Palm Springs

 Pam Springs (2020)

Starring Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, JK Simmons, and Peter Gallagher

Directed by Max Barbakow

Written by Andy Siara

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: B

Movie Review - The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Cristin Milioti, and P.J. Byrne 

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Much has already been said about the language, vulgarity, and loooong running time of The Wolf of Wall Street and I'll readily admit that it's full of f-bombs, various sexual proclivities, and rampant drug use throughout its 179-minute length.  However, I enjoyed the heck out of this one, finding myself constantly smiling at the sheer absurdity of the whole affair and almost being upset that my humdrum life couldn't hold a candle to the chaotic mayhem of Jordan Belfort's.  Granted, Belfort is a womanizing, scheming crook who contains nary a moralistic bone in his body and he's a horrific sleaze of a guy so my notion of trying to vicariously live like him faded really quickly, but thanks to a glorious performance by Leonardo DiCaprio and some vivacious direction from Martin Scorsese, this movie paints a vivid picture of the true story of the infamous stockbroker who duped thousands of people into losing boatloads of money.

While the overarching theme of the film is about the stock market and that aforementioned duping of the public by Belfort, Scorsese and screenwriter Terrence Winter wisely push that aside instead focusing on the wildly outrageous shenanigans of the rich Belfort (played by DiCaprio) and his cohorts as they spend their (well-earned or illegally earned?) dough on quaaludes, cocaine, prostitutes, yachts, extravagant homes, jewelry, flying dwarfs...I could go on and on.  Seeing the world of excess is admittedly at first a little exciting, but we all know that it's too good to be true.  This fantastical world is ripe for a breakdown and that certainly is the case here with Belfort's fall just as engrossing as his rise up the corporate ladder.

Front and center in nearly every scene of the movie is Leonardo DiCaprio, a guy who I've certainly come to appreciate in recent years for his acting prowess.  However, I've never seen him take on a role with such gusto and joie de vivre as he does here with Jordan Belfort.  With the perfect amount of sly charm, self absorption, self-confidence, financial smarts, and sex appeal, DiCaprio gives a performance that is loose, funny, and captivating.

While DiCaprio's Belfort certainly takes center stage, he isn't alone in shining onscreen.  Jonah Hill is quite good as a Long Island nobody whom Belfort grooms into his right hand man.  The jaw-droppingly gorgeous Margot Robbie plays Belfort's second wife and she's a stunning newcomer I can't wait to see more of in the future.  Additionally, Matthew McConaughey makes the most out of a mere ten minute scene as Belfort's first teacher in the stock trade.  He steals the show right off the bat (which DiCaprio then steals back from him) and sets the movie on a great path right from the outset.

All this praise I'm heaping on the film makes it seem as if this one's ripe for an "A" rating.  Well, that's not going to happen and the reason harkens back to that aforementioned running time.  This thing moves along at a fast clip for its first hour and its last hour takes us on a bit of a different journey with Belfort's world beginning to crumble, but that middle hour leaves a bit to be desired.  We've already borne witness to the hedonistic tendencies of Belfort and his crew and this middle act teeters on actually becoming a bit boring -- there's only so much coke snorting you can take.  Perhaps Scorsese was mirroring the excessive nature of Belfort with the excessive running time, but a trimming of maybe thirty minutes would've put this one right in the running for a top three spot of the year for me.  As it stands now, it's a very good film that could've been near perfect, buoyed by the best performance I've seen in 2013 in Mr. DiCaprio.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Sleepwalk with Me

Sleepwalk with Me (2012)

Starring Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, Carol Kane, and Cristin Milioti

Directed by Mike Birbiglia

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

I am not an aficionado of stand-up comedians so Mike Birbiglia was a name that never crossed my radar ever before.  Apparently known for his work on National Public Radio as well as several Off-Broadway one-man shows, I went into Sleepwalk with Me completely blind and I found the semi-autobiographical story simple, sweet, and a nice diversion.

Birbiglia plays Matt Pandamiglio, a guy who tends bar at a stand-up comedy club and occasionally gets to take the stage when some of the talent doesn't show up.  One night, a talent agent shows up at the club and after much prodding Matt convinces her to allow him to do several gigs across the country.  As Matt's popularity grows, he finds himself leaving his lovely longtime girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose) home alone.  While Matt loves Abby, he's quite the commitment-phobe, but after attending his sister's (Cristin Milioti of Broadway's Once) wedding, he feels forced to pop the question and succumb to the idea of marriage.  Needless to say, Matt's burgeoning career forces both of them to question their relationship and what they both want from love.

Sleepwalk with Me is sappy without a doubt, but its comedy has enough of a bite that it doesn't ever feel too overly sweet.  There's a humorous subplot involving Matt's tendency to sleepwalk (hence the title), funny scenes involving Matt's parents (James Rebhorn and Carol Kane), and some nice stand-up bits peppered throughout that also add to the film's charm.  However, the biggest reason the film works is the scenes between Birbiglia and Ms. Ambrose.  Both have a down-to-earth presence that you want in a movie like this.  Think back to Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle -- yes, they were stars, but they felt "normal" and that's what you feel when watching this movie, too.  Don't get me wrong, this is no Sleepless in Seattle (which is one of my favorite movies of all time and in my Personal Canon), but Sleepwalk with Me exudes that same sense of wit, charm, love, and goshdarn niceness that it's certainly worth your time.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

(On a side note, I want to point out that on the poster, there's a quote from Judd Apatow which says "A funny and insightful movie.  I could have watched it for ten hours."  Had Apatow made this, it might have been ten hours long, but this comedy clocks in at something like ninety minutes which is near perfect for a flick like this.)

