Nonnas

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I like the sweet, wholesome, and nondescript heartwarming foodie comedy a la Julie & Julia, Ratatouille, or Delicious in Dungeon. I put as much love into food preparation and consumption as I do movie consumption (i.e. I love to cook and am fascinated by the power that food holds). So it’s a real punch in the gut when I spot a movie that promises to be all sweet and wholesome and about the healing power of food, that then does not deliver. This would be the (unbelievably) Emmy-nominated, Nonnas.

After his mother passes away, Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn) finds himself struggling to move on and cooking his mother and Nonna’s recipes as a means of coping. At the suggestion of his childhood friends, he takes the money left to him and decides to open a restaurant with real Italian grandmothers as the chefs. What could go wrong?

This film is based on a true story, this restaurant is a real place in Staten Island that has blossomed into a multicultural family kitchen with grandmothers from all backgrounds cooking family recipes. The real Joe Scaravella even makes a cameo in the film. It’s a sweet and inspiring story that I am now tempted to investigate to see just how much of it was kept and what parts were written in to flesh out the movie.

Ironically, despite the immediate pull of the wholesome food-related true story, Nonnas suffered from a serious lack of seasoning. The story itself is the flavour that carries the film, but the clumsy script, forced character development, and wholly uninteresting protagonist really bring the whole thing down. Like a cream of mushroom soup that’s more ‘water of mushroom’.

Vince Vaughn, what happened to you? In every Vaughn movie I’ve seen he is charismatic, endearing, and goes a mile a minute: with the exception of Zoolander in which he has no lines. Hell, even in the remake of Psycho he was more engaging. In Nonnas his performances in the most bland and wooden thing I have ever seen, eating a pinecone would be more entertaining and provide the same nutritional value. Maybe this is the first example of an AI lead?

The real stars of the show are the supporting cast of chefs: Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, and Susan Sarandon. The chemistry between the Nonnas is heartwarming and instantly recognisable, the real crime of this film is not doing more with their characters. I feel like so much flavour could have been added if we got to hear stories about their recipes. Instead, we get one good scene in which they all bond and it’s so ham-fistedly written that you spend the rest of the film massaging your jaw from clenching too hard.

Image credit: Eater

As a main dish, Nonnas was lacking. Carried by a simple and novel plot, there was nothing added to enrich, compliment, or deepen the flavour of the film. A bland protagonist that does not inspire us to be on his side, a group of supporting characters who don’t get the showcase they deserve, and a script that feels like it was left on the stove to bubble away without being stirred once. Not a dish I would order again.

Director: Stephen Chbosky, 2025

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Jimmy Smagula, Adam Ferrara, Kate Eastman, Karen Giordano, Joe Manganiello, Linda Cardellini & Susan Sarandon

Nyad

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There is so much in this great, wide world. So much culture, history, facts, stories, jokes, relationships, people, places, and dreams. It’s impossible for one person to know it all, and it is impossible for one person to fathom, understand, and absorb it all. While we as a species have made some truly epic blunders, catastrophic mistakes, and unbelievable cockups over the course of our history, one thing we have done right is the telling, sharing, and recording of stories; true stories, fantasies, dreamed stories and everything in between. Literature and cinema are my two favourite things to come out of our species, aside from maybe food. And I just finished watching a movie that reminded me of this: Nyad.

Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) is a retired marathon swimmer whose life has lately been missing the drive, excitement, and adventure of yesteryear. Shortly after her 60^th birthday she decides to start training again so as to finally achieve her dream of swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Florida – a feat she attempted thirty years ago but was forced to abandon. With her best friend and coach Bonnie (Jodie Foster) by her side, Diana assembles a team as crazy and driven as she is, and she braves sharks, jellyfish, fierce currents, and physical and mental exhaustion to prove that you are never too old to achieve your dreams.

What an amazing story and it has been made into an amazing film. This feature debut from Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin not only chronicles the life achievements of an amazing woman who used her indomitable spirit to combat the limitations of age, but it’s a beautiful and inspiring look into the importance of relationships at every stage of life and a reminder that the Aged still have voices that can and will be heard.

