SISTERS - review

SISTERS
Director: Jason Moore
Cast: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, James Brolin, Diane West, John Leguizimo, John Cena

Synopsis: Two disconnected sisters are summoned home to clean out their childhood bedroom before their parents sell the family home. Looking to recapture their glory days they throw one final high school-style party for their classmates, which turns into a cathartic rager that a bunch of ground-down adults really need. 

Let me start by saying that this is the ridiculous trashy rubbish kind of film the trailer makes it out to be, and thankfully it is carried by the chemistry of Fey and Poehler otherwise it would have REALLY sucked.

Fey & Poehler 

Imagine via Universal

Poehler is the aptly cast sensible younger sister, Maura. Always doing the right thing and focussing on everyone else's problems so she doesn't have to think about her own. Fey is the reckless older sister, Kate. Still living life as a wild child, with no comprehension of how to adult, or how her lack of adulting ability affects her teenage daughter.

The sisters return to their family home to clean out their bedroom before their parents sell up and they are in a state of disbelief, anger and sadness. I can't empathise with the feeling as I've lived in about 25 houses in 30 something years, but I know plenty of people can. What's the one thing you would think of to do if your parents were selling your childhood memories to a smarmy couple from New York? Through an epic house party of course. Maura has always been the sensible one, the ever sober one, the party mum. This time, Kate agrees to stay sober so Maura can let her freak flag fly. Only trouble is, the party is a bust. I mean let's face it, they are all 40-somethings exhausted from adulting and basically from life. Blah blah blah, inspiring "you deserve to get your party on" blah blah blah + John Cena and his professional dealer kit and you've got yourself a rager.

Let's get ready to paaartay

Image via Universal

The film is poorly written, and directed, and flys on the back of ad-libbing and improv and the chemistry of Fey and Poehler. It seems to have been a "let's just keep it rolling and cut the best together in the editing room" kind of job. There are some seriously funny one liners that had the whole cinema laughing out loud, but there is plenty of cringe-worthy, make-it-stop dialogue as well.

The supporting cast does a great job with what they have, Maya Rudolph is laughable as the high school mortal enemy, John Leguizimo has some super cringe worthy lines and John Cena does what he does best - be John Cena. The love interest Ike Barinholtz is bearable, but with little to no chemistry with Poehler. He does have a tell it like it is character which afford him a few funnies though.

Images via Universal

Overall SISTERS is not a great piece of cinema, but if you're after a trashy bit of fluff and you love Amy and Tina then you will probably get a kick out of it. Take it for what it is, don't expect too much and you will enjoy yourself. If you're after a good quality piece of cinema (of which there are tonnes at the moment) then don't she'll put the 20-something dollars for this one.

2.5 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

5 TO 7 - review

5 TO 7
Director: Victor Levin
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Bérénice Marlohe, Lambert Wilson, Glenn Close, Frank Langella, Olivia Thirlby

Synopsis: An aspiring novelist enters into a relationship with a woman, though there's just one catch: she's married, and the couple can only meet between the hours of 5 and 7 each evening. 

And so passes another Friday off, where I pursue my favourite pasttime of viewing films, curled up in the cinema, just me, my crochet and a small box of Maltesers. This Friday took my to a lovely piece of cinema 5 TO 7. Very Woody Allen-esque, the kind of romance that I haven't seen since Audrey Hepburn. Ok, maybe I've seen some good ones since then, but that's what 5 TO 7 reminded me off. A classic piece of romance that could have been played out by Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Sound like a treat to you? Well if it does then you should definitely go and catch this film while you can. Sadly I don't think it's going to have a very long season (there were only 4 other people in the cinema this morning and the staff mentioned that it wasn't pulling very big crowds) and that's disappointing because it deserves an audience.

Brian, a young 20-something, would be novelist (Anton Yelchin) in New York takes a chance and crosses the road to approach a beautiful woman (Bérénice Marlohe) having a cigarette and looking all glamourous, he flirts with her in French and it goes well. She asks him to meet her at the same place the following Friday. He does, and he also asks her out to which she replies that of course she can but she's only free from 5 to 7. Not realising that this means, lets start a beautifully French extra-marital affair, he agrees to meet her again. The poor pet is distraught when he discovers what 5 to 7 means, and that she is the wife of a French diplomat (Lambert Wilson) who has a mistress of his own, and ois the mother of two beautiful children. His ethics prevent him from going any further with an affair, but his attraction to her only lets him keep his moral code for three short weeks. They continue to pursue the affair, he is welcomed into the family along with the husband's mistress and a whole stack of high profile guests.

Bérénice Marlohe and Anton Yelchin

image via IFC Films

Brian befriends Valery's mistress Jane (Olivia Thirlby) who is somewhat helpful in her advice on how to deal with this very unconventional situation, but Brian quickly spirals out of control and cannot cope with the rules of the 5 to 7 life that he is leading. He introduces her to his parents, the spectatularly cast Glenn Close and Frank Langella, who play the Jewish parents well. Sam (Langella) constantly pesters him about law school and cannot grasp the concept of his son being involved with a married French woman, and Arlene (Close) who knows that there are "two forces in on earth you never want to be fighting, Mother Nature and love".

