SamaraWeaving – Credits Rolling

Wrapped up in a world of getaway driving from the age of fourteen, Edie (Samara Weaving) has been trying to break the cycle ever since. When her former boss Nico (Andy Garcia) offers her the chance at pulling off one last job, she can’t say no, especially when it means saving her ex boyfriend’s (Karl Glusman) life.

Fans of Baby Driver may flock to Eenie Meanie expecting a similar story. While it never reaches the same heights, it is entertaining enough to keep you invested throughout. With the many impressive car chase sequences, hilarious banter and a talented ensemble cast I couldn’t help but wonder how it didn’t ever come together in the way I was hoping it would.

Weaving once again proves that she is a solid leading lady. Not only is she the bright spot here, she was probably the only reason I wanted to watch the film in the first place. She gives Edie so many layers and is really the driving force of the story. It’s hard for anybody else to compare. Glusman is quite something as John, Edie’s ex. Underneath it all he wants to do the right thing, but he’s just so awful that it’s hard to be reminded of that. I understand why Edie isn’t able to just cut him out of her life, but she deserved so much better. The other characters were like caricatures of heist films of the past: Jermaine Fowler as The Chaperone, Marshawn Lynch as Perm, Randall Park as Leo, Mike O’Malley as Leo and of course Andy Garcia as the ring leader of them all Nico. They were criminally underused and as a result I found it difficult to really care about any of them.

Somewhere along the way, the film starts losing sight of what it’s really trying to be. I would have been totally fine with an action adventure flick and a bit of romance on the side if it was earned. Instead it just became too convoluted. As a result, I missed out on some major plot points because I just could not separate them from one another.

Overall, Eenie Meanie had all the ingredients of a great heist film, but it ultimately fell short. Samara Weaving was the only bright point in what was otherwise a lacklustre project. Had it been much tighter and well thought out, it would have been a home run. Because of that there are definitely better films of the genre out there that are more worth your time.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Famous movie star Olivia (Samara Weaving) finds herself in a PR disaster when photos of her and her married boyfriend Vincent (Max Greenfield) hit every news outlet in the city. Needing to do damage control before her upcoming premiere, they enlist the help of humble, hardworking valet Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) to pretend to be Olivia’s new boyfriend.

Based on the 2006 French movie La Doublure, The Valet took me by surprise. While it was yet another story featuring a mismatched couple, it struck me in ways that I was not expecting it to and I only wish more people knew about it.

The chemistry between our two leads Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving shouldn’t seem like it would work, but it totally does. I have never seen the former in anything before and found his Antonio charming and funny. Samara Weaving has slowly been working her way up my favorites list having starred in TV shows Hollywood and Nine Perfect Strangers. Her comedic role here was something I never knew I needed.

It was fun to see Max Greenfield portray such a slimy character – something very different than the roles we are used to seeing him in. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of a douchebag his character Vincent was. Betsy Brandt who stars as Vincent’s wife Kathryn was certainly no pushover which was refreshing to see. I loved that she wanted to take him down.

I must give a special shoutout to the latino representation that was depicted throughout the movie. Getting to know Antonio’s colleagues, friends and family was such a joy. I really felt the authenticity in those relationships and I loved the incorporation of Spanish whenever these scenes were happening.

What I liked the most about The Valet was while I thought I knew where it was going, I ended up being very wrong (in the best possible way). There were some twists thrown in that hit me like a ton of bricks and made me feel all the emotions. It’s an off beat romantic comedy that teaches you the importance of family and being true to yourself. If this was your first time hearing about it, I highly recommend adding it to your weekend viewing. You won’t be sorry.

Rating: ♥♥♥