Caustic, acidic, sometimes all too believable and often laugh out loud funny, this female-driven show is definitely a must see. The ongoing adventures of the titular two very broke girls, Max and Caroline, are engaging and pragmatic as they try to keep financially afloat as waitresses in a very sub-par Williamsburg diner. Yes, it is sometimes gratuitously cheesy with contrived one-liners and burlesque supporting characters, but I love it. Kat Dennings is superb as Max, a self-denigrating denizen of New York’s lower crust. In an uncharacteristic act of altruism, Max offers Caroline (Beth Behrs) an erstwhile millionaire’s daughter who is suddenly penniless when her father is jailed for fraud, a place to sleep for a night. Naturally, she never leaves. The dynamic between the two drives the show, along with other characters in and around the diner. It’s a bit like The Odd Couple with girls, but much, much better.
Very apropos for the current economic reality, it is nice to see characters in a sitcom struggling to make ends meet instead of, say, Rich Kids of Beverly Hills (don’t even get me started). Jennifer Coolidge is hilarious as a slightly clueless, over-sexed and over-the-top character, which seems to be her signature role in most everything. Han (Matthew Moy), the long-suffering owner of the diner, is essentially a walking punchline and Max in particular is quite ruthless at dishing out endless one-liners at his expense. Caroline decides to put her business degree to use and turn Max’s hobby of making cupcakes into an actual moneymaker. Each episode ends with the current accounting of how much money the girls have at any given time. Always good for many laughs an episode, I look forward to many more seasons of this show to see whether Max and Caroline can ever really succeed with their cupcake business. More power to you, ladies! – BETHANY
This hilarious show makes no claim to be serious drama. It’s a soap in the best sense, which splits its time between the very rich of Beverly Hills and the tight knit community of Latina maids who work for them. It is not meant to be believable, it’s more like an American version of a telenovela, where everything is over the top and the plot twists and turns more than Bill Clinton trying to explain his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. It is deliciously sordid and frequently laugh out loud funny, with an amazing cast of superb actors.
Relationships are the driving force of the show, where everyone is connected to everyone else and are all up in one another’s business. The squadron of maids and their complicated friendships with their employers are a guilty pleasure to watch, and each character is drawn in bold, broad strokes of caricature, some more realistic than others. True, the very rich do tend to be self-centered and clueless, but absolutely everyone is looking out for number one and in that sense, it isn’t just the maids that are devious. The dialogue is sharp and a bit sarcastic, almost as though it is making fun of itself, which is always entertaining. I look forward to each new episode and am delighted that season 2 is every bit as good, if not better, than season 1 and the same is true for subsequent seasons. This is an unapologetic Latina potboiler and I for one am totally hooked. – BETHANY
Carmen Luna (Roselyn Sanchez), a diva more interested in becoming a Latin pop star than dusting furniture.
Valentina Diaz (Edy Ganem), the youngest maid with dreams of being a fashion designer.
Marisol Suarez (Ana Ortiz), a white collar professor undercover as a maid to try and clear her son of a murder charge.
Rosie Falta (Dania Ramirez), a lovable dim bulb whose simple way of looking at the world is often extremely funny.
Zoila Diaz (Judy Reyes), Valentina’s mother and an outspoken maid/companion for scatter-brained socialite Genevieve Delatour (Susan Lucci).
Flora Hernandez (Paula Garcés), whose murder that started it all with her epic swan dive into the Powell’s swimming pool during a swanky party. The question of the season – who killed Flora?
Evelyn and Adrian Powell (Rebecca Wisocky and Tom Irwin), a brilliantly cast twisted pair whose complicated relationship and cavalier attitude towards life and other people is a scream to watch.
Yeah, it’s a rough life being a maid.
Zoila and her boss/friend Genevieve Delatour (Susan Lucci).
Remi Delatour (Drew Van Acker), Genevieve’s son. He presents a problem for Zoila, who knows her daughter Valentina is in love with him but Zoila’s convinced nothing good could come of such a relationship.
