Kermode & Mayo’s Take - Nicole Holofcener, Heartstopper S2, You Hurt My Feelings & Joy Ride

Episode Date: August 4, 2023

With Mark and Simon on their rip-roaring canal cruise, this week’s episode sees favorites Rhianna Dhillon and Anna Bogutskaya take the helm of the good Take ship. Rhianna speaks to writer and director Nicole Holofcener about her new film ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ - her view on drafting the script and how she takes feedback... Rhianna and Anna also review ‘Heartstopper’ Season 2, a Netflix series about two teens Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) who are in the midst of navigating school and young love; ‘Joy Ride’ an outrageous raunchy comedy starring Ashley Park, directed by Adele Lim; plus ‘You Hurt My Feelings’, where a novelist's long-standing marriage suddenly turns upside down when she overhears her husband give his honest reaction to her latest book. Rhianna and Anna are subjected to this week’s Laughter Lift, and wade through plenty of Box Office Top 10 correspondence! Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!): 08:56:01 Heartstopper Review 20:10:01 Box Office top 10 42:56:01 Nicole Holofcener Interview 55:59:01 You Hurt My Feelings Review 01:02:56:01 Laughter lift 01:04:46:01 Joyride Review 01:12:22:25 What’s On You can contact the show by emailing [e-mail] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get holiday ready at Real Canadian Superstore. Will you find more legendary ways to save than any other major grocery? Until December 13th, you'll get a free PC turkey when you spend $300 or more. That's right, free only at your Super Holiday Store. Conditions apply to fly for details. Hello and welcome to the take with Dylan and Begutskaya. How are you doing Anna? I'm I'm worried for my life.

I'm really worried for both of our lives. We've got to say this morning has been a real. How can I say show without using the word? It's been a dramatic experience. There has been a coffee that's been spilled over the entire table. Almost over my laptop. This would be the third time that I almost spill liquid over a laptop. Not a grave room for me. Someone fell over, a light fell over onto someone. One of my headphones just split apart. I forgot to put any face cream on this morning.

Really through me. That's bad. That will ruin your interior. Gone on the train, really upset. No one would try skin. All day. I was doing an interview a while ago with Sersha Ronan and a light fell down on top of us. In between us. You see? Yeah, that was mad. In the middle of a sort of junket. Yeah. Is that the worst?

It was a really light light. Luckily, they're not like the big, big lights anymore, but it was quite a shock. We both screamed. Is that the worst thing that's ever happened to you during an interview? Ben Affleck had to go and vomit once during my interview with him. That was a fun day. And what was worse was he'd been really like monosyllabic up into that point, and I was during an interview. Ben Affleck had to go and vomit once during my interview with him. That was a fun day. And what was worse was he'd been really like monosyllabic

up until that point. And I was like, this interview's going terribly. And then he excused himself to kind of throw up. And obviously, he came back and he was feeling so much better. And suddenly got like much more like verbose. But they wouldn't let me start the interview again. And they're like, no, you have two minutes left. I was like, that feels very unfair.

Two questions. Did he tell you he was gonna go through it up? And the second one is, did he acknowledge it during the interview and did you keep that part in? He did not really acknowledge it. He just excused himself very quickly. Thank you. Thanks, Lily.

Lily's just brought us into the most cold water, which is what I need, because I've got a scratchy throat. I tell you what, it's been a morning, Anna. It's been quite a morning. I'm putting this water as far away as possible for my laptop because I tell you what, this is the, I spilled,

I got Coca-Cola spilled on a previous laptop in a bag on my way back from Bradford. That's sticky as well. It was terrible, basically fried in. And I only had that computer for about six months. And then I, and this is the most millennial thing I will ever say on air. Well, it was to basically Friday and I only had that computer for about six months. And then I and this is the most millennial thing I will ever say on air. I accidentally spilled kombucha.

I'm like, you did it. Yeah. That is. And also this is the most boring anecdote. Yeah. So I'm just going to stop here. Thank you so much, by the way, to all of the lovely comments and emails that we had over the past week from last week when we sat in for Simon and Mark. Yes, it was just really lovely.

I know one called a shrill this time. Yes, that I've seen. We were annoying. Yeah, which was kind. Well, it's refreshing being too female film critics. Shrill is always the word we get. Yeah, that's true. But yeah, thank you so much for the comments. Our egos are very fragile and we need validation constantly. Speaking for myself. But it is just very kind when people take time out of their day to tell you a nice thing, and I appreciate it. So thanks. I appreciate all comments, even the bad ones. Thank you. Yeah. I do not. What if we got coming up in take one today, Anna? So there really is something for everyone this episode because you've got the Ronshi comedy Joy Ride coming up.

The really heartfelt follow up second season of the teen drama, Heartstopper, and also Nicole Holtz Center's new film You Hurt My Feelings. Yeah, so I got to speak to Nicole Hfsenna and it was just a really good excuse for our WhatsApp to go off on how much we fancy James Gandal Fini in and off said. This is true and single handedly the only reason why I rewatched it last night as well and can confirm in a very, very recent rewatch,

James Gandal Fini, wonderful, really sexy man. Incredibly sexy. We've got intake two, Kokomo City and Paris Memories. One frame back is inspired by Joy Ride. So I love that instead of looking at raunchy films, which I thought we could have done very easily. We're taking a slightly nicer approach with childhood friends.

So we're going to hear from listeners about their favorite movies about childhood friends. Anna is going to have a stab at pretentious, Moire. She, you got it last week. I did. Which is very impressive. Also for the alert, I am pretentious. Yeah. It's okay.

And can you get to No Lead? So I want to know, we'll find out very soon. Do support us via Apple Podcast or head to extra takes.com for non-fruit related devices. And then, because I'm sure you're missing them terribly, intake three, mark and assignment are going to be back to update us on how they're getting on with the crews. So do make sure that you join the vanguard to hear them chatting about that glamorous bow life. Mark and Simon have also curated a weekend of movies at their Peckham site on Saturday, the 19th and Sunday, the 20th of August, which is really exciting because I love this particular rooftop cinema. The

Bussie building, I used to live in Peckham, you spend a lot of balmy evenings up and drinking on Frank's. Frank's, which is like a car park. It's a great space. It's a hotel wedding there actually once. wonderful space. I wonder what it is waiting there actually once. Someone, some friends of mine, God, married there a couple of years ago. That is beautiful. That is beautiful. I love that. That's it.

