Directed by Lucia Aniello and written by Aniello and Paul W. Downs, Rough Night is the story of a bachelorette party gone horrible wrong when a male stripper is accidentally killed leading to all sorts of mayhem for the five women trying to figure out what to do. The film is a comedy where five female friends celebrate the upcoming nuptials of one of their own where it all goes wrong during a crazy night in Miami. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Jillian Bell, Kate McKinnon, Zoe Kravitz, Ilana Glazer, Paul W. Downs, Ryan Cooper, Colton Haynes, Ty Burrell, and Demi Moore. Rough Night is a witty though flawed film from Lucia Aniello.
The film follows a bachelorette weekend in Miami where the celebration goes wrong due to the accidental killing of a male stripper as the five women in the party try to figure out what to do to the body and hilarity ensues during the course of the night. It’s a film with a simple premise that play into five ladies wanting to hang out and party in Miami where they panic over an accident and make things worse along the way. The film’s screenplay by Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs does explore the relationship between the women as the bride-to-be in Jess (Scarlett Johansson) is reluctant about having a bachelorette weekend as she is dealing with a campaign for senator as she has a hard time connecting with voters. Her best friend Alice (Jillian Bell) is organizing the bachelorette party as it would include their college friends in Frankie (Ilana Glazer) and Blair (Zoe Kravitz) plus a friend of Jess in Pippa (Kate McKinnon) whom Jess met during a semester in Australia.
While the script tries to juggle so much backstory of the characters as well as a subplot of Jess’ fiancé Peter (Paul W. Downs) driving to Miami high on pills after hearing Jess panic over what happened. It’s a moment that does feel forced despite a few funny moments as much of the story focuses on the women trying to figure out what to do the body of this stripper (Ryan Cooper) as well as the relationship between these women as Frankie and Blair used to be a couple while there’s some tension from Alice towards Pippa as the former is trying to get Jess’ attention as it play into her clinginess. Even as Pippa is just this outsider new to the group who would try to come up with ideas while dealing with jet lag.
Aniello’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of the compositions as it doesn’t really go for anything stylistic in the visuals rather than emphasize on the humor. Shot largely in Saddle Rock and Mount Vernon in the state of New York with some additional locations in Miami, Florida. Aniello would open the film with Jess, Alice, Frankie, and Blair at a frat party where they like to hang out with each other just to establish their friendship and then move the film 10 years later where Alice is a teacher, Frankie is an activist with two strikes on her, and Blair is a real-estates agent dealing with a divorce and a custody battle. Aniello’s approach to the humor is to build things up as well as play up into the conversations and antics of the characters which would lead to something big. Even as it involves Pippa who would put herself in dangerous situations for comical reasons where it works while there’s some parts as it relates to Peter as he’s trying to reach Jess by driving to Miami does lag a bit despite a few funny moments. Yet, the film’s climax which relates to not just the stripper’s identity but also some of the drama that goes on with the women who come to terms that their lives aren’t so great and that they’re growing up. All the reason for them to be together no matter how bad things are. Overall, Aniello crafts an entertaining though messy film about a bachelorette party gone wrong.
Cinematographer Sean Porter does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is colorful with much of the action taking place at night to play into the Miami nightlight and scenes at the beach. Editor Craig Alpert does nice work with the editing with its stylish approaches to montages and some rhythmic cut to play into the humor. Art director Ryan Heck and set decorator Carol Silverman do fantastic work with the look of the house Jess is loaned for the weekend as well as the home she lives in with Peter. Costume designer Leah Katznelson does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely casual with the stylized clothes the women wear during the bachelorette festivities.
Visual effects supervisor Karl Coyner does some fine work with the visual effects as it’s mainly set-dressing for a few scenes including Peter’s drive to Miami. Sound editor Kami Asgar does superb work with the sound in the way music sounds on location as well as the sound of the waves in the ocean. The film’s music by Dominic Lewis is wonderful for its low-key score that is playful with its usage of electronics and orchestral music for the suspense and drama with much of the film’s soundtrack featuring a mix of pop, hip-hop, EDM, and rock from acts like Wolfmother, Marilyn Manson, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Skrillex, Cliff Martinez, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, J-Kwon, Khia, Neon Jungle, Divinyls, and Kate McKinnon singing a hilarious song during the credits.
