'Late Night' Review

Synopsis: A late-night talk show host's world is turned upside down when she hires her first and only female staff writer. Originally intended to smooth over diversity concerns, her decision brings about unexpected consequences as the two women who are separated by culture and generation become united by their love of a biting punchline.

Runtime: 102 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for language throughout and some sexual references)

Who should see it? Teenage and adult fans of comedies.

Mindy Kaling's been a rising star in Hollywood since her days on The Office, but Late Night is her first feature-length screenplay despite her numerous credits as an actress, writer, and producer. Aside from writing Late Night, Kaling co-starred and produced Amazon Studios' latest comedy which tackles diversity in the workplace and cancel culture among other relevant topics. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, Late Night is plenty topical. Though some may perceive it as "too woke," Ganatra and Kaling tastefully navigate the subject matter, and it was refreshing to glimpse these issues from the perspective of women of color. Obviously, I am neither of those things, so credit to Ganatra and Kaling for successfully immersing me in this story so that I'd be more sympathetic to their outlook. Kaling doesn't omit other viewpoints though. Some of the other late-night show writers push back against her character Molly, but not always in an antagonistic manner. Kaling doesn't reduce these nuanced conversations to black-and-white discrepancies.

The story itself is relatively simple and lighthearted but handled with such sincerity that you can't help but be swept up by it all. There's an authenticity to the situations Molly encounters as she tries to navigate an unfamiliar, merciless work environment, and the dialogue feels genuine rather than an implementation of forced humor for the sake of cracking a joke. Despite its classification as a comedy, Late Night includes some hard-hitting emotional beats and doesn't stray away from the reality of these situations though. Kaling's script is honest and profound, which is why I deemed the superficial epilogue a tad disappointing. The last few minutes simply provided an unrealistic, optimistic outcome.

As Katherine Newbury, Emma Thompson presents a convincing and layered portrayal of a late-night television personality. Thompson demonstrates an exuberance whenever Newbury's in the public eye, a fierce tenacity in the workplace, and tender vulnerability in her time alone. Playing Newbury's husband diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, John Lithgow turns in an excellent supporting turn, and his scenes shared with Thompson are wonderfully sincere.

Opposite Thompson, Mindy Kaling's Molly is a warm, endearing presence. Kaling strikes an ideal balance between a timid new hire and persistent, hard-working individual. Viewers see her respond to harsh surroundings with both apprehension and an emboldened spirit, but Kaling's depiction of these seemingly contradictory traits feels true to the character and situations she finds herself in. Meanwhile, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Denis O'Hare, Max Casella, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ike Barinholtz each are charming additions to the cast as a series of secondary characters.

Late Night casts its spotlight on a marginalized perspective to tell a tale full of laughs, social commentary, and sincerity. In an unexpected turn of events, Late Night is one of the year's most delightful films. I'd advise staying up and tuning in!

Film Assessment: A-

'Men in Black: International' Review

Synopsis: The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.

Runtime: 114 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sci-fi action, some language and suggestive material)

Who should see it? Passionate fans of the Men in Black franchise.

Directed by F. Gary Gray with a screenplay by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, Men in Black: International seeks to rejuvenate the series as a globe-trotting spy adventure on the heels of the three Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones-led Men in Black features. Sony Pictures is a notoriously money-hungry studio, and it's been seven years since MIB 3, so it makes sense that the studio would be keen to prolong the series via a soft-reboot. On paper, you'd even expect that the talent involved would be able to produce something satisfactory. Gray's a successful filmmaker while Thor: Ragnarok co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson are a promising pair with a pre-existing rapport.

Unfortunately, MIB: International never amounts to being anything more than a cookie-cutter summer blockbuster which was clearly made to cash in on an established franchise. Most sequels and spin-offs are developed with the intent of securing a healthy financial return, and there's nothing wrong with that in-of-itself. However, MIB: International is devoid of style, spirit, and personality. I take no issue with watching something formulaic, so long as it successfully implements said "formula," but MIB: International can't even do that. While MIB: International is inoffensive and competently made, I doubt I'll ever have an urge to rewatch due to its lacking entertainment value. 

The worst thing I can really say about MIB: International is that I deemed it bland and boring, which is blasphemy for a MIB entry. Men in Black isn't a sacred franchise by any means, but something is endearing about how weird and over-the-top those first three films were. Even the worst ones captured the ludicrous nature and nonsensical tone of it all. A universe in which aliens secretly inhabit Earth and are policed by a government agency is one that's ripe for expansion. MIB: International strives to do just that by introducing the London branch and visiting other international locales. These backdrops prove to be very inconsequential though, lending little of interest to the onscreen affairs.

Redeeming qualities are few and far between for MIB: International, but I did appreciate Marcum and Holloway's efforts to differentiate from the previous installments. Most notably, the dynamic between Agents M and H heavily contrasts J and K. M is a headstrong, knowledgable rookie while H is a top agent who lost his mojo. I considered that change-up refreshing, as MIB: International could have easily been a retread of its predecessors. In keeping with their onscreen personas, Thompson and Hemsworth offer their characters a degree of charm and likability. Kumail Nanjiani's Pawny was a pleasant addition while Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, and Rebecca Ferguson hardly register due to lacking screen-time. Ultimately, the entire ensemble is restricted by a subpar script as characters dilly-dally for two hours.

If interested in seeing Men in Black: International, I'd recommend you break out your neuralyzer and forget that idea. Though well-intentioned and competently made, MIB: International joins this summer's expanding blockbuster roster of studio-mandated mediocrity. Your time and money would be better spent seeing Late Night, the other movie starring Emma Thompson which expands into theaters nationwide this weekend, and I'll soon share a review for it.