So you'll have a day of sci-fi films, you know, back to the future, arrival, interstellar, all incredible films. A day of rom-com movies, sign me up. And then a sort of special exclusive intro recorded by Mark and Simon before each film. So, Sunday's rom-com day is Notting Hill. You've got mail and when Harry met Sally. You can head to kermode and mayo.com to get your tickets now. It's rooftop film club. They have really comfy deck chairs, iconic peck and views, and irresistible

food and drink. Plus, they have offered their listeners two for one tickets across their London sites on Wednesdays throughout their summer program. So make sure you take advantage of that. Just use the code, the take that check out to redeem the offer. It's time for emails. In relation to the code of conduct, are you things that you can't do in the cinema? This person says, I've been to many movies over the years, seeing some weird stuff in the darkness,

being yelled at for shushing someone, but this takes the biscuit. At the Auckland Film Festival premiere this week, about 10 minutes into a very good French film called Anatomy of a Fall. Oh, love it, I saw it in Canada, wonderful film. Excellent. The guy behind me tapped me on the shoulder and loudly said,

excuse me mate, excuse me, can you flatten your hair down a bit for me? I think I took offense more to this due to the fact that I am very light on top by the hair to pop. Bless. Thanks and up with sticky upy hair from Gens. Can I tell you the absolutely most deranged thing of every witness in a cinema screen? Gone. So this was at the Berlin Film Festival,

at the world premiere of the Donautomere documentary. Oh. And you know, this is the first time anyone has seen this film ever, and it was a mix of press and public, full mass of screen. Right next to me, there's an older man who about 10 minutes into the film takes his phone and fully starts recording. No. This film, and I'm not even meaning like poor tread,

oh, I wanna take a few snapshots for TikTok or something. I don't think he was a TikToker. Anyway, he fully put it in landscape mode and was recording for about a full five minutes. I was so flabbergasted, it took me completely out of the film. I didn't even know what to say because two rows behind him were the filmmakers and the daughter of Donna Summer, who was one of the co-directors of the film. And they didn't say anything?

They didn't say anything. He did it again. He did it a second time. And at this point, and at this point. You're not making me it. This is like a terrific. Someone a very intense Berlin Ali German guard came up, leaned his entire body over me and whisper screamed in German at the man. With the screamed. I'm lost for words.

Videoing an entire film in the presence of filmmakers at a major film festival landscape mode. I don't know what world I'm pulling a pulling behavior. I really do not like that. Do not do that. Just don't do it. We're starting our reviews this week with something that I have been such a huge fan of for such a long time and that is heart stopper. So of course we have season two, let's just coming out. Season one, Anna, I feel like you weren't necessarily in the huge kind of forrory that happened.

Well, I was not, because believe it or not, despite my glowing complexion, I am not in fact 17 years old. You shocked me, you amazed me Anna. What? No, I'm being in the silly, but this was something that you really encouraged me to watch. I had never seen a single episode of Heartstopper before last week, and I have since been the first season and the second season, which is landing today and Friday on Netflix.

And actually, we're gonna turn it around a little bit because me is a deeply dead inside individual. It is a black-hearted carcass of a person that I am. You were. I felt that maybe it would be better that you would take this one and that you heartstop her season too. Cause you're such a big fan. And honestly, be better that you would take this one and that you're the hardstoppers season two. Cause you're such a big fan.

And honestly, I wanna hear you talk about this series. I'm kinda thrilled about this. So if you don't know, hardstopper, a, you know, living under a rock, et cetera. But if the series about two teenage boys starring Joe Locke and Kit Connor as Charlie and Nick, falling in love, let's have a listen to a clip. I'm Charlie and you're Charlie.

Right, I'm David, sorry. So I'm next older brother. Yeah. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. I'm going to wait for you to meet you. We're in the same former school. David.

There he is. I was just getting acquainted with Charlie here. Yeah, well, we're busy, so you can go away now. You okay? Yeah. I just... I just wanted to meet the guy that, you know, turned my little brother gay.

What? I mean, I should have always known you don't have to be gay, really. I'm bi, actually. And so what? And they're sort of understanding their sexuality. I don't want to say, you know, kind of coming to terms with, but because one is very family out, having previously been outed, and there's kind of love trauma that has tied up with that. And

another one who is just kind of coming to understand who he is, which is bisexual. And it's based on a YA graphic novel series by Alice Ozman, who also writes the show. And it's also about their LGBTQ plus group of friends and allies and about the bullies from who they try and hide their relationship. So series 2 expands this world even more with Nick trying to figure out how to come out to his friends and his family and he and the gang are sort of negotiating more parental input than the last series and also just the overwhelming exciting right of passage for lucky privileged teams which is going to France on a school trip. Very very very keen to get stuck into this and I have to say it was a pleasure to be back in just this very kind world you know it's like a sigh of relief because these protagonists are all very kind, sweet kids.

And one is on the show. They are, right? And I have to say the first three episodes for a little bit repetitive. It's because it's about Nick figuring out how to come out. We just kind of hear this conversation again and again, which of course I understand in reality is what would be happening to watch that again and again

is slightly frustrating, especially when there are other areas to explore. But I loved all of these topics that it was covering, you know, and I was kind of anxious because in series one, you know, they set Nick and Charlie up to in such a beautiful way that I thought that they might have to tear them down a bit in series two to create some sort of tension. Luckily, that's not what it's about. It's all about the external pressures and individual issues, but they are just an incredibly strong team

played by Joe Locke and Kit Connor. And there are still like a few things that I don't buy. And we talked about this. I need to know from teachers listening. If your children are going on a school trip with the teenagers, boys and girls girls be made to share a bed. We spoke about this because I was made to share a bed on a school trip when I was a teenager. I find it so wild.

Well, it's pink. Lily did. So it's not just a Mediterranean thing. Thank you. I find it really bizarre. I wonder if in this day, a teenager, people are more aware of boundaries and I think, well, how, Lily, how old are you? Do you want me asking? Lily just asked it wonderful that she was 12 years old. She's not 12 years old, 26, but it happened when she was 12. Okay. I still find, that's fairly recent. So, it's certainly young.

But I don't know, there's something that didn't quite ring true, didn't also ring true that there were maybe only two male teachers on a school trip. Well, there's the rugby teacher, a trainer who's a woman as well. No, she wasn't there. Oh, she's on on the Paris trip, but she's on the show. Oh, yeah, she's on the Paris trip.

