“After leaving Silver Falls following Alex’s love confession and her kiss with Cole, Jackie Howard spent the summer in New York City. When Katherine...
A Real Pain follows opposite cousins David and Benji who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. But their adventure takes a turn when tensions between the two resurface. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival with high praise as it dives into the two character’s emotions and backstory.
Jessie Eisenberg plays the high strung, anxious family man, David and Emmy winner, Kieran Culkin plays the charming, carefree, erratic Benji, who will say whatever is on his mind even if it is inappropriate. These characters grew up like brothers, but eventually life drove them apart, affecting one of them more painfully than the other. Culkin and Eisenberg are the perfect “odd” couple that you would think are related in real life. This is due to Eisenberg’s deeply personal screenplay.
Though the two are on a journey to see the home their grandmother grew up in, along the way they take an impactful tour with a group of strangers to explore their Jewish roots, igniting a roller coaster of emotions as they visit stunning landscapes of their ancestor’s and the Holocaust camps near their grandmother’s old town. And surprisingly, this is the first time a narrative feature has been allowed to shoot on location at an actual concentration camp, making those scenes even more touching and powerful. But what’s going to move audiences are the performances. Eisenberg doesn’t veer from the type of characters we are used to seeing him play, but he is at his best in a role that feels his most authentic. While Culkin leaves you in tears from his heartfelt portrayal of Benji’s constant high and lows throughout the film as he grieves his grandma and deals with his own internal struggles.
The pain both characters are going through impressively speaks louder from their actions and sometimes silence, more so than any words they express to each other. A Real Pain is a sincere and thought-provoking, emotional journey that is elevated by the film’s beautiful and unforgettable performances. It’s a rare gem that will stay with you all year.
Audiences seemed to have mixed feelings about the songs performed in Joker Folie a Deux. This might have to do with the fact that the original film was not a musical and the unexpected addition to the serious drama feels a little out of place. The original film was not even meant to have a sequel, but maybe having Lady Gaga sign on to play the iconic Harley Quinn, was a musical opportunity that director Todd Phillips couldn’t pass up. But just because Gaga’s voice is incredible doesn’t mean that’s enough to make this film worth the watch.
Joker: Folie a Deux follows Arthur Fleck while in Arkham and awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, he not only stumbles upon true love with Harley Quinn, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him. It’s upsetting to say that this film is probably not at all what fans will be expecting. Gaga fans should be warned from the start, she is severely underutilized. However, what we do see of her and Joaquin Phoenix is still incredible. The problem is not the performances, it’s the material these actors were given. The lack of substance and purpose, makes the sequel struggle to find the energy and emotion it’s so desperately seeking.
The musical numbers are fine, but they bog down the story and never really push it forward. And at a runtime of nearly 2 and half hours, it’s likely audiences will get anxious. However, visually Phillips succeeds in bold, striking theatrics. But sadly, any good in this movie is going to be overshadowed by the bad. The first Joker was critically acclaimed for its realistic portrayal of a Batman villain with mental health issues who we understood and sometimes empathized with. It was so good, Pheonix won his first Oscar for it. So, to go from that film to this somewhat random musical is an unfortunate miss.
Joker Folie a Deux will likely not be everyone’s cup of tea and moviegoers should set low expectations for the plot but have fair expectations for the vocals and performances by Pheonix and Gaga. If you’re fan of the Batman universe, or even more so a fan of The Joker, you’ll still be curious and want to form your own opinion.
“Joker: Folie a Deux” opens in theaters October 4, 2024.
Mother’s have a tendency to want to care for everyone and handle everything. Making it hard for them to find any time for themselves. In the new comedy, “I’ll Be Right There”, Edie Falco stars as a mom who is constantly giving rides and all of herself to the loved ones in her life.