Film Assessment: C

'Beauty and the Beast' (2017) Review

Nominated For: Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

Beauty and the Beast is the latest live-action retelling of one of Disney's classic animated films, joining the ranks of remakes abound from the studio. Before seeing this I had no idea what to expect considering Disney's live-action remakes have been hit or miss for me. I loved The Jungle Book (2016), was satisfied with Cinderella (2015) and Pete's Dragon (2016), found myself disappointed by Maleficent, and absolutely hated Alice in Wonderland (2010). The very idea of remaking what is regarded to arguably be one of Disney's greatest films is daunting and hats off to director Bill Condon for putting forth an admirable effort. 

Screenwriters Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos make a number of tweaks to the 1991 animation that I wasn't quite expecting. A majority of these changes are incorporated to fill plot holes or simply modernize the tale as old as time, serving as a dual edged sword in return. On one hand, the characters are rewarded richer backstories and slight modifications made the romance between Belle and Beast feel more organic as opposed to good ol' fashioned Stockholm Syndrome. On the flip side, the extra exposition stretches out the story leading to uneven pacing that permitted some scenes to drag their feet across the floor. 

One change in particular that has been met with ample controversy was the decision to portray this version of LeFou as the first openly gay Disney character and the description of an "exclusively gay moment" appearing in the film's finale. While those two statements are accurate, the controversy surrounding them is simply unjustified. The characterization is subtle and the moment referred to is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it occurrence that's not quite worth boycotting the film over in my opinion (I'd compare it to how Sulu was treated in Star Trek Beyond). If anything, this change actually improves the character; granting LeFou a more fulfilling character arc than his stint as the dopey sidekick in the animated incarnation. Even though I thought the change was unnecessary when I walked in, I can see why the alteration was made and can agree it enhanced that aspect of the story in a way I didn't expect. 

I was pleasantly surprised not to watch a beat-for-beat retread but fear not Disney purists because all the iconic imagery, sensational songs, and classic moments maintain their luster. Alan Menken returns to his scoring duties, composing a few additional songs in addition to updating his pre-existing tunes. On that note, if you try to sing along you may find it a little difficult because the lyric annunciation and syncopated rhythms differ from what you're used to (You'll probably adjust once you hear the updated soundtrack a few times). Grand musical numbers "Gaston" and "Be Our Guest" are still showstoppers while the new renditions of "Belle", "Something There", and "Beauty and the Beast" are equally enchanting as the original versions. Though the new songs were mostly mediocre, I found  "Evermore" to be a brilliant baritone ballad for Dan Stevens (the Beast). 

Across the board I was quite impressed by the cast's universal musical abilities. Luke Evans and Ewan McGregor stood out in particular as they were the two I was most concerned about but were the two who nearly stole the show. I was also worried about the visual effects depicting the inhabitants of Beast's castle and Ewan McGregor's french accent as Lumière judging from the trailers but turns out my anxieties were ill-conceived. 

The production design team behind Beauty and the Beast piece together a practical lavish set, breathtakingly gorgeous costumery evocative of the clothing worn by the animated characters, and exceptional visual effects that blend seamlessly with the surrounding world. The design of the household servants projects the guise of antique medieval home decor, allowing for more believable anthropomorphized objects in contrast to the cartoonish look evidenced by the animation. 

The Beast is probably the best live-action translation possible in terms of appearance but the entire time you can tell he's a byproduct of CG-animation so he's not quite perfect (but it's really close). Elsewhere, the casting is about perfect across the board and I was shocked to see they each offered something new rather than emulating what's come before. 

Emma Watson puts her own spin on Belle, striking a nice balance of gentleness, beauty, and intellect that allows this version of Belle to come across as a capable heroine who's definitely an ideal role model for young girls everywhere. Dan Stevens impressed me quite a bit as he captured the anguish, torture, and inner humanity of the Beast through his motion-capture portrayal (assisted by the vfx department of course). 

Luke Evans offers an ambitious take on Gaston and I have to say he succeeds in spades while Josh Gad injects a new dimension to LeFou (that I spoke of earlier) in addition to serving as a nice dose of comedic relief. Evans and Gad's pairing as Gaston and LeFou stood high and mighty as one of the film's highlights. Evans expertly apprehends the pompous, narcissistic over-the-top demeanor whilst avoiding the appearance of a stale one-dimensional antagonist. 

As for the antique appliances, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, and Nathan Mack each portray the bravado, restraint, motherly instinct and childlike wonder of Lumière, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip's respective personalities. I felt McGregor nailed the french accent but Thompson came off as yearning too much for Angela Lansbury's voice on occasion leading to some inconsistent dialogue delivery. Fun fact: McGregor went back and rerecorded his dialogue because he wasn't satisfied with his first go-around. The remaining ensemble is composed of Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Audra McDonald filling the roles of Maurice, Maestro Cadenza, Plumette, and Madame Garderobe who each muster serviceable roles in the story. 

All in all, Beauty and the Beast is a glamorous reiteration of the 1991 animated classic that boasts an impressive ensemble, illustrious effects, and secure direction. My screening was in IMAX 3D so I'd recommend seeing this on the biggest screen possible considering the massive screen and refined sound amplified the experience of the grand musical numbers. In conclusion, Beauty and the Beast (2017) may not stand toe-to-toe with Beauty and the Beast (1991), because the original's nearly perfect, but it offers enough pleasantries to more than justify the price of admission. 

Film Assessment: A-