Tag: Aubrey Plaza

MY OLD ASS – Review

As we enter into the Fall movie season, it’s time for an intimate lil’ “indie” that explores a theme that several blockbusters have also explored, time travel. Now this one isn’t focusing on the travel and his gadgets and gizmos aplenty, so we don’t get those “Pym Particles” or even that super-charged DeLorean. The intriguing premise presented here is a spin on “what if”, namely the Twilight Zone dream of getting a “drop in’ from your future self. And somehow this “out there” idea meshes with a coming of age dramatics, and a “rom-com”. It’s a challenging “balancing act” that is somehow propped up by a crude and quirky cellphone contact entered in as MY OLD ASS, and we’re not talking about a donkey.

Rather than starting in a long-ago time, this story is set in the modern day, just across the Canadian border. Elliot (Maisy Stella) is your basic free-spirited eighteen-year-old woman. This means that she’s occasionally self-absorbed and a bit inconsiderate. Rather than join her family for a big pre-college departure celebration meal (with a decorated cake ‘n’ everything), she decides to take her two best GFs on an overnight camping trip on an island in the big lake near town. Ah, but this evening will be special as Ro (Kerrice Brooks) has scored some mushrooms, which they’ll brew into a potent tea. It affects Ro and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler) quickly though it seems to be “bupkis” for Elliott. That is until she starts a batch of s’mores and is joined by a stranger who emerges from the darkness. Elliot is “freaked”, but unprepared for this lady’s proclamation that she is her future self, 39-year-old Elliot (Aubrey Plaza). But it seems legit as they share a couple of body scars. As her friends drift away. the two Elliots share her tent. Young Elliott pleads for a bit of advanced “intel’ and later Future E finally relents and tells her to avoid a “Chad”. When Y E drifts off, F E grabs her phone and puts in her number, entering it as “My Old Ass”. When dawn breaks Y Elliott is alone, and believe she had a very weird “trip”. But then, as she skinny-dips, she encounters a young man named Chad (Percy Hines White). She’s perplexed until she discovers that new phone contact and dials it. And F E picks up. The warnings about Chad continue, but Y E feels a strong connection to this sweet charmer. And then it’s “radio silence” with “MOA”. Elliott tries to focus on strengthening her bond with her mom, pop, and two younger brothers while trying and failing to avoid Chad, who is working at the family cranberry biz. Should Elliott keep her distance from the beguiling Chad? And will she speak to her feature self once more? Maybe she needs some more ‘shrooms…

And speaking of the future, in a few years we’ll look back at this film as the breakout performance of Ms. Stella, her ‘calling card”. She confidently brings a fresh spin to the often cliche “teen at a crossroads”, making Elliott full of quirks and contradictions, but also capable of great warmth and kindness. And she can really ‘sell” the jokes while also tugging at our heartstrings. Now, it’s true that there’s little resemblance to Ms. Plaza as her future self, the duo does share a comedic “kinship”. Of course, Plaza “kills” in her limited screen time, but she also gets to “tug at the tear ducts in the emotional final act. Ditto for the compelling work of White as the affable and often baffled (why the agita from Elliot) Chad who wants to continue his mellow life, but is drawn to this offbeat lady. Kudos also to the energetic supporting work from Brooks as the most understanding of “sistas”, and to the two young actors playing Elliott’s siblings, Seth Issac Johnson as the golf-obsessed montone Max and pre-teen Carter Trozzolo as the manic Saorise Ronan-obsessed Spencer.

This is the second feature from a true “triple threat” (or more of a “hat trick talent”), actress/writer/director Megan Park who has a keen “ear” for family dynamics, and strong friendships. The gentle teasing intercut with harsh truths feels natural and never forced. Plus Ms. Park has given us a compelling heroine in Elliot who goes through an engaging and unexpected ‘character arc”. It’s a delicate ‘tightrope’ walk as Elliott has a passionate ‘fling” in the opening scene with a slightly older female “crush” and decides to ‘go for it” as college is looming. She doesn’t dismiss these feelings when Chad steps up, but rather she allows herself to be open to different relationship possibilities. Park also creates a unique backdrop in the sleepy lakeside burg and the bucolic family home/farm (it feels like a cranberry-flavored slice of Heaven). More importantly, Park goes for the big emotions and connects without us feeling emotionally over-manipulated. Even with the fantasy elements of meeting your twenty-year-old version, the story and the reactions feel honest. Even though saying the title to the ticket may feel awkward, MY OLD ASS is more than worth it.

