Golden Globe, la lista completa dei nominati, fra esclusioni celebri, contenti e infelici
Ebbene, alle ore 14 e 15 di oggi pomeriggio, Lunedì 12 Dicembre, son stati finalmente diramati i nomi dei candidati ai prossimi Golden Globe, che si terranno l’8 Gennaio e saranno presentati dall’entertainer Jimmy Fallon.
Come annotato dall’eminente Deadline nella sua nota fra gli “snobbati” di quest’imminente edizione, davvero tanti i nomi che, impietosamente, son stati esclusi dai giochi. Un silenzio, a dire la verità, implacabile e di sottile, triste ambiguità s’è abbattuto verso Beverly Hills ove i candidati son stati annunciati perché, a ben rifletterci, questi Golden Globe, trascurando molti film e attori che, a nostro avviso, dovevano esser seriamente presi in considerazione, c’appaiono a prima vista assai superficiali. Notevoli e ingiustificate, ad esempio, le esclusioni di Scorsese col suo strabiliante Silence, che non compare in nessuna (!) categoria, così come “eccellente” aver tenuto all’asciutto Tom Hanks di Sully, che speriamo possa rifarsi alle nominations agli Oscar, invero più prestigiose. Nella categoria Miglior Attore per Comedy/Musical, i Golden snobbano totalmente George Clooney di Ave, Cesare e De Niro di The Comedian, la cui interpretazione, in un film sofisticato e di “antica” scuola alla Woody Allen, con tanto di atmosfere “manhattaniane”, era apparsa degna di menzione. E che dire inoltre del povero Matthew McConaughey di Gold, a cui non è bastato imbruttirsi e ingrassare per poter essere candidato? E a questo punto appare assai improbabile anche che gli Academy Awards possano reputarlo un outsider in grado di poter entrare nella cinquina dei futuri Best Actor. Ignorati completamente, ed è altro un macroscopico, “delittuoso” errore, anzi orrore, Anthony Hopkins per Westworld e il vivace, potente Michael Keaton di The Founder.
Ma, contenti o scontenti che siano gli esclusi, e con le nostre dovute riserve su queste definitive, “inappellabili” candidature, scorriamo appunto la lista completa, “doverosamente” in “lingua originale”.
FILM
Best Motion Picture – Drama
HACKSAW RIDGE
Pandemonium Films / Permut Productions; Summit Entertainment A Lionsgate Company
HELL OR HIGH WATER
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment / Film 44 / LBI Entertainment / OddLot Entertainment; CBS Films / Lionsgate
LION
See-Saw Films; The Weinstein Co.
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Pearl Street Films / The Media Farm / K Period Media / The A | Middleton Project / B Story; Amazon Studios
MOONLIGHT
A24 / Plan B / Pastel; A24
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Amy Adams, ARRIVAL
Jessica Chastain, MISS SLOANE
Isabelle Huppert, ELLE
Ruth Negga, LOVING
Natalie Portman, JACKIE
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Casey Affleck, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Joel Edgerton, LOVING
Andrew Garfield, HACKSAW RIDGE
Viggo Mortensen, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Denzel Washington, FENCES
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
20TH CENTURY WOMEN
Annapurna; A24
DEADPOOL
Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
Paramount Pictures / Pathe / BBC Films; Paramount Pictures
LA LA LAND
Impostor Pictures / Gilbert Films / Marc Platt Productions; Summit Entertainment A Lionsgate Company
SING STREET
Cosmo Films; The Weinstein Co.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Annette Bening, 20TH CENTURY WOMEN
Lily Collins, RULES DON’T APPLY
Hailee Steinfeld, THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN
Emma Stone, LA LA LAND
Meryl Streep, FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Colin Farrell, THE LOBSTER
Ryan Gosling, LA LA LAND
Hugh Grant, FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
Jonah Hill, WAR DOGS
Ryan Reynolds, DEADPOOL
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Viola Davis, FENCES
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, LION
Octavia Spencer, HIDDEN FIGURES
Michelle Williams, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali, MOONLIGHT
Jeff Bridges, HELL OR HIGH WATER
Simon Helberg, FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
Dev Patel, LION
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
Best Director – Motion Picture
Damien Chazelle, LA LA LAND
Tom Ford, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
Mel Gibson, HACKSAW RIDGE
Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT
Kenneth Lonergan, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Best Original Screenplay
Damien Chazelle, LA LA LAND
Tom Ford, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT
Kenneth Lonergan, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Taylor Sheridan, HELL OR HIGH WATER
Best Motion Picture – Animated