Glenn Close and Frank Langella

image via IFC Films

It is a certain kind of romantic who can sit through a film about a love that is doomed, knowing that heartbreak is iminient. We have all had that one love that we know is doomed and yet we pursue it anyway, always living in hope that it will all work out for the best, knowing in our hearts that it won't.  5 TO 7 brings that hope to life and although the film is full of clichés, there are some laugh out loud one liners, and some truly tender moments that make you sure you can believe in true love, which is a rare commoditiy in this world.

Bérénice Marlohe and Anton Yelchin - seriously he is so adorable

image via IFC Films

The direction is spectacular and if I didn't know that Victor Levin was the director, I could swear that Woody Allen was in there somewhere. For those of you that don't like a Woody Allen film, his influence is there in a good way, trust me. The casting is exceptional and it is one of those films where I didn't see actors, I saw people, which is a nice change for me. At an hour 35, 5 TO 7 didn't feel like a long film, which to me is the sign of a captivating storyline, and I'm telling you, this film deserved the award it won at the festival season in 2014 and the nomination it received at the 2015 - Nominee Best Narrative Feature (2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival) and Best American Film (2014 Traverse City Film Festival), both audience awards, so it just goes to show that people know what's they're talking about.

If you like the story of a doomed love, and you miss the romantic films of yore, the set aside some time to go and fork out your 20-something dollars to see 5 TO 7, I highly recommend it. It has quickly become onw of my favourite romance films of the year.

4 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

FINDING DORY - trailer release

FINDING DORY

Director: Andrew Stanton & Angus MacLane

Cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Eugene Levy, Ty Burrell, Kaitlin Olson, Ed O'Neill, Diane Keaton, Dominic West, Idris Elba

Holy snapping duck shit your guys the trailer has dropped for FINDING DORY and although it's a teaser and although it's only a minute forty, this little Disney fanatic is pretty excited!!

Hitting cinemas in Summer 2016, this is bound to be a smash hit with Disney Pixar fans all around the world! 

Synopsis: FINDING DORY reunites the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about family along the way.

Featuring the voices of Ellen DeGeneres (Dory), Albert Brooks (Marlin), Diane Keaton (Dory's mother) and Eugene Levy (Dory's father), this is bound to be a funny and yet slightly emotional adventure for our favoutie fishies!!

Check the trailer out here: 

xoxo

The Blonde Bombshell

SHE'S FUNNY THAT WAY - review

SHE'S FUNNY THAT WAY
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Cast: Imogen Poots, Owen Wilson, Kathryn Hahn, Will Forte, Jennifer Aniston, Rhys Ifans

Synopsis: The cast and crew of a Broadway play are thrown into a romantic roundelay when a lecherous director hires a hooker-turned-actress to star alongside his wife and his wife's ex-lover

You know those movies where you see the trailer and then spend the next several months hoping against all hope that all the funny bits aren't just in the trailer because it looks funny and you want the whole movie to be equally as funny? Well, SHE'S FUNNY THAT WAY was one of those films for me. The trailer made the film look like a ridiculous comedy of errors - incredibly farcical - and I was hoping that the movie would have some additional plot points and more funny bits. Sadly though I was disappointed. Most of the funny bits are in the trailer and there aren't really that many more plot points.

uh oh - husband, wife, call girl, ex-lover - what could possibly go wrong? 

image via Lionsgate

Seeing Peter Bogdanovich's name made me excited, it's been a while since he's graced us with his directorial presence, and the casting looked ok, and while the movie aimed for good old fashioned farcical nonsense, it's mostly just nonsense. Squirrels to the nuts. I heard that phrase about 17 million times in this film and I still don't understand what is happening.

squirrels to the nuts - I don't think even Owen Wilson knows what that means you guys

image via Lionsgate

The opening narrative sets us up in a journalistic interview with an ever optimistic, miracle believing IT girl being interviewed by the ever cyincal journalist about the story of how her acting career came to be. Once call-girl Isabella (Imogen Poots) has a chance meeting with director Arnold Albertson (Owen Wilson), ok well, not so much chance, she's a call-girl, he hired a call-girl, but whatever, and he offers her a tidy sum to quit the business and follow her dream of becoming an actress. She gets a call for an interview for a new Broadway production to play the role of, you guessed it a hooker. I mean come on guys, what are the odds? The other two actors in the play are Arnolds wife Delta (Kathryn Hahn) and Delta's ex-lover Seth (Rhys Ifans). That's just a disaster waiting to happen. Everyone loves Isabella's read, not knowing of course her history with the director, and she gets hired. She also gets asked out by the playwright Joshua (Will Forte),whose ex-girlfiend is Isabella's therapist and whose father is a private investigator hired with following Isabella for another of her clients. All manner of unlikely coincidences occur entwining these stories together leading to a giant catasrophical blow out.

