Posts
2013, 05-03:
Review of
film: “THE KINGS OF SUMMER” + Q&A with STARS of the
film: MOISES,
NICK
& GABE
[
+ mentions of “DISCONNECT” & “MUD” & “THE WAY, WAY BACK” ]
As
mentioned in my reviews of “DISCONNECT”
[which can be found at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-of-film-disconnect-mentions-of.html ] & re “MUD” [which can be found at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-of-film-mud-mentions-of.html ]:
... For some unknown reason, this spring has shown an
unusual profusion of EXCELLENTLY-
ACTED film work by young and / or
comparatively “unfamiliar” actors (in all the films mentioned above) -- people who I feel may well
become some of the "UP-&-COMING" STARS
of TOMORROW...
… Here’s a new “review / commentary” about another
movie that especially impressed me, the R-rated (for language and some teen drinking)
93-minute comedy “THE KINGS OF SUMMER” (which opens nationwide around June 7th), directed by JORDAN
VOGT-ROBERTS (who’s done work since 2009 on TV re a movie and various
series; see photo below)…
… Here’s some info on
the basic plot of the film:
… NICK OFFERMAN has
appeared in TV’s “PARKS & RECREATION”
since 2009, & has appeared
in movies such as 2005’s “SIN CITY” and “21 JUMP STREET” (as Deputy Chief Hardy) in 2012…
… In this film, Offerman plays Frank Toy, a single father who tends to be a “CONTROL FREAK” concerning his
teenaged son Joe (played by NICK ROBINSON -- seen below -- , who’s been in some shorts, the
2012 TV movie “FRENEMIES”, & acted
since 2010 as “Ryder Scanlon” in the TV series “MELISSA & JOEY”)…
… Nick’s (movie) sister
Heather has to work hard to
try to “IGNORE” their pushy dad Offerman (& she’s
played by ALISON
BRIE, who’s portrayed Trudy Campbell in TV’s “MAD MEN” since 2007 & Annie Edison in “COMMUNITY” since 2009)…
… Offerman is usually
highly NEGATIVE towards everyone, and especially dismissive towards Alison's boyfriend who’s always "fawningly" trying to impress him (as seen below)…
… Nick’s best friend
is Patrick Keenan (played by GABRIEL BASSO, who’s been Adam Jamison on the
TV series “THE BIG C” since 2010, and
played Martin in 2011’s feature film “SUPER
8”-- a review of which can be seen
at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-of-film-super-8-produced-by.html
)…
… Patrick tends to be
driven “crazy” by his
constantly-“hovering” mom (played by MEGAN MULLALLY, who was
unforgettable as alcoholic rich lady Karen Walker in TV’s “WILL & GRACE” from 1998 thru 2006, & on numerous TV series
since then, such as playing Tammy Swanson on “PARKS AND RECREATION” from 2009-2012 & the voice of Rose in “OUT THERE” in 2013)…
… As much as Megan
“OVER-does” her involvement in Gabe’s life, his dad (played by MARC EVAN
JACKSON) tends to “WIMP-out” & demur to whatever Megan
wants…
… Being a teenager, NICK wants to do his “OWN thing” in life. His dad Offerman
tends to send him over the “EDGE”
when he demands that Nick stay home & play a BOARD GAME with
the “family” (including his dad's girlfriend & sis Alison, as shown below) rather than his plan of going out with Gabe…
… That “last straw”
incident convinces Nick he should LEAVE
HOME, & he later works to try to
convince GABE to JOIN him in his surprise plan-- which he purposely doesn’t go into “detail” about… Gabe is “wishy-washy” about the
general idea to join Nick, but he agrees to “TAG ALONG” as Nick takes
him on an “outing”…
… Nick starts to lead
them into a heavily WOODED
area-- & they’re suddenly
accompanied by an “ODDBALL”
short kid from high school named BIAGGIO who on his own “LATCHES ON” with them, wildly swinging a machete as they walk on (as shown below)…
( … Biaggio -- shown in the foreground above, in front of Nick & Gabe -- is played by MOISES ARIAS, who portrayed
“Rico” on TV’s “HANNAH MONTANA” series from 2006-2011, the movie by
that name in 2009, and TV work such as being “Matt” in “THE MIDDLE” in 2012-13…)
… Moises strikes Nick & Gabe as being
more than a little “STRANGE”
in his demeanor, “attitude” & actions--
but, they’re generally “TOLERANT
& easy-going about his “peculiarities”, even when he eventually comes up
with a “plan” to claim they’ve all been “KIDNAPPED” from
their homes…
… After leading them
into the deep woods, Nick reveals
that his MAIN plan is to live on their OWN, by building
a make-shift HOUSE in the woods…
… It seems outlandish... But, being “enthusiastic”, never-give-up
type kids, they calmly ACCEPT the idea, & start secretly SCAVENGING things from the town
