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6 Years, 4 Months & 23 Days (2013)
An Earnest-Feeling Short
John Mawson, as writer, producer, and lead actor of the film, has created an honest short that shows off his chops in each of his roles. With credible dialogue, the short is a glimpse into the morning after a steamy tryst between an older man and a young, gorgeous twenty-something. Even with what some may dub a cinematic trope as a premise, it never feels false to the viewer. Ester, the vivacious young beauty played by Augie Duke, progresses from an open range of emotion- from clearly shocked at the age of her one-night-stand partner, to charming and seductive, to ultimately a state of empathy and understanding. Duke's performance is the standout of the piece, buoyed by Mawson's pen. Her character walks the fine line between the male stereotypical dream girl and a flippant, incomprehensible woman of today's society, while having the best qualities of both. Mawson's performance is note-perfect. Stef Dawson plays Mawson's daughter, Lucy; sadly, though her name is the closest thing to a star presence about the movie, her performance is the least enjoyable thing about the film. Ably directed by Gerard Roxburgh, though his editing leaves something to be desired. 7 out of 10 for writing, cinematography and the performance of the two leads alone. Well worth a watch.
Sisters (2015)
Fey and Poehler, but not at their best...
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler clearly have a blast making a movie with their friends. Like Adam Sandler before them, perhaps they just made this movie with the idea of giving their friends something to star in.
I'm pleased that they swapped their traditional roles for this film, as it helps tremendously to hear Fey's potty mouth throughout. The typically restrained Fey plays the older Ellis sister, Kate, who was the promiscuous party girl in high school. Poehler is Maura, who was more comfortable in arts and crafts as a teenager than doing shots and dancing.
Wacky premise alert: they have to switch roles for one last party. Maura is in desperate need of "cutting loose," while Kate is a mess of a person and needs to try being responsible for once. Spoiler- it (predictably) does not go according to plan.
The one real redeeming quality is seeing Fey and Poehler being up for all of the frantic and often silly things their characters get into. They're clearly having a good time filming, and at least that comes through on screen.
Ike Barinholtz stars as Maura's neighborhood crush. John Leguizamo and Maya Rudolph are notable supporting players. Bobby Moynahan has an admittedly funny drug-related arc. Samantha Bee and John Cena add their touch as well. James Brolin and Dianne Wiest are practically wasted in cookie-cutter roles as horny retirees.
The characters are all one-dimensional. Oldest sibling Kate has an apparently adult daughter that she is clearly not capable of supporting, nor is she able to be a positive example. To the audience, though, her self-described "brassy" qualities don't make her funny, they make her kind of despicable. Maura has been through a divorce, and she's, what, afraid to put herself out there emotionally? That could have been interesting, if only the writing had supported it.
And if you're wondering if the characters peaked in high school, then I'm certain the jokes did. Drawing penises on the walls of a house, petulant name-calling, and a man being accidentally anally penetrated by a music box ballerina- these are just a few of the many unfunny gags peppered throughout the flick.
Unfortunately, not a memorable movie, nor a good one.