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Film reviews

You’re Cordially Invited Review

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What’s worse than wedding plans not falling into place? Having to share your time with a whole different group of people who are not related whatsoever. That is the storyline in You’re Cordially Invited. Written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, this R-rated comedy is filled with lighthearted joy. You’re Cordially Invited made me think of the saying, “It takes two to tango!” The double-booked wedding is at the center of what must come together to make the scenario work. It is a clever comedic setup. All the moving parts, including disasters and disagreements, create a chemistry that works. There is sporadic stupidity, however it’s mostly funny and adds to the film’s comedic charm. 

The idea of weddings and marriage makes for an interesting theme. Happiness in life (and in this movie) hits many plateausand it is a mad world at one wedding venue in Your Cordially Invited. The film focuses on Jim (played by Will Ferrell) and Margot (played by Reese Witherspoon). Jim’s daughter Jenni (played by Geraldine Viswanathan) is getting married, and Margot’s daughter Neve (played by Meredith Hagner) is also getting married. One small error has led to a double-booking of the weddings. From this point on, the reality of having a wedding to remember goes into high gear with so many issues at hand. It is boisterous and entertaining. It all comes down to money and tradition—both of which play key roles and are portrayed in egotistical characterizations.

With Ferrell and Witherspoon playing the parents who mustlearn to share the venue, they both have personalities to causeanxiety to go awry. The wedding is on an island, and a lot can go wrong in that setting. For example, an alligator falls into Jim’s bed. The dim-wittedness of You’re Cordially Invited is different because it navigates new territory instead of only what many expect in family conflicts. It keeps the laughs coming by having the two opposing parties falling apart and then learning to work together to share the venue again. The common ground of family turmoil finds a relatable place in You’re Cordially Invited.

The drastic scenarios throughout You’re Cordially Invited had me sold. Surprisingly, I went in with mixed expectations, but I walked out feeling positive. With Ferrell and Witherspoon playing parents going through treacherous disasters, I felt the sense of lines being drawn and the idea of the saying, “You only live once!” The film finds itself on a mission to keep its audience in tune with the hope that happiness will eventually come around. It was sometimes hard to maintain hope given all the weird moments in the film. The stressful scenes were a little bonkers at times and had wedding bells ringing in some crazy ways in You’re Cordially Invited. It seemed like just when oneagreement was made a new can of worms opened where disasters and uncharted, yet hysterical, perils were inevitable.

This is a film where a comedy and drama combine in a lighthearted flow of writing and characterization. The wedding setting provides perspective. In the end, You’re Cordially Invitedis appealing. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

The Idea of You

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Anne Hathaway plays a mother in this film with the same and laid-back personality type from her days as a teen actress. The Idea of You is a lighthearted romance film where there is an emphasis on meaning.  Hathaway’s role is the main point of interest of the film. The Idea of You challenges love at first sight, but also makes its audience consider the risks with any other type of relationship. Especially when one of the individuals is very high profile. Hathaway fits the role of an innocent and wonderful mom extremely well in The Idea of You.

Hathaway plays Solene, a single mother who owns an art gallery. Her daughter is Izzy (played by Ella Rubin). Solene mostly keeps to herself and thrives in her life of art with her studio. One day, she is forced to go with her daughter to see a boy band called August Moon, as her ex-husband couldn’t make it and she must fill in for his absence. While there, Solene steps into a random trailer, and runs into Hayes Campbell (played by Nicholas Galitzine). Hayes is the lead singer of August Moonand is extremely famous at this point in life. From there, a relationship of love and connection develops rapidly. Solene is in her forties and Hayes is twenty-four. The age-gap in therelationship is emphasized with enticing music as a backdrop to it all. However, the high-profile life of Hayes is where risks can come around for both Solene, Hayes, and others around them. Does their relationship truly have a form of connectivity? What is the benefit for Solene? What is the benefit for Hayes? Despite, the consequences, it is an adventurous love where boundaries are out the window.

Despite all of the deep consequences of this love affair, there remains a sensible side of appreciation in The Idea of You. The thrill of new love, the risks, and the many types of attention surrounding the age-gap of the relationship create a feel-good film with groovy thrills. Audiences want goodness in Hathaway’s and Galitzine’s performances. The “groovy thrills” come with the age-gap, the celebrity vibes surrounding the questionable relationship, and the love both have for one another…despite the uncertainty of where it will lead them.

When it comes to how moving parts play out in the heat of this unconventional relationship, The Idea of You paints an honest portrait of how this type of situation really goes. The fact of Hayes getting with a lady who is much older than him will impact his image and fame, and this same situation puts a label on Solene. There is a boiling point where their relationship becomes too hard to  maintain as a hidden one. The disruption ofdaily routines and the impact of general uncertainty of the future draw the line in The Idea of You as the lover’s grapple with the question of what takes precedence—fame or love?

