Juno (2007) - Reitman's massively sweet indie favorite

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Two overwhelmed teenage stars are placed on the freshly colored poster for Jason Reitman's Juno

16 year-old Juno finds herself pregnant and faces some big decisions. SPOILER Her choice of adoption in turn gives a new situation for an immature adopting couple. 

 

Juno is written by Diablo Cody (Paradise (2013)) and directed by great Quebecois filmmaker Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking (2005)).

A sweet 'hyper indie' film, Juno is sweetly written, sweetly acted, warm and has several laugh-induing moments. Ellen Page (Into the Forest (2015)) is sweet. But the amount of 'sweet' is also the film's weak point. This is the honey-glazed teenage pregnancy movie.

 

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Jason Reitman: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) - Bust out some popcorn 

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Tully (2018) - Theron delivers in Reitman/Cody's candid motherhood dramedy  

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 7.5 mil. $

Box office: 232.3 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 30.97 times its cost)

[Juno premiered 1 September (Telluride Film Festival) and runs 96 minutes. Rainn Wilson was reportedly paid 750$ for his performance in the film; while Jennifer Garner accepted a reduced salary in exchange for an undisclosed backend %, which may have been a very lucrative deal for her in the end. Shooting took place from February - March 2007 in British Columbia. The film opened #17 to a 413k $ first weekend in 7 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #2, behind National Treasure: Book of Secrets, spending 4 weekends in the top 5, grossing 143.4 mil. $ (61.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 19.2 mil. $ (8.3 %) and Australia with 10.9 mil. $ (4.7 %). The film was nominated for 4 Oscars, winning for Best Original Screenplay. It lost Best Picture to No Country for Old Men, Actress (Page) to Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose; and Director to Ethan and Joel Coen for No Country for Old Men. It also won 1/2 BAFTA nominations, was nominated for 3 Golden Globes, won a Grammy, 3/4 Independent Spirit award nominations, an AFI award and 3 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Reitman returned with Saturday Night Live (2008, TV-series), The Office (2007-08) and theatrically with Up in the Air (2009). Page returned in The Stone Angel (2007); Michael Cera (Barbie (2023)) in Drunk History (2007, TV-series), Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis (2008, TV-series) and theatrically in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008). Juno is certified fresh at 98 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Juno? 

Identity Thief (2013) - McCarthy entertains as hellish woman in lesser film

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Two amusing shots of stars Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy fill out this simple poster for Seth Gordon's Identity Thief

Stacy lives a reasonable family life, when his identity gets stolen and abused crudely by a madly materialistic con lady in Florida. In order to get his life back on track, he crosses the country to catch the culprit.

 

Identity Thief is written by Craig Mazin (Scary Movie 3 (2003)), with Jerry Eeten (Elvis Took a Bullet (2001)) contributing story elements, and directed by Seth Gordon (Four Christmases (2008)).

The tone is uneven, ranging between crass and warmly human, however without the latter quality ever settling because the film (similarly to Gordon's preceding comedy Horrible Bosses (2011)) lacks heart.

Melissa McCarthy (The Heat (2013)) is game, and she reveals several assets in her considerable talent, - more than her character can really carry, actually, - but her performance gives Identity Thief its worthwhile core and the laughs that it produces, among others in a couple of funny scenes with Eric Stonestreet (The Loft (2014)) as Big Chuck, and one with Ben Falcone (Life of the Party (2018)) as a motel desk clerk. SPOILER That Jason Bateman's (Central Intelligence (2016)) Stacy character eventually learns from McCarthy's pathological liar and even forgives her is a huge stretch, - and a poorly designed CGI snake and the not exactly inventive action villains on the odd couple's tails also work to weigh down this highly fiscally successful star vehicle. Over-all though, McCarthy deserves a better director and script than is provided here.