Peri and Spence Westmore (Mariana Klaveno and Grant Show), who are both actors, have a troubled marriage.
Spence has a much more comfortable relationship with their maid, Rosie, who calls him Mr. Spence.
Michael and Taylor Stappord (Brett Cullen and Brianna Brown), whose life has every appearance of being a fairy tale.
Carmen works for Latin pop star and heartthrob Alejandro Rubio (Matt Cedeño).
But her plans to seduce/use him to launch her own career are hampered by Alejandro’s longtime and very prickly employee Odessa Burakov (Melinda Page Hamilton).
This definitely not your usual comedic fare, but rather a delicious throwback stylistically to the great screwball and caper comedies of the 70s and 80s. Lord Charlie Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) isn’t a nice person. He’s a vain narcissistic pansy totally convinced of his own superiority or in other words, a perfect send-up of the British aristocracy. The story is what you might get if you took a P.G. Wodehouse book, infused it with a lot of somewhat crass but extremely elegantly worded vulgarity and then cast all the major characters with movie stars accustomed to getting top billing. Very much in the same vein as many of Blake Edwards’ movies, most notably the Pink Panther films (at least the Peter Sellers ones, not the recent Steve Martin abomination), Charlie Mortdecai is a bumbling idiot with extraordinarily good luck. Ostensibly, he’s an art dealer but in reality he specializes in swindling gullible patrons and has many a disreputable connection in the seedy underbelly of the art world.
Lady Mortdecai, Johanna to her friends, is played in rather exquisite detail by Gwyneth Paltrow. She wields her not inconsiderable power with grace and aplomb as well as all the ruthlessness of Attila the Hun. Playing the Jeeves to Mortdecai’s Wooster is Jock (Paul Bettany), a thug extraordinaire with a rapacious appetite for the ladies. He conducts his job of all-purpose servant to the most inept employer on the planet with ease and regardless of whatever onerous task he’s given or dire injury sustained, his response is always the same – “It’s a privilege, sir!” When a certain painting is stolen, Inspector Alistair Martland of MI5 (Ewan McGregor) reluctantly enlists Mortdecai’s assistance. The international hunt for the missing artwork eventually leads Mortdecai to Los Angeles, a beastly colonial backwater home to billionaire (and art collector) Milton Krampf (Jeff Goldblum) and his nymphomaniac daughter Georgina (Olivia Munn). And then things really get interesting.
Like any caper worth its salt, there are Russian criminals, terrorists, Oriental mobsters, femme fatales, kidnappings and at least one narrowly averted international incident. It had me howling with laughter and I personally think it is one of Johnny Depp’s better performances.His character is just so blissfully ignorant and genuinely believes himself to be the James Bond of the art world. All that aside, I can see why it didn’t do terribly well with American audiences because despite it being an American production, the tone is very, very British. I personally adore British comedy but I’m sorry to say I am not in the majority amongst my countrymen on the subject. Its subtlety and verbal acrobatics were wasted in the U.S. This American, however, gives it a smashingly good four stars. – BETHANY
“What is that infernal thing on your lip?” Charlie Mortdecai is convinced his new mustache is the icing on top of the confection that is his most treasured self, but absolutely nobody else agrees.
Jock (Paul Bettany) and Mortdecai (Johnny Depp). Martland had this to say about Mortdecai’s appearance: “A man your age has no excuse for looking or behaving like a fugitive from a home for alcoholic music hall artistes.”
“I asked for a bit of cheese, not an instrument of biological warfare!”
Georgina (Olivia Munn) living up to her reputation.
Mortdecai crosses swords with international terrorist Emil Strago (Jonny Pasvolsky).
Landing in Los Angeles, which makes Mortdecai “long for the rain and indifference of Europe.”
Jock, if not the brains of the operation then definitely the fists. (Paul Bettany)
Mortdecai being forcibly detained by Romanov (Ulrich Thomsen). Say what you like about him, but Mortdecai really can dish out some devastating insults. “Your mother and father only knew each other for a day, and money changed hands!”
