Toronto 2024: 'Nutcrackers' Review

David Gordon Green has spent the last several years making Halloween films (and an Exorcist movie that tanked). But with Nutcrackers, he switches gears, casting Ben Stiller as a workaholic who has to take care of his dead sister's kids. Will tears be jerked? My review is here.

What's the Best Comedy of the 1990s?

I provide the answer over at Cracked.

My Interview With Patricia Arquette

For the Los Angeles Times, I spoke with Patricia Arquette, who's Emmy-nominated for her superb work on Severance. We talked about tech companies, Roe vs. Wade, and putting her faith in her director (and friend) Ben Stiller. Hope you enjoy.

Why Is Verizon Aligning Itself With 'The Cable Guy'?

For the Super Bowl, Verizon is doing a commercial featuring Jim Carrey in his Cable Guy role. I don't think they understand what that movie's about. Here's my latest for MEL.

The Legacy of the Frat Pack

There's a new Apple TV+ series, The Shrink Next Door, that stars Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell, two actors who were part of what was known as the Frat Pack. Remember that? For MEL, I looked back at the early Aughts to determine what the big deal was.

Wait, There Was a 'Zoolander' Animated Show?

Sure was. For MEL, I spoke to director Aaron Augenblick and writers Michael Colton and John Aboud to get the inside story of what happened to Zoolander: Super Model.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Meyerowitz Stories,' 'Heathers' and More

On this week's episode, we dive into the latest from Noah Baumbach. Then, we spend a little time on Marshall and Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. And may I also recommend our Reboot segment, which is devoted to 1989's Heathers? You can hear the whole thing here.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Attorneys, Shower Scenes, Threesomes and Adam Sandler

Had a blast being on Press Play on Friday. Alicia Malone and I were on to discuss Marshall, The Meyerowitz Stories, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, 78/52 and Faces Places. You can hear the whole thing here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Reviewing 'Mother!' and 'The Hudsucker Proxy'

On this week's episode, Will and I debate mother! Plus, I sing the praises of Brad's Status. And in our Reboot segment, we both admit to not liking The Hudsucker Proxy all that much. This was a special episode because Will was in Los Angeles, so we recorded it face-to-face in my kitchen. Feel the love here.

Toronto 2017: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings

I am fearful that 2017 is going to be the year of the B+ for me. For most movies, a B+ is a very respectable grade, indicative of a film that's of fairly high quality. But a B+ is also the grade I assign films that aren't quite amazing, that don't quite wow me. Toronto had a lot of B+ movies, when I was really hoping for something more.

Will some of the movies on my ranked list end up getting a higher grade on second viewing? It's very possible. But I note that the top two films on my list came from earlier festivals. And I should also say that I'm excited to catch up with Bodied, Dark River, Downsizing, Ex Libris, Foxtrot, Sweet Country and I, Tonya down the road.

In the meantime, let's hear it for Lean on Pete, the third and best film yet from director Andrew Haigh. It's the Kelly Reichardt movie of the year: I saw shades of Meek's Cutoff, Wendy and Lucy, Night Moves and Certain Women in this beautiful, tough coming-of-age story. Sadly, it's not arriving in theaters until 2018. Regardless, put it on your radar.

45. Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! 
44. Three Christs
43. The Summit
42. Suburbicon
41. The Mountain Between Us 
40. Papillon
39. Redoubtable
38. 55 Steps
37. Marrowbone
36. 1%
35. Mom and Dad
34. Professor Marston & the Wonder Women 
33. Stronger
32. Roman J. Israel, Esq.
31. A Ciambra
30. In the Fade 
29. Unicorn Store
28. Chappaquiddick 
27. Thelma
26. Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
25. Caniba 
24. Novitiate
23. Battle of the Sexes
22. The Death of Stalin 
21. I Love You, Daddy
20. The Day After
19. The Rider
18. The Square
17. Beats Per Minute
16. First Reformed 
15. Lady Bird 
14. Mudbound
13. Zama
12. The Shape of Water
11. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
10. The Other Side of Hope
9. The Disaster Artist
8. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
7. The Florida Project
6. Happy End  
5. Brad's Status
4. mother!
3. Lean on Pete
2. Loveless
1. Call Me by Your Name

In Praise of Ben Stiller in 'Brad's Status'

For MEL, I wanted to talk about why Ben Stiller is such a perfect choice to play the lead in Brad's Status, a film about insecurity and envy. Yes, I brought up his New Yorker profile from five years ago and the "Tom Cruise cupcakes" part. You can read my essay here.

Toronto 2017: 'Brad's Status' Review

Ben Stiller is at his very best in Brad's Status, a smart, funny comedy-drama about an insecure dad who uses the opportunity of his son's trip to look at colleges to examine himself, pinpointing all the areas where's he failed. It's great, as I explain in my Screen International review.

Cannes 2017: Is Adam Sandler Back?

Adam Sandler has received a lot of praise for his role in Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories. It's one of his rare "serious" roles, and he's never been more comfortable playing a regular guy. For MEL, I look at Sandler's artistic evolution.

Cannes 2017: 'The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)' Review

With The Meyerowitz Stories, writer-director Noah Baumbach returns to the caustic dissection of family that marked his movies like The Squid and the Whale. But there's a noticeable uptick in warmth, though, which I talk about in my Screen International review.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Car Chases, Lost Cities, 'Zero Effect' and 'Man of the West'

This week's edition of the podcast finds me asking Will about The Fate of the Furious and him asking me about The Lost City of Z. But we team up to debate our two Reboot films: the late-1990s cult film Zero Effect and the Anthony Mann western Man of the West. Hear it all here.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Ryan & Ben & Michael

The latest episode of The Grierson & Leitch Podcast is now live. In this week's installment, we talk about Deadpool, Zoolander 2 and Where to Invade Next. Enjoy our lively banter and smart insights. Or don't: Hey, I'm not the boss of you, and you can do whatever you want. (No, seriously, listen here.)

(Also, all credit to Collider for this great image.)

'Zoolander 2' Review

Look, folks, I didn't even like the first Zoolander, so what chance did the sequel have with me? Fifteen years later, Ben Stiller has brought back the old gang for a follow-up film that's truly, deeply meh. My review is up at Screen International.

Toronto 2014: 'While We're Young' Review

While We're Young is the second collaboration between filmmaker Noah Baumbach and actor Ben Stiller. Less caustic than Greenberg, it concerns a married, childless couple in their 40s and the twentysomethings that enter their lives. (And it also has Charles Grodin.) My review is up at Paste.

'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' Review

I'm curious how audiences will respond to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It's a big would-be crowd-pleaser starring a guy who's had hits by hanging out with Robert De Niro and museum exhibits that come to life. But Walter Mitty is a different animal: an effects-heavy, seriocomic tale about seizing the day. I wasn't bitterly opposed to the film, but I found myself rather underwhelmed by the whole thing. My Walter Mitty review is up at Paste.

'The Watch' Review

The Watch was once called Neighborhood Watch, but after the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case, Fox decided to change the name to be sensitive. Unfortunately, the studio still has a movie on its hands that celebrates dumb characters firing guns, which made it a little hard for me to laugh in light of the Aurora shootings. But my problems with The Watch have nothing to do with any similarity to recent tragic events. No, the movie's a mess on much more basic levels. My Deadspin review explains.