Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special

 Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special (2017)

Starring Michael Bolton, Adam Scott, Sarah Silverman, Randall Park, Andy Samberg, Fred Armison, Michael Sheen, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, Will Forte, Eric André, Sarah Shahi, Casey Wilson, Brooke Shields, Janeane Garofalo, Louie Anderson, Sinbad, Andy Richter, and Bob Saget

Directed by Akiva Shaffer and Scott Aukerman

Written by Scott Aukerman, Dave Ferguson, Mike Hanford, Tim Kalpakis, Joe Saunders, and Akiva Schaffer

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C

Marry Me

 Marry Me (2022)

Starring Jennifer Lope, Owen Wilson, Maluma, John Bradley, Sarah Silverman, Chloe Coleman, and Michelle Buteau

Directed by Kat Coiro

Written by John Rogers, Tami Sagher, and Harper Dill

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C

The Book of Henry

The Book of Henry (2017)

Starring Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, Jacob Tremblay, Sarah Silverman, Lee Pace, Maddie Ziegler, and Dean Norris

Directed by Colin Trevorrow

Written by Gregg Hurwitz

Summary (in 500 words or less):  When teenage Henry (Jaeden Lieberher) suspects the father (Dean Norris) of his next door neighbor friend Christina (Maddie Ziegler) of abusing her, he concocts an elaborate scheme in order to save her.

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: D

Battle of the Sexes

Battle of the Sexes (2017)

Starring Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Elisabeth Shue, and Jessica McNamee

Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris

Written by Simon Beaufoy

Summary (in 500 words or less):  In 1973, former professional tennis player Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) challenged the popular Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) to a tennis match.  This battle of the sexes received much media coverage with the outspoken and braggadocios Riggs certain he'd prove victorious against the quiet, resolute King who was battling her own demons at the same time as she contemplated her sexuality when she begins to fall for a hairdresser (Andrea Riseborough) traveling with the ladies' pro tennis tour.

• Great performances from both Emma Stone and Steve Carell are the highlights of Battle of the Sexes.  Together, they lift this otherwise generic biopic to a greater level.
• The flick works very well during its first half as we get to learn about the private lives of Bobby and Billie Jean, but the actual Battle of the Sexes tennis match which makes up a large chunk of the final third feels a bit anticlimactic as most in the audience will already know the ending.  Tension never really mounts and the film unfortunately suffers because of the (admittedly necessary) emphasis on the titular match.
• Nice production design definitely creates a 70s aesthetic that proves quite charming

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

Starring Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows, Imogen Poots, and a slew of celebrity cameos

Directed by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone

Told in a mock-documentary style, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping details the life of Conner Friel (Andy Samberg), the lead singer of the rap group The Style Boyz who shot to popularity over a decade ago.  However, following some internal fighting, The Style Boyz break up and Conner embarks on a solo career wherein he becomes an incredibly successful solo rap artist.  This mockumentary focuses on Conner getting set to release his second solo album and, needless to say, things don't go quite as planned.

The Lonely Island crew of Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer shot to popularity with their viral skits on Saturday Night Live nearly a decade ago and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping certainly hews close to that style of raunchy, pop culture-based humor for which they became well-known.  Much like an episode of SNL, the film works in spurts.  When it's funny, it's oftentimes hilarious; but when it's not funny, it's oftentimes painful.  Even at a short 86 minutes, it's about 15 minutes too long, growing a bit repetitive as it meanders through its very basic plot.  Andy Samberg holds one's attention onscreen and some of the bit cameos are engaging, but it does overstay its welcome.  That said, I laughed out loud quite a bit -- more than I ever thought I would to be quite honest and in that regard Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is a success.  However, with a keener group of editors, it could've been even better.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - I Smile Back

I Smile Back (2015)

Starring Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Skylar Gaertner, Shayne Coleman, and Thomas Sadoski

Directed by Adam Salky

***This film is currently available on Amazon Prime***

Very rarely will you ever see me write that I wish a film would've been longer, but that's the case with I Smile Back, a captivating look the addictions (drug, alcohol, sexual) facing a suburban mother who desperately wants to get better, but struggles to succeed.  Comedian Sarah Silverman takes on a hefty dramatic role as Laney Brooks, a married mom of two whose typical day may include dropping her kids off at school and then driving the minivan to a hotel room for a tryst with her lover who also happens to supply with her with cocaine and prescription meds.  Sounds like a blast, huh?

In the first screenplay by writer Paige Dylan, we get a nicely rounded character in Laney as both the director Adam Salky and actress Silverman herself add depth to the well-written role.  When the film focuses on Laney, it's entirely successful.  Unfortunately, as we branch out to other characters -- particularly when Laney spends time with her children -- some of the dialog feels trite and some of the scenes seem ill-conceived and never really pay off with any dramatic emphasis.  While I understand the importance of showing Laney's downward spiral and how it affects her relationship with her kids, I never found myself latching on to this aspect of the story in a meaningful way and quite frankly, considering the subject matter of a mother going off the deep end, I should've.

However, overall, this is an indie movie that proves to be an unflinching look at addiction.  As mentioned, although I wanted the film to go on (which is certainly a credit to the screenwriter, director, and lead actress), the film ends on a note that causes the viewer to really ponder Laney's past and future journeys.  Silverman (nominated for a Screen Actor's Guild award for Best Actress) is captivating and engaging, showcasing that she definitely has the dramatic chops to tackle a role like this.  Here's hoping we see more of this in her future.  As for the film itself, it's well worth 85 minutes of your time and while it may have a few problems, its positives undoubtedly outweigh its negatives.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - A Million Ways to Die in the West

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, and Liam Neeson

Directed by Seth MacFarlane

I'm not sure I ever thought I'd write a sentence containing this sentiment, but Sarah Silverman is the best part of Seth MacFarlane's much too long A Million Ways to Die in the West.  Quite frankly, it's a shame the female comic isn't in the film a bit more.  Then again, I can take Silverman in small doses so it's probably better her role as a morally conscious prostitute in 1882 Arizona is only a supporting one.  Still, her comedic timing with co-star Giovanni Ribisi as her celibate boyfriend provide the film its few and far between laughs.

In an obvious attempt to meld Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles with modern-day Family Guy sensibilities, writer-director MacFarlane throws a bunch of jokes at the audience (at least in the first two-thirds of its two hour running time), but they mostly fall flat.  MacFarlane's comedic timing works on an animated show like Family Guy where we can easily suspend our reality, but when MacFarlane himself is onscreen rattling off jokes that overstay their welcome, we tire much easier, unable to really foster his scattershot comedic style in a live action setting.

MacFarlane is essentially playing himself (or at least the persona we've come to know) in the character of Albert, a sheep farmer who desires nothing more than to escape the wild west where death is around every corner.  When his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) leaves him for Foy (Neil Patrick Harris), the proprietor of a mustache grooming store, Albert is heartbroken until he meets cowgirl Anna (Charlize Theron) whose no-nonsense style he falls for right away.  Anna reciprocates Albert's feelings, but she is unfortunately involved in a bad marriage with the evil Clinch (Liam Neeson) who is none too pleased when he discovers that his wife is having relations with another man.

Throw in a bunch of fart jokes, Neil Patrick Harris pooping into a hat (scratch that -- multiple hats), Sarah Silverman having a certain male bodily fluid dripping off the side of her face, and many more low-level bathroom-related jabs that any eighth grader would find hilarious and you've got A Million Ways to Die in the West.

The RyMickey Rating:  D