August movie reviews

In theaters:

THE END OF OAK STREET

The kind of fun late summer movie that always goes down well. A suburban neighborhood is mysteriously transported from the 80s to the age of the dinosaurs. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor have to keep their family (including daughter Maisy Stella!) safe. Watching Hathaway fire a shotgun at dinos is quite enjoyable. I really liked this movie, even though its ending backs off one of its more daring twists. 

COYOTE VS ACME

A movie that Warners tried to bury for tax purposes finally sees the light of day. And it deserves to be seen. It's a really fun, zippy mix of Looney Tunes and live action, centered on the coyote suing ACME for always making defective products that keep him from catching that roadrunner. Will Forte, a great match for material, is the lawyer the coyote hires. Pretty much all the usual characters pop up, but this is mostly a coyote tale. Lots of clever comedy here, and even a sweet little bit at the end that recontextualizes a relationship between 2 characters. 

Everything else:

ONE NIGHT ONLY

Yes, that's really the premise. Sex for single people is only legal for one night every year. It's The Purge as a romcom. There is no reason this should work at all. But it works the way good romcoms do: the stars. Callum Turner is charming, and Monica Barbaro...good lord. She's ravishing. 

THE MOMENT

I do kind of like Charli XCX, even if her songs all sound pretty much the same. But wow, is this a misfire. What even is it? It's not a documentary, cause there are actors playing characters. It's not a mockumentary, cause it has no laughs. It's not a concert film, cause there's barely even any music. And Charli cannot act at all. 

I WANT YOUR SEX

The Devil Wears Strap-Ons.
Cooper Hoffman is very engaging as a guy who enters into a weird sexual relationship with his boss (Olivia Wilde, whose presence here really viscerally bothers me). It's fairly entertaining, but isn't sexy (except for the bits including Chase Sui Wonders). And the framing device is unnecessary. 

THE WRONG GIRLS

Another one of those stoner comedies where our leads (Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat) get mixed up in a weird plot. It has some absurd moments that are funny, and I did enjoy the never hotter Stewart being silly. She and Shawkat are way too old for these roles, btw, but Stewart's wife directed the movie. 

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