'The Jesus Rolls' Trailer: John Turturro Is Back And Bowling Again In 'The Big Lebowski' Spinoff

Of all the places a continuation of The Big Lebowski could go, following ex-con Jesus Quintana is arguably the least expected. But that's what John Turturro has done in taking the reins of The Jesus Rolls, writing the script and reprising his role as the bowling-obsessed criminal. And now with the debut of the first full trailer (a teaser was released just days ago), we're getting a better sense of what the story will entail.

The Coens have no involvement in Turturro's film, but have given him their blessing to tell the story he wants to tell. A spiritual successor to 'Lebowski', it's also a loose remake of the 1974 French comedy, Going Places, and finds Quintana released from prison, only to embark on a wild road trip full of sexual depravity and petty crimes.

Turturro has really emptied out the Rolodex for this one, gathering together Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, Jon Hamm, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Pete Davidson, Sonia Braga, and more.

SYNOPSIS: Hours after being released from prison for good behavior, Jesus Quintana (John Turturro) reunites with his best friend and fellow underachiever Petey (Bobby Cannavale). In the first in a series of rapidly escalating bad decisions, they steal a vintage car parked in front of an upscale salon and hit the road for a no-holds-barred joyride — until the car’s gun-toting owner (Jon Hamm) catches up with them, wounding Petey. Fleeing the scene with fiercely free-spirited shampooist Marie (Audrey Tautou), Jesus and Petey continue their adventure in a series of stolen cars, cementing their partnership with an epic petty-crime spree and a three-way romance. A darkly funny, irreverent and freewheeling road movie, The Jesus Rolls is written and directed by Emmy® winner and nominee John Turturro and pays tribute to the classic French farce Les Valseuses.

The Jesus Rolls opens on February 28th.

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'The Jesus Rolls' Trailer: John Turturro Knocks 'em Down In 'The Big Lebowski' Spinoff

More than two decades after The Big Lebowski, the sequel fans have been asking for is here. Well, a spiritual sequel. John Turturro returns to his bowling-obsessed ex-con Jesus Quintana in The Jesus Rolls, a film he wrote and directed.

While Quintana's presence obviously connects this to The Big Lebowski, the film is actually a remake of the 1974 French comedy, Going Places, and centers on a trio of misfits as they "embark on a "freewheeling joyride of petty crime and romance.” The story picks up after Quintana has been freed from prison after being framed as a pedophile.

Joining Turturro in the central trio are Audrey Tautou and Bobby Cannavale. Jon Hamm, Pete Davidson, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Sonia Braga, and JB Smoove co-star.

The Coen Brothers gave Turturro their blessing to move forward with his passion project, but had no role in its development. This one is all Turturro, who has found a way to keep one of his most iconic characters alive by tapping into the past.

The Jesus Rolls opens on February 28th.

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'The Jesus Rolls' Trailer: John Turturro's 'The Big Lebowski' Spinoff Teases One Wild Trip

One of the strangest films to arrive next year (or any year, for that matter) is The Jesus Rolls, which I swear isn't some faith-based shit from the makers of Fireproof. It's actually a followup to the classic Coen Brothers comedy, The Big Lebowski, but the only character you'll recognize is John Turturro's bowling-obsessed ex-con Jesus Quintana. Turturro decided to continue on with the character in a brand new story set in the same universe.

However, that's all the Coens have to do with it as this is Turturro's show. He wrote and directed the film which is based on the 1974 comedy Going Places, and follows Jesus and other misfits as they get in over their heads with a gun-toting hairdresser. Joining Turturro are French icon Audrey Tautou, Bobby Cannavale, Jon Hamm, Christopher Walken, Susan Sarandon, Pete Davidson, Sonia Braga, and JB Smoove.

A new trailer for the film is out, and while Turturro definitely shot it in English, the trailer is in Italian. Whomp whomp. Still, it's the best look yet and we'll update this post when a new version comes out.

The Jesus Rolls opens in 2020.

SYNOPSIS: THE JESUS ROLLS follows a trio of misfits whose irreverent, sexually charged dynamic evolves into a surprising love story as their spontaneous and flippant attitude towards the past or future backfires time and again, even as they inadvertently perform good deeds. When they make enemies with a gun-toting hairdresser, their journey becomes one of constant escape from the law, from society and from the hairdresser, all while the bonds of their outsider family strengthen.

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'Bad Moms' Moms' Is In The Works Whether You Like It Or Not

The first Bad Moms movie wasn't great, but it was a rare slice of original content from Hollywood and audiences rewarded that with $183M worldwide, $113M of that right here in the States. The sequel A Bad Moms Christmas arrived a year later and was even worse and made less money, just $130M overall, but that was still a tidy profit and clearly enough for STX to green light a third movie, this time geared towards the bad grandma demographic.

