Category: comedy

Iris, go to sleep. “Companion” (2025)

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directed by Drew Hancock
© 2025 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Monday always sounds like science-fiction to me, so I guess recommending a sci-fi film would make it complete. If you’ve been following my blog for some time, you already know that I’m a fan of quality sci-fi, especially the one that touches human nature and psychology. And before writing today’s post, I was wondering whether I should tell you the whole truth about it or not, but I guess it’s not something I can keep to myself and literally every description of this film spoils the first plot twist. So, we meet Iris (Sophie Thatcher), who’s a companion robot (boo, the tiny spoiler). Meaning, she was bought for the sake of keeping a lonely man company. And who’s that man? That’s Josh (Jack Quaid), who apparently isn’t attracted to women that think for themselves and he likes to take control even of the partner’s brain. Sounds like patriarchy may hit another level in the future… Anyway, Iris doesn’t know that she’s a robot, but she’s soon to find out. The couple spends some time at a lakehouse, where a horrible thing happens to Iris (come on, I have to keep some secrets for you to see) and when she seeks for support from Josh, he instead shuts her down. When she wakes up, that’s the moment when everything becomes clear. The woman doesn’t want to be controlled so she steals Josh’s phone (with which he controls her) and runs away. But will a robot survive in a human world? Doom doom doom… Listen, I had a lot of fun watching this film, because I just adore such stories. However, except some funny moments and simply entertaining plot, I see a lot of education happening here. My sarcastic comment about patriarchy hitting another level wasn’t far from the truth. We can already observe how difficult it is for men to get into healthy relationships these days and one of the reasons is that they can’t control women as much as they could in the past. Now, with an equal partner, some of them get lost, scared or even frustrated. So obviously, such companion robot will exist some day to fill in this gap. Some men just need a servant that looks good, praise them no matter what and doesn’t bother them when it’s not needed. Before you consider me a toxic feminist let me just add that women may have very high expectations that lead to intimidating men and embarrassing them in their eyes. A fact is that there’s something really not right in current relations, but seems like technology is here to help. “Help”. To me Iris represents women that finally realise what a shitshow they’re living with their partners and they decide to change their lives, even though the new beginning seems like an abstract idea. And I swear, the final scene of this film is such a cherry on top, which perfectly presents what it’s like to be a woman with “experience”. Loved it! And I loved Sophie as Iris – she was magical. You didn’t even need to read anything before because from the first minutes of the film you can already see she’s not 100% human. Those absent eyes, stiff body language – all that was both subtle, yet present. Great performance. And I really hope you will see what our future will sooner or later look like. Should we be scared or relieved? No idea anymore…

My rating: 7/10
S.

My heart is, and always will be, yours. “Sense and Sensibility” (1995)

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directed by Ang Lee
© 1995 Sony Pictures Releasing. All Rights Reserved.

Except the fact that I watch way too many film, I’m also a bookworm. However, the idea of reading a romantic novel doesn’t sound like anything I’d like to do in my free time. I get it, they are adorable, moving, showing what love should be like – but I guess I’m too much of a realist to deal with such stories. I’m sorry. Still, considering the fact that that “Sense and Sensibility” is an absolute classic and the film adaptation was praised by numerous critics, I had to finally give it a try. I haven’t touched the book yet, but the film is surely worth your time. We’re moving back to the end of the XVIII century, where we meet the Dashwood family. The head of the family dies, leaving his wife (Gemma Jones) and three daughters (Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Harriet Walter) without any significant support. The one to inherit the most is the man’s son from his previous marriage, who’s asked to take care of his father’s new family. Despite the promises, he does everything to save money and makes the widow with her daughters move into his large house instead of helping them be more independent. While the ladies are staying there, the hostess’ brother (Hugh Grant) pays a visit and immediately falls for the oldest sister, Elinor (Emma Thompson). Obviously there has to be some obstacle so those two cannot be together, but that’s for you to discover and learn the rest of the story either by reading or watching. I’m not a big fan of such romantic stories, but this adaptation is really good. It won an Oscar for the best screenplay, which is fair to me – Emma Thompson, the author of the screenplay, did it marvellously (she spent about 5 years working on it!). There wasn’t a moment I felt bored or annoyed, which is quite common for me while watching romances. Besides, the cast of the film is an absolute cherry on top. So many talented and great actors to admire. And they must have had a lot of fun shooting the film. For example, they had specific movement classes to learn how to move in a way people from the XVIII century did – which means a bit less comfortably. Also, it’s said that Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet liked to walk around the town of Salisbury in their film costumes and apparently nobody even cared or found it unusual. Adorable if you ask me. Speaking of costumes, I’ll always appreciate the work of people creating those pieces of art, so it’s another reason for you to see the film. Quite a lot of those reason we have already, don’t we? So what are you waiting for?

My rating: 7/10
S.

My head hurts. “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” (“Moartea domnului Lăzărescu”, 2005)

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directed by Cristi Puiu
© 2005 Tartan USA. All Rights Reserved.

I was hoping to see this film for a long time and recently I finally watched it. Romanian cinema is actually very specific and it definitely aligns with my preferences, so I always like to discover their productions. The one I’m recommending to you today is considered a dark comedy, yet I see nothing funny in this story. Perhaps someone noticed the witty replies here and there, but other than that, this film is a very emotional drama, at least to me. We get to meet Dante Remus Lăzărescu (Ioan Fiscuteanu), a man in his 60s, living alone with cats and enjoying alcohol drinks way too often. The film begins with the day when Mr. Lăzărescu is suffering from a horrible pain and calls an ambulance, which does not arrive. Then, the man goes to his neighbours and asks for help. Thanks to them, the ambulance finally arrives and Mioara (Luminița Gheorghiu), a nurse, examines Mr. Lăzărescu. She guesses it might be something serious, so together with the ambulance driver they take the suffering man to the hospital. And that’s just the beginning of this very long night. Generally, this film presents the inefficient health care system and how hopeless people are in case of emergency. Before you even see a doctor, there are multiple obstacles that you need to deal with. What’s more, Mr. Lăzărescu is an alcoholic and on this very night he’s also drunk, which becomes a huge problem. Everyone focuses on that, even though there’s a man suffering. Obviously, if you drink too much, it’s natural that you may end up with a headache. But even then, if you see someone vomiting with blood, feeling dizzy and struggling with some pain, you should help them in the first place. However, which is unfortunately true, many health care workers have the need to lecture you about the cause of your state. I’m not saying they shouldn’t do it at all, but maybe let’s educate people after they stop puking in red, shall we? And this arrogance coming from doctors, calling their patient a drunkie and not having even a pinch of respect. Yes, I know he drank. Yes, he’s an alcoholic (which is also another reason why he needs help). But he’s a human being. Sending a man in pain from one hospital to another, making him wait for hours to get help – this is horrendous. Personally, I also had a chance to experience the tragedy of our public health care (I’m not Romanian, but I guess most of us may relate to this film reality). I remember how it is to feel like a no-name, to wait the whole night in pain because there’s no bed to sleep on at ER, to wait for months to get the surgery I needed immediately. This film is not a comedy, it’s a drama showing how little a human life matters. That in the end, we may all be like Mr. Lăzărescu – pushed from one place to another, slowly dying because the system is not organised to help us. The system is here to destroy us. Also, I was incredibly moved by the character of Mioara, the nurse, who was the only one fighting for the patient’s right to be treated. To me it was a symbol that there are some decent people in this world. Maybe not many, but they are here. If you’re still wondering whether you should see this film – let me clarify: YES! And before I finish the post, I’d like to add one linguistic fact -> the main character is named Mr. Lăzărescu, and his surname comes from the word “lazaret” (or “lazaretto”) meaning… “hospital”. I guess that’s the best dark joke of the film.

My rating: 8/10
S.

This simple life of yours is nice. “Faraway” (2023)

