Friends: Do We Need A Reunion?

Friends was a sitcom that ran between 1994- 2004 and it had a monumental effect on Pop Culture and influenced countless other shows. The premise of the show revolved around a group of twenty something friends who all live together in New York, each week they get into different funny situations and a few of the more serious plot lines carry throughout the show.

It is near impossible when talking about this show to not mention the cultural phenomenon that it was at the time, whether you love it or you hate it, it shaped network television for a long time. The premise if it was released now would sound uninspired and samey, but at the time it was novel. When you watch shows like The Big Bang Theory or, How I Met Your Mother you can see the lifeblood of Friends still alive, serving in many ways as a perennial force to both modern sitcoms.

Friends was very much a product of it’s time, it was undeniably 90’s in many ways and that is clear to see when you watch an episode of it. I think when Friends was released on Netflix and everyone was upset and saying how offensive it was; that it was a tad ridiculous. By modern standards there are multiple jokes and situations that seems sketchy, but that is true of any shows that weren’t made in the last 5 years, in another 5 years the shows we are watching now will seem widely not up to standard, so you can’t be too harsh on the show in that respect.

The reason why this show was so successful, is because it is nice to watch a group of friends get into silly situations there is something comforting about it, because at the end of the day it is relatable. Most people have at least one friend that they enjoy hanging out with so they can relate. This is helped by all the characters being likeable, there isn’t a character that ruins the ensemble by being a dick, yes there is Ross (David Schwimmer), but even he isn’t out and out hateable.

Overall, I think this is a very important show for better or for worse, I was inspired to write this when I heard that they were doing a reunion show for HBO Max and in regard to that I wanted to say please don’t. Yes, I know it will be seen by millions of people, but do we really truly want to see a 2020 episode of Friends? It has it’s place in the mid to late 90’s and early 2000s, but as sad as it is to say, it doesn’t really have one now, people have moved on; plus other beloved hits that have tried to comeback have a long track record of not being well liked and I would hate to see Friends end a similar way.

Written By Luke

Mamma Mia: Couldn’t Escape If I Wanted To.

Mamma Mia: The Movie is a jukebox musical romantic comedy film directed by Phyllida Lloyd. The plot revolves around Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who, a few days before her wedding, wants to find out who her dad is, so she invites 3 men to her wedding who could all be her potential father, so she can in her own words, “get married knowing who she is”.

On watching this I found it to not be as good as the sequel, Here We Go Again, a lot of the drama in this film I found annoying, Sophie’s character is stressed as she doesn’t know what she is going to do about the 3 men she invited to the wedding, one of whom is her father, here’s an idea why don’t you sit down and have a conversation with them, no that would be too simple. However, that said no one is really watching these films for the intricate details of the plot, they’re watching them to listen to the Abba soundtrack.

Most of the Abba songs you know and love are in this film, Super Trooper, Waterloo, Dancing Queen are all there, one of my personal favourites Fernando, yes I like it because of that scene in Malcolm In The Middle, isn’t in it, which I found personally disappointing, but that’s all just a matter of personal taste. The film is still incredibly fun and entertaining to not only watch, but also sing and dance along with. All of the cast give good performances: Meryl Streep (Donna) as well as the 3 dads Colin Firth (Harry), Stellan Skarsgard (Bill) and Pierce Borsnan (Sam), are all the standouts, they each have a lot of fantastic moments that make you laugh and smile, Firth especially.

The dance choreography is all done quite well and there are many lavish numbers where it can be seen and appreciated; this is especially true of the beach scene; you will know which one I mean if you have seen the film.

Overall, this is an incredibly fun film that will make you laugh, cry and want to dance. Abba’s songs are timeless and never seem to go out of style, you will find them stuck inside your head days after you have seen this film, so be prepared for that. The only thing that stops me from giving it full honours is that I believe it was upstaged by its sequel in a few ways, as a result I have more fondness towards that film.

Pros.

The songs.

The dance.

The laughs.

The love.

Cons.