STX announced at CinemaCon that Bad Moms' Moms is going to become an actual thing, whether we want it to or not. Returning are Susan Sarandon, Cheryl Hines, and Christine Baranski as the raunchy, irresponsible mothers to their raunchy, irresponsible daughters played by Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis.

No word on if the younger trio of ladies will come back. A Bad Moms Christmas ended with the grandmothers planning a wild trip to Vegas. Perhaps that's where things will pick up? A Bad Moms Vegas Vacation? [TheWrap]

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Review: ‘Viper Club’ Susan Sarandon Lives A Mother’s Worst Nightmare

Viper Club follows Helen Sterling (Susan Sarandon) who is just a normal person – she works a steady job as an ER nurse, enjoys her at-home aerobic exercises, and is a loving mother to her son Andy (Julian Moris) who is a journalist. When Andy gets sent to the Middle East to cover a story, Helen isn’t thrilled about the assignment, hoping that Andy would take on stories with less risk. Then the unthinkable happens and Andy gets taken hostage, turning Helen’s life upside down. Helen works tirelessly with different government agencies, including the State Department and FBI, to try and get her son home. These agencies tell her that she must keep the situation a secret and that any publicity may further jeopardize Andy’s life. Having to go about living her ordinary life while pretending everything is fine seems unimaginable, but Helen falls in line and goes about business as usual. 

As months go by, Helen continues to feel more helpless and frustrated that these government agencies have strict protocol and aren’t doing anything in her mind. Helen goes to their offices frequently, calls for updates constantly, and keeps getting avoided. Helen decides that she must do more. One day, Helen gets approached with contact information for a woman named Charlotte (Edie Falco) – who is part of an underground community known as the Viper Club. Viper Club is made up of other journalists, their loved ones, and trusted colleagues who may be more proactive in getting her son home. Helen must make the difficult choice of whether to continue to follow the government’s strategy or put her trust in this group of people who may or may not have her and Andy’s best interests at heart.

Sarandon’s performance is what drives Viper Club. She does a masterful job of showing the pure fear, anguish, and frustration that a mother would be going through in this awful situation. This was a very difficult role, and numerous parts of the film are just Sarandon alone with her emotions, and she did a masterful job. Unfortunately, her performance isn’t enough to elevate the entire film. Viper Club is missing a general aura of unease and dread around it. This is such a high stakes situation and the film doesn’t successfully portray that. A central point of the film was to show the dichotomy between a mother’s personal ties to the situation involving her son and the almost cold, uncaring, and detached mindset that the government and official agencies have. The film was successful at showing this sense of apathy, but it may have been too successful - jeopardizing the film by removing a great deal of tension that should have been present. Writer/director Maryam Keshavarz and writer Jonathan Mastro do their best to show the relationship between Helen and Andy through flashbacks which also serve to build an emotional connection with the audience, but they are not powerful enough to leave a lasting impression. When the dust settles, Viper Club shows itself to not be revolutionary in any way, but Sarandon’s performance is worth a matinee watch or at the very least a Redbox rental.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Review: 'A Bad Moms Christmas' Is No Holiday Gift

Last year's Bad Moms was a breath of fresh air to overworked mommies looking to see themselves represented on the big screen, and it was pretty funny, too. Who cares that it was written and directed by a couple of dudes, The Hangover scribes Jon Lucas and Scott Moore? It worked because the central trio of Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and the hilarious Kathryn Hahn were as unleashed as any Wolfpack, and their suburban war against extreme parenting struck a chord. While a Bad Dads movie was considered and, thankfully, vetoed (Talk about missing the point!), the decision was made to attack another societal institution with A Bad Moms Christmas, but this sequel is no holiday gift under the tree.

Like comedy sequels set in Las Vegas, Christmas sequels tend to be pretty terrible (Excuse me if I accidentally refer to this as A Very Brady Christmas), and A Bad Moms Christmas is no exception. The unrealistic expectations of motherhood get cranked up to eleven when the holiday rolls around, the "Super Bowl" for moms, and Amy (Kunis), Kiki (Bell), and Carla (Hahn) are fed up with trying to make everything perfect. Yeah, who wants a perfect Christmas?? Fight fight fight! Adding stress to the yuletide proceedings are the sudden arrivals of their own moms, which gives you a clue why they're so screwed up. Amy's mother (Christine Baranski) is a perfectionist who spoils her grandkids and throws lavish holiday parties. Kiki's mom (Cheryl Hines) is abnormally close to her daughter, like "watching her sleep" close. And Carla's mom (Susan Sarandon) is a hard-drinkin' gambling addict who spent 15 years as an REO Speedwagon groupie and has no concept of what being a parent is about. The apple, it doesn't fall far.

