2011 * PG-13 * 1h 43m I'm a big fan of films from Down Under. Both Australia and New Zealand have produced some brilliant movies over the last decade or so. I absolutely loved the hilarious show "Flight of the Conchords" from back in the day. Actually, I think I need to give it a rewatch. One of my favorite characters was the duet's agent played by Rhys Darby. In "Love Birds" he co-stars with the formidable Sally Hawkins. You can feel the chemistry between these two, right from the start of this sweet little rom-com.
At the beginning of the film, Doug (Darby) and his girlfriend Sally (Fay Smythe) are breaking up. More specifically, she's walking out on him. Then, shortly after a duck crashes into his roof. He's not quite sure what to do with the bird so he takes it to the local zoo where Holly (Hawkins) gives him some advice. Thus begins two relationships. The first one is with the duck, who he names Pierre. They become buds and he takes his loyal pet everywhere, including his work. The second is with Holly, naturally. However, his relationship with Holly is hampered by her son, who is still getting over the loss of his father.
There are a lot of funny bits and Darby is his usual goofball self. I felt his pratfalls and physical humor was a bit over the top at times. But who am I to quibble?
Overall, I thought this movie, while somewhat predictable, was great fun. The interactions between the two stars was delightful. And there's a whole bunch of supporting characters that contribute to the comical nature of this film. If you're in the mood for an amusing rom-com with a Kiwi flavor, give this one a shot!
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Currently streaming for free on Hoopla (with your library card) and Tubi. Also to rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Peacock, and other services.
2023 * R* 1h 40m“Wicked Little Letters” is a wicked little film you can’t help but crack up watching. It’s about a character assassination that took place in Littlehampton, a sleepy seaside town in the south of England. The scandal was fairly tame by today’s standards, but at the time, the early 1920s, it rocked the nation. I thought it was amusing that today, a nasty comment on social media can practically destroy someone, while a hundred years one had to use the postal service to achieve the same thing. The methodology has changed, but the end result is the same.
The film has the feel of a BBC production, but includes so much swearing, I doubt they’d have anything to do with filming it. It stars a couple of my favorite actors, Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, who happened to appear together in the recent movie “The Lost Daughter.” In that film they play the same woman at different points in her life. Here, their interactions are the crux of the film. Thea Sharrock directed. (I reviewed her fine film “The Beautiful Game” earlier this year).
Edith Swan (Colman) is a devout Catholic, and a priggish spinster who lives with her elderly parents Edward (Timothy Spall) and Victoria (Gemma Jones). Here, Spall is wonderful as the domineering, tyrant of a father who rules the household with an iron fist. He’s also a religious fanatic who makes his daughter read from the bible several times a day. Colman’s nervous twitches and grimaces perfectly help define her character. Things begin to unravel when the women in town begin getting obscene letters. And Edith is the target of a daily missive, laced with the worst kinds of verbal abuse. She immediately suspects her next-door neighbor, Rose Gooding (Buckley).
Rose is quite the character. She’s a bawdy Irish immigrant who lives with her boyfriend and her young daughter. She loves nothing better than to spend her free time in the local pub, drinking, singing, and stirring up trouble. Of course, she also happens to swear like a sailor, which makes her the prime suspect, in Edith’s eyes. Edith contacts the local constabulary and has Rose arrested, based on nothing more than a hunch. Because Rose can’t make bail, she’s sent to prison to await trial.
Meanwhile the police station’s “Woman Police Officer” Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) decides to do a little sleuthing on her own. Her fellow officers are so sexist they refuse to just refer to her as a police officer but feel the need to add “Woman” to her title. They also feel that she has no business digging into the case on her own and when she does, she’s duly fired.
Without giving anything away, let’s just say the real culprit of the obscene letter writing is revealed about halfway through the film. From this point on, the focus of the movie involves Officer Gladys’s detective work. A couple of Edith’s acquaintances Kate (Lolly Adelope) and Ann (Joanna Scanlan) aren’t her biggest fans and are eager to help Gladys in her investigation. One of the angles she pursues is analyzing the penmanship in the letters--something that’s scoffed at by her colleagues.
I found the whole movie absolutely delightful. The acting is first-rate, as you’d expect from a cast that includes Colman, Buckley, and Spall. All the supporting actors are perfectly cast as well. I especially enjoyed the attention to detail paid to the 1920’s era costumes. One of the highlights of the film was watching Edith and her father reading the saucy letters out loud to each other. That alone is worth the price of admission.
If you’re looking for something a bit different, and oh-so British, don’t miss this charming little film.
4 out of 5 stars
Note to parents: The film is rated “R” due to the foul language—it’s laced with F-bombs and other cusswords. Other than that, I think it would be suitable for older teens.
Currently streaming on Netflix. And to rent on other services including Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
2023 * R * 1h 43m I was looking for a light little rom/com to kill some time and put me in a pleasant mood before hitting the hay. Wow! I was not expecting anything like what this film offered up. Sure, there's a little bit of rom, and just a tad of com, but for the most part, it's a very thoughtful, dialogue-driven movie, which really caught me off guard.
The film stars David Duchovny and America's sweetheart, Meg Ryan, who also directed the film. They play Bill and Willa, respectively. They were lovers twenty years before and run into each other for the first time since they broke up at an airport. As luck would have it, the airport is closed down due to a major snowstorm, and at first, a few flights are allowed out, then all flights are cancelled for the night. So they're stuck with each other.
At first, they trade off witty remarks and try to impress each other with how clever they are. Slowly, their barriers are let down and they start to fill each other with what actually transpired all those years ago. Things get pretty heavy. And you begin to cling to every word they utter. Lots of feelings are uncovered. along with a bunch of "what ifs." I know both Duchovny and Ryan are seasoned actors, but this may be their finest film in years.
The film could easily have been a stage play, since 99% of it focuses on the two leads. I thought it was extremely well written and filmed. The cinematography was quite good, and it contributed to the surreal feeling to the movie. A bit of comic relief comes from the Public Service Announcer, who delivers his messages to not just the airport in general, but occasionally directly to Bill and Willa. If I had to categorize it, I guess I'd call it a rom/com for adults.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Streaming for free with your library card on Kanopy. Also available to rent on Apple TV Prime Video and other streaming services.
2019 * Not Rated * 1h 42m I had no idea what I was getting into when I started watching this movie. But I was pleasantly surprised. It's a story told in three chapters, about three different women--each one has a sad story to tell. As the title suggests, it takes place in New York City.
The first story is about. Amy (Amy Chang). She's a food critic and has to deal with an eating disorder, brought on by a breakup with an old flame. It's ironic because she simply can't keep food down. The second story deals with. Angel (Yi Liu). She's in a loveless marriage and the only pleasure she gets out of life is her time spent with a lover from China. The third story deals with Nina Celia Au), a young woman who makes a living as an escort. She hides this from her family. However, she has an ambitious boyfriend who owns a food truck but has ambitious plans to open up a restaurant with her and start a new life.
The stories converge at the end of the movie. I won't give away the endings to their stories, but they are a bit ambiguous. And let's just say, a pregnancy test is involved. I'm pretty sure I figured out what happened but I'm not positive. If you have any insight here, feel free to email me and let me know.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Currently streaming for free on Hoopla and Kanopy (with your library card) and Tubi. Also on Peacock, The Roku Channel, Vudu, Apple TV, Plex and other streaming services.
