Running Wild (1927)

I'm not sure how many people know it today, but W.C. Fields is inarguably one of the greatest screen comedians of all time. Very little has been written about Fields's silent-era films, except to say that his silent work generally is not as good or as funny as his sound-era work, notably his two masterpieces It's a Gift (1934) and The Bank Dick (1940). I had seen him in D.W. Griffith's Sally of the Sawdust (1925), and in a very early short film — his first screen credit — called Pool Sharks (1919). (It was released on an excellent Criterion DVD, collecting six Fields shorts.) I liked him fine in both, but would not really argue that I liked them better than the sound-era films. read more...

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It's the Old Army Game (1926)

I'm not sure how many people know it today, but W.C. Fields is inarguably one of the greatest screen comedians of all time. Very little has been written about Fields's silent-era films, except to say that his silent work generally is not as good or as funny as his sound-era work, notably his two masterpieces It's a Gift (1934) and The Bank Dick (1940). I had seen him in D.W. Griffith's Sally of the Sawdust (1925), and in a very early short film — his first screen credit — called Pool Sharks (1919). (It was released on an excellent Criterion DVD, collecting six Fields shorts.) I liked him fine in both, but would not really argue that I liked them better than the sound-era films. read more...

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Come As You Are (2020)

A remake of a 2011 Belgian film, this heartwarming and funny misfit road comedy perfectly translates to English, and also smoothly overcomes the potential pitfalls of too many creaky formula twists. read more...

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30 Minutes or Less (2013)

Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg re-teams with Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer, and the result is not quite as clever as that hit, but 30 Minutes or Less is still not bad. It's like a live-action version of a vulgar, violent cartoon, cheerful, willfully subversive, speedy, and lightweight. The filmmakers have gone out of their way to nab an "R" rating -- which seems to be a trend this summer -- inserting all kinds of beer-drinking, pot-smoking, and gratuitous nudity, though the strong language is often put to hilarious use. read more...

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Bridesmaids (2011)

The delightful Kristen Wiig, who has done such memorable work in supporting roles lately, wrote the script and stars as Annie, who opened and lost a bakery during the recession and now barely scrapes by living with horrible roommates and working whatever crappy job she can get. But she still enjoys spending time with her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Unfortunately, Lillian is now about to get married; worse, she apparently has a new best friend, the wealthy and elegant Helen (Rose Byrne). Annie and Helen enter into an unspoken rivalry for Lillian's friendship, but Annie winds up losing at every turn, either by accident or by Helen's natural upper hand. read more...

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