A biographical sports drama, the film flicks back and forth between the current narrative and the context of Nyad’s past. These contextual scenes use genuine footage and commentary from interviews and media broadcasts of Nyad’s achievements and, mixed in with some interpreted and reenacted scenes from Nyad’s childhood, does a magnificent job of show-don’t-tell, giving the audience all the dramatic context they need without having to spell it out and make a big scene out of it. It’s all very tasteful and it sets the rhythm of the film beautifully.

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Then we have the performances from Annette Bening and Jodie Foster; two incredible actresses who are the perfect cast choice for this film as they are both strong women achieving great things past a certain age, especially in an industry that makes it hard for women to do that. Bening leads the charge with command and charisma, but it’s Foster that really gives the film its beautiful and heartwarming edge. She’s so lovely and down-to-earth and yet so captivating in her depiction of unwavering and fierce loyalty and friendship; she is definitely the heart and soul of the film.

Filled with ambition, drama, loyalty, and love Nyad is a gorgeous film that tells an incredible story.

Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin (2023)

Cast: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Anna Marie Kempf, Johnny Solo, Eric T. Miller, Anna Harriette Pittman, Hanler Rodriguez, Carolyne McCormick & Rhys Ifans

Do Revenge

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Right now I’m thinking of a scene in Black Books; where Manny the optimist and seemingly sane one of the dysfunctional trio, is trying to convince the others that they should all go out because, “it’s friiiday night”, while Bernard the drunken cynic complains that that won't change next week or the week after and the whole cycle will continue until they all die. For many, Friday is a night to look forward to: it’s the end of the week, there are two whole days of freedom, socialising, and relaxing to look forward to before Monday rocks round again. Having a career background in retail for most of my life, I understood the concept of a weekend, but I never really had one. I’ve only recently changed career paths and entered the corporate world, and I now get the hype. However, while I definitely feel that Friday night is a night to be social and spend with friends and lovers, you definitely don’t have to go out to have a lovely time. This evening I had one of my best friends around for dinner and a trashy movie, and it was delightful.

The film we did is on Netflix and is called Do Revenge. It tells the story of a popular and perfect high school senior named Drea (Camilla Mendes) whose life is ruined when her boyfriend leaks an intimate video of her. With her friends against her and her college prospects in tatters, Drea is uncertain if she can even show her face for senior year. That is until she meets Eleanor (Maya Hawke), a shy and disheveled new student who has suffered high school trauma similar to hers. The two form an unlikely friendship, which quickly turns into a macabre partnership as they come up with a plan to get away with the perfect revenge: swap targets.

This movie is Strangers on a Train meets Clueless meets Mean Girls. It’s a bright and colourful high school comedy on the surface. What lies beneath is a twisted exploration into the psychological trauma of the high school experience, primarily the toxicity of financial privilege, masculinity, racism, and clique culture.

While the movie feels like every other high school flick you’ve ever seen, where it sparkles is in the incredible adult performances of the central cast. It’s a film that definitely aims to be character-driven and both Mendes and Hawke give really memorable performances as this unlikely duo that turn out to be increasingly unstable. The cleverness is really that you’re not sure who is even the real victim, as several plot twists -admittedly all crammed in within the last fifteen minutes- quickly shatter everything you thought you’d had worked out. It’s no Hitchcock by any means, but it does take a leaf out of his books and manipulates its audiences – in a rather ironic and even metafictive way- into trying to reach the ending before the characters do. But, in an interesting narrative choice, it ends on an uplifting and positive vibe to counteract all the empathetic mortification that makes up most of its cinematic experience. This is also achieved through the fact that it’s hard to actually label who the bad guys are -aside from one of the three men that make up the cast, who we all want to punch in the face from reel one.

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None of this is groundbreaking or new, but I definitely did appreciate what this movie was trying to do. And it wasn’t trying to take itself too seriously either, in fact the comedy reminded me of the TV series Hacks, which is similarly filled with characters who are ghastly people, but you still suffer their discomfort, shame, and mortification through these clever, empathetic tricks that the camera, director, and cast pull on you. If you want a fun movie for a Friday night in with pizza and a friend, Do Revenge.

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, 2022

Cast: Camilla Mendes, Maya Hawke, Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, Taila Ryder, Alisha Boe, Ava Capri, J.D., Paris Berelc, Maia Reficco, Sophie Turner & Sarah Michelle Geller

Shaft

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As I’ve mentioned (probably) on many an occasion, streaming services are a fascinating phenomenon of this place we’re living in for a number of reasons. One, they’re a great means of being able to watch something that you may have been curious about, but not willing to fork out the money to buy and then potentially regret and have to give away or go through the hassle of reselling. And two, original content. While all that glitters is definitely not gold, some things are just nice and shiny and amusing to look at, like Netflix’s new semi-retro adventure, Shaft.