Unfortunately the script is average at best and the film is far too predictable for my liking, but from what I've read this was a labour of love, rather than an aim for the next big hit for Bogdanovich, who co-wrote the script with his ex-wife many years ago. I hope it was worth it emotionally for him getting this piece of the ground, because based on what I've seen the box office results aren't that great. I appreciate that film scripts have to be somewhat predictable on some level so that viewers can follow the storyline, but this was just pushing it a little too far. I could almost guess what the lines were going to be, and you could see 10 minutes out exactly where the next scene would end up.

Credit where credit is due, the cast have done a wonderful job with what they have in this film and Poots lights up the screen like nobody's business. There are strong moments of funny in this film, but it wasn't the laugh out loud, mishap filled caper I was hoping for.

such a lovely cast 

image via Lionsgate

I would be rushing out to hand over 20-something dollars see this unless you've seen every single other film on at the cinema and you want a no-brainer piece of trash to fill in some time, or you've got some movie vouchers that are going to expire and it's after 5 on a Saturday and you can't use them for anything else.

2 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

MR HOLMES - review

MR HOLMES

Director: Bill Condon

Cast: Ian McKellan, Laura Linney, Milo Parker

Disclaimer: If you know anyone suffering from Alzheimer's then this film is probably going to get you right in the feels. 

The mysterious, marvelous, incredulous Detective Holmes is once more gracing our screens. Now, I don't know about you, but I do love the story of this super sleuth in all its forms. Not so much a fan of some of the tv spin offs, but the classic Holmes stories have an uncanny ability to keep me enthralled. When I heard that one of my all time favourites was going to be bringing Holmes to life on the big screen I couldn't wait. I mean is there nothing this man can't do? Gandalf, Magneto, King Lear, Emile, all of the narrators, and the list goes on. Sir Ian McKellan is one of the true greats, and his performance in MR HOLMES does not disappoint, it's just a shame that the story isn't as good as his performance. 

This version of the Holmes story, is set in postwar Britain, in Sussex, where the famous detective, now 93 and retired, lives in seclusion with his housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her son (Milo Parker).  He is grappling with a case from 30 years ago, but his memory is failing him and the pieces of the story come to him in fragments. He forms a bond with his housekeepers son Roger, who helps him tend to his bees and with Rogers' help he slowly puts together the story of the case that he ended his career over. 

Holmes and Roger

image via Transmission Films

Bill Condon has done something extraordinary with this piece of work - he made it kind of suck. He is not entirely to blame, the script is all over the place, and there is so much back and forwardsing going on that there isn't enough time to get wrapped up in any of them. Present day where Holmes is keeping bees, and befirneding Roger and trying to work out what happened 30 years ago, a trip to Japan where Holmes travels to get some prickly ash to aid his failing memory and where he witnesses the horror of the Hiroshima bombing, and 1919 where the case began that Holmes is trying to solve. As soon as we get used to being in one time and location and used to one set of characters, we are quickly whisked off to another place and time. 

Holmes and Mrs Munro

image via Transmission Films

The entire cast of this film is magnificent, but requires them to be little more than bit part actors, particularly in the case of Laura Linney who hardly does anything other than walk in and out of rooms with a concerned look and some exclamation of disdain for her sons relationship with Holmes of for Holmes' declining mental state. It was a real shame to see such talented actors wasted. Even McKellan who played his part wonderfully suffers at the hand of this poorly scripted film. The timing is strangely off kilter for the whole film and the disjointed nature makes it difficult to get fully involved because you're too busy trying to keep up with where we're at. I'm not saying I could have written something better, if I could I would surely be an accomplished playwright instead of a business manager, but the script needed some editing of the flow to bring it to its full potential. 

McKellan's portrayal of a once brilliant man struggling with the very painful reality of losing mental faculties is moving, if at times a little unsettling. Anyone who has watched someone suffer through Alzheimer's will probably get hit right in the feels. McKellan does a stellar job of flying through the range of emotions displayed by other sufferers. Anger, frustration, sadness, helplessness, hopelessness and everything in between. It is isolating and infuriating, and both Linney and Parker give performances of the very real responses of those living with someone living with the disease. 

93 year old Holmes trying to remember the case from 30 years ago

63 year old Holmes working the case he can't remember in his old age

images via Transmission Films

Overall, MR HOLMES is a visually lovely film to watch, and the actors have done a wonderful job with what they had. McKellan's performance is stellar and had the film been slightly better written I think that McKellan could have been generating some Oscar's buzz. Sadly I'm not sure it's going to end up that way, but I will happily stand corrected if it happens when the time comes. If you like something off the beaten path in terms of mainstream film then you might very well enjoy this lovely little piece of cinema. I'm not sure I would recommend you pay 20-something dollars to see it at the cinema, but it is certainly worth checking out if you get a chance. 

3 out of 5

xoxo

The Blonde Bombshell