 

Related post:

 

Seth Gordon: Horrible Bosses (2011) - The stars nearly make up for this rackety Hollywood raunch vehicle

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 35 mil. $

Box office: 173.9 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.96 times its cost)

[Identity Thief was released 7 October (Croatia) and runs 111 minutes. McCarthy's character was originally written for a man, but Bateman insisted that she was cast after seeing her performance in Bridesmaids (2011). Shooting took place in Georgia, Colorado and Tennessee. The film opened #1 to a 34.5 mil. $, spending another 5 weekends in the top 5, one of which was again at #1, grossing 134.5 mil. $ (77.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were UK with 7.4 mil. $ (4.3 %) and Australia with 7 mil. $ (4 %). The film additionally made in excess of an estimated 35.6 mil. $ on the domestic home video market as well. Gordon returned with 4 TV credits prior to his theatrical return, Baywatch (2017). McCarthy returned in The Hangover Part III (2013); Bateman in Bad Words (2013). Identity Thief is rotten at 20 % with a 4.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Identity Thief? 

The Gift (2015) - Edgerton's impressive thriller debut

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Joel Edgerton with marked facial features and dark-colored hair looks ominous with a big present on this poster for his own The Gift

An attractive, successful married couple move into a house in the husband's childhood neighborhood in California, where an old schoolmate looks them up with gifts and disturbing behavior ...

The Gift is written and directed by great Australian filmmaker, debuting writer/co-producer/co-star/director Joel Edgerton (Jac et Bill (1996, short)).

Edgerton creates a dynamite thriller as his first venture into feature directing here: Elegantly told and shot, (by cinematographer Eduard Grau (Buried (2010))), The Gift is a whispering, creeping time, carefully dosed by what seems like the hand of an expert.

Jason Bateman (Up in the Air (2009)) is particularly terrific, but also Rebecca Hall (A Bag of Hammers (2011)) and Edgerton himself (as the blast from the past Gordo character) are excellent. It is also good to see Busy Phillips (Thrilling Adventure Hour Live (2015)) again, an underused actress, who looks lovely here.

The Gift is a complex film with many layers, which can't help but haunt one's mind for a time after it's over. An impressive feat.

Related posts:

Joel Edgerton: Loving (2016) - Edgerton and Negga own the screen in Nichols' powerful period drama (co-star)

It Comes at Night (2017) - Shults' sparse horror leaves too much unanswered (actor)

Midnight Special (2016) - Nichols' strange, cool sci-fi curveball (co-star)

The Rover (2014) - A dreary journey to Michôd's desolate, hopeless Australia (story contributor) 

The Great Gatsby (2013) - Luhrmann exuberance and great stars create thrilling adaptation (co-star)

Warrior (2011) - O'Connor's superbly acted MMA drama packs emotional fireworks (co-star)

The Thing/The Thing Awakens/The Thing: The Beginning (2011) - Career-ending, flawed monster horror prequel (actor)

 

 

Watch a 1-minute clip from the film here

 

Cost: 5 mil. $

Box office: 58.9 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 11.78 times its cost)

[The Gift premiered 30 July (Los Angeles) and runs 108 minutes. Shooting took 25 days from January - February 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Edgerton only began shooting his own scenes 2 weeks into the shoot, and had his older brother, director Nash Edgerton help behind the camera then. The film opened #3, behind holdover hit Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and fellow new release Fantastic Four to an 11.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another week in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 43.7 mil. $ (74.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.2 mil. $ (3.7 %) and Australia with 1.7 mil. $ (2.9 %). Edgerton returned with Boy Erased (2018). As an actor he returned in Black Mass (2015); Bateman in The Family Fang (2015); and Hall in Christine (2016). The Gift is certified fresh at 91 % with a 7.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Gift?

Zootopia (2016) - Disney's ambitious, edifying, family-minded 3D animation

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Many of the colorful central characters of Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush's Zootopia are gathered on this poster for the film

Our hero is a young female rabbit, the first rabbit police recruit ever, who arrives in the major animal city with a head full of dreams, which is put to the test by reality as it is, along with a complex missing animals case that she takes upon herself, partnering with her a scheming fox.