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directed by Vanessa Jopp
© 2023 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Recently, I went for a short trip to Croatia. It wasn’t my first time there and definitely not the last, because it’s a country where I feel great. I love the people, the culture, the atmosphere and the language, so today I’d like to share a bit of my love to Croatia. This film was actually recommended to me by my Croatian friend and I’m so thankful for that! I don’t remember when was the last time I’d had so much laugh before watching this comedy. We get to know Zaynep (Naomi Krauss), a middle-aged woman of Turkish origin living in Germany. She’s just lost her mother and finds out the woman had a house in Croatia, which now belongs to her. Considering the fact that Zaynep feels unhappy with her current life and lacks of support or affection coming from her husband, she decides to get into a car and drive straight to Croatia. That was the moment I started to love this character, you go girl! When she finally reaches the house, she meets Josip (Goran Bogdan), a Croatian man who knew her mother and by her permission was living in that house. Zeynep informs him that she’s planning to sell or rent it to tourists, which Josip doesn’t approve at all. From now on he tries to show Zaynep the beauty of this place and the importance of keeping it to herself. You know that I love Croatia, so the fact I could watch a film set there was already a big plus for me. But it wasn’t the only one, because another thing I appreciate is the script. Obviously, since it’s a romcom, you can already guess how the story goes and what “unexpected” events occur. However, the dialogues between Zaynep and Josip are just wonderful. You can really feel this German-Croatian energy between them, where the woman is rather strict and cold, while the man is a chilled dreamer with a Balkan vibe. Some texts are hilarious, so I seriously had a good time. Another thing that I find amazing in this film is that the main character is a middle-aged woman who fights for her happiness and comfort. Despite her age, she wants to feel alive, experience new things and make mistakes like a child – without embarrassment. Thanks to Josip, she feels safe to experiment and restart her life. Also, the man, who has been left heartbroken, gets a second chance to open up and start trusting another person. It’s seriously a lovely story about two grown-ups rearranging their lives, but also learning a lot of new things from each other. I’m always happy to see people of different ages and nationalities in films, because it makes the story unique. How many more comedies about Americans in their 20s can we stand? Enough is enough. So I seriously recommend you this film to brighten your day and perhaps fall in love with Croatia. Or a handsome homeless Croat. Choose yourself.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Next role – saving the world. “Galaxy Quest” (1999)

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directed by Dean Parisot
© 1999 DreamWorks Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

We all need such films from time to time, so here I am, sharing my suggestion for your lovely weekend. I just hope that if you’re a fan of “Star Trek”, you won’t get offended. The comedy I’m recommending today is about a group of actors playing in a fictional sci-fi TV series called “Galaxy Quest”. They are incredibly popular for pretending to be interstellar travellers. One day, the actors are approached by some fans of theirs, who present themselves as Thermians. The series main character, Jason (Tim Allen), guesses that those people just want to invite him for some event in order to promote their own… whatever it is. So he agrees to join them for a trip and soon finds out that Thermians are actually aliens… But no worries, those are the good aliens. They actually saw “Galaxy Quest” and thought it’s a documentary, so they are pretty sure that the man they brought to their starship is an actual commander, not just an actor. What’s more – this “commander” has to help Thermians in negotiations with their enemy, Sarris (Robin Sachs). Personally, I’ve never been a fan of such productions like “Star Trek” (forgive me), but this comedy caught my attention mostly because of the cast. Except Tim Allen as the “commander”, we can also see Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long, Rainn Wilson or Missi Pyle. So when I spotted the cast, I just had to watch the film. And in the end, I had a lot of fun. At first you might have this impression that it’s a mean parody of “Star Trek” and their fans, but I wouldn’t agree. In fact, a lot of “Star Trek” fans appreciate this film and consider it a cult production. It’s just the base of the story that’s mocking the famous series, but generally it’s about an unqualified man trying to save the world. And since it’s happening in space, then a sci-fi series actor seems like a great choice for this role. Besides, I have a thing for the 90s comedies and their humour, so whatever you show me from those years, I shall be satisfied. So if you’re looking for a chill film to see this weekend with friends or family, I definitely recommend this one.

My rating: 6/10
S.

I can’t live without me best pal! “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (2024)

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directed by Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham
© 2024 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

So far I haven’t shared a single post about any Wallace & Gromit film, but I have to tell you that I’m a fan of those pals. If you’ve been reading me for some time, you already know I absolutely love stop-motion animation, so I couldn’t ignore Wallace & Gromit, could I? Especially since I was yet a child when the first films with them got released. In fact, Wallace & Gromit films are classified as claymation – so animation with the use of clay figures. Imagine how much work people need to put to make such production… Unbelievable. Anyway, for those of you who haven’t seen any Wallace & Gromit films, let me introduce you to them. Wallace (Ben Whitehead) is a bit clumsy guy in a cute sleeveless sweater who keeps inventing ridiculous machines. His best friend is Gromit, a dog, who’s the smart one and always has to save his owner from even stranger things than Wallace’s inventions. The first story of Wallace & Gromit was presented in a short film “A Grand Day Out” (1989), so we’ve been blessed by those adorable animations for over 35 years now. The one I’m recommending you today is the newest one, made in 2024. This time Wallace invented a gnome robot called Norbot in order to help Gromit in the garden (yes, the dog loves gardening, why so shocked?). Norbot does everything so perfectly that neighbours ask to hire it to their own gardens, which sounds like a great business plan to Wallace. And here comes Feathers McGraw, a penguin, which is Wallace & Gromit enemy known from the previous adventures. He’s stuck in prison, but manages to reprogram Norbot and begin his huge revenge with a whole army of garden gnomes! Are you thrilled yet? Then you must see this film! I adore how abstract Wallace & Gromit adventures can be, but I guess that’s what makes them outstanding even after all these years. Besides, despite the technological development, those animations still share the same vibe, so old fans don’t get disappointed. I feel like currently popular animations are missing good ideas. The filmmakers try to be so original that they focus too much on the form, instead of the story. We really miss some good animations about simple friendships. That’s it. And I love that Wallace & Gromit show up to remind us about that. I hope you have fun, get back to older films with those two pals, and appreciate stop-motion animation even more.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I’m not being paid enough for this. “Anora” (2024)

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directed by Sean Baker
© 2024 Neon. All Rights Reserved.

This film was a big surprise for me. Honestly speaking, I didn’t like the previous productions by Sean Baker, but this one is something different, so give it a try. The film is considered to be a comedy/drama, and I have to say that the comedy part is quite average, but the drama part can hit you hard. We get to know Anora (Mikey Madison), a 23-year-old woman working as a stripper. She’s attractive and sensual, so making a living out of it comes easy to her. One day, she’s introduced to Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), a spoilt 21-year-old, who also happens to be a Russian oligarch son. The boy… I mean, the man (after all he’s 21) likes Anora and pays for her company several times. Since he’s a wealthy kiddo, the woman earns a lot for those meetings and even though she’s not really into him, the game continues. She makes him believe she’s actually enjoying this time spent together. Anora’s so convincing that Vanya falls in love and wants to marry her. Disgustingly rich husband and a chance for a better quality life? Sounds like a dream come true! Unfortunately, Vanya’s family isn’t supporting this idea, but… it’s a bit too late, because the couple has already made it official… At first, I wasn’t taking the story too seriously, especially since I knew it’s also a comedy. Indeed, there are several moments that may make you giggle, but the longer you watch, the more you understand the perspective of Anora. However, the reason why I appreciated the film is actually hidden at the end, so I need to share my thoughts about it and yes, SPOILERS are coming. So… to me, what happens at the end is a tragic summary of Anora’s life and destiny. No matter how sensitive, loving, affectionate you are, if you get into such business, you slowly deprive yourself of having healthy feelings. If on a daily basis they treat you like a sex toy and a great body to stare at, then you unconsciously forget what it’s like to be appreciated for who you are deep inside. Even if you find someone important to you, there’s some invisible barrier between what you can and what you want to express. This is really complicated, but if you watch the film and pay attention to the ending, you may understand my point of view. In my opinion, this story is amazing for its dramatic side. The question I ask myself – is this problem of losing oneself only an issue among sex workers and strippers, or maybe it’s more common? I guess no matter who we are, the pressure of our times may push us to masking our needs and feelings. What if one day the mask won’t go off? “Anora” has led me to such reflections, so let’s see where it’ll lead you.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Bananas! Bananas everywhere! “House” (“Hausu”, 1977)

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directed by Nobuhiko Ôbayashi
© 1977 Toho. All Rights Reserved.

Some time ago I found a post with a list of films that are quite… specific. I mean, they are one of a kind, difficult to explain, sort of must-see because there’s no other way to understand them. Alright, challenge accepted. I decided to see one of the films from the list and that was “House” (1977). I was aware of the fact that Japanese cinema likes to be overly dramatic and as a European cinephile it’s hard for me to stand their intensity of literally every aspect of the film. But seems like I knew nothing back then and now I can tell – it can get even more intense, my dear. If you want to see something extreme, you’re reading the right recommendation. So, it starts pretty casually, with a school girl called Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) who wanted to spend summer with her dad, but he got married and changed his plans. Devastated Gorgeous (apparently a mother-in-law wasn’t her dream companion at that time) contacts her aunt that she hasn’t seen in many years and asks to visit her. When the woman agrees, Gorgeous takes her six friends, each of whom has a name connected to something particular about them. My favourite is Mac – because she eats a lot. Japanese like joking about Americans since forever, I guess. All of them reach the aunt’s house and then the film looks like the mind of Salvador Dalí. I mean, I got the general idea of the story, but what I saw on the screen cannot be described by a human being. Let me put it this way – would I watch it again? No. But I’m glad I’ve done it at least once, because it takes a very creative person to come up with such surreal images. Besides, it’s a film from 1977, so I believe back then it was even more bizarre for viewers. In fact, at first this horror wasn’t much appreciated, but I guess it “opened some doors” for other horror filmmakers and showed them that there are no limits in cinema. So after all those years, “House” is considered a classic and I think every horror fan should definitely see it. Personally, I love horrors, but maybe a slightly different kind, so it was a fun adventure, my imagination feels exercised, I appreciate the efforts, but once is enough. However, the hungry piano will always remain in my heart. Watch the film and you’ll see.

My rating: 7/10
S.

It’s nice to have met you. “Today Again” (“Un oggi alla volta”, 2024)

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directed by Nicola Conversa
© 2024 One More Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Important confession: I sometimes love to watch teen comedies/dramas to do a lot of awwwing and such. Even though I’m an adult, those stories always make me feel good somewhere deep inside. Recently, I randomly found “Today Again” and thought it could be a great choice for a relaxing evening. The number of emotions I went through while watching this “teen comedy” is difficult to count. Let me introduce you to it and perhaps you’ll join me on this emotional rollercoaster. We get to know Marco (Tommaso Cassissa), a rather awkward teenager, who’s not the brightest student. Except successfully failing school, he’s also an introvert and doesn’t feel anyhow comfortable in social situations. One day, at a bar, he meets an incredibly attractive girl and manages to get her number. Unfortunately, she apparently didn’t like the date equally much so she gave Marco a wrong number. Classic move, huh? All his messages reached another girl, Aria (Ginevra Francesconi). At first, Marco is devastated and embarrassed, but soon he realises that Aria is even more interesting than the bar girl. Those two start meeting and the boy is visibly crazy for Aria, but she’s 100% friend-zoning him, which obviously doesn’t stop Marco from trying to win her heart. What’s more, Aria has already graduated, so she’s able to help Marco in studying. Sounds like an adorable teen love story? Maybe, but there’s a secret one of them is hiding, which may turn everything upside down. This film is hilarious, because of numerous gags and the character of Marco, who’s adorably clumsy. It’s also dramatic because of the secret I’ve already mentioned, but there’s no way I’m spoiling that part. It’s actually very well-done – there are so many beautiful pictures in this film, so please pay attention to that as well. However, it’s surely not another boring love story, so prepare yourself for some plot twists and reflection. In the end, I found the story comforting, despite several moments which gave me unpleasant chills. No matter if you’re a teen or an adult – please, find a moment to see this film.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I am the Fury. “Polite Society” (2023)

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directed by Nida Manzoor
© 2023 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I had so much fun! If you’re into comedies that are also action films with a pinch of musical and girl power movement, then you’ll love this one! Ria (Priya Kansara) is a British-Pakistani teenager and her dream is to become a stuntwoman. Yes, girl! She practices martial arts and shoots films where she performs as “the Fury”. Her biggest supporter and best friend is her sister, Lena (Ritu Arya), who’s just dropped out of art school. They are both “disappointments” in their parents’ eyes, who are rather traditional people and obviously wish for their children to do serious jobs, be wealthy and get married to a decent man (preferably a rich doctor). Speaking of that, one day the whole family is invited to celebrate a religious holiday at the mother’s friend’s place. The host turns out to have a son she wishes to find a perfect match for. Unfortunately, the young man is very much interested in Lena, which means she would not pursue her dream of becoming a professional artist, but become a wife to some spoilt big boy. Ria cannot stand this so she does everything to separate those two. And then she realises that her biggest opponent won’t be Lena or her boyfriend, but his mother Raheela (Nimra Bucha). The woman is incredibly motivated to make the wedding happen and she’ll fight till the end, using all kinds of weapons, including… wax. Don’t ask, just watch. This story is very well balanced, because it focuses on the old topic of forcing young women to give up on their career and marry fast, but it’s formed into a surreal comedy with great dialogues and action scenes. So even though I felt entertained, I still caught the message coming out of it and I really hope other viewers will as well. Besides, we need such badass female protagonist like Ria, because I believe such characters shape girls’ minds and encourage them to choose their own path, no matter what. You want to be a stuntwoman? Sure. You want to be a pilot? Great. You want to be a rally driver? A firefighter? An astronaut? Go for it! Your value doesn’t depend on your non-existing husband. Period! So glad I found this film and I hope you’ll have fun watching it too.

My rating: 7/10
S.