The Big Sick (2017): Review

The Big Sick is a movie written by and starring comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani and is based on his own relationship with his wife. It is a very good romantic comedy that focuses on the relationships of the people involved and the difficulties it can be to make choices that your family doesn't understand or agree with.

In the Big Sick, Kumail is a Pakistani comedian and a car driver who is trying to find his big break into comedy. One night, while working at his regular comedy gig he meets and picks up Emily, played by Zoe Kazan. They end up getting together and start building a relationship where Emily wants to incorporate Kumail into her life but Kumail has expectations from his family to enter into an arranged marriage with a Pakistani woman. While this causes friction in their relationship, Emily gets sick and is admitted into the hospital where Kumail gets to know her parents Beth, played by Holly Hunter, and Terry, played by Ray Romano., as he works to figure out his feelings for Emily and what he wants in his life long term. Also staring as Kumail's family: Anupam Kher as his dad Azmat; Zenobia Shroff as his mom Sharmeen; and Adeel Akhtar as his brother Navved; As well as fellow comedians: Bo Burnham as CJ; Aidy Bryant as Mary; and Kurt Braunohler as Chris.



Overall I enjoyed this movie and thought that it was interesting to see Kumail's relationships with the people around him which included; Emily, her parents, his family, and his fellow comedians/ friends. This movie was good but had a very specific style of comedy and comedic timeing that is not for everyone. It is slower paced with an emphasis on silence which is awkward and depending on personal taste is stretched too far or doesn't quite cone together. For me, I has seen Kumail Nanjiani's comedic style on television and online so I knew what to expect but it seemed like he was the least successful in delivery of all of the main characters.

 

The best part by for where the set of parents and I absolutely loved them all in their own ways. Although Kumail was the link between everyone in the story these people that he interacted with were the gems. His parents Azmat and Sharmeen where hilarious and her attempts at trying to make it seem casual that she was setting him up with possible wives was just hilarious. Azmat was just awesome! I loved him, especially the scene at the end of the movie. Holly Hunter as Beth brought complexity to her portrayal and where initially I didn't think I would care about Beth as a character by the end she had won me over and had me really invested in her story as a mother and wife. Ray Romano was just excellent as Terry. His comedic timing and delivery was spot on. His ability and portal of Terry is probably what made it seem like Kumail's was awkward and unpolished. Kumail just wasn't in league with the acting ability of these supporting actors. He did shine when in situations with his fellow comedians and Emily. I liked the banter and relationship between the two and how the comedians supported each other but were still a dysfunctional family.

This is a situational comedy and the relationship and experiences of the characters are the focus. If you like clever and more off the wall comedies, this is definitely one to go see but is not for everyone. If you want a laugh your way through it or one of the shiner and bigger produced comedies this isn't for you.

My Rating: 2+

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): Review

Spider-Man: Homecoming was an absolutely fantastic, fun, and must see action/ superhero/big budget blockbuster movie. It exceeded my expectations, which I had difficulty keeping in check and I cant wait to see it again. It is by far the best Spider-Man movie that has been made and I liked how the movie maintained the same tone thought-out, was a lot of fun but still clever, had a great cast, kept to one villain, and had character motivation for the choices they were making. It was not an origin story (thank goodness) which I think everyone will agree with all the Spider-Man movies that have come out since 2002 (this is the sixth live action one) we did not need another Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man movie.



In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom Holland plays Peter Parker, who has just returned from assisting Iron Man aka Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey, Jr, in the events that happened in Captain America: Civil War (click her for review http://myreviewsbyjane.blogspot.com/2016/05/captain-america-civil-war-2016-review.html ). Peter has been filing in a vlog style the events and I enjoyed the way that Peter's experience with these events was summed up and shown from his very exited, teenage perspective. He is now back at school and regulated to being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man by Tony and is being monitored by Happy, played by Jon Favreau. He is frustrated that he is not being given any "real missions" and is just keeping an eye on the small area of New York where he lives. One night he discovers that a bunch of criminals are using high tech weapons infused with alien tech but feels that no one believes him. He seeks out to find and bring down the makers of these meapons and end up discovering Vulture aka Adrian Tooms, played by Michael Keaton. While all this is happening he is discovered and then assisted by his best friend Ned, played by Jacob Batalon; is trying to keep his superhero identify and shenanigans secret from his Aunt May,  played by Marisa Tomeri; having a weird crush/ interactions with Liz, played by Laura Harrier; and funny interactions with fellow student Michelle, played by Zendaya, and trying to be taken seriously by Tony and Happy. Also staring Herman Shutlz,, played by Bokeen Woodbind, who works with Vulture.

