Your Monster is billed as a horror-fantasy, with notes of a rom-com, featuring a Broadway hopeful (Melissa Barrera) discovering a hunky beast (Tommy Dewey) in her closet. Sounds wild, right? What if I told you writer/director Caroline Lindy plays everything “straight”? What if I told you that the film is so quiet, you can hear the emptiness between lines of dialogue? Granted, this is a deliberate choice to play up the film’s quirkier qualities, but…
Self-awareness can either make or break a movie. In 2008, the feature adaptation of Mamma Mia! was considered a crowd-pleaser by those who were swept up in the fun being had on screen. But, personally, I found the movie to be conceited and distracted by its joy; so much so that it felt like the movie existed in its own impenetrable bubble for those who either liked the original stage musical or the music of ABBA….
The dedication writer/director Aki Kaurismäki has for the art of deadpan is nothing short of impressive, and he successfully conveys just how well he understands the form of communication with Fallen Leaves. The issue is Kaurismäki’s movie peaks too early, staying loyal to its consistency but also refusing to evolve from its core strength.
She Came to Me has the feel of a 2000s-era quirky indie without feeling like a pandering throwback. The characters are eccentric weirdos, the filmmaking is aware of its cleverness, the situational comedy is purposely absurd but meaningful, and it’s all in the name of romance.
What’s Love Got to Do with It? is one half My Big Fat Greek Wedding and one half…any other romantic comedy you can think of. This tame rom-com is as conventional as they come, which can sometimes be forgiven if the formula is executed with wit. Unfortunately, not only is the filmmaking watered-down but it smothers its own potential.
By: Danyal Somani For her latest assignment, documentary filmmaker Zoe (Lily James) wants to chronicle her childhood friend Kazim (Shazad Latif) and the journey towards his arranged marriage, having Shekhar Kapur’s What’s Love Got to Do with It? explore whether one can actually fall in love through this type of matchmaking rather than a traditional Western “love-marriage”.
Showing little regard for the intelligence of its audience, One True Loves stretches the suspension of disbelief until its final fray.
In Stars Fell Again, the extra-cheesy follow-up to 2021’s decidedly unfunny Stars Fell on Alabama from returning director V.W. Scheich, suffers from many of the same flaws as its predecessor — weak characterization, poor pacing, and a lead couple that’s about as interesting as a stack of wet cardboard.
I wish I had a movie like Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls as a kid in elementary school. Aside from its terrific LGBTQ-friendly presence, it sports such self-confidence and reassurance in its characters; all wholesomely written and directed by Julianna Notten making her feature-length debut as a filmmaker. Making as big of a splash is Elliot Stocking, who plays the titular Erin. Stocking, in a breakout acting debut, hits a sweet spot with their co-stars…
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?