Tag Archives: Regina Hall

ME TIME (2022): The Things I Liked…

Me Time (2022), Mark Wahlberg, Netflix
Me Time (2022), Mark Wahlberg, Netflix

Me Time, director John Hamburg’s latest comedy about a dad who reluctantly decides to spend his me-time reconnecting with a childhood friend does have some memorable scenes. 

To put it another way, I wasn’t feeling great about Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg’s latest buddy comedy until the scene with Sonny (Hart) and the mountain Lion cub about 35 minutes into the screening. Said scene is fun and guaranteed to have your full attention while you find yourself happy to be simultaneously scared and amused. 

There are other amusing moments scattered in Me Time. I just can’t say that I was adequately engaged by most of what happened as the movie played. Turns out that the story and how it’s written/executed didn’t quite prove to be new or exciting enough for me. 

Furthermore, I found it hard to see Wahlberg as his character. And I’m half convinced that the story might have been better suited to characters at least a decade younger. Perhaps that way, a few of their seemingly juvenile choices might have proven more believable.

I still feel that a Hart and Wahlberg movie is a good idea. I just don’t feel as though Me Time is the right film.

In addition to the mountain lion moment, other highlights include the dialogue of the characters played by Andrew Santino, Jimmy O. Yang, and Shira Gross’s Dorit.

Give Me Time a chance if you must. You may find that it holds your attention far better than it did mine. 

Happy Film Loving,

G

LITTLE (2018): The Thing I Liked…

Little (2019), Issa Rae, Universal Pictures
Little (2019), Issa Rae, Universal Pictures

Little, the comedy about a woman struggling with the pressures of adulthood, who somehow gets to relive the life of her younger self, is a movie that did not live up to the promise of its great trailer. I enjoyed the Little trailer so much that for a few days, I confess to playing it instead of uptempo music as I worked out.

Starring Issa Rae, Regina Hall, Justin Hartley and Marsai Martin, I knew things weren’t great when I found myself losing interest approximately 12 minutes in. The disappointment was so real for me that I actually became quite impatient for Martin’s young character’s arrival; all in hopes that my feelings about director Tina Gordon’s film would improve.

They did not. Instead, I felt a strong sense of disappointment coursing through me. Okay, maybe ‘coursing’ is a tad strong but I definitely wasn’t happy. In fact, I’d best describe Little as mostly flat and bad, with moments of dodgy dialogue including some ‘definitely could have been better acting.’ 

I’m sure it didn’t help that once again, near enough all the best bits were featured in the trailer, leaving not much else to enjoy. And since the premise is far from fresh, the chances that Little would be a great experience weren’t the best. I still like Hall and Rae. I’m just not pleased with this movie that they made.

In terms of what I liked about Little, that would be everything before the twelfth minute, when I was still hopeful. I also enjoyed the back of Hall’s character’s striped blue shirt – including the joke that’s made at its expense. 

If you like Tom Hanks’ 1988 classic Big, the film that inspired Little,  watch it again instead, unless you really need to see Little for yourself. Who knows, perhaps the end result would have been different, in a good way, if Martin had been a teenager, as Hanks’ character was in Big. Perhaps.

Happy Film Loving,

G

SHAFT (2019): New Trailer From Samuel L. Jackson, Regina Hall, Jessie T. Usher, Richard Roundtree…

Shaft (2019),Jessie T. Usher, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtree
Shaft (2019),Jessie T. Usher, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtree

Directed by Tim Story, Shaft is the latest crime/action movie starring Samuel L. Jackson as New York City police detective John Shaft.

Shaft’s son John Shaft Jr. (Jessie T. Usher) is in town to enlist his father’s help to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death.

I don’t remember seeing the Shaft movies that came before this new instalment. All I know is that so far, I like the humour. Especially Shaft’s response to his son’s reference to James Bond: ”If that dude was real, he’d think he was me.

Shaft Release Dates: June 14th, 2019 (US & UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

SUPPORT THE GIRLS (2018): The Thing I Liked…

Support The Girls (2018), Regina Hall
Support The Girls (2018), Regina Hall

I was looking forward to Support The Girls as a fan of Regina Hall and an enthusiast of movies that show beautiful, healthy sisterly bonds. Having made it to the end of writer/director Andrew Bujalski’s movie, I’m still a fan of Hall, who performed well. Nevertheless, I found this movie quite awkward.

Hall plays the general manager of a highway-side sports bar, where, through the course of one day, her incurable optimism and faith in herself, her customers and her team, which features some peculiar characters, are tested. 

Soon after hitting play, the pace of Support The Girls started to dull my initial excitement. The film seemed to move slowly and part of the problem is that I found myself very often wondering what exactly was going on.

In the end I could appreciate and identify with Hall’s character’s need to take care of her team. Particularly as, situations where women are taking care of each other, especially when confronted by toxic masculinity always warm my heart. Unfortunately, this movie’s rhythm just never quite synchronised with mine.

As for the ‘comedy’ categorisation, I don”t recall laughing, though I may have smiled a few times.

Even though I didn’t love it, there are definitely people who really had a good time watching Support The Girls. As such, maybe you’ll be one of them. Watch it if you’re curious enough.

Haley Lu Richardson, Dylan Gelula, Brooklyn Decker, Dylan Gelula, AJ Michalka and Lea DeLaria also star.

Happy Film Loving,

G

SUPPORT THE GIRLS (2018): New Trailer From Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Dylan Gelula, Brooklyn Decker…

Support The Girls (2018), Haley Lu Richardson, Regina Hall
Support The Girls (2018), Haley Lu Richardson, Regina Hall

Read my spoiler-free movie review of Support the Girls (2018).


n the Andrew Bujalski-written/directed comedy, Support The Girls, Regina Hall is Lisa, the general manager of a highway-side ‘sports bar with curves.’

The story is set over the course of a long strange day that tests Lisa’s incurable optimism and faith in her girls, her customers, and herself.

Haley Lu Richardson, Dylan Gelula, Brooklyn Decker, Dylan Gelula, AJ Michalka and Lea DeLaria co-star…

I’m in for the love and sisterhood between the ladies. I’m also quite happy to see Hall in a promising leading role. I’ve been a fan ever since her ‘Candy’ character in The Best Man (1999).

Read my spoiler free movie review of  Support The Girls

 Support The Girls Release Dates: August 24th, 2018 (US)…

Happy Film Loving,

G