Film-Forward

Comedy

Rock the Kasbah

Rock the Kasbah is an intermittently funny, frequently tedious slog burdened with a mediocre script that leaves some heavy lifting to a stellar cast and a first-rate director. Without Barry Levinson at the helm and Bill Murray at its center, it would have collapsed due to its lazy, haphazard plotting and annoying “this is my […]

Guidance

Written and Directed by Pat Mills Produced by Mike MacMillan and Alyson Richards Released by Strand Releasing Canada. 80 min. Not rated With Pat Mills, Zahra Bentham, Tracey Hoyt, Kevin Hanchard, Alex Ozerov, and Eleanor Zichy Guidance, a new comedy about a depressed ex-child actor posing as a high school guidance counselor, is the directorial […]

Mistress America

Directed by Noah Baumbach Produced by Baumbach, Scott Rudin, Lila Yacoub, Rodrigo Teixeira, and Gerwig; Written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures USA. 84 min. Rated R With Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Matthew Shear, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Heather Lind, Michael Chernus, Cindy Cheung, Kathryn Erbe, and Dean Wareham Viewers who loved […]

I Am Chris Farley

Directed by Brent Hodge and Derik Murray Produced by Derik Murray Written by Steve Burgess Released by Virgil Films USA. 95 min. Not rated With Lorne Michaels, Bob Odenkirk, David Spade, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Christina Applegate, Dan Aykroyd, Tom Arnold, Bo Derek, Brian Stack, Bob Saget, and Jay Mohr Chris Farley was a bright […]

Trainwreck

Directed by Judd Apatow Produced by Apatow and Barry Mendel Written by Amy Schumer Released by Universal Pictures USA. 123 min. Rated R With Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, John Cena, Vanessa Bayer, Mike Birbiglia, Dave Attell, Tilda Swinton  and LeBron James Mwah mwah Amy Schumer. Bring this woman a cocktail! You’re […]

The Little Death

Written and Directed by Josh Lawson Produced by Jamie Hilton, Michael Petroni, and Matt Reeder Released by Magnolia Pictures Australia. 96 min. With Josh Lawson, Bojana Novakovic, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Kate Box, Patrick Brammall, Alan Dukes, Lisa McCune, Erin James, T.J. Power, Kim Gyngell, and Lachy Hulme The Little Death, a dark comedy from […]

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Written and Directed by Roy Andersson Produced by Pernilla Sandstrom Released by Magnolia Pictures Swedish with English subtitles. Sweden, Norway, France, Germany. 100 min. Not rated With Holger Andersson, Nils Westblom, Charlotta Larsson, Viktor Gyllenberg, Lotti Tornros, and Jonas Gerholm “Hahahaha!” That’s the sound of a loathsome toy called “bag in laughs,” a periodic sinister […]

Adult Beginners

Directed by Ross Katz Produced by Sam Slater, Paul M. Bernon, Jared Ian Goldman, Karrie Cox, and Marcus Cox Written by Jeff Cox and Liz Flahive Released by Radius-TWC USA. 90 min. Rated R With Rose Byrne, Nick Kroll, Bobby Cannavale, Paula Garces, Jane Krakowski, Joel McHale, Bobby Moynihan, Mike Birbiglia and Josh Charles A […]

Wild Canaries

Written and Directed by Lawrence Michael Levine Produced by Kim Sherman Released by Sundance Selects USA. 90 min. Not rated With Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine, Alia Shawkat, Annie Parisse, Jason Ritter, and Kevin Corrigan Helmed by writer, producer, director, and star Lawrence Michael Levine, this caper-comedy has a refreshing cast of young actors assembled […]