2014 Movie Preview: #29 - Tammy

Release date: July 2

Plot summary: Tammy (Melissa McCarthy) is having a bad day. She's totaled her clunker car, gotten fired from her thankless job at a greasy burger joint, and instead of finding comfort at home, finds her husband getting comfortable with the neighbor in her own house. It's time to take her boom box and book it. The bad news is she's broke and without wheels. The worse news is her grandma, Pearl (Susan Sarandon), is her only option - with a car, cash, and an itch to see Niagara Falls. Not exactly the escape Tammy had in mind. But on the road, with grandma riding shot gun, it may be just what Tammy needs.

My take: Melissa McCarthy has shown she has some real comedic chops with the films she's been in over the past few years. This may be her riskiest project to date, however, given that she is the lead and doesn't have a major comedic talent sharing the headline with her (no offense to Sarandon). From the plot alone, this does not sound like anything special. However, the film has been written by McCarthy and her husband, so they likely know how to make something funny. Plus the studio is releasing this two days before the Fourth of July holiday, which suggests that they've got a lot of faith in the project as well. Until I see a trailer, I won't know for sure, but there's enough here to make me feel like it deserves a spot on the list.

RBR: Arbitrage

For as much as I love movies, I can't say (yet at least) that I'm an expert when it comes to old movies. So when I hear comments suggesting that a film like Arbitrage is "Hitchcockian", I can't really have an appreciation for that. The good thing is that you don't need that background to recognize that this is an excellent thriller on its own. This is the story of Robert Miller (played by Richard Gere), a hedge fund magnate who's trying to secure a deal to sell his company as he moves into retirement. While initial impressions suggest Miller has everything going for him, there are a lot of secrets lurking beneath the surface that Miller is trying to keep hidden. There is no secret that Miller is a guilty man and yet the film remains compelling to the point where you find yourself conflicted as to whether or not you want him to be caught for his transgressions. A lot of the credit goes to Gere who gives one of his best performances ever. He handles the complexities of the characters with ease as he transitions from aggressor to avoider based on the conflict he's facing. There's also a nice supporting performance by Tim Roth playing a New York detective investigating a car accident that he believes was caused by Miller. I was really invested in this film up until the very end. Director Nicholas Jarecki, who up until the final scene had shown some real talent as a director in his first feature film effort, drops the ball with a disappointingly anti-climatic finish. The ambiguity of the final scene cannot even be justified as ambigiuous for the sake of mystery. The film ends in such a way that you feel as if there was some sort of technical problem that caused the last five minutes of the film to be accidentally lopped off the reel. Despite the letdown of its conclusion, Arbitrage is still a film worth seeking out, especially given that it did not garner much attention from the public during its limited release in theaters. I think you'll agree that checking it out will be a sound investment of your time. Rating: **** 1/2

RBR: Robot and Frank

This small independent dramedy is set in the not too distant future where robots have been designed with the capacity to serve humans as caretakers. Frank (played by Frank Langella) is given one of these robots after his son (James Marsden) grows concerned about Frank's decreasing mental health. Langella, playing the grumpy old man well, is initially resistant to the idea. However, when he learns that the robot enables him to return to his roots as a cat burglar, he warms to the mechanical man. Langella also develops a relationship with a local librarian, played by Susan Sarandon. The film is similar to another independent film that Sarandon was in last year, Jeff, Who Lives At Home. Both are pleasant films that delve into the family dynamic but never quite reach the emotional or narrative heft in order to make them truly great films. I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I watched Robot and Frank, but the whole film has such a light and airy feel to it, that I could never truly get invested in what was happening. I will commend the film for offering up a twist at the end that I did not see coming. Any time a film can surprise me, I am appreciative. This is a simple film that offers a unique story and solid acting, with maybe the exception of Liv Tyler who plays Frank's daughter. If you were to miss this film, it would not be any great loss. But if the premise intrigues you at all, you'll likely enjoy giving this a view. Rating: ****

RBR: That's My Boy

Watching an Adam Sandler film is a lot like eating Taco Bell after midnight. When you're young, you enjoy it even if you realize doing so offers you no nutritional value. But as you get older you continue to do it only to instantly regret the decision and realize how disgusting it is. Though I may be maturing, it seems as if Sandler is regressing with each film. His latest effort continues his recent run of disappointingly unfunny films. That's My Boy sees Sandler attempt more R-rated fare and it doesn't help matters. Sex jokes and bodily function humor are used with wreckless abandon in hopes of covering up for a flimsy plot. Sandler plays a deadbeat dad who impregnated his teacher when he was in junior high. Now that his son (Andy Samberg)is grown up and ready to get married himself, he tries to reconnect with him in order to get some money from him. Of course, in staying with him he learns what it means to be a good father (sort of) and everyone lives happily ever after. While the plot slogs along from one obvious point to another, the humor is so crass and off the wall, that no one could see it coming a mile away - primarily because it requires a sick mind to think incest jokes are ever a good idea. At this point, it seems like the best thing for Sandler is for me and everyone to stop watching films like this to help him see he needs to put a better effort into what he's offering the viewing public. Otherwise, audiences will continue to suffer through 'fouth meal' entertainment like this. Rating: * 1/2

RBR: Jeff Who Lives at Home

In the opening moments of the film, Jeff (Jason Segal) tells the audience how much he loves the movie Signs and how amazing it is that it's filled with these seemingly random events that all come together with a purpose in the end. This is one of those 'sledgehammer of plot' moves that I can't stand. With such a scene, I now know I'll be sitting for the next hour and a half watching these characters do random things only for all of them to add up to something in the film's climax. And yet, I still couldn't help but enjoy this movie for the most part, primarily because of the winning performances by the film's leads. Jeff is a 30-something guy who still lives in his mom's basement and has no real goals or ambitions. Segal isn't really breaking new ground with this character, but he knows exactly how to play it to make us still like him. Ed Helms plays Jeff's brother and he's married Judy Greer. Their relationship problems drive the film's story and again their talents get you invested in how things will play out for them. Jeff's mom is played by Susan Sarandon. She has an odd subplot involving a secret admirer. Frankly if it had been anyone other than Sarandon in the role, I probably would have suggested that they eliminate that part of the film entirely, but it was nice to see her in a film like this. There's nothing new or fresh offered here, but because of the talents of these great actors, I found myself wanting to hang out with them and see what they were going to do next. I also was moved by the way they had everything come together in the end even if I hated the fact that they told me it would happen in the beginning. If you're looking for a smaller film and you like these actors, there are a lot worse films you could choose to watch instead. Rating: *** 1/2

Slumming it

Here's a pair of trailers for distinctively low-budget, independent films that somehow managed to rope in big name stars. Both show promise, but ultimately may be too odd to draw in large crowds.