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
Laika; Focus Features
MOANA
Walt Disney Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
Rita Productions / Blue Spirit Productions / Gebeka Films / KNM; GKIDS
SING
Illumination Entertainment; Universal Pictures
ZOOTOPIA
Walt Disney Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
DIVINES (FRANCE)
A Coproduction With Easy Tiger France 2 Cinema; Netflix
ELLE (FRANCE)
SBS Productions; Sony Pictures Classics
NERUDA (CHILE)
Fabula / AZ Films / Funny Balloons / Setembro Cine; The Orchard
THE SALESMAN (IRAN / FRANCE)
Memento Films; Asghar Farhadi Production; Arte France Cinema; Amazon Studios; Cohen Media Group
TONI ERDMANN (GERMANY)
Komplizen Film in co-production with coop99 / knm / Missing Link Films; Sony Pictures Classics
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Nicholas Britell, MOONLIGHT
Justin Hurwitz, LA LA LAND
Johann Johannsson, ARRIVAL
Dustin O’Halloran, Hauschka, LION
Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, Benjamin Wallfisch, HIDDEN FIGURES
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Can’t Stop The Feeling!”, TROLLS
Music by: Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Shellback
Lyrics by: Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Shellback
“City Of Stars”, LA LA LAND
Music by: Justin Hurwitz
Lyrics by: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
“Faith”, SING
Music by: Ryan Tedder, Stevie Wonder, Francis Farewell Starlight
Lyrics by: Ryan Tedder, Stevie Wonder, Francis Farewell Starlight
“Gold”, GOLD
Music by: Brian Burton, Stephen Gaghan, Daniel Pemberton, Iggy Pop
Lyrics by: Brian Burton, Stephen Gaghan, Daniel Pemberton, Iggy Pop
“How Far I’ll Go”, MOANA
Music by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lyrics by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
TELEVISION
Best Television Series – Drama
THE CROWN, Netflix
Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television
GAME OF THRONES, HBO
HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360/ Startling Television
STRANGER THINGS, Netflix
21 Laps for Netflix
THIS IS US, NBC
20th Century Fox Television
WESTWORLD, HBO
HBO Entertainment in association with Kilter Films, Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. Television
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series
Caitriona Balfe, OUTLANDER
Claire Foy, THE CROWN
Keri Russell, THE AMERICANS
Winona Ryder, STRANGER THINGS
Evan Rachel Wood, WESTWORLD
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Rami Malek, MR. ROBOT
Bob Odenkirk, BETTER CALL SAUL
Matthew Rhys, THE AMERICANS
Liev Schreiber, RAY DONOVAN
Billy Bob Thornton, GOLIATH
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
ATLANTA (FX)
FX Productions
BLACK-ISH (ABC)
ABC Studios
MOZART IN THE JUNGLE (AMAZON)
Amazon Studios
TRANSPARENT (AMAZON)
Amazon Studios
VEEP (HBO)
HBO Entertainment
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Rachel Bloom, CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP
Sarah Jessica Parker, DIVORCE
Issa Rae, INSECURE
Gina Rodriguez, JANE THE VIRGIN
Tracee Ellis Ross, BLACK-ISH
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Anthony Anderson, BLACK-ISH
Gael Garcia Bernal, MOZART IN THE JUNGLE
Donald Glover, ATLANTA
Nick Nolte, GRAVES
Jeffrey Tambor, TRANSPARENT
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
AMERICAN CRIME (ABC)
ABC Studios
THE DRESSER (STARZ)
BBC / Playground Entertainment / Sonia Friedman Productions
THE NIGHT MANAGER (AMC)
Ink Factory / AMC Studios
THE NIGHT OF (HBO)
HBO Entertainment in association with BBC, Bad Wolf Productions and Film Rites
THE PEOPLE v. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY (FX)
Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Felicity Huffman, AMERICAN CRIME
Riley Keough, THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE
Sarah Paulson, THE PEOPLE v. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
Charlotte Rampling, LONDON SPY
Kerry Washington, CONFIRMATION
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Riz Ahmed, THE NIGHT OF
Bryan Cranston, ALL THE WAY
Tom Hiddleston, THE NIGHT MANAGER
John Turturro, THE NIGHT OF
Courtney B Vance, THE PEOPLE v. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Olivia Colman, THE NIGHT MANAGER
Lena Headey, GAME OF THRONES
Chrissy Metz, THIS IS US
Mandy Moore, THIS IS US
Thandie Newton, WESTWORLD
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Sterling K. Brown, THE PEOPLE v. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
Hugh Laurie, THE NIGHT MANAGER
John Lithgow, THE CROWN
Christian Slater, MR. ROBOT
John Travolta, THE PEOPLE v. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
The Young Pope, finale di stagione
set of “The young Pope” by Paolo Sorrentino.
