Sure-Fire Streaming: Booksmart, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The King Of Comedy, and more!
By Jordan Parker
https://parkerandpictures.wordpress.com/
Booksmart – Available On Netflix (On Saturday)
One of my favourite comedies of the last few years, Booksmart manages to be raunchy without crossing boundaries.
These days, watching films like Animal House, American Pie and the like, it becomes clear pretty early on that societal views and ideals have changed.
This film manages to be hilarious, whip-smart, and will also hold up for years to come.
Directed by actress Olivia Wilde in her debut, and starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, this is a fantastic film that gives both woman star-making turns.
Feldstein, sister of funnyman Jonah Hill, proves he’s not the only star in the family. She is unequivocally, absolutely hilarious, and Dever is the perfect foil.
It follows two girls on the eve of their high school graduation who decide to take a break from studies and get to partying.
With appearances from Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow and Will Forte, there’s plenty of veteran talented. But make no mistake: These two young stars own the movie.
I can’t tell you enough how much I adore Booksmart.
Its feminist ideals, progressive thinking and the way it blends comedy and drama make it well worth your time.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape – Available On Netflix
One of my favourite dramas of all time, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is an incredible film based on the novel by Peter Hedges.
It’s about the difficulties a young man in the Midwest faces trying to care for his mentally disabled brother and a mother who is so overweight it’s threatening her life.
Gilbert is trying to find and maintain his own happiness, but factors around him make it intensely difficult.
Perhaps one of his most understated performances ever, Johnny Depp is scarily good here, and does so without makeup or pirate braids.
Juliette Lewis and Darlene Cates are both fantastic also, but there is one incredible young star who steals the show.
Though the merits of an able-bodied actor playing a disabled man could be easily discussed in a different light now, a young Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing here.
He plays brother Arnie with a grace, sensitivity and beauty that makes the character so much more than his disability. By the end, we love Arnie with our entire soul.
It’s an absolute acting showcase, and a film that definitely will have you reaching for the tissues.
The King Of Comedy – Available On Prime Video
This is, by far, the best non-mob movie that famed director Martin Scorsese.
It’s a frankly terrifying exercise, and examines failing comic Rupert Pupkin as he attempt to break into the business. He begins following around a comic he loves, hoping to bump into him and chat.
But Pupkin’s easy-going demeanour soon changes, and obsession takes over. He begins stalking the man and kidnaps him in order to have the life he always wanted.
Scorsese’s film is funny, brutal, and absolutely breathtaking. It deftly mashes up genres and maintains a consistent, interesting tone.
In one of his most underrated performances of all time, Robert De Niro plays Pupkin with a certain desperation that we don’t normally see from the tough guy. Years of playing roles that make us uncomfortable has led to me underestimating his capacity to play a true, blue loser.
But here, De Niro shows a different side. Jerry Lewis spars and battles him on-screen, and their unlikely chemistry helps propel this film to greatness.
Don’t let the title fool you. This is not a film that will make you bust a gut. But as an examination of our culture’s obsession with stars, fame and fortune, it hits the mark.
Flags Of Our Fathers – Available On Netflix
Director Clint Eastwood dropped this war film, the first in a two-part flick series that also includes Letters From Iwo Jima, to acclaim in 2006.
It doesn’t rank among Eastwood’s best directorial efforts, and yet, there’s a certain prowess and sensitivity in the filmmaking that I couldn’t ignore.
Co-written by Paul Haggis — a two-time Oscar winner known for Crash and Million Dollar Baby — it has a beating heart and incredible soul to it.
It follows the stories of six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima, a huge part of World War II and a historical moment for the books.
Though it’s to be expected from Eastwood, the sound and visuals for this period film are entirely on-point. It’s a huge endeavour and a great flick.
He has a brigade of young stars, many of whom prove their worth here.
Ryan Phillipe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Barry Pepper, Jamie Bell, Paul Walker, and Mad Men’s John Slattery all do great work. So do elders Neal McDonough and Robert Patrick.
This is a fantastic piece of film that I can’t wait to revisit this week, now that it’s available on Netflix.
Invincible – Available On Prime Video
I know that animated series aren’t everyone’s thing, but this adult take on superheroes from Amazon Prime has definitely been worth my time.
It looks deeply into the morals, difficulties and dark side of hero-dom more than a Marvel film ever could. Death, carnage, civilian losses and more are part of the gig.
Nothing gets glossed over here, in this show based on the Skybound/Image comic about a high schooler who has to deal with the pressures of forging his own path in his hero father’s shadow.
Creator Robert Kirkman — best known for helming The Walking Dead — brings a humanity to the show that is much-needed to set it apart.
The voice cast is eclectic and fantastic, featuring a diverse range of voices. From J.K. Simmons to Sandra Oh, Steven Yeun, Andrew Rannells, Zadie Beetz, Walton Goggins, Zachary Quinto, Gillian Jacobs and more, this is a lovely cast.
I absolutely adore Invincible, and though I’m not a huge fan of adult animation or anime, Invincible has given me a new appreciation.