The casting by Rori Bergman and Jeanne McCarthy is brilliant as it feature some notable small roles from Peter Francis Jack as Blair’s attorney uncle, Karan Soni as Jess’ assistant in her campaign, the quartet of Bo Burnham, Eric Andre, Hasan Minhaj, and Patrick Carlyle as Peter’s friends for their own bachelor party, Dean Winters and Enrique Murciano as a couple of detectives, Devin Ratray as a truck driver Peter meets on his way to Miami, Colton Haynes as a police officers who appears in the film’s second act, and Ryan Cooper as the male stripper who is accidentally killed. Ty Burrell and Demi Moore are fantastic in their respective roles as the couple Pietro and Lea as the neighbors who want to engage into a sexual fantasy with Blair that would become overwhelming for her. Paul W. Downs is alright as Jess’ fiancé Peter as a man who becomes fearful that he’s not good enough for Jess forcing him to drive to Miami while wearing adult diapers, drinking Red Bull, taking outdated prescription medicines, and later doing meth as it’s a mixed-bag of a performance where it’s funny but also forceful at times.
Ilana Glazer is excellent as Frankie as an activist who is trying to deal with the situation as she is aware that she has two strikes on her while dealing with her own feelings for Blair. Zoe Kravitz is brilliant as Blair as a real estate agent dealing with a divorce and custody battle who finds herself being the object of desire for the neighbors as she also is dealing with her own feelings for Frankie. Jillian Bell is amazing as Alice as Jess’ best friend from college who is the most excited about the bachelorette party while doing things that are funny to express her character’s loneliness and lack of excitement in her life. Kate McKinnon is incredible as Pippa as Jess’ Australian friend who is the funniest character in the film for providing some physical comedy as well as some witty commentary on the situations. Finally, there’s Scarlett Johansson in a remarkable performance as Jessica “Jess” Thayer as the bride who is dealing with a senatorial campaign and getting married as she deals with the chaos of an accidental murder where she provides some funny moments as well as being the reliable straight woman.
Rough Night is a stellar though flawed film from Lucia Aniello. Despite its messy script and tonal issues in the film, the film does feature an excellent cast and some funny moments that do provide enough moments that is entertaining with characters that are engaging. In the end, Rough Night is a very good film from Lucia Aniello.
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Jonathan Levine and screenplay by Levine, Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter, and Ariel Shaffir from a story by Levine, The Night Before is the story of three childhood friends who gather for a traditional Christmas Eve get-together as it might be the last one as two of the men are about to take on bigger steps into their lives. The film is a comedy about three guys who are about to embark on an annual event as they believe it’s the last one where a lot of hijinks and hilarity ensue. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kaling, Michael Shannon, and narration by Tracy Morgan. The Night Before is a witty and adventurous film from Jonathan Levine.
The film follow three lifelong friends who embark on an annual gathering as it is possible as it might be their last year together as one of them is a famous football player while one of them is becoming a father leaving the third man unsure of what he will do next. Then, a chance to be invited to an exclusive party makes this possible last get-together even bigger as the three men try to find the party but also deal with various issues in their lives. The film’s screenplay follows the live of these three men who begin this tradition in 2001 when the parents of Ethan Miller (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) were killed as his best friends in Isaac Greenberg (Seth Rogen) and Chris Roberts (Anthony Mackie) were around to be there for him as they would get drunk and high for a lot of years. 14 years later, things have changed with Isaac about to become a father and Chris is now a famous football player. Ethan unfortunately has failed in his attempt to be a successful musician while he works at a hotel with nowhere to go as Isaac and Chris are unsure what will happen to him next year as they have so much to do in their own lives.
This party known as the Nutcracker Ball is an exclusive party where only those with an invitation are invited as they have to call a number at a certain time for the secret location. Ethan, Isaac, and Chris would each embark their own paths to the party as well as have their own meetings with a mysterious drug dealer known as Mr. Green (Michael Shannon) who would give them a toke of his supply as it would lead to all sorts of hijinks. For Isaac, he would endure a bad drug trip due to the drugs his wife Betsy (Jillian Hall) had bought while Chris would have an encounter with a fan (Ilana Glazer) that goes horribly wrong. For Ethan, his encounter with his former girlfriend Diana (Lizzy Caplan) forces him to think about the decisions he’s made as well as the uncertainty of his own future since Isaac and Chris are about to embark on starting their own individual lives.
Jonathan Levine’s direction is very stylish as it is set during the Christmas holidays in New York City where the film is set and shot on location as it play into this sense of adventure that goes on throughout the film. While Levine would include some wide shots of the locations including a few landmarks such as the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center. Levine focuses more on intimate shots such as close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama and some of the humor as it also has elements of surrealism as it relates to Isaac’s own drug trip. There are also these moments where Levine takes a break from the comedy and drama as it play into the story as well as the adventures the individual characters would go to. The film’s climax at the Nutcracker Ball is definitely wild but also play into the kind of people Ethan, Isaac, and Chris want to hang out with only to realize how much they all needed each other. Overall, Levine creates a fun and lively film about three guys gathering for one last get-together to an exclusive party before they embark into the world of adulthood.
