“Eurovision Song Contest:The Story of Fire Saga” Film Review

Directed by David Dobkin

Starring: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan

Rated PG-13 for crude sexual material including full nude sculptures, some comic violent images, and language

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is a comedy film starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. They play Lars and Sigrit, two Icelandic singers who try everything to succeed in the music industry. They are finally given a chance when they participate in the Eurvision Song Contest, a annual contest that showcases the best singers from all participating European countries. The only issue is that these two are not too particularity good and the country of Iceland has very little faith in the duo winning the contest.

What works well in Eurovision is that Ferrell and McAdams surprisingly have good chemistry. It’s not great, but is passable for a film in which they spend the majority of screen time together. They both work great off each other and whenever they are not on screen together, the film slows down. It’s as if the film requires these two to be together at all times and if they are not, then it doesn’t work. But just because these two are together for the majority of the film, doesn’t mean that the film always succeeds. I also have to give credit to the music. In a film that is centered around music, it certainly works. This is due to actual past Eurovision winners lending their voices to a few songs. It also helps that a great singer such as Demi Lovato makes a brief appearance and also lends her voice.

But if Eurovision has two good leads and excellent music, why am I not more enthusiastic about the film? Well, to start off, the film is a bit too long. The films clocks in at over two hours and you can definitely feel the runtime. A film should only be two hours if the story calls for it. There were multiple instances where scenes should have been left on the cutting room floor. In particular, the party scene at the mansion and the two scenes with the elves do not do anything for me. Also, as mentioned before, the films comes to a halt when Ferrell and McAdams are not on screen together. This rings true at the mansion party scene as the film starts to drag on. This is the point in the film where it becomes tedious to watch but fortunately, it soon picks up.

Will Ferrell Eurovision movie: 8 real-life moments that made the cut

With a comedic film like this one, the real question is not is the story decent, its “is the film actually funny”? Well, yes and no. While I found myself chucking at a few jokes, there are multiple instances where a joke missed a mark. The film also misses a lot of opportunities with some of its characters. For example, we get the hilarious Graham Norton who plays a commentator for the contest. Unfortunately, he’s not given too many funny lines, instead is given decent jokes and sometimes unfunny jokes that do not work at all. Why would the film have someone like Graham and waste his character only useless commentary? Another example is at the mansion party. In this scene, we see statues of Alexander (played by Dan Stevens) that have large penises. Instead of using this joke and maybe having a bit where he’s exaggerating or something to that extend, its only used a gag joke for that scene only that once again doesn’t work. These are just a few examples where bits are only used once and not further explored.

Coming into this film, I wanted to have fun and enjoyment with the film. With all the current events, we should all have a film to watch and have fun with. Unfortunately, Eurovison Song Contest is not that film. Yes, the film has great music and its two leads, Ferrell and McAdams, work great together. But these two aspects are not enough to save a dull film that has very little humor.

2/4

The Lovebirds Film Review

Directed by Michael Showalter

Starring:Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Paul Sparks

Rated R for sexual content, language throughout and some violence

The Lovebirds is a Netflix romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. In this film, Leilani (played by Issa Rae) and Jibran (played by Kumail Nanjiani) are a couple that are on the run after they think they are framed for a murder. While on the run, they decide they should investigate the murder and clear their name. What ensure is a night filled with an adventure the couple will never forget.

To start off, our main leads, Rae and Nanjiani, have great chemistry. These two interact like how any couple would, to the warm feeling of falling in love to the bitter arguments that come with it. It’s believable how these two interact and one could mistake them for a real couple. On top of that, these two are quite funny together. These two come from a comedy background and use it to full effect in this film. I wouldn’t say the jokes in the film are laugh out loud hilarious, but they are still good jokes that get a chuckle out of me. But not every joke does stick the landing unfortunately. There are sometimes where either the jokes are unfunny or go on for too long.

The film itself is an hour and a half, which is the perfect runtime for a film like this. The film gets to the point and doesn’t waste any time with its short time. The film is fast paced, as we see the couple go to various places throughout the night. One scene they are in a bar, the next they are at a barn. It goes without saying that the film uses its setting of New Orleans to great use. But while the film does goes at full speed, there are some times where the film does lose some steam. This can be due to the film giving us some complicated exposition or the jokes in the film are not working at all.

