by Josh Sewell
The Prom
(Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some suggestive/sexual references and language. Now playing in select theaters and available on Netflix starting December 11.)
From the moment I caught the trailer for The Prom (based on the popular Broadway musical), I assumed the movie would feel like an extended episode of Glee, director Ryan Murphy’s formerly buzzed-about TV show. The clip’s glossy packaging, heightened performances and insanely overproduced vocals suggested his fingerprints were all over it. After seeing the actual film, my instincts were dead-on.
Don’t get me wrong – that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I loved Glee before it went off the rails in later seasons. At its most exhilarating, The Prom definitely recalls the cheesy highs of those early episodes. It understands the undeniable power of pure melodrama, stunt casting and the joy of watching a newcomer become a star right in front of your eyes.
Narcissistic Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) are in crisis mode after their new musical flops. Meanwhile, in a small Indiana town, high school student Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) finds herself at the center of a firestorm when the PTA president (Kerry Washington) bans her from attending prom with her girlfriend (Ariana DeBose).
Sensing an opportunity for career-revitalizing PR, Dee Dee and Barry head for the Midwest with two more of their actor friends (Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells). Even though Emma’s principal (Keegan-Michael Key) warns the outsiders their plan might backfire, they ignore him and end up making a bad situation even worse.
The performances make this live-action piece of sugary bubble gum worth watching. Streep is great (when is she not?), as is Key – especially in his scenes with her. Their chemistry is surprising and adorable. However, the biggest standouts are Pellman and DeBose. They are the story’s emotional core, although they aren’t onscreen nearly as much as the bigger names.
Sadly, that’s one of many glaring issues in The Prom. Kidman and Rannells face a similar one: they’re both so fantastic in their relatively small roles that I wish they’d played the lead characters instead. That’s particularly true considering Corden is profoundly miscast, a giant obstacle since he’s got the most screen time out of everyone.
What’s more, the straight actor is getting hit with a ton of criticism for resorting to outdated, potentially insulting stereotypes in his portrayal of a gay man. Although I’d argue the cartoonish world of the film allows its characters to go big and broad, I can certainly see why some viewers would take offense. It doesn’t help that Rannells, who is actually gay and – apologies if it sounds harsh – a much better actor, was right there.
But perhaps the biggest problem with The Prom is that it’s guilty of the biggest sin a musical can commit: none of the songs are particularly memorable. It doesn’t completely hobble the film thanks to the many strengths, but it definitely makes the film evaporate almost as soon as the end credits roll.
Grade: B-
Soul
(Rated PG for thematic elements and some language. Available exclusively on Disney Plus starting December 25.)
While I know a lot of moviegoers love Pixar sequels, I’m far more partial to the studio’s original ideas. That’s how we get masterpieces like Up and Inside Out, as well as “just” excellent stories like Coco and Onward. Their latest, Soul, falls into that second camp, and it’s a shame we don’t get to experience its stunning animation and phenomenal score (courtesy of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) on the big screen. Still, I suppose that getting to watch it on Disney Plus without having to deal with the premium fee that came with Mulan is an adequate consolation prize.
In Soul, the animation geniuses at Pixar introduce viewers to Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a music teacher who gets a life-changing opportunity to play piano for a jazz legend. But when a tragic mishap transports his consciousness from New York City to the afterlife, Joe finds himself in a position to mentor soul number 22 (Tina Fey) before she receives the personalities, quirks, and interests she’ll take with her to Earth. Although he initially sees her as his ticket back to a life cut short, the two eventually bond over their realization that existence isn’t at all what they assumed.
I love how weird Soul is. Some characters look like abstract paintings, others can inhabit different bodies (which happens in the funny, bizarre second act) and the rules of the afterlife frequently seem like dream logic. Once again, Pixar tests the boundaries of narrative storytelling with daring choices.
Foxx and Fey are such naturals at voice acting that I’m kind of shocked it’s taken them this long to work with Pixar. Graham Norton is also fantastic as a hippie pirate who has one foot in the “real” world and another in the afterlife.
I was also impressed with the film’s thesis, which is shockingly levelheaded. I won’t get into specifics to avoid spoilers, but I had a similar reaction to the otherwise lackluster Monsters University. We’re so used to films aimed at children telling the audience that they’re unique and destined for great things that it’s almost revolutionary to experience a movie whose message is essentially “making it through each day is enough.”
Some viewers, who’ve come to expect emotional gut-punches from Pixar, might be disappointed that Soul doesn’t make them sob. However, I appreciated the comparatively lowkey melancholy that permeates the film from the start. Not every movie needs to make you cry like a relative has died to be effective.
