Tag Archives: Steve Carell

Biography, Comedy, Sport

BATTLE OF THE SEXES (2017): New Trailer From Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Elisabeth Shue, Sarah Silverman…

Leave a comment
Battle Of The Sexes (2017), Emma Stone
Battle Of The Sexes (2017), Emma Stone

Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone’s latest movie, Battle of the Sexes, has her in the role of former World number one tennis champion, Billie Jean King. Opposite Stone is Steve Carell as ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.

Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Battle of the Sexes tells the true story of a very important 1973 tennis match between King and Riggs.

I’m looking forward to this one because I had no idea about the true story until now. King better win! That being the jist of how I feel. I’m a little less certain that she will because Carell’s character is a hustler after all. But then, this is a Hollywood movie.

Also, I just realised that the only Billie Jean I’d know of up to this point is the one in Michael Jackson’s classic song, ‘Billie Jean’. No doubt that Billie Jean King is NOT the one M.J. is singing about.

Battle Of The Sexes Release Dates: September 22nd, 2017 (US), November 24th, 2017 (UK)…

Sarah Silverman, Austin Stowell, Natalie Morales and Jessica McNamee also star.

Happy Film Loving

G

Comedy, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews, Romance

CAFE SOCIETY (2016): The Thing I Liked…

1 Comment
Café Society (2016), Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg
Café Society (2016), Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg

It’s generally understood that Hollywood films about Hollywood tend not to do well at the box office. I’d only been aware of this phenomenon anecdotally. That all changed once I watched Hail, Caesar! (2015), a movie that I, along with many others did not love.

I’m yet to see the most recent Hollywood film about Hollywood. Namely Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply (2016), but I know that it also didn’t do particularly well upon release. 

The most recent Hollywood movie about Hollywood I’ve watched is Woody Allen’s Cafe Society (2016). I took my time to watch this one for the reasons stated above. It was my love for Allen’s Blue Jasmine (2013), my favourite of his films, curiosity about Blake Lively and Kristen Stewart’s acting that made me finally  tune in.

Cafe Society isn’t one of Allen’s most raved about films. Still, if I had to choose between it and Hail, Caesar! (2015), the latter absolutely would not win, except that the costumes in Hail, Caesar! are more fun.

I wasn’t in love with the ending of Cafe Society and I admit to largely losing interest when one or two of the main characters shows up again towards the end; something to do with my general ‘liking’ Blake Lively’s character, perhaps.

Somehow, I did manage to make it to the film’s conclusion, a rather anticlimactic end I might add. As pleasing as that ending might be to Allen and everyone else, I felt, for want of a better phrase, ‘left in limbo‘.

Performance-wise, Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart were fine but I loved Steve Carell and Parker Posey more. My favourite thing about Cafe Society is the colour filter and the music. I’m just glad that the film didn’t prove to be a waste of my time to the levels of Hail, Caesar! (2015). I wouldn’t say that ‘You simply must see it! You must!’ because I only found it just OK overall.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Adventure, Animation

DESPICABLE ME 3 (2017): New Trailer From Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Minions…

2 Comments
Despicable Me 3 (2017), Minions
Despicable Me 3 (2017), Minions

I’m very pleasantly surprised to learn that a new Despicable Me movie, Despicable Me 3 is coming in less than seven months.

Starring Steve Carell as Gru, Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde and Trey Parker as a new Michael Jackson-loving super villain called Balthazar Bratt, this trailer has really helped to make my week.

I can’t wait because of those beautiful, yellow, happiness-inducing cuties, the minions, of course. I also love that the new villain is a big Michael Jackson fan; anything to remind me of MJ’s musical magic.

Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove and Pierre Coffin also star.

Despicable Me 3 Release Dates: June 30th, 2017 (US & UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Source: JustWatch
Comedy, Drama, Romance

CAFE SOCIETY (2016): New Trailer From Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively…

3 Comments
Café Society (2016), Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart
Café Society (2016), Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart

Read my spoiler-free movie review of Cafe Society (2016).

Woody Allen; writer/director of Blue Jasmine (2013), one of my favourite films is back.

Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively are the stars of Café Society, a film set in the 1930s about a young man who moves to live and work in Hollywood.

Having just recently watched the unfortunate disappointment that is Hail, Caesar! (2016), I don’t know about seeing yet another movie about Hollywood from way back when. I may end up liking this, one can only hope, wait and see.

My fingers and toes are crossed.

Café Society Release Dates: May 11th, 2016 (FR); August 12th, 2016 (US)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Biography, Comedy, Drama

THE BIG SHORT (2015): For The Entertaining Dialogue & Great Performances…

1 Comment
The Big Short (2015), Steve Carell
The Big Short (2015), Steve Carell

You’d think that trying to wrap my ‘non-numbers-oriented’ head around the financial market speak of The Big Short might be the hardest thing about the movie. That would be incorrect. Because being forced to endure the musical tastes of Michael Burry, Christian Bale’s eccentric character proved far more challenging.

Burry’s penchant for heavy metal aside, the story about the men who saw the credit and housing bubble collapse coming – and proceeded to profit from it is one I enjoyed quite a bit. The narrative structure, dialogue, pace, editing and performances all came together beautifully. Steve Carell was particularly entertaining as Mark Baum. A performance I see as a great follow-up to his notable work in Foxcatcher (2014).

Like The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013), the Wall Street setting of The Big Short is very much a boys’ club and from such situations often comes the opportunity for rather entertaining banter, hence my appreciation for the film’s dialogue.

Director, Adam McKay’s movie didn’t teach me anything new in terms of how the world works. What it did do is remind me that it pays to have a good understanding of the reality of the bank’s priorities and what that can come to mean for the average person.

Some people have called The Big Short depressing. The reality the film deals with isn’t the kind of news that’ll make your day. However, there’s humour here and the information within the movie, plus its creative execution makes the experience worthwhile.

The Big Short is based on a book of the same name by Michael Lewis. Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt and Christian Bale are the main stars. Watch it if you’re curious.

Happy Film Loving,

G