Lord and Lady Mortdecai (Gwyneth Paltrow and Johnny Depp). With a mustache like that, the poor chap always seems to be smiling, even when he’s not.
“Can you think of a good reason why I shouldn’t arrest you right now?” “I eschew discomfort?”
Photos courtesy of Mort Productions, Infinitum Nihil, Mad Chance Productions, OddLot Entertainment and Lionsgate (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)
I didn’t used to be a fan of Ben Stiller, but he has grown on me over the years, showing a versatility and undeniable skill in his acting that I’ve come to appreciate. The Night at the Museum movies are some of my favorites and this third installment is an immensely satisfying adventure, an outstanding last hurrah with much loved characters. It also sorrowfully marks the final on-screen performances of both Mickey Rooney and Robin Williams, who both died before the movie was released. There is a beautiful dedication during the end credits (which are well worth watching) to the two giants of cinema that I felt was both touching and wistful. [Perhaps my feelings regarding the passing of Robin Williams have colored my thoughts about this movie, thus giving it a higher rating than I would have otherwise, but even if so, things happening in the real world have always impacted how we feel about movies and therefore I feel the five stars are justified.]
Something has gone wrong with the mysterious Egyptian tablet that magically brings the museum to life when the sun goes down. Night guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) gets grudging approval from Museum Director Dr. McPhee (Ricky Gervais) to take the ailing tablet and Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek in a much better role than his deluded hacker on Mr. Robot) to the British Museum in London in order to consult with Ahk’s parents, Pharaoh Merenkahre and Queen Shepseheret (Sir Ben Kingsley and Anjali Jay). Naturally a few of the others stow away in order to come along, including Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck), Dexter the monkey, and miniature cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and Roman legionnaire Octavius (Steve Coogan). At the British museum, they meet Larry’s counterpart, night guard Tilly (Rebel Wilson), and exhibit come to life Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens), the latter of which insists on joining the “quest”.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed already, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is absolutely bursting at the seams with an incredible array of fine actors, which also includes the great Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Rachael Harris , Hugh Jackman, Alice Eve and Matt Frewer. Hugh Jackman is hilarious in a cameo as himself, Sir Ben Kingsley is always superb and Rebel Wilson is so good at the type of comedy that has you half-laughing and half-cringing. The whole movie has beat perfect comedic timing, a rarity in films these days; it had me actually tearing up in places and howling with laughter in others. Thoroughly enjoyable, lighthearted but also poignant and deceptively philosophical, I felt the whole thing was just perfect. I’ve been to the British Museum more times than I can count, and it was such a pleasure to see familiar exhibits and galleries come to life. Ben Stiller has completely won me over and his additional performance as Neanderthal Laaa was just icing on the cake. A marvelous adventure for the whole family and my first impulse upon finishing the movie was to immediately watch it again, a sure sign it well-deserves its shining five star rating. – BETHANY
‘I wonder why all the locals are running away?’ Steve Coogan‘s Octavius and Owen Wilson‘s Jedediah fall into an exhibit of Pompeii … that has come to life.
I couldn’t decide which of these previews was better, so I solved the problem by simply including them both.
Photos courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 21 Laps Entertainment, 1492 Pictures and TSG Entertainment (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)
“No, I’m not the hero. I’m the guy in the crowd making fun of the hero’s shirt.” This is admittedly a good line, but it is also kind of indicative of the whole movie – only mildly amusing. A Million Ways to Die in the West is A) not as funny as I thought it was going to be, and B) not nearly as funny as it thinks it is. Since the vast majority of things meant to be funny in the film actually made me grimace and recoil in distaste, sometimes even driving me to vocalize my revulsion (usually along the lines of “Oh, that’s disgusting!”), I decided to keep track of the bits that genuinely did make me laugh. It’s not a long list, but longer than I expected it was going to be and you’ll find it below in the photo section. There would be an even dozen, but there’s one thing I laughed at that I’ll not admit to, hence the list has 11 items.