And if you guessed that's the overall message of A Bad Moms Christmas, that daughters turn out to be just like their moms, well then serve yourself another helping of egg nog. Conflict erupts between all six women, but the battle royale is between Amy and her mom, who turns up her nose at her daughter's boyfriend Jesse (Jay Hernandez), and dares to throw a huge holiday bash with Kenny G. Oh, the horror! Seriously, this film is in desperate need of antagonists, which was such a big part of how the moms came together in the first place.

But the biggest problem is that A Bad Moms Christmas feels like a retread of the first movie, which was defined by that epic supermarket montage. It was hilarious, so hilarious in fact that we see it revisited at least three times in the sequel, each with diminishing returns. Sure they all take place in different locations (malls, a Skyzone) but it's clear they're just making up for the lack of chemistry the three leads seem to have this time around. It isn't even really the actresses' fault, either; it's a screenplay that is preoccupied with setting up a potential Bad Grandmoms spinoff or something, and doing it with jokes that would get rejected by your average sitcom.

While we used to be able to relate to Amy, Kiki, and Carla, the only one who remains likable at the end of this is Carla, the edgiest of the trio. She also has the best scene by far in the movie, and unsurprisingly it isn't with any of her female co-stars but with This Is Us' heartthrob Justin Hartley. He plays a stripper from Cleveland who arrives to get a wax job in the most delicate of places, and it'll make you look at "meet cutes" in an entirely different way. Let's just say their courtship isn't for the kiddies. Short of the numerous times someone says "What in the actual fuck?" (It should be in the tagline), Carla is the most R-rated this move gets. And of course Hahn is terrific in the role, and so is Sarandon as her mother, who may be older but definitely isn't wiser. There's an understanding the two of them come to, that neither of them will ever be perfect mothers, that the other duos simply never achieve in a way that is believable. Amy in particular comes across as pretty awful, and Kiki gets the best verbal smackdown from Wanda Sykes, who as her psychologist says bluntly that she is the reason her mother is so damned messed up. 

This being a Christmas movie, it naturally devolves into an endless stream of heartfelt monologues, tears, and sappy apologies. As if it wasn't toothless enough already. But hey, this is Christmas; a time for giving, right? And so I feel I'm being generous by saying A Bad Moms Christmas is like getting socks as a gift.

Rating: 2 out of 5

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'A Bad Moms Christmas' Trailer: Time To Take Back The Holidays

We haven't even gotten past Halloween yet and already the Christmas trailers are coming fast and furious. And there will be a couple of varieties dropping down the chimney: whole family-friendly entertainment like The Man Who Invented Christmas, or A Bad Moms Christmas which is more than happy being on the naughty list. Being nice is boring.

Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn are back and they're ready to put some stank on the holiday season. The trio of rowdy ladies are joined by their own moms, played by Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon, and Cheryl Hines, who could do with some loosening up. Well, except for Sarandon whose character may have already had too much spiked egg nog. The better to watch her daughter (Hahn) get a lap dance from a hot Santa, played by This is Us' Justin Hartley. Here's the synopsis:

A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS follows our three under-appreciated and over-burdened women as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of the Super Bowl for moms: Christmas. And if creating a more perfect holiday for their families wasn’t hard enough, they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their own mothers. By the end of the journey, our moms will redefine how to make the holidays special for all and discover a closer relationship with their mothers.

A Bad Moms Christmas opens November 3rd.

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First Red Band Trailer For 'A Bad Moms Christmas' Takes Back The Holidays

A surprise hit last summer, Bad Moms was one of those films everybody was talking about, and really helped pave the way for the run of raunchy female-centric comedies of late. And STX Entertainment didn't waste time expanding on what they had, teasing a Bad Dads spinoff that thankfully didn't happen, and rapidly moving on a true sequel. But do audiences really want more so fast? There's no better way to find out than with a holiday movie, and now we have the first trailer for A Bad Moms Christmas, and of course it's for Adults Only! Go ahead and tuck the little kiddies in.

Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, and Kristen Bell are back and this time they are fed up over Christmas and how moms never have any fun during the most joyous time of year.  Although they look pretty happy shakin' their butts in Santa's face. Not half as happy as he looks, though. And there are more moms than ever now with Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon, and Cheryl Hines joining in on the fun.

I'm still surprised there hasn't been more of an uproar over decidedly male writer/directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. You'd think there would have been an outcry for a female to come in and help out on the script or something. Guess not.

A Bad Moms Christmas opens November 3rd.

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Review: '3 Generations', Starring Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts, And Susan Sarandon

At some point since its initial festival screenings, About Ray changed its title to 3 Generations.  Which is probably for the best, since "Ray" is pretty much the last thing it's about.  For a movie trying to ride the crest of public -- well, bourgeois liberal -- awareness of trans stories, it's all but uninterested in the actual experience of the trans character at its center.