to CONSTRUCT
their new “home” (after choosing to have NO direct contact with their PARENT figures)…
… Altho they have
some “rough” times (like bad weather), the 3 guys “PERSEVERE”, &
start to ENJOY their new-found
freedom, going SWIMMING in the little lake (as shown below & in the poster for the film)…
… And relaxedly
playing music (as shown by Gabe
below)…
… The “signature”
element of their being free-spirits
is the way the 3 guys invent what might be called “OUR Tube”, by walking atop a PIPELINE running thru “their”
woods…
… Where you could
find Nick & Gabe happily BANGING on the pipeline as a “DRUM”, as Moises goes thru a series of freestyle DANCE moves (as seen in the film’s trailer, indicated by some photos below)…
… Wanting to be the
sort of “LEADER” of the troop & not appear “weak” in front of Gabe, Nick takes just MOISES with him to “SCOUT-OUT” their new “property”…
… Nick’s “initial”
idea is to try to be “men” & “HUNT”
for some wild FOOD to eat… But, he &
Moises make an “UNEXPECTED” discovery at the “edge” of “their” land…
… And (as shown
below) Nick devises a much EASIER way to handle a “CHICKEN-acquisition” strategy…
… What about the PARENTS of Nick & Gabe?... Since the kids aren’t around in their
“hair”, they seem generally content
to “accept” the general idea that their boys are seemingly “SLEEPING over” at their FRIEND’S house…
… In time, Nick’s dad
Offerman & Gabe’s parents Mullally & Jackson start to talk to
each OTHER-- & realize the boys had NOT been
sleeping at EITHER home…
… Offerman seems sort of “UNCONCERNED” about the situation-- tho he eventually joins Gabe’s folks
in “REPORTING” the situation to the Police...
… Tho (as indicated below) the “authorities”
seem at a “LOSS” as to what to effectively do about the matter…
… In time, the
forest-dwelling “Tres Caballeros” decide
they want to “SHARE” their
new home a bit, & invite a GIRL Nick
likes (namely, “Kelly”, played by ERIN MORIARITY) and a guitar-playing friend (seemingly Aaron, played by AUSTIN ABRAMS),
etc., to their woody abode for a PARTY (as shown below)…
… Do you think Nick turns out “HAPPY” when he
sees how well ERIN starts getting-along with GABE?...
… Will Nick’s mustache help provide what he’s really
“SEEKING” in life?...
… Will there be a RECONCILIATION between the kids
& their PARENTS?...
… Will the 3 guys still
feel like “KINGS” when the SUMMER
ENDS?!...
*
- - - - - - - - - *
As the advance screening I attended at Chicago’s COLUMBIA COLLEGE on May 1 ended, there was very hearty APPLAUSE by the audience (which mostly seemed to consist of
young film students & the like)…
… They were probably appreciative of what had been ACCOMPLISHED in the film we’d
just seen: written by CHRIS GALLETTA, it was an unusually SUCCESSFUL comedy:
… It had a good-natured “NUTTINESS”, rather than a mean-spirited
gathering (like some of the “HANGOVER”
films) where people seem to be frequently taking “STUPID” pills…
… The kids played
their roles “STRAIGHT”: Nick
& Gabe were “REAL” in the way they reacted to
their parental hassles & the
like… And “unforgettable” Moises was genuine in his
inherent off-kilter “KOOKINESS”. (He may have seemed somewhat extreme & “threatening”
to certain “outsiders”-- but, he was THEIR “secret-weapon”)!…
… Altho they were all “different” people in certain respects,
they learned to get ALONG
& work TOGETHER towards their near-term “goals”… Some of their ways of doing things may’ve
been “silly” in part, but, it “FIT” the age & “times”
they were in…
… Thus, you ended up LIKING the young guys you’d just
seen (all of whom may well be UP-&-COMING STARS in the future), & “PULLING” for them… (I’d like
to see the “R” rating CHANGED to something less restrictive, as it seems in-apropos overall)…
… The ACTING
was unusually EFFECTIVE by ALL the characters (young & old), there
were loads of really FUNNY elements in the film, &,
because it “WORKED” so well,
I’m rating it at 8.25 of 10
stars...
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==========================================================
Q&A with STARS of the
film: MOISES,
NICK
& GABE
… You can see the detailed QUESTION-&-ANSWER talk by the 3 young stars of the above movie (including a number of exclusive PHOTOS) by going to: http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/06/report-on-film-kings-of-summer-q-with.html ...
... Another "UP-&-COMING possible stars of tomorrow" Review can be seen as follows:
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