An organized crime story isn’t truly epic unless it’s told in Italian with a New Jersey accent. At least it feels that way sometimes. That’s an observation, not a value judgement. And yet there are so many other geographic and/or ethnic storytelling styles. You’d think someone could deconstruct the mob genre, substitute Martin Scorsese’s sensibilities for, say, James Dickey’s, and produce something totally different but qualitatively familiar. So John Brandon writes a novel, writer/director/actor Clark Duke interprets it, and “Arkansas” (2020) proves me right. It’s the “what,” not the “who,” that matters most. That’s an observation. And a value judgement.
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Do you enjoy heartwarming stories in which a ragtag misfit (or band of misfits) overcomes adversity to achieve their dream? You say you’ve seen 100 of them by now? Well, welcome to 101. Like most things WWE, “Fighting With My Family” (2019) is first and foremost a promotion for the wrestling conglomerate. But all the necessary cliche elements are there. Relative unknown Florence Pugh plays the misfit, an English girl who aspires to stardom. There’s a stern coach, a kindly mentor, family strife, a crisis of confidence, workout montages set to music, blah, blah, blah. You’ll love it. Or not.
Is it possible to give an over-the-top performance when your character is a male model? What about a fashion designer? Or a talent agent? There’s so much scenery chewing going on in “Zoolander” (2001) you almost become numb to it and actually pay attention to the plot. Almost. To say it’s stupid is to say grass is green. But, you ask, what about crabgrass? It’s brownish. And what about that weird albino grass that grows under the kiddie pool when you leave it in the front yard for too long? To that, I say “Zoolander” is right up your alley.
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