This movie was absolutely fantastic and I was really hoping that the it would be good due to liking the writers of the screenplay (seeing their panel at Motor City Comic Con this year just added to my hope that it would be good) and really hearing all the hype about this version of Spider-Man. Tom Holland was great in Captain America: Civil War and since last year I had wanted to see him in his starting role. I generally am not a fan of Spider-Man as a superhero and have not believed the previous movies were anything super special (although some of them were enjoyable). The interactions between the characters and script in Homecoming is a lot of fun, the direction and pacing of the movie works and kept me involved throughout. The tone remains consistent and it feels like one solid movie, not a bunch of movies or ideas thrown together. Not being another origin story really works, especially with the over saturation of Spider-Man movies since 2002, and keeping to a one villain and linear plot really helps the movie stay on track and just having it be a fun experience where me I don't have to try to understand or follow what is happening.

The tone of the movie was fun and lighthearted but also has underling character interaction and motivation to move the story along. What the characters did made sense for the them and the movie flowed. Were there moments that were obvious? yes, but as everything was fun and I was kept interested in what was going on this doesn't bother me. It is a family film (PG-13) that although there is violence in it didn't try to be something it wasn't. The movie owned what it wanted to be and this made it all the better for it.



I really enjoyed that there was only the one villain, Vulture, and that the movie didn't waste time really going into his origin. There was enough to understand how he got to be the bad guy and why he wanted to destroy Spider-Man but didn't spend time going over how he got there. Overall the casting and interactions between the characters was great. The only ones that I didn't really like are Liz and Flash, played by Tony Revolori. His interest in Liz makes sense at the beginning of the movie and him crushing on her is fine but their ion, especially towards the end of the movie, feel forced and really unlikely. It is just because that connection point was needed for the plot and story to get where it end up but it doesn't in any way feel realistic. I understand the choice, I just don't like it and feel like on subsequent watching I am going to continue to think it is more and more stupid. Flash, who is a bully at school and constantly makes fun of Peter just doesn't work. I understand wanting to add the Peter is not a cool kid and on the outskirts of the school but Flash doesn't add anything to the movie. He could have been completely removed and nothing would have changed in the movie. Peter being on the outs was conveyed with him only having Ned and comments by Michelle. Flash's sequences were over acted and just didn't work. I am also not sure how i feel about this version of Aunt May, Peter just doesn't seem to have a real connection to her.

I really enjoyed some of  smaller and supporting characters. especially Donald Glover as a criminal who Spider-Man ends up interacting with after he tries to purchase guns off of Vultures gang; and Hannibel Buress as Coach Wilson. I really enjoyed Chris Even's Cameo as Captain America/ Steve Rogers and think that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe his cameos are the best.  There is the required Stan Lee Cameo but I think it could have been better utilized.

Going into Spider-Man Homecoming, I was very worried that this would end up being a half Spider-Man half Iron Man movie (like in Civil War) especially as Tony Stark was heavily used in the trailers but I am glad to say that he was used sparingly and whenever he was on screen it fit with and pushed forward the plot but the focuses was still always on Peter.  I am just very glad it didn't become a Tony movie and that he was only in about 10-15 minuets of the whole thing.

Overall the movie was great to watch and the cinematography and CGI done very well. There were moments during the first third of the movie where the CGI was obvious and this tended to be in moments where everything on screen was CGI (the cityscapes and Spider-Man). I noticed this a few times but it wasn't too bad to really mark down the movie. I saw this movie in 2D and am sure it was much worse in the 3D version. The main thing that I didn't like was all of the unnecessary destruction that Spider-Man created as he crashed through the city. I understand that he is suppose to be goofy and not quite polished in his abilities but having him destroy peoples property and then just leave it with no consequences or repercussions I didn't like and think was unnecessary. Things going wrong while he is trying to help out is not what I am speaking of because that is due to him being young and trying to help but still having growing pains but just destruction for comedic effect that is immediately left behind was distracting and unnecessary. The movie would have been the same without these moments.




