Yes God Yes - Review

 

Short and sweet might not be the best way to describe the ideal sexual encounter, but it is the perfect way to describe “Yes, God, Yes,” a film from Karen Maine (“Obvious Child”), based on her short film.

The premise is simple; a young Catholic high school girl is beginning to have sexual thoughts and believes that sending herself to a weekend retreat might help. She goes, it does not help, and hilarity ensues.

Although, as amusing as the film can be, hilarity definitely isn’t the word to describe this film. Its more of a sly, downplayed style of awkward humor, somewhere close to something like “The Office” without the documentary stylings. Often time the humor comes from the sheer awkwardness of the situations and the irony of many of the statements made.

That’s not to say there isn’t any great comedic acting here. Natalia Dyer (“Stranger Things,” “Velvet Buzzsaw”) is the film’s star and biggest asset. Her innocent nature and desire to learn more about herself are juxtaposed against the people and religious environment around her and Dyer milks these differences to the best results.

For those familiar with the term “mumblecore,” this is as close to a teen sex comedy as a mumblecore film has ever gotten. There isn’t really a plot; things do happen in a particular order, but it feels more just like life than any sort of movie narrative. Most of the dialogue also seems somewhat improvised, lending everything an awkward realism that makes the proceedings even better.

It’s difficult to tell if the film or Maine have anything really to say. Things don’t really kick into gear until the last third of the film, which features the most musing on the themes and elements therein (sex, abstinence, religion, queerness). It also helps that the last third also features at least double the dialogue than in the previous two-thirds of the film.

At a somewhat short 78 minutes, “Yes, God, Yes” is a simple film with simple goals that are achieved with relative success. It’s awkward and “indie film” nature will likely only appeal to a certain audience, but those who give it a try will likely find a pleasant little film with a point to make, some amusement to be had, and not much else. 3.5/5

MAJOR EMOTION PICTURES Episode 1: The Florida Project

This is Major Emotion Pictures, a discussion show where I sit down with my fellow film loving friends and discuss movies that mean a lot to them, for better or worse. In episode 1, we'll be talking about The Florida Project, a 2017 slice of life comedy drama film, with my guest, Cameron Potter.

Palm Springs - Review

For the absolute best possible experience, here is all you need to know: “Palm Springs” is an absolutely absurd and delightful romantic comedy that feels equal parts non-romantic and non-comedic. The characters are wonderfully endearing and excellently performed, and it belongs in a masterclass of high-concept rom-coms alongside “her,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “Paper Heart.”

That first statement is necessary because “Palm Springs” is best enjoyed knowing as little as humanly possible about it. While spoilers will be kept to an absolute minimum, only revealing the same plot elements mentioned in the film’s trailer, it really is better to go in blind.

Andy Samberg (“Celeste and Jesse Forever,” “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping”) gets to strut his most dramatic chops yet in a career best performance playing nihilistic loner aptly named Nyles. There are clear hallmarks here that Samberg’s past film roles have touched on, such as a gleefully silly sense of humor and copious amounts of reckless behavior, but this is the first time these actions feel as thought they’re coming from a real person, as opposed to a caricature. There’s dramatic weight to his actions throughout the film, and he becomes someone easy to root for and a bit too easy to identify with.

Equally as good is Cristin Milioti (“Sleepwalk with Me,” “How I Met Your Mother”) as Sarah. She’s an easy best actress contender for the sheer amount of emotional change her character is forced to go through. Like Nyles, her plights are understandable and easy to empathize with. Milioti and Samberg are the perfect comedic and dramatic foibles for each other, pushing their antics to the breaking points while never losing sight of the care that slowly develops given their situation.

It’s incredibly impressive that such a delightful and inventive film is coming from a first-time director, Max Barbakow. His direction, alongside a script from Andy Siara (“Lodge 49”) sees the sandy area of Palm Springs take on an otherworldly sheen. The cranked up, sunny contrast give the entire film a sun-bleached look of despair that matches the absurdity of the film’s events perfectly.