No, I find it really funny that that is your sticking point. That was my sticking point, oh, there's on on the Paris trip, but she's on the show. Oh, yeah, she's on the Paris trip. No, I find it really funny that that is your sticking point. That was my sticking point. Oh, there's no way. And also there's a scene where one of Charlie's best friends, Tao, decides that it might be too awkward for Nick and Charlie to share a bed. So he claims one and Isaac claims the other.

So they split the pair up. I think in reality, if I was with my boyfriend or girlfriend on a trip, my best friend was like, no, you don't get to sleep in the same bed, I'd kill them. Was that expecting that? I would actually kill them. I mean, I find Tao to be the most, one of the most genuine characters on the show, which is perhaps a weird thing to say, but I do find his like constant fear of abandonment by his friends to be really tender and

really true. But this is why I really wanted to hear your thoughts on it because I was not part of the heart stuff or kind of phenomenon. I know what it is and I was aware of it, but it is so firmly a show. And I say this in the best possible way. Now, I grew up kind of without any positive LGBT Q plus representation. I was bullied for being, quote unquote, being a lesbian. I'm not a lesbian, I'm bisexual. But I do remember this period of like being told who you are

by other people and most of it being negative. I don't need the show right now anymore, but I love that it exists. And I also really love that it knows exactly who it's audiences. That audience is not necessarily me right now, but I love that there are people, especially younger people, especially teenagers who are figuring themselves out without needing to watch shows that are so graphic

and intense and dark like euphoria, like anything, that's an HB. I mean stuff like that. You don't need such extreme adult dramas to be in a high school setting. You can't have essentially this fantasy of being in a teenager. And I do think of heart stopper. It took me a little while to get into it, perhaps because I needed to adjust kind of, you know, through which lens I was viewing this and really take myself back to being a teenager and being a confused teenager. And also trying to imagine what teenagers in

2023 or 2022 might be looking at the show like. And it is unrealistic. I don't think anyone comes to heartstopper looking for true to life experiences. It's all like a fantasy. And that's okay. I think it is really smartly written for a really young audience. And it's not trying to be anything of them that. And I will say all the film I can choices in it,

the cinematography, the kind of small touches of, you know, special effects and drawings and animations, the performers, a truly young performers, they're not 27-year-olds, pretending to be 15-year-olds. It all feels so catered to a preteen-a-teen audience that I completely see its value. I think it's so well-meaning and it is trying to reflect everyone's experience, which is a very tough thing to do, but I, I think

you're so right, we're not expecting these to be exact, kind of fully well-rounded people. They're, their characters that you take what you want to from each, right? I'm a little bit of this person. I'm a little bit of that. And I think you're right, the character development has been really strong into series two, especially with Tao and Isaac. Because like you say, Tao comes across this sort of insecure, stroppy pain in series one at times. And then you can just see him working on that insecurity,

which is really gratifying. And you know, it's on overnight thing, but he's actually working on it. And then with Isaac, who is this boy, who the whole way through, all he wants to do is read. And every time he's at a reloadable, oh my gosh, every time he's at like a social event, he has a book.

And that was always me. And there is a scene where he is sitting outside a room in France in Paris, while everyone is partying inside. That literally happened to me on my Paris school trip. Yeah, and I was the one that was sitting outside by myself. All my close friends weren't there, and I felt very isolated. And I remember sitting outside in the corridor, and people would be like, what are you doing? And I was like, just having a think.

And I could just hear them laughing about it inside. Oh, baby, are you? But I was like, that was me. And just I'd completely forgotten this memory until I saw it happening with Isaac. And they do such a great job of exploring, you know, what happens to people who are on the periphery of romantic relationships? What happens if you are asexual or a romantic? What does that look like? So I just think, yeah, it's not about trying to portray everything as perfectly or as accurately as possible, but it's making people, young people, who won't have had the platform or opportunity

to discuss this with their friends or might not have read the right books, which talk about it, to see themselves. And I just think there is nothing better than that. So huge, huge fan of this. And also, leave your comments, still a G, Rachel Sterling makes a terrifying cameo towards the end. It's just, I think it is very well cast. I think it does deal with how your family might react to you being gay in a real, with a real spectrum, you know, because you have a next mother played by Olivia Coleman, who is incredibly accepting. You don't know much about his family, you learn much more about them in this series, and his brother has like such a kind of classic horrible macchismo

reaction but is immediately shut down by everybody because everybody in this is an ally to some extent which is so beautiful. So still to come Anna. Well, we've got the new Nicole Hall center Centre Film, you heard my feelings, starring Julia Louise Trifers and Tobias Menzies, and also the Ronchy friendship comedy Joyride. You can hear my interview as well with Nicole, so please do stick around for that. We're gonna be back after this short break. Happy Nord Christmas! Protect yourself while Christmas shopping online and access all the Christmas films from around the globe! Plus, when you shop online you'll have to give websites your card details and other sensitive data like your personal addresses. Those websites should already have their

own encryption built into their payment systems, but to be on the safe side you can use a VPN to ensure that all data coming to and from your device is encrypted. Even if you're using an unsafe Wi-Fi, you'll still be able to shop securely with a VPN. And you can access Christmas films only available overseas by using streaming services not available in the UK. To take our huge discount of your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com slash take. Our link will also give you four extra months for free on the two-year plan.

There's no risk with Nord's 30-day money bank guarantee. The link is in the podcast episode description box. Hi, esteemed podcast listeners, Simon Mayo. I'm Mark Kermot here. I'm excited to let you know that the new season of the Crown and the Crown, the official podcast returns on 16 season of the Crown and the Crown, the official podcast, returns on 16th of November to accompany the sixth and final season of the Netflix epic Royal Drama series. Very exciting, especially because SuperSub and Friend of the Show Edith Bowman hosts this one.

Indeed, Edith will take you behind the scenes, dive into conversation with the talented cast and crew, from writer and creator Peter Morgan to the crowns Queen Elizabeth Imelda Staunton. Other guests on the new series include the Crowns research team, the directors, executive producers Suzanne Mackie and specialists such as voice coach William Connaker and props master Owen Harrison.