3.5 Out of 4

MY OLD ASS is now playing in select theatres

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of MY OLD ASS

In this fresh coming-of-age story, an 18th birthday mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). But when Elliott’s “old ass” starts handing out warnings about what her younger self should and shouldn’t do, Elliott realizes she has to rethink everything about family, love, and what’s becoming a transformative summer.

Written and directed by Megan Park and starring Maisy Stella, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks and Aubrey Plaza, MY OLD ASS is in limited theaters September 13.

RATED R.

The St. Louis advance screening is at 7PM, on Wednesday, September 18th, at Marcus Ronnies Cine (5:30PM or earlier Suggested Arrival)

PASS LINK: https://amazonscreenings.com/WeAreMovieGeeksMOA

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

Kerrice Brooks as Ro, Maisy Stella as Elliott, and Maddie Ziegler as Ruthie in My Old Ass Photo: COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Marvel’s Agatha Harkness Returns In First Look At AGATHA ALL ALONG, Starring Kathryn Hahn

(L -R): Paul Bettany as VIsion and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.

In 2021, Disney+ aired nine episodes of “WandaVision”. The first Marvel Studios series created exclusively for Disney+, it starred Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, Paul Bettany as Vision, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who was introduced to audiences in “Captain Marvel.” Kat Dennings reprised her role as Darcy from “Thor” and “Thor: The Dark World,” and Randall Park reprised his role as Jimmy Woo from “Ant-Man and The Wasp.” 

“WandaVision” was a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision – two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives – began to suspect that everything was not as it seemed. The series was directed by Matt Shakman with Jac Schaeffer as head writer. The composers were Christophe Beck and Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (“Frozen”).

While the series set up the MCU film DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, it also introduced the complex relationship between Agatha Harkness and Wanda Maximoff along with the actress that would become a fan favorite, Kathryn Hahn.

Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Suzanne Tenner. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

(L-R): Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Today, Disney+ released a new trailer and poster for the upcoming Marvel Television live-action series, “Agatha All Along.” The series focuses on Kathryn Hahn’s character, Agatha Harkness, from the acclaimed Marvel Studios’ series “WandaVision,” as she sets off on a dangerous, mysterious adventure filled with trials and tribulations. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer, who was the creative force behind “WandaVision,” directs the pilot episode.

In “Agatha All Along,” the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

In addition to Kathryn Hahn, “Agatha All Along” stars Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili, with Debra Jo Rupp, with Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza. The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos and Jac Schaeffer. The directors for the series include Jac Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg and Gandja Montiero.

Marvel Television’s “Agatha All Along” premieres September 18 at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET, with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney+.

AGATHA ALL ALONG. © 2024 MARVEL.

OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE – Review

So, all savvy filmgoers know that the season for big, noisy action blockbusters is the Summertime (when the livin’ is easy), but with Spring break looming, well, why wait for some popcorn escapism? After all, we’re right in the middle of two big superhero franchise entries (from the competing studios), and a few days away from a thriller in a horror series, not to mention a sports sequel that opens on the same day. It may just be the perfect time for a spy spectacular since Bond is in flux (casting a new 007, y’know), Bourne is in limbo, and Mr. Cruise is about to trade in his flight suit for a tux full of nifty gadgets. I’m sure this new movie hopes to begin a “tentpole”, as it mixes in some satire and some “caper” elements (it’s a “movie mutt”, I tells ya’). Plus there’s a fan-favorite director behind OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE.