With all the mixed feelings coming to a boiling point in The Idea of You, the seriousness of true connectivity is spot-on. Hathaway’s performance is on the most heartwarming level I have seen in a while. Her tone of empathy is seen in her brilliant eyes as she says, “I’m too old for you.” That quote emphasizes that despite knowing what the hearts wants and cannot have, it still craves a form of feeling love…no matter how big or small.

The overwhelming aspect throughout the film remains in thefact that Hayes has tons of fame. His is a life of wealthiness in a world of talent and contracts. A world where many are obsessed with him, and he has more money than he can spend. Does he get enough individualized attention? No, he does not.  This is what Solene provides for him when she is in his presence. It is something all of his money and fame cannot buy him. Falling in love, keeping a secret, having turmoil, and reconnecting—that is the pattern of relationship and resilience in The Idea of You. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Road House Review

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Directed by Doug Liman and written by Anthony Bagarozzi, this remake of Road House begins its introduction with a promising setup. The film opens with the initiation of a fight scene. It takes place in a club with street fighting. Carter, played by singer/rapper Post Malone, is in the ring.  Dalton, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is his opponent.  Dalton is the new Patrick Swayze in this different type of remake of the 1989 version of Road House. Gyllenhaal and Malone are retro street fighting in Road House. Dalton may be a bouncer, but he has a past, an ego and a lot of attitude.

Dalton is the main character, and he is offered a job as a bouncer by Frankie (played by Jessica Williams). Franke is the owner of a bar called The Road House. Dalton is a former UFC Fighter, and accepting this job puts him in a place where he realizes his territory of risks are not as promising as they seem. The settingis in the Florida Keys, a place where paradise meets a questionable habitat. The luxury environment sets the stage forlaunching into uncharted territory…it is a lot for a new bouncer. Dalton begins to realize how his new situation leaves him opento all kinds of abuse from many strange characters.

The Road House is disorganized and unorthodox—a bar with frequent conflicts and a lack of positive energy. There is one who says, “It’s like the morgue in here,” and indeed it may be. That is because Dalton has got some vengeance with an attitude that is hidden. There is a conflict with gangsters where Dalton asks, “Before we start, do you have insurance?” That question is the voice of a man with a giant ego and a hardcore vision of destruction for a better cause…Gyllenhaal is superb. His other question after the first one is, “Is there a hospital nearby?” The hospital question leads to a climax where the audience will hope there is a hospital for its characters to get to. This outcome leads Dalton to meet Ellie (played by Daniela Melchior). She is fascinated by Dalton’s personality and traits of enthusiasm.

This version of Road House is one where there are always conflicts of dynamics…not only at the bar, but all around the Florida Keys. Soon, Dalton is the new talk of the town. His mainchallenge are the crime bosses, and they are Ben and Knox (played by Billy Magnussen and Connor McGregor). Dalton begins to realize how he encourages others around him to stand their ground more firmly with the odd characters throughout the town. This is a frustration for Ben and Knox, because they want to take over much of the property surrounding the bar.

The first arena of danger was in Missouri in 1989 where Swayze was the hero. The new territory is in the edgy paradise setting of the Keys with Gyllenhaal. Dalton says, “People seem a little aggressive around here,” and those words hold true throughout the film’s many moments of treachery. The storyline follows the good and bad times of this chosen lifestyle—a journey into both aspects that thrive vividly. To an extent, it is very blockbuster-like with its writing and continuity—it keeps going in the route of heroism, and that leads to much of the film feeling habitual. Gyllenhaal’s performance is eloquent—his role as a bouncer is mellow, soft-spoken, and he displays intensity. Magnussen’s performance is out of his league—he plays a criminal that thinks he has got power. However, it is not enough to take on someone like Gyllenhaal as the new bouncer and a popular newcomer to town. Knox though, is the most lethal enemy.

The gangster atmosphere is what sold me with Road House—no matter where Dalton goes, there is always a treacherous trap awaiting. Are Dalton’s hidden days of being a pro-fighter enough to protect the ones around him? I do give the film credit for its suspenseful dynamics, it just does not execute them withthe brilliance one might expect. Gyllenhaal played a boxer in Southpaw in 2015 and returns to a role of a former boxer turned bouncer…with a lot more vengeance to release. The criminalelement is a blur, with the use of overrated actors that do not fit the theme of harsh bad guys. However, Gyllenhaal in roles with a boxing background is where his dramatic characterizations give his performance the fulfilling impact of unfettered rage. Basically the story of a bouncer in a world of mayhem that continues to feel rhetorical. Two out four stars for Road House.