It’s wonderful to see the two of them discussing sin and guilt in Castel Gandolfo’s gardens, watching soccer after dinner, communing in the Sistine Chapel and enjoying pizza and Fanta in its sacristy. “Whenever I try to be myself, people don’t like me very much,” Benedict sadly concludes.
Jonathan Pryce embodies Bergoglio, the tango-loving reformer who gives Communion to the divorced and speaks out in favor of refugees and against climate change, while as traditionalist Benedict — aka Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger — Anthony Hopkins shows unmistakable glee, speaking in Latin when he delivers difficult news because so few of the Cardinals understand it.
How much is fact and how much is fiction? According to George Weigel, author of “Witness to Hope,” a biography of Pope John Paul II, “They had nothing remotely resembling the relationship suggested by the film…it’s inconceivable and totally false.”
On the other hand, in his book “Wounded Shepherd,” Francis Austen Ivereigh maintains: “The 266th successor of Saint Peter enjoys a close relationship with the 265th, one that long predates his election.”
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Two Popes” is an intriguing, entertaining 8, a holy alliance.
It’s unconscionable in this day and age to release the female-led buddy comedy “Like a Boss” that’s so misogynistic and sexist in its interpretation of female empowerment.
Best friends since Middle School, enterprising Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel (Rose Byrne) run a small cosmetics shop. Mixing their own artisanal formulas and marketing them in gimmicky gift packages, they enjoy modest success with their employee — Barrett (Billy Porter) and Sydney (Jennifer Coolidge).
While Mia comes up with ideas like the single-use makeup kit called “One Night Stand”, Mel tries to keep the books. Problem is: their business is $500,000 in debt!
Enter Josh (Karan Soni), representing mercenary Claire Luna (Salma Hayek), who offers to clear their debts in return for 51% of their business. Mia’s unhappy with giving anyone 51%, so they settle for Claire owning 49% unless, of course, Mia and Mel dissolve their partnership.
Immediately, nasty Claire, golf club in hand, begins sowing nefarious discord between Mia and Mel and asserting her influence by urging: “Inspire the ugly people to buy their way into gorgeousness.”
Jennifer Coolidge’s Sydney delivers the best zinger, describing Salma Hayek’s Claire as looking like “an angry carrot.”
It’s painfully obvious that the R-rated, raunchy script was written by two men – Sam Pitman and Adam Cole-Kelly – and directed by a third – Miguel Arteta. And no one in this testosterone trio seems to have a clue either about the beauty business or how women behave at baby showers.
Their depiction of a celebratory cake with a newborn’s head popping out of a bloody vagina boggles the mind!
Lisa Kudrow does a cameo as Claire’s former partner, while Jessica St. Clair, Ari Graynor, Natasha Rothwell and Jacob Lattimore lend much-needed support, along with Ryan Hansen and Jimmy O. Yang.
On the Granger Gauge, “Like a Boss” is a frisky 4, filled with reprehensible stereotypes.
The vampires and werewolves Kristen Stewart faced in “Twilight” pale in comparison with the gigantic aquatic creature that’s after her in “Underwater,” a silly deep-sea dirge.
Channeling Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in “Alien,” Stewart plays Norah, a mechanical engineer working seven miles beneath the ocean’s surface when a catastrophic accident floods the huge drilling rig.
Fleeing with other crew (Jessica Henwick, Mamoudou Athie, John Gallagher Jr., T .J. Miller) and their captain (Vincent Cassel), Norah and these survivors of the initial explosion realize that they must make their way to an abandoned outpost if they ever hope to reach the surface again.
There’s constant terror, coping with changing air pressure and faulty diving equipment, as they struggle across the sediment-clouded sea floor.
And when they capture a mysterious pink creature that’s been munching on a human corpse, it’s obvious that its angry mother will soon appear to wreak vengeance.
“We did this!” a marine biologist screams. “We took too much! We’re not supposed to be down here!”
Brian Duffield and Adam Cozad’s sci-fi action/thriller script sets up the claustrophobic disaster but disintegrates as director William Eubank and cinematographer Bojan Bazelli get mired down in murky mayhem, utilizing far more jump scares than necessary.
With her hair buzz-cut to white/blond fuzz, Stewart runs around in her underwear whenever she can shed the clunky deep-sea exoskeleton suit. Fetching but far-fetched.
On the Granger Gauge, “Underwater” sinks to an incoherent, unintelligible 2. Glub-glub …
(Editor’s Note: Westport resident Susan Granger grew up in Hollywood, studied journalism with Pierre Salinger at Mills College, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism. In addition to writing for newspapers and magazines, she has been on radio/television as an anchorwoman and movie/drama critic for many years. See her reviews at www.susangranger.com.)
