Comedy – cinemescope

100 Word Review – Juno (2007)

May 26, 2017May 22, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, F-RatedTagged Allison Janney, Comedy, Diablo Cody, Ellen Page, f-rated, J. K. Simmons, Jason Bateman, Jason Reitman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera, Oscar, Rainn Wilson, teenLeave a comment

Best Original Screenplay Oscar winner, this brilliant comedy about teenage pregnancy is dry, sweet and full of heart.

An unplanned pregnancy leaves mature-beyond-her-years teen Juno (Ellen Page), facing a tough decision, and trying to figure out what’s right for her and the baby.

Written by Diablo Cody (Jennifer’s Body, United States of Tara), and directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Up In The Air), this quirky comedy has a cast to match.

Michael Cera (Superbad), Jason Bateman (Bad Words) and Jennifer Garner (Dallas Buyers Club) are all wonderful in what is so much more than a teen comedy.

100 Word Review – Super (2010)

May 24, 2017May 22, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, ComedyTagged Comedy, dark, Ellen Page, humour, James Gunn, Kevin Bacon, Linda Cardellini, Liv Tyler, Nathan Fillion, Rainn Wilson, super heroesLeave a comment

Not a super hero movie.

When his wife leaves him for her drug dealer, an ordinary man becomes the Crimson Bolt, a hero as fallible and unextraordinary as he is, but in a red suit.

Written/Directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, Slither) and starting Rainn Wilson (The Office, Juno) and Ellen Page (Juno, Inception), this film is funny but extremely dark.

Think Kick-Ass but simultaneously bleaker and more brilliant.

Gunn’s twisted sense of humour fits perfectly with Wilson’s wonderfully awkward timing and skill. Not suitable for kids and barely suitable for adults, this film’s sad, dark and unmissable.

100 Word Review – Mindhorn (2016)

May 22, 2017May 14, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., ComedyTagged Alan Partridge, Andrea Riseborough, British, Comedy, Essie Davis, Harriet Walter, humour, Julian Barratt, Kenneth Branagh, police, Russell Tovey, Sean Foley, Simon Callow, Simon Farnaby, Steve Coogan, tvLeave a comment

Somewhere between Alan Partridge and Hot Fuzz, this is British comedy at its finest. Written by and starring Julian Barratt (Mighty Boosh) and Simon Farnaby (Bunny & The Bull), it’s jam-packed with British talent, hearty laughs and a truly entertaining storyline.

Richard (Barratt) used to played Mindhorn, a TV detective whose eye let him see the truth. More than 20 years later, and nearing the end of a failing acting career, Richard is called back to play his greatest role, to help solve a murder.

With a fantastic supporting cast, including a show-stopping turn from Russell Tovey (The Pass, The History Boys).

100 Word Review – Sixteen Candles (1984)

May 20, 2017May 11, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, RomanceTagged 1980s, Anthony Michael Hall, Comedy, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, John Hughes, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling, Molly Ringwald, Romance, teenLeave a comment

Written/directed by John Hughes (Pretty In Pink, The Breakfast Club), like many of his other films, this is a staple of main stream 80s Hollywood, and partly credited with the rise of the teen comedy/romance.

Being a teenager is already hard, but Samantha (Molly Ringwald) suffers humiliation after humiliation on her sixteenth birthday.

Funny, stupid, romantic and with the kind of outfits that were only popular in the 80s, this is a great, fun film that doesn’t ask to be taken too seriously.

Look out for a very young John Cusack and a wonderful part for his sister Joan Cusack.

100 Word Review – Be Kind Rewind (2008)

May 18, 2017May 14, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., ComedyTagged cinema, Comedy, Danny Glover, film, filmmaking, Jack Black, Mia Farrow, Michel Gondry, Mos Def, Yaslin BeyLeave a comment

For all of you who have experienced the joy of a “sweded” video and those of you haven’t, Jack Black and Mos Def have a film just for you.

