John Service

Tag: Comedy

  • Saturday Night review

    Saturday Night review

    There are few more recognisable brands in the world of entertainment than Saturday Night Live. Originally known as simply Saturday Night, the comedy variety show (which I’ll refer to as SNL going forward in this review) has been a stalwart of the American television landscape. In the almost half-century since SNL debuted, producer Lorne Michaels has provided a platform for a pantheon of beloved comedians including Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig to name but a few. The success of SNL has also spawned a slew of hit comedy films including The Blues Brothers and Wayne’s World.

    Ahead of the fiftieth anniversary of SNL, director Jason Reitman and Sony Classics have produced the film Saturday Night. Reitman will be best known to audiences for directing the Oscar-nominated film Juno. He is also responsible for the two most recent entries in the Ghostbusters franchise. With Saturday Night, Jason Reitman provides viewers with an account of the events that occurred during the evening of the broadcast of the inaugural episode of SNL.

    Saturday Night was released in the United States back in October to coincide with the start of SNL’s fiftieth season. It has now just made its way across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it is currently showing in cinemas. So does Saturday Night deliver a fitting tribute to one of comedy’s most enduring brands?

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  • We Live in Time review

    It’s the start of a new year, and I’m incredibly excited about the coming year. Awards season for the film industry is in full swing. January alone sees UK audiences treated to major cinematic releases including Nosferatu, the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and finally Adrian Brody’s near four-hour epic The Brutalist. However, before we get to any of those movies, we’re kicking things off with a review of We Live In Time!

    We Live In Time is a romantic comedy-drama starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. The film explores the relationship between IT consultant Tobias Durand (Andrew Garfield), and chef Almut Brühl (Florence Pugh). Tobias works for the breakfast cereal company Weetabix, while Almut runs a Bavarian-themed restaurant. At the start of the film, the young couple are attending a hospital appointment. Here we learn that Almut has been diagnosed with stage three cancer. As the couple walk through the hospital car park, they engage in a frank conversation. Almut discloses to Tobias her fears about the coming cancer treatment. This includes concerns about how it will negatively impact her quality of life.

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  • The 50 Best Films of 2024 in the UK: 10 – 1

    The 50 Best Films of 2024 in the UK: 10 – 1

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  • The 50 Best Films of 2024 in the UK: 30-21

    The 50 Best Films of 2024 in the UK: 30-21

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  • The 50 Best Films of 2024 in the UK: 40-31

    The 50 Best Films of 2024 in the UK: 40-31

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  • The 50 Best Films of 2024 in the UK: 50-41

    The 50 Best Films of 2024 in the UK: 50-41

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  • Drive-Away Dolls review

    Drive-Away Dolls review

    It’s been six years since the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan Coen) released The Ballad of Buster Scruggs in 2018. Since the release of the three-times Oscar nominated Netflix original, the duo have remained busy. The duo continue to be credited as executive producers for FX’s Fargo antholohy series. And in 2021, Joel Coen made his solo directorial debut with The Tragedy of Macbeth for the Apple TV+ streaming service. Now Ethan Coen makes his solo directorial debut with Drive-Away Dolls.

    Drive-Away Dolls is a raucous road trip comedy starring Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan. Viewers may recognise Margaret Qualley from her small role in Poor Things earlier this year, and she is reuniting with director Yorgos Lanthimos later this year in the crime film Kinds of Kindness. Geraldine Viswanathan meanwhile will be most recognisable to viewers from the comedy Blockers.

    I saw Drive-Away Dolls a couple of weeks back at my local multiplex. Here are my thoughts on the movie, and whether it is strong debut solo debut for director Ethan Coen.

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  • The Holdovers review

    The Holdovers review

    We’re less than a month into 2024, and the year is already off to a great start for cinematic releases. Last week I waxed lyrically about Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s new comedy Poor Things. This week I am pleased to discuss the festive comedy-drama The Holdovers.

    The Holdovers sees director Alexander Payne reunite with the wonderful Paul Giamatti. The pair previously worked together on 2004’s Oscar-nominated comedy-drama Sideways. That movie received multiple nominations including in the Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress categories. The Holdovers received its European premiere at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival. It has also received a tremendous amount of critical acclaim, having won three Golden Globes recently, as well as earning five Academy Award nominations.

    Despite being a Christmas movie, The Holdovers was released in the UK and Ireland on January 19, 2024. This baffling marketing decision by distributor Focus Features feels like a cynical move to capitalize on its status as an awards season favourite. Despite the bizarre timing of the film’s release, it is nonetheless a brilliant piece of cinema that deserves all the hype and praise it has received.

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  • Poor Things review

    Poor Things review

    Half a decade on from winning the Best Picture Oscar for The Favourite, director Yorgis Lanthimos has returned with Poor Things. Lanthimos’ eighth feature film reunites the Greek director with The Favourite actress Emma Stone. Poor Things premiered at Venice Film Festival in September, garnering significant critical claim ahead of the 2024 Awards season. Earlier this month, it won ‘Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy’ at the 81st Golden Globe Awards. Emma Stone also won ‘Best Actress – Musical or Comedy’ for her role in the film. Poor Things is also one of the frontrunners for a bevy of nominations at the 2024 Academy Awards. I had the opportunity to see the film on the closing night of the Belfast Film Festival in November. With Poor Things currently screening in cinemas across the UK/Ireland, I thought I would share my thoughts on the film.

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