Category Archives: Comedy

2009, Comedy, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Human spirit, Italian, Italian culture

Loose Cannons (2009)

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From Netflix:

This fiery comedy from director Ferzan Ozpetek finds young Tommaso about to reveal to his large, frenetic Italian family that he’s gay. But he’s beaten to the punch by his older brother, who is promptly disinherited by their furious father.

“Fiery” is not accurate. Instead this film is a sentimental feel-good that offers some truly funny laughs. Fundamentally the theme of the film is that if you want a happy life you have to be bold and assert your own individuality instead of, for example, doing what your parents expect. Granted, family obligations and duties may be stronger in Italy than here in the U.S.A. Here this independence applies not only to the gay sons but also to their grandmother who did not get to marry the man she really loved and consequently lived a life of regret.

For you Italophiles, the Italian spoken in this film is beautiful to hear. English subtitles appear and are not optional.

2012, Animation, Black humor, Car Chase, Comedy, Crude Talk, Fantasy, Love Story, Medical Theme, Mental Illness, Motorcycles, Musical, Nudity, Satire, Senior citizens, Short Films, Suicide, Unusual, Vulgar

Oscar Shorts (2012)

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From Netflix:

This collection of Oscar-winning shorts from 2003-2012 covers works from around the globe, including “God of Love,” “The New Tenants,” “Toyland,” “West Bank Story,” “The Lost Thing,” “Logorama,” “The Danish Poet,” “Ryan” and “Harvie Krumpet.”

Live Action shorts are:

  • God of Love – Singer uses unusual methods (timed darts) to cultivate love affairs.
  • The New Tenants – Surprise! Vince D’Onofrio (looking really overweight and unhealthy) The new tenants have a series of crazy visitors.
  • Toyland – German with subtitles – Persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. “Toyland” is a euphemism for a concentration camp. Little Aryan child wants to accompany his Jewish friend to “Toyland”. Grim, sad, beautifully done.
  • West Bank Story – Much effort went into making this satirical take-off on “West Side Story”. Kosher King versus Hummus Hut.

Animated shorts are:

  • The Lost Thing – Australian – On beach man finds incredibly imaginative “thing” that seems to be a giant almost-teapot with reptilian extremities. Priceless!
  • Logorama – Vulgar mockery of American products and their logos, complete with car chases shoot-outs, earthquakes, an oil flood, and the west coast under water.
  • The Danish Poet – A Danish poet visits Sigrid Unset
  • Ryan – Imaginative but grotesque people missing parts (e.g. missing half a skull) provide opportunities for digital distortions. Downright weird.
  • Harvie Krumpet – Claymation story of Polish Harvie born to insane mother and lumber jack father. Harvie escapes the Germans and flees to Australia where he lives a life full of funny misfortunes each of which lands him once again in the hospital. Meanwhile he continues to collect increasingly funny facts (misspelled as “fakts”). Explicitly vulgar and very tongue-in-cheek.

“West Bank Story” is probably famous. In fact, I think I have seen it in other collections. Well worth watching.

“Harvie Krumpet”, while funny, could also be a bit depressing.

“The Lost Thing” may well be one of the most original animations I have seen. To enjoy all its details you might have to watch it more than once.

2008, Black humor, Clever Plot, Comedy, Conspiracy, Crude Talk, Detective, Kidnapping, Revenge, Satire, Satirical ultra-violence, Vulgar

Nobel Son (2008)

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From NetFlix:

About to receive the Nobel Prize in chemistry, Prof. Eli Michaelson learns that kidnappers have snatched his son, a promising grad student. But when the captors demand a ransom — the $2 million Nobel Prize money — Eli refuses to cough up the cash.

Alan Rickman, when last seen, was an Englishman selling wine in Paris in the film Bottle Shock. In “Nobel Son” he personifies perfectly an egotistical, womanizing professor who has belittled his son Barkley (played by Bryan Greenberg who was Parker in “Friends with Benefits”) all his life. Shawn Hatosy (who plays Sammy Bryant in “Southland”) here plays Thaddeus James who engineers a kidnapping of Barkley. Bill Pullman and Mary Steenburgen round out the cast.

Black humor is the order of the day. Do NOT be put off by the initial scene in which someone cuts off a man’s thumb. Similar to films made by Quentin Tarantino, the violence, gore, explicit language are all purposely and satirically exaggerated. Cannibalism is actually a source of humor. What initially seems to be some gross violence usually turns out to be fake (except for poor Danny DeVito).

Take it all in a spirit of outrageous fun.

2011, Based on true facts, Car Chase, Comedy, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Explicit sexual discussion, Feel Good Not For Children, Flirting, French, Wonderful acting

The Intouchables (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Based on a true story, a quadriplegic aristocrat’s world is turned upside down when he hires a young, good-humored ex-con as his caretaker. This unlikely duo overcomes adversity of every flavor as they shatter preconceptions of love, life and each other.

Between François Cluzet (as Phillipe) and Omar Sy (as Driss) the pairing is as entertaining and warm as it is seemingly unlikely. But the story is based on a real such friendship. Be sure to watch enough of the final credits to see photos of the actual persons as well as to learn what happened to them.

Do not be put off by the initial car chase. This is NOT a car chase film. Instead the story tells of the growing connection between a wealthy almost completely paralyzed French aristocrat, Phillipe, and his black ex-con caretaker, Driss, who comes from the other side of the tracks. Driss’s enthusiasm for life is infectious and it eventually enriches Phillipe’s life. Expect frank discussions of sex. Expect some misdirected flirting. Expect some wild, surprising physical adventures (for example, hang gliding). Expect to smoke a lot of weed.

Expect to have a lot of fun watching this wonderful film. No matter your taste in films, DO NOT MISS this French film with English subtitles.

2006, Animation, Comedy, Satire, Several languages, Short Films

2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films (2006)

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From NetFlix:

Enjoy the best live-action and animated shorts from the 2006 Academy Awards, including the animated winner “The Danish Poet,” which follows the title character on an adventure into romance and inspiration. In addition to live-action winner “West Bank Story” — a Middle Eastern parody of West Side Story — this eclectic collection also includes nominees “Binta and the Great Idea,” “One Too Many,” “Helmer & Son,” “The Saviour” and “Maestro.”

This collection is a mixed bag. You can easily skip the shorts that you don’t want to see. I recommend the following:

  • West Bank Story
  • Maestro
  • The Passenger
  • Guide Dog
  • One Rat Short
  • Surviving the Rush

“West Bank Story”, “Guide Dog”, and “Surviving the Rush” are really funny.

Included are:

  • “West Bank Story” parody of “West Side Story” sung in English with some really funny sight gags. In fact, it is really a brilliant comedy made at the University of Southern California.
  • “The Saviour” tense encounter with traveling missionaries in white shirts and ties. (Australian)
  • “Binta and the Great Idea” filmed in Africa and spoken in French with subtitles.
  • “Éramos pocos” Spanish with subtitles. Mother abandons her husband and son who then bring their grandmother from a rest home back to their home.
  • “The Danish Poet” Animated cartoon made by Danes. Romantic tale involving Denmark and Norway.
  • “Maestro” This very clever robotic animation appears in other collections of short film. Quite unique.
  • “The Wraith of Cobble Hill” Play dough animation about life in a black ghetto.
  • “The Passenger” Robotic animation. Humorous horror tale about young man’s adventures while reading a book entitled “The Passenger”. No dialog.
  • “A Gentlemen’s Duel” Animation. Two men duel for the affections of a damsel. English dialog. Somewhat vulgar.
  • “Guide Dog” Animated. Very funny story of a dog who has terrible luck trying to be a guide dog.
  • “One Rat Short” Extremely clever photo animation about a rat and a bag of Cheez-its. No dialog.
  • “Surviving the Rush” Really funny live short about a movie theater manager trying to survive a really bad day. Vulgar and religiously irreverent.
2005, Animation, Comedy, Could be boring, Could Be Sad, Drama, FilmReview, Imperfect, Several languages, Short Films, Talking Heads

Shorts: Vol 3 (2005)

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From NetFlix:

Good things come in small packages, as evidenced by the 16 award winners showcased in this collection, which represents the best short films screened at Cannes, Sundance, Telluride, Tribeca and many other film festivals. This international collection includes Johan Brisinger’s “Passing Hearts Sweden,” Kathleen Na’s “L’Entretien,” Shawn Ku’s “Pretty Dead Girl” and many other superb shorts. Extras include extensive commentaries by the filmmakers.

These supposedly Award-Winning Film Festival Shorts are not very good, excepting for the poignant “Passing Hearts Sweden”. Instead try 2007 Shorts.

Shorts included are:

  • “Hyper” Oddly enough, concerns a really hyper young man. [Funny]
  • “Gowanus, Brooklyn” So slow I gave up watching.
  • “Passing Hearts Sweden” Slow, warm story about boy in 8th grade. Somewhat of a mystery until you understand the sadness behind the story. [Swedish with English subtitles]
  • “My Name is Yu Ming” Adventuresome Chinese student visits Dublin. He spent 6 months learning Irish only to discover that almost no one in Ireland understands Irish. [Mandarin with English subtitles]
  • “Seventeen” Grotesque depiction of young man who cannot find a sexual partner. Explicit sexual drawings. {Netherlands] [Drawn animation]
  • “Loose Ends” Two twenty something young men arguing about “Star Wars” [Norwegian with English subtitles]
  • “L’Entretien” Young man receives strange invitation to join the “Good Life”followed by a strange sequence of events. [French with English subtitles]
  • “Confection” Little girl has fantasies while holding onto a sweet from a bakery.
  • “Colorform” Little girl makes a mess with finger paints. Has a harp lesson with an Italian teacher. Throws spahetti at dinner. Etc.
  • “Date” Demanding girl friend changes her attitude.
  • “The Fridge” Tale of a mysterious refrigerator. [Greek with English subtitles]
  • “Clay Pride” The difficulty of being Clay in America. [Animated Play Dough]
  • “Pretty Dead Girl” Off-color hospital song and dance routing.
  • “Climactic Death of Dark Ninja” Kids in the woods.
  • “Archipelago” Acceptable short drama on a beach. [Spanish with English Subtitles]
  • “A Ninja Pays Half My Rent” Young man tries to get along with his new Ninja roommate.
Animated, Comedy, Dark, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, FilmReview, Nudity, Short Films, Violent

The 2005 Academy Award Short Films Collection (2005)

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From NetFlix:

This compilation of Oscar nominees delivers the best animated and live-action short films of 2005 in one collection. Selections include the winning films: “The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation” (animated) and “Six Shooter” (live action). In the former, a son explores his turbulent relationship with his late father, and in the latter, an old man’s grief is interrupted by a young stranger.

Quite a variety exists in this wonderful collection of film shorts from different countries (always with subtitles):

  • “Our Time is Up” (American) Comedy involving a psychiatrist who experiences a change of life.
  • “The Runaway” (German) Drama in which an architect connects with a young school boy.
  • “The Last Farm” (Scandinavian) An old farmer deals with the end of his life.
  • “Cashback” (British) Comic adventures of a college student working in a grocery store. Includes many naked women.
  • “Six Shooter” (Irish) Grieving widower (Brendan Gleeson) rides a train seated with a talkative (unbalanced ?) young man.
  • “Badgered” is an animated short about, well, a badger.
  • “The Moon and the Son” Cartoonist son talks to his hospitalized father and presents a cartoon version of their sad family life. (John Tarturro and Elie Wallach are the voices.)
  • “The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello” is a marvelous surreal animated (think “Triplets of Belleville”). If nothing else, the visual aspect is stunningly imaginative.

If you watch nothing else, the last animated is worth the price of admission. If you like shorts, DO NOT MISS!

2011, Acceptable for children, British, Comedy, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Feel Good For All, Fishing, Love Story, Optimistic, Politicians

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)

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From NBetFlix:

A sheik with a love for the sport hopes to introduce fly-fishing to the Middle East and turns to uptight fisheries expert Fred Jones for help. Buoyed by the sheik’s enthusiasm (and his comely English aide), Fred sets out to achieve the impossible.

Ewan McGregor does it again. Somewhat of a rarity these days, this film is a feel-good that the entire family can watch. Good plot, good acting, good romance, good humor: what’s not to like?

Kristin Scott Thomas is perfect as a hard-nosed, ambitious, ruthless, and vulgar governmental communications maven.

Emily Blunt portrays Harriet well as a young woman caught between two loves.

Ewan McGregor carries off the role of a fishing geek (possibly with Asperger’s, but that is not completely clear) who agrees to try the impossible and bring salmon fishing to a desert.

Even though there is no sex and violence, DO NOT MISS!

2011, Based on true facts, British, Comedy, Drama, Explicit sexual discussion, Feel Good Not For Children, Love Story, Satire

Hysteria (2011)

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From NetFlix:

In 1880s London, forward-thinking young doctor Mortimer Granville has a difficult time keeping a job until he and an inventor friend concoct an electrifying solution to the rampant “hysteria” affecting England’s sexually and socially repressed women.

Along with the fun and naughty treatment of the invention of the sexual vibrator, there is an underlying theme of women’s rights in Victorian England as well as a budding romance between the young Doctor Granville and the rebellious socialist daughter of Granville’s greedy employer.

Maggie Gyllenhaal (who played the title role in “Secretary”) plays the rebellious daughter. At first I did not recognize Rupert Everett as Edmund St. John-Smythe (probably because he was sporting a beard and has put on a bit of weight) who plays the inventor of the vibrator.

Despite my own enthusiasm, my daughter Kate found the film to be a bit “smaltzy”. Although not for children, at least it offers 100 minutes of somewhat thought-provoking amusement for the older family members.

2003, Acceptable Trash, British, Comedy, Nudity, Slapstick

Johnny English (2003)

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From NetFlix:

There’s a Frenchman after the crown jewels and the throne itself — but not to worry, Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is on the case. Well, actually … maybe a little worrying isn’t out of order, considering how clumsy Johnny can be! Luckily, his zeal more than makes up for his bumbling manner. Let’s hope that can help solve the crime of the century; if not, love in the form of double agent Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia) might.

British slapstick is not for everyone. However, if you have enjoyed Rowan Atkinson (“Mister Bean”, “Blackadder”) in the past, then you may get some real belly laughs watching this farce.

Let us hope that John Malkovich who plays “Pascal Sauvage, the Greedy Frenchman” made a lot of money playing in this comedy because I found his performance embarrassingly bad.

Have fun and always remember — I LOVE TRASH!