When they accidentally erase all of the tapes in the video rental shop they work in, two friends (Black and Def) decide to reshoot them themselves.

Written/directed by the magnificent Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), it’s quirky, funny and sweet.

Gondry’s underlying passion for cinema and filmmaking is prevalent throughout and adds an almost nostalgic atmosphere as the two leads try to recreate classic scenes on a $0 budget.

Short – Jurassic Park (Sweded)

May 16, 2017May 14, 2017Posted in adventure, Comedy, ShortsTagged adaptation, adventure, Comedy, FantasyLeave a comment

100 Word Review – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

May 6, 2017May 6, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci FiTagged 1980s, adaptation, adventure, Benicio Del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Comedy, Comic, Dave Bautista, family, film, Glenn Close, humour, James Gunn, John C. Reilly, Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, Marvel, Michael Rooker, Peter Serafinowicz, Sci Fi, soundtrack, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana1 Comment

Cosmic criminals, comedy, combat and a killer 80s soundtrack, what more could you want from this Marvel comic adaptation?

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is taken from Earth after the death of his mum, with only an epic mixtape to keep him company. 25 years later he calls himself Star Lord, and is an intergalactic thief, caught up in a bid to save the galaxy.

Writer/director James Gunn (Scooby-Doo) does a fantastic job of creating a three-dimensional ensemble cast that includes a talking tree (Vin Diesel), a wise-cracking racoon (Bradley Cooper) and a whole lot more. It’s an absolute joy to watch.

100 Word Review – Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

May 12, 2016May 12, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., ComedyTagged 1980s, Blake Jenner, Comedy, Glen Powell, J. Quinton Johnson, Juston Street, Richard Linklater, Ryan Guzman, Temple Baker, Tyler Hoechlin, Will Brittain, Wyatt RussellLeave a comment

There is something about this film that made me feel as though I was hanging out with friends.

In the three days before college starts in 1980, a group of college baseball players make the most of their unsupervised freedom.

Written and directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed & Confused, School of Rock, Boyhood, Before Sunrise), it’s a character piece with a wonderfully skilled ensemble cast. Well shot, funny and at some times down-right daft, this will put a smile on your face if you don’t take it too seriously.

Complete with sing-a-long Rapper’s Delight, fantastic one-liners and fabulous outfits; don’t miss it.

100 Word Review – Absolutely Anything (2015)

May 3, 2016May 3, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Sci FiTagged British, Comedy, Eddie Izzard, Eric Idle, Gavin Scott, Joanna Lumley, John Cleese, Kate Beckinsale, Meera Syal, Michael Palin, Robin Williams, Romance, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Sci Fi, Simon Pegg, Terry Gilliam, Terry JonesLeave a comment

Written and directed by Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) with the help of skilled screenwriter Gavin Scott (Small Soldiers, The Borrowers), this is a weird and wonderful concoction.

Neil (Simon Pegg) is a teacher and aspiring writer when he is given the powers to do absolutely anything by a group of all-powerful aliens (voiced by the Python crew). The fate of the world rests on whether he uses his powers for good or evil.

With Kate Beckinsale and Robin Williams supporting, this film is brilliantly put together and very funny. It’s also extremely silly, in the best possible way.

100 Word Review – Brave (2012)

April 27, 2016April 26, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., F-Rated, FantasyTagged adventure, animation, Billy Connolly, Comedy, Emma Thompson, family, Fantasy, history, Julie Walters, Kelly Macdonald, magic, myth, Oscars, pixarLeave a comment

The first Pixar film with a female protagonist, it also won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Set in medieval Scotland, Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) refuses to marry a prince, defying her father (Billy Connolly) and causing more arguments with her mother (Emma Thompson). When a witch (Julie Walters) offers her a way out, she takes it without considering the consequences.

Full of the feel of Celtic myths and a magic that is integral to both the story and the feel of the film, this is a wonderful family movie. Although sometimes overlooked, this is another example of Pixar’s genius.