Emily the Criminal

 

Emily the Criminal is a crime thriller film written and directed by John Patton Ford, in his feature film debut. It stars Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, and Gina Gershon.

The plot was a bit run of the mill but the suspense did keep me engaged. The filmmaking style was gritty and gave a low budget, indie vibe. The social commentary around the astronomical student loan debt crisis was prevalent throughout as was the theme of recidivism due to the lack of employment opportunities for ex-convicts.

Plaza is known more for her comedic chops in raunchy comedies so to see her in something completely different was refreshing. She really showed her range as a serious actor and as someone who could carry a movie on her own.

In the end, this movie really wasn’t my style. It was too stressful for me which was the intent of the writer/director, John Patton Ford. In an American Film Institute interview, he stated that he intended "to grab you really unapologetically and just take you on this ride, and to never really give you much of a choice but to watch it…to have that kind of a raw effect upon an audience." For those who like that type of thriller, you will appreciate this film.

You People

You People is a romantic comedy about two people from different cultural backgrounds who fall in love but the clash of their families might be too much to handle. Starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The plot was another Guess Who's Coming to Dinner remake. Even though this type story has been played out many times before, there was an interesting take on this one and I liked the twist at the end. The themes around cultural acceptance, family, standing up for yourself and loving people for what’s inside where important to highlight in this time we are in.

The film was co-written and directed by Kenya Barris so I was expecting something clever like his work in Black-ish or Girls Trip but instead I got awkward, cringe worthy dialogue. Some of the conversations just didn’t make any sense and were so uncomfortable I couldn’t wait for the bit to be over. There have been critics who called out some of the jokes for being antisemitic and I could see that too. There was also fetishism of Black women and microaggressions throughout. I honestly felt like the envelope was unnecessarily pushed and it didn’t feel realistic.

Jonah Hill as Ezra and Lauren London as Amira were an odd pairing. Ezra was greasy and unkempt looking while Amira was put together, always had cute outfits that flattered her larger body type and really cool and versatile hairstyles. I would sit there wondering if they got along on set. They didn’t have the physical chemistry that was needed to make this couple seem believable. They also lacked the strong character development for an audience to truly connect to them as love interests.  Eddie Murphy and Nia Long, who played Amira's parents, weren’t that funny nor believable as Nation of Islam Muslims. Ezra’s sister, Liza, didn't get the respect deserved nor the character development needed to make her more than just the gay pun. It seemed lazy that they didn’t fully build out her character to appreciate this important addition to the cast. However, they did make more of an effort with Sam Jay's character Mo. I liked that Ezra had a masculine presenting, lesbian, Black best friend who was confident, opinionated and a driven businesswoman. 

In the end, even with a talented and diverse cast, the ball was dropped on the script. The attempt at exploring the complexities of race relations in a comedic way was lost  in all the outrageous and at times, slapstick, moments.

Devotion

 

Devotion is a war drama bio-pic based on the 2015 novel Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos. It is a true story of an unlikely friendship amongst U.S. Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War. It stars Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell and Christina Jackson.

The plot was slow moving and a bit convoluted in the beginning. I was worried I wasn’t going to feel any connection to the characters or the story but thankfully, as the film went on that sentiment grew. Where they missed the boat, however, was in not going deep enough on the true atrocities of racism during the 1950s. Being that the movie was only PG director was probably limited on how much could be said or shared. I would have preferred a stronger rating to truly give an honest picture of what it would have been for the first Black man to integrate the Navy as a fighter pilot vs the soft, kid friendly version that was portrayed.

Where it lacked in storytelling authenticity, it did make up for in the sets, the outfits and the aircrafts which helped to put you in the 1950s.

There was decent character development. It was stronger for Jonathan Majors’ character Jesse Brown than the rest of the cast. While the story lines didn’t go as deep for Glen Powell’s character Tom Hudner or Christina Jackson’s character Daisy Brown, there were still bits and pieces that they reveled in the script that made them all likeable. The chemistry amongst the cast was also good, but the majority of the co-stars were not memorable given the limited amount of character depth.

Even with some of the missteps, Devotion tugs at the heart strings and brings up great themes around doing whatever it takes to follow your dreams, serving a cause bigger than yourself, and devotion to family and friendships against all odds.

Somebody I Used To Know

 

Somebody I Used To Know is a romantic comedy starring Alison Brie as Ally, a workaholic who has to take an unexpected leave from her job. With the time off she returns to her hometown where she runs into her ex Sean, played by Jay Ellis. The reunion causes her to question if she made the right decisions in her career.

What appeared to be a typical rom-com plot, ended up being so much better than originally anticipated. The writing was clever and there were great themes around not being afraid to be your true self, finding and holding on to what you are passionate about and knowing when to let go.

The character development was strong and the acting from the entire cast was impressive. I also appreciated the diversity in casting. I’ve become a big fan of Franco’s wife Alison Brie, who was also a co-writer, of this film. She played a similar character to her role in the TV show GLOW. A complicated person, who even with her faults was still likeable and someone you wanted to root for. I thought she had a good amount of range and had great chemistry with Jay Ellis and Kiersey Clemons. It was nice seeing Kiersey stretch a bit more outside of the TV show Easy. She was youthful, confident, free spirited and independent. Overall, I liked how the women were able to take center stage in this movie.

I wasn’t sure how a Dave Franco co-written and directed film would turn out but I came away rather impressed. Somebody I Used To Know had just the right amount of comedic timing, while not being too raunchy. It was also full of heartfelt moments and plot twists to keep you on your toes throughout.

Shotgun Wedding

 

Shotgun Wedding is an action, romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel. The story follows Tom and Darcy, played by Duhamel and Lopez, respectively, as they deal with the stress of hosting their families during their destination wedding on a private island in the Philippines. The day of their wedding their guests are taken hostage by pirates. The bride and groom must do everything they can to save their loved ones and in doing so also learn some things about each other that may make or break their relationship.

I enjoyed the diverse casting and thought that the character development was pretty good as well. Jennifer Lopez is right in her wheelhouse with this type of film. She has mastered the art of the romantic comedy and also did well in the action sequences. In her role as Darcy she was funny, smart, independent and resourceful. Josh Duhamel was likeable, protective and caring as Tom and had great chemistry with Lopez. I enjoyed Jennifer Coolidge as the typecast quirky, funny mom. I also liked seeing Cheech Martin from the famed Cheech & Chong in this film as Darcy's dad. I was surprised by Lenny Kravitz’s role. I liked that he took the risk to portray a character unlike any he had done before. He also gave an impressive amount of range. 

Shotgun Wedding was a fun movie that kept me on the edge of my seat and had some great plot twists. The movie had strong themes around the realities of marriage, how perfection is overrated and the importance of communication. This is definitely a film I’d recommend checking out and one I’d watch again.