Cast members including Jonathan Price, Selim Dor, Khalid Abdullah, Dominic West and Elizabeth the Bikki. You can also catch up with the story so far by searching The Crown, the official podcast, wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe now and get the new series of The Crown, the official podcast first on November 16th. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

It's time for the box office, Top 10. So obviously last week you reviewed teenage mutant ninja turtles, Mutant Mayhem, which I kind of just want you to say again, just flushing ears. Teenage mutant ninja turtles. Mutant Mayhem? You did it, you're great. So it's not actually in the box office this week because it only came out on Monday, but I'll be interested to see what it's like next week because people have been loving that movie. At number 18 in the UK, Virgin Suicides, which we both loved. At number 14 in the UK, not charged in the US, is Malfke, the Forest Song, Disub subs.

I went to my local cinema this morning to see the Ukrainian animation. Malfke, the Forest Song in the English dub, and I loved it. It's a really sweet and beautifully animated film that wonderfully encapsulates both Ukraine's cultural heritage and its current inspiring perseverance. We live in an era of children's animations that carry profound messages of equality, optimism, and compassion to have created a film that continues this tradition

and competes with the best that Pixar, Illuminations, and Disney have to offer, all while countries at war with literal evil is an incredible achievement. However, it wasn't the inspiring nature of the film that motivates me in writing this email. What's motivating me is that I was the only attendee at the screening today, and I think this film deserves better, and I hope that the Church of Wittertainment can help. It's a sweet film with limited peril that would be suitable for quite young children and adults alike.

It deserves a wide audience. Help with the cultural exchange between Ukraine and the world. Help the Ukrainian filmmakers, whose work is being stolen by Russian cinemas, and enjoy a really fun kids film. Go and see Malfke, the forest song. Tinketytong and Slavo Greiner. Thank you Anna.

That's from David in Cambridge. PS, I've seen that the film is reviewed in this week's Take Two. I look forward to listening. Uh oh. But I think it would be great if the intelligent, attractive, wise, and magnanimous production team were to include

correspondence on this film in Take One, Winky Face. They have it work. The flattery absolutely worked. Thank you so much, David. I have to say, Anna and I won't maybe less enamored with it than you were, but I do really hope that people go and see it and that there are no more single attendees in cinemas. I do think there is a really good point that he makes, which is it is incredibly appropriate

for very young children. Yeah, I think it's a good one to take, you know, toddlers for your young kids too. Agreed. UK number 10, not charted in the US, it's bro. UK number nine, US number 10, it's Spider-Man across the spider-verse. UK number eight, US number nine,

it's insidious, the red door. UK number seven, not charted in the US. It's Rocky and Ronnie, Kilpram, Kahani. UK number six, UK number seven not charted in the US. It's Rocky and Rani kill Prem Kahani. UK number six US number seven. It's Indiana Jones and the Dahl of Destiny. And UK number five US number six. It's talked to me. Mm hmm. Fun fact, the film was made by the infamous Raka Raka brothers who were known primarily as YouTubers. So people are loving seeing that they've made an A-24 film. primarily as YouTubers, so people are loving seeing that they've made an A24 film. Yeah, good for good for the Philip O'Brothers. They are hilarious and so mad towards extremely funny, but also the film is, it has been massively

successful. I'm really happy to see it so high up in the box office charts after we reviewed it last week. It was my film of the week last week. And I think it's been the highest grossing release for Altitude, who's the film's distributor, I think in their history. No way. I think so, yeah. That's phenomenal. Good for everyone.

And also for a horror movie. This is exciting stuff. And for an original horror movie, not a sequel, not a recoil, not a remake, but an original first feature as well. I mean, I like what I said last week on intake one, it is deeply impressive that this is a debut movie. And, you know, when I interviewed them for my podcast, they talked about kind of having this Bible of mythology and this universe around the world of the hand. You'll know what

I'm talking about if you've seen it and when you see it, talk to me. But, you know, I really hope they go on to do other things, but there is. They have established kind of a completely new potential horror universe. We have an email, dear Racka and Racka, this evening I took a trip to the Phoenix Arts Centre in Leicester to see talk to me. I was highly anticipating this one being an A24 obsessive, you know me both, and a huge fan for many years of directors Danny and Michael Philipu from their YouTube videos. I thought the film was fantastic, superb performances all around, particularly from Sophie Wilde

and Alexandra Jensen. I agree with Anna's point last week that the smart thing about the film is its primary focus on one singular character, Mia. Combining personal tragedy with possession antics was a very moving experience and the use of the brother's background in fast over-the-top editing really powered this movie to the top of 2023's best for me. More than anything though, even as just a fan, I just wanted to say how proud I am of Danny and Michael

for getting this movie made. It's clear how much it means to them and with the box office results being superb thus far, I really hope we get to see more of them on the big screen soon. Despite the initial reaction to the film, being one of a disturbing nature, an hour on, I just feel happy that we have young filmmakers who have spent their lives dedicated to the film being one of a disturbing nature, an hour on, I just feel happy that

we have young filmmakers who have spent their lives dedicated to the art form who finally got their shot at the big time. I love them. All the best. Elliot. That is adorable, can I just say. And we have another one from Kat who said, hi, I'm not usually a horror fan, but Anna's enthusiasm encouraged me to see talk to me.

And I found it really enthralling. I was struck by the tactility of it. The filmmakers really connected the textures on the screen to sensations I felt I could really sense in my fingertips, sweaty skin, squelching gore, and the unsettling newspapery texture of the haunted hand. Thanks, and that's from cat makesen. I am happy to be converting non-horror people to horror one person at

a time. Thank you, cat, for going to see it. And that's sound design for you, baby. That's what it feels like when it's that great. But it must be so gratifying being you sometimes. I love it. At UK number four, US number eight. Sorry, I don't know. Do you do that with my phone? You do that with a living this head. No. No. No. A UK number four US number eight, it's elemental. A hoi hoi, Anteldeck, as always.

Thank you for existing. I always seem to start an email to you both with a life event, and I'm afraid this email isn't any different. My mother passed away this year after a short battle with cancer. My six year old niece is reluctant to talk about it. Recently, Rowan and I went to see Elemental, our first Cinematriot with just us two. I read her the code of conduct on the way to the cinema and baptized her with the prescribed blessed wit-tayment water.

This resulted in her being incredibly well-behaved and she ate her popcorn like an injure. I loved the film and I found it relatable as a son of Indian immigrants. I world up on several occasions and afterwards I spoke to her about how my mum and father went through similar experiences when they immigrated from India, which seemed to bring about a glimmer of understanding from her. However, I do slightly resent the suggestion that the differences between us are as vast as the differences between the elements, when we're all in reality the same species of the Homo sapien, kind regards Shen. Thank you so much, Shen. I'm so sorry to hear about your mother. That must be just incredibly heartbreaking, but I'm glad that you found some solace in elemental.

