CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?

Melissa McCarthy     Richard E. Grant     Ben Falcone     Jane Curtin     Anna Devere Smith

     Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said, Please Give, Friends with Money) is one of my favorite screenwriters, and I think if the trajectory of this production had remained with her as director and Julianne Moore as the lead actress, I probably would have liked it better.  My problem with this production is in what has become Melissa McCarthy’s characteristic stamp on whatever character she plays.  She is a fine actress, and I keep hoping she will choose a role as a sharp woman with humor but without the zaniness like she was portrayed in Bridesmaids (that character lives on in all her subsequent performances), Identity Thief, and Tammy.  

     In this rendition, the additional writer Jeff Whitty and director Marielle Heller infuse Lee Israel’s character with much of the McCarthy trademark—a poorly adjusted miscreant whose mouth gets her into trouble, and someone who acts like a bumbling fool, but can clean up her act under pressure at the last minute. Therefore, the first part of the film was difficult to watch, as I saw the same figure McCarthy has played in her other movies.

     The movie is based on a memoir written by Lee Israel.  McCarthy’s character is Lee Israel, a writer who had published biographies of Tallulah Bankhead (actress) and Dorothy Kilgallen (game show panel member), which had been well received.  When she wrote the third one about Estee Lauder, it did not turn out so well for various reasons, and she turned to forgery and pilfering personal letters of famous people as a way of making a living.  It’s reported that she had a “difficult personality” and was an alcoholic, and these characteristics are inserted into this film.

     We see Lee get fired soon after the film begins for going against the rules (drinking on the job) and using foul language to a supervisor.  She lives alone with her beloved cat, apparently has no friends, is behind on her rent, and is essentially down and out.  When she realizes she has a personal letter from Katherine Hepburn, she sells it, and thereby gets the idea that selling letters from famous people could be lucrative.  It turns out, she is a good writer on old typewriters, and collectors buy up her work, often without question.

     Unfortunately, Lee takes up with a drinking buddy, Jack (Grant), who has a British silver tongue, and they become partners in crime.  But it eventually becomes disastrous for Lee in many respects, and she is thrown back upon herself once again.

     Melissa McCarthy’s talent as an actress is clearly visible in her expressions, demeanor, and her ability to inhabit a character—albeit with her own stamps clearly visible.  One never forgets she is watching McCarthy; unlike, say, Meryl Streep playing Julia Child. After a while, you only see Julia. 

     Supporting actor performances are strong:  Richard E. Grant as the sleazy, greasy Jack; Jane Curtin as Lee’s exasperated agent Marjorie; Dolly Wells as Anna, a buyer who reaches out to Lee for friendship; and Anna Deavere Smith as Lee’s erstwhile lover who gave up on her. The contributions of these actors are considerable.

     Can You Ever Forgive Me? becomes much more interesting in its last third, when true emotions are more evident in Lee, she becomes more sympathetic as her history is revealed, we get glimpses of some degree of remorse and a perspective outside herself, and she seems to be turning a corner.  (We’ll ignore for the moment the fact that this is undone by some of the very last scenes when she is once again sipping a scotch.) 

A film for Melissa McCarthy fans with her signature character.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS

Melissa McCarthy     Bill Barretta     Elizabeth Banks     Maya Rudolph     Joel McHale     Dorien Davies

     The title refers to a group from a failed sitcom called the “Happytime Gang” (puppets) who are getting killed off one by one.  Disgraced ex-cop/now private detective Phil Philips (Barretta) is assigned with his partner Detective Connie Edwards (McCarthy) to find the killer (just the first in a plot made up of nonsensical actions).  What follows is a series of charades in which Phil happens on the scene just before or after each tragedy, so that he always looks guilty, and is finally the one charged with the murders.

     It’s a long time, though, before the crimes get solved, and in the interim, the audience is “treated” (treated?) to all kinds of shenanigans, most involving Philips and Edwards insulting and fighting one another, alternating with pal-sy buddy cop intervals.  Discrimination is highlighted in puppets being disparaged by humans at every turn, but, unfortunately, the filmmakers fail to relate this to any meaningful observation of today’s world.

     The movie is based on the premise that audiences will just love foul language in almost every sentence and scene after scene of all kinds of sexual perversions. For those of us not reveling in such “humor”, however, it is a pain to sit through.  Cleverness is alien to the writers (Todd Berger and Dee Austin Robertson), and instead they insert vulgarities to get titters from the viewers.  An example:  “If I’m a-gonna get next to it, I’m a-gonna f… it”, spoken by Sandra White (Davies), who has come to Phil, asking for his help.  Of course, he succumbs to her “charms”, in still one more crude, vulgar sequence.  

     Melissa McCarthy, one of the main draws for the film, plays the same character she has played in almost every film she’s been in.  Elizabeth Banks is hardly seen in the film at all, and Maya Rudolph—drawing on the Saturday Night Live experience presumably—does come across as a character at least mildly funny.   (She is better than the script written for her.)  Bill Barretta as Phil Philips plays his role well, too, putting his signature on a detective’s narrative that engages and explains.

     There is not much else I can say about this film, which seems to be a failure from conception to execution.  Perhaps it makes a case for taking puppets more seriously, but as rendered, it doesn’t make the grade.  Directed by the son of Jim Henson (of Sesame Street fame), Brian, it sadly does not live up to the father’s accomplishments.

Unless you’re into adult porn with puppets, there is not much here to entertain.

Grade:  F                                    By Donna R. Copeland

LIFE OF THE PARTY

Melissa McCarthy     Molly Gordon     Maya Rudolph     Christina Aguilera     Matt Walsh

     Life of the Party is pretty much in the same vein as other Ben Falcone/Melissa McCarthy creations, such as Tammy andThe Boss, and McCarthy’s films in general (i.e., This is 40, Identity Thief, and Bridesmaids).  In these, her character is buffoonish, destructive, and slapstick funny, with the emphasis on slapstick.  Here, I suspect that the husband-wife team (writers, with Falcone being the director) envisioned something different, in that McCarthy’s character has a few more redeeming characteristics (sympathetic, tolerant, with higher aspirations), and she isn’t quite as spastic (falling spectacularly again and again).  However, they couldn’t seem to resist inserting a couple of scenes where she does end up on the ground in one, and is completely destructive in another.

     The story opens with Deanna (McCarthy) and her husband Dan (Walsh) taking their daughter Maddie (Gordon) to college and dropping her off at her sorority house. Dan chooses this time to drop a bombshell, and Deanna is suddenly thrust upon her own devices.  As is typical for someone in this situation, she looks back over her life and decides to reverse a fateful decision she made earlier in life, to drop out of college in her senior year.  She will enroll and complete her studies to earn a degree.  

     There is one hitch in this—she’s returning to Decatur University where her daughter is. From here, Falcone and McCarthy weave a fanciful story that is not likely to happen here or on any planet in the universe.  That is, “Dee-Rock”, as she will now be called, becomes a hit on campus, with the total support of her daughter and her classmates and even the whole university! 

      If you can buy that, I’ve got a bridge…

     For years, I have been hoping that the talented McCarthy would reprise the career path that she started in Spy, which showed her talent as an actress in portraying an intelligent, strong woman who could be calculating and crafty.  When I interviewed Paul Feig, writer/director of Spy, he described her as “one of the funniest on the planet…She’s also like your best friend…not intimidating.”  His goal was to make Spy feel real, and McCarthy met his expectations.  She has not been in such a good movie since.

     Light comedy can be fun, and the kind of humor in Life of the Party certainly makes money, but I have a problem with its scenes written to draw laughs:  meanness of female college students, unwitting consumption of chocolates laced with marijuana resulting in destruction, college women not being able to do simple math, etc.  The whole premise that college students would be so accepting and supportive of the McCarthy character is far-fetched, let alone the idea that it’s a reasonable thing for a mother to be college friends with her daughter. Wha?....

     McCarthy is good at bringing this character to life; she is appealing, funny at times, heart-warming at times, and even sensible at times.  But how I wish she would move on to more substantive roles.  I would love to see her branch out into a strong dramatic character; she could do it!

     Supporting actors, such as best friend Christine (Rudolph) and daughter Maddie (Gordon) are great, but to me, the one who steals the show from others is Heidi Gardner as Deanna’s Goth roommate, totally neurotic, always deadpan, but with a soul.  She is so refreshing as a new kind of low-key character who whose demeanor and dialog makes you chuckle.

Melissa McCarthy in nothing new under the sun.

