I’m back…. And so are you! Good to see you. Did you have a good summer? What did you do? I love what you did with your hair!
Oh, we’re back, folks. Yeah, things are a little weird this year. Campuses are a little emptier. Canvas is a little busier. But we’re back. Man, I missed you all! Hey, let’s all try to be a little more careful and conscious of others, so we don’t have to do that again, all right? I don’t do great being shut in the house all alone.
Granted, it did give me time to catch up on a bunch of movies I have been meaning to watch. I finally watched all of the Star Wars movies (Yes, even the terrible Jar Jar Binks films) in a row and in their proper order. That 4K release of Lawrence of Arabia is just breathtaking. But now that school has started back again, let’s talk about something a little less time intensive, shall we?
An American Pickle (2020) [PG-13]
Right off the bat, yes, the premise of An American Pickle is outlandish. This is the story of Herschel Greenbaum (played by Seth Rogen) who comes to America with his bride from rural Eastern Europe. The only work he can find is in a pickle factory clubbing rats. One day, there is an accident and he falls into one of the pickling vats where he is trapped and preserved (pickled).
One hundred years later, he is freed and goes searching for his descendants in modern day Brooklyn. He finds there is only one left, his great-great grandson, Ben (also played by Seth Rogen). But their happy reunion is short-lived as Herschel struggles with the modern world and Ben comes to grips with his past.
If you are hoping for another Seth Rogen slacker/stoner comedy, you are out of luck here. He has been trying to break out of that mold for a little while now. I’ve always been a little suspect of Rogen’s acting chops as he typically seems like he is just playing himself more than really stretching. And maybe both of these characters are sides of the real, older Seth but he surprised me here. His performances are both pretty good. The other performances are fine, but Rogen’s dual roles are the lion share of the movie and for the most part, he carries it off well.
Don’t get me wrong, An American Pickle isn’t a film you and your buddies are going to watch over and over again. You probably aren’t going to be dropping any of the lines into your daily conversations. And it certainly isn’t Oscar-worthy material. But I did find it to be surprisingly entertaining and, dare I say, a little heart-warming. Give it a try one of these afternoons when you’ve got a little time on your hands. You might be pleasantly surprised.
7 paws out of 10
Palm Springs (2020) [R]
Our second film this time is called Palm Springs and follows the story of Nyles (played by Andy Samberg) and Sarah (played by Cristin Milioti). They meet at a wedding in Palm Springs when Nyles helps out maid of honor, Sarah, during her reception toast. There is an instant attraction and the two wander off together only to be interrupted by something truly unexpected.
It is then that Sarah learns that she is stuck in a time loop with Nyles, where they replay the day they met over and over again. Their relationship blossoms as they embrace the idea that nothing they do matters as they will just wake up restarting the same day tomorrow. But can they escape the time loop, and would their romance survive if they did?
Again, like the movie above, the premise is fantastical. And yeah, this idea is a bit of a retread of Groundhog Day. But the performances of the two leads are great. Even when they are both in the throes of nihilism from being trapped in the same day for eternity, you can’t help but be charmed by Milioti and Samberg. I found myself having a hard time deciding if I wanted them to escape or stay stuck forever.
This is a good date movie but maybe not for every couple. The humor can be dark, so if that isn’t you and your date’s cup of tea, you might just skip this. But otherwise, this is a great movie to watch while you cuddle up on the couch (wearing your masks of course) with your love interest. Make a big plate of nachos and share some laughs together. That’s really what love is about, isn’t it? Laughing together and sharing nachos.
7.5 paws out of 10
Wait….did I say in the beginning that we were going to talk about something less time intensive and then just review two movies that are based around anomalies in time? Oh self, you are so clever! If I weren’t you, I would be embarrassed.
As always, if you have a movie you think I should check out or you want to talk further about one of these reviews, drop me a line on Facebook.