At number three in the UK, number five in the US, it's Mission Impossible, Dead Rectoning Part One, and at number two in both the UK and the US, it is of course, Oppenheimer. Deer back into the left, JFK 91. Jesus.

Nolan's latest is both an engaging and immersive experience, but ultimately a disappointing one. Cinematography is on point, and the usual suspects give outstanding performances. But even Nolan's pervasive, sub-honking soundscape cannot hide the impact of the cutting-room carnage evident as he tries desperately to slice a biopic courtroom drama and suspense thriller into the three hour running time. The result is a first act that feels rushed and impatient, rather than pacing and characters from pew and blunt that are largely wasted, when a more focused biopic treatment could have

been a ward, could have seen award nominations for either of them. Suspense is built up well throughout the Los Alamos Act, but the final courtroom did no more and it's shonky and it's shonky reveal felt like watching the air escape from a beautifully baked soufflé, a disappointing lack of substance with whiffs of cheese and that's from Tim in Tombridge Wells. A big fan of some criticism of the food metaphor. He can meet you, I was like, I love the cheese references. I don't know what, I do agree with you about a pew and blunt, they are largely wasted. It almost feels like if you're gonna, why bother having women in this at all?

I just, I fully lean into the, what strikes me the most about that email is a wonder what he means by the traditional, I mean, I know exactly what he means by the traditional biopic treatment. And actually, I think that is the strength of Oppenheimer. It's that it's not trying to fit into the mold that we see a thousand times over, especially around award season of the traditional biopic of a very consequential historical figure. It is a filmmaker trying to make an art film, a blockbuster art film, and only Nolan can do that,

because only he is afforded that kind of budget. I mean, one of the most interesting things, and I'm not gonna go into the Barbanheimer thing, again, one of the most interesting things about this moment in both those films, is that they are essentially big budget art films, where they do very different filmmakers go wild with very pointed aesthetic choices. And I do think

that Oppenheimer is a very new and interesting take on the traditional biopic. A time sit is pulled back into that formulaic nature. But when it's pulled out of it, and when he goes, goes hogwild, that's when it shines the most. I didn't find any of it tedious, actually. I loved, I did love all of it. And I found, I found that sort of, um, final third, especially with the, the horror elements that creep in, incredibly disturbing. And again, the use of sound design. Oh, the sound design is gorgeous. Just absolutely pinned me to my seat,

including the silence. But thank you so much, Tim, in Tombridge Wells. Dear Attenbaum, an H-Bom, me and my partner recently completed the much-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall-fall days and our local independence in Martin Brighton. Oh, which one? Also, should I call you the Arab bomb now? Call me the Arab bomb whenever you like, baby. Please let me know which independence in my use or this in Brighton, please. As a history enthusiast and teacher, I was expecting to much prefer the Oppenheimer movie, but I hope the Barbie movie would provide little light relief. How wrong I was. First, Barbie. It's simply brilliant. Bitingly, satirical, scathingly funny, and a visual feast. Margot Robbie is brilliant, but Ryan Gosling steals the show as the fragile and narcissistic Ken.

Its final sequence is also surprisingly moving, as Barbie meets her maker. On Oppenheimer, however, the feeling was much more mixed. There is a brilliant movie in there somewhere, struggling to free itself from a much larger, baggy movie. Murphy, as Opie, is great. The scenes of the scientific planning and the execution of the bomber also excellent, though I would have liked more of the moral struggle brought to the fore. However, the second half of the movie, after the bombs are dropped, spoiler, feels more like a total anticlimax. Frankly, I could care less about the congressional hearings and who said what to whom. Robert Dany Jr.'s character, though a total narcissist is largely incidental and adds a little

of value to the film. Oh, he was not incidental, my friend. Lie me. Plus, the treatment of the female characters is at best cursory. Yeah, my car's straight. Overall, a worthy movie, which had it been an hour and a half long, would be a shoe-in for best picture. As it is, the longer it goes on, the less interesting it is. Perhaps Nolan just needs a better editor. Tinkety Tonk and Down with Atomic Welfare, Jack, in Brighton. I find it really curious that it's the second email that has

mentioned a failed attempt to do words. Obviously, a word season has not started yet. We have no idea which how this is going to fall. I mean, we always have an idea. And I think it's, I think it's really naive that people think that openheimer does not have a shot at the awards because it's three hours long. It's gonna get nominated. Yeah, I mean, you know, there's we don't have the time and that's a whole another podcast about the mechanics and the politics of award season and film awards. But yeah, openheimer is absolutely gonna get a

word to tension. I mean, I will eat my shoe if you're a well-shoon. It was a reference to Werner Herzog eating my shoe if you're a wool's shoe in. It was a reference to Werner Herzog eating his shoe, which is a video that everybody should watch. It is available on YouTube for German cinema nerds, unlike myself. But yes, I will eat my shoe much in the vein of Werner Herzog if Kylian Murphy is non-thominative for an Oscar. A great onto Barbie then, which is of course number one everywhere. Dear Barbie and Ken, I listened to the letter

on last week's podcast from someone who felt people were uncritically consuming Barbie and its 90s messages and Anna's spirited and fierce response. I heard this prior to seeing Barbie and it stuck in my mind as I settled into the cinema. But were you wearing pink, Jenny? Barbie was a riot. I laughed.

I felt warmth in my heart. And my laugh for Ryan Gosling has blossomed out of control. But more than that, as I wake the next morning, all I can think about is that letter. I am a proud and staunch intersectional feminist, starting my uni's feminist society when none had existed prior. And now running a feminist society for

my own pupils in the secondary school in which I teach Jenny! My hero! I grew up with the messages of 90s feminism in all its girl-powered glory. Yes, Barbie has a very simplistic girls' capable message and yes, some of its views are problematic. Don't get me started on how they portray the horror of cellulite. But it does critique Mattel and the very concept of Barbie. It does mock the idea that Barbie solved feminism by having the dull take on a number of roles. It does deconstruct elements of toxic masculinity.