Sure, The Lovebirds does have its fair share of issues, but its still enjoyable. There are some great moments and its stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani work great together as a couple who are madly in love at first, but then are on the brink of breaking up. I am glad The Lovebirds is a Netflix film because that’s where it works best. It’s a film to put on when you have 90 minutes to kill and you just want to have a good laugh.

3/4

Jojo Rabbit Film Review

Directed by Taika Waititi

Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, violence, and language

Writer and director Taiki Waititi brings the novel, “Caging Skies”, to life in this dark comedy, “Jojo Rabbit”. “Jojo Rabbit” stars Roman Griffin Davis as a Hitler Youth, an organization for young children ran by the Nazi Party. Jojo is a 10 year old boy who loves his country and is willing to fight on the battlefield. But one day he discovers a young Jewish girl (played by Thomasin McKenzie) living in his house. Jojo, along with the help of his mother (played by Scarlett Johansson) must hide the young Jewish girl towards the end of World War 2.

“Jojo Rabbit” is a very funny film. Most of the jokes come at the expense of Nazis and their ridiculous ideas. But there is an issue with the film portraying Adolf Hitler and his Nazis as fun. In the beginning of the film, we see the real Adolf Hitler being adored by the German people, to the tune of the German version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. It’s one thing to show how brainwashed the German people were into seeing Adolf Hitler as a savior, but the upbeat music of the Beatles portrays him, well as he was John Lennon himself. I understand this is meant to be how the German people saw Hitler as the Beatles and how brainwashed they were, but the way it was convey makes viewers uncomfortable. It is scenes like this take me out of the film and questions Waititi’s comedic direction at times.

But just because the comedy of the film is uncomfortable at times, doesn’t mean that the film is unfunny. It is quite funny and very sweet. Waititi is a writer who knows how to write jokes that works. Not only are the comedic sides of the film great, but the writing as well. There are multiple scenes of tension and sadness that work great and have the viewer engaged. When a moment of sadness is presented on screen, the audience sympathizes with the characters, not only because of the acting, but because of how written those scenes are.

The acting in “Jojo Rabit” is top notch. Scarlett Johansson as Rosie, steals each scene as Jojo’s mother who is secretly against the Nazi government and hopes the war ends soon. Although her role is very brief, her presence on screen leaves a big impact long after she is gone. Sam Rockwell also stars in the film as an Army officer who was wounded in the war and is now tasked with running the Hitler Youth camp. His role is very comedic and quite likable, considering what he is an officer for the Nazis and has disparaging things to say about Jews. The reason why he is likable is probably because of his final scene in the film that makes him redeemable.

Roman Griffin Davis and Thomasin McKenzie, as Jojo and Elsa respectively, have a great chemistry on screen. Jojo is a character who is sympathetic to the government’s cause and even talks to an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler. Elsa is a young Jewish girl who is trying to hide from the government and from Jojo. So when they are first on screen, the viewer wonders what would Nazi sympathetic Jojo would do next. But slowly we see these two characters get along and form a bond, which I really liked. Once the film ended, I just wanted more from these characters and felt hopeful for their futures.

Although “Jojo Rabbit” has some uncomfortable aspects, it is still an enjoyable film. The excellent writing and the superb acting stand out from a film that deals with a sensitive topic not too many filmmakers would like to touch. “Jojo Rabbit” is certainly a top contender for the upcoming awards season and its writing and acting are certainly the reasons for that.

3.5/4

Dolemite is my Name Film Review

Directed by Craig Brewer

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps

Rated R for pervasive language, crude sexual content, and graphic nudity

The life and career of Rudy Ray Moore is a fascinating one. Moore was a comedian and movie star that was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. After serving in the US Army, Moore moved to Los Angeles to achieve his dreams. “Dolemite is my Name” highlights Moore’s career from a record shop employee to a comedian and movie star in the black community.

“Dolemite is my Name” stars Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore, a man who is wanting his break in life. He finally achieves this break when he creates a character, Dolemite, for his stand up comedy. His comedy is successful, he eventually wants to become a film star as well. Eddie Murphy is also joined by an A list cast with the likes of Keegan- Michael Key, Mike Epps, and Wesley Snipes, just to name a few.