That character being Ray (Elle Fanning), whose mother, Maggie (Naomi Watts), struggles to refer to with male pronouns.  But at least she tries more than her own mother, Dolly (Susan Sarandon), who doesn't see why Ray can't just stay "Ramona" and be a lesbian.  If this were a 101-level story there might at least be some basic recap of gender theory to cover the difference between a lesbian -- a cis woman who likes women -- and a trans man who likes women.

Instead, it exists at the level of awareness achievable from a reflexive hatred of regressive Republican policies.  Like, did you hear that trans youth have been forbidden from public bathrooms in their own schools?  It's an outrage!  You should feel outraged and sad for Ray, who has to go to a nearby restaurant.  Except that New York, where the movie is set, has a policy in place explicitly allowing students to use the bathroom that aligns with their own gender identity.  But writer/director Gaby Dellal isn't about to let facts like that get in the way of her sense of indignation.  She clearly doesn't need to do any research about the problems a trans boy like Ray would actually face.

And like I said, it's not really about him anyway, as is clear from her comments about Ray being "a girl, presenting in an ineffectual way as a boy", as if the validity of someone's gender identity depends on how convincing their appearance is.  The movie is far more concerned with Maggie's conundrum: the permission forms she needs to sign also need the signature of the man listed as Ray's father on the birth certificate (Tate Donovan), and Maggie is conflicted about seeing him again.  And when she does track him down, he's not sure if he's on-board.  All of this against the ticking clock of Ray wanting to get on testosterone therapy at least six months before transferring to a new school in the fall.

None of this holds together.  First of all, if the father isn't even paying child support anymore -- she says as much when she has to track him down -- why does his signature matter so much?  Surely it's just a legal formality to sever whatever claim he might have on paper.  But that's where the ticking clock comes in, which itself is artificial.  The forms are not some secret that was sprung on them at the last minute, and realistically there was plenty of time to get all these ducks in a row, except that Dellal needs to inject drama and pressure on Maggie, her real protagonist.

Or maybe they just haven't paid attention to the paperwork until this point? I don't buy it.  Sixteen-year-olds are practically paralegals when it comes to the ins and outs of what exactly is required to obtain a driver's license.  For something like gender dysphoria therapy, Ray certainly knows these forms backwards and forwards, inside and out.  There are whole online communities and support groups; he must be in communication with them, or who is he making his transition progress videos -- the only possibly interesting parts of the movie -- for?  He's seen the line asking for his father's signature, and yet has done nothing to make sure it won't present a problem.

But Dellal isn't interested in engaging with the sort of community young trans people might craft for themselves.  Tumblr itself might be a bit hazy for a woman in her 50s, and it distracts from what she's really interested in: the tribulations of their middle-aged mothers.  Even there, the characterization is awkward; Maggie is a woman who is willing to have serious conversations about gender identity with her teenager, and yet is afraid to tell him about the legal complications with his father.

Which brings us back to Dellal's true perspective: Dolly, played by Sarandon as a well-off, well-meaning, but clueless and outspoken bumbler who lets her ideals run roughshod over the lived experiences of people around her.  She's the one who changes her mind to earn the Woke Merit Badge, which is more important to Dellal than an accurate portrayal of a trans experience.  Like Dolly, the script is mired in second-wave feminism as it is dragged, kicking and screaming, into the modern gender landscape.  It even manages to get in a healthy dose of hetero-slut-shaming along the way: "don't be loose with men, girls, or your own children will pay the price!"

And all of this misguided exploitation of trans experiences comes with one of the sloppiest executions I've seen outside of a student film.  The acting is fine; Fanning does as well as any actress might, though I'm certain that a good casting director could have found an aspiring trans actor just beginning his transition.  But the editing is a giant mess, patched over with truly awful ADR work to add or alter lines.  To some extent this is the result of a hasty re-cutting a year ago, but there's still no excuse for letting it get released in this form.

But the show must go on, as a monument to Dellal's self-congratulation.  If she didn't push this out into the world, how else would everyone know how down with the trans struggle she is?  Never mind the actual trans people saying there are huge problems with it; what would they know about their own lives that Dellal can't explain to them better?  That's what they're really here for: a target for well-off ladies to show just how open-minded and progressive and accepting they can be.

Rating: 2 out of 5

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New Trailer For Controversial Drama '3 Generations' With Elle Fanning, Susan Sarandon, & Naomi Watts

Originally titled About Ray, the transgender drama 3 Generations has been a headache for the Weinstein Company since the beginning.  First it was casting Elle Fanning in the role of a transgender teen boy that had some up in arms. It didn't help when the film debuted two years ago at TIFF to scathing reviews, which led Harvey Weinstein to chop the whole thing up and refashion it into a less controversial, more palatable movie. That didn't suit the MPAA who still hit it with an R-rating that Weinstein is currently fighting.

