Oh I'm sorry, Did I Break Your Conversation........Well Allow Me A Movie Thread by S&T

[had pants]

 

[Ingenious Bastard]

^ I didn't know if I wanted to be confused or amused. That scene was when

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I knew she was a robot . Waaaaay too awkward

 

[big j 33]

Saw Trainwreck  today.

Judd Apatow definitely has returned to form. I think having Schumer write the screenplay helped cut out Apatow's problems with the 3rd act where he draws out the plot and the movie falls flat. It still retains his basic voice, despite someone else writing the screenplay, you definitely feel his touches all over the film. 

It's certainly a romantic comedy that happened to be directed by Apatow, rather than a "Judd Apatow comedy". So while it doesn't reach the level of "Knocked Up" which is just line for line, one of the funniest movies I've seen I think... it's still a very funny Apatow movie. Credit to Schumer's screenwriting and acting as well. She manages to make her character supremely unlikable at first. Even as her actions and beliefs are clearly explained and also formulaic, she still did great considering it's her first major leading role. The romantic comedy is formulaic, it just how it is. They don't aim to reinvent the genre... it's still "Protagonist is set in their ways, meets someone that makes them change, they fight and fall back to their old ways, they reunite" It's the same basic premise, but it doesn't suffer for it.

So while it's still the same basic formula, it never reaches the cringe worthy moments of your standard romantic comedy. It's self-aware and satirical enough of those moments, without it being a super complex, meta film on romantic comedies. It hits a lull here and there, which is really just the standard problems most comedies have with their 3rd acts. 

Structurally, Schumer can write a good screenplay. The characters are fleshed out, given clear motivations, traits, etc. I wish some of the supporting characters had more time to shine, much like other Apatow films, the supporting players can steal the most scenes... but with their time they did well. I saw it pointed out on another review, I think on The Concourse, but you don't get the extra 30 seconds per scene of random improve and extra punchline like you would with your standard Apatow comedy. So that helps keep the scenes leaner and the movie shorter.

Believe it or not, Lebron was pretty damn funny in it. He plays a very serious best friend for Hader, and had more than his fair share of hilarious moments and lines. I could have done with a little less of "Ok I get it, Lebron is in the movie" but it wasn't a complaint.

Well worth the watch and a really impressive first leading role for Schumer. She held her own as an actress but her writing in particular was the star. A much improved effort by Apatow as well. He seemed to have more refinement and stayed closer to his strengths than his previous movies.

 

[calibeebee]

Have you ever thought about reviewing films for a blog or for some sort of side project Big J? I always enjoy your input, and your reviews always seem full of substance.

 

[cash money 1999]

Oscar Issac said they brought in Mr. Disco 1993 to do the choreography for the film .

 

[lawdog1]

Saw Trainwreck today.

Judd Apatow definitely has returned to form. I think having Schumer write the screenplay helped cut out Apatow's problems with the 3rd act where he draws out the plot and the movie falls flat. It still retains his basic voice, despite someone else writing the screenplay, you definitely feel his touches all over the film. 

It's certainly a romantic comedy that happened to be directed by Apatow, rather than a "Judd Apatow comedy". So while it doesn't reach the level of "Knocked Up" which is just line for line, one of the funniest movies I've seen I think... it's still a very funny Apatow movie. Credit to Schumer's screenwriting and acting as well. She manages to make her character supremely unlikable at first. Even as her actions and beliefs are clearly explained and also formulaic, she still did great considering it's her first major leading role. The romantic comedy is formulaic, it just how it is. They don't aim to reinvent the genre... it's still "Protagonist is set in their ways, meets someone that makes them change, they fight and fall back to their old ways, they reunite" It's the same basic premise, but it doesn't suffer for it.

So while it's still the same basic formula, it never reaches the cringe worthy moments of your standard romantic comedy. It's self-aware and satirical enough of those moments, without it being a super complex, meta film on romantic comedies. It hits a lull here and there, which is really just the standard problems most comedies have with their 3rd acts. 

Structurally, Schumer can write a good screenplay. The characters are fleshed out, given clear motivations, traits, etc. I wish some of the supporting characters had more time to shine, much like other Apatow films, the supporting players can steal the most scenes... but with their time they did well. I saw it pointed out on another review, I think on The Concourse, but you don't get the extra 30 seconds per scene of random improve and extra punchline like you would with your standard Apatow comedy. So that helps keep the scenes leaner and the movie shorter.