Grade: B+
The Prom
 |
| Courtesy of Netflix |
(Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some suggestive/sexual references and language. Now playing in select theaters and available on Netflix starting December 11.)
From the moment I caught the trailer for The Prom (based on the popular Broadway musical), I assumed the movie would feel like an extended episode of Glee, director Ryan Murphy’s formerly buzzed-about TV show. The clip’s glossy packaging, heightened performances and insanely overproduced vocals suggested his fingerprints were all over it. After seeing the actual film, my instincts were dead-on.
Don’t get me wrong – that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I loved Glee before it went off the rails in later seasons. At its most exhilarating, The Prom definitely recalls the cheesy highs of those early episodes. It understands the undeniable power of pure melodrama, stunt casting and the joy of watching a newcomer become a star right in front of your eyes.
Narcissistic Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) are in crisis mode after their new musical flops. Meanwhile, in a small Indiana town, high school student Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) finds herself at the center of a firestorm when the PTA president (Kerry Washington) bans her from attending prom with her girlfriend (Ariana DeBose).
Sensing an opportunity for career-revitalizing PR, Dee Dee and Barry head for the Midwest with two more of their actor friends (Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells). Even though Emma’s principal (Keegan-Michael Key) warns the outsiders their plan might backfire, they ignore him and end up making a bad situation even worse.
The performances make this live-action piece of sugary bubble gum worth watching. Streep is great (when is she not?), as is Key – especially in his scenes with her. Their chemistry is surprising and adorable. However, the biggest standouts are Pellman and DeBose. They are the story’s emotional core, although they aren’t onscreen nearly as much as the bigger names.
Sadly, that’s one of many glaring issues in The Prom. Kidman and Rannells face a similar one: they’re both so fantastic in their relatively small roles that I wish they’d played the lead characters instead. That’s particularly true considering Corden is profoundly miscast, a giant obstacle since he’s got the most screen time out of everyone.
What’s more, the straight actor is getting hit with a ton of criticism for resorting to outdated, potentially insulting stereotypes in his portrayal of a gay man. Although I’d argue the cartoonish world of the film allows its characters to go big and broad, I can certainly see why some viewers would take offense. It doesn’t help that Rannells, who is actually gay and – apologies if it sounds harsh – a much better actor, was right there.
But perhaps the biggest problem with The Prom is that it’s guilty of the biggest sin a musical can commit: none of the songs are particularly memorable. It doesn’t completely hobble the film thanks to the many strengths, but it definitely makes the film evaporate almost as soon as the end credits roll.
Grade: B-
Soul
 |
| Courtesy of Disney |
(Rated PG for thematic elements and some language. Available exclusively on Disney Plus starting December 25.)
While I know a lot of moviegoers love Pixar sequels, I’m far more partial to the studio’s original ideas. That’s how we get masterpieces like Up and Inside Out, as well as “just” excellent stories like Coco and Onward. Their latest, Soul, falls into that second camp, and it’s a shame we don’t get to experience its stunning animation and phenomenal score (courtesy of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) on the big screen. Still, I suppose that getting to watch it on Disney Plus without having to deal with the premium fee that came with Mulan is an adequate consolation prize.
In Soul, the animation geniuses at Pixar introduce viewers to Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a music teacher who gets a life-changing opportunity to play piano for a jazz legend. But when a tragic mishap transports his consciousness from New York City to the afterlife, Joe finds himself in a position to mentor soul number 22 (Tina Fey) before she receives the personalities, quirks, and interests she’ll take with her to Earth. Although he initially sees her as his ticket back to a life cut short, the two eventually bond over their realization that existence isn’t at all what they assumed.
I love how weird Soul is. Some characters look like abstract paintings, others can inhabit different bodies (which happens in the funny, bizarre second act) and the rules of the afterlife frequently seem like dream logic. Once again, Pixar tests the boundaries of narrative storytelling with daring choices.
Foxx and Fey are such naturals at voice acting that I’m kind of shocked it’s taken them this long to work with Pixar. Graham Norton is also fantastic as a hippie pirate who has one foot in the “real” world and another in the afterlife.
I was also impressed with the film’s thesis, which is shockingly levelheaded. I won’t get into specifics to avoid spoilers, but I had a similar reaction to the otherwise lackluster Monsters University. We’re so used to films aimed at children telling the audience that they’re unique and destined for great things that it’s almost revolutionary to experience a movie whose message is essentially “making it through each day is enough.”
Some viewers, who’ve come to expect emotional gut-punches from Pixar, might be disappointed that Soul doesn’t make them sob. However, I appreciated the comparatively lowkey melancholy that permeates the film from the start. Not every movie needs to make you cry like a relative has died to be effective.
Grade: B+
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