Dolittle (2020), Robert Downey Jr, Universal Pictures
New Fantasy / comedy Dolittle stars Robert Downey Jr, Tom Holland, Michael Sheen and Marion Cotillard in a retelling of the Doctor little story.
A Stephen Gaghan directed tale about a physician who discovers that he can talk to animals and based on a character created by Hugh Lofting…
The animals and Downey Jr’s talents are why I’m interested – and naturally, I’ll of course be comparing this to the 1998 version starring Eddie Murphy.
Antonio Banderas, Kumail Nanjiani, Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Jessie Buckley, Selena Gomez, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, and John Cena also star.
In writer / director Gareth Evans’s new thriller Apostle, Dan Stevens is Thomas Richardson, a man on a mission to rescue his sister after she’s kidnapped by a religious cult.
Other key cast includes Michael Sheen, Kristine Froseth…
I didn’t know I needed a promising Dan Stevens film in my life until I saw this trailer. Oddly enough, perhaps even more than the above trailer, I found myself rather impressed by the special effect on the ‘t’ of Apostle at the very end. You didn’t miss it did you?
Lucy Boynton, Bill Milner, Mark Lewis Jones and Ross O’Hennessy also star.
Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018), Simon Pegg, Michael Sheen
In the latest comedy / horror movie from Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Michael Sheen; a mysterious sinkhole appears at a fracking site near an illustrious British boarding school – turning the school into quite the bloody battleground.
Directed and co-written by Crispian Mills; Hermione Corfield, Asa Butterfield and Jamie Blackley also star….
It looks like this may amuse me somewhat. I’m drawn to it in part because it reminds me of the fun ‘posh school’ sketches in Little Britain.
Home Again is a comedy/romance that’s written and directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer; daughter of popular romantic comedy filmmaker Nancy Meyers (It’s Complicated (2009), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), The Holiday (2006), etc).
The reason I was drawn to this film is simple, Reese Witherspoon and the chance to see her in a fun-(ish) movie. By the end of Meyers-Shyer’s story about an LA single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when she allows three young guys to move in with her, I was unfortunately left wanting. I found myself feeling as though absolutely nothing had happened in the movie, even though I’d just sat and watched it for 1.5 hours.
I promise that I’m not deliberately trying to sound like a stereotypically male film fan who doesn’t like romantic comedies because ‘nothing happens.’ in them. There’s just very little that’s memorable or particularly noteworthy to report. I really did not love this movie. I also wouldn’t say I hate it. I simply wish it were better, much better.
If I tried to think especially hard about what’s good about Home Again, I’d say that I enjoyed looking at all the footage of sunny LA. Especially since at time of writing, I’m personally in the midst of an annoyingly grey winter. I was also inspired by the positive attitude of Witherspoon’s character’s love interest.
Last but not least, I didn’t completely dislike some of the sweet and touching moments in this film. After all, what kind of person hates a sweet touching moment, right?
All in all, Home Again is quite forgettable. Perhaps watch it if I’ve somehow accidentally sold it to you – which I doubt.
Immediately I failed to warm to Norman (Richard Gere). Not that I was supposed to warm to him exactly, but the fact that writer / director Joseph Cedar’s Norman Oppenheimer is quite the massive nuisance made continuing to watch this movie quite the challenge.
I did however find the strength to continue because I wanted to learn about how the life of a small time operator, a.k.a. New York fixer, a.k.a. total ‘bull**** artist’ would dramatically change. I had to see how his life would change for better and worse after he befriends a young politician at a low point in his life.
In my clearly desperate quest to be there when Norman finally got his comeuppance, I encountered a scene I liked a lot. Namely the wonderfully satisfying moment when Norman gets caught out in one of his many, many lies and he’s outsmarted by a target. That beautifully acted moment at the ‘private dinner’ really helped me come to terms with my decision to continue watching this movie.
As is the case in House of Cards, a political drama where those who are constant nuisances to very powerful people tend to ‘expire’ quite quickly, I imagined that at some point Norman might suffer the same fate. In Cedar’s story, Norman doesn’t quite end up ceasing to exist, but as the synopsis promises, his life does become both better and worse.
A great cast that includes Richard Gere, Lior Ashkenazi, Michael Sheen, Steve Buscemi, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Josh Charles didn’t do badly in their roles. I guess I just generally have little patience for Norman-like nuisances and this movie is all about a massive nuisance called Norman.
Watch it if you like or are curious about small time operators, New York fixer types, total ‘bull**** artists’ and that sort of thing.
Directed by Mike White and featuring notable performances from all the cast, especially Ben Stiller (Brad) and Austin Abrams, Brad’s Status is a good and moving comedy. One about a 47 year-old man caught up with feeling inferior about his life choices. Particularly when he compares himself to his seemingly far more successful friends.
I’m quite sure that watching this movie is going to put you through a mixture of emotions. You’ll laugh, smile, be moved – and it’s likely that you’ll probably find yourself thinking, if not saying out loud: ‘Come on, Brad! you’re not seeing what’s right in front of you! If you’d only look and see!’
As frustrating as Brad’s attitude and behaviour may get at times, because many of us can relate to getting caught up with the perils of comparison, you’re going to want the best for Brad. And this is a small part of the reason you’ll continue to watch until the end. You’ll stick with it even though that jarring music at the beginning may have come close to forcing you to hit the stop button.
Watch Brad’s Status because the story and performances are worthy.
Starring Ben Stiller, Michael Sheen, Jermaine Clement, Austin Abrams and directed by Mike White, Brad’s Status is a new comedy about a father who feels inferior about his life choices. He started to question everything after meeting up with an old friend…
Stiller is always believable in everything he does and I’m sure I’ll enjoy learning from Brad about how to and most likely, how not to handle what looks like a sudden mid-life crisis.
In Reese Witherspoon’s latest movie, she plays a single mom in Los Angeles who allows three young guys to move in with her and things take an unexpected turn.
Written and directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer; Michael Sheen, Candace Bergman, Pico Alexander, NatWolff and Alex Alcheh also star…
I just really want to watch this because I like Witherspoon and it would be good to see her in a more fun (ish) movie; this one being a comedy / drama / romance.
The Movie My Life 