Jake Johnson

  • Ride the Eagle (2021)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On Cable TV, February 2022) There’s enough room in contemporary cinema for all sorts of approaches, from the bombastic to the low-key, and that the height of the stakes should not in itself be a determining factor in how or why we appreciate a film. This being said—wow, does Ride the Eagle fail to impress. Writer-director-producer Trent O’Donnell is clearly after the kind of quirky comedy that is only possible in low-budget independent film, as his protagonist learns of the death of his estranged mother, and then discovers that she’s left him a quest to follow in order to get his inheritance. You would think that such a sure-fire premise, along with an early promise that “things are going to get wild” given the eccentric nature of the deceased mother, would lead to something interesting. But Ride the Eagle undercuts its own spectacle at every single turn, minimizing the drama, making sure it’s all very dull and safe, and going for quirky character moments that will only appeal to a small group of viewers. Co-writer Jake Johnson plays the protagonist as a lovable loser, but the film spends far more time insisting on the loser aspect than the lovable. A rekindled romance with an ex-flame seems too simple and pretext for a quirky (there’s that word again) attempt at phone sex, while the film ends in very quiet fashion. J. K. Simmons shows up as a character whose (more entertaining) presence is motivated by dumb screenwriting, while Susan Sarandon has a few pre-recorded scenes. I did like D’Arcy Carden, though—even if she’s kept away from the rest of the film through plot contrivances. Ride the Eagle is pleasant, perhaps to a fault: things simply seem to fall in place for the protagonist, and by the time the credits roll by, we’re left wondering if half the film has been left on the cutting room floor. But then again: those low-stakes, low-scale, low-budget independent dramedies aren’t my thing, and even relatively successful efforts like Ride the Eagle amply show why.

  • The Pretty One (2013)

    The Pretty One (2013)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In French, On TV, March 2021) Strange plotting things start to happen when you use twins as a plot device. In the case of The Pretty One, it means being able to treat a quasi science-fictional device in a realistic fashion, as a young woman takes over her dead twin sister’s life after a case of meticulously engineered identity confusion. Zoe Kazan carries the film on her shoulders in the dual lead role, both as the unpleasant outgoing glamorous career-driven Audrey, and the likable shy frumpy homebound Laurel. Invading some else’s life is easier when you look exactly like her, but it’s not easy, and much of the film plays along the lines of a classic thesis/antithesis/synthesis structure, as our introverted heroine learns to take the best parts of her sister’s life in order to improve her own. Jake Johnson does well as the romantic interest, with Ron Livingstone providing one of his usual handsome schmucks. Still, the film always goes back to Kazan in a challenging dual role, not simply playing different parts for a chunk of the film, but also playing someone playing a part and reacting to various strong emotions along the way. It’s all handled with some restraint and glossy cinematography by writer-director Jenée LaMarque, and the result is a minor but very enjoyable film that stays nicely grounded despite a premise that is more often found in genre fiction.

  • Let’s Be Cops (2014)

    Let’s Be Cops (2014)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On Cable TV, July 2015) I’m not necessarily opposed to silly immature comedies, but Let’s Be Cops is… not a good example of the form.  The big premise here is how two out-of-luck young men hit upon the idea of donning police uniforms and pretending to be cops for fun and then love and profit.  Surely I can’t be the only one unaccountably bothered by this?  There’s a really good reason why impersonating a police officer is a jail-worthy offense.  It certainly doesn’t help that the film’s two protagonists are borderline-unlikable, their immaturity being a problem long before they start wearing their uniform.  (Damon Wayans, Jr. is slightly more tolerable than Jake Johnson, but I’m not sure that’s a quirk of the role or the actor.)  Let’s Be Cops may have played better in a year or two, given current issues of police brutality being in the news.  But as of today, it feels crass, and its lack of wit only makes it worse as it doesn’t deserve its infringement of social norms.  (Arguably, it doesn’t have the guts to exploit its premise at full-tilt.)  The criminal subplot isn’t much, but Andy Garcia does make an impression in a short time.  With little wit, few laughs, more than a bit of irritation and unremarkable directing, Let’s Be Cops is almost instantly forgettable… and that’s not a bad thing.