It’s wonderful to see the two of them discussing sin and guilt in Castel Gandolfo’s gardens, watching soccer after dinner, communing in the Sistine Chapel and enjoying pizza and Fanta in its sacristy. “Whenever I try to be myself, people don’t like me very much,” Benedict sadly concludes.
Jonathan Pryce embodies Bergoglio, the tango-loving reformer who gives Communion to the divorced and speaks out in favor of refugees and against climate change, while as traditionalist Benedict — aka Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger — Anthony Hopkins shows unmistakable glee, speaking in Latin when he delivers difficult news because so few of the Cardinals understand it.
How much is fact and how much is fiction? According to George Weigel, author of “Witness to Hope,” a biography of Pope John Paul II, “They had nothing remotely resembling the relationship suggested by the film…it’s inconceivable and totally false.”
On the other hand, in his book “Wounded Shepherd,” Francis Austen Ivereigh maintains: “The 266th successor of Saint Peter enjoys a close relationship with the 265th, one that long predates his election.”
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Two Popes” is an intriguing, entertaining 8, a holy alliance.
It’s unconscionable in this day and age to release the female-led buddy comedy “Like a Boss” that’s so misogynistic and sexist in its interpretation of female empowerment.
Best friends since Middle School, enterprising Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel (Rose Byrne) run a small cosmetics shop. Mixing their own artisanal formulas and marketing them in gimmicky gift packages, they enjoy modest success with their employee — Barrett (Billy Porter) and Sydney (Jennifer Coolidge).
While Mia comes up with ideas like the single-use makeup kit called “One Night Stand”, Mel tries to keep the books. Problem is: their business is $500,000 in debt!
Enter Josh (Karan Soni), representing mercenary Claire Luna (Salma Hayek), who offers to clear their debts in return for 51% of their business. Mia’s unhappy with giving anyone 51%, so they settle for Claire owning 49% unless, of course, Mia and Mel dissolve their partnership.
Immediately, nasty Claire, golf club in hand, begins sowing nefarious discord between Mia and Mel and asserting her influence by urging: “Inspire the ugly people to buy their way into gorgeousness.”
Jennifer Coolidge’s Sydney delivers the best zinger, describing Salma Hayek’s Claire as looking like “an angry carrot.”
It’s painfully obvious that the R-rated, raunchy script was written by two men – Sam Pitman and Adam Cole-Kelly – and directed by a third – Miguel Arteta. And no one in this testosterone trio seems to have a clue either about the beauty business or how women behave at baby showers.
Their depiction of a celebratory cake with a newborn’s head popping out of a bloody vagina boggles the mind!
Lisa Kudrow does a cameo as Claire’s former partner, while Jessica St. Clair, Ari Graynor, Natasha Rothwell and Jacob Lattimore lend much-needed support, along with Ryan Hansen and Jimmy O. Yang.
On the Granger Gauge, “Like a Boss” is a frisky 4, filled with reprehensible stereotypes.
The vampires and werewolves Kristen Stewart faced in “Twilight” pale in comparison with the gigantic aquatic creature that’s after her in “Underwater,” a silly deep-sea dirge.
Channeling Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in “Alien,” Stewart plays Norah, a mechanical engineer working seven miles beneath the ocean’s surface when a catastrophic accident floods the huge drilling rig.
Fleeing with other crew (Jessica Henwick, Mamoudou Athie, John Gallagher Jr., T .J. Miller) and their captain (Vincent Cassel), Norah and these survivors of the initial explosion realize that they must make their way to an abandoned outpost if they ever hope to reach the surface again.
There’s constant terror, coping with changing air pressure and faulty diving equipment, as they struggle across the sediment-clouded sea floor.
And when they capture a mysterious pink creature that’s been munching on a human corpse, it’s obvious that its angry mother will soon appear to wreak vengeance.
“We did this!” a marine biologist screams. “We took too much! We’re not supposed to be down here!”
Brian Duffield and Adam Cozad’s sci-fi action/thriller script sets up the claustrophobic disaster but disintegrates as director William Eubank and cinematographer Bojan Bazelli get mired down in murky mayhem, utilizing far more jump scares than necessary.
With her hair buzz-cut to white/blond fuzz, Stewart runs around in her underwear whenever she can shed the clunky deep-sea exoskeleton suit. Fetching but far-fetched.
On the Granger Gauge, “Underwater” sinks to an incoherent, unintelligible 2. Glub-glub …
(Editor’s Note: Westport resident Susan Granger grew up in Hollywood, studied journalism with Pierre Salinger at Mills College, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism. In addition to writing for newspapers and magazines, she has been on radio/television as an anchorwoman and movie/drama critic for many years. See her reviews at www.susangranger.com.)
