Saturday Night (2024) * * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Jason Reitman

Starring:  Gabriel LaBelle, Cooper Hoffman, Willem Dafoe, JK Simmons, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Dylan O' Brien, Matt Wood, Nicholas Braun, Robert Wuhl, Matthew Rhys

Saturday Night could have benefited in the early going with an onscreen introduction to the numerous writers, producers, production team members, and assorted people running around backstage ninety minutes before the first Saturday Night Live episode was set to air on October 11, 1975.  Creator Lorne Michaels (LaBelle) puts out one fire after another in his quest to ensure the show aired, while NBC executives led by Dave Tebet (Dafoe), who is not shy about telling Michaels a Tonight Show rerun is ready to be played in Saturday Night's place if Michaels can't get the show's act together.

Saturday Night jumps from one problem to another for the ambitious Michaels to solve at a frenetic pace which is sometimes difficult to keep up with.  Having an insider's knowledge of the early days of the show doesn't hurt either.  The actors playing the Not Ready for Primetime Players are spot-on and not merely impersonators.  We sense the angst that the erratic John Belushi (Wood) causes everyone, and he refuses to sign his contract to boot.  Michaels is forever trying to talk him off the ledge, and we get the feeling he would have to do this numerous more times in the ensuing years.   Chevy Chase (Smith) is already seeing himself as the next big Hollywood star and SNL will be a stepping stone for that.  Host George Carlin (Rhys), high on cocaine, is not thrilled with the writing and sees hosting the show as a step backward for his career.  

There is so much more and it's impossible to recap, but LaBelle is a steadying influence with whom we sympathize.  He has a lot to carry on his shoulders and most members of the audience wouldn't want his job for all of the tea in China.  Michaels' boss, executive Dick Ebersol (Hoffman), supports Michaels but like everyone else wonders if the show will ever make it to air and if it does, what will it look like?  How will it play with audiences?  As SNL begins its fiftieth season, history has told the tale.  The movie Saturday Night has a correct sense of time and place.  It feels like the era of post-Vietnam 70's and even more about a period when late night television was all the rage, but the overall effect is one of good moments that don't make up a satisfying whole.  

Mr. McMahon (2024) * * * (Streaming on Netflix)

 

Directed by:  Chris Smith

Starring:  Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Paul Levesque, Dwayne Johnson, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Shane McMahon, Mark Calaway (The Undertaker), Tony Atlas, Bruce Prichard, Eric Bischoff

It was a curious move for former WWE head Vince McMahon to ask viewers to "keep an open mind" when watching Netflix's new documentary series, Mr. McMahon.  The documentary itself consists of interviews with Vince McMahon, colleagues, family members, friends, and enemies recorded beginning in 2021 before Vince's ouster from WWE due to lawsuits and sexual allegations with former employees.  

Mr. McMahon takes us through the billionaire wrestling promoter's life from an abusive childhood which he doesn't talk much about to his rise to power in the WWF (which later became WWE following a lawsuit by the World Wildlife Fund).  McMahon did not meet his biological father, Vincent J. McMahon, then-owner of WWF until he was twelve years old.  Vince then followed his dad into the business and after buying him out circa 1983, he set his sights on nationwide expansion in an era dominated by territorial wrestling organizations.  It was a gentleman's agreement between promoters that they would not run shows in other areas, but Vince wasn't interested in being a gentleman.  As he states more than once, "I don't fight fair,"

Hulk Hogan was essential in aiding the WWF in becoming a worldwide phenomenon and he features heavily throughout many of the episodes, including being a witness at Vince's federal steroid distribution trial in which McMahon was found not guilty.  There is also extensive time devoted to New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick, who has it in for McMahon and the WWF for reasons not made clear, but whose steroid accusations paved the way for the government to file charges.   McMahon is no stranger to lawsuits, indictments, or accusations.  

Mr. McMahon serves the target audience, those who grew up enjoying professional wrestling, very well.  As a history of WWE, covering the famed "Montreal Screwjob", Wrestlemania, and the Monday Night Wars with WCW which nearly put WWE out of business, Mr. McMahon is well-crafted and thorough.  However, those wanting to learn the inner workings of Vince McMahon won't find much here that they don't already know.  McMahon is cagey in how he protects himself, like the magician who is reticent to reveal the secrets to his tricks.  We learn how he feels about certain things, but only superficially.  But, it's fun to take a look back in history anyway.  Then, the scandalous lawsuits happened, and McMahon cancelled the remainder of his interviews.  Mr. McMahon could've been renamed History of WWE and no one would've noticed any difference.  Anyone expecting insight into the wrestling mogul has come to the wrong place, but Mr. McMahon is a comprehensive look at the palace that he built. 

