Sometime after Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and before Brüno, Sacha Baron Cohen was at a crossroads with his comedy: does he expose more social experiments with wry satire or does he stick with outrageous nastiness?
Look Again has an interesting concept, but stops at its moral dilemma. It even feels like it begins fifteen minutes into its own story, not giving audiences a fair chance to bite into any leading characters. The film is filled with ideas and questions and confrontations that are better suited for a stage show developed by a flavourful improv troupe.
Being a film critic, you witness certain – shall I say – ebbs and flows; usually reflecting on what mainstream audiences are demanding or what studios are labelling “hot”. I usually understand trends in popularity, but the volume of Canadian productions dabbling in supernatural quirky comedies is stunning.
Many will flock – or have flocked – to Hello, My Name Is Doris based alone on the star power of Sally Field. Having stayed out of the limelight except to play Mary Todd Lincoln and Spider-Man’s aunt, Field finds a fitting return to classic, unforgettable finesse with her role as meek accountant and closeted hoarder Doris Miller.
The trailer for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping implies that the mockumentary is out to be a modern day This Is Spinal Tap. Given that the film has been produced by the musically inclined clever comedy trio The Lonely Island, the chances of the film hitting its targets is high.
The laughs in Seth Rogen’s first live-action sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising are every bit a part of the movie’s rollicking Revenge of the Nerds pastiche. The film is driven by the dubious actions and deceptive prank wars between two scrambling teams, which amount to amusing, frenzied chaos.
When Dirty Grandpa was released in January, it was panned by critics and moviegoing audiences stayed fairly quiet. However, after Wylie Writes’ Shannon Page reported that the film was a funny party with irresistible chemistry between veteran actor Robert De Niro and heartthrob Zac Efron, I was inclined to check it out.
How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town is a pleasant surprise on a couple of levels. It’s easy to see why this naughty-but-nice crowd pleaser has gathered acclaim; even taking home the Best Feature award at this year’s Canadian Film Fest.