Throughout the movie I kept saying please oh please, let there be a scene with Seth MacFarlane’s character Albert in an outhouse just so I could caption a picture ‘Albert in the can’. Alas, it was not to be. The concept behind AMWTDITW is good – the American west really was incredibly dangerous and while there might not have been quite be a million things that could kill you, it probably came close. This reminds me of a great quote from Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld book The Last Continent where a character inquires about all the dangerous things in a place remarkably similar to Australia. When whole shelves of books are the answer to his inquiry, he says perhaps it would be easier to just get a list of what isn’t dangerous. The answer he receives – “Some of the sheep.”
I would have known better if I’d actually realized this was made by the same people who made Ted prior to watching, as that is one of the filthiest, most disgusting movies of all time. AMWTDITW employs a great deal of idiomatic modern language and profanity that would be anachronistic for the time period. Come on, writers, use a little more creativity in your choice of words! Expletives, invective and exclamations of the period are almost as rich as Shakespearean insults. Why use modern profanity when you say things like ‘Her face looks like a dime’s worth of dog meat’, ‘He looks like the hindquarters of bad luck’, or ‘His mustache smelled like a mildewed saddle blanket after it had been rid on a soreback hoss three hundred miles in August.’ (Google ‘Old West Insults’ and you’ll get a million more of them) I’m not just saying the writers were less than intelligent for failing to utilize such richness, I’m saying their brain cavities wouldn’t make a drinkin’ cup for a canary.
Aside from the verbiage choices, the movie is also full of totally unnecessary gross-out moments such as a huge ice block falling on a man’s head with the end result resembling nothing so much as a smashed bug on a windshield. The rest of the ‘humor’ is either sex related or bathroom related. The only crowd who think scatology is remotely funny are either the 12 and under crowd or straight males 30 and under. I also dislike it when writers assume the audience is stupid. For example, they have a character languidly snuffing a cigar in a glass of whiskey. Wouldn’t the cigar ignite the alcohol instead? The lit end would reach the fumes long before being immersed in the liquid, and truly, the scene would have been a lot funnier if they’d gone that route. It definitely would have made my list. The story itself is good and you’re bound to find at least some of it funny. In the end, I’ve given it an apathetic three stars and am already thinking I rated it too high. – BETHANY
Here Begineth the List of Things that Made Me Laugh
#1 – An extremely wooly sheep bumping into a wall. It’s had the wool grown over its eyes.
#2 – How Edward and Albert keep themselves from getting hurt during a bar fight free-for-all – fake fight with one another.
#3 – Albert talks tough with someone and gesticulates with the stuffed duck pictured. Every time he says something emphatically, the duck’s head bobs in tandem with its eyes bugging out of its head and I found that hilarious.
#4 – The Learning to Shoot montage. This was funny in a Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner way. My grandfather would say this guy couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
#5 – The Mustache Dance. I’ll bet Neil Patrick Harris wouldn’t agree to do the movie unless they gave him a dance.
#6 – This 1-2 punch line. Anna says the line above, to which Albert responds “It’s true, right? If two people hate the same things, it creates a bond. Hate can move mountains.”
#7 – If I put a picture for this one, it would be a spoiler, so let’s just say there’s a tidbit for Back to the Future fans that made me well and truly laugh.
#8 – Likewise using a picture of this actual bit in the movie would be a spoiler, so I’m using a substitute. There’s a scene involving a flower that looks a lot like this that had me howling with laughter.
#9 – Giraffic Sheep that speak with the voice of Patrick Stewart, saying ‘Enter when ready’. (You’re welcome, Star Trek fans, although technically it’s the holodeck computer that says those lines. Curses, now you know I’m a fan too!)
#10 – This is a behind the scenes moment shot, but the part that had me guffawing happens when the cameras next start rolling. It involves a long-winded speech and someone dying inconveniently quickly.