Yes, it is surface level introductory feminism. And yes, it is reminiscent of 90s feminism. But so what? Without girl power and the spice girls, a lot of women in my age would perhaps be less vocal feminists. But we can now look back on that era and say, the feminism we were sold isn't good enough and here's why. And perhaps in 30 years, my niece's generation

will be more advanced in their feminism than us, and can look back at Barbie, their introduction to the patriarchy and all its oppressive issues, see the roots of their feminism and critically evaluate to move the cause forward. Up with introducing more people to the joys of feminism and fighting for equality, down with the woman behind me in the cinema who deemed Barbie too political. Whoa!

It's political and op-edal, it's political! And here's to more and more young people being exposed to the fundamental flaws within society and becoming more proactive in recognizing, acknowledging, and fighting oppression, tinkety-tunk, Jenny. I think that's my favorite email, no, no. It's a great email.

It's just fantastic. I've started to know notes. I would have loved to have Jenny as a teacher. Yes, or a friend. Yeah. Just as a quick aside Yes, or a friend. Yeah. Just as a quick aside, I did a women's studies, kind of subgroup in English literature. And my tutor at the time said,

can you put your hand up if you think that you're a feminist? And I was the only one that put my hand up in a class of, you know, 30, 40, other young women who had also elected to take this. And she kind of looked at me and she went, well, that's one more than last year. And it's that fear of, again, that sort of idea of feminist being a dirty word is so frightening. And I'm so glad that people like Jenny are making sure that her students know that it is incredibly empowered word, and it's not frightening or dirty.

So thank you, Jenny, for all your hard work. Firstly, appreciate the show. It's my go-to for film reviews and has been for a long time, so thanks to you all. So to Barbie, which I saw with my nine-year-old daughter recently, who loved it, as an aspiring feminist, which I love, it fell very nicely within her development for both film and the issues within i.e.

patriarchy and so on. However, I would like to invite your comments on its very, very binary approach to gender. There is man, Ken, and woman, Barbie. That's it, nothing in between. For me, this seems out of touch with the current climate. Missing a chasmatic trick in the process. It would have been a great opportunity to embrace the gender spectrum and the LGBTQ plus community in the process. I consider myself non-woak to be down with the kids, but found it offensive in its narrow and shortsighted approach. Can I just say it doesn't sound like your non-woak? It sounds like your woak and that's equally not a dirty word. Overall for me it was a three and a half star movie. My daughter of course would say a five, but then she can be quite hyperbolic,

maybe around a four that, oh, this started off with quite a strong email. All the best and keep up the good work. Cheers. You don't have to correct your daughter's enjoyment enjoyment and personal rating of a movie. If it's a five star for her and as an aside, I mean, it is incredible,

a reductive to rate films, via stars. But if we're choosing to use that, just let her help her five star experience. And you can have two or three and a half, yeah. Yeah, it doesn't mean it's a four because her take is quote hyperbolic. It's hyperbolic to you, not to her. So Harry Neff is one of the Barbies. Yes, she is.

Harry Neff is a transgender woman. Yes. It's not explicit in the movie that she is a transgender Barbie. Yes. I didn't think it needed to be. Me, then. What do you think about this in terms of the spectrum

of gender being portrayed in the Barbie movie? I think in the midst of that like strange email, there is a point that I also kind of felt that I am not exactly sure where I stand on it personally or politically it is, the Barbie world does imply a strict gender binary. It is. Despite the lack of genitalia.

Exactly. It's the, it's the kens and the Barbies. And then there's Alan. But in that in itself is kind of weird. But I wonder, again, I am absolutely still kind of wrestling with my own thinking about this. Is the, is part of the satire about this gender binary, about the fact that, you know, not all Barbies are made the same, not all Kens are made the same.

Well, you know, it kind of, they are, but also they aren't. It's a complicated, strangely simplistic complication, right? Because on the one hand, all the Barbies are barbie. They're all a part of one, but then they're all very different barbies to each other. And the thing about the Ken's is that they're all so they're all very different as well, but they're all just Ken. And then there's Alan. So it's this weird world where the binary is enforced, but it's not making anyone particularly happy and is really fragile. And even when, you know, I'm not going to go too much into a haps in the movie, even

when that binary is challenged, the only character that sort of keeps their head on their shoulders and sees things as they're unfolding and the sounds this is not good for anyone is Alan. So he's kind of like the unsung hero and he does not fit in this binary. I'm not talking about the gender binary necessarily. I'm talking about kind of the binary of the world, of the Barbies and the Ken. And who he aligns himself with. He's just because Ken's best friend, but he sees actually what he's doing is wrong. He's like in the Cedican advertising that's going on at the moment, he's the May guy. I don't know if you've seen this campaign. Where Cedican is getting men to call out their friends' toxic behaviour by going

may. Alan is going may in this film. Yeah, but yeah, that's a very curious kind of talking point. Thank you so much, Chris. A lot of food for thought there, but please do allow your daughter to enjoy films. I'm sure you do, and we're just winding you up. a lot of food for thought there, but please do allow your daughter to enjoy films. I'm sure you do, and we're just winding you up. If you want to get in touch with any of your comments about the top 10 or anything that we've covered, then please do drop us a line at correspondenceatcomodomeo.com.

This episode is brought to you by Mooby, a curated streaming service dedicated to elevating great cinema from around the globe. From myConnect directors to emerging otters, there's always something new to discover, for example. Well, for example, the new Aki Karazaki film Fallen Leaves, which won the jury prize at Cannes, that's in cinemas at the moment. If you see that and think I want to know more about Aki Karazaki, you can go to Mooby the streaming service and there is a retrospective of his films called How to Be a Human. They are also going to be theatrically releasing In January Priscilla, which is a new Sophia couple of

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So today's guest is the writer and director of new comedy drama, starring Julia Louis-Draifus, and Tobias Menzies. You hurt my feelings. It is, of course, Nicole Hollessonner, who you might know as the director and writer of enough said, friends with money. She also co-wrote, can you ever forgive me?

Anna, before we go into the film, can you tell us what it's about? So this story follows what happens after an author played by Julie Louise Dreyfus over here's her husband, that's Tobias Menzies, speak ill of her latest literary effort. Hard, no. You're gonna hear my interview with Nicole after this clip from the film. He doesn't love your book, okay? He doesn't love your book. I mean, who cares? Do you understand?

I've been working on this book for two years, right? I've given him like a million drafts to read. And every time he reads it, every single time he tells me how much he loves it, every single time, because he just doesn't like, you know, get it or whatever, and now my hands have gotten numb.

