BradGarrett – Credits Rolling

Pixar’s latest offering follows Elio (Yonas Kibreab), a space fanatic whose life has been upended after the death of his parents. He moves in with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), but the two don’t exactly see eye to eye. Elio can’t help but feel like he doesn’t belong and when he’s beamed up to a planet in the sky he’s hopeful that he’s finally found his place.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t overly excited for this film. Maybe that’s because there was little to no marketing for it. This was a pity because it had a lot of things going for it. It may not be one of the best Pixar films ever, but it was still solid.

Let’s start with the voice talents. While I was unfamiliar with Kibreab before, I felt like he perfectly encapsulated the titular character. Elio is someone you want to root for. He feels misunderstood and like he hasn’t found his purpose which is just so relatable. Saldana is similarly just as relatable as aunt Olga; nothing could have prepared her to look after her brother’s son and the fact that she gives up her dreams of becoming an astronaut to do so shows that she cares. In the Communiverse we meet an array of unique characters voiced by the likes of Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, Matthias Schweighöfer and Shirley Henderson, all of who gave their best to the performances.

The film is filled with some beautiful animation. It’s bursting with rich colors and zany designs. From there it almost seemed like an entirely different story which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if anything it helped set aside the difference from Earth.

Perfectly blending humor, emotion and action, Elio was an enjoyable enough film for the whole family. Dealing with themes of loss, grief and the desire to belong, it’s unfortunate that not a lot of people seem to know about it. I’m sure the delayed release didn’t do the film any favors and I definitely think it’s still worth checking out.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Written, directed and starring Cooper Raiff, Cha Cha Real Smooth is about recent college grad Andrew who is trying to find his place in the world. Working a dead-end fast food job and living at home with his mother (Leslie Mann), stepfather (Brad Garrett) and brother (Evan Assante) he takes on a side gig as party host for the summer’s Bar Mitzvah circuit. That’s where he meets the mysterious Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Little does he know, they will change his life forever.

Let me start by saying that the hype for this movie is real. Receiving rave reviews at this year’s Sundance Festival, there was no way I would miss out on this one. I didn’t expect it to hit as hard as it did and yet here we are.

Although I am not familiar with Raiff’s work, he is quite the triple threat. His portrayal of Andrew is awkward and so very realistic; how many of us have struggled to figure out what we want to do after we finish school? It’s no secret that I’m a Dakota Johnson fan. Her performance here was endearing and honest and the two balanced each other well. The big stand out for me, however, was Vanessa Burghardt. Autistic in real life as well as on screen, she’s got such a career ahead of her and I can’t wait to see where it takes her.

The simplicity of the plot added a factor of intimacy I didn’t know I needed. It almost allowed me to look into the characters’ minds and learn exactly what makes them tick. I found myself laughing along with them, just as I found myself tearing up at certain moments. That conversation about depression, for example, was so on point that I couldn’t help nodding along in agreeance to what was being said.

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a movie that should not be missed. I don’t care if you don’t have Apple TV+. Find a way to watch it. I guarantee it will touch you in one way or another and will stay with you long after the screen turns black.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