Believe it or not, Lebron was pretty damn funny in it. He plays a very serious best friend for Hader, and had more than his fair share of hilarious moments and lines. I could have done with a little less of "Ok I get it, Lebron is in the movie" but it wasn't a complaint.


Well worth the watch and a really impressive first leading role for Schumer. She held her own as an actress but her writing in particular was the star. A much improved effort by Apatow as well. He seemed to have more refinement and stayed closer to his strengths than his previous movies.

Great review, Big J. Seems like you were ok with the running time of the film, which I understand is a little over 2 hours. My biggest issue with the newer (and even older) Apatow movies is that they were overly long. 2 hours still seems long to me. Did you feel like this one dragged at all?

 

[lawdog1]

Per ImDB, Chris Columbus pushing hard to get Goonies and Gremlins remakes green lighted. Gremlins I think I could live with. Goonies should NOT be touched.

 

[big j 33]

I know a couple years ago, some of the regulars from here wanted to try to start up a review site, but it never got off the ground. It would be one of those dreams of mine, but I never put in the time or effort to really get it going. It's never too late, of course, but it's not something on the horizon for me.

I think a couple scenes definitely dragged here and there, but nothing too noticeable like some of Apatow's movies. Even 40 year Old Virgin and Knocked Up dragged... but they were just so much funnier that you didn't mind it as much. I think the movie took a little bit of time to find it's footing, and the 3rd act had a couple of odd spots, but other than that, it was good.

 

[lawdog1]

Grosse Pointe Blank is for sure a very original movie. And Minnie Driver is actually kind of sexy in it.

 

[Master Zik]

Just watched Ex Machina........ Lmao

Very intelligent film though

Me too.

I liked it a lot.

Good message to those dumb enough to fall in love with a ******* A.I robot just cuz it's in female form. Stops all that propaganda about A.I. being nice.

I laughed pretty hard at this scene. I thought he was gonna offer dude to have sex with her and then he breaks out in dance

Ego aside, that character seems like a fun guy to party with. Makes me like Issac even more as an actor.

Have you ever thought about reviewing films for a blog or for some sort of side project Big J? I always enjoy your input, and your reviews always seem full of substance.

I actually enjoy his input even on non-film/tv topics. Son should just be giving general advice

Get an Ask Big J 33 column going man.

Per ImDB, Chris Columbus pushing hard to get Goonies and Gremlins remakes green lighted. Gremlins I think I could live with. Goonies should NOT be touched.

We riot if they reboot Goonies.

 

[jpzx]

Ex Machina - how soon a lonely person develops the capability to turn on the human species, to defend whatever pillow-talk injustices the non-living A.I. brings up

 

[Ingenious Bastard]

That ending was so salty.

 

[a-friend]

Ex Machina - how soon a lonely person develops the capability to turn on the human species, to defend whatever pillow-talk injustices the non-living A.I. brings up

What you mentioned is what I appreciated most about the movie, I noticed being more open to a possibility that I couldn't grasp before.
I thought this ingredient of the film was more believable after seeing it for a third time. The concept.


1.Black Mirror: Be Right Back season 2 ep 1
2.Her
3. Ex Machina

When I first saw Black Mirror I was like, "no way a human could be that lonely or vulnerable to have that void filled by an A.I."

When I saw Her, I was a little more dissenitized to it and found it more believable. Hard not to trust the comfort in Scarlett's voice. It really put it in perspective so to speak.

By the time I saw Ex Machina, I was very open to the idea and could Phathom ones loneliness being catered to by A.I. and leading him to chose it's affection over a human being, and to even go so far as to protect it.

The movie was so well done, even the unbelievable parts are, well there aren't any. It's all believable, I can grasp the idea of it. Dope film

 

[koolbarbone]

**** is getting VERY old.

It's not a new concept for directors to work with the same actors repeatedly, even within the same genre. In fact, it's quite common among the best in the business. To name a few:

Martin Scorsese
Woody Allen
Edgar Wright
Alfred Hitchcock
Christopher Nolan
Akira Kurosawa
Tim Burton
Quentin Tarantino
The Coen Brothers
Wes Anderson

There would be even more examples of this if you went back further into the Hollywood Studio System. The point being, it's not unique to Russell, it just might not be your cup of tea.