After tons of delays a release is only a few weeks away, and now we have a new trailer so you can see all of the changes that have been made. The New York-centric tale follows three generations of women living under the same house. Fanning plays Ray, a transgender boy getting help coping from his lesbian grandmother (Susan Sarandon) and his single mother (Naomi Watts) who is doing the best she can to accept her son for who he is. The film was directed by Gaby Dellal, who issued this statement about the MPAA's rating...

 “As a mother and a filmmaker, I want to speak to kids, to parents, and to grandparents everywhere in a common language of love and inclusion about a subject matter that is not only real and complicated, but one that is important and alive today."

Also starring Linda Emond and Tate Donovan, 3 Generations opens in LA and NY on May 5th.

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15 Underrated Actress Performances Of 2016

I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. When going back through last year's list of actresses deserving of some awards attention, it struck me that it felt like only yesterday I was raving about most of those performances. And now here we are a full year later wrapping up 2016, and as always I gotta show some love to the ladies first.

You'll notice the title has changed from all of the previous years. No longer is it about "deserving Oscars attention", because honestly not every performance I choose deserves that. But they are great and noteworthy and worthy of recognition, nonetheless. At least they wowed me in some kind of way and have stuck with me. Most importantly, I wanted to choose performances that have truly been overlooked and should be sought out. I think the previous years including some choices that were probably just awards snubs, even though most people saw them.

I don't think that's the case here. For once I knew exactly which women I wanted on this list and they are all here without anyone being left out. Boom! Nailed it! So without further ado, here's my list of the 15 Underrated Actress Performances of 2016. And be sure to follow all of our end-of-year coverage!


Melanie Lynskey- The Intervention



Rebecca Hall- Tumbledown



Amber Heard- One More Time



Nicole Kidman- The Family Fang



Tilda Swinton- A Bigger Splash



Abbey Lee- The Neon Demon



Gillian Jacobs- Don't Think Twice



Anna Gunn- Equity



Linda Emond- The Land



Lupita Nyong'o- Queen of Katwe



Stefania Owen- Coming through the Rye



Krisha Fairchild- Krisha



Agyness Deyn- Sunset Song



Susan Sarandon- The Meddler



Zoe Kazan- The Monster

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John Turturro May Be Filming A 'Big Lebowski' Spinoff Featuring Jesus Quintana

For years John Turturro has been trying to get the Coen Brothers' blessing to do a spinoff featuring his character from The Big Lebowski, Jesus Quintana. They have not been receptive. Here's what they told Empire earlier this year...

“Turturro keeps urging us to do the ‘Jesus’ spin-off of his character. Yeah, uh huh...People have been asking us about a sequel to ‘The Big Lebowski,’ for years, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

That tells me Turturro is moving ahead on his own without their support, because BMD says he is a couple of weeks into directing Going Places, his spinoff of The Big Lebowski. Uh, could we see lawsuits spring out of this, maybe?  Anyway, Turturro is directing the story which is based on the 1974 French film, Les valseuses. Also starring Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou and Susan Sarandon, the New York-set film follows thieves Jesus and Petey as they hook up with a woman who desperately wants to have an orgasm.

Yuck.  I could maybe see why the Coens don't want any part of this. Who knows? Maybe this movie never sees the light of day? It will be very interesting to learn what they think of Turturro's project and if there is some conflict brewing as a result.

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Review: 'Mothers And Daughters' Starring Selma Blair, Susan Sarandon, Christina Ricci, And More

Two similarly-themed movies with the title Mother's Day were racing to theaters at the same time, in hopes of capitalizing on the holiday for dear ol' Mom. The first and starriest was last week's awful and casually racist film by Garry Marshall, the third and hopefully final entry in his unholy series. The other, which features recognizable but less bankable stars, was forced into the bland title of Mothers and Daughters, and also tells multiple interconnected stories about the joys and pains of motherhood.  While it's certainly the classier of the two films, it's also so dry and forgettable that you'll be begging for anyone to say something offensive.

It's like somebody has some kind of personal vendetta against Moms with all the crappy movies being made about them. Directed by Paul Duddridge and Nigel Levy, Mothers and Daughters could have been plucked from the Lifetime Movie "rejection" pile. Each story is either wildly heavy-handed in its message, unbearably clichéd, or woefully unsatisfying.  The cast is a collection of talented actresses you wish were in something much better. Selma Blair gets the centerpiece role as Rigby, a hip Manhattan photographer on the verge of a big career break shooting a famous rock star (Agents of SHIELD's Luke Mitchell), until she discovers she's pregnant. D'oh! Decisions decisions! Does she have the baby, or get an abortion? Or does she enter into an awkward romance with her hot married doctor (Quinton Aaron), who seems to have no problem flirting with his patients?

