DIRTY GRANDPA - review

DIRTY GRANDPA
Director: Dan Mazer
Cast: Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Zoey Deutch, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Mantzoukas, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Hough, Jeffrey, Bowyer-Chapman

Synopsis: Uptight lawyer Jason Kelly (Zac Efron) is one week away from marrying his boss's controlling daughter (Julianne Hough), putting him on the fast track for a partnership in his firm. Tricked by his grandfather Dick (Robert De Niro), Jason finds himself driving the foul mouthed old man to Daytona Beach, Florida, for a wild spring break that includes frat parties, bar fights and an epic night of karaoke. While Jason worries about the upcoming wedding, Dick tries to show his grandson how to live life to the fullest. 

In a complete change of scene, I took a break from my Best Motion Picture nominee viewings to squeeze in a little bit of shirtless Zac Efron, and while most of the jokes are more cringe-worthy than funny, those that do work will have your crying with laughter. To be honest I was not expecting much from this film, the trailer doesn't do it any favours, nor do the copious amounts of reviews touting it as the worst film of 2016. One reviewer even said "I wouldn't recommend watching this while still alive" or something to that effect. Now, that seems a bit extreme, I mean anyone can tell from the trailer that this is going to be a trashy, b-grade film and with that in mind I think it's unfair to then carry on about how b-grade it is. What did you think it was going to be? The greatest piece of cinematic history that never was? That right there is one of my pet peeves when it comes to reviewers. Not every film is going to be Oscar material, not every film is meant to make you think deep and meaningful thoughts, or question the whole human existence. Some films are meant to be mindless pieces of drivel that let you escape the shitiness of the world for 100 minutes, and that's exactly what DIRTY GRANDPA is. A piece of mindless drivel that let me escape the shitiness of the world for 100 minutes, and honestly, Zac Efron wearing nothing but a hornet plush covering his junk and dancing to the Macarena is everything I could have hoped for and more.

Seriously, what more do you want? 

Gif via Perez Hilton

One week out from his wedding Jason Kelly is duped into driving his Grandfather to Florida the day after his Grandmother's funeral because Grandpa can't drive and Grandma would have wanted it. Arriving to pick up his Grandpa, Jason cops an eyeful of his Grandpa doing a 'number 3', and it all spirals downhill from there. With lines like "throw the clubs in the giant labia you drove up in" referring to Jason's fiance's pastel pink mini, you know the direction the film is headed, and it can go one of two ways, you can either resist, or go with it. I recommend going with it, you'll have a much better time of it if you do.

The car that is referred to as a "giant labia" and yes, it is all downhill from there

Image via Lionsgate

Stopping for lunch on the road they run into an unlikely trio of college students, one of whom was in Jason's photography class before he became an uptight lawyer. The magical show stealer is Aubrey Plaza who plays a college girl with a penchant for older men, and her dry delivery makes the ridiculous lines she's been given hysterical. Wrong, so very wrong, but hysterical. The on screen comedic chemistry between Plaza and De Niro really makes this film. It's like Plaza knows she's got a raw deal with her script and De Niro is giving the finger to cinema goers everywhere and it's magical. To be fair, at his age and with his career history, De Niro has earned the right to give us all the finger and do whatever the hell he wants.

As if her face doesn't say it all - magical

Image via Lionsgate

Grandpa Dick makes out like the trip is all about him getting laid now that he's single for the first time in 40 years, but really it's about getting Jason to realise he's about to make the biggest mistake of his life. He's let everyone tell him what to do with his life - his father, his boss and now his fiancé - and he's become but a shadow of his former self. With the help of illicit drugs, frat parties, bar fights, their three new friends and some epic karaoke (Efron singing Celine Dion is magic), slowly but surely Jason finally comes to the realisation that his Grandpa is not a crazy nut bag, he's right. Then, boy chases girl in an ice cream truck, girl says she won't stay, boy goes with girl and everything ends happily ever after.

Not everything about this film works, there are some bits that reached a whole new level of wrong, but there are lines like this;
"Where do you get your taxes done? H and R Cockblock?" 
And this;
"Tell me it was better under Eisenhower"
That had me crying with laughter.

Everyone loves a good selfie

Image via Lionsgate

If you're expecting anything more than mindless drivel, then you will be sorely disappointed. But, if you take it for what it is and don't even worry about it then you might get a few laughs out of it. I know I did. Sure, there are moments that leave you thinking "oh no you di'nt", but there are moments that are truly funny. If you want a good girls night out with a piece of shit film, a glass of wine (ok who are we kidding, a bottle of wine), and a shirtless Zac Efron singing Celine Dion, then go, spend the 20-something dollars and indulge in this guilty pleasure of a film. It's not a great film, he'll it's not even a good film, but I don't feel like I completely wasted my life, I had a laugh and Zac Efron as I mentioned dances to the Macarena almost naked and sings Celine Dion. Win win really.