Grade:  D                                    By Donna R. Copeland

GHOSTBUSTERS

Kristin Wiig   Melissa McCarthy   Kate McKinnon   Leslie Jones   Chris Hemsworth   Bill Murray   Cecily Strong

          For those who like slapstick comedy, sitcoms, and special effects, this movie will be a blast (literally).  It’s very much in the style of most of the Melissa McCarthy films, where she is outrageous but smart.  As Abby, she has three side-kicks here, one a legitimate scientist (Wiig as physicist Erin), one a female scientist-nerd (McKinnon as Jillion), and one a New York street-wise woman with practical connections and a vast knowledge of New York’s history (Jones as Patty).  At first, Erin is put off by Abby’s promotion of their co-authored book on parapsychology and ghosts from some years back, until….sightings of ghosts are reported throughout the city.  And when she witnesses a graphic ghost appearance, she is on board.  Unfortunately, she is fired from her university job for even being associated with such an endeavor.  Nevertheless, she goes on to form part of a team of ghostbusters who will be discredited but remain committed and valiant.

         Ghostbusters is remarkable for a number of assets that are impressive, particularly the casting and the special and visual effects.  Cinematography (Robert D. Yeoman) is likewise noteworthy.   McCarthy and Wiig have demonstrated their talent in numerous productions (Wiig:  Bridesmaids, The Skeleton Twins, Saturday Night Live; McCarthy:  Bridesmaids, Spy, St. Vincent), but McKinnon, new to moviedom, steals the show in her portrayal of a character not seen in most of movieland—a female nerd who is an expert in firearms.  She doesn’t just shoot them; she creates them.  McKinnon’s characterization of this odd, entertaining inventor is a rare treat, especially since, for all its female empowerment, this Ghostbusters pulls out all the tired female stereotypes we’ve seen in countless films:  Girlie shrieks and jumping up and down after a success, yammering and arguing over trivia, complete melt-down and foolishness at the sight of a handsome man, and on and on.  I’m disappointed in these actresses for this, as well as the writer Katie Dippold and director, Paul Feig, whom I thought previously was a champion of women.

      In their defense, the Hemsworth character, Kevin, who is supposed to be the receptionist for the ghostbuster group, goes against the actor’s normally heroic persona to one who is rather dim and narcissistic.  He doesn’t know how to answer the phone or respond logically to questions, and is completely preoccupied with his own interests.  He, the mayor (Andy Garcia), and other males don’t come off much better than the females.  Maybe female/male stereotypes were meant to be part of the jokes of the film.

        Other casting strengths include the number of the previous Ghostbuster actors (Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Akroyd, and Annie Potts) as well as cameo appearances of notables like Ed Begley, Jr., Charles Dance, Michael Kenneth Williams, Andy Garcia, and Al Roker.  These, as well as references to a host of other films add a special element of fun.

A surprising thriller teeming with goofiness.

Grade:  C+                        By Donna R. Copeland

THE BOSS

Melissa McCarthy   Kristen Bell   Peter Dinklage   Kathy Bates   
Cecily Strong   Kristen Schaal   Ben Falcone

        The Boss is typical Melissa McCarthy fare (Bridesmaids, This is 40, Identity Thief, Tammy), and if you like those films, you will like this one.  I see her role in Spy (written and directed by Paul Feig) as one that shows her more serious acting abilities, and the direction I wish she would go in her career.  McCarthy has considerable acting talent, and I think it’s time for her to part with the slapstick persona she is known for and get serious.  She is one of those interesting women who are heavy, but beautiful and talented.  The reason I liked Spy so much is that Feig showed a blended, more complex character, with smarts overriding klutz.

     The story in this film is that Michelle Darnell (McCarthy) is a highly successful businesswoman who grew up as a foster child—one that was returned surreptitiously to the orphanage numerous times—and now has a chip on her shoulder and determined to “make it”, no matter the cost.  And she does, but along the way she allies with “Renault” (Dinklage), her “twin” in business practices (win, whatever it takes) and sometimes lover.

          When he feels betrayed by her, he gets her charged with inside trading (the reference to Martha Stewart is explicit), and while she is in prison sees that her company goes bankrupt.  When she is released from prison, she has to completely start over, and relies on her previous assistant Claire (Bell)—whom she treated very badly—to reenter society. 

      This story is very much about sociopathy—essentially using other people (in the negative sense of the word) for one’s own narcissistic needs.  So Michelle blithely barges in on Claire and her daughter, co-opts the child’s Girl Scout cookie project to form a competing organization, all in the guise of being more generous to children than the Girl Scouts.  But Michelle’s rival, Renault (Ron, really, since he is from Brooklyn) is still seething and out to get her again.

        I won’t tell you how this turns out because I don’t need to; I’m sure you’ve already guessed.  But if you enjoy these kinds of comedies, then it will be to your taste.

