Film Review: “Ezra”

Mediocre drama wastes Cannavale, De Niro pairing

Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald, bottom r.) learns some fighting moves from his grandfather (Robert De Niro) as his father (Bobby Cannavale) looks on.

Robert De Niro and Bobby Cannavale have acted together once before, in Martin Scorsese’s 2019 mob drama The Irishman. But casting them as father and son is a brilliant idea, and, if nothing else, actor/director Tony Goldwyn’s new film Ezra at least offers audiences that long overdue delight. 

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Film Review: “Hesher”

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in HESHER

starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Devin Brochu, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie, Natalie Portman, John Carroll Lynch

written by: Spencer Susser, David Michôd (screenplay), Brian Charles Frank (story)

directed by: Spencer Susser

MPAA: Rated R for disturbing violent behavior, sexual content including graphic dialogue, pervasive language, and drug content – some in the presence of a child.

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Spinning Platters Interview: Rainn Wilson and James Gunn on “Super”

Rainn Wilson and James Gunn at WonderCon in San Francisco last weekend. Photo by Kendall Whitehouse.

Rainn Wilson and writer/director James Gunn were in San Francisco this past weekend to promote their bold and demented new film, Super (read our Spinning Platters review here), at WonderCon. It was my first time entering the WC fray, and I found myself wishing I’d brought a bag of bread crumbs while navigating the labyrinthine expanse of Moscone South. But eventually I found the designated press room, where I waited patiently with a table of my fellow online press while Wilson and Gunn worked their way down a seemingly endless line of video interviews. One queasy highlight of this was watching Gunn being forced to awkwardly refer to “Jenna Fischer, my ex-wife” each time he was asked how Wilson came to be involved with the project.

But eventually the video interviews concluded, at which point they were escorted directly to our waiting table. “Here are the nerds!” Wilson cried out in relief upon approaching us. As they got seated (and Wilson bellowed “Hello machines!” into our assorted collection of recording devices), we kicked off a lively conversation on topics like how to make a homicidal maniac sympathetic, pioneering the concept of superhero female-to-male rape, and Wilson’s efforts to keep his character as far from Dwight as possible.

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