This movie was fantastic and fun, and I cannot wait to see it again. It is not just a good superhero movie, it is a good family action blockbuster. I liked some of the campy aspects of it and was glad that it was set around Homecoming time at school, because the dork in me wanted a movie about a high school superhero with Homecoming in the title to have some aspects of a high school homecoming in it, but it becoming the focus would have been too much.  This is a movie to go see and definitely worth watching on the big screen. It is one of my top movies so far this year and the best Spider-Man movie period.

My Rating: 4-

As this is a Marvel movie make sure to stay to the very end of the credits for a post credit scene. This one you will either love or hate. I thought it was funny and liked it but it could be very frustrating for others.

Update: Upon seeing Spider-Man: Homecoming a second time, I loved it just as much as the first but was able to see and notice more of the cool details. It is definitely a film where you notice more on subsequent viewings. Also I did not find Flash as annoying the second time around, probably due to knowing what he was going to be like so it wasn't as abrasive. 

Baby Driver (2017): Review

  

Over the last few weeks i have heard lots of good things about Edgar Wrights new movie Baby Driver. I am very glad to say that this movie held up to the hype and that it was a great movie, with a great screenplay, overall well cast and acted, very stylized, with a great soundtrack, and with only a few things that I didn't like. This movie is worth watching and definitely fills the want for a cool rated R action/ heist movie that keeps you interested throughout.

Baby Driver is at its core a heist movie set around Baby, played by Ansel Elgort, who has been working for crime boss Doc, played by Kevin Spacey, as a get away driver in order to pay off a debt that Baby owes Doc. He has been acting as a get away driver for a while and is getting close to having his debt paid off. He is brought in for another big heist that has many things going wrong for it and seems destined to fail. He has to work to get himself out of trouble and save Deborah, played by Lily James, the girl he has been falling for. The movie also stars as members of Baby's heist crew: John Hamm as Buddy; Eiza Gonzalez as Darling; and Jamie Foxx as Bats.

This movie has great cinematography and is beautiful to watch. I love how it is styled and shot and how all the components come together. It could have easily seemed too forced and like it was trying too hard with all of the components having to come together just perfectly without seeming too stuck on itself but it just really worked. I am a sucker for using music to compliment the story and the scenes and this movie does it fantastically without it seeming like it was just a cool soundtrack. Due to Baby being in a car accident as a child he has a ringing in his ears and uses music to drown out the buzz, the music is also a connection between him and the memory of his dead mother. I absolutely love movies with music really incorporated into the story and not just as the background score.

Usually I don't like it when a movie jumps straight into an action sequence as it can mess with the whole pacing of the movie but with Baby Driver it really works to set everything up. It helps that there is little to no dialogue and it takes the time introducing Baby by focusing on his skills and role as a get away driver. I enjoyed how Baby was introduced as how he slowly becomes more talkative and interactive with the characters around him. He is there and you know he is important, but it takes a while to really understand his motivations and what he is doing. Ansel did a good job as Baby but I am not sure how I feel about him as and up and coming next thing, he did a good job but at times I saw his mannerisms more then Baby's.  He did a good job but was nothing super spectacular.



The pacing was great and I was kept interested throughout the whole thing, however some of what happened was predictable and there wasn't a whole lot that was surprising in what happened. There was was some development and explorations of Baby's relationships and past and I cared about his situations. I really enjoyed his relationship with his foster father Joseph, played by CJ Jones. His relationship with Debora was a bit speed through but I could see how they would like each other. The ending could have been more interesting but I can understand how the movie went for more overall audience appeal with how it was handled. I didn't really like Jamie Foxx as Bats, he just didn't have the level of crazy that I really would have liked i just saw Jamie Foxx trying to act not becoming the character. I enjoyed everyone else and thought they were well cast. There was also great outside characters who were great, such as Joseph and Doc nephew Samm, played by Brogan Hall.

The only thing that was really distracting was how fast and how many cops showed up during the movie. I understand that it was needed for the plot, but how can so many cops on foot and in cars just randomly be exactly where they are needed. I understand how this was needed for the plot and what was happening but towards the end it was really just way too many cops, way to quickly.



If you like stylized action movies and a fan of awesome heist movies this is a movie to watch. It had nods to old school heist movies, had a great incorporation of music, and was fun all the way through (although it was highly violent). It is rated R and deserves it for violence so is not for younger viewers.

My Rating: 3