Other stories are little more than extended vignettes, and as such don't go far beyond needs of the plot. Sharon Stone plays Nina, a titan of the fashion industry, who can't stand how her talented daughter Nina (Alexandra Daniels) is wasting her life as a waitress. Courteney Cox is Beth, who is forced to reveal a bombshell of a family secret to Becca (Christina Ricci) that threatens to destroy all of their lives; Mira Sorvino is Georgina, who has a new line of “haute couture" bras ready to launch, a supermodel boyfriend, and a secret connection to another character in the film. It's not hard to figure out who it is, honestly. Nothing is very complicated here. You'll spend most of the time wondering how there can be such an incredible lack of diversity in a multi-tiered film like this with such an expansive cast.

While most of these brief little stories hold little emotional depth, another shows the potential of what the film could have been. Susan Sarandon (who was just in the far superior maternal comedy The Meddler) and her real-life daughter Eva Amurri Martino bring real dramatic weight to the complicated relationship between a mother who is trying to get back in the life of her estranged daughter Gale who split when the family rejected her ambitious boyfriend.  In one brilliant, contentious interaction (with Sarandon on FaceTime or something) everything the film has to say about the mother/daughter bond is captured, as Gale pleads for her mother's support while pushing her away at the same time.  Who knows if Sarandon and Amurri were channeling some of their own past grievances but the authenticity of that brief squabble is the realest thing Mothers and Daughters has to offer. 

Rating: 2 out of 5

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Review: 'The Meddler' Starring Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, And J.K. Simmons

It's hard not to like movies by Lorene Scafaria because she puts so much of herself into them. Nick& Norah's Infinite Playlist centered on one amazing night in the lives of high schoolers; the vastly underrated Seeking a Friend for the End of the World had Steve Carell and Keira Knightley dealing with the apocalypse and the on-set of middle age (oxymoron?), and now there's the utterly charming The Meddler, which advances into the issues of the older generation. While the title may sound like some D-list Marvel superhero, the only villains being defeated in this film are grief and loneliness, slain at the hands of Scafaria's witty script and some perfect comic chemistry between Rose Byrne and Susan Sarandon.

At 68-years-old, Sarandon is just as lively and funny as ever, bringing to life a role that could have been one-dimensional in the wrong hands. She plays the recently-widowed Marnie, who decides to deal with her grief by packing up her stuff and hightailing it out of New Jersey to Los Angeles near her filmmaker daughter, Lori (Rose Byrne). If Marnie is in mourning you'd never know it; she's too much of an Energizer Bunny for that. She's always off doing something, emboldened by her brand new iPhone, whether it's attending weddings for Lori's gay friends (one played by Cecily Strong), volunteering at the hospital, or hanging out at the Apple Store. Mostly, though, she's up in Lori's business. She's always around, delivering bagels (always salt), texting, calling, and offering pearls of wisdom that Lori is not up to hearing.  Lori has her own problems coping with her break-up from a superstar actor (Jason Ritter), and it doesn't help that Marnie keeps talking about him.

But Marnie isn't a pest, or at least she isn't an irritant in the way these characters usually come off. We recognize that Lori needs her space, but we also see why Marnie is who she is. People deal with grief in different ways, and one way of doing so is to fill that empty space with the love of others. Or in Marnie's case, by helping make other lives better. So she's incredibly generous with her wealth (a minor point that she got a huge insurance payment) in order to do as much good as possible in an attempt to move on. It's a simple message, told by Scafaria in a delightful, well-structured manner that emphasizes what she's trying to say and nothing more, because this film very easily could have been something else.

Far too many of these "self-discover movies" come up with some contrived circumstance to go on a literal journey of discovery. Usually it's a road trip of some kind because it's easy to understand going from point A to point B. Scafaria is content to let her characters breathe and deal with their various issues in way that is natural and, as it turns out, funny in the way that real life often is. That approach also works when dealing with Marnie's love interest, Zipper (J.K. Simmons doing his best Sam Elliot impression), a retired cop who rides a Harley and has chickens that love Dolly Parton. Granted, he's the quirkiest, most unbelievable character of all, but this doesn't become a movie about him and Marnie's relationship. The central connection always stays between Marnie and Lori; even when they are separated for stretches of time that never goes away.

