The Assistant: Understated is an understatement, but that is the point. A tremendous day in the life kind of movie at what’s both a monstrous and seemingly everyday workplace. Julia Garner is called on to carry this and does an A+ job. ****
Big Time Adolescence: A very pleasant coming-of-age comedy, if that’s what they’re still called. Pete Davidson has become this weird cultural cornerstone, but he’s a talented comic actor and this role felt perfectly cast. Wasn’t expecting MGK to be so funny too. ***1/4
Arkansas: Did not expect Clark Duke to make a crime n drugs movie, but here we are. Actually decent at it. Not enough to make something memorable, but enough to make me interested if he does it again. **1/2
Standing Up, Falling Down: The old comedian guy befriends young comedian guy has been done a lot, and as much as I admire Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz they sometimes felt like guys cast to do a parody of that type of movie. Not bad, not close to must-see. **1/2
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey: Enough of this, DC Universe. Every time there’s a new movie you have to see these reviews that are like “actually pretty good!” but until the brand gets its act together they are making movies that start off feeling pointless. So a movie has got to be pretty awesome to not feel pointless. This wasn’t. The cast is quality, Black Mask is a different type of villain, and Margot Robbie has got range – but it thought it was more fun that it was and I’ve already forgotten almost everything. **1/2
