Bad Moms

First Hit:  Although it was quite crass at times, there were more than a few laughs, which made this film worth watching.

The story follows Amy (Mila Kunis) as she is taken advantage of by her young, uninformed, boy boss because she shows up each day although she only works their part time.

She has this demanding job, is a mom doing all the mom type running round, tries to stay active with the PTA, and wants to be a good wife. Her primary focus is to help her kids, including doing their school work, so her kids get good grades. After dropping the kids off at school, she shows up to work and is the only grown up in the company.

Her husband casually works, and Amy catches him, one day, having skype sex with a woman he’s never met. This online relationship has been going on for 10 months. She kicks him out.

The pressure to be a good mom and be active in the PTA, led by Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) is fierce. Amy meets and bonds with Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and Kiki (Kristen Bell), two other moms who struggle with the pressures of motherhood.

Carla is divorced and is man hungry. This is where most of the film’s crassness comes from. Carla is foul mouth and man hungry. This is the largest detriment to the film. It might have been better if this character was either cut or the role toned down somewhat.

Kiki, on the other hand becomes empowered through the film and this is nice to see. The three of them are fed up with the power that PTA President Gwendolyn and her henchwomen Stacy (Jada Pinkette Smith) and Vicky (Annie Mumolo) exude with prissiness and entitlement based on money and what they think is right for everyone.

The PTA is the battle ground and Amy decides to challenge Gwendolyn for the presidency of the organization. The film has lots of scenes that show the PTA in all its glory. It shows women deciding to take their lives into their own hands while juggling their children, and their lives outside of school.

I did think the crassness of Carla was overdone and had me wanting to cut her lines. I thought Amy’s relationship with her kids Jane and Dylan (Oona Laurence and Emjay Anthony respectively) was a strong part of the film. The most touching part of the film were the credits, as the actresses and their moms were revealingly interviewed.

Kunis was very good and her ability to carry multiple looks (mom, party girl, and responsible workmate) were strong. Hahn was good and I disliked the script for her. The man and sex hungry woman with a foul mouth didn’t work for me. It never works for me male or female. Bell was wonderful. She brings an engagement to her roles that is always watchable. Applegate was very good and she clearly knew this role. Laurence, for me, was the star of the film. It was a minor role, yet what she brought to it how she engaged each scene was wonderful. Anthony was good as the son trying to figure out his path now that dad was gone. Smith was strong as a henchwoman. Scott Moore and Jon Lucas, together, wrote and directed this film and outside of the overt crassness, it captured some of the life of moms.

Overall:  For the most part my experience was positive, but it wasn’t a great film.

The Boss

First Hit:  Not a well thought out plot, however at times, it was laugh out loud funny.

I’m not a big Melissa McCarthy fan. I don’t always find her sense of humor to be my cup of tea. Often, her size/weight are part of the humor kit bag. Here it wasn’t which made the experience better.

As Michelle Darnell, a fabulously wealthy woman wooing crowds with her state it and take it philosophy, she is crassly focused on herself and her money. She was raised in an orphanage because she is returned to the orphanage 3 times by foster parents that find her unlikable.

During her hey-day, Claire (Kristen Bell), her assistant works hard to support her, but is mistreated and finally leaves. Michelle, at the same time, is also arrested and convicted for insider trading and spends time in jail because of her competitor, Renault (Peter Dinklage), turns her in.

Upon release from prison Michelle shows up at Claire’s door without anywhere else to go. Claire trusts here again and they go into business but Michelle double-crosses Claire again. Will Michelle learn? Watch the film to find out.

McCarthy is very funny at times. I appreciated that her weight wasn’t used as a focal point to her humor. Bell is funny, touching and is an actress that I think is underrated because she consistently delivers.  Dinklage is odd in this role and I’m not sure it was well cast. Ella Anderson, as Bell’s daughter, was really good. She carried curiosity, kindness and faith very well. Ben Falcone wrote and directed this occasionally funny film.

Overall:  It was enjoyable and at times, very funny, but plot wise it was just OK.

Hit and Run

First Hit:  Felt like it was put together in a hurry – low craftsmanship – yet it was enjoyable with a solid set of points.

Stay in the present. People can change. Forgiveness of oneself and others is important. And, how a person shows up to you now may be different from how they were in the past. I liked these points.

However, does this film make them well? Not really and that is the down fall of this film. Hit and Run is a title that is more about how the film was made than the action in film itself. Yul Perkins a.k.a. Charles Bronson (played Dax Shepard) is a man who in a witness protection program and guarded by a totally incompetent Sheriff, Randy Anderson (played by Tom Arnold).

Not sure why this character had to be this incompetent throughout the movie only to show up in the last few scenes as competent – but that is part of the problem of this film. Then you have Annie Bean (played by Kristen Bell) who is a very beautiful woman, living with Charles, and who is going to lose her job in a local college but gets a chance to head up a nonviolent communication school in LA. This causes Charles to talk about his real past, name, and why he is in a witness protection program.

Yul was once a bank robber with Alex (played by Bradley Cooper) and Neve (played by Joy Bryant) and drove the getaway car. Alex’s introduction into the film was one of the more interesting scenes of late. He loves dogs, doesn’t want them mistreated, and sees a dog who is unhappy in front of a store, makes a few comments to the owner, and from there, the violent tendencies of Alex are brought forth.

The story is about settling scores, forgiveness and making a new life. Shepard as writer, co-director and actor is obviously more than he can handle.

The film felt rushed in execution, the writing for some parts (Arnold’s and his own) was amateurish.

As an actor Shepard does not command the screen but does make other in a scene stand out. Bell is perky and refreshing but I’m not sure this was the part for her. She almost seemed out of place. Arnold was mostly unwatchable. His nervous quirkiness ended up on the screen as someone completely lost as to what to do. Cooper was actually the most interesting to watch. His relaxed way in how he expresses his violent nature in this part was very good and I liked him a lot. Bryant was OK as Alex’s sidekick who was once engaged to Perkins. Dax Shepard wrote the script and also co-directed the film with David Palmer. The script was unpolished and bumpy at times while the direction and whole feel of the film was rushed - sort of hit and run.

Overall: This mostly chase film is amateurish, however there were moments of laughter, action and wisdom.

Burlesque

First Hit: Some great singing in a film with a thin plot. But is was very entertaining.

Cher has always been able to project something good with her singing. In her one full song, she knocks it out of the park.

Cher plays Tess half owner of a slowly fading Burlesque theater in Los Angeles. The other half owner is Vince (played by Peter Gallagher) her former husband. Unfortunately, the club is losing money and Vince is trying to find a way to get some money out of it for himself and Tess. His drive comes off as desperate and we never really know why.

But Tess “will never let the theater be sold”. All the girls lip-sync their songs except Tess. Their show is bawdy, clean and fun. In comes Ali (played by Christina Aguilera) who has ventured out from Ohio looking to find a place to sing and dance. She eventually gets her chance when Nikki (played by Kristen Bell) shows up drunk one too many times.

In a fit of anger Nikki unplugs the lip-syncing music and Ali is standing on the stage with no music. So, she improvises and finishes the routine by singing in her own voice. Of course she is a sensation and Tess decides to build a whole new routine around her.

Also Ali is attracted to an engaged bartender named Jack (played by Cam Gigandet). The scene stealer during the film is Stanley Tucci who plays Tess’ confidant and stage manager Sean. When he is on the screen he is the one who grabs your attention.

Cher is very good as the mothering woman who’s seen it all and knows what it is she wants to spend her time doing. Gallagher is good but there is no real depth as to why he’s so panicked about getting his money. Aguilera is wonderful as Ali and her voice shows flexibility and strength. She was perfect for this role. Gigandet was good as Ali’s romantic interest and they have some fun scenes together. Tucci is fabulous. He is the soul of the Burlesque house and this film. Steve Antin wrote and directed this film and for the most part he got it right except the ending number could not have been held in the club we first saw during the opening sequence. Somewhere continuity was lost.

Overall: This is very good entertainment – no more, no less.

You Again

First Hit: Generally a very poor film with a few splashes of laughter.

The moment this film starts you know how it will end. Kristen Bell plays Marie who was bullied by the cool girls at school. They played mean tricks on her and she was labeled a Loser.

The leader of bullying girls was Joanna (played by Odette Yustman) who was very mean and picked on her all through high school. In current time they meet again as Joanna is going to marry Marie’s brother. When they meet prior to the wedding Joanna pretends to not recognize Marie.

However as they spend time together they both know their history and Marie makes one final direct plea for Joanna to say she’s sorry for her past actions. Joanna refuses and Marie gets revenge. In an attempt to make it more interesting Joanna’s Aunt Ramona (played by Sigourney Weaver) and Marie’s mother Gail (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) had a falling out in high school which hadn’t been repaired.

So now we have two sets of women who have a grudge against each other. It does get worse but I won’t share that as well. The goal of the film is forgiveness but the film is so poor the aim of the film barely stays with you a day after watching it.

Bell is cute, has a great smile and is engaging enough and this film was a waste of her energy. The same goes to Yustman and especially to accomplished actors like Weaver and Curtis. There are some funny lines in the script written by Moe Jelline but overall the script is childish and Andy Fickman directed it with this sort of energy.

Overall: This film is forgettable the moment one leaves the theater.