Te Quiero, Imbecil (I Love You, Stupid) (2020, Spanish, Streaming on Netflix) ***

 

Most of the time, when a guy proposes to a girl, he has a pretty good idea that she's going to say yes. So when Marcos (Quim Gutierrez) pops the question to Ana, his girlfriend of 8 years, he isn't prepared for her to break up with him instead. Life gets even worse when he gets laid off from his job. Cut loose from his moorings, Marcos turns to internet dating apps and an internet self-help guru to turn his luck around. Meanwhile, he runs into Raquel, (Natalia Tena) a high school acquaintance who once had the hots for him. While Marcos's career is taking off, his dating life remains a shambles. He hooks up with his ex repeatedly, while denying the obvious attraction between himself and Raquel.

I was due to watch something in Spanish, and this fluffy, little rom-com was just the ticket. In most respects, the movie is indistinguishable from pretty much every other spanish-language comedy, including the obligatory gay panic jokes and the well-worn scene where a trans woman outs herself by peeing standing up. What elevates the movie is Natalia Tena, whom you may recognize from “About a Boy” and “Game of Thrones.” She lights up the screen every time she appears, and she drags the other actors up with her. The easy chemistry between Raquel and Marcos makes the movie a delight, as does Raquel's natural laugh. This definitely won't make any movie-of-the-year lists, but it's lots of fun. Me encanta!

3 stars out of 5

Game Night (2018) ***

 

When the subject turns to favorite, fictional monsters, you'll hear a lot about Jason, from “Friday the 13th” or Freddie, from “Nightmare on Elm Street,” but for my money, the most terrifying monster on screen may be Todd, from “Breaking Bad.” Jesse Plemons played the dead-eyed, blonde-eyebrowed meth dealer with a flair for the banality of evil. Todd did the most horrible things without malice or glee. He didn't seem to take pleasure in killing or torturing people, he just seemed to be missing the part of the brain that makes most people feel bad about doing bad things.

For his supporting role in “Game Night,” Plemons doesn't quite play a sociopath, but he brings that quality of being slightly off, like he might be mildly autistic. He plays the cooky neighbor, the one who isn't invited to game night.

But I should back up. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams play Max and Annie, a couple who absolutely love playing games. Game night with friends is a weekly tradition, one at which their weirdo neighbor, Gary (Plemons), is no longer wanted since he split up with his wife.

Max's rich brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), is invited reluctantly, as he and Max have an unhealthily competitive relationship. Sure enough, Brooks hijacks game night, inviting everyone to his new, fancier house for a fancier game night. When Brooks ends up getting kidnapped before the hors d'oeuvres are even served, the game is on for real!

In the middle of this pandemic, it's almost hard to fathom that Hollywood could once do something as simple as put together a terrific cast and make a fun, silly comedy, but here's proof. The entire cast bring their A-game, and Rachel McAdams is especially endearing. It might be fair to say that Jason Bateman doesn't have a lot of acting range. He plays the same, likeable, somewhat hapless straight man here that he always plays, but he does it so well that I'm not complaining. The actual story and dialogue aren't exactly winning any awards, but they never get in the way of a good time, either. “Game Night” never had me rolling on the floor, but I was chuckling throughout.

3 stars out of 5

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) ****

 

Despite knowing that this is a Coen brothers film, I was hesitant to watch it, and it's hard to exactly explain why. The title is a bit off-putting, as is the goofy-looking, cowboy-in-white on the Netflix thumbnail. Also, I was vaguely aware that it was an anthology, which somehow didn't sound appealing. Spoiler alert: I'm an idiot! This is a highly entertaining collection of short stories, with the wit and heart you would expect from a Coen brothers film, and I should have watched it 2 years ago.

The film consists of 6 unconnected short stories about life and, especially, death, in the Old West. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is really just the title of the first story, in which Tim Blake Nelson (who was so charming in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”) plays Buster Scruggs, the singing gunslinger in white from the poster. It may not be the best story of the bunch, but it's easily the most entertaining, as it's a little mini-musical. One of the songs even scored an Oscar nomination. Then there's “Near Algodones,” where James Franco plays a bank robber who learns to accept the bad luck with the good, and Stephen Root demonstrates unexpected uses for cookware. In “Meal Ticket,” the darkest tale of the bunch, Liam Neeson travels around with a limbless actor who ekes out a frontier living giving dramatic recitations.

