"Late Night" on Amazon

[nuxvomica]

I had just slogged through the 4th episode of Carnival Row – still no sign of the promised carnival and I'm beginning to think they gave it that title just to make it sound more interesting than the poorly written fantasy mish-mash it is – so I thought I'd take a break and watch something more modern. I chose Amazon's new movie "Late Night" because it's about show biz, which show-biz people seem to have fun with, usually making it baseline enjoyable. Though I was no fan of either Mindy Kaling or Emma Thompson, the film boasted a strong supporting cast, including Reid Scott (Veep), Dennis O'Hare (True Blood), John Lithgow (3rd Rock), Amy Ryan (The Office).

Kaling plays a chemical plant worker who finagles an audition as a joke writer for the only late-night, network talk show hosted by a woman, played by Emma Thompson, who's been grinding out 300 shows a year for nearly three decades and is slated for replacement by a younger, more with-it comedian. Of course you know how things are going to turn out but there is some surprising fun along the way, some truths about contemporary life, and some genuine moments of poignancy too. Kaling did a great job on the script and Thompson shines with a performance that is measured, tough and funny. She's completely changed my opinion of her as an actor.

[GeorgeGist]

1. Good to know, thanks.

I only lasted about 20 min of Carnival Row. Seemed lame.

[Beringia]

2. What did you not like about Thompson previously?

I am not a fan of a lot of British style movies, but she always seemed exceptional as an actress to me.

[nuxvomica]

3. I never found her very convincing

She always seemed to be "acting" to me, like she was holding back some part of herself. But many actors get better the more they work do and she's done a lot and it shows in this movie.

[Beringia]

4. Thanks

[Stonepounder]

5. Based on your review we watched "Late Night" last night.

Loved it. Very sweet, well done, and an all around good movie.

Thanks for the recommendation.

[nuxvomica]

6. I'm glad you enjoyed it

Thanks for telling me you did. There's a sitcom in a similar vein on Netflix called "Great News" about producing a network news show. It was a 2-season NBC series I hadn't heard of before but it's hilarious, with Andrea Martin (SCTV) as a meddling mom who gets a job as an intern at her daughter's workplace. It also has a strong ensemble cast, including Tina Fey.

[Stonepounder]

7. We'll take a look.

[DesertRat]

8. Good review. We enjoyed it too.