by Josh Sewell
Saturday Night
(Rated R for language throughout, sexual references, some drug use and brief graphic nudity. Opens in theaters October 11.)
At 11:30 p.m. on October 11, 1975, a group of young comedians and writers changed television and culture forever. Director Jason Reitman (who co-wrote the screenplay with longtime creative partner Gil Kenan) tackles this true – albeit highly dramatized – story of behind-the-scenes chaos and collaboration leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Over the course of 90 minutes (in more or less real time), the cast and crew battle a number of obstacles as the clock counts down to those famous words.
Hardcore SNL fans won’t learn anything groundbreaking here, especially those who’ve read James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ phenomenal Live From New York. Their oral history is a required text for anyone interested in the epic history of the series (currently in its 50th season!) and that seems to be where Reitman and Kenan got all their material.
However, sticking to the basics makes the film pretty accessible for general viewers who aren’t steeped in the revolutionary TV show’s lore and infamous backstage dramas. Granted, calling this a “true story” is a stretch since the timeline is super exaggerated.
Most of the stuff in Saturday Night happened over the course of the entire season rather than on the first night. Still, the compressed timeline makes for a fun, energetic watch. The cast also does a great job of selling the material, even if it’s obvious many of the actors are playing several years older than they are in real life.
Gabriel LaBelle (outstanding in Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans) is terrific as SNL creator Lorne Michaels, as is Rachel Sennott as his wife and show writer Rosie Shuster. Cooper Hoffman is particularly great at evoking the anxious flop sweat of Michaels’ pal and producer Dick Ebersol. However, Lamorne Morris (as original cast member Garrett Morris) and Nicholas Braun (pulling double duty as Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson) are the biggest scene-stealers.
Grade: B-
The Apprentice
(Rated R for sexual content, some graphic nudity, language, sexual assault and drug use. Opens in select theaters October 11.)
In this fact-based drama, a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) is eager to make a name for himself and emerge from the shadow of his wealthy father Fred (Martin Donovan) in 1970s New York. Along the way, he falls under the spell of cutthroat attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) and decides to remake himself in his mentor’s image.
Although The Apprentice is a fairly standard, competently made biopic, I’m not sure who the film is for. Trump’s admirers are already blasting it on social media and the former president/current candidate attempted in vain to block its release.
Interestingly enough, however, Trump’s pal and advisor Roger Stone – who was close friends with Cohn – recently praised Strong’s performance, calling his portrayal uncanny in its accuracy. Still, I don’t think that will be a ringing endorsement for those who despise the controversial figures at the heart of the story; I can’t imagine most of them are too eager to buy a ticket.
Granted, while the film isn’t going to change anyone’s mind when it comes to politics, it’s worth a watch thanks to excellent performances from Stan and Strong. The two actors crackle in their scenes together, working hard to portray their high-profile characters as actual people rather than the cartoons they’ve been painted as in history and pop culture. Unfortunately, the fantastic Maria Bakalova (who earned an Oscar nomination for her work in the Borat sequel and plays Trump’s first wife Ivana) is squandered in what’s basically a standard wife/mother role.
Despite feeling like an SNL sketch at times due to some questionable makeup and wardrobe decisions, screenwriter Gabriel Sherman and director Ali Abbasi do their best to craft Trump’s early years as a mostly objective origin story for a complicated figure. Unfortunately, they don’t really break new ground since everything chronicled in The Apprentice is already well-known to modern history buffs and political junkies.
(Rated R for language throughout, sexual references, some drug use and brief graphic nudity. Opens in theaters October 11.)
At 11:30 p.m. on October 11, 1975, a group of young comedians and writers changed television and culture forever. Director Jason Reitman (who co-wrote the screenplay with longtime creative partner Gil Kenan) tackles this true – albeit highly dramatized – story of behind-the-scenes chaos and collaboration leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Over the course of 90 minutes (in more or less real time), the cast and crew battle a number of obstacles as the clock counts down to those famous words.
Hardcore SNL fans won’t learn anything groundbreaking here, especially those who’ve read James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ phenomenal Live From New York. Their oral history is a required text for anyone interested in the epic history of the series (currently in its 50th season!) and that seems to be where Reitman and Kenan got all their material.
However, sticking to the basics makes the film pretty accessible for general viewers who aren’t steeped in the revolutionary TV show’s lore and infamous backstage dramas. Granted, calling this a “true story” is a stretch since the timeline is super exaggerated.
Most of the stuff in Saturday Night happened over the course of the entire season rather than on the first night. Still, the compressed timeline makes for a fun, energetic watch. The cast also does a great job of selling the material, even if it’s obvious many of the actors are playing several years older than they are in real life.
Gabriel LaBelle (outstanding in Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans) is terrific as SNL creator Lorne Michaels, as is Rachel Sennott as his wife and show writer Rosie Shuster. Cooper Hoffman is particularly great at evoking the anxious flop sweat of Michaels’ pal and producer Dick Ebersol. However, Lamorne Morris (as original cast member Garrett Morris) and Nicholas Braun (pulling double duty as Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson) are the biggest scene-stealers.
Grade: B-
(Rated R for sexual content, some graphic nudity, language, sexual assault and drug use. Opens in select theaters October 11.)
In this fact-based drama, a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) is eager to make a name for himself and emerge from the shadow of his wealthy father Fred (Martin Donovan) in 1970s New York. Along the way, he falls under the spell of cutthroat attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) and decides to remake himself in his mentor’s image.
Although The Apprentice is a fairly standard, competently made biopic, I’m not sure who the film is for. Trump’s admirers are already blasting it on social media and the former president/current candidate attempted in vain to block its release.
Interestingly enough, however, Trump’s pal and advisor Roger Stone – who was close friends with Cohn – recently praised Strong’s performance, calling his portrayal uncanny in its accuracy. Still, I don’t think that will be a ringing endorsement for those who despise the controversial figures at the heart of the story; I can’t imagine most of them are too eager to buy a ticket.
Granted, while the film isn’t going to change anyone’s mind when it comes to politics, it’s worth a watch thanks to excellent performances from Stan and Strong. The two actors crackle in their scenes together, working hard to portray their high-profile characters as actual people rather than the cartoons they’ve been painted as in history and pop culture. Unfortunately, the fantastic Maria Bakalova (who earned an Oscar nomination for her work in the Borat sequel and plays Trump’s first wife Ivana) is squandered in what’s basically a standard wife/mother role.
Despite feeling like an SNL sketch at times due to some questionable makeup and wardrobe decisions, screenwriter Gabriel Sherman and director Ali Abbasi do their best to craft Trump’s early years as a mostly objective origin story for a complicated figure. Unfortunately, they don’t really break new ground since everything chronicled in The Apprentice is already well-known to modern history buffs and political junkies.
Considering we’re almost at Election Day and the average moviegoer is already exhausted from campaign ads and media coverage, there’s a good chance this one might fall through the cracks.
Grade: C+
Grade: C+
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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