Cinematographer Brandon Trost does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as much of it takes place at night from the look of the bar where the guys do karaoke to the extravagant lighting for the Nutcracker Ball sequence. Editor Zene Baker does nice work with the editing as it is stylish with a few montages and other rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and some of the stranger moments in the film. Production designer Annie Spitz and set decorator Chryss Hionis do amazing work with the look of some of the places the characters go to including the Nutcracker Ball with its lights and other things expected for an extravagant party. Costume designer Melissa Toth does terrific work with the costumes from the Christmas sweaters the guys wear to some of the lavish costumes at the Nutcracker Ball.
Visual effects supervisor Jeff Campbell does fantastic work with some of the things that Isaac sees during his drug-induced trip as well as a few things to play into the comedy. Sound editor Michael Babcock does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of some of the places the characters go to including the Nutcracker Ball. The film’s music by Marco Beltrami and Miles Hankin is wonderful for its mixture of holiday-inspired music with some hip-hop, rock, and electronic music to provide a different mood for various scenes in the film while music supervisor Gabe Hilfer provides a fun mix of holiday-based music with some non-holiday music from Run-DMC, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, and Britney Spears.
The casting by Henry Russell Bergstein, Kathy Driscoll, Allison Estrin, and Francine Maisler is great as it feature some notable small roles from Miley Cyrus as herself, Aaron Hill as Chris’ teammate Tommy Owens, Helene Yorke as Betsy’s friend Cindy, Randall Park as Ethan’s boss, Jason Mantzoukas and Jason Jones as a couple of Santa Claus who get drunk and give Ethan some shit, Nathan Fielder as Chris’ driver, and Lorraine Toussaint as Chris’ mother who is wondering about what Chris is doing as she knows something isn’t right. Jillian Bell is fantastic as Isaac’s wife Betsy who is aware of her husband’s need to party but also worries about what he’s really feeling about becoming a father. Mindy Kaling is superb as Diana’s friend Sarah whom Isaac converses with as she is hoping to meet a guy named James where Isaac accidentally gets her phone. Ilana Glazer is excellent as Rebecca as a mysterious woman who is a fan of Chris as she is this mysterious individual who spouts a lot of film and holiday references as someone that wants to teach Chris a lesson. Lizzy Caplan is brilliant as Diana as Ethan’s ex-girlfriend who hasn’t seen him in months as she deals with Ethan’s shortcomings and the reasons they broke up.
Michael Shannon is incredible as Mr. Green as a mysterious drug dealer who gives the film’s protagonists a toke of his special weed as it is this very low-key yet charismatic performance from Shannon who is just a joy to watch. Anthony Mackie is amazing as Chris Roberts as a famous football player who is becoming extremely famous and about to have the season of his career where he is carrying a secret as well as dealing with the expectations that he has as a famous player. Seth Rogen is remarkable as Isaac Greenberg as a man who is about to become a father as he tries to deny his feelings by going on a drug-induced trip where he sees some strange things as it play into his own anxieties. Finally, there’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a marvelous performance as Ethan Miller as a failed musician with no idea of what he’s going to do next as he hopes this chance to be at the Nutcracker Ball would give him some answers as he is also forced to face his own faults as a man who is afraid to take a big step into adulthood.
The Night Before is a remarkable film from Jonathan Levine. Featuring a great cast, some hilarious moments, and some compelling themes on adulthood, it’s a film that manages to provide a nice balance of stoner humor in a Christmas setting as it play into the idea of family and friendship. In the end, The Night Before is a marvelous film from Jonathan Levine.
Jonathan Levine Films: (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) – (The Wackness) – 50/50 - Warm Bodies - (Snatched) – Long Shot (2019)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the TV show 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street is the story where two cops go to college to find the supplier who had been creating new drugs that has been circulating into the world of college. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and screenplay by Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman from a story by Bacall and Jonah Hill. The film is a spoof of sorts on sequels where characters of the first film do the same thing for the second film set in college as Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum reprise their roles as Morton Schmidt and Greg Jenko who deal with their friendship. Also starring Amber Stevens, Peter Stormare, Nick Offerman, Rob Riggle, Dave Franco, and Ice Cube as Captain Dickson. 22 Jump Street is a witty yet off-the-wall film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
The film is essentially a re-hash of sorts of the first film where Schmidt and Jenko have to go undercover and pretend to be college students so they can the dealers and suppliers of a new drug that is about to become big in college campuses. Along the way, Schmidt and Jenko endure challenges that would separate them while they also deal with new enemies and secrets that come into play during their investigation. It’s a film that definitely takes the same storyline, plot-points, and such of the first film but makes it aware that it is a re-hash where there’s elements of the fourth-wall being broken as the characters often talking about budgets and doing the same thing all over again. The film’s screenplay isn’t afraid to comment on doing things all over again while there’s a lot more hilarity that goes on as well as suggestions that Schmidt and Jenko’s friendship is so much more. Notably as those that Schmidt and Jenko surround themselves would tell one person that the other is dragging him down.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s direction definitely plays into the same style as the first but with bigger set pieces, action sequences, and all sorts of things where it knows that it is making fun of itself. The compositions are quite simple at times but also stylish as it plays to Jenko’s ability to do parkour and such while Schmidt would try to do that as well. Another hilarious sequence is another take on the two getting high on drugs where both Schmidt and Jenko each get a different reaction. There’s also sequences where Lord and Miller play up the bro-mance between Schmidt and Jenko as it does have this chaotic sense of style that is a play on the cinematic style of Michael Bay.
