'Eighth Grade' Review

Eighth Grade follows an introverted teenage girl as she struggles in the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year.

Written and directed by first time filmmaker Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade chronicles a bona fide coming-of-age tale for the social media-crazed teens of today. Burnham's a twenty-seven year old comedian mostly known for his YouTube and television work, yet he manages to ideally encapsulate the struggles that middle-schoolers are facing now. I'm a twenty-one year old male, so I can't personally attest to the experiences of being a thirteen year old girl in 2018... Fortunately, my youngest sister is thirteen years old! Upon first seeing Eighth Grade about a week ago, I was reluctant to review the film without her perspective because I felt that her insight was invaluable. I asked if she'd be willing to watch it and she was more than happy to oblige, so here's an eighth grader's review of Eighth Grade for those curious:

@boburnham @ElsieKFisher, I saw #EighthGrade last week and immediately thought it would be perfect for my little sister who will be entering 8th grade this year! I took her to see it today and she thought it was gucci! 👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/chaqjXd3CW

— David Weiser (@weiser_david) August 12, 2018

As you might be able to surmise by the huge grin on her face, she loved it and felt it was really realistic in its portrayal of modern middle-school and teenagers today. She's brought the film up in conversation several times in the few days since we saw it, so I imagine she can't wait to see it again and I'm really glad that she enjoyed it as much as she did.

Anyways, despite setting Eighth Grade in the modern day, Burnham's made a feature which we can all relate to in some way or another (provided you're older than 13). The awkwardness of our teenage years is a fairly universal experience, and plenty of awkward social interactions ensue as Kayla goes about her day-to-day life. From beginning to end, Eighth Grade is incredibly authentic in its awkwardness. Nothing feels fake or manufactured for the purposes of dramatic tension. The kids act like kids and it's as if Burnham simply captured a few days of a teenage girl's typical life.

Social media and cell phones certainly play a large role in the proceedings, but Burnham never treats the devices as an unhealthy obsession. He certainly gets into the good and bad of today's tech, but for the most part, Burnham depicts the devices as teens see them: a way of life. There's even a conversation in which Burnham directly acknowledges the significant lifestyle differences between the childhood of an eighth grader and a high school junior/senior. Technology's progressed, and in this day-and-age, kids often receive their first cell phone or activate their first social media account comparatively much earlier than their elders did. With three younger sisters, I've even witnessed it firsthand. 

Thematically, Eighth Grade is remarkably genuine on so many levels that most coming-of-age stories just aren't these days... Though there are certainly exceptions to that, Bo Burnham understands today's youth or was at least willing to hear them out and gather feedback on his own interpretation of adolescents. Stylistically, the filmmaking approach is very personable, so overall, Eighth Grade is an intimate experience that's hilarious and heartfelt. There are some neat flourishes in regards to the editing and cinematography while Anna Meredith's synth-driven keyboard score establishes an atmosphere that can be both inviting and nerve-wracking (an ideal summation of what 8th grade is really like). 

Holding it all together is Elsie Fisher's wonderfully sincere performance. You may know Fisher best from the first two Despicable Me movies where she adorably voiced Agnus, but this will surely be a defining moment in her career. Fisher is onscreen for just about the entire hour and a half, but not a single second of it feels forced or fake. You forget you're even watching an actress because Fisher's anxiety, innocence, and vulnerability all feels so heart-breakingly genuine. Matching her beat-for-beat every step of the way, Josh Hamilton portrays a kind, loving, and supportive dad. Like any good parent, his character only wants what's best for his little girl, and Hamilton conveys his caring nature beautifully. A heart-to-heart conversation between the two of them had me on the verge of waterworks. Filling out the supporting cast, Emily Robinson and Jake Ryan are well-deserving of a mention for their roles as high school mentor Olivia and the hilariously dorkish Gabe (the chicken nuggets scene is the comedic peak of 2018 thus far). 

After some reflection and a second viewing, I feel confident enough to declare Eighth Grade as not only one of the best films I've seen all year, but my new favorite A24 feature, and I'd certainly place it among the very best coming-of-age films. If you're an adult who's considering taking a teen to see Eighth Grade, please don't be discouraged by the R-rating. It's overblown on account of a few F-bombs and some slightly mature content, but I can guarantee that the child has seen and heard far worse. To put it simply, films this sincere and sentimental don't come around that often. Eighth Grade is a film for everyone who has ever been through eighth grade and for those who have just begun the rollercoaster of their teenage years. An exceptionally authentic coming-of-age story for the social media generation.

Film Assessment: A+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Despicable Me 2'

Sorry for the delay but I put this review on the back burner in order to publish my early thoughts on Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, this week I'm reviewing Despicable Me 2 to coincide with the release of Despicable Me 3. Next week I'll be finishing out my Spider-Man reviews with a Throwback Thursday Review of The Amazing Spider-Man and Recollection Reflection Review of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Reviews that will appear throughout July include Throwback Thursday Reviews for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Inception, and Shaun of the Dead, a Triple-R Review over Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and reviews of new releases War for the Planet of the Apes, Dunkirk, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, The Emoji Movie, and Atomic Blonde.

'Despicable Me 2' Review

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song "Happy" (written by Pharrell Williams).

