Branagh takes on Agatha Christie (again), Craig Gillespie revisits the GameStop stock rush, and Gael Garcia Bernal dons tights and make-up in a Mexican wrestling biopic.
I loved Branagh‘s Much Ado About Nothing. I thought he and Thompson absolutely nailed it.
It’s the only Shakespearean comedy that I actually enjoy, though. I’m way past the age where I feel the need to pretend that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a lot of fun to watch for the thousandth time. Fuck Puck.
Heh, I am totally on team "fuck puck" when reading Midsummer. It has my favorite adaptation this side of Ran, though: the 1959 Czech stop-motion version by Jirí Trnka. Now there's something that deserves a big restoration and release. Magnificent movie with gorgeous colors and balletic puppets. Plus it's a very free adaption so while I can't say for certain (been 10+ years since I saw it), I would hazard that some of the elements you hate are elided or changed.
It's petty of me but I really enjoyed how Taika Waititi made the 3rd Thor film the best MCU movie after the first 2 were among the worst.
I don't want to sound overly harsh. I enjoy his Agatha Christie movies! I'm seeing the new one this weekend! They're not as good as the Knives Out movies, but they're fun and stylish and sometimes that's plenty. He has my $15 every few years. I'm still wrung out from finally watching Beanpole this week and ready to eat some popcorn and watch Michelle Yeoh play a fake psychic.
I was just starting to think "man, nothing better happen to this kid who has never even seen a dog because they all got eaten during the war..." when [redacted]
They're the platonic ideal of "popcorn movies." The first two were great home viewing nights at the end of hard weeks, and I expect the third will be the same. The cast does look comparatively thin, like Scott points out, but Yeoh would be enough on her own and I'm also interested in an academic way with Tina Fey's post-30 Rock career and her attempts to escape TV for movies. Swings at being a leading woman of adult comedies with Date Night and Admission and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, tries to relive the SNL days with Poehler in Sisters even though audiences mostly didn't want that right in the wake of her actual SNL days with Baby Mama (both are fine!), then...disappears from big screens for ~8 years to make a few shows with Robert Carlock before returning with...Maggie Moore(s) and this? So, so odd.
Even if it's the worst of the bunch, there isn't a high variance! As opposed to Waititi, who has gone from Thor 3 to the one-two-three punch of badness of Jojo Rabbit, Thor 4, and this new soccer movie. Makes you admire the consistent mediocrity of a guy like Branagh.
Tina Fey- interesting topic. I wonder how much of it is the standard Hollywood sexism (woman older than 35 struggling with the dearth of roles available) and how much is the very specific persona she's crafted across SNL/30 Rock further limiting her choices. I'm surprised that Netflix never gave her another show after Kimmy Schmidt, which seemed to work out for everyone. Maybe they tried, who knows.
I'm also confused by the failure of Fey to translate to movies. But a chunk of it has to do with the scripts of these movies. They just aren't that good. Why isn't she part of the scripting process?
There was MR. MAYOR. (Never watched it.) Fey's the executive producer of the very good GIRLS5EVA, which very much has a 30 ROCK / KIMMY SCHMIDT vibe to it. Creator Meredith Scardino is a KIMMY vet. A third season is supposed to debut on Netflix on some point, which picked it up after Peacock canceled it. (I do not understand the streaming era.)
I was a huge fan (the only fan?) of GREAT NEWS, the Fey/Carlock joint set in TV news and starring Briga Heelan and Andrea Martin as a daughter producer and overbearing mother who meddles at the station. Fey had a supporting role in season 2, and Nicole Richie was a surprise highlight. Funny show—not as funny as THE NEWSROOM, but this one was trying to be funny so it was at a disadvantage.
GIRLS5EVA is incredible—I really wish more people had watched it. (Maybe they get a bump when they move to Netflix?) I still chuckle softly to myself about the invisible-piano bit.
I loved Branagh‘s Much Ado About Nothing. I thought he and Thompson absolutely nailed it.