The film tells the story of young FBI data analyst JJ Shaft (Jessie T. Usher) who enlists the help of his estranged rogue detective father John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) to help solve the case of the murder of his best friend. What begins as a simple case of who killed whom, quickly escalates into a complex web of a giant drug circle and the two Shafts, must work through their daddy-sonny issues in order to shut the whole thing down.

Basically a reluctant-buddy cop movie, a la The Other Guys, 21 Jump Street, or The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Shaft ticks all the boxes for a fun Friday night in. The story is predictable, but solid and functional, with the dynamic of the two central and conflicting characters being father and son making it just that little bit different to other films like it.

The drama and humour that takes place, while confusing at times, is a pretty spot-on reflection of society right now: social attitudes, cultural attitudes, racial conflicts, and gender political jokes all constantly coming at you so it’s hard to find a place to turn and catch a breath.

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Where the movie properly shines is in its cast chemistry. Jackson reprises his seminal role from the 1980s with this fabulous, nonchalant badassery, which plays beautifully off Usher’s nervously PC adorability. Neither character is overdone, but both stand out from the crowd and it’s quite fun to watch the two play off each other.

The nostalgia factor brought into a modern setting makes Shaft a good flick for a wider group of audiences and the film itself is a simple and fun action movie, perfect for a Friday night in on the couch with popcorn.

Director: Tim Story, 2019

Cast: Jessie T. Usher, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtree, Regina Hall, Alexandra Shipp, Matt Lauria, Titus Welliver, Avan Jogia, and Luna Lauren Velez

Unicorn Store

Image credit: IMDb

There is always something to be said about films that sparkle. Arguably, all movies provide a sparkle for someone, and when I use the word I mean that there is that shiny something that catches your eye and piques your curiosity. Brie Larson’s directorial debut was a real sparkler for me and, straight after seeing the teaser on Netflix, it was how I chose to while away some of my afternoon: with a bright colour palette, glitter, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Unicorn Store tells the story of Kit (Brie Larson), a whimsical artist who flunks out of art school, and then joins a team at a temp agency in the hope of turning her life around and not being seen as a failure. However, in order to fit in she stifles her true, vibrant self. That is until she receives an invitation to a store where she can achieve her lifelong dream of adopting a unicorn.

The sparkle of this film for me was Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and a quirky, whimsical story. While all of these things were enjoyable, Unicorn Store is a pretty good example of ‘all that sparkles is not diamond’. The refreshing tone of the film, coupled with its weird and sweet story about growing up and clinging to childhood, makes it enjoyable, but ultimately nothing special.

Despite the extensive use of bright colours, neon, and glitter, the film suffers from a certain muteness, a dampening of the story and characters that, on the one hand frees the film from being an over-the-top, Kimmy Schmit type experience, but on the other hand subdues a lot of the emotional responses that could have flourished with a little bit more love. 

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The pairing of the weird and fantastical fantasy element with the down-to-earth, relatable, self-improvement comedy doesn’t quite hit the high notes and, while audiences can appreciate the metaphoric journey of self-discovery and transgressing from childhood to adulthood (emotionally, not physically) the film just doesn’t pique any real emotional responses or payoff because the mixture of beige and hot pink ends up being this dampened pastel colour that’s nice, but not particularly exciting to look at.

On a more positive note, the performances are all very solid and the story itself, its themes and messages, are lovely ones that everyone can identify with. As a directorial debut, Unicorn Store is a solid pass, but sadly its ambitious pairing of vibrant and beige just doesn’t blend.

Director: Brie Larson, 2017

Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Joan Cusack, Bradley Whitford, Mamoudou Athie, Hamish Linklater, Annaleigh Ashford, Martha MacIsaac, and Nelson Franklin

Isn't It Romantic

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Living in the age of streaming I have to admit that there are two things I love about having Netflix. 1) It’s an endless plethora of mindless movies that are not worth the price of a ticket and 2) there’s some really good original content. While a lot of emphasis is put on TV shows to encourage binge watching, occasionally one will find a cute little movie that adequately whiles away the boring hours of the afternoon. Netflix’s newest rom-com is one such example.

