Holidate - Movie Review

 By Adam Daly

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The Story

Sloane and Jackson hate being single on holidays, where they face constant judgement from their meddling families.  So, when these two strangers meet, they pledge to be each other's "holidate" for every festive occasion in the year ahead.

The Cast: Emma Roberts, Kristin Chenoweth, Luke Bracey, Frances Fisher, 

The Crew: John Whitesell (Director) Tiffany Paulsen (Writer) 

Running Time: 103 minutes 

First off, the title for this film is borderline horrible. It’s as if the director had a drinking game in mind when making it because the word is said about a million times. Anyway, Holidate is the latest Netflix romantic comedy to be released and it’s a special kind of movie. I had no previous knowledge about this film going in, but my expectations were rather low. It quickly became apparent that this film had no focus whatsoever and just copied and pasted every cliché moment from other rom-coms. It tries to be self-aware but does nothing to stand out from other similar titles (Friends with Benefits and No Strings Attached come to mind)

The biggest missed opportunity here is that it completely wastes the talent of Emma Roberts. Her character of Sloane is unlikeable throughout the film. It became even more frustrating as the movie went along because I know she is deserving of better parts. This is a romantic comedy and she doesn't even come close to showing the comedic chops that she showed in We're the Millers, for example. Her character is just the traditional rom-com lead, and she doesn't deserve to get typecast in these roles. I want to see her play fun characters like she's done before in Scream 4 and Nerve.

The male lead here is also an issue for me. Luke Bracey is fine as Jackson, for the most part. However, similar to other rom-coms, he's just the typical ladies man who begins to fall for the lead actress. I truly believe they wanted to cast one of the Hemsworth brothers for this movie and couldn't afford them so they got a discounted version instead. He’s fine, I just kept thinking of him as the 3rd Hemsworth brother instead of his character.

The writing might be the biggest problem with the movie. It is all over the place in tone and structure. It takes so much from other films in this genre, and as a result it isn’t different enough to be remembered. Tiffany Paulsen has only written 4 films (including this one), so she doesn’t exactly have a proven track record. I hope that she can find her voice to help her movies become be unique. The same thing could be said about the director as well. John Whitesell hasn't exactly lit the world on fire with his direction. The one thing I will say is that Holidate fits well in his filmography. He somehow gets pretty decent talent on-screen, but he gets very little out of it.

Overall, I would strongly recommend you all to skip this film. It's a weird mash-up of tropes that thinks it’s being clever when the audience is smart enough to see through it. It is filled with unfunny gags and cringey characters that take away from any possible enjoyment one might have. I don't think it's the worst movie or movie experience of the year, but it's definitely in the conversation! We can only hope that this film will be forgotten in a few weeks and we can move on with our lives. It is being released two days before Halloween, but there are more scenes around Christmas time. This seems to indicate that even the studio had no idea what to do with it.

1/2 stars out of 4

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The Trial of the Chicago 7 - Movie Review

By Adam Daly

    @adamsideways

The Story

What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest—including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale—were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history.

The Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Joseph Godron-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, Jeremy Strong, John Carol Lynch

The Crew: Aaron Sorkin (Writer/Director) Phedon Papamichael (Cinematographer) 

Running Time: 129 minutes 

Going into this year, this was easily one of my most anticipated films of the year.  A lot of that excitement was in part by the writing of Aaron Sorkin.  He has written some of my favorite screenplays of the last decade (The Social Network, Moneyball, Steve Jobs), along with some 90s must watch films (A Few Good Men, The American President).  He always seems to pack his screenplays with a lot of dense and complicated material, but writes it in a way that is easy to digest for all audiences.

This film is no different!  The Trial of the Chicago 7, is a politically charged courtroom drama that harkens back to the crowd pleasing films of the 90s.  It also is rooted in the issues of the time but you can't help but make compassions to the culture that is 2020.  The film tackles topics of our right to protest, police brutality, riots, and racism among other things.  I know the film isn't 100% historically accurate.  Sometimes films of this nature take certain liberties, and Sorkin is a Writer/Director known to take many.  The film feels almost too "Hollywood-ized" by the end of the film, to leave the audience feeling good as the credits roll.  The ending sequence of the film might come across as cheesy to some, however I didn't mind the "cheesy" nature of it. 

Looking at the film as a whole, I thought the film really packs an emotional punch.  The film digs its way into every emotional crevice that it could.  It is tragic, uplifting, powerful, and hard-hitting, with bits of humor thrown in just for some flavor.   I think one of the most important things that this film is is entertaining.  I was so enthralled with this story and the back and forth in the events, that it really hooked me.  It's going to be a big awards contender and will easily get a "Best Picture" nomination at the Oscars!  It's not only timely but its also good at playing with your emotions.  The best part of the film for me is easily the script, and how the story is edited together in such a fast-paced and no-nonsense way!

Sorkin's direction occasionally comes across as heavy-handed at times due to music cues and editing techniques, his film is handled exceptionally well for a second time director.  The story is told in a way that may enhance a moment or two, but it will give viewers so much insight into this trial.  I found myself being frustrated, as certain members of the cast continue to get treated in such an inhumane way by this judge (Frank Langella).  We flash back and forth between trial and previous events that got us to this point.  It was such a riveting experience for me. 