It is not as good as its sequel.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke.

Dumplin’: And The Winner Is

Dumplin’ is a coming of age comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher. The film sees Dolly Parton obsessed teen Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald), compete in a beauty pageant despite her mother’s strong disapproval. The film tackles a lot of issues surrounding the idea of what makes a person beautiful and self-worth.

I think in regard to how this film portrays weight issues it is a triumph. Dumplin’ is proud of how she is and wishes people would see her for her rather than how she looks, there is an important message of not judging a book by its cover and self-love that is at the core of this film and I think it is one we should all heed.

A lot of things about this film are quite stereotypical, they go the way many other romantic themed coming of age films go, Willowdean doesn’t win the pageant in the end, but it doesn’t matter as she has proven something to herself and her mother Rosie (Jennifer Aniston), thereby earning her approval. However, despite the lack of originality, these plot points still hit home they still feel impactful. As anyone who has ever tried to seek approval from their parents would tell you that moment when you get it, if you get it, is incredibly rewarding and you can feel that here.

The romantic sub-plot between Willowdean and some boy, I can’t remember his name, I could take or leave: it did very little for me and also drew attention away from the inner journey that Willowdean was on as well as the relationship between her and her mum, both of which I think were better done. I enjoyed the relationship between Willowdean, and her mum and I think Aniston did a really good job showing us this character whose whole world is conventional beauty and these pageants, coming to terms with a new way of thinking and being happy for her daughter rather than trying to change her.

Overall, despite being weak in some areas and contrived in others, this film still has an important message and one that I think will resonate with a lot of people. Both Macdonald and Aniston give good performance and I think it is worth watching for their relationship alone, fascinating.

Pros.

A good message.

The relationship between Mother and Daughter.

Aniston is terrific.

Cons.

Contrived sub-plots.

The story could have been tighter, did we really need the romance storyline?

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Wedding Singer: Let Adam Sandler Into Your Heart

The Wedding Singer is a romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. The plot follows Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler), a wedding singer, who gets left at the alter when his fiancé doesn’t attend their wedding: he then gives up on love and falls into a spiral, that is until he meets Julia (Drew Barrymore).

This film is widely regarded as one of Sandler’s best, certain this is true of the films he made during his romantic era and I have to admit when I rewatched it recently it holds up to how good I remember it being from when I was a kid.

Sandler’s character is sweet, and you root for him in the same way you did in Mr Deeds or Big Daddy, none of that loathsome hate ability, whereby he could easily be the villain of the film, that infects a lot of his later works is present here. You want to see Robbie and Julia get together, in that regard this film functions very well as a romantic comedy as it achieves it base purpose. The chemistry between Barrymore and Sandler is arguably the best of his career, though in recent years he has been pairing himself with Jennifer Aniston in terms of romantic interest, Sandler has far more on-screen chemistry with Barrymore and it is plain to see.

My issues with this film are only very minor, but they are the same issues that effect a lot of Sandler’s films. A lot of the comedy relies on stereotypes and questionable humour, which yes you can say is a product of its time, but it stands out when viewing it today. Furthermore, the villain Julia’s cheating fiancé Glenn (Matthew Glave), is almost cartoonish. By that I mean there is no nuance to his character at all beyond the fact that he is a dick, he cheats, he is a misogynist, he treats Julia like dirt and for good measure he hits Robbie in the face; we get it film he is a bad guy.

Overall, this is certainly one of Sandler’s more charming films, there is a genuine warmth and heart to it that reminds everyone how good an Adam Sandler film can be if he isn’t just phoning it in. The issues are only minor and for the most part his is a very enjoyable film to watch.

Pros.

Good chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore.

Sandler is sweet and endearing.

The music is fantastic.

Cons.

The villain is cartoonish.

Stereotypes for humour.

3.5/5

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Part 3: Abandon All Hope Of A Good Season

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 3 is a supernatural horror TV Series. The show revolves around a young witch called Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka), she is half witch and half human and is unlike her peers on both sides on the supernatural vial. The series sees her learn more about her powers and herself and go on various adventures with her friends. Part 3 sees Sabrina go to hell to get her boyfriend back, thereby becoming the new Queen of hell, as well as battling against a horde of pagans that worship the Old Gods and want to see the destruction of Sabrina’s coven.

Before I get into this review I just want to say I genuinely enjoyed the first 2 parts of this series, there were plenty of great horror moments to keep me interested, despite being linked to the Archie comics and therefore to Riverdale this show had avoided most of the terrible pit falls of that show. At least it did for a time.

Part 3 is by far the worst so far, The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina always had a distinct sense of identity, but it loses it this season. It basically becomes a more out there slightly scarier Riverdale which is the worst thing I could ever possibly say. The supernatural horror takes a back seat to relationship drama and teenage angst, I understand this is the main market for the show, but the other parts still had good horror elements mixed in to make these moments bearable. What’s more there is a musical interlude every 5 seconds, which feels very Riverdale, these songs feel like they have no natural place in the show instead feeling like plot padding and a chance to show off their licensed music.

Another thing that makes this part the worst for me is Sabrina herself. She has always been brash and impulsive following her heart rather than her head, but this season is ridiculous. She repeatedly does things that put everyone she cares about in danger just because it is what she wants to do. When she is trying to become The Queen Of Hell, she won’t take souls unless she thinks they deserve it, which is baffling as they sold their souls to the devil in the first place. What’s more her whole holier than thou attitude quickly becomes grating as she seems to think she knows better than everyone else on screen; proving her to be the embodiment of every self-entitled, self-important arsehole ever; what makes this almost comical is that she is near always wrong.

Don’t even get me started on her friends, they literally exist to further the plot and fill-out the near hour runtime of an episode. In a supernatural horror show, I don’t want to watch a 10-minute cheer leading sequence. This series is going down the toilet fast.

Pros.

A few good horror sequences.

Lilith continues to be great.

Cons.

Sabrina is hateable.

It feels pandering and Riverdale esque.

It’s vapid and self-involved.

1.5/5

Reviewed By Luke

Adult World: A Sex Shop Of Love

‘Adult World’ is a comedy drama film directed by Scott Coffey. The plot follows Amy (Emma Roberts), an aspiring poet who is waiting on her big break. After she gets kicked out of her parents’ house, she is forced to take up a job at a sex shop which she eventually grows to love over time, despite not being happy to work there in the beginning. She also becomes some what of a protegee to famous American poet Rat Billings (John Cusack), who she has idolised since she was young.

This film deals with themes of growing up and accepting your place in the world. Throughout the film Amy is stressed as she feels she is not making enough of her golden years and that if she is not a published poet by the time, she turns 22 it is all over for her. However, at the end of the film Amy realises that it is okay to not be where she wants to be, and that life can be surprising. Indeed, if there is a message to this film it is that failure is okay, it has a comfortability to it.

The on-screen chemistry between Amy and her co worker Alex (Evan Peters), is palpable. Any scene the two shares together is fantastic, and captivating and it makes sense that this film was the beginning on their real-life relationship. Both, actors I believe are criminally underrated and both do a great job with what they are given here.

My one issue with this film is that John Cusack’s tired angry mentor character feels cliched and done before. He gives a good enough performance don’t get me wrong, but I do believe that he lets down the scenes between him and Emma Robert’s character which is a real shame as he is capable of much better.

Overall, this film has beautiful message of expanding your mind and being tolerant towards others which is something I think we all need to be reminded off every now and again. It is a shame that John Cusack is past his prime, but at least Roberts and Peters are fantastic and make this a film worth watching. There is a beauty to this film that needs to be seen.

Pros.

Roberts And Peters’ Great Chemistry.

It Is Unique.

It Has A Beautiful Message.

It Leaves You With Something To Think About.

Cons.

John Cusack Is Phoning It In.

3/5

Reviewed By Luke

Lady And The Tramp: Disney’s Golden Age?

‘The Lady and The Tramp’ is an animated musical romance film. The plot follows Lady (Barbra Luddy), as she comes to terms with the fact that she might get overlooked when her master’s new baby arrives, during which time she ends up falling in love with Tramp (Larry Roberts).

This film is classic Disney, it came out during that Golden Age for Disney which saw the release of things like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I have seen this film but twice in my life, once when I was very young and then much more recently last weekend. I have to say it is not how I remember it and, not in a good way.

No, I am not going to go on about how it is outdated and then talk about the racist cat song: because ultimately that was just a feature of a lot of films from that time period. Instead I am going to talk about how I felt it was lacking a lot of the warmth and heart that a lot of those other classic Disney films have.

Lady and Tramp are both likable as protagonists, but I never found myself caring about them. There are two scenes in the film’s third act that both deal with the supposed death of a character. One of these scenes features Tramp being taken away to the pound to be put down, the other sees Trusty (Bill Baucorn), almost sacrifice his life to save Tramp. Out of these two scenes the one that should have more emotional impact is the one where Tramp faces death as he is one of our main characters, that we spent a lot of time with, but this just isn’t the case.

What’s more this film has no real business calling itself a musical, it doesn’t feature many songs at all. Moreover, the few songs that the film does have are not at all memorable and are mostly flat.

Overall, this film wasn’t what I remembered it to be, it lacked a lot of the warmth and the heart I remember it having, for the few good moments it has and the heart warming ending I will still give it an above average score, but it really isn’t a must see.

Pros.

The Classic Disney Animation.

The Happy Wholesome Ending.

Cons.

You Don’t Care About The Main Characters.

It Lacks Any Real Warmth.

It Doesn’t Have That Disney Magic.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Mr Right: A New Type Of Killer Clown

‘Mr Right’ is a romantic comedy, action film. The plot follows Martha (Anna Kendrick), a recently single women who meets Francis (Sam Rockwell), a man who seems perfect for her, until she finds out that he is a hitman. From there the story goes down the lines of Francis’s old partner wants to get him back in the game, a gang hires Francis, but then tries to kill him; as Francis has a rule of killing those that hire him after a shift in his morals, as well as the will they wont they romance of Martha and Francis.

I have to say this film was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be, this is mainly due to the fact that Rockwell is a terrific and naturally charming lead. There is a real heart to this film that prevails all the killing and the shooting and at the end of the film you are glad to see the pair end up together.

The action scenes of the film are mostly fun there are some good moments that have strong choreography, but the rest are just either Rockwell or Kendrick shooting someone which after a while gets boring.

I’m not saying Anna Kendrick can’t act but, she is playing the same character she always plays the loveable goofy oddball. The opening act of this film that sees her crying in a closest and being drunk rambling about her ex could be from any of her films. That is not to say she isn’t good in this film she is fine, but it would be interesting to see her play a different type of character.

The humour of the film I found to be a mixed bag, at times it made me smile and elevated the scene it was used in, other times it made me groan and felt like bad cringe. I would say that a lot of Rockwell’s comedy lands as he has very good delivery and timing and seems to know when to play it straight and when to crack a joke. The same can’t be said for everyone else, however.

Finally, it is nice to see Anson Mount in something, it has been too long, and he always gives a good performance even if he is only on scene for a matter of minutes.

Overall, this film is on the better side of average this is owed wholly to Rockwell. He elevates this film past the mediocrity that it could easily have fallen into. Kendrick is serviceable and the romance is sweet, it’s good but, you won’t remember it.

Pros.

Rockwell.

Some Of The Action Sequences.

The Humour.

Cons.

The Humour.

Kendrick Is Playing The Same Character As Always.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

True Romance:A Story Of Love and Crime

‘True Romance’ is a romantic crime film, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The plot follows an ex call-girl called Alabama (Patricia Arquette), and her husband Clarence (Christian Slater), as they go on the run from the mob after Clarence accidentally steals a large amount of cocaine from Alabama’s ex pimp.

This film feels very Tarantino esque despite only being written by him, all the hallmarks by which we would come to know his work are all present here; much like all of his pictures this film is glorious. Yes, my thoughts on current Tarantino have been noted in previous reviews, I don’t think he has made a film that was of the same caliber as his early works since ‘Django Unchained’ back in 2012; I think he is on the decline as a director.

The tone of the film again is familiar to Tarantino fans as it has moments of extreme darkness and moments of levity, it has moments of gritty realism and moments of fantasy oddness. One such odd detail which also happens to be one of my favourite bits of the film is how Clarence has Elvis (Val Kilmer) as an imaginary friend; a lot of these wacky details add to the film’s manic sensibilities.

That said the film also pulls off slow meaningful moments well, there are a lot of scenes between Alabama and Clarence that have genuine warmth and emotion to them. The relationship between the two grows throughout the runtime of the film in a real and organic way; you can feel the love they have for each other.

The performances in this film are also excellent, Slater and Arquette do a great job as the leads, but the supporting cast also give great turns. The late James Gandolfini is terrific as a mob hitman called Virgil, though his character isn’t in it a huge amount he shines with what he has. There is a brutal fight scene between his character and Alabama and the monologue that Gandolfini delivers before and during it can only be described as chilling.

Christopher Walken is also instantly memorable as Don Vincenzo Coccotti. Though Walken’s character only has a scene he brings such a presence to the screen such as sense of gravitas that he is immediately captivating.

Overall, this film is phenomenal it a testament to Tarantino as a screen writer as it is a film that features a lot of characters, but each one feels unique and special.

Pros.

Tarantino Magic.

Great Leads In Slater And Arquette.

Gandolfini Is A Scene Stealer.

So Is Walken.

Cons.

A Little Slow At Times.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Lost In Translation: Wandering The Streets Of Tokyo

‘Lost In Translation’ is a comedy-drama film. The plot revolves around washed-up actor Bob Harris (Bill Murray), who befriends a young college graduate called Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the film details their growing friendship; with possible romantic undertones.

This film explores a lot of very heavy themes such as ideas about loneliness, and the lack of a clear direction in one’s life. As a result of exploring these themes, this film feels like an exercise in self-reflection. Despite dissecting these strong themes, the film never goes into being depressing as there is a good amount of humour to balance out the more contemplative moments.

Though Bill Murray mostly plays it straight here there is still an element of awkward comedy in his performance, as he finds it hard to adapt to certain situations. The humour of this film is often very quirky and off the wall, I don’t think it will make you laugh out loud very often, but there are quite a few chuckles to be had.

The performances are the high point of the film as both Johansson and Murray give it their all. We can see that both of these characters are unhappy in their lives and are waiting on the next big change to make sense of it all. Both characters are unhappy in their marriages, but still decide to stay in them. This is what this film does so well, there is a great sense of not knowing what to do and being lost, which can be found throughout the film.

A lot of the cinematography, editing and sound choices give this film almost a dream-like feel to it or, maybe a distant memory. These choices help the film to feel unique and give it a strong sense of identity.

Anna Faris is in this film as Kelly, someone who is positioned to be a love rival to Charlotte, but she is mostly wasted. With Charlotte’s Husband this film goes for the whole he is never there angel, suggesting that they are growing apart and maybe that he is cheating on her. I think this plotline could have been achieved just as well through mentions of another woman, they didn’t need to create this largely pointless character.

Also, my major complaint is that the relationship, or supposed relationship, between Bob and Charlotte by the end of the film feels a bit icky. Throughout the film, I liked the two as friends and I wanted it to stay that way. Charlotte is so young, far too young for Bob and I know the heart wants what it wants, but in this modern climate, it feels a bit off to me.

Overall a very nice film to watch it has a lot of very interesting things to say and the way it is filmed deserves praise as it is a clear example of a director having a beautiful vision and sticking to it.

Pros.

The Themes.

The Performances.

The Film-making Process.

Cons.

Anna Faris Wasted Character.

Icky Romance.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke