The marketing campaign for Bros was based around its groundbreaking elements, reminding viewers that the LGBTQ+ cast on screen were out and proud and that everyone involved was working on telling an honest romance from the queer perspective. It’s also, reportedly, the first widely released rom-com of its ilk. That’s great and I’m elated for the production but, at the end of the day, what’s the word on the movie itself?
The drop in quality between Judd Apatow’s comedy The Bubble and his previous effort The King of Staten Island is staggering, confusing, and disappointing. The King of Staten Island was, in my opinion, the best movie of 2020. While The Bubble is in contention to be the worst movie of 2022.
The King of Staten Island is another win for director Judd Apatow, who last left movie goers with his career-best work in Trainwreck. It appears, though, that the filmmaker was preparing for The King of Staten Island with Trainwreck. Just as he gave comedienne Amy Schumer a platform to expand on her own stand-up about her self-consciousness with the opposite sex, he gives SNL comic Pete Davidson this movie to explore his upbringing in this,…
Kumail Nanjiani (played by funnyman Kumail Nanjiani) is a Pakistani-American comedian who meets and falls in love with Emily (Zoe Kazan), a graduate student. Their relationship is already threatened by Kumail’s parents’ insistence that he marry a woman from a Pakistani family, when Emily becomes seriously ill. Written by Nanjiani (usually known for his co-star work in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Life as we Know It, and IFC’s Portlandia) and the actor’s wife Emily V. Gordon, The…
By: Addison Wylie Trainwreck is much more than a vehicle for rising comedic star Amy Schumer. It’s easily Judd Apatow’s strongest work as a filmmaker, evidence that Schumer’s honesty flows through her long form screenwriting, and the best romantic comedy this critic has seen since 2008’s criminally underrated Definitely, Maybe. Definitely, Maybe is a standard sort of rom-com, where Trainwreck sends home the same type of charm but also reflects contemporary pessimism towards romance. It…
By: Addison Wylie Neighbors has more than a handful of really good laughs. It’s also consistently likeable and plays with its R-rating in a way that doesn’t feel too childish. Mac and Kelly (played by Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne) are concerned about losing touch with their more spontaneous sides after they move into a new neighbourhood. They don’t hate their adult life though. They get a kick out of their baby daughter – the…
By: Addison Wylie I would love to see what writer/director Judd Apatow could do with a film that punches out after 90 minutes – including credits. This Is 40 starts out strong and funny, but is then torpedoed by needless subplots that are tediously stretched out causing the runtime to slowly expand. Apatow has shown with his previous directorial work that he loves to let his material breathe. Not in a pretentious way, but in…
By: Addison Wylie There are many scenes in The Five-Year Engagement where it’ll be hard for movie goers to separate themselves from the movie without being reminded of being in similar situations. For instance, a quick scene where Tom Solomon (played by Jason Segel) is having a disagreement with his friend Alex (played by Chriss Pratt) about flirting vs. being friendly especially rang true because I’ve been on Tom’s side before when talking to my…