Crisp Criticism - "Going in Style", "Colossal", "Table 19"

by

Julien Faddoul

Going in Style

Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

A lazy pile of garbage: A remake of the 70s comedy with lethargic performances, preposterous situations and unfunny jokes, all directed by one of the least talented people in showbusiness.

d – Zach Braff

w – Theodore Melfi   (Based on the Story by Edward Cannon)

ph – Rodney Charters

pd – Anne Ross

m – Rob Simonsen

ed – Myron I. Kerstein

cos – Gary Jones

p – Donald De Line

Cast: Morgan Freeman Michael Caine Alan Arkin Joey King Matt Dillon Ann-Margret Maria Dizzia Christopher Lloyd Siobhan Fallon John Ortiz Peter Serafinowicz Kenan Thompson Josh Pais

Colossal *

A woman discovers that severe catastrophic events are somehow connected to the mental breakdown from which she’s suffering.

An inspired idea falters in execution due to a lack of any discernible potent writing. This is another example of a filmmaker rushing into production on a first draft. That being said, the absence of intellectual coherency doesn’t take away from its often delectable absurdism.

wd – Nacho Vigalondo

ph – Eric Kress

pd – Sue Chan

m – Bear McCreary

ed – Ben Baudhuin, Luke Doolan

cos – Antoinette Messam

p – Zev Foreman, Nahikari Ipiña, Russell Levine, Dominic Rustam

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens, Austin Stowell, Tim Blake Nelson, Agam Darshi, Hannah Cheramy, Rukiya Bernard, Miho Suzuki, Sarah Surh

Table 19

Eloise, having been relieved of maid of honor duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text, decides to attend the wedding anyway, only to find herself seated with five fellow unwanted guests at the dreaded Table 19.

Instantly forgettable farcical comedy that somehow manages to incorporate a list of both tired clichés and absurd scenarios.

d – Jeffrey Blitz

w – Jeffrey Blitz, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass

ph – Ben Richardson

pd – Timothy David O’Brien

m – John Swihart

ed – Yana Gorskaya

cos – Peggy Stamper

p – Dan Cohen, P. Jennifer Dana, Shawn Levy, Tom McNulty, Mark Roberts

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, June Squibb, Lisa Kudrow, Stephen Merchant, Tony Revolori, Amanda Crew, Wyatt Russell, Maria Thayer, Andrew Daly, Margo Martindale, Thomas Cocquerel