In Despicable Me 2, Gru has grown accustomed to his transition from dishonorable baddie to adoptive dad when he's approached by the Anti-Villain League to help bring down a mysterious, malevolent force. Gru then teams up with adept agent Lucy Wilde to go undercover and ascertain the identity of the heinous wrongdoer behind it all.

Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud reprise their respective roles as co-directors of the sequel, which is also penned by returning writers Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Paul and Daurio escalate their parody to the realm of secret spies and dating in addition to furthering their entertaining examination of parenting. The duo ensure the script feels familiar to the first with habitual heart and humor that made the precursor successful in the first place. 

The comedy's certainly catered towards children as the Minions are bestowed a raised profile before their Minions movie. If you're entertained by these yellow creatures, then you'll get your fill of their shenanigans and they do actually have a more poignant purpose this time around. Elsewhere, the animation's an improvement over the original due to a bigger budget and progression of technology but Illumination's renderings don't compare to Disney or Pixar's masterful work. The storytelling's substandard with accustomed aspects all around the animated field but there's enough sentiment for Despicable Me 2 to coast off.

Steve Carell lends an outrageous, over-the-top goofiness and a does of sentiment to Gru that sticks the landing while Kristen Wiig joins the fun as the loopy Lucy Wilde. Her dynamic opposite Carell remains one of Despicable Me 2's prime points as the two extrapolate an oddly entertaining pairing.

Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher all reprise their roles as Margo, Edith, and Agnes embodying the endearing attitudes that made them memorable in the first place. The sisters consistently and convincingly portray the encapsulating attributes of children that in-turn enables the sentiment of the story. 

Meanwhile, Benjamin Bratt hams it up as the insanely masculine El Macho but doesn't bring much to the character aside from an eccentric personality. Russell Brand's elderly Dr. Nefario also isn't ingrained too deeply in the script but has a few memorable moments to shine.

 

In summary, Despicable Me 2 is almost equally endearing as Despicable Me but it never quite reaches the endearing elements of the original. The story's sweet, the characters are charming, and the jokes land but there's not really a purpose to the madness other than furthering the franchise.

Film Assessment: B-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Despicable Me'

Sorry for the string of delayed Throwback Thursday Reviews these past few weeks but I went to an advanced screening of Baywatch on Thursday and Comicpalooza Friday through Sunday. This Throwback Thursday may seem random but I didn't have another open slot to review Despicable Me before Despicable Me 3's release. I should have several reviews coming this week as I traverse further into the Alien Anthology leading up to Alien: Covenant this weekend, It's looking as though I'll have one Alien Anthology review a day this week. If you missed my review of Alien, you can find it at that corresponding blue hyperlink, and the next Throwback Thursday will be Prometheus to further tie-in to the release of Alien Covenant. Other reviews you can anticipate this May include Throwback Thursday Reviews over Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and new reviews like Alien: Covenant, Baywatch, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

'Despicable Me' Review

Despicable Me follows the exploits of vile villain Gru, who vows to steal the moon so he can be the greatest villain that ever lived. There's just one caveat, the adoption of three young orphan girls becomes embroiled in his scheme and he soon discovers his heart of gold. Despicable Me wasn't particularly groundbreaking for the animation genre, but it's a charming animated feature that has a nice dosage of sentimental satire.

Despicable Me was co-directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud with a script penned by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Sergio Pablos. The screenwriting team properly parody villainy and parenthood while the duo's direction helps to maintain an emotional element and sense of humor. One thing that I feel has become a source of contention for this franchise are the minions but quite frankly, the minions are a stroke of creative genius.

For starters, they fit into the narrative naturally considering most baddies have their own crew of cronies. Then there's the fact they appeal to children based on appearance alone and are semi-effective immature comedic relief. Even when they're annoying, it's easy to see why they're around because it's simply the ideal marketing ploy. The animation in Despicable Me isn't particularly pretty and looks rather substandard, but that's usually the case for Illumination Entertainment animated efforts.

Elsewhere, Despicable Me bolsters a fun soundtrack and an impressive comedic voice cast. Steve Carell doesn't just provide a goofy, over-the-top demeanor to Gru, but instills an underlying humanity to the vulnerable villain. The film really hits this home with Gru's backstory and the inclusion of Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher as subsequent adorable adoptees Margo, Edith, and Agnes. Each of the girl's really bring a sense of realism to the project, as I have three sisters and am constantly reminded of them every-time I watch Despicable Me. The respective portrayals feel incredibly authentic because I've witnessed those traits in my own siblings from time-to-time and the screenplay captures the family dynamic and childlike wonder beautifully.

Meanwhile, Jason Segel plays the obnoxiously dweebish Vector, an ideal foil to Gru as a nerdy millennial Bond villain in contrast to Gru's evil antiquated ways. Vector's name in-of-itself is symbolic because a vector is a quantity with both magnitude and direction. He's a powerful force aware of his orientation. Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, directors Renaud and Coffin, and Jermaine Clement lend their voices to fill the supporting ensemble of eccentric characters encompassing the aged Dr. Nefario, Gru's apathetic mother, foreboding financier Mr. Perkins, gruesome girls orphanage head Miss Hattie, and a whole host of minions respectively.

While Despicable Me doesn't quite reach the heights of other triumphant animated features, it sustains a sense of fun and heart well throughout its ninety minute runtime. Despicable Me is an entertaining animated enterprise worth exploring for the laughs and tenderhearted message at its core.

Film Assessment: B