It’s the only Shakespearean comedy that I actually enjoy, though. I’m way past the age where I feel the need to pretend that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a lot of fun to watch for the thousandth time. Fuck Puck.
Heh, I am totally on team "fuck puck" when reading Midsummer. It has my favorite adaptation this side of Ran, though: the 1959 Czech stop-motion version by Jirí Trnka. Now there's something that deserves a big restoration and release. Magnificent movie with gorgeous colors and balletic puppets. Plus it's a very free adaption so while I can't say for certain (been 10+ years since I saw it), I would hazard that some of the elements you hate are elided or changed.
Three awesome, well-written reviews this week guys. I especially love Scott's assessment of Branagh's Poirot project and his screen persona overall.
It's petty of me but I really enjoyed how Taika Waititi made the 3rd Thor film the best MCU movie after the first 2 were among the worst.
I don't want to sound overly harsh. I enjoy his Agatha Christie movies! I'm seeing the new one this weekend! They're not as good as the Knives Out movies, but they're fun and stylish and sometimes that's plenty. He has my $15 every few years. I'm still wrung out from finally watching Beanpole this week and ready to eat some popcorn and watch Michelle Yeoh play a fake psychic.
Beanpole. Tough stuff.
I was just starting to think "man, nothing better happen to this kid who has never even seen a dog because they all got eaten during the war..." when [redacted]
she's fake?? you spoiler!
Fake in the movie. But rest assured that in real life Yeoh can commune with the spirit world.
They're the platonic ideal of "popcorn movies." The first two were great home viewing nights at the end of hard weeks, and I expect the third will be the same. The cast does look comparatively thin, like Scott points out, but Yeoh would be enough on her own and I'm also interested in an academic way with Tina Fey's post-30 Rock career and her attempts to escape TV for movies. Swings at being a leading woman of adult comedies with Date Night and Admission and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, tries to relive the SNL days with Poehler in Sisters even though audiences mostly didn't want that right in the wake of her actual SNL days with Baby Mama (both are fine!), then...disappears from big screens for ~8 years to make a few shows with Robert Carlock before returning with...Maggie Moore(s) and this? So, so odd.
Even if it's the worst of the bunch, there isn't a high variance! As opposed to Waititi, who has gone from Thor 3 to the one-two-three punch of badness of Jojo Rabbit, Thor 4, and this new soccer movie. Makes you admire the consistent mediocrity of a guy like Branagh.
Tina Fey- interesting topic. I wonder how much of it is the standard Hollywood sexism (woman older than 35 struggling with the dearth of roles available) and how much is the very specific persona she's crafted across SNL/30 Rock further limiting her choices. I'm surprised that Netflix never gave her another show after Kimmy Schmidt, which seemed to work out for everyone. Maybe they tried, who knows.
I'm also confused by the failure of Fey to translate to movies. But a chunk of it has to do with the scripts of these movies. They just aren't that good. Why isn't she part of the scripting process?
or was she intentionally trying to go "straight"?
There was MR. MAYOR. (Never watched it.) Fey's the executive producer of the very good GIRLS5EVA, which very much has a 30 ROCK / KIMMY SCHMIDT vibe to it. Creator Meredith Scardino is a KIMMY vet. A third season is supposed to debut on Netflix on some point, which picked it up after Peacock canceled it. (I do not understand the streaming era.)
I was a huge fan (the only fan?) of GREAT NEWS, the Fey/Carlock joint set in TV news and starring Briga Heelan and Andrea Martin as a daughter producer and overbearing mother who meddles at the station. Fey had a supporting role in season 2, and Nicole Richie was a surprise highlight. Funny show—not as funny as THE NEWSROOM, but this one was trying to be funny so it was at a disadvantage.
GIRLS5EVA is incredible—I really wish more people had watched it. (Maybe they get a bump when they move to Netflix?) I still chuckle softly to myself about the invisible-piano bit.
"Branagh is a showman. Often a bit of a ham."
One could in fact say that he enjoys the occasional swim in the river of ham.
Have y’all overlooked ROTTING IN THE SUN, or have I missed your review? One of the year’s best.