#11 – Django himself makes an appearance and his cameo was the funniest thing in the whole movie. (Jamie Foxx)
Thus Endeth the List
Old Stump – Population: Idiotic for choosing this place to live.
Sarah Silverman plays Ruth. Let’s just say she works above a bar.
It would be a safe bet to say everything in the saloon went quiet when Liam Neeson‘s Clinch walks through the clichéd swinging doors. Not only is he wearing a black hat, he’s dressed entirely in black to boot!
Albert trying his best to imitate the mask from Scream.
I’m deliberately choosing to ignore the double entendre. (Neil Patrick Harris)
This is something I missed watching the movie. The guy everyone’s looking at speaks up and answers a question from Albert. It’s not an actor paid for just one line, it’s actually Ewan McGregor, whom according to IMDB.com, “happened to be around in the area shooting another movie, and was happy to cooperate.”
Photos courtesy of Bluegrass Films, Fuzzy Door Productions, Media Rights, Capital, RGB Media and Universal Pictures (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)
When I first saw the pilot episode for this new CBS show, I thought it was a little campy, a lot cheesy and admittedly very funny. Fortunately, I stuck around for more episodes and I’m so glad I did. This is the millennial version of Friends, but they are all thirty-somethings, actually have professional careers and adult relationships and they live in Los Angeles. James Van Der Beek is sarcastic and a little clueless as a newly divorced doctor who has moved in with his married friends “temporarily”. Why do I have the feeling he will never leave?
Witty, pithy, honest and laugh-out-loud hilarious, this show has totally drawn me in and I’m hooked. But, as we all know, the mark of a good show is that it isn’t all fun and laughter. There are little threads of truly serious stuff woven in that make it interesting, having the characters address real problems that are relatable to the audience. It is fast-paced, wacky and deliciously entertaining and I dare you to try watching an entire episode without laughing at least once. CBS, if you don’t renew this show for a second season, there is something seriously wrong with you. [Addendum: CBS evidently has something seriously wrong with them, because they cancelled it. But rumor has it other networks are interested. Here’s hoping! The show is well worth watching, even if there aren’t all that many episodes.] – BETHANY
For more on this great sitcom that suffered a premature cancellation, go to the Internet Movie Database
Jules gets some unwanted attention at a wedding. I have two observations about this. First, wearing that tight of a dress with such minuscule cups designed to show the most of your décolletage. Second, why is she wearing what looks like a wedding dress at someone else’s wedding? Major faux pas, Jules.
As you can see, other things went wrong at these nuptials. Maybe Jules jinxed it with her faux bridal dress.
Egad, what is on that phone? Kate can’t even bring herself to watch!
Kate believes wine is the solution to everything. Personally, I think chocolate is the solution to everything. Or perhaps 42. (You’re welcome, Douglas Adams fans!)
Jules and Lowell are adorably dim bohemians with a cloying romantic vibe to them. You should hate them, but they’re just so darn cute!
I could have Lowell saying something like ‘G’day, mate!’, but I like Australians too much, so I won’t insult them.
What expectant mother doesn’t use her belly as a mug rest?
You cancelled us? After just five episodes? What’s wrong with you people! Who’s running this Mickey Mouse operation?
Cancelled? Confound it! The indignity! What Kate said, times TEN!
See? Chocolate transcends everything.
You slept with Caitlyn Jenner? Good Lord, she’s old enough to be your father!
Photos courtesy of Liscolade Productions, Kapital Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Television, Hemingson Entertainment and CBS (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)
Caution: If you are easily offended, dislike any kind of vulgarity or have no sense of humor, this movie is probably not for you. In my opinion, this not-rated-by-anyone-official film should be rated R, as it has adult themes, quite a bit of off-color language, drug use, sexual activity, nudity, etc. I found it to be hilarious, highly reminiscent of the 1999 movie Office Space in tone and humor, if said movie were set on a slightly less interesting version of the island from Lost. Jean-Claude Van Damme is hysterically funny, skewering himself in pretty much every action movie ever made. I love watching big Hollywood actors totally make fun of themselves! Rob Huebel makes your skin crawl as he owns his role as a smarmy jerk and a truly repellent human being (that’s putting it mildly, but I’m limited in the language I choose to employ), Adam Brody is charming as the “nice guy”, plus the Allstate guy (Dennis Haysbert) does a turn as a clueless CEO.