         I object to this kind of movie on a number of fronts.  First, it wastes so much talent (the cast is truly fine in every respect) on a story with so much potential for substance.  Second, it models really bad behaviors too numerous to list and treats them as comedic material.  Do we really want to laugh at corporate misconduct, exploitation of employees and children, and physical altercations (note that when men fight, it is admired or at least exhilarating; when women do it, it’s comedic or even sexually titillating for some).  Well, despite the considerable talent—and the obvious enjoyment by many in the screening audience—I have to give this film a thumbs-down.

Typical Melissa McCarthy fare, in which bad business practices are presented as comedy by a very talented cast.

Grade:  D+                        By Donna R. Copeland

SPY

Rose Byrne     Melissa McCarthy     Jude Law     Jason Statham     Allison Janney     Bobby Cannavale     50 Cent
 

Spy starts out with Jude Law (CIA Agent Fine) in Bulgaria aiming his gun at someone; he sneezes and the gun goes off (the first of many scenes of violence with comedy); immediately, he has to fight off 10 assailants.  At the writer/director Paul Feig’s SXSW press conference, he said that after he and the stunt coordinator choreographed the scene, he was very apprehensive when Law informed him he could come only a day in advance of filming the scene.  Not to worry, though, Feig said Law “nailed it; he should be the next James Bond.”

      Feig’s most recent film is unusual in the spy genre in that it’s filled with actresses.  Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a trained spy who works at a desk, giving instructions and directions through his earpiece to Agent Fine out in the field.  He also has her doing his household chores, and it’s obvious she is smitten with him.  But suddenly he goes off the grid, and another agent needs to go undercover to find the killer and to finish the job of locating a nuclear bomb known to be in the hands of cold and beautiful Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), daughter of a wealthy Russian.  Agent Ford (Statham) is sure he will be given the order to go by Chief Crocker (Janney), but is taken aback when Cooper volunteers on the basis that absolutely no one will know her.  Ford is insulted to be upstaged by a woman—especially this one—behaves very badly, and tries to thwart her in every move she makes.

      But it turns out that Cooper has been well trained to do fieldwork, so Crocker thinks she is the best choice.  It’s a comedown for Cooper that her new identity will be an Iowan housewife dressed in farm clothes and booked into a seedy hotel.  She is ever so resolute, however, in doing the best job possible and sets out, going to Paris, Rome, then Budapest.  To her dismay, Ford, against orders to stand down, tails her, and frequently makes mistakes, which Cooper has to handle.

     Unexpectedly—and delightfully—Cooper surprises us with her excellent skills in strategy, physical encounters, quick identity shifts, and diplomacy—whatever is called for by a situation.  When she manages to have her path cross that of Boyanov, we are in for even more thrills/comedy.  Byrne and McCarthy play off each other in a way that to women will be very realistic; Boyanov initially poking fun at Cooper in a gentile way, but gradually Cooper winning her grudging respect, not only for her appearance, but for her skills as well.  I am delighted that McCarthy is finally breaking out of the slapstick roles and using her considerable talent in something serious.

      Spy is especially gratifying for its inclusion of strong, capable women in a genre sorely lacking such roles.  At the press conference, I asked Feig what he saw in McCarthy that convinced him she would be good in an action role.  He said that, first of all, he loves filming funny women.  He grew up around women and was more comfortable with females as a child than with the horseplay of boys.  When he began his career in film, he noticed actresses weren’t being given good roles.  Then once, when there was a lull in scripts coming past his desk and he saw Skyfall, he was a bit wistful because he had always wanted to make a Bond film.  “Hey, wait!” he said to himself; “I love working with funny women.  Why don’t I write my own spy movie starring a woman?”  And the movie Spy was born.  Even though he didn’t write the Cooper character for her, when McCarthy read the script she immediately wanted the role.  He went on to say that “Melissa has power, even though she’s one of the funniest on the planet…She’s also like your best friend…not intimidating.”  My goal was to make Spy feel real, and Melissa’s just the best at that. 

      Feig said similar things about Rose Byrne after his experience with her in Bridesmaids and seeing her in Get Him to the Greek and other productions.  He noted how versatile she can be; she can be really scary and cold, but funny as well.  She knows how to inhabit a character in a way that can be funny without being forced.

      Spy is an exciting film that the viewer can become absorbed in, even with the comedy sprinkled throughout.  The actresses are very good, including Janney and Miranda Hart in supporting roles; but so too are Law, Statham, and cameos by Cannavale and 50 Cent. 

You won’t want to miss Paul Feig’s latest production.

Grade:  A By Donna R. Copeland