Zootopia is another irresistible hit from Disney. This one is written by co-writer-co-director Jared Bush (Moana (2016)) and Phil Johnston (Cedar Rapids (2011)), with Jennifer Lee (Frozen (2013)), Josie Trinidad (How to Hook Up Your Home Theater (2007), short) and Jim Reardon (WALL-E (2008)) contributing story elements, and directed by Bush, Byron Howard (Tangled (2010)) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph (2012)). Perhaps due to the many good heads involved, Zootopia is rife with creative energy, thoughtful decisions and a wide array of funny and exciting ideas.
The animation is astoundingly handsome and detailed, and Ginnifer Goodwin (Robot Chicken (2005-14)), Jason Bateman (The Family Fang (2015)), Idris Elba (The Losers (2010)), Jenny Slate (Gifted (2017)) and Nate Torrence (Weird Loners (2015), TV-series) give outstanding voice performances. Zootopia, in quite the scoop, also has Shakira voicing and singing the Gazelle pop star of the film, and Shakira's world-famous, positive image and her song here (Try Everything) fit like a glove with the film's idealistic morals: Embracing a modern, multi-cultural society, tolerance, diversity seen as a strength and peaceful co-existence, and against racism, fear-mongering - and drugs, which this ambitious, political family adventure also manages to warn against.
Zootopia is a special, very socially oriented animated crime drama, which also works through artfully executed single scenes, just the right amount of chase-and-escape action scenes, and a host of fun and terrific characters.

Related posts:

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Rich Moore: Wreck-It Ralph (2012) - Original story gets lost in benign but overly flashy animation

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 150 mil. $
Box office:1,023.7 mil. $
= Huge hit
[Zootopia premiered 11 February (Denmark) and runs 108 minutes. Research was done in two US animal parks as well as in Kenya for the many animals of the film, their movement and looks, and new ground was broken in terms of details in the rendition of fur in the animation. The production took place in a makeshift warehouse in North Hollywood, as Disney Animation's Burbank HQ was under renovation. The film opened #1 in 2D, 3D and IMAX to a great 75 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remained #1 for 3 consecutive weeks and stayed in the top 5 for an incredible 8 weeks and grossed 341.2 mil. $ (33.3 % of the total gross). It was Disney Animation's biggest opening in North America to date, the biggest March animation opening to date and the 7th highest-grossing film in the market of the year. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 235.5 mil. $ (23 %), - where it became the highest-grossing animation of all time, the first animation to break 200 mil. $ and the second highest-grossing film of the year (behind The Mermaid), - and Japan with 70.1 mil. $ (6.8 %). Worldwide, the film was the 4th highest-grossing of the year (behind Captain America: Civil War, Rogue One and Finding Dory) and the 2nd highest-grossing animation (behind Finding Dory). It also ranks as the second highest-grossing original film of all time (behind Avatar (2009)) and the 5th highest-grossing animation of all time. The film's net profit has been estimated to be 294.9 mil. $ by Deadline.com. The film won the Best Animation Oscar (beating Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana, My Life as a Zucchini and The Red Turtle). It also won a Golden Globe, was nominated for a BAFTA and a Grammy and won an AFI award, among many other honors. A sequel is in talks. Zootopia was the year's second-highest ranking title at Rotten Tomatoes (after Moonlight); it is certified fresh at 98 % with an 8/10 critical average.]

What do you think of Zootopia?

Horrible Bosses (2011) - The stars nearly make up for this rackety Hollywood raunch vehicle

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Stars stare at you to get you to see Seth Gordon's Horrible Bosses

QUICK REVIEW:

Three friends waste their lives under three totally psychopathic bosses. They decide to kill them, but it turns out to be easier said than done.

Around once a minute throughout Seth Gordon's (Identity Thief (2013)) Horrible Bosses, we are reminded that it's an R-rated, modern, raunchy comedy by another line or action thought of as transgressive, - which becomes a bit tiring. Jonathan M. Goldstein and John Francis Daley (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), both) have written the script with Michael Markowitz (Becker (1999-2002)) and have not created one venerable character in the bunch.
Horrible Bosses gets away with it, because it is fairly amusing and very star-studded. Among the stars, Kevin Spacey (House of Cards (2013-15)) is awesomely cool here, while Charlie Day (Pacific Rim (2013)) is an obnoxious pain-in-the-ass, (although others actually think that he is brilliant here...!)

Watch the trailer here

Cost: Estimated 35-37 mil. $
Box office: 209.6 mil. $
= Huge hit
[Horrible Bosses opened stronger than expected with a 28.3 mil. $ opening weekend in the US, #2 behind Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It ended up making 117.5 mil. $ in the US (56 % of the total gross) and has surpassed The War of the Roses (1989, 86.8 mil. $) as the highest-grossing dark comedy in unadjusted dollars. Horrible Bosses 2 came out in 2014.]

What do you think of Horrible Bosses?
Seen the sequel?
How is it?