Mr. Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) sends his office employees on a team-building retreat (but wisely chooses not to join them), run by the improbably named and very deranged tough guy Storm Rothchild (Jean-Claude Van Damme). Their destination is a deserted island in an undisclosed location, completely cutting them off from the outside world in order to heighten the experience. What could possibly go wrong? When things inevitably do not go as planned, leaders rise and fall, new societal structures form, promptly break down and everything devolves into a very adult version of Lord of the Flies.
The plot is imaginative and more than a little campy, but every time I thought I had figured out where the story was going, I was wrong. Is the script totally unbelievable and ridiculous, full of very raunchy and crude humor? Yes, and I enjoyed every bizarre moment of it, even when I was cringing in disgust. I especially enjoyed seeing Megan Boone, after making her acquaintance in The Blacklist. True, here she could be seen as a budget version of Olivia Wilde, but I think she did a great job as the office’s resident super hot but really nice girl. All the supporting cast were spot on as a pasquinade of office workers everywhere, each one deranged in their own special way. I couldn’t stop myself from howling with helpless laughter through most of the movie, and I dare you to give it a try. – BETHANY
Doesn’t every office have one of these cookie characters who collect odd things in one variety or another? Kristen Schaal‘s character Brenda is obsessed with anything rabbit related.
The nice guy Chris (Adam Brody). The sweater vest and the milk sign in the background perfectly sum up his character.
Megan Boone playing office hot but nice girl Lisa.
Storm never misses an opportunity to strike a pose.
One of the aliases (François Van Varenberg) Jean-Claude Van Damme is accused of being an impersonator is actually his real name. – source: IMDB.com trivia
Storm confronting a tiger. “Be not afraid, my noble jungle brother.”
The island itself is quite pretty, but the wildlife is something else.
Things get downright steamy. And pervy! Note the view is illicitly seen through binoculars.
An alliance of the relatively sane.
Van Damme is surprisingly good in a comedy, although most of his performance is comprised of spoofing himself and other humor at his own expense.
This movie would have been awesome if Katy Perry swooped in to the rescue. Alas, she doesn’t. (Photo courtesy of Capitol Records, from Perry’s music video for her song ‘Roar’.)
Photos courtesy of The Salt Company International, Pimienta Film Company, 120dB Films, Stun Creative, Private Island Trax and Universal Pictures (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)
This dark comedy/murder mystery/thriller set in small town Minnesota still claims to be a true story, although by now everyone knows that the 1996 movie of the same name was pure fiction. Perhaps the dramatic reference to survivors and respect for the dead is part of the joke, as most everything about this show seems intended to make you laugh in disbelief. Only based on the film in a derivative sense, the setting and tone are the same but the plots and characters vary a great deal. Billy Bob Thornton plays a laconic, stone-cold contract killer, at least that’s the impression you get. It’s never really spelled out, which adds to the nefarious nature of his character. He blows into town on a doubtless ill wind, falling in with beleaguered insurance salesman Lester Nygaard, (Martin Freeman), a brow-beaten milksop, one of nature’s born losers. Murder and mayhem ensue and the local police start investigating the seemingly unconnected string of crimes. Oliver Platt is over the top as the “supermarket king” being blackmailed and Kate Walsh brilliantly underplays an ex-stripper turned bored housewife, mother of two of possibly the dumbest sons on the planet.
