Café Society - 2/5

This this is a depressing tragedy of human moral weakness. It’s has great sets and costuming, but its main actors are miscast in their roles and struggle to melt into them. The story starts out witty and smart, but after the tragic drama begins finds itself unable to find purpose for its own existence. If you’re in the mood for a flashy dramedy with lots of pointless melodrama that never resolves then this is the film for you.

Closest comparison: It’s like Marriage Story by way of The Great Gadsby.

Setting: Romance
Plot: Tragedy
Tone: Comedy

American Ultra - 2/5

This movie is a good example of what happens when a thriller gets bogged down with exposition. The tension loses its snap, the action is too little and too spaced out to be a main draw, and the unsubstantive characters make the main plot twist equally uninteresting. It has a good idea at the base of it, which makes it all the more disappointing when the delivery is botched.

Closest comparison: It’s like Pineapple Express by way of the Borne Identity.

Setting: Rural Drama
Plot: Secret Agent
Tone: Tragedy