Tag: ChrisEvans

Materialists

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

From writer and director Celine Song comes an unconventional take on dating in the modern world. Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a high end matchmaker who just witnessed her ninth couple getting married. At said wedding she meets the incredibly handsome and filthy rich Harry (Pedro Pascal) who is instantly smitten with her. But at the same wedding Lucy also runs into her ex boyfriend, struggling actor John (Chris Evans), and realizes that there is still a spark between them. Now she has to make an impossible choice.

If you are going into this film expecting a cute romcom, you would be mistaken. Instead what Song has given us is something so much more than that. The dating scene has changed over the years, especially with the influence of social media, and this was an interesting take on just how materialistic we’ve all become as a result.

The casting of our three leads was perfect. I could not imagine anybody else playing these characters except for Johnson, Pascal and Evans. Together they had real, organic chemistry and it was hard for me to determine who I wanted Lucy to be with more. On their own, they each portrayed a stereotype of people at different stages of their lives: Lucy at a crossroads of what she truly wants and what stage of life she thinks she should be at, Harry with an established career and stunning apartment and John dreaming of becoming an actor while living with two roommates and struggling to make ends meet.

While there was plenty of romance and some moments that had my theatre laughing out loud, there were some other themes woven throughout that I really appreciated. Self-worth, value and materialism are at the forefront and they really had me reflecting on not only personal experiences I have had in the past, but also those of my friends who are still dealing with similar situations every single day. It also illustrated the less glamorous side of dating such as individuals only wanting a certain age bracket or skin color as well as what could happen when a date takes a turn for the worst.

Materialists was one of the films that I was most excited for this summer. I was a big fan of Song’s debut Past Lives and couldn’t wait to see what she was going to do next, not to mention the fact that this cast was an absolute dream. I’ll admit that the marketing may be misleading, but I actually think I enjoyed the film much more because I went into it thinking it would be one thing and I ended up getting so much more out of it.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Pain Hustlers

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From director David Yates of various Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films comes Pain Hustlers. The story follows down on her luck mom Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) who is dreaming of a better life for herself and her daughter Phoebe (Chloe Coleman). Thanks to a chance encounter with one Pete Brenner (Chris Evans), she lands a job at the failing pharmaceutical company where he works. As drastic changes begin to occur, she can’t help but wonder if it’s been for better or for worse.

I was looking forward to this one. A film helmed by two of the biggest stars of today? Sign me right up! Unfortunately that’s about all it had going for it. So where did it all go wrong?

First and foremost, this is not the first time we’ve seen the subject tackled. This year alone we’ve had various takes on similar drug crises. This take unfortunately doesn’t add much to what we already know. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but it doesn’t shed the light on anything new and therefore doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

The performances here are enjoyable enough. Blunt is believable as the scrappy mom who will do whatever she can to provide for her daughter. I wanted to root for her even when she continued to make questionable choices, though she certainly made it hard. Evans, on the other hand, has been playing similar variations of the same character for a while now and it’s beginning to feel tired. The two did have a good chemistry though that made their scenes work. The supporting cast in Catherine O’Hara as Liza’s mother, Andy Garcia as Dr. Neel and Brian D’Arcy James as Dr. Lydell were fine enough.

I truly believe if Pain Hustlers came out at a different point in time, it would have had more of an impact. The story is an important one, but it’s something we’ve seen many times before which didn’t help. I wanted so badly to like it, but my expectations simply weren’t met. I hate to say that it felt like a slog to get through, but I’d be lying if I didn’t.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Ghosted

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The ever popular Ana De Armas and Chris Evans are back on our screens, teaming up to star in action adventure romantic comedy Ghosted. When Cole (Evans) meets Sadie (De Armas), he’s sure he’s found the one. They spend an unforgettable day and night together and then she vanishes into thin air. When he eventually tracks her down, he discovers her deep dark secret: she’s a secret agent! Suddenly Cole is swept up until Sadie’s lifestyle as they embark on a mission to save the world.

Not going to lie, I was really looking forward to this one. The two leads alone boasted what I thought would be a home run for Apple TV +. And while I had an overall fine time with the film, there wasn’t much to write home about.

De Armas and Evans are in top form here. This is now the third time that they have worked together and you can tell that their chemistry is completely and totally organic as a result. It’s just not their fault that the script wasn’t tighter and that not all the jokes managed to land. There were some good one liners and the meet cute between Cole and Sadie that took place in the first part of the movie balanced it out though.

I wasn’t entirely invested in the action part of the story, there were still some hardcore fight sequences and chase scenes that kept the movie entertaining. Having Adrien Brody as the villain was a fun choice. I enjoyed the soundtrack choices (Are You Gonna Be My Girl? and Uptown Funk were some great fits), but I had the best time spotting all those cameos.

Although Ghosted wasn’t as amazing as I’d hoped it would be, there were some positive things about it. The two leads were definitely up there and I would happily watch a million more titles with them as the stars. All in all, not too bad for a Friday night in.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

The Gray Man

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After uncovering top secret agency secrets from the CIA, agent Six (Ryan Gosling) finds himself on the run. With the help of Dani Miranda (Ana De Armas), he must escape time and time again from former agent Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) who will stop at nothing until Six is dead.

Once upon a time, I used to look forward to action movies. They aren’t my favorite genre by any means, but as long as there is a good balance between the fight sequences, explosions and the overall storyline, I can usually get behind them. Unfortunately I cannot say that The Gray Man falls into this category. I was excited for this one too as it was set up by Netflix to be the next big summer blockbuster. Alas, it fell short.

The only good part about the film was a few of the cast members. I couldn’t even tell you the last time I saw Ryan Gosling in anything, so it was refreshing to have him back on my screen. I also loved seeing Ana De Armas again, who always brings her A game. While the movie boasted other large names such as Alfre Woodard, Regé-Jean Page, Billy Bob Thornton and Chris Evans, I have to say that they delivered less than stellar performances. I was stoked to hear that Page, Netflix protégé, was cast in something after Bridgerton. His scenes were lacklustre and his accent pretty terrible. And then there was Evans, who I am beginning to think is taking after Ryan Reynolds in that he plays himself. I liked seeing him portray a villain, although he was over the top and whiny. And what was up with that moustache?

I wish I could say the action itself was entertaining, but that would be a lie. There was way too much CGI and the fight scenes were repetitive, they just took place in different locations. I understand the purpose behind it and maybe it’s some people’s cup of tea. It just wasn’t mine. I wish there’d been more beef behind the scenes to make me care more about what was happening.

While The Gray Man seemed to be so very promising, I was massively let down by its execution. Sometimes, watching a movie for its stars is just not enough for me anymore.

Rating: ♥.5