In the picture: Coffee & Kareem

movie review

Netflix’s latest action comedy Coffee & Kareem is a distasteful mess

Coffee & Kareem

Starring: Ed Helms, Terrence Little Gardenhigh, Betty Gilpin, RonReaco Lee, Andrew Bachelor, David Alan Grier, and Taraji P. Henson

Directed by: Michael Dowse

Netflix certainly deserves props for the variety they offer with their original content, but the quality of their feature length projects hasn’t been quite as consistent as their subscribers would have hoped. On one hand, the streaming service has been releasing films that have become major award season contenders, but on the other, we are left with movies that seem more deserving of a Razzie than an Oscar.

Their latest action comedy, Coffee & Kareem, sadly falls at the latter end of the spectrum.

The film puts together worn out buddy comedy shenanigans with crude humour, degenerating into an unexciting, predictable, preposterous mess along the way.

The story centres on James Coffee (portrayed by Ed Helms), an inept but well-meaning police officer. He has started a relationship with Vanessa (Taraji P. Henson), a development that has greatly displeased her unruly, foul-mouthed preteen son, Kareem (Terrence Little Gardenhigh). Kareem wants Coffee out of the picture, but his attempt to have the cop whacked instead lands the two into the crosshairs of a drug cartel that is being supported by dirty cops.

To find a way out of their predicament, the unlikely duo must – as you would expect – work together and defeat the baddies. It’s a tired old setup, delivered here sans the charm that is necessary to make buddy comedies work. Coffee & Kareem had the chance to modernize its genre, use its plot to say something meaningful about the topics at its core, or even embed something smart beneath its crass exterior. Instead, the movie makes no effort to try anything even vaguely interesting.

There is considerable comedic talent in the cast, but a film that features the likes of Helms and Henson, as well as Betty Gilpin and David Alan Grier who also play cops, really should be funnier than Coffee & Kareem is. The performers have been given a woefully unfunny script to work with. Helms is still affable enough as the bumbling Coffee, but he is partnered with an unlikable young character who is more grating than amusing and thereby makes it hard to be invested in the fate of the protagonists. Your level of enjoyment at the interactions of this pairing will depend mostly on how worn out you think the concept is and how funny you find obnoxious, vulgar tweens.

Seeing the rate at which they are releasing films, Netflix clearly has a lot of resources at its disposal, and we have also seen, time and again, that the streamer has the ability to attract significant cinematic talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Movies like Coffee & Kareem just leave you wishing that Netflix would choose to invest in more interesting and inventive projects instead of wasting its assets and its subscribers’ time on such dismal dullness.

Rating: 1 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 26th April, 2020 *

In the picture: Lost Girls

movie reviews

Lost Girls tells an important story

Lost Girls ★★★

Starring: Amy Ryan, Thomasin McKenzie, Lola Kirke, Oona Laurence, Dean Winters, Miriam Shor, Reed Birney, Kevin Corrigan, and Gabriel Byrne

Directed by: Liz Garbus

A mother’s relentless search for the truth about her daughter’s disappearance drives Lost Girls, a drama based on a real-life unsolved mystery that tries to humanize the victims and shed light on the struggles of their families.

The narrative focuses on Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan), a single mother who works two jobs to raise her daughters Sherre (Thomasin McKenzie) and Sarra (Oona Laurence). When her eldest daughter, Shannan, disappears after being hired as a call girl off Craigslist, Mari is appalled by the law enforcement’s inaction. Dismissed, hung up on, and ignored, Mari continues her attempts to find out what happened to Shannan. Her search not only reveals police incompetence but also brings attention to other murdered young women who worked as prostitutes and became the victims of a suspected, unidentified serial killer.

Lost Girls tells an important tale about victims whose fate did not generate the action it should have because of their profession, as well as the plight of their families who never got the closure they deserved.

It’s a compelling story. The execution isn’t as even or focused as you may wish, but this is clearly a passionate, well-intentioned look at a tragic tale featuring imperfect characters and a strong lead performance by Amy Ryan. There is no happy, neat ending here, and the lack of answers only serves to highlight the lack of justice for victims whose lifestyles are looked down upon or deemed too high risk.

Its subject may have been better suited for a miniseries that delved deeper into certain aspects and characters, but Lost Girls is still likely to leave you empathetic towards the women at its centre and inspire you to find out more about the heart-breaking mystery that formed the basis of this film.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 19th April, 2020 *

In the picture: Onward

movie reviews

Onward is a touching animated outing

Onward ★★★

Starring (voices): Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer

Directed by: Dan Scanlon

Pixar may not have been at its creative best for much of the last decade but the animation powerhouse has, nonetheless, consistently released charming adventures that have never failed to entertain. Likewise, its latest offering, Onward, may pale in comparison to the studio’s celebrated classics, but it still takes viewers on a touching journey.

Onward is set in a suburban world inhabited by mythical creatures but now bereft of the enchantment that was once commonplace, the magic having since been superseded by technology. 

At the centre of the yarn are two elf brothers who have to embark on a quest for a chance to meet their late father.

Timid teenager Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) and his boisterous older brother Barley (Chris Pratt) are given an unexpected present by their mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) on Ian 16th birthday that was left for the boys by their father before his death. The gift turns out to be a magic spell that will bring back their dad for one day. But things go wrong when Ian casts the resurrection spell, and only the lower half of their father’s body appears.

To try the charm again, the brothers must find another magical stone and reattempt the spell before the day is through. But getting their hands on the gem is easier said than done. Ian and Barley thereby find themselves on a challenging quest that requires them to use the latter’s knowledge of magic which he has gained through a role-playing game. 

Familiar lessons are learned along the way, as the film explores loss, yearning, and brotherhood.

The premise, inspired by the director’s own experiences, is intriguing, especially during the first few moments of the movie, but as things proceed, the storyline devolves into a fairly uninspired, predictable road-trip. The shenanigans are neither as amusing nor as exciting as they could have been, which is what ultimately makes the whole endeavour come off as a bit lacklustre. The voice cast doesn’t provide any exceptional performances either.

But while it may not be the most inventive animated adventure and its emotional impact may not be as powerful as Pixar’s finest projects, Onward is still a poignant tale with several moments of warmth that make the ride engaging. The movie may not qualify as essential viewing, but its heartfelt story is still likely to strike a chord with viewers, even if it ultimately leaves them wishing the journey had been more creative and memorable.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 12th April, 2020 *