Most of the stories were written by the Coens, but two are based on other works. “All Gold Canyon,” in which Tom Waits plays a prospector in a pristine, wild canyon, is based on a Jack London story. “The Gal Who Got Rattled,” easily the most beautiful and heartbreaking story of the bunch, is an adaptation of a 1901 short story by Stewart Edward White.

The film wraps up with “The Mortal Remains,” in which a group of travelers packed into a stagecoach share their thoughts on life, love, and death. This segment feels very allegorical, and it's a good way to wrap up the collection.

In literature, a collection of short stories never feels as powerful or epic as your favorite novel, and no one is going to call this the Coen brothers' best film. Nothing here is on the level of “Fargo,” "Raising Arizona," or “Miller's Crossing.” These are great, little vignettes, however, and, since they are unconnected, well-suited to watching a couple of stories at a time, when you don't have time for a full movie. I say ignore the silly movie poster and give it a chance!

4 stars out of 5

An Easy Girl (2019, French, Streaming on Netflix ) ****

 

There are towns like Cannes all over the world: beautiful paradises filled with 2 types of people. There are the tourists, and in Cannes, this includes highly visible, ultra-rich tourists in their yachts. Then there are the townies, the regular people who live and work in the town, making its existence possible for the tourists.

16-year-old Naima (Nina Farid) is a townie. Her mother works as a hotel housekeeper, and Naima isn't sure what she will do, but she has an offer to spend the summer interning with a top chef. She gets distracted from that plan by the arrival of her beautiful, older cousin, Sofia (Zahia Dehar). Sofia is sex personified, built like Sofia Loren, and she dresses to show off what she's got, which, of course, is all that she's got. She lives off the largesse of wealthy men, and she takes her job seriously.

Naima absorbs all this, watching her cousin seduce and be seduced by a billionaire, Andres (Nuno Lopez). Seduced, herself, by the glamour, Naima abandons her internship plans as well as her regular friends to go along for the ride. Her eyes are opened to a world of luxury, sophisticated friends, and sex.

“An Easy Girl” is a beautifully-filmed, erotic movie with a great story. I will give one spoiler: it's NOT a thriller. Nobody gets murdered or anything. This is really a coming-of-age tale. Naima is right at the age where she wants to start exploring her independence. Of course she is drawn in by her beautiful, confident cousin, who seems to move through the world so effortlessly. Exploring Cannes's night life with Sofia is completely different from going out with Naima's high school friends. Sofia's beauty seems to open up endless possibilities. Also, Naima is raised by a single mom, so it's natural that she admires Sofia's ability to get attention from older men.

The more they hang out, the more Naima learns that Sofia's life isn't effortless at all. The title of the film is actually ironic. Sofia isn't “easy” in the traditional sense: you have to be rich to be with her. Life doesn't come as easy to Sofia as it seems, either. Looking the way she does, attracting these wealthy men, and keeping them interested, all of it takes work. Sofia doesn't assume that the world owes her things. She has a sense of duty in holding up her end of the relationship, both in the bedroom and at the dinner table. Before a dinner date with Andres, she cooks a meal for herself and Naima, explaining that, at dinner, she needs to be able to focus on the other guests and make interesting conversation, rather than being focused on eating. Like a samurai or an old-West gunslinger, Sofia has a code that she lives by.

For his part, Andres is really just the other side of the coin from Sofia. He shows off his wealth the way she shows off her body. He has an assistant named Phillipe, who is almost a mentor. Andres is new money, with little idea how to spend his millions other than prancing around in a yacht like Euro-trash. Phillipe is helping Andres become a collector of valuable artifacts and introducing him to educated sophisticates. Andres refers to Phillipe as “Socrates,” suggesting that he views him as his teacher. Phillipe's influence over Andres, however, does not seem to extend to Andres's romantic dalliances.

“An Easy Girl” is a sexy movie that gives you a lot to think about. Watching it is like going on a sun-soaked vacation and reading a classic novel!

