paulusmillarus

This is a movie that does to spy films what Shrek did to fairy tales. It turns conventions upside down, yet retains an entertaining and funny story. An obvious riff on James Bond and Casino Royale (the more recent one), it starts by taking us down the conventional spy genre from the start. The first few minutes could easily be a James Bond movie with Jude Law in the role, but soon we are taken on a different path. When Melissa McCarthy is thrust into the field, we get surprised and delighted as she ends up being effective despite (or perhaps because of) her non-conformity to role expectations. The film manages even to argue feminism while being hilarious, no mean feat. Highly recommended.

Yet another anti-male movie. On a ski vacation, a man panics in the face of an avalanche, then won't admit it. His wife is angry at him and his denial, and exposes his cowardice to their friends. All of this on a scenic backdrop that is meant to reflect the coldness and sterility of their relationship, relentlessly until it is like fingernails on a blackboard. The men are portrayed as weak narcissists, the women as knowing and capable people who have to put up with the pathetic males in their lives.