All that said; one wishes we could have seen more of Marnie's world and the friendships she forms. We don't see nearly enough of Strong or Lucy Punch in supporting roles, and there's a wealth of potential in the scenes we get of Sarandon with comedian Jarrod Carmichael, who plays Marnie's favorite Apple Store Genius. The Meddler is good-hearted and well-intentioned, and unlike Marnie, it gets its message across without having to nag us. If there's a film to take mom to for Mother's Day, this is the one. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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First Trailer For That Other Mother's Day Movie, 'Mothers And Daughters'

Is one movie about Mother's Day simply not enough for you? Then rejoice, because Mothers and Daughters is here to fill your need for sappy films about motherhood. Enjoy!

This one was actually titled "Mother's Day" for a while but obviously that had to go because of Garry Marshall's film. Susan Sarandon, Selma Blair, Sharon Stone, Courteney Cox, Eva Amurri, Ashanti, Christina Ricci, and Mira Sorvino star in the film about, well, mothers and daughters. Hopefully nothing hits too close to home for Sarandon and Amurri, because that could be awkward. It's also kinda nice to see Blair back in a major film again, although it would be nicer if it were Hellboy 3. Oh well.

Directed by Paul Duddridge and Nigel Levy, Mothers and Daughters opens May 6th.

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First Trailer For Lorene Scafaria's 'The Meddler' Starring Rose Byrne And Susan Sarandon

With comedies Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, writer/director Lorene Scafaria's films have largely been concerned with the lives of young women and the choices they make. Some of those decisions are small, like finding your favorite band's secret show, and some are incredibly important, like how to live out the last days on Earth. Her latest film, The Meddler, is definitely on the smaller end of the spectrum, and the choices being made are coming a bit later than life.

Starring Rose Byrne, Susan Sarandon, and J.K. Simmons, the mother/daughter tale centers on a single woman whose recently-widowed mom relocates to be near her, and of course intrudes in her life in just about every way imaginable. Here's the official synopsis:

With a new iPhone, an apartment near the Grove, and a comfortable bank account left to her by her beloved late husband, Marnie Minervini has happily relocated from New Jersey to Los Angeles to be near her daughter Lori, a successful (but still single) screenwriter, and smother her with motherly love.  But when the dozens of texts, unexpected visits, and conversations dominated by unsolicited advice force Lori to draw strict personal boundaries, Marnie finds ways to channel her eternal optimism and forceful generosity to change the lives of others – as well as her own – and find a new purpose in life.

Movies about women of a certain age seem to be all the rage right now, following Grandma, I'll See You in  My Dreams, and the upcoming Sally Field film, Hello, My Name is Doris. The Meddler, which opens on April 22nd, looks like it could be another winner from Scafaria.

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Red Band Trailer for Stop-Motion Comedy 'Hell & Back' Featuring Mila Kunis, TJ Miller, Michael Pena, and More

An R-rated comedy starring Mila Kunis, T.J. Miller, Michael Pena, Susan Surandon, Bob Odenkirk, Danny McBride, David Koechner, JB Smoove, Nick Swardson, and Jennifer Coolidge? Other than Swardson that sounds pretty amazing. And it comes out in just a couple of months? Why hasn't there been more buzz about it? Oh...it's animated? Well that might explain it, as R-rated animated movies are not only rare but extremely hard to pull off. But that's what the folks behind Hell & Back hope to do, and the first trailer suggests it's looking to be as offensive and raunchy as possible.

Brought to you by the folks behind Robot Chicken and Bojack Horseman, fans of those shows may appreciate that the trailer begins with a masturbation joke and goes downhill from there. The story centers on three longtime best friends who swear a blood oath and get sucked into a portal to Hell. Wise men these guys aren't. Here's the synopsis:

In the outrageous R rated animated comedy from the Animation studio that brought you “Robot Chicken,” “Triptank” and “Bojack Horseman,” three friends embark on a wayward journey into the deepest, darkest depths of hell to rescue one of their own.  While navigating their escape, they provoke a slew of misfit demons, a super sexy angel, infamous Greek legends, and the Devil himself; Hell has never been hotter!

Hell & Back opens on October 2nd.

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Trailer for Transgender Drama 'About Ray' starring Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts, and Susan Sarandon

Even if there are some who are still uncomfortable discussing transgender people, Hollywood is certainly making every effort to make it easier. Multiple films and TV series on the subject of transgenderism are gaining critical acclaim across the board, and one may even be a Best Picture contender when The Danish Girl arrives later this year. Another film that hopes to capture the mood of the moment is About Ray, formerly titled Three Generations, and it's got a strong trio of actresses that should help draw some attention.