Yeah, take a real kick. and you take a deep breath. I am breathing, Sarah. All right. But you're just, you're going to talk to him. Well, that's a joke. I am never going to be able to look him in the face ever again. OK, that's over. That was a clip from You Hurt My Feelings,

and I am now joined by the director and the writer of the film Nicole Holocena. Hello, how are you doing? I'm well, how are you? I'm very well, thank you. Thanks so much for joining us. My pleasure. There's so much to talk about. I loved so much about this movie. I guess one of the first kind of obvious questions is it is about trust and who you trust to read or review some of the things that you hold closest to you.

So when it comes to writing a script, who are the trusted people that you show it to first? And is it important to have people who will love it unconditionally as well as the more honest critiques? No, I don't want anyone to love it unconditionally unless it's done. Unless I say this is the script I'm shooting tomorrow. Don't tell me your problems. Same with the movie if I'm done with the movie. Until I'm done with something, sure I love feedback,

especially a rough cut of the movie you're a first cut. It's always great to get feedback. I don't really give my script to anybody until I'm done. And I've rewritten it and rewritten it. So it feels like maybe a second draft by the time. I'll show it to my producers and my agent and a couple of close friends. Short of that, if I'm in big trouble, I'll show the script to a couple of people midstream, but that's usually not a good idea. And I'm usually doing it because I'm stuck and because I shouldn't keep writing.

I love that we've just been joined by two guests as well. Look how adorable your dogs are. Oh, are they here? I can't see it, yeah. Yeah. So cute. Julia Louis-Japhas is just so, just kind of like such a natural with your work. And I sort of haven't met a single person who didn't love your combo in enough said.

So what is it about your writing that she particularly gets, do you think, and understands how to convey on screen? Well, she gets my humor, and you know, everyone gets her humor. She just has that terrific blend of being natural and hilarious at the same time. She doesn't have to go broad to be funny. And she can switch from emotional to funny in the same line. And for me, that's what I try to do with my films. I feel like that's kind of how life is sometimes. And she just really gets my writing. And I also get and respect what she can offer. Meaning let her go, you know, free reign.

If you want to say something better, say it. If you want to say something funnier, say it. But she can express so much in her face without doing much and she's just inherently a very very funny person and smart and emotional. So why not. What does she say when she reads the script of yours you know do you get immediate feedback from her how are your conversations in the optimal. Well for this one she just said I'm in I love it. I mean I love it. It changed throughout months of trying to get financing and it changed for the better.

And a lot of it was her input. And she has great notes. She's a great producer. And she knows what works and doesn't work. And she makes suggestions. And sometimes I take all of them. And sometimes I wouldn't. So it's always a work in progress

until we're shooting that scene. It So it's always a work in progress until we're shooting that scene. It's that's still a work in progress. So she's really supportive and I think once she loves a character and wants to do it, she's all in. I also really love the casting of Tobias Menzies, who I guess for me has always been

like this stalwart of British television and film. So for a movie that is like New York through and through like this stalwart of British television and film. So for a movie that is like New York, through and through, why was he such a good fit for you? Well, he fit in those shoes so well because he's a wonderful actor. And I just, I loved his presence and his acting

and I sought him out and there you go. Again, he said, I'm in and I said, can you do an American accent? And he said, I'd like to try and I said, okay, but you know, if you stink, it's okay if you do your own accent, your own voice. But he did it really well. And I just, you know, I love that face. And he just fit it in, really well, right? He's not a New Yorker. So in the press, he keeps saying they live on the Upper East side. And they don't, they live on the Upper West side.

And if you know New York, there's a really big difference. So I have to school him in. What other kind of like New Yorkisms was that? Did you have to school him in? Because I guess you shot this in such a short period, but it must have been incredibly intense. And did you have to sort of learn the sort of New York culture very quickly? Nah, he didn't.

I mean, you know, he's been to New York, he's an educated fella. For instance, like people who don't live in New York don't know that Paragon Sports Store is kind of this iconic New York place you go to get your winter coats and they have a great sale every year And that's when you go to get your winter coats So it's like when I said I when I wrote in Paragon I wanted to tell these guys like hey, this is this is actually not just you know big five or whatever That's another sports store that we don't care about. I think. Yeah. Because he's kind of the villain often in, like, British series and it was so

lovely seeing this gentle, supportive side of him, which was gorgeous. Yeah. And the idea of unconditional support as well is such an interesting one. Can you tell us more about that? Because I don't think I've ever really seen that being unpicked in that way. I've seen it in real life, and the effects that has, but I've never seen it in film before. So tell us where that came from. I mean, I think unconditional support is tricky. Just like their son, oh, and played by Oh and Teague, you know, he's like, I don't want your unconditional support. I want to be treated I don't want your unconditional support. I want to be treated with the complexities that I have. I'm good at this, not good at that.

Because he loves her, he doesn't want to go into the area of critiquing her work. He just wants to support her. And because he didn't like the work that unconditional support turns out to be a lie. It's just really tricky. And interest in me in wanting to write lie. It's just really tricky and interested me in wanting to write this. That's why I wanted to write it. It was

like, can I get criticism and can someone not like my films or my writing, if they like and love me? And I think, you know, it's a really hard question to ask. I mean, I, you know, I don't want to be able to person who doesn't like my work. That would be, that would be just terrible. So, you know, in thinking about what would happen if, you know, this happened to me, which is just a horror movie for a writer, I think, or anybody who does something creating. When you're, when you're kind of writing about such life like natural stories, do you always have to remind people that these are characters and

compasses and not exact people in your life or you yourself? I don't feel very defensive about it. I feel like if people want to think that's, you know, autobiographical in every detail, I don't care. It's not. And I usually say that it's, it's like a, it's autobiographical, but in a figurative way. You know, it's all about me and the things that interest me and scare me and things I love but, and people I love, but I do take it and kind of run with it. But I'm not, I'm not crazy enough to say, oh, this character isn't me or all these characters aren't me because I think inevitably pieces of them are.

I cast actresses that I feel reflect me, you know, people will say on the set, she's doing you, she's doing you and she's not doing me. I just cast really well. And I think, you know, if she's got the cadence of the script and yeah, we kind of look alike and we're the same size. Well, one of the things, the constant eating in this film is just one of my favorite things, like the doughnuts, the ice cream, the dinners, the lunches. It's so sociable, it's so normal, your shellidtry just showing us a day in the life of. So did you kind of have reasons behind

what you wanted to include food wise? Because I was kind of really zeroing in on everything. Maybe I was really hungry when I was filming. You know what? It was completely unconscious. Because like, what else do people do? They talk and they eat and they walk around and work. It's ironic that I put so much food in it because I actually can't stand the sound of people eating. Really?

