season of Veep, and review The Fault in Our Stars.

Movie Review: The Fault in Our Stars

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Image via The Examiner

Being defined as “Young Adult” is both a blessing and a curse—A blessing because any Young Adult titles are crowd surfed to the New York Times Best Sellers List and then to the top spot at the box office. It is a curse because Young Adult properties are also met with much derision, the most juvenile of which can be like that sound you can only hear if you’re over 40, except for fifteen year old girls.

That is why it is a shame that The Fault in Our Stars, the new film based on the hugely successful novel by John Green, has only been labeled as Young Adult. While it is a teen romance, it is a teen romance for people of all ages. Especially your grandparents, who probably keep calling this The Faults in His Stars or Starry Night.

I came to The Fault in Our Stars as a late fan: I read the book for the first time ever last week, yet I knocked it out in just a few short days because it was just that difficult to put down. Every word John Green writes oozes with all of the fast-paced wit that will easily carry you from one page to the next. It gave somebody who is a pretty terrible reader (me…did you figure that out yet?) a reason to want to keep reading. I decided to read this book out of both fascination and preparation and found myself enveloped in this world for a whole week through several different forms of media.

For those of you who are not familiar with the source material, the film maintains the book’s basic plot. The Fault in Our Stars tells the story of Hazel (Shailene Woodley), a teenaged cancer survivor who lives life to the fullest by laying on her couch and watching America’s Next Top Model. Her parents want her to socialize with others, so they send her to a cancer support group. It is here that she meets Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), who has the name of a rejected Jane Austen character, and the ability to sweep her off of her feet and into the real world. Woodley and Elgort are just two small parts in a fantstic cast that constantly fires on all cylinders. Woodley plays Hazel as mopey but never too cynical. Meanwhile, Elgort plays Augustus as somebody who is both sensitive and too cool for school. All Augustus needs is an unlit cigarette dangling out of his mouth in order to look way cooler than you ever did in high school.

The book of Fault has a loose narrative feel to it, as it often feels like it is drifting from place-to-place. The film lends a tighter screenplay structure. Often, that is actually okay, as it forces the writers to trim a lot of the fat. Hazel’s narration is long and often borders on stream of consciousness. Bravo to director Josh Boone, who managed to translate as much of that as humanly possible into a visual form. From Amsterdam to a park in Indianapolis, The Fault in Our Stars sure is nice to look at.

Unfortunately, in the process from stage to screen, some of the best parts of the novel get lost. Hazel doesn’t necessarily seem as wise as she once did without her thoughts on An Imperial Affliction. Plus, the loss of some poignant scenes from the book give some of the background players less of a chance to shine. Luckily, this film has such a great ensemble, with everyone from Mike Birbiglia to Laura Dern acting at the top of their game. Birbiglia brings a much needed comic relief to his support group leader, while Dern brings a degree of honesty and humility to her performance as Hazel’s mother.

You can call this a teen movie all you want, because it is. However, The Fault in Our Stars happens to be the good kind of teen movie, as it is the kind that can relate to people of all ages. While it does lose some of my favorite parts of the book, it most importantly keeps the tone intact. Like the book, the movie of The Fault in Our Stars is an earnest and funny look at a subject that people often can’t muster up the words to talk about. First timers to the story will feel the same way that everybody did when they first read the book. Meanwhile, everyone who read the book will feel like they are experiencing this story for the first time. Sure, you might have imagined Augustus’ hair being a little longer, or Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe) being a little fatter, but sometimes in order to enjoy a good adaptation, you have to kill the darlings that your imagination has created.

Brain Farts From The Edge (SPOILERS)

  • I would love to do a separate post just on how an audience can bend your perception of a film. For instance, this audience was filled with teenagers who all broke down in unison exactly when they were supposed to. They were a studio’s ideal test audience.
  • Props to Willem Dafoe for playing such a nasty character in a story about teenagers coping with cancer. I know that he’s a pretty terrible person, but I couldn’t help but feel just a little bit bad when Hazel dumped him on the side of the road after Gus’ funeral.
  • In my Chef review, I talked about the way that new movies use new media. Fault does it in the least irritating way imaginable. Sure, a simple zoom in at a text or email would have been fine. However, the text graphics actually serve the film well, and they added a nice touch of whimsy as well. (Note to self: never say “nice touch of whimsy” ever again)
  • I suddenly want to go to Amsterdam, and not for the reasons that everybody normally goes there. Hey, it looks like a nice city.
  • Mike Birbiglia wrote the song that he performs at the beginning of the film. The song reminds me of one of his classic bits.