“Dolemite is my Name” is surprisingly a great film with a message almost everyone can relate to. Moore has always been rejected when trying to get his comedy records sold. But Moore moved on and eventually got his records sold and played because he worked so hard to do so. And when he did sell his records, he tackled a film. Moore produced a film almost for cheap and was once again rejected by major film studios when trying to sell the films. Eventually Moore achieved his dream of making a film and he made a successful one. The theme is what sticks out the most after the film is over. I loved the film because of the message it does display. “Dolemite is my Name” displays how Moore sold his apartment and become indebted just to get his name out there. And this is not expected when coming into the film. I expected the film to be Eddie Murphy doing his comedy bit, but I was so surprised how inspirational this film is.

But the reason why this message works in the film is because star Eddie Murphy sells it so well. For the past several years, it was embarrassing to see Eddie Murphy go to new lows. The most notable thing Eddie Murphy as done in the past ten years was the voice of Donkey in the “Shrek” series. But “Dolemite is my Name” is a triumph return of Murphy to his comedic roots. Murphy is not only quite hilarious as the role of Moore, but also a sympathetic character. The entire time I was rooting for Moore to succeed in his goals. Murphy delivers his best roles in years and this proves that Murphy can deliver a strong performance when given the right material.

As mentioned before, “Dolemite is my Name” has an A list cast from Snoop Dogg to Craig Robinson. The supporting cast also deliver a strong performance, in particular Wesley Snipes who plays D’Urville Martin. Martin was a veteran actor who agrees to direct the Dolemite film. Snipes plays Martin as the director who has little enthusiasm for the film for he is directing. Although Snipes’ role is brief, it was a joy to see Snipes back on the screen.

“Dolemite is my Name” is a fantastic film with a message everyone can relate. This is done well by the spectacular job of star Eddie Murphy. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new leaf for Murphy and continues this momentum. Also, while it may be slim, I genuinely think Murphy should get an Oscar nod as Rudy Ray Moore. Coming into this film, I had no idea of Moore, but now after watching “Dolemite is my Name”, I am edger to learn more about him.

3.5/4

The Peanut Butter Falcon Film Review

Directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz

Starring: Shia LeBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottagen

Rated PG-13 for thematic content, language throughout, some violence and smoking

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a comedy-drama starring Shia LeBeouf and Zack Gottagen as two young men running away from their problems to find comfort in another place. LeBeouf plays Tyler, a young fisher, who is still haunted of the memory of his brother passing away, running away to Florida. Gottagen plays Zak, a young man with down syndrome who is escaping his home in a retirement home to chase his dream of becoming a wrestler. All this while two men and Zak’s friend, Eleanor, tries to find the pair.

The best way to describe to this film is sweet and heartwarming. The main leads of LeBeouf and Gottagen have incredible chemistry, I am almost certain that the pair are friends in real life. Gottagen plays Zak as a wonderful character who is destined to go to the wrestling school in a video he has watched so many times. Zak realizes he is young and full of energy and won’t let down syndrome get in the way of that. I certainly appreciate the type of character Zak is, every moment he graces the screen, it was a pleasure to watch.

On the other hand, LeBeouf’s Tyler is a man who is running away from his problems and wants to start anew in Florida. Tyler had just recently been laid off from work and the memory of his brother dying is still fresh in his mind. But when Tyler meets Zak, he is almost reminded of his brother and almost sees Zak as a brother. It is the smart writing that creates this incredible chemistry between the pair. Not once when I was watching this film did I feel like I saw two actors on screen play characters. I saw two friends who were on an adventure.

Coming into this film, I did not know what to expect. I read great reviews of the film, but that does not mean that I will enjoy the film as well. But when I left the theater, I was surprised how much enjoyment I had. For most films, there is a section where things begin to slow down and pacing falls flat. I never got bored or felt that things were slowing down. Each scene of the film was well paced and very humorous, when it needed to be.

The rest of the cast are top notch. Dakota Johnson, who plays Zak’s caretaker, plays her role very well. Every moment she is on screen, especially the last act, she has fun with the role. She was a joy to watch and this role proves that Johnson is capable of acting. John Hawkes is also in the film but his role is very limited. I was surprised to see Bruce Dern and Thomas Haden Church in the film as well. Both actors play their respective roles with much charm, both actors have great scenes with Gottsagen. In addition to the great cast, there is a fun little cameo that most wrestling fans will admire. But in short, there is not a false note in the cast.

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” was a shock to me. I did not realize how much I would have fun I would have with this film. It’s a shame that this film will not reach the masses but it certainty deserves to be viewed. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a humorous and touching film with exceptional casting, that certainly deserves to be viewed.