The opening sequence throws us right into the action as snippets of a violent attack on a secret lab are intercut with the clicks of a sharply attired Brit walking with purpose down a long hallway. At his destination, undercover operations supervisor Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes) gets his newest assignment from his boss Knighton (Eddie Marsan). It seems that the aforementioned attack was part of a theft of something deadly and unknown (it’s referred to as the “Handle”). And it appears that the thieves are going to sell it to the highest bidder, which would plunge the world into chaos. Nathan gets the go-ahead to assemble an elite team. His choice for leader, much to the ire of Knighton, is “human blunt force”, Orson Fortune (Jason Statham). His usual “cyber ace” (the “guy at the keyboard”) is part of a rival unit led by Orson’s “frenemy” Mike (Peter Ferdinando). The alternative is snarky American Sarah Fidel (Audrey Plaza). Luckily Orson’s backup “muscle” is on board, J.J. Davis (Bugzy Malone). As the mission ensues, Orson is surprised to see that a “bag man” is linked to undercover arms dealer Greg Simmons (Hugh Grant). But how to get past his heavily guarded estate? Just what does this billionaire want? Not if, but who. Greg was rebuffed when he tried to hire his favorite action film superstar Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) is “pop out” of his birthday cake. Sarah proves her cyber sleuthing “worth’ when she gets some dirt on Danny, thus adding him to the team. With Orson posing as his manager, and Sarah as his “arm candy”, can this unlikely trio pull a fast one on Greg and retrieve whatever the Handle is but the whole planet goes kaput?

In the title role, Statham once again delivers as one of the most consistent and compelling action stars. During several exciting action sequences ( a fight on a yacht, a chase into a building, etc.), this swaggering screen superman shows no hint of slowing down (as opposed to a certain 80s star whose stunt had to be “tweaked” and “sped up” AKA undercranking). The only problem is that his Orson, despite a new quirk (his “deal” involves private jets stocked with vintage vino), is pretty much like most of his other roles, even his self-parody in SPY. To give him a little more of a sparring partner, the filmmakers have cast Plaza, perhaps in hope of some “opposites attract” sparks. That never really ignites, but it’s a nice change for her from the edgy comedies and odd “indie flicks” ( though she was remarkably great in her crime thriller EMILY THE CRIMINAL, who could’ve kicked Orson’s tail). Yes, she does grab the laughs even though she’s saddled with the now cliche “gigabyte gobbledygook” (“Some firewall…I’m in!”), and really goes confidently “glam” as the big’s star’s “bimbo” Mikala. In that disguise, she has almost as much fun as Hartnett, who seems delighted to skewer spoiled, indulgent mega movie star “himbos”. Also “havin’ a laugh” is Grant who adds Greg to his growing roster of lowlife villains, combining elements of his Baddies” from THE GENTLEMEN and PADDINGTON 2. He can barely hold back a wink at the camera as he fawns over Danny while brazenly lusting for Mikala. Elwes has the stiffest of upper lips as the buttoned-down uptight exasperated head honcho, whose “slow burn” is matched by his superior Marsan. And kudos to Malone whose J.J. is a great laid back, highly skilled teammate to Orson.

Oh, that fave director I mentioned earlier, well it’s the prolific Guy Ritchie. Here he’s taking a respite from his low-class thugs and punks to hobnob with the smart set in lavish sets and locales, while sharp-dressed operatives ply their deadly trade. It’s all slickly and energetically done, but, well it’s just so familiar. From the aforementioned computer wizardry (I kept thinking of Napolean Dynomite’s “hacker” dreams) to the clumsy “actor tossed into real danger”, which was done so superbly in last year’s THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT (you can’t beat Nick Cage making out with himself). Perhaps this was due to the film sitting on the shelf too long as it changed studio hands and dealt with real-life global dustups. The big “reveal” of the Handle lands with a dud (it might’ve been a threat from S.P.E.C.T.R.E.), and the double and triple-crosses become more tiresome and confusing than clever. Despite Statham’s combat skills and Plaza’s off-kilter delivery, it all feels like a MISSION IMPOSSIBLE rip-off Netflix seems to churn out several times a year. And even though its mid-end credits sequence revels in a “biting the hand” wit, the gag fizzles, and flops much like the largely forgettable OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE. Wonder if that’s French for “failed franchise”?