Sorkin's direction occasionally comes across as heavy-handed at times due to music cues and editing techniques, his film is handled exceptionally well for a second time director.  The story is told in a way that may enhance a moment or two, but it will give viewers so much insight into this trial.  I found myself being frustrated, as certain members of the cast continue to get treated in such an inhumane way by this judge (Frank Langella).  We flash back and forth between trial and previous events that got us to this point.  It was such a riveting experience for me. 

The cast are on full display here!  They all display a pureness in their performances, as well as honesty and passion.  Eddie Redmayne has the biggest story arc in the film and he delivers.  I was a little distracted by his American accent at first but quickly got over that.  Mark Rylance, is by far the best I've ever seen him be and that's including his Oscar winning performance in, Bridge of Spies.  Sacha Baron Cohen, gives the performance I've always wanted to see from him.  I would love to see him get an Oscar nomination for this role.  The scene stealer for this film is easily, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.  He's the performance that you feel the most for. 

It's going to be a huge awards contender!  This should not only be nominated for every ensemble award, but I believe it has a strong case to win all of them!    I think it has some easy nominations at the Oscars for, Best Picture, Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Rylance - however Cohen and Mateen are my dream picks) and possible Director,  I think Sorkin would be just as deserving of the nomination here, as Tom McCarthy was for Spotlight in 2015.

In closing, there's no denying that I really loved this film.  The writing and pace of the film is exactly what I wanted Sorkin to deliver, and he yanked it out of the park for me.  The actors all had moments to shine and they didn't over power each other.  Cohen, Mateen and Rylance are some that will be battling it out to make my Best Performances list at the end of the year!  The back and fourth style of the film might not resonate with all viewers.  I can see many finding it to take away from the tragedies of the true events, but it had the perfect balance in my humble opinion.  One of my favorite films of 2020!

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Over the Moon - Netflix Movie Review!

 

From Oscar-winning director and animation legend, Glen Keane (Dear Basketball) and Pearl Studio, the makers of Abominable, comes Over the Moon, an out-of-this-world story about one girl's journey to the moon and the lengths she must travel as she learns to love again after experiencing loss.

I knew very little about this film other than it was voiced by an all-Asian cast.  The cast is simply fantastic.  Its a great mixture of established actors, John Cho, Sandra Oh, Ken Jeong, and newcomers as well, Cathy Ang and Robert G. Chiu.  Sometimes, when I watch animated films and I pick up on who the voice actor might be, I only see the face of the actors and not the character they are portraying.  However, here it's totally the opposite.  These actors are the characters.  The characters are fully realized to me and I really enjoyed them, especially the growth of Fei Fei (Cathy Ang).

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The animation is bright and feels like it pops off the screen.  It's easily the best animated film of the year, without having seen Soul at the time of writing.  Having seen, Abominable, (a film I enjoyed) I can totally see the evolution of this studio!  It wouldn't surprise me if Pearl Studio starts putting out some high caliber projects in the near future.  There's a way they animate films that makes you feel a part of the film itself.  I think that's a rare accomplishment in animation today.  

As a person that has very limited knowledge of Asian culture, traditions, or legends, I found it quite refreshing to see their wonderful culture on my screen.  It felt natural and not forced.  I love seeing how we are getting a more proper representation of different cultures and ethnic groups in our films.  It's something that has taken far to long to happen but at least things are moving in the right direction!  

Speaking of culture, this movie is inspired by the Chinese moon goddess, Chang'e.  As I mentioned, I was totally unfamiliar with this classic tale!  I think the film did a very good job of informing new audiences who hadn't heard the legend before about who she is.  I think the filmmakers did something really smart in the way they animated the introduction of Chang'e.  The animation and color pallet changes to set the introduction apart, it makes it feel more important.  I hope that we see Chang'e as a modern-day goddess for the ages!

The story pulls at your heartstrings based on the subject matter.  I couldn't help but find myself relating to, Fei Fei, as she's learning to deal with a loss and having changes happen in her life.  Letting go is something in life that is so hard to do, and the movie shows that process in a unique way.  I did find myself drawing comparisons to Pixar at times because they are the master of telling these emotional stories.  Certain elements felt like something I had seen in their films as well (UP, Inside Out)  but that didn't take away from my experience from the film!  Fei Fei and Chin (Robert G. Chiu) both have animated sidekicks, a bunny and a frog, so you could draw comparisons to Disney animation as well.  Both these animal characters bring some funny moments - my daughter really loved Fei Fei's bunny!

Sometimes, when you don't know anything going into a film, there are things that will certainly catch you off guard!  That totally is the case with this film!  There are 9 different original songs in this film, and I got to say they are amazing!  I can easily see this film getting a 'Best Original Song' Oscar Nomination this year!  They would be totally deserving of nominations as well.  Especially these songs, Rocket to the moon, Ultralumminary, and Mooncakes!  I'm looking forward to downloading them to my phone library so I can listen to them again!

Overall, I'm grateful to be getting the opportunity to see this film early!  Certain story elements are familiar, but taking this journey with Fei Fei and  Chin was an enjoyable experience.  The animation from Pearl Studio is something that gets me excited for their upcoming project next year, Dragon Keeper.  I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys animation and fun storytelling.  Over the moon is a stunning musical story about love, loss, and the magic of imagination!

Adam Daly

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