Starring Elle Fanning, Susan Sarandon, and Naomi Watts with Gaby Dellal (On a Clear Day) directing, the film centers on a family living in New York and the complications that arise when the teenage daughter (Fanning) reveals she wants to transition into a male. Here's the synopsis:

ABOUT RAY tells the stirring and touching story of three generations of a family living under one roof in New York as they must deal with the life-changing transformation by one that ultimately affects them all. Ray (Elle Fanning) is a teenager who has come to the realization that she isn’t meant to be a girl and has decided to transition from female to male. His single mother, Maggie (Naomi Watts), must track down Ray’s biological father (Tate Donovan) to get his legal consent to allow Ray’s transition. Dolly (Susan Sarandon), Ray’s lesbian grandmother is having a hard time accepting that she now has a grandson. They must each confront their own identities and learn to embrace change and their strength as a family in order to ultimately find acceptance and understanding.

About Ray opens on September 18th.

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Scoot McNairy has a 'Sleepless Night'; Susan Sarandon to Star in 'Frindle'

Scoot McNairy (Frank), T.I. (Takers), Dermot Mulroney (August: Osage County), and David Harbour (End of Watch) have joined Jamie Foxx, Gabrielle Union, and Michelle Monaghan in action-thriller Sleepless Night. Directed by Baran bo Odar, the film will have Foxx as a seemingly corrupt cop who must rescue his son from the gangsters (McNairy and Mulroney) who kidnapped him as payback over a stolen cocaine shipment. Filming begins later this month. [THR]

An adaptation of the Andrew Clements' children's novel Frindle is on the way, and Susan Sarandon is set to star. The story, which will be adapted by Sam Harper, centers on fifth-grader Nick Allen, who is forced by his English teacher Mrs. Granger (Sarandon) to write an essay on where words come from and how objects are named. He decides to rename his pen a "frindle", and much to Granger's dismay the word becomes a worldwide phenomenon.

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Review: 'The Last of Robin Hood' Starring Kevin Kline and Dakota Fanning

There was a time when Errol Flynn had the world at his fingertips. The Hollywood legend lived a flamboyant life full of privilege, and he wasn't afraid to wave that privilege around in others' faces. Most of all this extended to his love of women, and the famous lothario used his star power and soothing charms to woo the knickers off his share of ladies. But while he once had everything it did not extend to the final years of his life chronicled in the shoddy, lukewarm biopic The Last of Robin Hood.

The Last of Robin Hood is as questionable as Flynn's personal and professional judgment during his final years when he was a barely functioning alcoholic. But he still had that big Hollywood swagger even if Hollywood only looked at him as an object of pity. Taken literally, the film is about 15-year-old Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning), the last of the Robin Hood star's scandalous relationships. The decision to focus on Aadland, a figure few remember for pretty good reason, is just one of numerous mistakes by writing/directing duo Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, whose production looks barely above that of novice filmmakers. Flynn, who lived an infinitely interesting life beyond his nailing an underaged groupie, is relegated to little more than a pathetic sad sack, selling short a game performance by Kline.

Beverly proves to be the character least worth our time and the one we spend the most with. The end of the story serves as our intro, as Beverly's celebrity-obsessed mother Florence (Susan Sarandon) is caught in a sea of reporters as they wait for her daughter's plane to arrive. Flo is eating up the limelight, something she's quietly always sought and used her daughter to get. Years earlier, Beverly was a nobody on the chorus line of a Gene Kelly production, until she happened to catch Flynn's prowling eye. He approached her, took her out for an evening of dinner, drinks, and the ol' casting couch. They began seeing one another, and not even learning she was still a high school student could dissuade the horny (and desperate) Flynn. Flo pretends to be clueless while giving her quiet consent, but her husband, who calls Flynn "a walking penis" in the movie's funniest moment, is disgusted and files for divorce.

It's a story demanding to be told with a sensationalistic flair but Westmoreland and Glatzer opt for respectful and reserved. They spend the entire film trying to explain away the actions of three totally unlikable people. So we get Flynn, who always seems like the pitiful old guy at the club, flying Beverly from one high-profile gig after another with her always coming up short. She's talentless, beautiful and icy, but utterly without a shred of potential. It's all because of her mom, who we learn had superstar aspirations of her own once, that has pushed her into the public eye and thus public humiliation. Trying to gain our sympathy was the wrong approach to take, and some of the most awful details were left out or deliberately glossed over (Flynn was charged with statutory rape before) for fear of making things too complex. Why not put everything out there and let the audience decide?

In a poor attempt to capture the Technicolor look of the era, the whole thing comes out looking extremely ugly. Drably shot and lacking momentum, it's basically one boring, cautious conversation after another. How can such a salacious story turn out so dull? Not even Kline, who at his age still has a young man's gleam and energy, can do much to save this hopeless film. He gets no help from a listless Fanning, who mistakes being flat for naiveté. Sarandon does what she can with an underwritten role, almost making us forgive Flo for pimping out her daughter. But no, not quite. "Not quite" pretty much sums up The Last of Robin Hood. It's almost a meaningful look at the downfall of a true Hollywood legend, and maybe under better directors and smarter casting it might have been.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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