2 Out of 4

OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE is now playing in select theatres

EMILY THE CRIMINAL – Review

Aubrey Plaza in EMILY THE CRIMINAL. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment

With Aubrey Plaza as the star and the odd title EMILY THE CRIMINAL, one might be reasonably expect some dark comedy but, no, this film is anything but funny. Instead, director John Patton Ford serves up what seems at first to be pointed social commentary on modern economic unfairness. until it morphs into a dark thriller with a feminist slant. In EMILY THE CRIMINAL, Aubrey Plaza plays a young woman with artistic talent and a pile of student loan debt who is struggling to make a living and dreaming about breaking through to white-color work. Emily (Plaza) is hard-working but is held back by a low-level criminal record that haunts her and leaves her with only low paid jobs and gig work. Offered a chance to make some quick cash, she takes what she thinks is a one-time opportunity, although it is illegal. Yet doing so opens a door to a new side of Emily, as she finds a surprising sense of power, in this mix of thriller and dark social commentary.

It is not comedy but it is a rare chance for Aubrey Plaza to show off her serious acting chops. Along the way, there is plenty of biting, sarcastic dialog for serious Plaza fans.

EMILY THE CRIMINAL opens with a telling scene of the income inequality and economic unfairness of modern American capitalism. The film opens with Emily (Plaza) interviewing for a job. The interview asks about her “criminal record” and Emily sheepishly owns up to a DUI, with an explanation that she was the least drunk of her friends and chalks it up to youthful poor judgment. But it isn’t what the interviewer has in mind, as he already did an background check on her and uncovered a felony conviction for assault. It shocks us, and her, and she starts to explain, then stops short and rages against him for laying a trap for her, when he already knew, and railing against the invasion of privacy and the pointlessness of the interview.

It does leave us wondering why she was there, if it was nothing but a mean prank. As she rails against her mistreatment, she reveals that she is desperately trying to pay off a large student loan for art school before storming out. She returns to the only job she can get with this “criminal record” hanging over her, that of a gig worker for a catering company. That the assault involved an abusive ex-boyfriend is something we learn later, as well as the lack of money and a family emergency that caused her to leave college before finishing the degree.

Emily’s criminal record is a kind of modern scarlet letter, and an economic trap she can’t escape, no matter how talented and hard-working she is. Her best friend from art school Liz (Megalyn Echikunwoke) is working at a prestigious ad agency but reluctant to recommend Emily for fear of endangering her own employment. In this pre-pandemic world, the employers hold all the power but even now, the ability that employers have to do background checks on any potential hires still leaves people like Emily out in the cold. It is a betrayal of the old ideal of America as a land of second chances.

Back at her restaurant gig job, a co-worker tips Emily off to a side job, as a “dummy shopper,” saying she can make $200 in one day. With the student loan weighing on her, she calls and shows up a nearly-abandoned office space, along with a roomful of others. When the trainer, a handsome, soft-spoken man named Youcef (Theo Rossi) starts to describe what they will be doing, she learns that the job is an illegal one, buying big-ticket items with stolen credit card numbers and turning over the merchandise. At the mention that it is illegal, Youcef pauses and invites anyone who is uncomfortable with that to simply leave now, no problem. Emily gets up to do that, but then reconsiders. She and the rest of the roomful of people are told this is a one-time thing, just quick money. Emily signs on.

This dabbling in the criminal world goes on for a while, with Emily signing up a second time for the easy money and finding a mutual attraction with Youcef. But then the film takes a sharp turn, away from social commentary and a woman ground down by economic circumstances, to something darker, more edgy and more a crime thriller. Emily finds herself drawn to the power she feels in this world, and what follows are several harrowing scenes, where the tables are suddenly turned and an unexpected outcome emerges.

Aubrey Plaza is fabulous in this role, making her troubled character both sympathetic no matter what she does, and a femme powerhouse by turns. Using a Jersey accent that gives her character a little edge, we suspect there was always a darkness and steel within her, something her friend from art-school lacks. When Emily talks about the assault charge involving the ex-boyfriend, she says the problem was not that she went too far, but that she did not go far enough to make him afraid of her. It is not what we expect from the character we first met, yet we kind of know it was there all along too.

There is a feminist empowerment side to this film but it is a dark version of that. At one point, Emily goes to meet Youcef’s Lebanese mother, who asks her what she does for a living. “Emily the teacher?” she asks sweetly, and when Emily replies she is not yet sure what her career will be, the woman assures her she will discover her true life path. But is Emily already a “criminal” at the beginning of the film, marked as such by a harsh system, or is it something she chooses? It could go either way in this smart, unsettling crime thriller.

EMILY THE CRIMINAL opens Friday, August 12, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

Aubrey Plaza Stars In Trailer For EMILY THE CRIMINAL

Emily (Aubrey Plaza) is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record. Desperate for income, she takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a handsome and charismatic middleman named Youcef (Theo Rossi). Faced with a series of dead-end job interviews, Emily soon finds herself seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills of black-market capitalism, and increasingly interested in her mentor Youcef. Together, they hatch a plan to bring their business to the next level in Los Angeles.

From Roadside Attractions / Vertical Entertainment, watch the trailer for EMILY THE CRIMINAL.

Director John Patton Ford studied at the University of South Carolina and earned an MFA from the American Film Institute. His thesis film, Patrol, premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, which led to an accidental career penning scripts for Disney, Universal, and Sony. He is a member of the Writer’s Guild and his script Rothchild topped the Hollywood Black List in 2014.

The film’s score is from composer Nathan Halpern who scored three films premiering at Sundance 2022: Emily the Criminal (narrative premieres), Watcher (narrative competition), and Martha Mitchell Effect (competition documentary, Netflix).

Look for EMILY THE CRIMINAL in theaters on August 12.

Here’s the Trailer For Guy Ritchie’s OPERATION FORTUNE Starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Hugh Grant and Josh Hartnett

OPERATION FORTUNE will be in Theaters Nationwide 2022.

Here’s the trailer:

In the film, super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Reluctantly teamed with some of the world’s best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world.

OPERATION FORTUNE stars Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone and Hugh Grant

 

BEST SELLERS – Review

Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza star in BEST SELLERS. Courtesy of Screen Media.

Michael Caine. Aubrey Plaza. Great start for an indie dramedy. But how best to deploy such fine assets? No one involved in BEST SELLERS, including director Lina Roessler, seems to have figured that out. How disappointing.

Plaza’s character, Lucy Skinner, recently inherited a publishing company from her dad, and is struggling. No surprise there in a world that does most of its reading on its phones. Lousy timing. Then in an apparent bit of good timing, Caine’s reclusive author character, Harris Shaw, finishes his waaay-overdue second novel, following the prize-winning debut offering that put him and her father on the map decades earlier. He’s become like a J.D. Salinger in his isolation, making this book a potentially huge event. Plaza discovers that he’s obligated under a long-forgotten contract to let her publish it, and if he also cooperates in a promo tour, she is barred from changing a word. So the odd couple hits the road, bristling at each other’s presence. The old curmudgeon just won’t play nice with her or the public.

Caine’s resistance to doing what authors must to spur interest is amusing for a while. Same for Plaza’s efforts to bring him around, lest she lose the family business to an odious, but willing, buyer. There’s also some easy satire about our obsession with the Twitter-verse brand of celebrity, basing merit on one’s number of hits and likes. But it’s all downhill from there in Anthony Grieco’s tepid screenplay.

The failure begins with the highly unlikely timing of Caine just happening to finish a book that took decades to write with Plaza’s desperation that brings them together. Same for the miraculous discovery of the old contract that binds them together throughout a Felix and Oscar ordeal. Caine remains too cantankerous for too long; his health issues are overly familiar as plot elements; Plaza’s handling of the frustrating man who is her last, desperate hope for solvency stretches the essential suspension of disbelief beyond reason. The sentimental aspects of the last third of the film are barely on the palatable side of cheesy.

The stars have earned better scripts. Their fans deserve better vehicles. This is Grieco’s first produced script, and, admittedly, there are a few clever bits in the mix. He’s young enough to be on the upward slope of the learning curve. The potential is there for more satisfying material to come.

BEST SELLERS opens Friday, Sept. 17, in theaters in select cities and on-demand.

RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars

WAMG Giveaway – Win Robert DeNiro in DIRTY GRANDPA on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack


The raunchy comedy Dirty Grandpa comes to 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital) on June 12 from Lionsgate. Follow Robert De Niro and Zac Efron as they play a grandfather and grandson going on a crazy road trip adventure!


It’s time to get down and dirty with the raunchy hilarity of Dirty Grandpa when it arrives on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray™ and Digital) June 12 from Lionsgate. Starring Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (Best Actor, Raging Bull,1980), Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, Julianne Hough, Jason Mantzoukas, Danny, Glover, and Dermot Mulroney, experience four times the resolution of Full HD with 4K, which is also joined by Dolby Vision™ HDR to bring to life the stunning cinematography of this hilarious film. Dolby Vision transforms the TV experience in the home by delivering greater brightness and contrast, as well as a fuller palette of rich colors. The release also features Dolby Atmos® audio mixed specifically for the home to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh™, the Dirty Grandpa 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack is loaded with special features and will be available for the suggested retail price of $22.99.

Now you can own DIRTY GRANDPA on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack. We Are Movie Geeks has 2 copies to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie starring Robert DeNiro? (mine is TAXI DRIVER!). It’s so easy!
Good Luck!

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES.  NO P.O. BOXES.  NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.

2. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.


Robert De Niro and Zac Efron get down and dirty in this raunchy comedy about a wild road trip shared by an uptight guy and his foul-mouthed granddad.

CAST

Robert De Niro                        Meet the Parents, Silver Linings Playbook, Heist

Zac Efron                                Baywatch, High School Musical 3, Hairspray

Aubrey Plaza                          TV’s “Parks and Recreation,” The To-Do List

Zoey Deutch                           Before I Fall, Why Him?, Vampire Academy

Jason Mantzoukas                 The Dictator, Neighbors, They Came Together

Julianne Hough                       Safe Haven, Footloose, Rock of Ages

SPECIAL FEATURES

  • “Lessons in Seduction” Featurette
  • “Filthy Filmmakers Who Have No Shame” Audio Commentary (Blu-ray™ Only)
  • “The Filthy Truth: The Making of Dirty Grandpa” Featurette
  • “Daytona Heat” Featurette
  • “I Got Nothin’ to Hide: A Look at Daytona’s Most Vibrant Drug Dealer” Featurette
  • Gag Reel

THE LITTLE HOURS – Review

From left: Kate Micucci, Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza play nuns with pent-up lust and schemes that are played for bawdy comedy and slapstick absurdity in a movie based on a 14th-century story. Photo: Gunpowder & Sky (c)

Writer/director Jeff Baena draws on Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th THE DECAMERON for THE LITTLE HOURS, a bawdy, absurd comedy where the F-bombs fly through air thick with schemes and suppressed lust. Some audiences may object to foul-mouthed women religious but for those who don’t, Baena’s comedy is very amusing, as well as a clever updated twist on a medieval classic.

Nuns in the 14th century were different from today, as a convent was a place where prosperous families could send unmarried daughters or in which women without wealth could shelter, as much as a place for the religiously devout. Like Chaucer’s later THE CANTERBURY TALES, these women in habits could speak in plain, even rough, language in this tale studded with witty exchanges, practical jokes and earthy humor, as well as observations on life and humanity.

THE LITTLE HOURS stars Aubrey Plaza, who also serves as producer, and features a supporting cast that includes John C. Reilly and Nick Offerman. The costumes and rural setting may say 1347 but the language and behavior says 21st century teen girls. There are no “thees” and “thous” as these young women snark, eye-roll and “whatever” their way through the day. It is absurd, even silly, but mismatch between the surface appearance and the contemporary teen girl behavior is surprisingly funny, and the strong cast finds the human characters underneath as well.