The action sequences are over the top as much of it is shot in New Orleans while its climatic showdown is shot in Puerto Rico as it is this very wild take on spring break. While the results is obvious predictable, it is followed by a closing credits sequence that not only breaks down the fourth wall but also in the idea of what is to come in all sorts of genres and such. Overall, Lord and Miller create a very smart and extremely funny film about two guys pretending to be college kids to bust up some drug dealers, have a good time, and be aware that they’re doing the same thing all over again.
Cinematographer Barry Peterson does excellent work with the cinematography in terms of the vibrant exterior colors of the locations in its interior and exterior settings. Editors David Rennie and Keith Brachmann do fantastic work with the editing where it plays into the chaotic, speed-editing style of most action blockbusters while keeping things straightforward so that audiences can make sense of what is happening. Production designer Steve Sakland, with set decorator Tracey A. Doyle and art director Scott Plauche, does nice work with the set pieces from the frat house that Jenko gets accepted to as well as the new 22 Jump Street base that was created to showcase the bigger budget.
Costume designer Leesa Evans does terrific work with the costumes as it plays to the world of college as it‘s mostly casual. Visual effects supervisors Edwin Rivera and Peter G. Travers do amazing work with some of the visual effects that includes a hilarious scene of Schmidt and Jenko high on the new drug and the different effects it had on them. Sound editor Geoffrey G. Rubay does superb work with the sound from the sound effects of gunfire to the atmosphere of the parties. The film’s music by Mark Mothersbaugh is brilliant for its mixture of orchestral music with some electronic-based cuts while music supervisor Kier Lehman brings in a fun soundtrack that features a lot of dubstep, hip-hop, electronic music, and some songs from the 80s.
The casting by Nicole Abellera and Jeanne McCarthy is amazing as it features some notable appearances from Rob Riggle and Dave Franco reprising their roles as Mr. Walters and Eric, respectively, as well as Caroline Aaron and Joe Chrest as Schmidt’s parents, and Nick Offerman playing the role of Captain Hardy who puts Schmidt and Jenko back on the Jump Street program. Wyatt Russell is terrific as the jock Zook that Jenko befriends while Jimmy Tatro is good as Zook’s friend Rooster. The Lucas Brothers are funny as twin drug dealers who always say the same thing while Marc Evan Jackson is wonderful as the college psychiatrist who is the initial suspect as the supplier. Jillian Bell is brilliant as Mercedes who dislikes Schmidt as she is very creepy as well as being very funny. Amber Stevens is excellent as Maya as an art student Schmidt falls for as she knows about the dealer who had died as she reluctantly let Mercedes stay in her dorm room.
Peter Stormare is superb as the antagonist Ghost as this old-school drug dealer that Schmidt and Jenko try to capture as he could be connected to the new drug that is being sent out to college campuses. Ice Cube is hilarious as Captain Dickson who continues to berate Schmidt and Jenko as Cube gets more to do as it relates to a minor character in the film. Finally, there’s Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in fantastic performances as their respective characters Schmidt and Jenko. Hill displays a lot of the sensitivity and awkwardness of Schmidt that is fun to watch while Tatum brings in that physicality and dimness to his character as the two definitely have fun in their roles while not being afraid to showcase some homoerotic overtones in their bro-mance.
22 Jump Street is an excellent film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Featuring a great cast and a witty approach to the idea of sequels, it is a film that isn’t afraid to play dumb while be aware that it’s rehashing everything that made the first film so successful. Especially as it isn’t afraid to give the audience what they want as well as be even sillier. In the end, 22 Jump Street is a fantastic film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Phil Lord & Chris Miller Films: (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) - 21 Jump Street - The Lego Movie
© thevoid99 2014