14/01/2016 sc.802 ep. 8
In the picture Jude Law and Franck Gingerich.
Photo by Gianni Fiorito
Ebbene, ci ha tenuto immensa compagnia questo papa giovane di Sorrentino che, alle prese col formato televisivo, l’ha voluto rivoluzionare, creando una storia che poteva essere benissimo riassunta in un film di due ore e mezza. E, invece, scegliendo la HBO, ha deciso di allungare la faccenda con digressioni sue solite, bizzarrie visive, riprese aeree di planante nostalgia in tuffi sinceri di “sincretica” malinconia che digerì tutto Sorrentino per espellerlo e rimuginarlo, mangiarlo e spellarlo, dilatarlo ed enfiarlo in afflati alle volte scarsamente riusciti e aneddotiche per espandere la visione oltre i confini di una provinciale satira politica, qual potrebbe essere se Sorrentino, appunto, non ci avesse (ri)messo del suo, scandagliando le ragioni “pedofile” di preti falsi e malvagi, traumatizzati nella pubertà incipiente come un Parkinson insistente che finirà in Alaska, a tremar il freddo del complesso di colpa. E, alla fine, il Papa si farà (ri)vedere, in Piazza San Marco, nella Venezia lagunare ove iniziò il suo calvario perché i suoi “padrieterni” lo abbandonarono, lasciandolo al caso, al caos di una mappa geografica di noi stes(s)i.
di Stefano Falotico
The Comedian, il trailer con Robert De Niro
Ebbene, era molto atteso e a distanza di poco più di un mese dalla sua uscita, la Sony Pictures Classics, casa distributrice della pellicola, ha “diramato” il primo filmato ufficiale di The Comedian per la regia di Taylor Hackford.
Come molti di voi, soprattutto i più amanti cinefili, ricorderanno, nel 1983 il grande Robert De Niro fu assoluto protagonista assieme a Jerry Lewis del magnifico Re per una notte di Martin Scorsese, nel quale interpretava la parte di un aspirante comico “disadattato” che, convinto del suo genio “artistico”, arrivava a prendere in ostaggio il suo idolo per poter esibirsi nella sua “serata di gala”. In questo film invece di Hackford, il suo ruolo, seppur sempre quello di un comico, è un tantino diverso. Interpreta Jackie Burke, uno che invece nella vita nel suo lavoro di successo ne ha avuto. Si ritrova però in alta età sul viale del tramonto e ha perso la verve spiritosa e geniale di un tempo, riducendosi a “dar spettacolo” per piccole platee in “night club” abbastanza degradanti. Cosa ben peggiore, durante un suo spettacolo, aggredisce proprio fisicamente uno spettatore e viene condannato a una pena detentiva prima in carcere e poi a svolgere mansioni “umili” nei servizi sociali. Qui, però, conosce Harmony, una donna molto più giovane di lui, egualmente costretta a pagare una “condanna”. Fra i due immediatamente scatta la cosiddetta chimica e finiranno con l’innamorarsi l’uno dell’altro. Lei inoltre, nella sua vita tetra e malinconica, gli donerà la speranza di una seconda giovinezza e di una ritrovata brillantezza, non solo professionale.
Il cast è delle grandi occasioni. Ad affiancare De Niro, la bella Leslie Mann, il mitico Danny De Vito, Patti LuPone, Edie Falco e Harvey Keitel.
L’uscita nelle sale statunitensi è prevista per il 13 Gennaio del prossimo anno.
Intanto, la Sony Pictures ha cominciato peraltro la sua campagna pubblicitaria in favore della pellicola, convinta del suo potenziale qualitativo, per poter, in questa stagione di Oscar e di premi, far aggiudicare ai suoi protagonisti dei riconoscimenti importanti e di valore.
La pellicola, con discreto successo e critiche contrastanti, è stata presentata in anteprima all’AFI Fest lo scorso 11 Novembre.
di Stefano Falotico
The Young Pope, alla fine dell’Ottava puntata
Ebbene, Belardo il giovane Papa va in missione umanitaria in Africa e forse accadrà un miracolo. In una scena “gratuitamente” manieristica, Sorrentino esaspera i suoi virtuosismi inventivi nel far commettere un “atto impuro” al suo papa, che in mezzo ai camionisti, in una stazione di servizio e nel suo (s)p(i)azzo, pregherà per la morte di una suora “fratricida” e assassina. Il miracolo cattivo si compirà così come quando pregò per la nascita di un figlio da una coppia sterile e il nascituro venne nello sporco mondo? Sorrentino ancora una volta “affina” il suo stile e non ce ne stupiamo più, essendo abituati alle sue stramberie e alle sue narrazioni intervallate da sequenze oniriche di “pregiata” ridicolezza. Mancano due episodi per “sbrogliare la matassa” e mancano veri pazzi, no, pezzi del puzzle. Quello che par naturale domandarsi, dopo la scena del “miracolo”, è: Belardo, se Dio gli accorderà il “favore”, tornerà a credere nel Padreterno? Una serie atea, altera, religiosa nel suo (non) credere al Cinema, nel suo (con)cedersi sprazzi drammatici di forte Passione.
di Stefano Falotico
AFI Fest Review: ‘The Comedian’ is a love letter to the NYC comedy scene.
by Scott Menzel
The Comedian tells the story of sitcom star Jackie Burke (Robert De Niro) who is desperately trying to stay relevant in the comedy world. Each night, Jackie performs at comedy shows in clubs all across New York. The crowds show up in small doses but not to see Jackie’s act but rather his sitcom character Eddie. One evening while performing at the Comedy Cellar, Jackie begins to get heckled by a man in the crowd. As Jackie tries to play along, the man continues to push back saying that Jackie should do what the audience wants and not what he wants. This disagreement turns into a heated debate that leads to a fight, all of which is caught on camera.
Jackie is sentenced to 30 days in prison and 100 hours of community service. When released from prison, Jackie learns that the heckler’s video went viral and his agent (Edie Falco) attempts to get him bigger gigs. Jackie meets Harmony (Leslie Mann) at the soup kitchen, and the two hit it off. Will Jackie’s newfound relationship be the inspiration he needs to give his career the much-needed boost it deserves? Seeing The Comedian
Seeing The Comedian reminded me why I love comedy. The film isn’t the typical modern comedy loaded with infantile humor and gross-out gags. Instead, it is a character driven story with real and well-developed characters with some raunchy dialogue mixed in. I am friends with several comedians back in NYC, so I am somewhat aware of the comedy scene. It isn’t always easy performing to drunks and random people. The comedy world in the film is filled with a lot of unique and interesting personalities that accurately represent the comedy scene in real life. This film captures all these things flawlessly.
At the film’s premiere, Robert De Niro spoke about how this film has been eight years in the making. He said that several directors came and left the project. It’s amazing that a film like The Comedian takes so long to come to life yet garbage like Dirty Grandpa gets made by a major studio with the same star and isn’t second guessed. This is a great performance by De Niro simply because there are multiple layers to the character of Jackie and you can see De Niro’s passion in his performance.
While the storyline of Jackie becoming a viral video star is a subject that isn’t new nowadays, if the film was made six or seven years ago like planned, it would have been one of the first to tackle the subject matter. Regardless of whether or not the idea is super fresh, it is still relevant to our world today. In fact, I think how Jackie handles the whole reality show host gig is how most people feel about reality stars and shows. He finds it belittling which is why when he tells the hipsters at Raw TV to go fuck themselves, it results in a great movie moment.
Alongside De Niro is a great supporting cast consisting of Leslie Mann, Harry Keitel, Edie Falco, Danny DeVito and Patty LuPone. These are all great actors who have been working in the industry for decades. They bring their A game to the project and deliver a mixture of heart and laughs. I think it is pretty easy to say that Leslie Mann has never been better than she is here. Her character, Harmony is well rounded, and Mann’s performance captures the character’s complicated nature of a woman who has lost her way. From her issues with her father to struggling to be in a successful relationship, Mann’s performance is likable and honest.
The comedy in The Comedian doesn’t always hit but does most of the time. There are easily at least seven to eight scenes in particular that made me burst out laughing. It is great to see a comedy that is actually funny because it is reliant on dialogue rather than visual gags. The stand-up scenes where Jackie does his bit felt very natural and just like real comedians. Some of the bits were stronger and funnier than others. The wedding scene, in particular, was one of the film’s funniest moments. The jokes hit hard, and the reaction shots from everyone in attendance was priceless.
The film did go in some directions that I didn’t see coming. While I knew that certain things would happen, I didn’t expect the third act to go where it went. I respect that the story went the standard Hollywood route but also managed not over to do it. The very last scene in the film which I can’t reveal because it is a huge spoiler was hilarious. I didn’t think the film could end on such a high note, but it definitely did.
The Comedian, while not flawless, is one of the best comedies of the past several years. It has great characters paired with a great cast that delivers fine performances. The Comedian captures the comedy world of NYC as well as the city itself. It is a refreshing film that will make you laugh but will also make you feel something. I am so glad that Robert De Niro kept pushing for this film to be made because it was a great and memorable role in his very long and very diverse career as an actor.
Scott “Movie Man” Menzel gives The Comedian 8/10
Una recensione di The Comedian dal net
ADAM REVIEWS THE AFI FILM FESTIVAL’S WORLD PREMIERE OF TAYLOR HACKFORD’S NEWEST FILM THE COMEDIAN STARRING ROBERT DENIRO.
There is a sense of urgency in the newest film by Taylor Hackford, The Comedianstarring Robert DeNiro that we have not seen from either’s recent work. Shooting the film in 27 days in New York with a minimal crew brought something out of the director and his star. Many have noted recently that Robert DeNiro’s choices as of late have been uninspired. As Jackie Burke the center of this intimate story of a washed up Sitcom star, DeNiro shows that he has those inspired performances in him still.
Not as much a story as it is a character piece, The Comedian never feels episodic like many of these films can feel. Working from a script by Jeffery Ross, Art Linson, Richard LaGravanese, and Lewis Friedman their is an authenticity to the story of a washed up Stand-Up trying to find his way later in his career. One of the many pleasures of the film is how it’s script continually defies the expectations of a normal drama. Even when you think that the plot is pushing towards something conventional like a romantic comedy it chooses the a course that is more true than glamorized.
DeNiro as Jackie is everything we expect from the actor but have not seen from him as of late, a fully realized character. Jackie is an terrible person pushing himself out to the fringes of comedy and society as a whole in the beginning of the film. The uncompromising journey that DeNiro takes Jackie on is the kind of bruised battered and honest work that was a commonality from the titan 30 years ago. The commitment that DeNiro brings to the role both dramatically and comedically is impressive. At this moment in his career the actor has nothing to prove but he pushes himself in the film.
The supporting cast uniformly wonderful. Leslie Mann is a standout as Harmony, a woman that comes into Jackie’s life and changes things unexpectedly. Mann give a naturally funny and unfettered performance that recalls Gena Rowlins work with John Cassavetes. Mann may be the biggest revelation for audiences as her work here is funny, warm, powerful and charming. Danny DeVito and Patti LuPone steal the show as Jackie’s put upon brother and sister-in-law. There are few things funnier than watching LuPone’s Flo give “the eye” to Jackie. Many will be warmed to see DeVito giving a funny and warm performance going toe to toe with DeNiro. Edie Falco, Cloris Leachman, Charles Grodin and Harvey Keitel all show up in smaller but pivotal roles. Look for a who’s who of standup comedians in cameos.
The Comedian is the type of unexpectedly good film that people will delight in telling their friends about. Anchored by a truly good committed performance by Robert DeNiro and a winning Leslie Mann performance this is one to see right away.
‘The Comedian’: Film Review | AFI Fest 2016, The Hollywood Reporter
Da THR.
Robert De Niro stars as a bitter standup comic in this character study with a strong supporting cast.
The Comedian, which had its world premiere at AFI Fest and will be released by Sony Classics later this year, must be the first post-election movie to feature a joke about Donald Trump (a pretty good one). Beyond this, however, the movie is a somewhat uncomfortable reflection of the Age of Trump, which may hurt its box office chances in the long run. But more about that in a moment.
Robert De Niro and producer Art Linson had wanted to make a movie about an insult comedian for the last several years, and apparently De Niro spent time hanging around comedy clubs to master the cadences of a bitter comic who’s been on a career downswing, partly because of his own frustrations and resentments. It should come as no surprise to say that De Niro plays the part superbly. After all, he started out in comic roles like Brian De Palma’s Hi, Mom! It took him a few decades to get back to his roots, with such hit films as Analyze This and Meet the Parents. The character he plays here has much darker edges, but you have to believe first and foremost that Jackie Burke has the timing and the comic chops to have a long career in standup comedy, and De Niro makes that easy to accept.
The film opens with a nifty scene at a comedy club in which a heckler in the audience plans to use his confrontation with Jackie as part of his own web podcast. But Jackie’s anger upends the interloper’s plans and gets the comedian arrested for assault. In court he is offered probation if he apologizes to the heckler, but he can’t bring himself to do it and is carted off to a month in prison. What’s compelling about these opening scenes is that they are evenhanded. We feel uneasy about Jackie’s rage, but we also loathe his victim and certainly can understand what made him explode.
After Jackie gets out of prison, he is required to do community service at a soup kitchen, where he meets another worker named Harmony (Leslie Mann), who is atoning for her own angry outbursts. Much of the rest of the film chronicles Jackie’s struggles to find his professional and financial footing while he also wrestles with family and a budding relationship with Harmony.
The acting in the film is outstanding down to some of the smallest parts, and here director Taylor Hackford (who hasn’t had a major hit in several years) deserves considerable credit for guiding these performers. The age-inappropriate relationship between Jackie and Harmony does have its slightly queasy side, but at least the film acknowledges this, and Mann burrows bdeeply into the character to reveal the anger and hurt that make her cautiously susceptible to Jackie’s rough charms.
Danny DeVito gives one of his best performances as Jackie’s brother, and as his wife, Patti Lu Pone practically steals the movie with almost no dialogue. Her intense glares deserve a special Oscar. (It does seem a bit strange that these Jewish family members are played by notably non-Jewish actors.) Edie Falco as Jackie’s manager and Cloris Leachman as a very aged comedienne (“a barely living legend,” as Jackie dubs her character) shine as well. De Niro also has several scenes with some of his former co-stars, including Harvey Keitel and Charles Grodin, and they play together with easy mastery. Another onetime co-star, Billy Crystal, turns up for an unexpected but amusing cameo. And the real comedians who appear in the comedy club scenes also add edge and authenticity to the movie. The script by four writers — Linson, Jeff Ross, Richard LaGravenese, and Lewis Friedman — captures the milieu expertly, along with the language of abrasive insult.
But shortly after the halfway point in the movie, some of the sharp observation begins to slip away, and a sour tone emerges. Jackie visits a retirement home in Florida and mocks the ailing seniors with a song about their bowel problems that quickly goes viral on YouTube. This leads to Jackie being hired to host a sleazy reality TV show whose opening episode subjects a semi-naked man to be covered with a crateload of crawfish while Jackie baits the audience and hurls insults at the desperate contestant. Does this remind you of the ascension of another reality TV host who built his career on bullying and insult, to the delight of the media?
Maybe this would have played a little differently before the election, but there’s an added level of discomfort that we feel watching the character now. Perhaps the film could be defended as attempting an acerbic commentary on the world that bred Trump and led to his triumph. But the film turns sentimental in the final scenes in suggesting that Jackie is really a good person underneath it all, with a tender heart that he’s hidden from view. The film’s confusions turn it into a reflection of our topsy-turvy times that ends up feeling a lot more melancholy than any of the talented actors and filmmakers might have anticipated.
Cast: Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Harvey Keitel, Edie Falco, Danny DeVito, Patti LuPone, Charles Grodin, Cloris Leachman
Director: Taylor Hackford
Screenwriters: Art Linson, Jeff Ross, Richard LaGravenese, Lewis Friedman
Story by: Art Linson
Producers: Mark Canton, Courtney Solomon, Taylor Hackford, Art Linson, John Linson
Executive producers: Scott Karol, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones, Iain Abraham, Dennis Pelino, Fredy Bush, Mark Axelowitz, Lawrence Smith, Peter Sobiloff
Director of photography: Oliver Stapleton
Production designer: Kristi Zea
Costume designer: Aude Bronson-Howard
Editor: Mark Warner
Music: Terence Blanchard
R rating, 118 minutes