There are plots and sub-plots, everything intertwining into one big giant ball of deception, distrust, greed and general skulduggery. This show has a somewhat bizarre charm to it, but be warned, this is not for the squeamish. There’s a lot of blood, violence and other assorted adult themes. It is a very dark comedy, so far from the realm of sitcom and slapstick humor that you can see the curvature of the Earth. Billy Bob Thornton could give The Usual Suspects Keyser Söze a run for his money as he changes in the blink of an eye from one persona to another, always speaking softly but definitely radiating a quiet menace that is much scarier than if he were loud and overt about it. Colin Hanks, son of Tom Hanks, stars in a huge cast including Kirsten Dunst, Ted Danson, Patrick Wilson, Jean Smart, Bob Odenkirk, Keith Carradine, Adam Goldberg and Allison Tolman as determined Molly Solverson, whose paths keep crossing Colin Hanks’ Gus Grimley during the course of the investigation. Fargo won 3 Emmys and received 15 other nominations, plus won two Golden Globes. This is a twisty-turny thriller, underacted and creative, and well worth watching. – BETHANY
Photos courtesy of MGM Television, FX Productions, 26 Keys Productions, The Littlefield Company, Nomadic Pictures, Mike Zoss Productions and FX Network
“For generations of high schoolers, you could only be a jock, a geek, a princess, a bully or a basket case. But times have changed. Jocks play video games. Princesses are on antidepressants. And geeks basically run the country. I thought we were living in a brave new world, a place without labels. But every so often, there’s that one moment in high school that changes your perspective on everything.” Just when you thought high school couldn’t get any more like some sort of vicious social media-fueled gauntlet designed to humiliate and cause untold grief to nearly everyone, a new label pops up. Introducing ‘The DUFF’, or Designated Ugly Fat Friend. You might have hoped teenagers couldn’t get any meaner, but now they’re smearing horrible labels not just on their enemies, but their friends. According to the Principal (Romany Malco), “It’s like a prison yard out there!” Mae Whitman stars as Bianca, a whip smart, sardonic and saucy member of a trio of friends. But her whole world is ripped apart when a childhood frenemy, Wesley (Robbie Ammell) offhandedly tells her she’s a Duff. When the scales fall from her eyes, she realizes he’s right and takes immediate action by committing the ultimate act of severing ties in the digital age – she *gasp* unfriends and blocks Casey and Jess on pretty much every social media platform you can think of.
Now all alone, she seeks help from Wesley. They grew up together and although their relationship is slightly antagonistic, underneath it all they really are friends with close bonds built up over many years. Bianca asks Wesley for help to ‘un-duff’ her and coach her how to get her dream guy, Toby (Nick Eversman). In exchange, she’ll help him pass a science class so he won’t lose his scholarship. Thus begins a My Fair Lady-esque adventure that is extremely well written and thoughtful. The writing is exquisite, witticisms racing past and exquisite badinage done with such easy nonchalance that it was a very great pleasure to watch. This is not your ordinary teen drivel – like Bianca herself, it is shrewd, masterfully adroit, shrouding rather profound things under the guise of bright and effortless banter that shows an extraordinary command of the English language. The eloquence, fluency in idiom and lingo, and exquisite phrasing was like catnip to my English Major soul. Superlative performances from some very talented actors and even if the language occasionally sinks into profanity, it all seemed organic and necessary. It’s wonderful to see Bianca take charge of the situation and be proactive in doing something about it, influenced by her mother (Allison Janney) who has built an empire helping women get through difficult situations, inspired by her own ugly divorce. Despite the horrific digital barrages and bombardment by Wesley’s pseudo girlfriend Madison (Bella Thorne), Bianca presses on, essentially making the movie a master class in self esteem, true friendship and how to survive high school.