The Bear (Season Three) * * 1/2

 

Starring:  Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Oliver Platt, Olivia Colman, Matty Matheson, Jon Bernthal, Abby Elliott, L-Boy, Liza Colon-Zayas, Molly Gordon, Jamie Lee Curtis

The Bear sizzles when it depicts the grind of running a top-flight restaurant.  "Every second counts" is the mantra and a few lost moments can be the difference between a happy customer and a bad review.  The pressure to produce great food is intense, and the pressure to earn a profit even more so.  Chef Carmen Berzatto (White) orders the most expensive butter around to make his dishes stand out, but Uncle Jimmy (Platt) sees his investment and any chance of recouping his money flying out the window.  Is something wrong with Land-O-Lakes?  

Then, there is the other side of The Bear, in which characters engage in looooong conversations which certainly cause this viewer's attention to wane.  The episode in which Natalie (Elliott) is in labor is one extended conversation between her and her estranged mother (Curtis).  The acting is superb, but the incessant talking is not.  A balance between the two would bring The Bear back to the quality of the excellent first season.  The last two seasons, while they've had their moments, have not been able to match season one.  

The Bear is now open for business.  The first episode consists mostly of elliptical flashbacks and Carmen beating himself up for being locked accidentally in the walk-in refrigerator during opening night.  Usually, you have to wait until mid-season to see the filler episode, but The Bear gets it out of the way early.  Carmen has two expressions:  Mopey and more mopey.  He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, triggered by past trauma and verbal abuse by the head chef (a terrific Joel McHale) of the New York restaurant where he worked.  When Carmen has a chance in the season finale to confront this demon, it doesn't disappoint.   

We also witness the continuing evolution of Richie (Moss-Bachrach), who in season two learned under Chef Andrea (Colman) how to become a maitre-d and under his steely, shifting gaze, sees all in the restaurant and of course finds himself wanting to strangle Carmen more than once.   In the middle is Sydney, whom Carmen wants to make a partner but receives a tempting offer to be head chef at a friend's upstart restaurant.  She is tormented by the decision and the internalized pressure.  

Despite its strengths, The Bear's third season is a mixed bag.  The strong aspects are very strong, but then we have whole sequences of talk-a-thon conversations which lull us into boredom.   When we think they're over, they drag on.  I like these people and their camaraderie is infectious, but look out when they start expounding on things. 

My Old Ass (2024) * *

 

Directed by:  Megan Park

Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Maddie Ziegler, Percy Hynes White, Kerrice Brooks, Carter Trozollo, Seth Isaac Johnson, Maria Dizzia

Eighteen-year-old Elliot (Stella) is spending her last days at home before going off to college.  She finally lands the girl she always wanted to sleep with, and life seems pretty good.  One night, while high on mushrooms with her friends, her 39-year-old self (Plaza) appears next to her and tells her to avoid a guy named Chad.  Elliot thinks she's hallucinating, of course, but her older self is real.  Through some miracle, Elliot is also able to communicate via text and calls after her older version disappears.  

The next day while swimming in a lake, she meets the gangly Chad (White), a very sweet guy whom she takes a liking to despite the warnings.  He's seems perfect, and he'll even be going to the same school, so why should she stay away from him?  Does he have a dark, abusive side?  Is a drug addict or a criminal? Is he not who he says he is?  Elliot tries to contact her 39-year-old self to no avail.  She's going to have to figure this one out on her own.  

Elliot is not only confused by her feelings for Chad, but by her feelings for a man in general.  She always thought she was gay, until she met Chad.  But, what lies ahead?  My Old Ass is a time-bending drama which doesn't have the fun with the time travel elements like Back to the Future does.  The 39-year-old version of Elliot isn't on screen much.  When she does return, she reveals why she should've never met Chad, and it does pack some power, but if you're looking for a movie where Elliot tries to mess with the timeline to evoke a different outcome, you've come to the wrong movie.

There isn't anything wrong with a time-bending or time travel movie avoiding the pitfalls and cliches of the genre, but My Old Ass doesn't exploit the plot for all it's worth.  It's just kind of...there, and the movie follows itself to its destination solemnly.  You question why the older self showed up in the first place, since it doesn't change the trajectory much.  

Am I Racist? (2024) * * *

 

Directed by: Justin Folk

Starring:  Matt Walsh (as himself)

Conservative podcaster Matt Walsh goes undercover Borat-style in Am I Racist?, posing as a liberal who wants to learn about DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), but in reality wants to prove his belief that DEI is in fact an industry propped up by the need for mostly perceived or false racism.  Walsh doesn't exactly become a master of disguise.  He wears a wig with a man bun and wears different glasses, but otherwise he's Matt Walsh.  This disguise didn't fool a group therapy session in which the members call the police when they find out he's not a regular guy looking to rid himself of racist tendencies.   

Walsh has ranted on this podcast that no major media outlet or newspaper has reviewed the film, and to date he is correct.  Why is this the case?  Do these outlets fear actually enjoying or liking the movie and thus might be considered racist for doing so?  I didn't find Am I Racist? to be racist at all.  Walsh uses comedy to expose how the "mainstream media" overblows racism to perpetuate it and DEI authors and speakers charge exorbitant fees to try and "fix" the inherent racism found in "all white people".  Don't take just my word for it.  The movie itself shows us support groups, dinners, lectures, and other exercises in which whites pay and submit themselves to criticism by DEI experts.  Like Borat, Walsh gives his subjects enough space to make fools of themselves.  They expose their own hypocrisies all by themselves. 

Walsh himself takes an online course and earns a DEI expert card, which he proudly displays to all of his interview subjects.  He is not serious about becoming a DEI expert or a serious lecturer.  He later creates a class on Craig's List and charges several hundred dollars for whites to attend his session, which consists of the some of the most ludicrous exercises you can imagine.  This involves class members yelling at his wheelchair-bound "Uncle Frank" who allegedly told a racist joke twenty years ago, and providing whips so they can self-flagellate.  What is more amazing is that these "students" were willing to do this, those who stuck around anyway.  The point of Am I Racist? is that there is now a culture in which people are so full of guilt that they would even consider doing such a thing.  

Walsh, and numerous conservative outlets, are at war with the mainstream media over their alleged slant in reporting the news.  Many would simply ignore this as unsubstantiated, but when reputable outlets refused to review Am I Racist?, you can't help but wonder if what conservatives are saying about the media aren't at least somewhat true.  I find my own political leanings to be liberal, but I also acknowledge that arguments from conservatives aren't all automatically racist, hate-mongering, and cruel.  Just because an argument comes from "the other side" doesn't mean it's wrong or that someone like Walsh is not correct.  

I found Am I Racist? funny and illuminating.  Like Borat, you do wonder if any of it is staged, but for the most part, it requires an open mind.  When Walsh tries to recreate Jussie Smollett's ultimately false accounting of being assaulted by two MAGA-hat wearers in the middle of the night in Chicago, I laughed because there isn't any way it could've gone down the way Smollett alleged.  It would have involved actions which defied the laws of physics and sanity.  Does watching Am I Racist? and agreeing with some of Walsh's assertions make you a racist?  I say no, because disagreement with the DEI experts in this film isn't grounds for being labeled a racist.  It isn't hate, it's disagreeing and the last time I looked, that was something we all have a right to do.  I do wish the mainstream media Walsh criticizes understood this and had the courage to review the film.  

A Time to Kill (1996) * * *

 

Directed by:  Joel Schumacher

Starring:  Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Cooper, Ashley Judd, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Brenda Fricker, Patrick McGoohan, Oliver Platt

A Time to Kill is one of John Grisham's first novels and studies the complexities of a Mississippi black man (Jackson), who kills his daughter's rapists and is now on trial for murder.  What would you have done in a similar situation?  The movie understands that such an act is justified, but there are still laws against murder.  Carl Lee Hailey (Jackson) hires local lawyer Jake Brigance (McConaughey) to represent him, partially because he is a family friend and also because Jake sympathizes with Carl.  Jake proposes a temporary insanity defense, which isn't preposterous and could be the difference between life and death.  

Jake's opponent is the experienced DA Rufus Buckley (Spacey), who thinks he has an open-and-shut case.  Jake is aided by liberal law student Ellen Roark (Bullock), who may be able to find a psychologist that will testify as to Carl's temporary insanity.  However, the case brings about unwanted scrutiny from protestors, the NAACP (who wants Carl to have a black lawyer), and the KKK, one of whom is the brother of one of the rapists Carl Lee killed.  There are attempts on Jake's life and more issues which are snugly fit into a 2 1/2 hour movie.  

A Time to Kill is propped up by impressive performances from the all-star cast.  The courtroom scenes provide the needed suspense and drama, with plenty of attention paid to racially-charged subplots.  McConaughey is confident and at-home in his breakthrough role.  He would go on to play attorneys so often that he could probably pass a bar exam.  However, I still scratch my head at his closing argument speech in which he appealed to the jury's inherent racism by saying "now imagine she's white".  Carl is then found "not guilty", but how so?  I'm no attorney, like Grisham, so he could enlighten us.  Until that point, though, A Time to Kill worked as a proficient courtroom drama which provokes the question, "What would you do?" if you were Carl Lee Hailey.  

Never Let Go (2024) * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Alexandre Aja

Starring:  Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, Anthony Jenkins

Never Let Go is a post-apocalyptic tale of a woman who lives in the forest with her two sons and is forever trying to keep them safe from "the evil".  They live in a log cabin with no electricity or running water and the three tether themselves with rope to the cabin so they can't stray far.  However, one of the boys starts to doubt whether the evil monsters which tormented their mother even exist.  

Halle Berry plays the mother as a haunted, tortured woman who is either mentally unstable or terrified because she's telling the truth.  The performances are effective even if the movie eventually crumbles under the heavy-handed plot.  The ending reveals the reality of their unfortunate situation, or part of it anyway.  Like many movies in which the protagonist is seemingly insane, it is unlikely that the surprise ending will confirm that notion.  Until that point, Never Let Go plods along like it is fighting against the fog which envelops the forest. 

Never Let Go is not exciting, but sleepy.  Director Aja tries his best to invoke a chilly atmosphere, but the movie never lifts off.   It's not poorly made, but the story doesn't match the production values.