Isn’t It Romantic tells the story of Natalie (Rebel Wilson), a cynical and self-hating architect who spends a fair amount of her office hours deconstructing romantic comedies and informing her assistant why they are so terrible. However, her attitude towards romance changes abruptly when she ends up in hospital after a mugging and wakes up in a parallel universe in which her life is a rom-com. Deciding that the only way home is to get a man to fall in love with her, Natalie treads the clichéd and familiar path of rom-coms, only to discover that the love of a man is not the only love she needs.

A fresh, but really obvious take on the rom-com genre, Isn’t It Romantic is a cute social commentary and funny depiction of cultural attitudes, whilst at the same time pushing a different message to its audiences about independence, self-love and self-respect. A Cinderella story without the slipper or the prince, the film perfectly captures the vibe of a romantic comedy and highlights the ridiculousness of it, which gives the film its cynical and ‘witty’ edge. 

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Whilst being obviously different, it’s also a little predictable; going after the big clichés in such a way that makes their deconstruction obvious and affords no fresh surprises. But aside from that Isn’t It Romantic combines cynical social drama with romantic comedy on steroids and it proves to be a fun way to pass the time. Rebel Wilson has fast become America’s comedic darling, especially after her success in Pitch Perfect and while this is a different movie style for her, she pulls it off really well.

If you’re after something fun and bright with a “really awesome musical number, for no apparent reason” (Emma Stone, Easy A) to while away the afternoon, check out Isn’t It Romantic.

Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, 2019

Cast: Rebel Wilson, Adam Levine, Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin, Brandon Scott James, and Jennifer Saunders

Dumplin'

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It should be known by now that there’s something about predictable comedies set in small towns. They are a certain strain of movies that I find fascinating and endearing: Priscilla, To Wong Foo, Whip It etc. Currently, added to my list of cute favourites is Dumplin’.

This Netflix original tells the story of plus-sized teenager Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald) who enters her town’s Miss Teen Bluebonnet beauty pageant in a body-shaming protest and as a bit of a ‘screw you’ to her mom, former winner and current head of the pageant (Jennifer Aniston). Along with her best friend and a couple of other loveable misfits along for the ride, Willowdean embarks upon a mission of self discovery that ends in more than she initially bargained for.

A modern teen comedy that’s also a perfect reflection of current social attitudes, Dumplin’ is more than just a coming-to-terms-with-your-identity film. Through simple setting and wonderful wit, this film blends together a whole bunch of warm and beautiful messages of acceptance and embracement. Tackling everything from body-shaming  -“every body is a swimsuit body”- to institutionalised patriarchy, the necessity to sometimes break tradition, and embracing your fellows to raise them up and make the world better, Dumplin’ is truly beautiful.

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Armed with sweet, fresh, and funny performances as well as a wonderful script, and a bunch of really sweet and vibrant characters –including, of course, a bunch of drag queens- this is one of those cute little movies you curl up with a bowl of ice cream and a warm smile.

Arguably the story can be a tad predictable and the film –in keeping with Aniston’s character one might say- does not stray from traditional generic tropes. But at the end of the day, it’s a really sweet film; the type of movie that makes you feel warm in your tummy, which then creeps up and manifests itself as a smile on your face.

Director: Anna Fletcher, 2018

Cast: Danielle Macdonald, Odeya Rush, Maddie Baillio, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Luke Benward, Harold Perrineau, Hilary Begley, Sam Pancake, Joshua Allan Eads, Kathy Najimy, and Jennifer Aniston

Next Gen

Image credit: IMDb

Who was the first adorable robot? Astro Boy? Regardless of where it started, the idea of a harmless and cute robot that either questions or learns the nature of humanity has been a strong family movie theme for years. Whether it’s Number 5 from Short Circuit or Baymax from Big Hero 6, who doesn’t love an adorable robot?

Netflix has recently jumped on the bandwagon and come up with its own family movie starring a cute robot: Next Gen, and while the story itself is quite cute, I’m not sure it’s the type of movie that I’d raise my kids on.

The film follows angry teen protagonist Mai (Charleyne Yi), victim of a broken home and schoolyard bullies who has developed an extreme hatred of robots. While at a convention with her mother, she wanders off and accidently discovers a top-secret robot (Jason Krasinski) that then follows her home. When she discovers the weapons it’s packing, she decides to team up with the robot and execute a little revenge, but while the two go on a rampage against technology, they form an unlikely friendship.

On the one hand, I can definitely see what this movie was trying to do. It’s very hard to make an animated family movie that’s heart warming, moral, and original. Most plot lines and characters become recycled and yawningly familiar, so kudos to writer/directors Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander for trying to step away from that. Next Gen’s story is familiar up to a point where it suddenly spins, does a backflip over our heads, and attacks from behind. The turn it takes is a little dark and might cause really young audiences to wet themselves (if they haven’t already), but I like a little bit of downright evilness in my animated movies; I was raised on it and it’s done me no harm.

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Where I have an issue with the film is with the protagonist. Mai is actually more of an antihero and from the beginning we are primed to feel sorry for her and root for her and hope that everything ends happily for her, however midway through the movie she hijacks a robot and openly commits a bunch of federal crimes (mostly destruction of public and private property). Now, while it’s nice that it’s the robot that teaches Mai about the ethical lesson about being human and not the other way around, I definitely don’t think an angry and emotionally unstable teenager with hostile tendencies is the best protagonist for a kids’ film and if I had children, I would certainly sit them down and explain that if they tried any of the stuff Mai does in this movie in real life, they would end up in foster care or some juvenile detention centre.

But, as an animated movie, Next Gen is all sweet, funny, and scary. The story (for the most part) is recognisable with important themes about identity, it takes an unexpected turn, which keeps it fresh and engaging, the animation is crisp, the world of the film is exciting, and the characters are all fresh and different.

Maybe before you let your younglings watch it do a little pep talk: ‘This is Mai. Mai likes to blow up things that don’t belong to her. Don’t be like Mai.’

Director: Kevin R. Adams & Joe Ksander, 2018

Cast: Charlyne Yi, John Krasinski, Jason Sudeikis, Michael Pena, Davis Cross, Constance Wu, Kiana Lede, and Anna Akana

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

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It may not be such a flourishing time for the cinema and DVDs, but it definitely can’t be said that the movie industry is floundering. Thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Stan, that have made so much money they can actually make their own films and TV series, bums and couches is a marriage that is quickly taking over with more and more dinner conversations centring around Netflix’ latest achievements. Recently, I’ve heard a lot of people talking about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and so my bum entered into the relationship with my couch to find out what the big deal was.

The film tells the story of sixteen year-old Lara Jean (Lana Condor), an introverted teenager who writes secret love letters to the boys she’s got crushes on and fantasises about them rather than actually express her feelings to them. But her shy and hide-away natures get set for remodelling when her little sister posts the letters. Suddenly her secrets are out and one boy, Peter (Noah Centineo), decides that it would be a great idea to enter into a fake relationship with Lara Jean to make his recent ex jealous. Predictably, things get complicated when the two start to develop real feelings for each other.

While it is a very sweet movie with an original, yet recognisable story, I could not really see anything inherently special about To All the Boys. What I will applaud, and what I think audiences are really liking right now is the film’s ‘genuineness’ (for want of a better word) in that there are no clichéd or unbelievable genre tropes cluttering the story and working as clumsy catalysts for narrative progress. The movie has quite an ethical edge to it and it’s easy to imagine oneself being in that exact situation and wondering how one would react. So that’s nice.

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The story is sweet with a good message about expression and using words, blended with nice themes about identity and allowing your personality to change naturally. Being mainly dialogue-driven, there aren’t that many visual gags to laugh out loud at, but this just adds to the simplicity and ‘realness’ of the whole thing. The performances are just as sweet and genuine as the rest of the movie, completing the ‘real rom-com’ aesthetic along with the not-so-subtle comments on popular culture and its penchant for the retro and vintage a la Easy A.

While I don’t think it’s a film that I would sit down and watch again, I am glad that I have seen it and I have to admit that it’s nice to see a romantic comedy that doesn’t overdo on the romanticism; there are no boomboxes being held above the guy’s head playing Peter Gabriel, no hunk waiting outside the church doors, practically no ‘80s references of any kind. It’s refreshing.

Director: Susan Johnson, 2018

Cast: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Trezzo Mahoro, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, and John Corbett