Theater Review - Once

Once

Book by Enda Walsh

Music by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová

Directed by John Tiffany

Where: Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, NY

When: Wednesday, March 28, 2pm

Stunningly beautiful with an aesthetic simplicity that allows its music and story to come to the forefront, the new Broadway musical Once is a wonderful piece of theater that is an absolute must-see for anyone who is a fan of the Academy Award-winning film.  With music culled (for the most part) from the movie originally written by the film's stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (who make up the folk rock duo The Swell Season), I admittedly was a bit hesitant going into seeing this.  I love the movie (it's in my Personal Canon), but I was extremely worried that these songs were too emotionally connected for me with Hansard's grittiness and Irglova's fragility (both of whom I've seen give an amazing live concert).  Fortunately, from the opening moments of Broadway's Once, my fears were quickly allayed and there were truly moments of chill-inducing magic playing out before my very eyes.  

The story of Once (both movie and Broadway show) is so basic it's a wonder that someone thought there'd be some form of entertainment in its straightforwardness.  There's an Irish Guy (who remains nameless throughout the production).  He's a guitar player who, when he's not working at his dad's vacuum cleaner repair shop, finds himself writing music that lately reflects a bad break-up with a girl to whom he still holds some feelings.  Then there's a Czech Girl (who also remains nameless) who hears the Guy's music and immediately feels a spiritual connection to him through his lyrics...problem is, she has a young daughter and other entanglements that prevent her from committing herself to any type of relationship with the Guy.  Over the course of a week, the two mutually better each others' lives, but find it increasingly more difficult to be near each other as they continue to be forced to suppress their true feelings.

The Broadway production follows a very similar storyline to the film, but I must admit that if one hadn't seen the film before, it's entirely possible that the simplicity of the scene changes may lead to confusion.  The stage never changes -- as we walk into the Bernard B. Jacobs theater, the stage is set up as an Irish pub from which theatergoers can actually purchase liquor and mingle with the play's cast of characters prior to the show as the ensemble treats us to a nearly twenty-minute "preshow" of sorts (so get there early).  However, since the stage never changes, we in the audience (with the assistance of Natasha Katz's sometimes beautiful lighting) are asked to imagine the scenes in the film that take place, for example, in the music shop where Guy and Girl sing the signature "Falling Slowly" or in the recording studio where Guy takes his shot at fame.  To me, having seen the movie multiple times, I knew where the piece was going and what I was supposed to be imagining.  To someone completely unfamiliar with the work, I can understand a bit of confusion.  This, along with the fact that there were a few scenes of dialog that brought the production to a slight lull at times, are my only qualms...and they're minor qualms at that.

Everything else in this show was worthy of accolades.  Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti have a tough act to follow.  To me, the footsteps of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová are big ones to fill and Kazee and Milioti do so admirably.  Kazee has Hansard's grit (incredibly evident in his fantastic take on "Say It to Me Now"), but he also brings a bit of a slightly smoother Broadway sound (shown in "Gold," a throwaway song for me in the film that's given prime billing [and a stirring a cappella reprise] in the stage show to great effect).  While different from Hansard, it's to Kazee's credit that I was able to completely forget about how great a singer Hansard is while watching Kazee.  

Admittedly, Milioti has things a little easier as Irglová isn't exactly the best vocalist in town, but what Irglová lacks in power, she more than makes up with in emotion.  However (and this is really where Enda Walsh's book comes into play and shines, perhaps even "bests" the movie in this regard), Milioti is given much more humor in Girl on stage than we ever see in the film version.  Milioti is precociously endearing right from her first lines and the audience swoons for her just as the Guy does.  Girl is soft-spoken, yet incredibly sincere and honest...all of which are accurate descriptors of the musical itself as well -- it's a small-scale, quiet piece about the highs and lows of love brought to us by two wonderful actors in Kazee and Milioti whose chemistry is undeniable.

I've yet to mention that the music in Once is played not by an orchestra in a pit, but by the talented acting ensemble (including Kazee on guitar and Milioti on piano) who hardly ever leave the stage.  Acting, playing an instrument, and dancing all at once at times (in some of the most uniquely "choreographed" numbers I've ever seen on stage crafted by Steve Hoggett whose "title" in the Playbill lists him doing the play's "Movement") is no small feat and the show has talent running throughout the entire ensemble.  [And let me tell you, there's something beautiful in hearing live string instruments take on these powerful songs...kudos to Orchestrator Martin Lowe.]

I'm not a big "standing ovation" guy at theater productions.  I'll certainly applaud whether I like something or not simply to show my appreciation for the hard work of the cast and crew (more vigorously if I really liked something than if I didn't).  But when Once ended, I stood up right away because this is a show that earned that respect.  I'm sure that my love for Broadway's Once stems from the fact that I adore the film.  If you've seen the film and hated it, this musical probably won't do a thing for you.  To me, however, this tale of love, loneliness, and friendship is a winner that is eloquently brought to the stage by director John Tiffany and the talented cast and crew he assembled that make Once something I'll probably be seeing more times than its title.