The Big Sick (2017)
Genre: Romantic comedy
Director: Michael Showalter
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
Duration: 120 minutes
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd

Michael Showalter’s romantic comedy follows an interracial couple that has to deal with their cultural differences. It is loosely based on the real-life romance of the authors of the film’s script, actor Kumail Najiani, who also stars in the picture, and his wife Emily V. Gordon.

The story also uses the writers’ first names too.

Kumail is a Pakistani comic who meets an American graduate student named Emily (Zoe Kazan) at one of his stand-up shows. As their relationship blossoms, he soon becomes worried about what his traditional Muslim parents will think of her. When Emily suddenly comes down with an illness that leaves her in a coma, Kumail finds himself developing a bond with her deeply concerned mother and father.

The film, co-produced by Judd Apatow who is well known for his romantic comedies, received very positive reviews.

Sandy Schaefer of Screen Rant wrote: “Rich in emotional honesty and equal parts funny/moving, The Big Sick successfully infuses the traditional romcom formula with a modern sensibility.”

Manohla Dargis of The NY Times agreed. She commented: The Big Sick revitalises the often moribund romantic comedy subgenre with a true story of love, death and the everyday comedy of being a 21st century American.”

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes was no less generous: “Funny, heartfelt and intelligent, The Big Sick uses its appealing leads and cross-cultural themes to prove the standard romcom formula still has some fresh angles left to explore.”

The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January  and was released in limited theatres in the third week of June, has so far grossed $30.4 million in box office receipts.

Ratings
IMDB: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Empire: 4 stars

From left, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Haddish have the time of their life in New Orleans in Girls Trip.

Girls Trip (2017)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Starring: Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish, Kate Walsh
Duration: 122 minutes
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd

Girls Trip is another movie this week based on personal experiences. It is in fact  based on the experiences of the film’s writers Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver and their friend Erica Rivinoja.

The plot follows four best friends, Ryan (Regina Hall), Sasha (Queen Latifah), Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Dina (Tiffany Haddish) who  embark on an adventure of a lifetime when they travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival.

Along the way, they rekindle their sisterhood and rediscover their wild side by dancing, drinking, brawling and romancing.

The film, which premiered in the US on July 21, received good reviews and has grossed $67 million worldwide so far.

Joyce Slaton of Common Sense Media wrote: “A tired comic premise gets new life thanks to a charming cast with genuine warmth and chemistry, inspired comic set-pieces, and a star-making performance from Haddish.”

Stephanie Merry of the Washington Post was equally impressed and gives an idea of the kind of adventures the girls experience in her comment: “Each of the women makes an impression, especially in one set piece that takes place at a club, where too much absinthe turns the evening into a hallucinogenic fantasia.”

Emily Yoshida of Vulture magazine summed it up: “There’s a chemistry and harmony between the four leads that can’t really be written, and a kind of guileless ego-free spirit to Malcolm D. Lee’s direction that keeps things perpetually moving.”

Ratings
IMDB: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Empire: N/A

T.J. Miller voices an exuberant emoji with multiple expressions in The Emoji Movie.

The Emoji Movie (2017)
Genre: Animation
Director: Tony Leondis
Voices of: T.J. Miller, James Corden, Anna Faris, Maya Rudolph, Steven Wright, Jennifer Coolidge, Patrick Stewart, Christina Aguilera
Duration: 86 minutes
Class: U
KRS Releasing Ltd

The animated film lets the audience into their smartphones where the bustling city of Textopolis is home to all emojis. Each emoji has only one facial expression, except for Gene (voiced by T.J. Miller), an exuberant emoji with multiple expressions.

Determined to become "normal" like the other emojis, Gene enlists the help of his best friend Hi-5 (James Corden) and a notorious code breaker called Jailbreak (Anna Faris).

Despite the original premise and the talented voice cast, the film was panned by critics. Owen Gleiberman of Variety magazine simply said: “The execution isn’t good enough to bring the notion of an emoji movie to funky, surprising life.”

Jordan Hoffman of the New York Daily News was more straight to the point. He wrote: “Pretty much the worst movie you'll see all year.”

The film, which was released last weekend in the US, has so far grossed $24 million.

Ratings
IMDB: 1.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 6%
Empire: 1 star