SXSW 2020 review: ‘I Used To Go Here’ is an emotional second chance.

I Used To Go Here

Synopsis:

Following the launch of her new novel, 35-year-old writer Kate Conklin (Gillian Jacobs) is invited to speak at her alma mater by her mentor and former professor (Jemaine Clement). After accepting the invitation, Kate finds herself deeply enmeshed in the lives of an eccentric group of college students.

Gillian Jacobs is charming as ever as a woman whose life isn’t quite stacking up with the fiction she has spun. She comes face to face, literally, with everything from her college experience; her house, her coursework, her professor, and fellow students. After a reading from her debut novel, she is confronted by her own shortcomings as she becomes entangled in the drama of current students. The script allows her to let her guard down and accept the dark. Failure allows her to grow.

While certain plot points feel like a cliche rom-com, there is nothing wrong with that. I Used To Go Here is a comfort film for people who feel stalled. Finger wagging Gen Xer’s (like myself) will instantly connect with Jacobs. Ironically longing to be in her shoes for a few days. It will remind us all of the hope and fearlessness of our youth. It’s a motivating, genuinely funny look as adulthood. Besides Jacobs continuing to be a lovely and heartfelt actor, her castmates also offer a plethora of laughs and light. Jemaine Clement is always hilarious and this is no exception. Sometimes, the more sincere he tries to be the funnier I fond him. This is a total compliment. I find him easy to watch and connect with.

Josh Wiggins as Hugo is a breath of fresh air. His nonchalance and enthusiasm are a joy to watch. Hannah Marks is everything we need her to be; ambitious, moody, and ultimately vulnerable. Brandon Daley is one of the most hilarious characters in this film as Tall Brandon. His confidence and comic timing are pure magic. Lastly, Zoe Chao plays Laura, Kate’s best friend that is living vicariously through sporadic phone calls. She is both a voice of reason and a reliable one-liner spouter. I’m going to need way more of her in the future, please and thank you.

While we’re not breaking any ground with I Used To Go Here, I still really loved it. I lived in it. Sometimes you just need a well written, well-acted film that universally gets you. Congratulations to writer/director Kris Rey and cast for leaving us with a feel-good gem.

I USED TO GO HERE— Directed and Written by Kris Rey

SXSW 2020 Official Selection – Narrative SpotlightWorld Premiere — Acquisition

Starring Gillian Jacobs, Jemaine Clement, Josh Wiggins, Hannah Marks, Zoe Chao, Jorma Taccone, Forrest Goodluck

Review: ‘The BFG’

the-BFG-poster

Family films rarely get much bigger than The BFG, based on the novel of the same name by Roald Dahl and directed by Steven Spielberg. The story of an orphan girl who befriends a giant and accompanies him on the adventure of a lifetime is heartwarming and family friendly with an amazing cast lead by Oscar winner Mark Rylance and newcomer Ruby Barnhill. Come on a journey into giant country and experience the wonder of The BFG.

thebfg56687cbb591d6_1_93288b10

Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is a young orphan girl in London who longs for adventure. Telling the story of frightful things lurking in the shadows of the night, she encounters her own in the form of a massive giant who takes young Sophie from her bed and races back to his home in giant country. Initially afraid of what’s to come, she is introduced to her captor, The BFG (Mark Rylance), an endearingly dim-witted giant with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell. The BFG, or Big Friendly Giant, is nothing like the other inhabitants of giant country you see. He keeps to himself and fancies to feed himself snozzcumber and frobscottle as opposed to his giant brethren  Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) who prefer to eat humans.

thebfg570436e7994bb_1_f71a697b

The BFG spends most of his time in dream country where he collects dreams and then takes them to children all around the country, teaching Sophie all about the magic and  mystery of dreams. Everything is wonderful between the two new best friends until Sophie’s presence is detected by the other giants, putting her in danger. Sophie and the BFG must head to London to convince Queen Victoria (Penelope Wilton) to help with the impending giant attacks, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they must all come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.

thebfg570436e8ebf37_1_d3b62e7c

Legendary director Steve Spielberg does not disappoint with his creation of this wonderful Roald Dahl classic. This is a rare film when visuals take a back seat to performance. Mark Rylance is outstanding as the BFG and you truly immerse yourself into his performance that you forget he is a CGI giant. Ruby Barnhill is wonderfully feisty and a true joy to watch. The two of them have a chemistry that works right from moment one. The visuals are spectacular and should be applauded. They subtly blend into the outstanding storytelling and lend the perfect mix to this awe inspiring film.

Overall, The BFG is this summers perfect family film and should not be missed!

Stars:

4 out of 5

After credit scene?

No

Trailer:

Review: ‘Don Verdean’ is saved by its cast – Sam Rockwell, Amy Ryan, Jemaine Clement with Will Forte & Danny McBride

don verdean_poster

Sam Rockwell is Don Verdean, a Biblical archeologist who is hired by a pastor and his wife (Danny McBride and Leslie Bibb) to excavate artifacts for their ministry to boost their congregation. Jemaine Clement is Boaz, an advantageous man assisting Don, Amy Ryan is Carol, his secretary turned research assistant and Will Forte makes an appearance as a rival minister. Have I got your attention? Oh, one more thing, it’s from the creative minds of Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre and Gentlemen Broncos, Jared and Jerusha Hess.

The best scene is when Boaz picks up Carol and asks her to wear a special dress. Even thinking about it makes me chuckle.The cast is a testament to the filmmakers, as this is the second film with Sam Rockwell and Jemaine Clement.

As with their other films, the comedy is extremely understated, barely requiring more than a chuckle or a smirk in most instances. When given their spotlight, however, each character does not disappoint. Characters don’t necessarily make a cohesive movie. Each scene on its own is subtly brilliant, but when they are all put together, it’s just too much.

New trailer for ‘Don Verlean’ from Jared & Jerusha Hess makers of ‘Napoleon Dynamite’

don verdean_poster

 

 

With only three films under their belt, Jared and Jerusha Hess leave a mark with every one. First came Napoleon Dynamite, which has since become a cult classic, and then Nacho Libre starring Jack Black. Remember that movie? No. Unless you worked at a video store in 2007, you probably don’t. However, the most memorable and by far the weirdest film was Gentlemen Broncos. (SPOILER: an albino boa constrictor inexplicably gets diarrhea while being held by someone. YEAH. You’d be upset if I didn’t warn you.)DON VERDEAN still 1

The far out wackyness is exactly what you should come for and expect from these too. Two actors are returning to work again for Don Verlean: the very silly and extremely talented Sam Rockwell and Jemaine Clement. They are joined by Amy Ryan, Will Forte and Danny McBride whose humor is perfectly suited for an absurdist comedy like one of Hess’.

DON VERDEAN opens in theaters and On Demand DECEMBER 11, 2015.

Review: “PEOPLE PLACES THINGS” will charm the pants off you.

People Places Things poster1PEOPLE PLACES THINGS tells the story of Will Henry (Jemaine Clement), a newly single graphic novelist father balancing single-parenting his young twin daughters, writers block, a classroom full students, all the while exploring and navigating the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him.People Places Things 1

Clement‘s asurbic brand of wit and delivery is the driving force behind the entire film… a million thanks, of course, to writer/director Jim C. Strouse for the script and casting Jemaine. Genius move for this piece of writing. Clement has you laughing out loud from the very first scene. Charming and genuine, the character of Will struggles to balance fatherhood, personal romantic, and career satisfaction. His affection for two of our wee leading ladies, Aundrea and Gia Gadsby, radiates off the screen. These kids are real naturals and their chemistry with Clement is a pure delight. Stephanie Allynne as Charlie (Will’s ex) does a fantastic job as one giant, narcissistic mess of a woman. She makes this character easy to loathe. Regina Hall is Diane. A strong, intelligent mother whose walls are understandably pretty high up. Clement and Hall make a lovely comic pair. Their witty, rapid fire back and forth is super relatable. Jessica Williams, who I am most familiar from her hilarious corespondent spot on The Daily show, plays Kat (One of Will’s students and Diane’s daughter). Her performance is down to earth and refreshing. I look forward to seeing more of her on the big screen. People Places Things 2During the scenes where Will teaches his class, there is a wonderfully cathartic flow, not only through the use of dialogue but Will’s graphic novel panels. The visuals speak volumes where words become useless. The music is a fun addition and lends to the perfect pace. Jim C Strouse has given us one hell of a gem. People Places Things is a pure joy from start to finish. With a superb cast and a clearly skilled writing and directing style, I strongly recommend you seek out this film.

PEOPLE PLACES THINGS opens in theaters Friday, August 14th

Hobbits, Vampires & Why You Should See ‘What We Do In The Shadows’ In a Theater

WWDITS-00009Even though I had seen What We Do In The Shadows, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to attend the Center For Communication screening and Q&A with the co-directors/co-writers/co-awesome Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement.

You may remember Clement from the sleeper HBO hit, The Flight of the Conchords with Bret McKenzie. Since then he’s been keeping busy with roles in Muppets Most Wanted and Men In Black 3. Waititi directed and starred with Clement in Eagle VS Shark, then gained notoriety with Boy, with 11 nominations and 6 wins at the New Zealand Film Festival.

Here’s the audio from Q&A:

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Photo Credit Unison Films

With their signature deadpan (excuse the pun) style, the comedy works beautifully with a live audience, as there are roars of laughter and chuckles filling every moment. It’s both obvious and unexpected hilarity. The story loosely follows four vampire flatmates in the year leading up to the Unholy Masquerade, an annual gathering. Each character has their own unique charm and the supporting characters lend their own charm.

Taika Waitit

Taika Waititi

During the Q&A, the two revealed they first had the idea over 10 years ago and made a short film. They admit that the movie was “5 weeks of fun and 14 months of editing” explaining that one cut was heavy on story, but not funny, the other was hilarious, but no story.

Jemaine Clement1WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Photo Credit  Unison Films (2)

Jemaine Clement

Clement also admitted that they owe their crew to Peter Jackson, as he let them use the second unit from The Hobbit, as well as camera equipment and some of the green screens.

WWDITS-00002The movie has already opened in New Zealand, and rather than sell to a U.S. distributor, they opted to create a Kickstarter campaign to raise the money to distribute to over 70 cities themselves. Their goal was met on February 13th and opened in New York and Los Angeles. The rollout continues to more cities every week.

Taika Waititi1 WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Photo Credit Unison FilmsThe event was an advanced screening hosted by the Center For Communication with tickets free to students and faculty. After the screening a 30 minute Q&A was led by Indiewire, followed by a spread of cheeses and custom drinks.

What does Jemaine Clement, Vampire Roommates, Students & Free Screening have in common?

Ever since I heard about What We Do In The Shadows, I’ve been dying to see it. The movie has gotten RAVE reviews and has been released in New Zealand and soon to be released in the UK. It’s finally being released in the US February 13th and there’s a special advanced screening the night before at the SVA Theatre in Chelsea. The only tickets left are for students and faculty of universities and they’re FREEThis event is FREE to university undergraduate, graduate students and faculty only. A school issued ID will be required for free admission to this event. Read More →