 

[a-friend]

I don't think Spike lee has ever made a movie where he didn't use the same recycled cast.

 

[chichiloves5s]

I don't think Spike lee has ever made a movie where he didn't use the same recycled cast.

25th Hour?

 

[calibeebee]

Oh look another movie with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley cooper .how exciting .

Damn Silver linings, American Hustle, Serena, and now this movie. Maybe they are trying to be the new Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan

 

[Master Zik]

**** is getting VERY old.

It's not a new concept for directors to work with the same actors repeatedly, even within the same genre. In fact, it's quite common among the best in the business. To name a few:

Martin Scorsese
Woody Allen
Edgar Wright
Alfred Hitchcock
Christopher Nolan
Akira Kurosawa
Tim Burton
Quentin Tarantino
The Coen Brothers
Wes Anderson

There would be even more examples of this if you went back further into the Hollywood Studio System. The point being, it's not unique to Russell, it just might not be your cup of tea.

I think we all know this. We're just highlighting it's not working with Russell as seamlessly and appreciated it is with other directors using the same actors.

Like I look forward to Wes Anderson using the same cast over and over. It sort of becomes more about the story most times. I eagerly await another film with Scorsese and Leo or DeNiro. Don't mean it works for every director.

I don't think Spike lee has ever made a movie where he didn't use the same recycled cast.

25th Hour?

Plenty more movies if you look at his filmography.

 

[awwsome]

It's not a new concept for directors to work with the same actors repeatedly, even within the same genre. In fact, it's quite common among the best in the business. To name a few:

Martin Scorsese
Woody Allen
Edgar Wright
Alfred Hitchcock
Christopher Nolan
Akira Kurosawa
Tim Burton
Quentin Tarantino
The Coen Brothers
Wes Anderson

There would be even more examples of this if you went back further into the Hollywood Studio System. The point being, it's not unique to Russell, it just might not be your cup of tea.

I already knew all of that my guy, some of my favorite directors work with the same core group of actors but I just don't think its working here.

 

[Clyde Frog]

Lol what the hell did they do to Joe Dirt. It was like a spoof of itself. I ended up finding it funny because of how bad it was. Genuine wtf laughter.

I'd really like to know the budget compared to the first but couldn't find anything. Even the sound was completely F'd.

 

[noskey]

Ant-Man was great. It was weird seeing Paul Rudd as a superhero. I'm looking forward to interactions between him and Robert Downey Jr. The lulz write themselves.

 

[lawdog1]

Plus - and I could be wrong about this - it seems like the Russell movies with Lawrence/Cooper have come out in faster succession than movies from other directors that use the same actors. There's been one a year for the last 3 years right?

Wes Anderson's movies, for example, tend to be more spaced out. Same with the Scorcese movies with Leo . . . I think . . . again I could be wrong.

 

[awwsome]

^^^^

That too.


It also will work more for Wes/Martin/QT because they are better directors and while I'm a fan of both Lawrence and Cooper, they ain't that talented to be force fed to us like this.

 

[lawdog1]

IMDb ‏@IMDb · 30m30 minutes ago
#Pixar gets theoretical with the new trailer for 'The Good Dinosaur': http://imdb.to/1Kip26U #GoodDino

 

[koolbarbone]

I already knew all of that my guy, some of my favorite directors work with the same core group of actors but I just don't think its working here.

I think we all know this. We're just highlighting it's not working with Russell as seamlessly and appreciated it is with other directors using the same actors.

Like I look forward to Wes Anderson using the same cast over and over. It sort of becomes more about the story most times. I eagerly await another film with Scorsese and Leo or DeNiro. Don't mean it works for every director.
Plenty more movies if you look at his filmography.

Both Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle got Oscar nods for Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress. That is as good as it gets for the actors in a film.

Before Silver Linings Playbook, the last film to do that was Reds in 1981. Russell is the only director to ever accomplish that feat twice, and he did it in back-to-back films, in back-to-back years with Cooper and Lawrence both times.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion - those nominations don't mean that anyone has to be excited about the next Russell film - but it's pretty obvious that this combination is working from a financial and critical point of view, and working in rarified ways.