For most of his career, ever since I can remember, Adam Sandler has been the king of bad movies and bad acting (The Wedding Singer, anyone?)! With that slug dialogue delivery and a perpetually confused look and add to that bad story lines, he got way too annoying to watch. Until Murder Mystery on Netflix showed up! Finally a movie where Sandler finally stopped taking himself too seriously and just delivered. He was genuinely funny in the film.
Another movie which is thoroughly an Adam Sandler fare is The Meyerowitz Stories. With a stunning star cast of Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Ben Stiller, Elizabeth Marvel & Sandler, it reminds you of The Royal Tenenbaums in some places. I am aware that this movie is critically acclaimed and has been a film fest darling, but I have to break it to you, it's a tad boring! Written by Noah Baumbach (creator of Oscar nominated, Marriage Story) it follows Meyerowitz family. The story has peels and peels of different personalities and relationships that it tries to explore.
Dustin Hoffman as the family's patriarch, Harold Meyerowitz is a fading sculptor who also taught at Bard college. He has married 4 times and has 3 children- Danny (Sandler), Mathew (Stiller) and Jean (Marvel). He lives with his forth wife, a kookie Maureen (played brilliantly by Emma Thompson) in New York. Danny, recently separated from his wife, comes to visit them with his daughter, Eliza who starts college at Bard the next day. Harold is an utter douchebag who is angry that his career is fading and is not a good father to his children, including his favorite, Mathew. You see throughout the movie that he is extremely self-involved and regularly talks over people. Hoffman has done a convincing job of an egocentric little man! Mathew, Harold's other son has become a successful financial advisor and his own company. However successful, he does harbor anger and resentment towards Harold for not having made right choices in life, ie, money over art. He has attempted to create a better life for himself.
4 months after Danny's visit, Harold is admitted to a hospital for "chronic subdural hematoma". During this time, all his children come together and drama unfolds. True feelings between the two step brothers emerge and they clash frequently, finally making up and trying to understand each other. They begin to realize the circumstances that led them to become who they are and in time, accept each other. Sandler does really get funny especially here, in scenes where he is angry! I know I am saying this a lot but it is kind of the point of this post, that Adam Sandler may actually be funny! Ben Stiller is also a treat to watch. What I did not understand though is that Eliza makes almost porno short movies and the entire family, including her father Danny, watch it with surprising nonchalance! (Get this, she has named one of her movies, The Pagina Man!) I don't get it, is that normal?? I don't think so! Isn't that kinda dysfunctional?
Anyway, the movie did not keep me hooked, made me realize that I might not be into Art Movies anymore. Surprising because I remember having enjoyed The Royal Tenenbaums , The Darjeeling Limited and The Grand Budapest Hotel, long ago. If you are into such movies and if you would like to see Adam Sandler surprise you, do watch it!
(Image credit: https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80242619)
Another movie which is thoroughly an Adam Sandler fare is The Meyerowitz Stories. With a stunning star cast of Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Ben Stiller, Elizabeth Marvel & Sandler, it reminds you of The Royal Tenenbaums in some places. I am aware that this movie is critically acclaimed and has been a film fest darling, but I have to break it to you, it's a tad boring! Written by Noah Baumbach (creator of Oscar nominated, Marriage Story) it follows Meyerowitz family. The story has peels and peels of different personalities and relationships that it tries to explore.
(Image credit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5536736/)
Dustin Hoffman as the family's patriarch, Harold Meyerowitz is a fading sculptor who also taught at Bard college. He has married 4 times and has 3 children- Danny (Sandler), Mathew (Stiller) and Jean (Marvel). He lives with his forth wife, a kookie Maureen (played brilliantly by Emma Thompson) in New York. Danny, recently separated from his wife, comes to visit them with his daughter, Eliza who starts college at Bard the next day. Harold is an utter douchebag who is angry that his career is fading and is not a good father to his children, including his favorite, Mathew. You see throughout the movie that he is extremely self-involved and regularly talks over people. Hoffman has done a convincing job of an egocentric little man! Mathew, Harold's other son has become a successful financial advisor and his own company. However successful, he does harbor anger and resentment towards Harold for not having made right choices in life, ie, money over art. He has attempted to create a better life for himself.
(Image credit: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/themeyerowitzstories-review-adam-sandler-makes-splendid-bittersweet/)
4 months after Danny's visit, Harold is admitted to a hospital for "chronic subdural hematoma". During this time, all his children come together and drama unfolds. True feelings between the two step brothers emerge and they clash frequently, finally making up and trying to understand each other. They begin to realize the circumstances that led them to become who they are and in time, accept each other. Sandler does really get funny especially here, in scenes where he is angry! I know I am saying this a lot but it is kind of the point of this post, that Adam Sandler may actually be funny! Ben Stiller is also a treat to watch. What I did not understand though is that Eliza makes almost porno short movies and the entire family, including her father Danny, watch it with surprising nonchalance! (Get this, she has named one of her movies, The Pagina Man!) I don't get it, is that normal?? I don't think so! Isn't that kinda dysfunctional?
(Image credit: https://hpr1.com/index.php/arts-entertainment/cinema/fun-and-dysfunction-in-baumbachs-the-meyerowitz-stories/)
Anyway, the movie did not keep me hooked, made me realize that I might not be into Art Movies anymore. Surprising because I remember having enjoyed The Royal Tenenbaums , The Darjeeling Limited and The Grand Budapest Hotel, long ago. If you are into such movies and if you would like to see Adam Sandler surprise you, do watch it!
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