4/4

In Defense of Dave Chappelle

Dave Chappelle is one of my favorite comedians of all time. There is nothing I have yet to see him in where he is not funny (with the exception of “A Star is Born”, a drama). So when I heard that a new Netflix stand up special would be dropping, I immediately got excited. I had to the privilege to attend one of Chappelle’s stand up act a couple years ago. So naturally, I immediately saw the new special and thought it was very hilarious. After so many years of being in the comedy business, the man still has it. But soon after the special dropped on Netflix, the backlash came after Chappelle. I normally would not review a stand up special on Netflix, but I feel that this special is getting undeserved backlash and needs to be addressed.

“Dave Chappelle: Sticks and Stones” is the newest Netflix stand up special. In this special, Chappelle address controversial issues such as the Michael Jackson and R. Kelly sexual allegations, Kevin Hart’s past tweets, the LGBTQ community, etc. The entire point of the comedy is to offend and push the comedy to the edge. This is something that is not meant for everyone. I will admit that this is not the best stand up routine from Chappelle, but it is still hilarious. From the opening joke to the final joke, the audience will laugh out loud. But so many critics are pouncing at Chappelle for his offensive jokes. Why? If you were to go to Rotten Tomatoes, this special has a 0% as of today (September 2, 2019). Why is that? I normally don’t comment on a Rotten Tomatoes score but that score is extremely low. I have a feeling that most critics didn’t give it a negative review because of the quality of the content but the “offensive material” in the special.

At one point in the special, Chappelle discusses the Michael Jackson sexual allegation, fueled by the HBO documentary, “Leaving Neverland” ,that aired earlier this year. In my honest opinion, I believe the men coming out against the late pop star. Now I understand that this is an opinion not shared by everyone, including Chappelle. Chappelle makes it abundantly clear that he believes Jackson and not the men. I don’t agree with his decision to not believe the truth in the allegations but that his is decision to make. After watching the special, my opinion or my fandom of Chappelle did not change one bit. No where was I offended or upset that Chappelle was choosing to side with Jackson and make fun of the allegations. The man is a comedian and has to joke about uncomfortable situations.

I’ve seen so many critics say that this special is cheap and lazy. “Chappelle is only doing LGBTQ jokes because they are easy to make fun of.” No, that is far from the truth. Chappelle is not the type of comedian who goes in for the cheap jokes and easy laughs because of that was the case, he would simply rely on toilet humor. Chappelle is a comedian who sees what is relevant in today’s world and applies it to his comedy. I read a Complex article where it indicated Chappelle is only inciting the far right to keep on hating the LGBTQ community. “Chappelle might be speaking his mind, but those who are aligning with his views—or at least his swagger, and regurgitating his words—is what makes this a dangerous time.” This counter argument is far stretched and quite ridiculous. The notion that Chappelle is encourage hate groups to keep on hating is idiotic. A man who hates the LGBTQ community is going to keep on hating that community regardless of Chappelle’s comedy.

The point of “Sticks and Stones” is to push the boundaries of comedy. The purpose of the comedy is in the title itself, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. Chappelle saw comedy in a world where it is too policed. Comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock stated that they refuse to play at colleges because the students get offended. Chappelle’s own friend, Kevin Hart, lost the Oscars hosting gig because a couple of tweets that were more than ten years year old resurfaced. He saw that and probably said, “enough is enough”. He wants comedy to go back to the days where it did offend, offend not out of malice because it is comedy. And that is what Chappelle does here, offend the offended because it is simply comedy. “Sticks and Stones” may not be Chappelle’s best work but it is thought provoking and states a message without saying it at all.

https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2019/08/dave-chappelle-sticks-stones-netflix-conservative-support

https://ew.com/article/2015/06/08/jerry-seinfeld-politically-correct-college-campuses/

https://www.vox.com/2019/8/29/20835637/dave-chappelle-netflix-special-hidden-ending-cancel-culture

Ready or Not Film Review

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Starring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien

Rated R for violence, bloody images, language throughout, and some drug use

“Ready or Not” stars Samara Weaving as a new bride, Grace, who is trying to be accepted to her husband’s new family. Grace, on her wedding night, must play hide and seek but the game become deadly as her husband’s family tries to kill her, as a ritual cult. In all it’s gory fashion, we see the deadly game of hide and seek.

