Late Night

First Hit: I thought Emma Thompson as Katherine Newbury, was excellent and engaging in this role, but the rest of the film flopped along.

The overall story premise was good if looking at it from 100,000 feet. Young aspiring comedy writer who is a woman of color breaking into the all-white male writing team for Katherine Newbury who is a successful twenty-five plus year veteran late-night comedy talk show host.

But the failure is that there is little meat on the bones of Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling) finding her way from being a quality inspector at a Pittsburgh chemical producing plant (“the factory”) to being hired, with no experience just because she’s female of color.

This old part of Patel’s story is set up with a few lines of dialogue and fewer sparse scenes that hold no reason or inclination as to why she thinks she could even interview for the job as Newbury’s writer, let alone get the job.

Granted, the hiring and firing of her staff writers by Newbury is illegal and problematic, but they do try to be funny and point out weaknesses in people, companies, society, and specifically Newbury. But this isn’t the film’s message, or at least we hope it isn’t. What are the lessons?

Lesson One: If you’ve got a dream, work hard at it, get good at it, don’t just point out negatives of someone else’s work, provide input about changes, make your information excellent, and maybe you’ll make it. This was Molly’s path to getting seen and heard. However, its failing is that we never learn why she felt she could be a comedic writer in the first place. I think she believed that because this may be Kaling’s own story, it would come across, it didn’t.

Lesson Two: The second message is about forgiveness of past deeds and waking up to a changing world. But it’s about making changes to stay relevant that is the primary focus of lesson two. This was Katherine’s lesson. And how it plays out publicly with one of her young guests, what she has to let go of, and her long ago affair was rather good.

I thought the scenes in the writing room were weak and of little impact. The film could have dug into how difficult it is to create comedy by leveraging the characters and writers; #’s 1 – 8. The numbers relate to how Newbury labeled her team instead of using their names. Realistically, this was a device to prop up Katherine’s meanness. The heartfelt scene when she thanked everyone and uses everyone’s name except #6’s, was OK until she forgot his name. Another plot device to say, Newbury has learned something but still has more to learn.

What I’m saying is that every scene was a manipulation for the benefit of the two lessons mentioned above.

Thompson was strong focused and powerful as the aging talk show host who gave up everything to be in her position. She carried the right tenor and clarity of purpose. Kaling seemed lost and lazy in this role. I know little about her in other characters, but this one just fell flat. It was more about the situations she found herself in that were interesting, but the two major crying jags were not necessary and seemed like another plot device to manipulate other characters and the audience. John Lithgow, as Katherine’s husband Walter, was excellent in his limited role. Hugh Dancy as charming and seductive writer Charlie Fain was Okay. Again, he was a distinct plot device and not a real good character with history or background. Reid Scott as monologue writer Tom Campbell was better. There was an engagement in the role which came through. Denis O’Hare as Newbury’s right-hand person Brad was very good. His frantic ways of fixing all of Katherine’s problems was engaging and like a people pleaser. Ike Barinholtz as Newbury’s designated replacement Daniel Tennant was suitable. His facial expressions when being interviewed on Newbury’s show, and she re-directed the intent was perfect. Kaling wrote a mediocre screenplay that meandered and lacked solid footing. Nisha Ganatra directed this and got some excellent performances and also weak scenes mostly due to script failings.

Overall: This film failed at delivering all that it could, and this was mostly due to Kaling’s script and acting.

Hysteria

First Hit:  Although a bit uneven, this film was surprisingly funny and interesting.

This is a film about the invention of women’s vibrators.

This may seem like an odd subject and make one skeptical of why the film will be seen by people in a movie theater. However, this film ties together the women’s movement, sexual freedom, and the misperception by the male medical community and many women that women couldn’t have pleasure in sex.

Mortimer Granville (played by Hugh Dancy) is a doctor that cannot believe that medical practice, as practiced by most hospitals in his time (late 19 Century), ignores scientific proof of the existence of germs, thinks that bleeding people with leeches is the go-to cure-all, and hooking up with pharmaceutical makers (OK this is still practiced today) is the only way to survive as a doctor.

He’s fired from yet another hospital because he wants to clean a wound versus bleeding the wound. He finds work with Dr. Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Price) who has a private practice only treating women’s hysteria. But, what he actually does is masturbate women who find the results to be a release of their frustrations and dis-pleasurable temperaments.

Back in those times, women we’re thought of not being able to have any sexual pleasurable. Dalrymple has two daughters, Emily (Felicity Jones) and Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who are very different in their participation in life. Emily is of the mindset to be of her father’s ilk and thinks women belong in the kitchen and taking care of the house.

Charlotte, on the other hand, knows women can have sexual pleasure, believes in helping the poor, and think women should vote and have something more to bring to the world than a "well-run house". Granville, excels at his new practice of curing women's moments of hysteria, but suffers from hand cramps.

When he fails to “cure” one of Dr. Dalrymple’s clients he gets fired. When his friend Edmund St. John-Smythe (played by Rupert Everett) shows him an electrical fan, he discovers that the vibration helps his cramping hand. He then pulls off the feathers and asks a women to allow him to try it out on her. She totally enjoys it.

Granville and John-Smythe license their machines which become portable and it changes women’s enjoyment of sex from then on.

There is a side story about relationships between Granville and the Dalrymple girls but it is obvious what will happen.

Dancy shows a nativity and smartness to carry off this role with a bit of tongue-in-cheek and intelligence. Price is good as a Dr. who is protective of his practice and belief. Jones is OK as a girl who does what she thinks she is supposed to do. Gyllenhaal steals every scene she is in. Everett is very strong as a renegade aristocrat. Steven and Jonah Lisa Dyer wrote a script that was mixed with tongue-in-cheek-ness and historical innovation. Tanya Wexler directed this film in a way that makes this subject both interesting and funny.

Overall: This film won’t win many awards but it rewarded everyone in the theater by being both enjoyable and informative.

Martha Macy May Marlene

First Hit: Interesting idea but the slow paced execution left me wanting to understand more.

The idea of how someone is affected by living in a cult community and then deciding to leave and go back to their family is a very interesting one.

This film gives only the perspective of Martha (played by Elizabeth Olsen) as we see her leaving the compound where she has lived for 2 years. She calls her sister and goes to live with her.

During the two weeks she is with her sister Lucy (played by Sarah Paulson) and Lucy’s husband Ted (Hugh Dancy), her involvement with the commune/cult is flashed back upon. Her first sexual experience was with Patrick (played by John Hawkes) the leader of the commune while she was drugged and passed out.

Patrick sexually enters all his women from behind, which I found telling about him and what he teaches his followers. For someone who demanded others to be open and upfront with everyone, only to have his most intimate actions with the women of the community from behind so that his face isn't seen was poignant.

We learn, as the film moves along, that Lucy and Martha’s mother died when Martha was in high school and Lucy was in college. Lucy feels guilty because she didn’t come back and take care of Martha when their mother died. What didn’t happen in this film was storyline around what was Martha’s decision making process as to how and why she found herself in Patrick’s community.

What was very effective was how Martha portrayed this lost young woman caught between two different lifestyles, right and wrong, and how to find her path through life.

Elizabeth Olsen was very strong and believable as a young girl trying to find herself and what her role in life is. Sarah Paulson was very strong as Martha’s sister. She portrayed the right mix of love, concern and repulsion at her sister’s actions. John Hawkes was effective as the cult leader who uses guilt, intelligence and guile as a base of power. Hugh Dancy is good as Lucy’s husband who has had enough of Martha’s antics. Sean Durkin wrote and directed this film and it seemed to me that this was a good attempt but for such a complex idea there needed to be additional background information.

Overall: This was a valiant attempt to portray a very interesting subject but the execution lacked background to validate the basis.

Adam

First Hit: Well acted and a truly wonderful little film with a beautiful story of love and growth.

Asperger’s syndrome is a major player in this film as we, along with Beth (played by Rose Byrne), get to learn what it’s about and how to understand someone who has it.

Briefly; people affected have difficulty in social situations, have little empathy for another, may not know what a joke is because everything is taken literally, likes routines in everything and is preoccupied with a few very specific interests.

This is a key element in this film and the filmmakers create direct and real events to share this information with the audience. Hugh Dancy plays Adam a young man in his early 20’s who is an electrical engineer and has Aspergers syndrome.

At the beginning of the film we see him at his father’s funeral and, as Adam goes back to his now empty apartment, we see him simply going about his life. A young girl named Beth moves in upstairs and she is direct letting Adam know she would like to know more about him.

Adam, doesn’t get the hint very well, but as they speak and get to know each other a little better, Adam becomes more bold. At one point, Adam openly and naively states he was sexually aroused. Here is the moment the filmmakers use to begin the explanation of Asperger’s syndrome.

As Beth learns more she continues to be intrigued by this very real, almost childlike man, who enjoys her company. As their relationship develops, her father Marty (played by Peter Gallagher) tries to dissuade her from Adam because he is not good enough for her.

However Marty’s got problems of his own and there is some wonderful spot on acting by Amy Irving as Marty’s wife Rebecca as these problems come to light. As Adam and Beth's relationship grows and contracts, both of them learn about their life and what it takes to move forward. I thought then end scene was particularly heartwarming.

Hugh Dancy was spectacular as Adam. Not once did I not believe he was the character as he pushed the boundaries of Adam’s limitations. Byrne was sweet and complex enough to make Beth a critical and strong proponent of Adam’s evolution. Frankie Faison as Harlan, Adam’s dad and Adam’s friend, was beautifully strong, sincere as he guided Adam in some of his difficult steps. Irving was joyous to see on the screen again and in her brief appearances delivered critical comments and looks which spoke realms into the dynamics of love. Max Mayer both wrote and directed this wonderful film with empathy, kindness and mindfulness.

Overall: A truly wonderful film from beginning to end mostly because of Dancy’s acting and the cast’s commitment to make this film honest.