The film begins with Wanda (Falco) at the doctor’s office consoling her mom, Grace (Jeannie Berlin), who is convinced she has lung cancer. She then has to drive her pregnant daughter, Sarah (Kayli Carter) to the doctor’s office to check on the baby. After that she has to meet her son, Mark (Charlie Tahan) for his therapy appointment, where he shows clear signs of resentment towards his mother. You see, in addition to Wanda continuously trying her best to there for everyone, they don’t appear to be appreciative of her efforts. And Wanda’s ex-husband, Henry (Bradley Whitford) is no help because he’s too busy with his new wife and kids that he can’t seem to support either.
I know what I have described is far from groundbreaking and we’ve have certainly seen versions of this story before, but that doesn’t mean “I’ll Be Right There” isn’t offering something fresh. The heart and soul of this movie is Falco, who you connect with from the start. It’s her authentic and relatable performance as a mother who’s just trying to keep it all together that makes her so easy to care for her. She naturally shines and those around her are a solid supporting cast.
“I’ll Be Right There” has a simplistic charm to its mild story. The screenplay could have used a little more meat, but writer Jim Beggarly got the point across; writing about the ups and downs of family drama and Wanda being forced to re-examine herself. And in just under an hour and half, you will feel as though that comedic, yet bittersweet journey of self-discovery flew by.
The hit Netflix series “The Umbrella Academy” is coming to an end and I had the opportunity to chat with Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Justin H. Min, and Ritu Arya about the series, their favorite lines, and more!
“The Umbrella Academy” Season 4 streams on Netflix August 8!
In this final season the Hargreeves siblings have scattered after the climactic showdown at the Hotel Oblivion led to a complete reset of their timeline. Stripped of their powers, each is left to fend for themselves and find a new normal — with wildly varying degrees of success. Yet the trappings of their uncanny new world prove too hard to ignore for very long. Their father Reginald, alive and well, has stepped out of the shadows and into the public eye, overseeing a powerful and nefarious business empire. A mysterious association known as The Keepers holds clandestine meetings believing the reality they’re living in is a lie and a great reckoning is coming. As these strange new forces conspire around them, the Umbrella Academy must come together one last time — and risk upsetting the shaky peace they’ve all endured so much to secure — to finally set things right.
“Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.”
I got a chance to speak with incredibly talented filmmaker, Michael Showalter about his new romantic comedy that digs deep and pulls at your heartstrings.
I highly recommend everyone watch “The Idea of You” when it streams on Prime Video on May 2, 2024.
This week I review the highly anticipated sequel to the action/adventure, “Dune: Part Two”. Did I like it more than the first movie? Watch my full review to find out.
“Dune: Part Two” is currently playing in theaters.
The Von Erich’s ruled the pro-wrestling community right here in DFW. A family united by a sport they loved but one that would ultimately cause their untimely deaths. “The Iron Claw” tells the true story of the Von Erich legacy. I was at the world premiere of the film in Dallas and spoke with star, Zac Efron, and other cast members about the movie.
Emerald Fennell won her first Oscar for the 2020 mystery, drama “Promising Young Woman”. Now she brings us another twisted story, this time about a lower-class outsider, desperate to fit in with his rich classmates. I had the opportunity to speak with Fennell about her new thriller, “Saltburn”.
“The story of Marie-Laure, a blind French teenager, and Werner, a German soldier, whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.”
I got a chance to chat with the stars of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, Aria Mia Loberti and Louis Hofmann to discuss the addicting min-series. We discussed their favorite part of playing their role, what brings them light during darkness, and more! It was an absolute pleasure speaking with them! Check out the full interview and the series!
“All the Light We Cannot See” is currently streaming on Netflix.
This week I review “Killers of the Flower Moon”. It’s Martin Scorsese’s newest Oscar contender starring Leonardo Di Caprio. Critics rave this is one to look out for this award season, but is worth the 3 and half hour runtime? Watch my video review below to find out!
“Killers of the Flower Moon” opens in theaters on October 20, 2023.