“Ready or Not” is an horror/suspense comedic film that is surprisingly a good time. From the beginning, we get to meet Grace as a kind hearted person who is not marrying her husband for money but for love. The film does a well job explaining how Grace does not come from a wealthy family and shows her as an outcast compared to the wealthy family she is marrying into. This is in part of the job done by Samara Weaving, who has done a fair job portraying a new bride who is being hunted down. The pain and suffering Grace goes through is sold extremely well by Samara Weaving. The rest of the cast are amusing as well, in part because their roles are more of a comedic roles. Kristan Bruun is the standout of the family as Fitch, who always has a quick line or something comedic to say. Unfortunately his role is very limited, I would have loved for his character to get more of a role in the film.

As mentioned before, the film takes a comedic role as supposed to a horror film. “Ready or Not” quite honestly would have worked perfectly as a horror film. It has all the horror film elements, murder, haunted mansion, and cult rituals. But the had directors chose to take a comedic role due to the ending, which is ridiculously bad. In fact, the entire third act is where things fall apart. For instance, we get one character who instantly changes to the villain’s side. I found that switch so out of place, considering how this person’s character throughout the film was set on the goal of not becoming the villain. I could understand the sudden switch, but in the end, it was a waste of character development. After we see the switch, multiple characters die in a gory fashion. Was it fun to watch? Yes, but it was very unbelievable, it threw the entire film off. The entire film was grounded in reality but the last five minutes threw that out the window.

I would have preferred to seen “Ready or Not” as a pure horror film as a new bride trying to escape her husband’s family from death. I am in no way trying to dismiss the film or it’s comedy, because the film is actually worth seeing and the comedy is hilarious when done right. It just that I would have chosen a different route if I were one of the directors of the film. But “Ready or Not” is an entertaining horror comedy that does have its fair share of issues, but the entertaining value overshadows the flaws of the film.

3/4

Good Boys Film Review

Directed by Gene Stupnitsky

Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon

Rated R for strong crude sexual content, drug and alcohol material, and language throughout – all involving tweens

“Good Boys” is a film that is not meant for everyone. If you saw the redband trailer for the film, you would have known that this is a very raunchy film. But the redband trailer did not do the film justice as the trailer omits the best parts. “Good Boys” is a coming of age comedy starring three tweens, (Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon) are set to go to a kissing party to prove themselves to the “cool kids”. But there are roadblocks preventing the middle schoolers from attending the party, the three tweens must clear those obstacles in order to attend the party.

“Good Boys” is a very hilarious comedy with three great leads. Tremblay, Williams, and Noon have the task of reading off lines that are written by adults and making it sound natural. Keith L. William is the funniest of the trio, as a down to Earth tween who is in the middle of his parents divorcing and wanting to do good at the same time. He has the funniest lines throughout the film, there was never a moment where I grew tired of his character. Keith L. Williams is the standout in the film and hopefully we see Williams in more comedies as time goes on.

The one thing that is holding this film back is towards the end of the film. In this scene, the trio have a disagreement and leave a park crying. It is meant to show the emotional side of the film. This a trope that is often shown in film and it is done to death. There was nothing that added to this scene and we all know that the trio would end up together. It is only done to make the film’s run time longer than it is, I wished this scene would have been cut. What I did enjoy was the aspect of the possibility that the trio would slowly drift apart. This is done very well as we see the trio go on the separate paths and meeting up from time to time. This is of course something all friends go through in school and is rarely shown in coming of age comedies. For that, I enjoyed exploring a concept that is not often shown.

The best way to describe this film is “Superbad” meets “Booksmart”. Both are great comedies (with the latter being severely underrated) that share the same plot elements. If anyone is a fan of any of those film, then “Good Boys” would suit you very well.

Overall, “Good Boys” is a straight forward comedy that you will or will not enjoy. If you thought the redband trailer for the film, then you will have laughs for the film, if the trailer did nothing for you, then you are better off skipping the film. “Good Boys” is a hilarious and heart warming comedy that I had a pleasant time with and I am sure other movie goers will have a pleasant time with as well.

3/4

Stuber Film Review

Directed by Michael Dowse

Starring: Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, Mira Sorvino

Rated R for violence and language throughout, some sexual references and brief graphic nudity

“Stuber” is an comedy action film starring Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani as a cop and an Uber driver, respectively. Vic, played by Bautista, is an officer who is trying to seek revenge for the killing of his partner. But Vic is unable to see due to Lasik sugery, therefore has to take an Uber to his destinations, his Uber driver is Stu, played by Nanjiani.