Nuns Alessandra (Alison Brie), Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and Ginevra (Kate Micucci) live a quiet life in a convent in 1347 rural Italy, under the kindly eyes of Sister Marea (Molly Shannon) and their priest Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly). The life is so quiet that the young sisters entertain themselves with petty sniping and bickering, out of boredom if nothing else. Alessandra draws resentment and scheming from mean girl Fernanda and tattle-tale Ginevra as the rich girl who is too privileged to do her own laundry and living in the largest room. Meanwhile, clueless Alessandra is longing to escape life in the nunnery. When her nobleman father, a major contributor to the church, visits her, she presses him for any news on the marriage he had been arranging for her. It is not good – the dowry the suitor is asking is too steep. Depressed, Alessandra returns to her embroidery, which the convent sells for extra funds.

When the nuns’ latest sharp-tongued berating finally drives the gardener/handyman to quit, Father Tommasso is left in a quandary. But a trip to town to sell to Alessandra’s handiwork brings the priest in contact with a handsome young servant Massetto (Dave Franco) on the run from his last employer, a nobleman (Nick Offerman) who caught the young man in bed with his wife. The meeting solves both their problems: a place for Massetto to hide and a replacement for the convent’s handyman/gardener. To be on the safe side, the priest advises Massetto to pretend to be a deaf-mute.

That situation lays the groundwork for all kinds of mischief and silliness, plus lots of bed-hopping and drunkenness. The cast also includes Fred Armisen as a stern visiting bishop.

Writer/director Jeff Baena’s clever idea to keep the 14th century setting but have everyone speak and act as if it were present day works better comically than one might expect. As Boccaccio’s original collection of novels were written in the vernacular of its time, the idea makes a certain sense. The roles are played deadpan, not camped up, which actually makes it funnier. The film is not anything profound or deep, just a little bit of bad-language spiked fun, which has to count as a disappointment for literary fans. Still, Baena deserves credit for the effort although not everything about the film works and there are moments when the conceit seems forced. Updating the character’s language and behavior makes the situations sillier and adds a layer of fun, but it also often makes the source material’s underlying universal human themes more apparent, by taking away the disconnect created by archaic language.

Although a lot of intrigue and back-stabbing takes place, the film is surprisingly sweet in the end, Since this is a comedy, nothing really bad happens in the end, although audiences certainly will be aware things would not really turn out so sunny in medieval times.

The cast does a lot to make this unlikely concept work. As the three nuns, Plaza, Brie, and Micucci each bring their comic delights, making one think of high school even though what these women are doing involves digging vegetables, attending chapel and chasing the convent’s every-escaping donkey rather than attending classes and tryouts for the school play. As the conniving mean girl, Plaza is the queen of eye-rolling and her snarkiness particularly sets off the group’s outcast, busy-body Ginerva. As Ginerva, Kate Micucci is a bundle of nervous energy, chasing after the other two and never quite getting what is going on. Alessandra’s relative privilege gnaws at Plaza’s Fernanda, who cannot help plotting. Alison Brie’s Alessandra is cluelessly aloof and very much the princess, although clearly depressed at the prospect of spending the rest of her life locked in the convent. Dave Franco (younger brother of James Franco) is appropriately sexy and appealing as luckless Massetto, and O’Reilly plays Father Tommasso with a winning charm. The priest is almost the only character who talks about religion and God. While he seems a good-hearted man, he has a serious drinking problem and a casual view on lies and other sins.

With this winning cast, spending time with them is amusing if one is not too sensitive about the bad language, although the story kind of descends into nonsense when it brings in the spells and witches. THE LITTLE HOURS is a small delight more than a profound must-see but it does offer its share of bawdy fun, wrapped up neatly in the end. THE LITTLE HOURS opens Friday, July 7 at the Tivoli Theater.

RATING: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Little Hours movie poster