Like the previously mentioned high-concept rom-coms at the start, what makes “Palm Springs” such a delight is the extent that it takes its central concept. While there are clearly some signs of lower budget (anytime there is any sort of special effect or a brief moment of green screen, it shows), the wide open and empty landscapes, alongside some simplistic and effective cinematography from Queyn Tran (“Unbelievable,” “The Little Hours”) coat the entire film in a hazy glow of fantastical realism.

This extent doesn’t just mean the wild antics and crude situations that are common with other Lonely Island productions, but Siara and Barbakow are also extremely interested at the moral quandaries at play. There’s a lot of talk about the meaning of life and consequences of one’s actions. There’s also an ever-evolving discussion of guilt and whether it matters if the people we wrong remember the wrongdoing or if we’re the only ones who do. There’s a lot for audiences to sink their teeth into beneath the guise of a sunny California wedding.

Bottom line, “Palm Springs” is a bizarre and wonderfully charming film that confronts its most existential ideas with the same level of enthusiasm as its zany comedic moments. Lead by two top tier equally comedic and dramatic performances, the only negative might be that the film’s themes and subject material might not be for everyone. But even those who might be turned off by the concept should watch. “Palm Springs” easily contains some of the year’s best performances with some of the year’s best writing in what is one of the year’s best films. 5/5

Close Enough (Season 1) - Review

 

The prospect of voice actor and creator J.G. Quintel (“The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack,” “Regular Show”) moving from a children’s show to one aimed at adults should be the biggest leap in the world, but because of the way his previous show “Regular Show” worked, the differences are actually minimal. The Cartoon Network modern classic thrived on weird storylines based around teenaged worries and dipped in pop culture references. This new show, the long awaited “Close Enough” thrives on adult worries dipped in pop culture references.

Josh, voiced by Quintel, and Emily, voiced by Gabrielle Walsh (“Shameless,” “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones”), are a young couple living in an LA duplex with their friends: divorced couple Bridgette, voiced with a searing valley girl accent by Kimiko Glenn (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “Orange is the New Black”), and Alex, voiced by Jason Mantzoukas (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Big Mouth”) doing the Jason Mantzoukas voice.

There are layers to each character that make them more interesting to watch than the typical adult cartoons released each year; Emily is the main breadwinner of the house and struggles with not being a doormat to her boss, Josh has dreams of one day finishing the video game that made him semi-famous in college, Alex might be a slob, but has a PHD and is trying to finish his novel on space Vikings, and Bridgette clearly still has feelings for her ex-husband.

Quintel takes these characters and follows the same formula established in “Regular Show” to great effect. Take a real-life situation, crank it to the extreme via sci-fi or fantasy elements, and then use that extreme to cut to a real-life truth. One episode sees Emily trapped in a sitcom after she avoids talking about what she wants from her future with Josh and their daughter. Another sees the main foursome trying to be young for a night at a bar, only to learn that this bar kills any patrons they learn are about 30.

Most surprisingly of all, “Close Enough” manages to maintain its label of being “adult” without teetering into the forcefulness of other shows like “Mr. Pickles” or “Paradise P.D.” It’s less “adult swim” and more “Bob’s Burgers,” sure there are jokes about sex, some violence, and cursing, but it never feels like something the creators want you to feel ashamed for watching. It feels virtually the same as "Regular Show," by no means a bad thing, except it lets the characters fully curse instead of stopping at "What the H?"

The fact that it knows the difference between “for adults” and “adults only” is only one reason the show is one of the best cartoons of the year. It’s also just consistently funny in really surreal ways. Jokes and gags fly at a mile a minute, and while there are a fair share of technology and “damn millennials” gags, there are also just as many surprising ones that come out of nowhere.

For anyone missing the adventures of Mordecai and Rigby, consider “Close Enough” “Regular Show 2.0.” The gags fly fast and quick, coupled with some really great animation and voice acting. If there’s anything to fault, its that the “lessons” each episode tries to impart feel thrown in. This is a show that’s at its best when it’s trying to make you laugh and occasionally injecting some surprise emotions into the proceedings. Is it perfect? No, but it has potential to expand and be one of the best on TV. Regardless, its close enough. 4/5