The opening scene of “Stuber” has a very interesting action scene in which two cops have a shootout in a hotel room, followed by a chase sequence. But immediately when the action started, the film was plagued with shaky cam. This is not only in the opening scene but the shaky cam is used in all the action scenes. Not only is this annoying but it is headache inducing. I was under the impression that shaky cam was dead. It is unnecessarily used for no good reason. This is something that stands out from the film, for a bad reason.

With the shaky cam gimmick, the film is very cliche. It feels like this is something we have seen before. Primarily, “Stuber” is the modern version of “Taxi” (2004) with Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon. Yes, the film feels like a rip off of a 2004 comedy film that is largely forgotten. Not only is it a copy of another film, but some of the comedy falls flat. Yes, there are many hilarious moments in the film and I praise that. That is mostly due to the comedic timing of Bautista and Nanjiami. Those two are funny together whenever the comedy is actually good. But there were multiple instances of the comedy being unfunny or being dragged out. There is one scene where both Bautista and Nanjiami characters are trying to get information from someone else. Instead of being funny, the scene feels like its being dragged out and feels like a failure. It was unfunny and was just painfully awkward.

As much as I enjoy the two main leads, there are many moments of the film that could have been cut out. For instance there is a fight in a sporting goods store. Not only did it have the dreaded shaky cam and some bad humor but it feels completely unnecessary. In addition, there are two supporting characters, Nanjiami’s love interest and boss who have a few scenes. These two are a complete waste of time, they add nothing to the story. I suppose those characters are added to to add more to the run time since the film is fairly short. The two characters could have been cut out to add more interesting scenes instead we get Nanjiami’s boss saying how lonely he is with sappy music.

But as I mentioned before, some of the comedy is actually funny. It indeed does get many great laughs because of the character’s actions.As much as I have multiple complaints with the film, this is an entertaining film. But the goal of a comedy film is to make the audience laugh and it certainly does but only sparingly. “Stuber” is best viewed on demand as supposed as watching the film on the big screen.

2.5/4

Booksmart Film Review

Directed by Olivia Wilde

Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams

Rated R for strong sexual content and language throughout, drug use and drinking – all involving teens

Actress Olivia Wilde directs her first feature film, a coming of age film that features many laughs in Booksmart. Booksmart is in the same vein of other teen comedies such as Superbad, The Breakfast Club, and most notably, Lady Bird. Booksmart is very similar to other teen comedies but does stand out from the rest of the crowd due to its humor and surrealism.

Booksmart stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as Molly and Amy, respectively, as two best friends on their last day in school. The friends are exceptional students with remarkable grades and are ready to go to Ivy League schools. But they realized that they could have worked hard and have fun as many of their peers have done. So before school does end, the pair decide to go to a party, starting a wild night for the pair.

First and foremost, Booksmart is hilarious. Laugh out loud hilarious. It has been a long time that I have a good laugh in a comedy. The characters are each hilarious, even supporting characters such as Principal Brown (played by Jason Sudeikis) who appears in a few scenes only. There is a hilarious scene between Molly, Amy, and Principal Brown in a car ride. It is something that needs to be seen. Booksmart is filled with many scenes like this.

The screenplay is also well written. Writers Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, and Katie Silberman do a outstanding job writing for teenagers who are living in 2019. The writing does not feel forced, it feels natural and seems like what young liberal women in 2019 would be saying and doing. Because the writing is so good, it can be relatable to teenagers of today, regardless of gender. Since this is relatable to teenagers to today, this is a film that can be watched multiple times and even to future generations, just like other other coming of age films have done.

The screenplay also does have a few surprises that some may or may not have seen coming. The audience is lead to believe that one scene will happen this way but it turns out another, it was well executed. The film does also feature other well done technical aspects such as a one take shot and music that seems fitting for the 2010’s.

Booksmart is a very hilarious film that features well written characters. Director Olivia Wilde directs a coming of age film that feels like a standout in the decade with many coming of age films such as Lady Bird and Boyhood, just to name a few. If I had to compare Booksmart to another great comedy, it would be Lady Bird (which both feature Beanie Feldstein). If you like Lady Bird, then you will enjoy and laugh out loud in Booksmart.

4/4