Some wildly different comedies…
Cafe Society…Woody Allen hasn’t made a truly satisfying film in years. Grade: C
Keanu…This movie is pure-shit and critics ought to be embarassed that they gave it a pass just to keep from looking uncool. If this same movie had starred David Spade and Adam Sandler—and they had to pretend to be neo-nazis instead of drug assassins—it would be an easy contender for Razzie awards. By the end, when Keegan Michael Key slaps the white guy that’s been sexually aggressive towards his wife (Nia Long, still trying) it’s like a Starbucks yuppie version of Blaxploitation film. Grade: D
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2…I hope Nia Vardalos got paid upfront because something tells me the backend deal for this wasn’t what she hoped it would be. Grade: C-
The Lobster…Most critics love this depressing allegory for relationships and the way society treats single people. I’m not most critics. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz fully commit to their roles, and that’s what makes it all the more painful when you see the last third or so. Sure, it’s a fully imagined world that wants to say things about love and romance, but the director (“Dogtooth”) is a sadist that’s only really interested in torturing people. The end of the film features a man literally exemplifying “love is blind” with a potential eye gouging. Grade: B-
The Hunt for the Wilderpeople…Most enjoyable film of the bunch by a mile, and that is sort-of the point of a comedy. If you’ve never heard of this film, you’ll probably like it, so don’t let me spoil anything about it. Grade: B+