This is no ordinary hokey teen drama about the perils and pitfalls of high school. It has a positive message and is chock full of fabulous dialogue to boot. It makes important observations about having confidence in yourself, cyber bullying and what it means to come of age in the digital age. It weaves crushing despair, horrifying meanness and effervescent joy into a spellbinding tale with an important message for today’s youth. I see myself in many of these characters, making the whole story resonate with my own experiences. It also makes it clear that while you can improve yourself, it’s important to still be you. You needn’t be a clone of what you think is the ideal, you just need to be the best version of yourself and never abandon the wonderful quirks, idiosyncrasies and even flaws that make you special. Really a marvelous and very satisfying movie and I think I’m going to need to watch it again before I sent it back. Teen fluff this is not and stay turned during the credits for some very funny outtakes. There’s some deep philosophy at play as well as some enlightening observations about life. “In the end, it isn’t about popularity or even getting the guy. It’s about understanding that no matter what label is thrown your way, only you can define yourself.” – BETHANY
For more information on this surprisingly sophisticated movie, visit the Internet Movie Database
Madison (Bella Thorne), plotting another salvo with that dratted phone of hers. This character is a far cry from her gentle performance in Blended.
Ken Jeong delivers a hilarious performance as a slightly bonkers Mr. Arthur, a neurotic teacher who unerringly skewers the entire proceedings with his over-the-top antics.
“I’m tired of being the approachable one. I want to be the dateable one.”
Let the makeover begin, a fun experience fueled by a long term easy friendship.
All so Bianca can get this guy (Nick Eversman). Toby plays the guitar and everything! ” Look, I have a crush on this boy. His name is Toby Tucker. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Well, I can’t seem to talk to him without making a total ass of myself, okay? And you never seem to have this problem.”
Are you kidding? You want me to wear this? Not happening.
Trying on different looks. I don’t think this one is a winner.
After scoring a date with Toby, accompanied by the Hallelujah Chorus.
Owning your Duffness and and holding on to true friendships.
Photos courtesy of CBS Films, Vast Entertainment, Wonderland Sound and Vision and Lionsgate (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)
I watched this movie knowing absolutely nothing about it but what was in the blurb on Netflix, and therefore went into it with a completely open mind. It turns out this is a desirable quality in order to enjoy it, as this is Broadway getting the full treatment from comedian and satirist Mel Brooks. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are hysterically funny as a singularly untalented producer and a slightly unhinged (“Unhappy!”) accountant who team up to co-produce the worst Broadway show possible so they can pocket the investors’ money after it flops. The worst play, guaranteed to offend absolutely everyone, is written by Not-A-Nazi-At-All Franz Liebkind, played by Will Ferrell who absolutely kills it as the “teutonic twit”. They find the worst director, the worst cast, the worst everything, including hiring Uma Thurman’s dim bulb character Ulla, whose intentionally over-the-top Swedish accent fades in and out throughout the film (very funny!).
Just to be clear, this entire movie is meant to be a spoof of Broadway musicals, especially the enormous song-and-dance films of the 1950s. It’s full of extremely quotable lines (“May I take your hat, your coat, and your swastikas?”), but a word of caution. If you don’t enjoy in-your-face gay humor, this movie won’t be your cup of tea. There’s a lot of blatant innuendo, much like in The Birdcage, (also starring Nathan Lane) and I wouldn’t recommend this movie for children despite its deceptively innocuous PG-13 rating. Lane and Broderick in particular give masterful performances as human cartoons, with all the silliness and slapstick humor of the Tom & Jerry show. My personal favorite cameo was John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood, Arrow) as a bleach-blonde, goose-stepping Nazi, actually singing very well in “Springtime for Hitler”. This entire movie was a farce from start to finish, as it was intended, and I loved every ridiculous minute of it. – BETHANY
The main cast from left to right: Sophie Kachinsky (Jennifer Coolidge), Oleg (Jonathan Kite), Max Black (Kat Dennings), Caroline Channing (Beth Behrs), Earl (Garrett Morris) and Han Lee (Matthew Moy).
Busty Max has to deal with guys like this a lot.
The girls go seriously sexy for a Super Bowl ad.
Caroline tries to entice customers to buy not only the cupcakes, but also the T-shirts she somewhat unwisely had made up.
Max sporting an eye patch (don’t ask), while Caroline continues to sport the last vestige of her former life – her pearls.
Max, Han, Caroline and cashier Earl. Believe it or not, Han is a full grown man!
-large-picture.jpg)
Reviews by Bethany 