3 out 5

Xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

JOY - review

Director: David O. Russell
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Édgar Ramírez, Diane Laid, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Dascha Polanco, Elisabeth Röhm

Synopsis: JOY is the wild true story of Joy Mangano and her Italian-American family across four generations centred on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty by inventing the Miracle Mop and becomes a matriarch in her own right. 

Ahhh Boxing Day, my favourite day of the year. It's new release movie day, and it's always been my favourite day. It was my favourite day when I worked in cinema and it's still my favourite day. It's the day that all the big new releases come out. The much anticipated films that everyone's hanging out for. When I worked in cinema, I used to get sneak peaks of everything that was coming and it would make me even more excited. Now I just wait with the rest of the world to see what Boxing Day aka New Release Day has in store for me. This year there were no massive titles coming out, STAR WARS was released a few weeks before Boxing Day, there was no HOBBIT film or HARRY POTTER instalment, no huge titles to speak of, but I was mighty excited about a couple of films that were due out and JOY was one of them.

A great ensemble cast that did their best

Image via 20th Century Fox

I dragged my butt out of bed on New Release Day even though I'd worked on Christmas Day and was pretty exhausted, because I wanted to be in amongst the madness that is the busiest day in cinema. The 10am session of JOY was relatively quiet - most people were probably still nursing their food babies and Christmas hangovers, but I was ready, and let me tell you, I was slightly disappointed. I have to agree with a lot of the critics out there, the question has finally been answered, Jennifer Lawerence can actually be in a film that's kinda shitty. There, I said it. She tried, lord knows she tried, but even she couldn't salvage this mess.

The storyline was all over the shop, Joy was pure victim, the struggling divorced mother of two who cares for both her parents and her ex-husband, who somehow managed to invent a wonder mop after cutting her hands wringing out a regular mop by hand. The film should have been incredible - it was brought to us by the team who gave is SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK and AMERICAN HUSTLE - I had certain expectations of its greatness. I wanted it to be great, and perhaps that was my problem. Perhaps I went in with the bar set too high, but whatever the reason, I didn't love it and I wanted to.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper couldn't save this mess

image via 20th Century Fox

The film opened with a disclaimer that the story was inspired by great women everywhere, like David O. Russell was trying to tell us his intentions were good, but that what we were going to see was a pile of crap. I ignored that warning and still hoped for the best, but the narrative was meh, and the acting was some of the worst I've seen out of any of this incredible cast. Shame, shame I tell you. Some parts of the film were truly laughable, and all the while Lawrence was trying to wring out every last bit of sympathy she could from the audience. I really feel for the actors in this film, they can only do so much with what they've got, and they didn't have much.

The narrative we open with from Joy's grandmother Mimi (Diane Laid) is quickly forgotten and when it returns later in the film it is intrusive and doesn't fit with the film. There are a few little side plots and twists that don't fit nicely within the storyline, that just complicate it and make you wonder why you're seeing it at all. Then we finish with Joy walking down the street after saving her entire empire all on her own putting on her hip sunglasses with her home job haircut and leather jacket that goes for what seems like years before we have the weirdest epilogue.

before the longest walk ever

Image via 20th Century Fox

I don't think that JOY is going to get a particularly long run at the cinema, so if you are wanting to see it, get in quick. I would guess 3-4 weeks at best, with limited sessions in the last couple of weeks. At 2 hours and 4 minutes, it's a long time to sit if you're not going to be completely wowed by a film, so unless you're a die hard fan of J-Law and Bradley Cooper (who we definitely do not see enough of to make it worthwhile) then I wouldn't rush out to spend your 20-something dollars on this film. Sorry Jennifer, lord knows I'm a fan and I think you're wonderful and that you can do no wrong, but even you couldn't carry this film.

2.5 out of 5

Xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

THE INTERN - review

THE INTERN
Director: Nancy Meyers
Cast: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Anders Holm, JoJo Kushner, Andrew Rannells, Adam DeVine, Zack Pearlman, Jason Orley, Christina Scherer
Genre: Comedy
Run Time: 121mins

Synopsis: 7-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the fame, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin. 


I have been desperately wanting to catch up on movies after having a few weeks of not seeing any thanks to work and life and whatever. I mean how very dare they take me away from my favourite thing ever?! Such is the life of a high flying business manager I guess *sigh*. Anyway, the very fantastic Labor Government of Victoria gave us an extra public holiday this week so that we could all go and see the AFL Grand Final Parade (it's kind of a big deal to almost every person who sports in Victoria), and whilst I do not care so much for the parade, I was grateful for an additional day off which I put to good use by going to the cinema and avoiding everything to do with the final parade.

I rocked up with no plans of what I was going to see because there is so much on right now that I want to see, looked at what was on at the time, asked which one had the least amount of people in it and chose that one. THE INTERN.

Nancy Meyers has written and directed some very divisive pieces over the years (THE HOLIDAY, IT'S COMPLICATED, SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE) - fans tend to love them, critics tend to hate them. Mostly critics hate them because they tend not to have too much substance, and often a strange take on relationships. THE INTERN is not much different I'm afraid, critics are hating on it and fans are having a great time. The box office should do well, even though it is getting absolutely hammered by most critics. To be fair, the film is not an amazing, quality piece of cinema, however, I had a laugh, there were a couple of what I guess you could call 'twists' (although I picked them pretty early on), and there was a moment where some people had a teary. On the flip side, there were moments where I was annoyed, stunned and ashamed as well. Take it for what it is - a nice little piece of chick flick fodder and I think you'll have a decent enough time.

Ben, Jason and Davis after Ben's first meeting with the in house masseur

image via Warner Bros. 

Ben Whittaker (De Niro) is bored out of his mind as a retiree and becomes a senior intern at an online fashion company and is assigned to the company's founder Jules Ostin (Hathaway), who absolutely doesn't want an intern. Ben is old school, wears a suit to work every day, has a briefcase, carries a handkercheif, nobody in the company of 20-somethings understands him. Slowly but surely, they all come to appreciate him, turn to him for advice, and need him. Especially Jules. That takes all of about 30 minutes, so what could have been a nice little piece of conflictuous (thanks international male model David from the Bachelorette) drama is resolved and everyone is all lah-di-dah happy days.

Ostin has a family - a hubby and a young daughter - which I was not expecting, and hubby is a stay-at-home-dad, so Ostin can be a glass ceiling breaker, awesome sauce career woman. Not surprisingly the family suffers, and we hear about how women are supposed to be able to have it all and then when they get it everything else falls apart. That irked me a little - things fall apart because people don't work hard at keeping them together, not becuase a woman has a successful career. Again, this conflict is all sorted out in about 25 seconds and everyone lives happily ever after, boring, boring, boring. Just FYI if I had been in that situation, there would have been more than a few tears and a hug for it to be all better. I would have thrown shit and screamed and probably punched someone in the face. Clearly I am not as together as Jules Ostin is.

FYI this kid is pretty good as Ostin's daughter Paige - one to watch!

image via Warner Bros. 

Ben gets his own little love interest in Fiona the in house massuer (Rene Russo) who is probably 10 years his junior, after we see him running screaming from the woman his own age who clearly has a thing for him. Why is the notion of dating a woman the same age, who isn't as glamourous as say Rene Russo is, such a laughable idea? Why do we have to be force fed the idea of a man seeing a younger woman because she is more attractive?  Annoying point number 3.

The best bit of the film was when Ben and three of his younger colleagues break into Ostin's mother's house to delete an email that she accidentally sent, which turns into a hilarioius caper. It has nothing to do with the central plot and I'm surprised it didn't end on the cutting room floor, but I'm glad it didn't. It was hysterical and gave the film a lift just when you needed it.

Breaking and entering hijinks - hilarity ensues

image via Warner Bros.

Everyone lives happily ever after, the conflicts are resolved with no muss and no fuss, and even though there is plenty of on screen blubbering (Ben carries a handkercheif to assist all the women who are always crying), this is generally a feel good piece of fodder.

The casting is fabulous, although the character of Ben was a little restrictive and I would have loved to have seen more from De Niro, he was funny and charming and played it with a little sparkle that you can't help but love. Hathaway was endearing, and although her character was a little vapid, she did a wonderful job at keeping me engaged through her character. Sadly the supporting roles are a little thinly written, and while they had their funny moments, there was potential for more to come out of that talented bunch.

The direction was exactly what I've come to expect from Meyers, the film flows nicely through a relatively corny and misogynist script. The set is impeccable which is no surprise for a Meyer film, however the soundtrack was waaaayyyy to schmultzly for me. It invoked more of the "shhhh" vibe than the emotions it probably meant to invoke.

Overall, THE INTERN isn't a front runner of films to go see given all the amazing things that are on at the moment, however, if you've seen everything or you're into a good chick flick, or you really like Meyer's other stuff then THE INTERN is for you and you probably wouldn't mind spending the 20-something dollars on it.

2.7 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell