Tag: Laura Dern

IS THIS THING ON? – Review

Will Arnett in IS THIS THING ON? Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Jason McDonald, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

Will Arnett stars as Alex, a middle-aged man grappling with the news that his wife is leaving him, who happens into a bar on open-mic night for stand-up comedy. Mistaking him for one of the would-be comedians, Alex suddenly finds himself in front of a mic, and suddenly, the guy who works in finance and has no performance experience, finds a new door opening for him.

Bradley Cooper directs IS THIS THING ON?, a dramedy in which he plays a supporting part as well. The plot is built around a divorce story but it is the comedy club and the amateur comedians who are the real heart of the film.

Will Arnett’s Alex is married to Tess (Laura Dern), a former elite athlete, and they have three kids together. Alex is blindsided when Tess announces she is leaving, to launch a career as a coach, and he seems at a loss what to do with himself. He seems to accept the coming divorce rather than fight it but has no idea how to move forward. Stand-up comedy isn’t even on his radar.

Yet when doing a favor for someone takes him to this bar, he seems to just as passively accept when they call his name and say “you’re next” at the mic. Clearly not a shy person or someone afraid to talk in front of strangers, he tries to be funny but mostly just talks about his crumbling marriage, in a dry, slightly ironic way. It isn’t exactly funny and the audience gives polite applause at most, but suddenly, he’s hooked.

Several films have tried to delve into stand-up comedy, but IS THIS THING ON? takes a kind of backdoor approach by focusing on someone going through a divorce who falls into stand-up. Alex has no prior ambitions to do comedy, and just kind of stumbles in, finds himself front of a mic and a crowd, and decides he likes it there. Not a bad start.

The divorce plot forms the framework for the film, and that story follows a familiar path. It hits all the expected marks:: dad Alex having to figure out cooking and manage household chores, both of them figuring out how to co-parent and co-ordinate schedules, and so forth. While the split takes Alex by surprise, and it is not something he wants, but they are both pretty civil about it, thankfully.

With a familiar framing story, that puts the burden on the comedy, and the denizens of the comedy club world to carry the film. The problem with IS THIS THING ON? is that the comedy routines are not very funny. Bradley Cooper throws a spotlight more on the community these would-be comics form, which is fine. Cooper seems to want to populate that community with colorful characters – including one he plays himself – but instead fills it more with two-dimensional characters, who come across as as odd and cartoonish rather than convincing – or funny.

Director Bradley Cooper showcases some comedy bits, mostly with Will Arnett at the mic. Cooper plays one of Arnett’s character Alex’s friends, an weird actor named Balls (no joke). Why a guy “in finance” has an off-beat actor friend is not clear. Beside Laura Dern as Alex’s soon-to-be ex, Tess. we get Ciaran Hinds as Alex’s soft-spoken dad and Christine Ebersole as his plain-speaking mom. The cast also includes Andra Day as Christine, Tess’ best friend.

The cast do well, especially Arnett, but not everything, or everyone, makes much sense. That would be fine if it were funny, but unfortunately, the humor is tepid at best, including the stand-up. The characters are likable enough but the whole story is just not that engaging.

Still, all that would have worked if more of those comedy routines had been funnier. Instead, we spend more time emphasizing the quirkiness of members of this accidental community, and with Alex’s and Tess’s unlikely best friends, relationships that just doesn’t feel real. In particular, Bradley Cooper’s character Balls is bizarre more than funny, and at times, just irritating.

The best moments are the ones that highlight the camaraderie among the comics, all these souls are trying to find the way to get a laugh, working on their routines or hunting for the right angle. Although most of them are unlikely to make a living at it, they do form a social circle of mutual support, with a bit of competition too.

It just not enough to lift this dramedy above mildly entertaining. IS THIS THING ON? is not a bad film as much as just a marginally interesting one, although with a really good cast. It could have been more. Without some really good comedy to give it energy and the audiences some laughs, IS THIS THING ON? just limps along, gradually lulling us in a stupor. There are moments of mild interest, brief drama and there is a little commentary on how this divorce is best for both Alex and Tess.

Will Arnett and Laura Dern turn in nice performances, and there are a few bright moments from the supporting cast that includes Ciaran Hinds, Christine Ebersole and Andra Day. Bradley Cooper plays the oddball character, Balls, who is more just odd than amusing.

IS THIS THING ON? opens in theaters on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

JAY KELLY – Review

With all the manic activity, preparations, shopping, and general “hub-bub” that fills the holiday season, most of us have precious little “downtime” to reflect. If you do get a “breather” you might pause to mull over your relationships with family and friends. And perhaps not all those memories are seen through “rose colored glasses”. Yup, regret can be an unexpected source for the end-of-the-year blues. This new film proclaims that those “pangs” can even affect the very-rich and famous. That includes iconic Hollywood “A-listers”, like the title character of this movie. And the “m-word” certainly applies to him because there are few movie stars that have been at the top of the box office longer than that “leading man” with the “matinée idol looks”, Mr. JAY KELLY.

Naturally, when we first meet Jay Kelly (George Clooney) he’s on a movie set, wrapping up his final scene. Right at his side is his devoted longtime manager Ron Sukenick (Adam Sandler), as they hear “Cut!”. Back at his lush estate, Jay meets with his youngest daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards), who’s preparing to join some school friends on a train trip through Europe. Jay tries to convince her to cancel and hang out with him between acting gigs. She declines just as Ron delivers a big bombshell: the director that gave Jay his “big break”, Peter Schnieder (Jim Broadbent), has died. Jay then recalls their last get together when he passed on Peter’s last film project. After attending the funeral, Jay runs into his old acting-school buddy, Tim (Billy Crudup), who suggests that the two get a drink at their old dive bar hangout. Things turn sour when Tim recalls how Jay got a role he had wanted, Their reunion ends in a fistfight on the sidewalk. The next day, Ron does damage control as Jay hits him with a bombshell. Rather than work on a new project with a hot directing duo, he’ll go to a Tuscany film festival that wants to honor him with a career award. But Jay doesn’t want another piece for his mantel. He makes a few clandestine calls, and finds out Daisy’s travel itinerary by following her BFF’s credit card trail. With Ron in tow, along with his long-time publicist Liz (Laura Dern), the “Kelly crew” flies to France where they board Daisy’s train. Along the way, Jay reconnects with the “common folk” while drifting in and out of memories before the big event in Italy, where he’ll encounter more folks from his troubled past.


So Clooney as a long-time, decades-spanning screen icon…not much of a stretch, sure. The guy has enough charm to spare, or at least for a couple more years. But here he peels back the sparkle to show the melancholy at Jay’s core. We see the sadness edging out that boyish twinkle in his eye as Clooney projects an unexpected vulnerability when Kelly realizes that time may not heal all wounds. His pairing with Sandler as the put-upon “wrangler” Ron is most inspired. Yes, Ron’s devoted to Jay, but Sandler shows us how the countless frustrations are boiling to the surface, ready to dour some hot steam into that suave mug. And he shows how his own family is losing the “tug-of-war” with Kelly. Dern’s great as another senior member of the “crew” who has his own regrets concerning her past with Ron. As Liz, Dern channels the staccato line delivery of those classic movie workin’ gals.The supporting cast is very impressive, including Patrick Wilson as another star in Ron’s “stable” (their Dinner “confab” is a highlight), Stacy Keach as the “rough around the edges” reminder of Jay’s boyhood, and Riley Keough as the elder Kelly daughter who is immune to papa’s “too late” attempts to reconnect. But the big standout may be the superb early-in-the-story turn by Crudup as the affable at first, old method acting buddy who suddenly bares his fangs on the startled “old pal”.

This is the latest work of one of the medium’s most interesting filmmakers, Noah Baumbach, who crafted the script with actress Emily Mortimer, who also plays Jay’s hairstylist Candy. This is a more grounded story than many of his more fanciful flicks like his WHITE NOISE, but not nearly as emotionally raw as MARRIAGE STORY. He gives us an interesting “insider’s view” of the industry, with riffs on several current stars and their scandals (now, who might those directing brothers be). Plus, Noah does dip his toe into fantasy with his unique flashback “transitions”. Suddenly, Jay will work through a day and be plunged into a major mistake from his past (he’s on his first movie set, he’s at a therapy session with one of his kids). We get some nice comic bits with the cute train passengers who adjust to the big star quickly. Oh, and that location works, especially in Tuscany, is quite dazzling. Though this can get a bit too fluffy and “navel-gazing”, the story does make its point concerning the consequences of putting your career first since in the non-soundstage world, we don’t get a second “take” to make things right. That’s a good lesson for moviegoers and movie stars like JAY KELLY.

3 out of 4

JAY KELLY is now steaming exclusively on Netflix

Noah Baumbach Teams Up With George Clooney And Adam Sandler In First JAY KELLY Trailer – Coming To Netflix Fall 2025

Jay Kelly. (L-R) George Clooney as Jay Kelly and Adam Sandler as Ron Sukenick on the set of Jay Kelly. Cr. Peter Mountain/Netflix © 2025.

JAY KELLY, the new film from Academy Award nominee Noah Baumbach, follows famous movie actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) as they embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men are forced to confront the choices they’ve made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they’ll leave behind.

The teaser trailer features “Jay Kelly Theme,” an original score by Nicholas Britell.

The cast includes George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Alba Rohrwacher, Josh Hamilton, Lenny Henry, Emily Mortimer, Nicôle Lecky, Thaddea Graham, Isla Fisher, Louis Partridge, Charlie Rowe.

JAY KELLY opens in select theaters November 14 and on Netflix December 5.

Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81551446

Laura Dern, Annette Bening, Paul Water Hauser, DeWanda Wise, Michael C Hall, Common Featured In BEHIND THE LINES Documentary

Sypher Studios and Lon Haber & Co announce the AFM World Market Premiere and first-look footage of the new feature documentary, Behind the Lines, based on the New York Times bestselling book of the same name by the renowned historian Andrew Carroll. The film follows Carroll’s decades-long journey, including into active war zones, to find “the most extraordinary war letters ever written” from the American Revolution to the present day. Behind the Lines differs from other war letters-related films in that it includes correspondences from the home front as well as by civilians who are literally “caught in the crossfire.” 

Narrated by Annette Bening, the film features on-screen letter-performances by a star-studded cast including Laura Dern, Michael C. Hall, Paul Walter Hauser, Common, DeWanda Wise, Gary Cole, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and many more. Directed by first-time feature director John B. Benitz and written by Andrew Carroll, John B. Benitz, and Bryce Cyrier. Producers include Jason Pamer, Jens Jacob, Bryce Cyrier, John B. Benitz, and Andrew Carroll. Executive producers include Kerry Patton and David Lopez.

The talented, international and diverse star-studded ensemble cast includes, in order of appearance, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Abigail Cowen, Dylan Sprouse, Monique Edwards, Michael C. Hall, Garrett Schweighauser, Gary Cole, Thurn Hoffman, Jay Lee, Laura Dern, Sandra Seacat, Richard T. Jones, Rachel Bloom, Chase Cargill, Paul Walter Hauser, Kathleen Goff, Erick Lopez, Darwin Shaw, Jörg Witte, Takuya Iba, Wes Studi, Eliza Bennett, DeWanda Wise, Piotr Brozda, and Genia Michaela.

Behind the Lines was one of six finalists of the coveted Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Filmwhich recognizes exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history. 

“We’re thrilled and honored to be working with the stellar cast and crew of Behind the Lines and to be able to introduce such a profoundly meaningful film to the global marketplace at the American Film Market (AFM) at a time when it is essential that stories like these are told. Behind the Lines is a rare gem that offers a first-hand, well-rounded glimpse into the personal dynamics of war and the far-ranging ripple effects it has on everyone, all over the world,” said Lon Haber, Founder of Lon Haber & Co – IPPR, who is presenting the film to buyers at AFM for the very first time. “Behind the Lines is a commercially viable product with heart, that stays true to its artistic and historic integrity, and one to which audiences from every corner of the globe can relate,” Haber continued.

“Instead of merely focusing on the wars, Behind the Lines delves into the humanity of all who serve and those connected to them with first-hand accounts spanning two and half centuries that range from heart-wrenching to heart-warming and even comedic, depicting what it’s like for those on the frontlines and their families at home on a daily basis,” said producer Jason Pamer. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of this film and how it emphasizes the service and sacrifice of our troops, our veterans, and their families. And we have so many letters and emails that I think this film could be the kick-off to a whole series in which every episode focuses on a single topic or story,” said writer and film subject Andrew Carroll.   

“This personal and emotional journey into the war experience uncovers in stark reality our worst impulses but also the secrets of our shared humanity offering hope, understanding and perhaps even compassion and reconciliation in these divisive times,” said director John B. Benitz. 

Sypher Studios is repped by Neil Sacker at Sacker Entertainment Law. 

THE SON – Review

With only 11 days left in the month, January cinema continues its two traditions. And no, it’s not about drafty theatres. As many moviegoers bemoan, the wintery time is often a “dumping ground” for flicks that don’t quite have the needed “hook” to send folks trudging through the snow to the multiplex. Last weekend’s big releases weren’t made available to us, though the previous week’s “biggie” M3GAN did well with the public and the reviewers. The other tradition is the release to smaller markets of serious “award bait” films, and this is one of three today. It’s got a big “pedigree” cast with a few Oscar winners. And it’s the follow-up to the writer/director’s big award-winner from a couple of years ago, so hopes are high that he’ll grab some more gold with THE SON.

As opposed to that former flick that was set “across the pond”, this story starts in modern-day NYC in a plush high-rise apartment building. As business exec Peter Miller (Hugh Jackman) hurriedly tries to get ready to leave for his job in another fancy locale, there’s a buzz at his front door. Though she’s tending to their infant son, his young wife Bess (Vanessa Kirby) peers through the door’s peephole” and is surprised to find the first Mrs. Miller, Pete’s ex Kate (Laura Dern). Opening the door, he admonishes her for not calling first, but she fires back that he’s not returning her messages. Kate is concerned about their teenage son after his school tells her that he’s not attending classes. So where is he going when he leaves for school in the morning? Peter insists that he’ll look into it, and he’s good at his word. After calling the school Peter meets with his son Nicholas (Zen McGrath). The somber sixteen-year-old says that he just doesn’t “fit in” and pleads to move in with Peter after too many clashes with his mom Kate. After a long talk with Bess, they move Anthony into a spare bedroom. Peter believes that he’s enjoying his new surroundings, but while he’s at work Anthony expresses his resentment toward Bess for busting up his parents. This leads to a father/son “blow-up” which sends Anthony into his school-ditching behavior. His deep depression erupts with an attempt at self-harm. Peter and kate must unite in order to get their son the professional counseling he desperately needs. But can the two exes remain strong in the face of Anthony’s increasing anguish?

Though he’s not the title lead (well, maybe…), the film rests on Jackman’s considerable talents. Here he gets a chance to test his dramatic prowess after being lauded for his more physical roles, either in musicals or as a certain marvelous mutant. Jackman brings gravitas and humanity to Peter, as he shows us his struggle to connect with Anthony while not giving in to his guilt over starting a new family. We see that inner turmoil in his eyes as Peter tries to control events beyond his reign. Aside from the discomfort with his teen, he also has to work with his former love, who Dern bestows a prickly dignity. We see that Kate is pushing down her rage while struggling to be seen as more than the woman Peter left. But with a few fleeting glances, Dern shows us that Kate has the slimmest hope that some of the past can be revisited. This makes things trickier and more awkward for the current Mrs. Miller played with a serene empathy by Kirby. Her Bess wants to be there for Peter and makes an effort to connect with Anthony. However, when he tries to shove her into the “homewrecker” cliche, Bess will not take his insults. As for the accuser, McGrath as the troubled Anthony does his best to navigate this difficult role. The script makes him more of a cautionary character than a fleshed-out teen. The title son bounces between moody and angry, with nary a glimpse into his twisted emotions. Oh, as I hinted Jackman’s Peter could be considered the son, for a few minutes, when he joined his own pop for lunch during a business trip to DC. That father is played by the actor from the film of the same title, none other than Anthony Hopkins. His toxic bully is perhaps there to show us the source of Peter’s desire to be a nurturing parent, the opposite of the bile-spewing Miller senior.

So, yes this is the same team from the lauded 2022 film THE FATHER. And again Florian Zeller is directing the screen version of his own stage play that has been adapted by Christopher Hampton. Can they expect the same accolades? Well, doubtful as this effort has little of the devasting impact of the earlier drama. The cast does their best with the unwieldy and often predictable family dynamic. The drama “beats” are telegraphed with all the subtlety of a basic cable TV film or even a “very special” afterschool special from the 70s. Speaking of that era, the script trods much of the same territory as the 1980 Oscar darling ORDINARY PEOPLE complete with a young lead even more twitchy and sullen than Timothy Hutton (it could’ve used an MTM ice queen, too). The film’s overall dark tone is nearly suffocating despite the attempts at levity with Jackman dancing to a 60s Tom Jones pop standard and taking time to toss around snacks with McGrath while watching a public domain cartoon. Most frustrating is the finale when two characters we thought were smart are easily manipulated. All the film’s earnestness and the end credit helpline info can’t ease the dreary emotional pummeling. And that’s what audiences are left with as the sun sets on THE SON.

2.5 out of 4

THE SON is now playing in select theatres

JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION – Review

Chris Pratt as Owen Grady in JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION

Hey, even though we haven’t really unpacked from last weekend’s summer vacation jaunt to FIRE ISLAND, are you ready for some more “globe-hopping”? Perhaps you’re in the mood for another island getaway near the tropics. Well, Isla Nublar off the coast of Costa Rica has been a real “cinema destination” for almost thirty years. Until about four years ago when a volcano wiped out its theme park and its major attractions; lots and lots of genetically engineered dinosaurs. Now you recall the place…er…park. Ah, but those adaptable “thunder lizards” didn’t expire under a wave of molten lava. Their fate, along with their various protectors, researchers, and exploiters, is revealed in this weekend’s big, really massive, studio feature film. So, is it the sixth in the franchise or the finale in the second trilogy? That distinction can be debated at the multiplexes when audiences experience JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION.

To get everyone up to speed (it’s been four years now), a faux cable TV news feature tells us the story of that lost island, the transfer of the dinosaurs to America (and eventually all around the globe), and the missing rumored cloned granddaughter, Maisie (Isabella Sermon) of the original park founder John Hammond. As a sidebar we’re told of eccentric inventor Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), whose tech firm, BioSyn wants to provide a sanctuary for the dinos where they can be studied in hopes of providing cures for many of mankind’s problems (disease, famine, etc.). We’re then sent to the Northwestern US where former “raptor-wrangler” Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) is playing “cowboy” as he and his team coral different dinos into a “safe” secret area, away from gangs of nefarious “poachers. Ah, his lady love Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) is also doing her bit, but leading another team to liberate captured creatures at a mysterious lab/farm. The duo reunites in the secluded cabin they share with Maisie, who can’t resist speeding into town, and a lumber camp, with her bike. On one of her forest walks, she and Owen find this his old raptor Blue has given birth (a miracle). But there’s no time for rejoicing as both Maisie and Blue, Jr. are snatched up by the poacher gang, who seem to be working for someone with “big pockets’. Meanwhile, in West Texas, gigantic prehistoric locusts are decimating farmlands. A noted expert rushes there to investigate: Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). But after examining one of the bugs, she brings in another “pair of eyes”, namely her old science partner Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill). Their findings point them to BioSyn, which now employs their old pal, Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) as a consultant. Across the country, Owen and Claire get a tip that Maisie and the baby raptor are going to Malta, where they’ll be put on a private jet to…you guessed it…BioSyn. There they hook up with a freelance pilot, Kayla (DeWanda Wise) to infiltrate the tech giant’s fortress-like lab in a wooded area in the “middle of nowhere”. Can they rescue the kidnapped duo? And will this intrepid trio cross paths with another, slightly older, but equally brainy and brave trio?

The biggest marketing “draw” for this flick is the reuniting of the main casts of the first and second trilogies (much like a certain “space saga”), so let’s start with the veterans of the 1990s (alright, into 2001). Dern shines the brightest of the trio as her Dr. Sattler is a more dynamic, “take charge” protagonist, able to keep her “cool” much longer than in the first flick, though she can still deliver that wide-eyed gaze of “awe’ as she tilts her head skyward (before letting out a wail), Neill is the dogged, a bit dour, “bone duster” who wants to grab at what might be his last chance and adventure (and Ellie). Goldblum seems to be doing a riff (perhaps even a parody) of his talk show/TV ads persona with his still halting, hesitant delivery (could he be turning into Shatner) while having a bit of fun with some social media “meme-fodder” of the first couple of “park jaunts”. As for the “kids”, Pratt gets little time to exercise his “hangdog’ screen charms before he’s in solid “action-hero mode” defying gravity and bouncing from one crash to the next with nary a scratch. Howard has a rougher time returning as Claire, now in “sensible footwear, but still the franchise’s “scream queen” though her “mama Grizzly” instinct has “switched on” thanks to her bonding with Maisie. Sermon has all the required teen “eye-rolling” and rebellious snark that most movie pre-teens exhibit, but with a touch of smart “self-discovery” as she learns of her true “origin story”. The big new addition to the “tentpole” is Scott as the current model of the big action flick “baddie”, as the vicious Russian mob kingpins are sent to the “straight-to-home-video” thrillers to make way for the socially awkward, twitchy, self-absorbed “brainiac”, an amalgam of media-savvy wunderkinds (the formula: a pinch of Musk, a dash of Zuckerburg, a hint of Gates, etc.). But there’s another good guy…er..lady tossed in as Wise puts a modern spin on the old scrappy “air jockeys”, who may bark, but will take you “up” for all the right reasons (“She’s held together by spit and chewing gum, but this ole’ bird’ll get you where ya’ need ta’ go!”). Oh, and there’s a supporting player from all the films, BD Wong as Dr. Wu, who’s more of a “sad scientist” than a mad one (“I can make things right”), while Omar Sy and Justice Smith, from WORLDs one and two, lend a brief hand in cameos.

