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One Movie Punch


Jul 27, 2019

Hi everyone!

Man, what a week here at One Movie Punch. New friends joined us, old friends returned, and that Disney movie... just when it was out of your head, huh? And there’s no better way to cap off another week of reviews than one from Amy Dobzynski, aka One Movie Spouse.

Funny story: Amy texted me a picture of her movie ticket for today’s film while she was out running errands while our daughter was at work. I was happy for her, then told her she would need to write a review. She gladly accepted, but only if we promoted her to Senior Bollywood, Romantic Comedy, and Uplifting Film Correspondent. Seemed fair after saving me from the Big Heads Media Takeover (Episodes #517 through #523). And saving me from the Skrulls in the review for “Captain Marvel” (Episode #435). Maybe she should be the host, come to think of it.

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Here we go! 

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Hi there, it’s me Amy, AKA One Movie Spouse. ::MWAH::

Keep those summer vibes rolling, One Movie Punch Fans! In addition to binge watching my favorite TV shows and catching summer flicks with the family, I am teaching English and American culture to international high school students visiting California. This week is the halfway mark of this teaching assignment and plenty of new students will be rolling in this week. It has been such a JOY working with students from Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Israel, France, and Spain. I am learning so much from them as we discuss our different interests and cultures. I was fortunate enough to have a day off in my schedule last week to catch “Late Night”.

ENJOY!

Today’s movie is “Late Night” (2019), the Amazon Studios dramedy directed by Nisha Ganatra and written for the screen by Mindy Kaling.The film follows superstar Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson), host of a comedy television show called “The Late Night”, which has run for decades. With declining ratings, the network threatens to find a new host for the show. Katherine demands the writing team come up with new material, jokes, and sketches to increase ratings and to be more relevant with a changing demographic of viewers.

No spoilers!

Anything that has Mindy Kaling’s name attached to it, I simply HAVE to check out. As a loyal fan of “The Mindy Project”, I was eager to see this film. My initial impression was that this film would be “The Devil Wears Prada” meets “Ugly Betty” with a splash of the fashion and comedy found in “The Mindy Project”. High power executives and assistants eager to please their bosses (and change the world) are upended by the arrival of Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling). Molly immediately begins challenging the status quo within the workplace environment, and it had me cheering for her right from the start.

With an all white and all male writing team for “The Late Night”, Molly shakes things up as the only woman and person of color on the team. She often calls out her male colleagues on their sexist and racist thoughts, and is not afraid to voice her opinions, even when they are unpopular. It was not something I was expecting from this comedy, but WOW, I am sure glad it is present! Viewers will find themselves reflecting on and discussing the issues and messages woven through the film, like the reality of being a “diversity hire” for women and/or people of color in a workplace, where they remain minorities within the group, and issues related to ageism and ableism. Kaling’s character embraces it and her passion for change is evident. I hope this inspires others to pursue their dreams as well.

The strength of Kaling’s script is her ability to weave so many important themes about inclusion, while willing to shift between comedy and drama as needed to move the story along. In addition to the social themes, the film also explores how one evaluates their personal and professional success, within entertainment and within life in general. Katherine’s husband, Walter Lovell (John Lithgow) is super supportive of his wife, offering subtle, yet powerful perspective on measuring success and happiness outside of the entertainment spotlight, even as he struggles with his own difficulties. “Late Night” is filled with moments like this that will make you laugh out loud or cry. Or sometimes both.

Emma Thompson succeeds in showcasing the 30-year career of a beloved, successful female comedian. Kaling gives a great performance with the perfect blend of optimism and freedom of expression, playing one truly witty gal! Together they are a dynamic on-screen duo. Bravo, ladies! Keep the comedy coming! Fans of comedy television shows, stand-up comedians, and feel good films should enjoy this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 80% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 71

One Movie Punch: 8.0/10

“Late Night” (2019) is rated R and is currently playing in theaters.