4 stars out of 5

Jay & Silent Bob Reboot (2019) **1/2

 

When Hollywood runs out of original ideas, which seems to happen a lot, they just go back to something that worked in the past, making a sequel, a reboot, or a spin-off. “Jay & Silent Bob Reboot” is, in a way, all three, and the movie makes fun of that fact.

Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) really should require no introduction. They were easily the best thing about Kevin Smith's first movie, the low-budget legend, “Clerks.” These two goofball drug dealers then became the most recurring characters in Smith's films, constantly cropping up to provide comic relief and sage advice. They got their own movie with 2001's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," in which they travel across the country to stop the production of a movie about themselves.

Almost 20 years later, these two hetero life-mates are still just hanging out in New Jersey, and the movie studios are at it again. Not only are they making a new Jay & Silent Bob movie, they swindle the boys out of the trademark rights to their own names. The boys head back to Hollywood to put a stop to the nonsense.

Along the way, they stop to see Justice (Shannon Elizabeth), Jay's old flame from “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.” Justice has a little surprise for Jay. She has an 18-year-old daughter, and you can do the math on that. Milly (Harley Quinn Smith) has no idea that Jay is her father, but she convinces Jay and Silent Bob to let her and her diverse group of friends hitch a ride to Hollywood. This gives Jay a chance to come to terms with his new life role.

Kevin Smith's career has been, to say the least, uneven. His first film, “Clerks,” is a total classic, despite being rough around the edges. “Mallrats,” by comparison, seemed really sophomoric, but I find that the movie has aged well and is now one of my Kevin Smith favorites. Then there was “Chasing Amy,” which seemed just perfect when I saw it in the cinema, but which didn't hold up so well to repeat viewing. “Dogma” had its moments, but doesn't rate a re-watch. “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back” was silly as hell, but funny on a certain level. 2004's “Jersey Girl” was un-watchable, and 2008's “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” wasn't much better. Those 2 films could have spelled the end of my Kevin-Smith-watching career, but in between he gave us the excellent "Clerks II." 

So where does “Jay & Silent Bob Reboot” fit into this oeuvre? It feels less like a movie and more like a warts-and-all celebration of Smith's career. It's chock full of Easter eggs from his previous films, with loads of winking, self-referential cameos. Smith even put his daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, in the film, as he has done in several previous movies, and then they make fun of him for his nepotism. In short, this is one for the fans. If you haven't seen several of Smith's previous films, especially “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back,” then there is no reason to watch the reboot. If you ARE a fanboy, then it's probably worth watching, if you have nothing better to do. Smith's daughter drags the movie down a little; she's not that great an actress, and she is odd-looking. It's also a little off-putting seeing some of these actors looking so much older, especially Jason Mewes. (Smith, himself, as Silent Bob, is the exception. He lost a bunch of weight after a heart attack, and looks better than ever.) So, how does the reboot compare to "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back?"  I'd say it's the rare sequel that's at least as good as the original.

2.5 stars out of 5

Blue Ruin (2013) ***

 

When a homeless man learns that the man who killed his parents is being released from prison, there is never any doubt what he will do. Dwight (Macon Blair) gets his act together just enough to go hunt that sumbitch down. The job is more complicated than expected, however, and Dwight winds up having to take on the guy's entire, white-trash family.

This is really a story about family feuds, which are a natural consequence of a legal system that lets murderers walk free. People like Dwight feel like they have to take the law into their own hands, and then there's retribution for that, leading to an escalating cycle of violence. The Clelands seek to kill Dwight after he kills their brother, but they also kind of respect him for avenging his parents himself, as it's exactly what they would have done. The justice system is supposed to prevent these kinds of feuds, but it only works if it provides actual justice.

“Blue Ruin” is a low-budget, film-festival film that keeps you on the edge of your seat, with decent performances from a bunch of unknown actors. It's also one of the most realistic revenge movies I've seen. Dwight isn't some superhero, ex-special-forces bad-ass. He's just an ordinary, schlubby, depressed guy who turns out to be extremely motivated. It's a good revenge story, and while there isn't much to say about it, it's well worth watching.

3 stars out of 5