Ugh, where to begin with this flick, that feels like two flicks clumsily smooshed together (it’s that old Reese’s Cup TV spot, “You got…in my…”). The movie’s momentum is completely “off the tracks” as we’re tossed back and forth from the “OG” dino trio to the recent couple as the script (it took three scribes) lurches from one locale (too many establishing subtitles …”Utah”, “Malta”, “West Texas”) and even switches genres as the action sequences in (again) Malta feels like a “Mission Impossible” extended chase, but with near-unstoppable CGI dinos (hey, I was hoping the looong pursuit might take them past the Sweethaven sets from 1980’s POPEYE…that’s how distracted I was). And then there were clumsy attempts at humor while lifting bits from better films. We see Goldberg doling out wisdom during a dull lecture, intercut with close-ups of his adoring, rapturous students (I expected one to have “I love you” scribbled on her eyelids). Of course, the leader of the poachers had greasy long hair and sneering southern accent (“Ah’ll git’ th’ gal fer ya’!”). Everything comes together (somewhat) when the “teams” unite during a big “destroy the HQ” sequence that goes on forever (“We need the passcodes”) where the dinos ignore the humans while they engage in a WWE-style “smackdown”. And LOCUSTS?! Really, who goes to a big dinosaur epic in hopes of seeing Corgi-sized grasshoppers…on fire (if only it were as campy and silly as the late show staple THE BEGINNING OF END with the much-missed Peter Graves). Of course re-introducing, these ancient behemoths to the planet would cause epic eco-damage, but aside from some highway encounters, they seem to be an inconvenience. After skipping the last installment Colin Trevorrow has returned to the director’s chair (oh, he was a writer on this, too), but his prior efforts don’t help to relieve the tedium as each character must engage in a heroic act for the admiration of their peers, while the CGI critters lumber in from the background to try and keep our attention. This is a movie “mess-terpiece” that should only satisfy the most diehard franchise fans eager to see “the band get back together”. It’s a shame the reunion is for the convoluted cinematic chaos of JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION. It’s pure prehistoric pablum.

One and a Half Out of Four

JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION is now playing in theatres everywhere

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION

THIS SUMMER, EXPERIENCE THE EPIC CONCLUSION OF THE JURASSIC ERA.  UNIVERSAL PICTURES PROUDLY PRESENTS CHRIS PRATT, BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD, LAURA DERN, JEFF GOLDBLUM AND SAM NEILL IN  JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION.  RATED PG-13.  IN THEATERS JUNE 10TH.

DATE AND TIME:
June 7, 2022 at 7:00pm

The screening will be filled on a first come first served basis, so we encourage you to arrive early. Seats will not be guaranteed. 

Enter: http://gofobo.com/HeaHx41158

No purchase necessary.

Rated PG 13.

JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION

This summer, experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe.

Get tickets now: https://www.jurassicworld.com/tickets/.

From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

Jurassic World Dominion, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, propels the more than $5 billion franchise into daring, uncharted territory, featuring never-seen dinosaurs, breakneck action and astonishing new visual effects.

The film features new cast members DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It), Emmy nominee Mamoudou Athie (Archive 81), Dichen Lachman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scott Haze (Minari) and Campbell Scott (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). The film’s returning cast includes BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, Justice Smith as Franklin Webb, Daniella Pineda as Dr. Zia Rodriguez and Omar Sy as Barry Sembenè. 

Jurassic World Dominion is directed by Colin Trevorrow, who steered 2015’s Jurassic World to a record-shattering $1.7 billion global box office. The screenplay is by Emily Carmichael (Battle at Big Rock) & Colin Trevorrow from a story by Derek Connolly (Jurassic World) & Trevorrow, based on characters created by Michael Crichton. Jurassic World Dominion is produced by acclaimed franchise producers Frank Marshall p.g.a. and Patrick Crowley p.g.a. and is executive produced by legendary, Oscar®-winning franchise creator Steven Spielberg, Alexandra Derbyshire and Colin Trevorrow.

Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment present, in association with Perfect World Pictures, a Colin Trevorrow film. jurassicworld.com

(from left) Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise), Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and a Giganotosaurus in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

David Lynch’s INLAND EMPIRE Starring Laura Dern Opens April 22nd in St. Louis at The Plaza Frontenac Cinema

“I figured one day I’d just wake up and and find out what the hell yesterday was all about. I’m not too keen on thinkin’ about tommorow. And today’s slipping by.”

David Lynch’s INLAND EMPIRE (2006) starring Laura Dern opens in St. Louis Friday April 22nd at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Theater (1701 South Lindbergh Boulevard # 210 PLAZA, Frontenac, MO 63131). For showtimes, check The Plaza Frontenac Cinema’s website HERE.

After an uncomfortable, borderline disturbing visitation by a cryptic neighbor, the fading movie star, Nikki Grace, is thrilled to hear that she has just landed herself the female lead role in director Kingsley Stewart’s sensational Southern melodrama called “On High in Blue Tomorrows”. However, as she gradually disappears into her complex role, Nikki’s character, Susan Blue, starts to emerge from the labyrinthine pathways of her unconscious, creeping into her delicate consciousness. More and more, as Nikki’s dissociation becomes more aggressive, and her self-transcendent experience sets in motion a sometimes subtle, sometimes profound transformation, parallel worlds interweave, and a mysterious lost girl tuned into the TV sitcom, Rabbits (2002), begins to take shape. Is Stewart’s ambitious project doomed to fail?

JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION IMAX Trailer Stars Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill And Dinosaurs!

This summer, experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe.

From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

The film hit theaters on June 10.

Jurassic World Dominion, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, propels the more than $5 billion franchise into daring, uncharted territory, featuring never-seen dinosaurs, breakneck action and astonishing new visual effects.

The film features new cast members DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It), Emmy nominee Mamoudou Athie (Archive 81), Dichen Lachman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scott Haze (Minari) and Campbell Scott (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). The film’s returning cast includes BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, Justice Smith as Franklin Webb, Daniella Pineda as Dr. Zia Rodriguez and Omar Sy as Barry Sembenè.

Jurassic World Dominion is directed by Colin Trevorrow, who steered 2015’s Jurassic World to a record-shattering $1.7 billion global box office. The screenplay is by Emily Carmichael (Battle at Big Rock) & Colin Trevorrow from a story by Derek Connolly (Jurassic World) & Trevorrow, based on characters created by Michael Crichton. Jurassic World Dominion is produced by acclaimed franchise producers Frank Marshall p.g.a. and Patrick Crowley p.g.a. and is executive produced by legendary, Oscar®-winning franchise creator Steven Spielberg, Alexandra Derbyshire and Colin Trevorrow.

Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment present, in association with Perfect World Pictures, a Colin Trevorrow film. jurassicworld.com

JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION
Claire (BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD) in JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION, directed by Colin Trevorrow

MARRIAGE STORY – Review

Ah, this film’s poster promises the adored end result of many a typical “rom-com’, or even a full-fledged “hearts and flowers” love story (with part of that in the title itself). There are two “A” list actors (each part of major “tentpole” franchises) happily nuzzling each other while an adorable child (perhaps the product of their screen coupling) seems to be giggling in the photo’s lower half. But looks, along with movie “ballyhoo” can be most deceiving. Especially with one of our most acclaimed “indie” writer/directors is given the big credit above the title. Just what is his “take” on the institution in this very modern MARRIAGE STORY?

Said story certainly begins on an uplifting note as we’re dropped right in the middle of two montages that deliver “warm fuzzies” that most greeting card commercials try to elicit. Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) narrates the snippets that support her remarks concerning the strengths of Charlie (Adam Driver) as husband and father, followed by his singing (well speaking) of her praises. And where is this “admiration society” meeting taking place? Well, it’s the office of a marriage “mediator”, because these two are separating. Nicole storms out, loudly proclaiming these lists are bull…um…nonsense. They try to go back to their jobs, which is tough since they work together. She’s part of an avant-guard off, off-Broadway theatre troupe and he’s the founder/director. Nicole makes it clear that after the production opens and is “on its feet” she plans to return to LA with their nine-year-old son Henry (Azhy Robertson). Her mother (Julie Hagerty) and sister (Merritt Wever) live out there so they can help with Henry while she tries to return to movies or TV (prior to NYC she starred in a hit teen comedy flick). At the suggestion of some new industry friends, Nicole talks to, and soon hires, high-profile family attorney Nora (Laura Dern) to work on the divorce and the custody agreement. When Charlie flies out for a visit, he’s blindsided by her news (“I thought we were leaving out the lawyers”). After a brutal meeting with legal “pit bull” Jay (Ray Liotta), Charlie finally finds a lawyer Nicole hadn’t contacted, a semi-retired entertainment attorney now family lawyer Bert Spitz (Alan Alda). As Charlie attempts to establish a California residence while flying back and forth to NYC (his new play may be headed uptown), he and Nicole realize that their marriage can’t be saved, but, for the sake of Henry, will they still be able to remain a family?

This is a film filled to the brim with superb performance, with Ms. Johansson delivering perhaps the best dramatic work of her twenty-plus years in movies. For about the last half of that time she has mainly bounced from “rom-com” heroine to SF/fantasy femme fatale (we’ll get to see her Marvel work one more time in this May’s Black Widow prequel), however she goes through the full range of emotions as the often conflicted, eventually determined Nicole. At first, she seems to be a cliche “flighty” actress, rejecting counseling, and discarding her family over career ambitions. Then there’s her riveting revealing confessional to her possible lawyer Nora. It’s a powerhouse one-take “no cuts” several-minute monologue in which she truly “bares all”, going from being an exposed “raw nerve” to focused “crusader”, liberated by finally giving voice to her frustrations and disappointments. We get another sample of her considerable skills much later as she goes “toe to toe” in another long dialogue (like a mini two-act play) with the equally talented Driver. His character Charlie changes as well, starting as the victim, a “good dad” “sucker-punched” until we see his often stubborn selfish nature as his artistic goals are nearly smothering his partner. Driver also puts a fresh spin on the “fish out of water” riffing on the East-Coaster aghast at the shallow trappings of “La La Land”. At times he’s a clueless lost traveler in a confusing tangle legal web. He’s pretty funny too, as he fails to predict his son’s impulses and especially when a sight gag goes terribly wrong. Also bringing the funny, Hagerty as Nicole ditzy mother (she doesn’t understand that she can’t remain pals with her kids’ exes), Wever as the jittery, flustered sister (she ‘s gotta’ serve “papers” to Charlie), and Wallace Shawn as the most senior member of Charlie’s acting troupe (look at the faces of his much younger costars as he repeats another story about his “glory days”). And of course, there’s comedy icon Alda whose mild-mannered Bert is almost eaten alive by the legal sharks led by the formidable Dern who is truly a barracuda in high heels, in one great scene she roars back at society’s double standards that shackle her gender. Equally fearsome on the flip side is Liotta whose Jay is pure macho swagger in a thousand-dollar tailored suit.

Noah Baumbach expertly brings his moving, unpredictable script to vivid life with no false steps or cardboard villains. Though they’re battling in the courtrooms, Nicole and Charlie still share moments of kindness and compassion, all for the best of reasons, namely the well-being of son Henry. Though they clash there’s still the underlying respect so that Henry never hears a “burn” from one parent about the other. There’s no flashy camerawork, though Baumbach knows just when to cut in for a telling look or glance. But his biggest strength is as a guide to the cast through the emotional minefield of a disintegrating relationship. Everything is real with no easy fixes or reconciliations. It’s the end of a romance, but the partnership begins to morph into something else. In that way, the tale of these two (three really) is actually hopefull. Though often unbearably raw, MARRIAGE STORY is an uplifting modern ode to a family’s resilience.

3.5 Out of 4

MARRIAGE STORY opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre