Heartstopper

From the moment I saw the first teaser trailer for it, I knew the new Netflix series Heartstopper was going to be something special and I was so happy to be proven right. Based on the acclaimed graphic novels by Alice Oseman, the series tracks the lives of a group of LGBTQIA friends in suburban England. The result is easily one of the most heartwarming, optimistic and sweetest shows I have seen in a long time. 

Charlie Spring (played by Joe Locke) is starting back at his all boys school, returning from Christmas Break. He has a secret boyfriend, Ben (played by Sebastian Croft), but it's not the healthiest relationship as Ben wants to keep their relationship secret and refuses to acknowledge him outside their secret rendezvous. He has also been assigned to a new Form Group (think Home Room, for my fellow U.S readers), where he has received a seat assignment next to Nick Nelson (played by Kit Connor). Nick and Charlie could not be more different. Nick enjoys playing Rugby while Charlie is more interested in music and video games. Even their friend groups are different. Charlie's friends include cinephile Tao Zu (played by William Gao), Bibliophile Isaac (played by Tobie Donovan) and Elle (played by Yasmin Finney), who herself has just transferred to the neighboring all girls school after coming out as Trans. Nick, on the other hand, hangs out with the more popular crowd, including Imogen (played by Rhea Norwood) and his obnoxious teammate Harry (played by Cormac Hyde-Corrin) Yet, against all odds, Nick and Charlie start bonding. Nick notices how good of a runner Charlie is and invites him to join the Rugby team. They start spending Saturday afternoons together at each other's houses. The more time they spend together, the fonder Charlie grows of Nick, developing a serious crush. No one is more surprised than Nick when he realizes he feels the same way about Charlie, sending him into a spiral as he tries to figure out just what his own sexuality is. As their romance develops, Charlie breaks it off with Ben, no longer wanting to spend time with someone who is clearly using him. Meanwhile, the growing relationship between Nick and Charlie sends ripples throughout their respective friend groups. Nick begins to question why he hangs out with his current friends, including the increasingly hostile and homophobic Harry and Charlie's now ex-boyfriend Ben, while Tao begins to fear his beloved friend group is going to drift apart when Charlie begins spending more and more of his time with Nick and Elle is over at the Girl's school, making friends of her own with Tara (played by Corinna Brown) and Darcy (played by Kizzy Edgell).   

The series was written by series creator Alice Oseman, who was heavily involved in the making the series alongside director Euros Lyn, resulting in a show that is in many places very faithful to the original graphic novels (the first season is based on the first two volumes). There were some changes in the translation to television though, but remains one of the more faithful adaptations I have seen, which is not always successful but in this case works quite well. There is something quietly revolutionary about this series that for all it's wonderful flourishes, it remains an incredibly grounded and relatable story, especially for LGBTQIA kids. The series omits any edgier aspects found in similar series such as Young Royals or Sex Education, which only made this series hit that much closer to home as it stirred up all kinds of memories of my own time in high school. While I, regrettably, did not have a romance like Charlie and Nick's, but I did have a devoted and eclectic friend group not all that different from Charlie's. I suspect many viewers will have a similar experience. Yet, the series also adds certain unique stylistic flourishes that only accentuate what the characters are feeling, such as animated hearts around various characters developing romantic attachments or animated sparks anytime Nick and Charlie hold hands. It's an unconventional but surprisingly effective stylistic choice that only deepens the emotional impact of certain scenes. I also love the series' use of colors, with a recurring and symbolic blue and yellow throughout the series, as well as maybe the most rampant use of bisexual lighting I have ever seen, as if the entire Heartstopper universe was desperately trying to tell Nick something. The series moves at a brisk pace, made up of 8 episodes that are approximately 30 mins each with the entire season clocking in at just under 4 hours. It's ideal for binge watching as one episode easily flows into the next. 

The cast for the series is top notch led by Joe Locke and Kit Connor as Charlie and Nick. It's hard to believe that this is Joe Locke's first professional acting job because he is so good in the role of Charlie. He capture's his character's insecurities and anxieties so well, but also does great showing Charlie's hidden strengths, crafting a truly endearing character. Kit Connor is just as great as Nick, who does a great job conveying not only Nick's heart and caring, but also his own share of anxieties, especially as he starts to discover new parts of himself when he meets Charlie. Both of them just embody their characters so well, I found it genuinely moving especially in the way that each character creates a safe space for the other. William Gao is fantastic as Tao. It's a tricky role to play since for much of the series, Tao is very much against Charlie being friends with Nick and playing Rugby since it was the kids in that group that mercilessly bullied them, but Gao pulls it off beautifully and keeps his character from being unlikable, mostly because his concerns are quite valid. He does a great job conveying his character's fierce protectiveness as well as Tao's own insecurities. He can also convey so much with just his eyebrows, it's kind of incredible. I won't give it away, but you'll know the moment when you see it. Yasmin Finney is wonderful as Elle, who is in her own transition in life, as she has recently moved to the all girls school and does a fantastic job capturing that sort of awkwardness of being a new kid in the school. Of course, things do get better for her as she makes friends with two other girls, Darcy and Tara. She also plays off William Gao quite well as the two friends find themselves left to their own devices several times while their other friends are off by themselves. Speaking of Tara and Darcy, Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell are great. The way the two actresses play off each other is so much fun to watch. I love that their relationship also runs parallel to Nick and Charlie's and the way one inspires the other. I also loved the way they both get folded into Charlie's friend group as the series proceeds. Last, but certainly not least, is Tobie Donovan as Isaac. Tobie Donovan repeatedly cracked me up in his role. He really captures his character so well in the way that he is just as interested in his books as his is with his friends. I also found it amusing the way his character was constantly has no patience for his friends' drama. Sebastian Croft is certainly memorably detestable as Ben as he turns up throughout the season, going all in on making Ben as awful as possible. His character is an interesting contrast to Nick. Both characters are trying to figure themselves out, but unlike Nick, Ben does it in the most self-serving, narcissistic and abusive way. This is all the more impressive of a performance as Sebastian Croft is by all indications delightful in real life. In supporting roles, the series also sports a couple seasoned actors in surprise appearances. First up is Olivia Colman as Nick's mother and she is fantastic in the role. She really captures her character's warmth and love, while easily conveying the deep connection she shares with Nick. She's only in a few scenes, but makes the most of every moment. Then, we have Stephen Fry as the voice of the school's headmaster heard at various points throughout the show. He clearly has a lot of fun in the role and it'd be fun to see him in person at some point in Season 2.  

Overall, Heartstopper may be my new favorite show, at least for right now, as anyone who follows me on Twitter already knows. It's basically 85% 95% a Heartstopper fan account now. It was interesting watching this as an adult, and having this show stir up all sorts of high school memories for me and how I wished I could have had something like this when I was that age. It made for a bittersweet viewing experience. I genuinely enjoyed the heartwarming nature of the show, but at the same time it brought up a lot of memories for me because a lot this show is quite relatable for me in many ways. It made for a unique viewing experience that I have seen echoed by many others similar to my age. In the end, I just went through it and made peace with it. Needless to say, future viewings have been far more pleasant. Which makes sense because despite some of the more serious elements of the show, in the end it is one of the most heartwarming and optimistic shows I have seen in a long time. I absolutely am in love with Heartstopper and have my fingers crossed we get a season 2.               

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

There is something about the movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion that just immediately clicked for me. Granted, I was still in High School when it was first released back in 1997 but, the themes of the film still really struck a chord. It is certainly one that quickly became a favorite and I have only grown in my appreciation of it as the years have gone by. 

Romy White (played by Mira Sorvino) and Michele Weinberger (played by Lisa Kudrow) are two lifelong friends who share a loft apartment in Venice Beach, CA and have always been the closest of friends. Everything seems fine with their lives until they receive an invitation to their 10 year High School Reunion. They start reflecting on their time in High School, both the highs and lows in their encounters with assorted classmates as the acerbic Heather Mooney (played by Janene Garofalo), the nerdy Sandy Frink (played by Alan Cumming), Queen Bee Christie Masters (played by Julia Campbell) and her boyfriend Billy Christensen (played by Vincent Ventresca). When they start filling out the enclosed questionnaire inquiring what they have been up to for the last ten years, they start to question how their lives have turned out. Determined to be more impressive in time for the reunion, they set out to find new jobs and new boyfriends. However, when this plan leads to very little success, they realize they don't actually have to have more successful jobs, they can just lie and say they do. They settle on telling everyone they invented Post-Its since most people don't know who actually invented them. To back up the lie, they  But as they arrive at the reunion, they realize not as much has changed in the last ten years.    

The film was directed by David Mirkin from a script by Robin Schiff. They manage to craft a unique and engaging comedy centered around two very close friends. The way the film unfolds is interesting with the first act centering on Romy and Michele trying to get ready for the reunion, the second act is them traveling to the reunion along with an extended dream sequence when Michele falls asleep in the car with an alternate version of the reunion until we get to the real event. There is plenty of humor to be mined, both from the flashbacks and present day sections not only from the title characters but from their respective classmates as well. The separation they create between the dream reunion and the actual reunion is also a lot of fun, as the dream reunion takes on a far more surreal quality to it that separates it from the rest of the film, while also being quite funny. Yet, the film also perfectly nails those high school feelings, with Romy and Michele being more social outcasts as a closely knit duo constantly picked on by the A-Group, led by Christie. As someone who wasn't really part of the popular kids group, I always related strongly to Romy and Michele and the delight they take in just being themselves as well as being there for each other. All of this is buoyed by a fantastic soundtrack largely comprised of 80's hits, including excellent use of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" at two different spots in the movie. This film likewise also spawned two bestselling soundtrack albums (much like Grosse Pointe Blank there were too many to fit on one disc). 

The cast of the film sparkles throughout the film, led by Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow as the titular Romy and Michele. The two actresses play off each other so well and it's easy to believe they have been lifelong friends. It would be easy to write them off as ditzy blondes, but the characters are more nuanced than that. Up until they took the questionnaire, they were content with just being themselves, creating their own clothes, going to clubs and spending time together.  There is a certain freedom to the characters that both Sorvino and Kudrow portray wonderfully as well as their bond and the fact that the characters both have each other's backs no matter what. It gives a lot of heart to the film and also enrichens the characters. Janene Garofalo as Heather Mooney makes a great counterpoint to Romy and Michele as her character is far more cynical and sarcastic, adding another layer of comedy to the film. Alan Cumming has a lot of fun with his role as Sandy Frink, playing both the awkward and nerdy high school version of his character as well as more assured and sophisticated version we meet at the reunion, as well as the idealized dream version of Sandy we see in Michele's dream. He is clearly getting a kick out of playing all three different versions of the same character. Julia Campbell is memorably nasty as Romy and Michele's lead tormentor Christie Masters, who is just as loathsome ten years later at the reunion. 

Overall, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion makes for an interesting counterpoint to the similarly themed Grosse Pointe Blank, which came out two weeks before this one did. This one is far more light and sweet, but just as funny. It succeeds in a large part because of the performances of the two leads, giving them a lot of charm and elevating them beyond being just two ditzy blonde girls. There is something so endearing about the two of them and their story arc as they come out the other end of their adventure learning it's best and more rewarding to just be yourselves. Therefore, it remains just as entertaining and enjoyable all these years later as it did when I first saw it in 1997.         

Grosse Pointe Blank

 

There is something about Grosse Pointe Blank that I have always loved. Then again, I've always been a fan of John Cusack and there was this sweet time in the late 90's where he was taking a more active role in the films he made, resulting in delightfully off-beat movies such as this one. This one is a mix of romantic comedy, action and black comedy that shouldn't work but yet it does. 

Martin Blank (played by John Cusack) is an assassin for hire who is starting to lose the taste for his chosen profession. He regularly sees a psychiatrist, Dr. Oatman (played by Alan Arkin), despite the doctor's protests (he naturally doesn't agree with what Martin does for a living). He is being pressured into joining a Hitman's Union by a rival assassin, Grocer (played by Dan Aykroyd). To make things worse, his assistant Marcella (played by Joan Cusack) has just let him know he has been invited to his 10 year high school reunion. Initially, he refuses to go but when a contract for a hit comes up in the same town at the same time he begrudgingly agrees to go. While there, he hopes to reconnect with the girl that got away, Debbie Newberry (played by Minnie Driver). However, Debbie has no intention of making things easy for Martin on account of him standing her up on Prom night and leaving town. To make matters worse, Martin has two government agents (played by Hank Azaria and K. Todd Freeman) looking to catch Martin in the act of his latest hit and Grocer looking to take out Martin as well due to not wanting to join his union ensuring this trip home will be anything but quiet.

The film was directed by George Armitage from a script by Tom Jankiewicz, John Cusack, Steve Pink and D.V DeVincentis from a story by Tom Jankiewicz. At it's core, the film has a really great concept to it. A neurotic hitman taking stock of his life goes home for his High School reunion and face his past. The writers and director George Armitage take full advantage of it as they craft their tale with a sharp wit. They also manage the juggle all the different storylines Martin is involved in with relative ease, of which there are several and the do get all the story threads to tie together quite well, even if the outcome is a bit predictable. The film strikes an enticing balance between action and comedy, with the two frequently converging quite well with a level of absurdity to the action sequences. 

The cast of the film is quite good, led by John Cusack as Martin Blank. He does a great job conveying Martin's angst and dissatisfaction with his current life quite well. He also handles the more action centric part of the role quite well, with a hard hitting hand to hand fight with another assassin being a notable standout. Minnie Driver has some great chemistry with John Cusack and adds some fun spunkiness to her character of Debbie, who is similarly at a crossroads, working at the local radio station and living at home. She makes Debbie a bit more unique of a love interest and adds a feistiness to the character that makes it clear she's going to make Martin work for it to make up for what he did back in high school (as she should). Joan Cusack steals every scene she's in as Marcella, giving her character some amusing eccentricities while also being a very efficient and effective assistant for Martin. For example, there is an amusing scene where one one line she is playing hardball negotiating with an arms dealer and then at the same time switching over to a friend who she is giving a recipe for soup. Dan Aykroyd makes for a very unique and eccentric baddie in this who when he fails to recruit Martin he decides to take him out as he would be competition. Aykroyd does  a great job playing Grocer with clearly a screw loose and someone who takes a little too much delight in his work. Alan Arkin is at his snarky best as Martin's shrink Dr. Oatman, and sells how uncomfortable his character is with having a hitman for a patient. 

Overall, Grosse Pointe Blank remains a favorite of mine since it first came out and I can't quite grasp that it's been 25 years now. It has this unique blend of romantic comedy and black comedy that works surprisingly well for me. It's a uniquely offbeat film and nothing quite like it that I can think of off hand. All of this is backed by a truly fantastic assortment of 80's music that spawned two best selling soundtrack albums (because they couldn't fit them all on one) that I have listened to so many times. This is just one of those movies that never gets old and feels just as fresh as it did when it came out in 1997.      

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The minute I saw the trailer for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent I knew it was a movie I needed to see. The sort of exaggerated comedic tone really showed this is something I would love every minute of and I am happy to let you know my first instincts were spot on. 

Nicolas Cage (played by Nicolas Cage) is struggling to break back into serious acting. After his meeting with director David Gordon Green (played by David Gordon Green) doesn't go well and they decide to go in a different direction, Cage is ready to retire from acting. However, his agent, Richard Fink (played by Neil Patrick Harris), phones him with an enticing, if unconventional, offer: $1 million dollars to attend the birthday party of a billionaire super fan, Javi Gutierrez (played by Pedro Pascal). At first, Javi seems like a harmless, if a bit odd sort of fellow. However, things take a turn when Cage is approached by two CIA agents, Vivian and Martin, (played by Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz), who inform him that Javi is a suspected arms dealer who is believed to have kidnapped the daughter of a Political candidate in an attempt to manipulate the upcoming election. They need Cage's help to try and find the daughter, who they believe is being held in the compound where Cage is staying. However, Nicolas finds himself in a predicament as he starts to bond with Javi and struggles to believe that the sweet, affable Javi could be the ruthless arms dealer he's being told he is. This leads to a wild adventure where Nicolas Cage is unsure who to trust, all the while getting some questionable advise from an imaginary younger, wilder version of himself (played by Nicolas Cage). 

The film was directed by Tom Gormican from a script he wrote with Kevin Etten. The premise of the film is a fun one and is clearly one created by a couple of real Nicolas Cage fans. Honestly, there are not that many actors today that this film would work this well with except someone like Cage, who has developed this sort of eccentric myth about him that the film exploits well. Everything we have heard about Nicolas Cage over the years, from his bizarre spending habits to career struggles figure into the plot as Nicolas finds himself in a very odd adventure. The film sets up an interesting dynamic between Cage and Javi, whose birthday party he is being paid to attend. The two bond over the course of the film and on the surface he seems like a genuinely nice guy who is a big Nicolas Cage fan and even has a screenplay he wants Cage to star in. Yet we are also told that he is a ruthless arms dealer and it adds a nice level of intrigue to the film wondering if the CIA agents have the right guy and indeed if Javi is going to show his true colors. As the film goes on, it becomes more action centric and the filmmakers do a great job blending the action with the more comedic elements of the film. 

Nicolas Cage is clearly having a lot of fun playing an exaggerated and perhaps more neurotic version of himself that leans into the public view of himself, with his unique behaviors and eccentric spending habits as well as the apparent downturn his career has taken lately all playing into the version of himself he is playing. He also gets to let loose with a crazier imaginary version of himself that appears on occasion throughout to Cage and offering some questionable guidance. Pedro Pascal is great at as Javi, showing a genuine warmth to the character while also hinting just a little that there may be something darker to the character (whether or not there is, I will leave to the audience to discover). He and Cage play off each other wonderfully making the friendship that develops between the two easy to believe. Tiffany Haddish is a lot of fun as the CIA agent Vivian who recruits Nicolas Cage to help spy for them. She brought a lot of energy to the role and played it in a real unique and interesting way that I appreciated. Neil Patrick Harris does a lot with his supporting role as Nicolas' agent, Richard Fink as the sort of loudmouth, wheeling-dealing Hollywood agent we would expect and having a lot of fun with that archetype.   

Overall, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a very funny meta comedy that explores the pop-culture mythos of Nicolas Cage in a entertaining way. It is a film that was clearly made by Nicolas Cage Super fans, as not only do his more well known movies such as Con Air or Face/Off get a mention but so do his smaller films, such as Guarding Tess, figure into the story. In the end, it's a very silly movie but it is a clever one that I certainly had a lot of fun with and look forward to seeing again once it hits Blu-Ray.  

Everything Everywhere All at Once

 

Every so often, there comes along a movie that is so boldly and uniquely original. A film that has such a unique style and perspective to it that feels like a breath of fresh air. From the makers of the equally unique and original Swiss Army Man comes the Multi-Verse Sci-Fi comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All at Once and it is a potent mix of gonzo comedy and heartfelt drama that works incredibly well. 

Evelyn Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh) runs a struggling laundromat with her husband Waymond (played by Ke Huy Quan). Tensions are high in the family due to the laundromat being audited by the IRS, Evelyn's daughter Joy (played by Stephanie Hsu) trying to get her mom to accept her girlfriend Becky (played by Tallie Medel), and Evelyn's father, Gong-Gong (played by James Hong) arriving from China. While on their way to meet with their auditor, Dierdre (played by Jamie Lee Curtis), Waymond is taken over by a Waymond from a parallel universe known as the Alpha Universe. Alpha Waymond explains that the Evelyn from his universe developed technology that allows people to traverse that vast multiverse and tap into their selves from other universes, utilizing their skills, memories and body of their other selves. He also tells her that the Alpha Universe Joy had her mind fractured by being pushed further and further by Alpha Evelyn to go further with her universe jumping, ultimately becoming Jobu Topaki, who is able to access all the universes at once and manipulate matter at will. Alpha Waymond believes that Jobu Topaki will target Evelyn as she has the most unrealized potential and therefore her untapped potential could help her defeat Jobu Topaki before she destroys the entire multiverse.      

The film was written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (credited as Daniels). The two have crafted a magnificent film that manages to blend sci-fi, wild and crazy images, impressive action and genuine, heartfelt character moments in a rich and very satisfying movie where all of these elements frequently converge together at once. They have a great deal of fun crafting their universe, or in this case multi-verse, with countless possible realities that at times get really out there. For example, there is a universe where everyone has hot dog like fingers with no bones in them that are effectively useless or one where the conditions on Earth never developed to support life so in that universe Evelyn is actually a rock. Yet, all the crazy visuals and gags do serve a narrative purpose throughout the film as they explore familial and relatable human connections. Relationships, love and understanding are explored throughout the film, even in a universe where people have hot dogs for fingers. It's quite something when a film can make me laugh and get choked up almost simultaneously. There is so much creativity throughout this moment and yet it all works beautifully. I am only describing the tip of all that is going on in this movie as I want to preserve as many of the delightful surprises as possible. 

The film has a magnificent cast led by Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn. Throughout the film, she is able to play multiple versions of her character and excels at all of them. She does a great job especially with the Evelyn we meet at the beginning of the film, beyond stressed and just trying to get through the day, facing a tax audit, countless customers and both her husband and daughter who try their best to help but never quite able to. The last thing she needs is to be drawn into a battle for the fate of the multiverse, but in a strange way it is exactly what she needs. As she goes along through her adventure through the multi-verse, Yeoh does a magnificent job conveying Evelyn's growth and her growing understanding of those around her. Ke Huy Quan is equally fantastic in this film as Waymond. It is just thrilling to see him in movies again after such a long absence after memorably starring in movies such as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies as a kid. He gives the character so much heart and a unique sense of whimsy. Early in the movie, Evelyn is trying to find a laundry order and Waymond remarks that he moved some of the orders upstairs because he thought they would be "happier there." Much like Michelle Yeoh, he also has to play versions of his character from other universes, including the far more serious and driven Alpha Waymond as well as a Waymond in a universe where he and Evelyn never married and reconnect late in life. Quan nails each of these roles beautifully filling his character with so much heart and humanity. Jamie Lee Curtis clearly had fun with her role as Dierdre, who starts out the film as simply Evelyn's IRS auditor but at various points is taken over by Alpha Diedre, a minion of Jobu Topaki and is trying to stop Evelyn. There are other variations of Diedre seen throughout the film as well, including one in the Hot Dog Fingers universe with it's own surprises and giving Curtis plenty to play with in terms of character. Stephanie Hsu has a tricky role, playing not only Joy, but also the Alpha universe version of Joy, the far more nihilistic Jobu Topaki. The two characters are quite far from one another and yet Hsu moves effortlessly from one to the other. James Hong is one of the great character actors who I always enjoy seeing turn up in movies and he gets his fair share of memorable moments throughout the film.

Overall, I'm not going to say that Everything Everywhere All at Once is the best movie of the year since it's it's still only April, but it's going to be the one to beat for sure. The one which by all subsequent films this year will be measured. There have been other films that have explored the idea of the multiverse, but not one that has done it this well, with a real sense of creativity, skill, intelligence and heart. I could tell from the trailer alone that this one was going to be something special and I was so happy to see after seeing the complete film that it certainly is.