Review: Don't Think Twice

Manuel here with a review of Don’t Think Twice, which is out in Limited release this weekend.

Mike Birbiglia’s Don’t Think Twice is a movie about failure. Or rather, about what happens (and the choices we make) when success is not just elusive but altogether unattainable. It’s a film that papers over those platitudes about believing in yourself and following your dreams no matter what (terrible advice by itself) and presents us a story about what happens to those who can’t or won’t succeed at what they’re talented at.

The film, focused on an Improv group (“The Commune”) boasts a stellar ensemble led by Birbiglia himself. As the oldest member of the troupe, Miles—who was “inches away” from nabbing a coveted spot on the cast of the SNL-ish Weekend Live years ago and who’s seen friends actually get on the show, much to his chagrin—epitomizes the arrested development of the entire group...

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Michael B Jordan is the Big Winner at the Image Awards

Michael B Jordan was top dog at the Annual NAACP Image Awards taking both Outstanding Actor and Entertainer of the Year prizes for his work in Creed, which obviously should have netted him an Oscar nominations (we honored him here). Creed was a big player, too, taking Writing and Directing and Supporting Actress (Phylicia Rashad) prizes only to lose the Outstanding Motion Picture prize to Straight Outta Compton. 

In other curious developments Idris Elba, fresh off a SAG win, lost the Supporting Actor prize to O'Shea Jackson Jr for Compton. As a reminder of the strange nominee list, of the central trio in Compton only Jason Mitchell (who played Easy E) was snubbed, despite being the actor who received the strongest reviews within the film. 

The image awards, now in their 47th year, are kind of an all purpose awards show for black artists so they also honor literature, music, and television. black-ish and Empire were the big television winners and Anthony Anderson hosted the awards show. 

After the cuteness of Gabrielle Union & Keegan-Michael Key, the full list of winners.

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Review: Pitch Perfect 2

The standard formula for sequel-making is easy to remember: do it again, only bigger. Elizabeth Banks has taken this to heart while working both sides of the camera. Pitch Perfect 2 marks her feature directorial debut but she's still fully visible as one half of the insult-comic pundits that barrage the acapella groups with shade as we watch them perform. The absurd notion of live commentary during vocal performances continues to be a pretty good unspoken joke unto itself so naturally Gail (Banks) and John (John Michael Higgins), have larger roles this time. They're like the Waldorf & Statler to the Bardem Bella's Muppets only hornier and way more intrusive. The comparison may be fusty but so is the jokey tone - vaudeville sized in its caricature driven gags and completely shameless at wringing laughs from crude, repetitive and stereotype-loving jokes. In fact, it's so broadly cartoonish that it's easy to imagine virtually any of the cast members as muppets, especially Fat Amy (née Fat Patricia). 

Who among you didn't visualize Rebel Wilson as a Muppet just now; the resemblance is uncanny!

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