Yeah, I have what's called misophonia. And so in the editing room, I had to take out all the chewing sounds or drinking sounds or swallowing sounds. So what have I done to my sofa? You know, and some actors eat really well on camera. You know, they can really do it and match it and everything. So no, it was completely unconscious. And I did want to eat all the cake off the plates of the sets.

There was a lot of cake going on in the restaurant scenes and that was hard for me. The actors were like, take it, they had a spit bucket. God, that term is so horrific. There is also so much joy that comes from the details in your films, like, you know, Beth's mom, wanting to kind of like use her to wanting her to use top of wear for a potato salad. So are you kind of like a magpie in that sense? Do you sort of collect all of these on a truce of details and stories like this feel

work? Do they just come to you? How about how do you round it all out with those sort of little brilliant moments? Well, thank you for saying that. I don't really know how. they just come to you? How do you round it all out with those sort of little brilliant moments? Well, thank you for saying that. I don't really know how. I know, like, for instance, my mom has a hug, like a bag of tin foil and a closet full of topperware, but she would never suggest I put potato salad in tin foil. But because she has that stuff collected, it just came to me, you know? Also, because, yeah, people save those things, including myself and I don't know why.

And she says she doesn't want them in a landfill. But so it's like they just pop into my head. I don't really take notes. I don't know. I don't know it's a mystery. I also love the kind of the female relationships. We kind of get to explore really like in-depth female relationships in your movies and sisterhood as much as we do romantic relationships. We kind of get to explore really like in-depth female relationships in your movies and sisterhood as much as we do romantic relationships. Why is it important

for you to always strike that balance between the two? You know, I can't say that it's important to me, it's just what comes out of me. It's just what I want to be writing about. I'm not making a point, but the female friendships in my life are so dear to me. And can be fraught, you know, with conflict, like any other relationship, but that's what consumes me is my romantic relationships and my friendships and human behavior.

So there you go. They're just in there. It's so interesting, because I feel like, you know, I take a lot of my kind of life lessons from movies, generally, as a film critic, I kind of have to do that.

That's my primary source for everything. I'm three weeks away from my first year wedding anniversary, and I take a lot of my fears about marriage and children from films that I watch. Is that something that you, are you, I can't really, thank you. Are you like a sort of a sponge in that sense too. Do you have movies which make you reflect

on your life? Well, those are the best kind of movies. And growing up and watching the kind of movies that influenced me had a huge influence on me. I think they nurtured compassion and encouraged me to be perceptive and really honed in on people's behavior, including mail. And I hope that, you know, my films can do some of that too, aside from entertaining people. But movies are so influential from the first ones we see to the ones we watch over and over. Again, yeah, there's almost, besides books, I think there's almost nothing else that can be that penetrating into who we are, into creating who we are.

So don't let the bad movies influence your first year anniversary and I was supposed to feel about it. You don't have to have a fight in the restaurant or something like in a romcom, right? Well, speaking of romcoms, you know, it is again, it's always refreshing to see a brilliant romcom. And it sort of feels like they're becoming kind of so few

and fall between now and we have like a real nostalgia for really decent romcoms. Why do you think that is? Why do you think we're sort of seeing less of them on our screens now? Good question. I guess because they're not tentpole movies. I mean, I think, you know, the big action movies are taking over the industry and with the amount of marketing that they can put behind them, it's just, it swallows everything else up. I mean, as far as I know, romcoms do really well.

So I'm not really sure. Nicole, thank you so much for joining us. You're going to pledge it to you. Thank you so much, you too. Very excited. It's going to be premiering on Prime Video on August day. So I feel very lucky. It's going to be streaming on August day.

So watch it, everybody. So that was Nicole Holliff's center talking all about you hurt my feelings. Now Anna, this is a rare opportunity, but as somebody who has written a book, did this film resonate with you in a completely kind of different level? So it might resonate with me. I really don't want to use the expression I felt very seen, however, but it might, especially in that clip she mentions that she sent over hundreds of drafts of the book to her husband for his feedback. Feedback is very important for any creative, especially for writers. We're very insecure creatures, especially around writing.

And yeah, there is something about the vacuum of no response or no feedback that is truly one of the most horrific sensations of a refelt. And I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly shame my partner who has still not read the short stories that I have sent him through the week. No.

Sean, this is what happens when you ignore my request. Get your answer together. Yeah, you have been publicly shamed. Now you have to read John Rawlson's, so now you have been publicly shamed. Very matter. But I just want to say, I mean, it might seem on the surface like a really minute premise for a film, right? An author, a writer who gets upset,

gets heart feelings like in the title because their partner does not like their work or does not like this book, right? And then this maybe Julie and Lillie and we striped as who's made another brilliant film with Nicole Hall of Center, enough said which we both really watched, really, really, something that enjoyed immensely. I mean, the glimmer in your eyes truly terrifying. Nicole Hall of Center, and I've said which we both really watch really recently. And enjoy dimensionally.

I mean, the glimmer in your eyes truly terrify. And I just see Gandalfini popping up in your brain right there. So do I. Sorry, Anna, carry on. However, the films of Nicole Hall of Center are very much promised in that in this ridiculous, in this profound ridiculousness of emotional entanglements and of feelings and of how something so small in the grand scheme of things can just completely overwhelm

a life or a relationship. And the complications that arise from, you know, friendships, parenthood, relationships, the intersection of all of those, you know, and it's such a bully impromise for anyone who's not, you know, you don't have to be a writer and author or creative in order to recognize the feeling of, oh, the impact of a white lie of trying not to hurt someone feelings. Does this stress look well on me? Do you like my novel? You know, do you like this thing that I've cooked for you? It's genderless, but it is a familiar sensation to all of us. And stretching that out and exploring those emotions

and the ridiculousness of them in depth is such a whole of center, whole mark. It's a profoundly enjoyable film. It's very much about the performances. It's about the charisma of all the actors, alongside Louis Dreyfus and Menzies, we've got Michaela Watkins and Aryan Moyed, who obviously played Stuin's succession.

Amazing to see him in such a different role. Like really insecure. Like theater actor. And they bounce off each other so well. And you know, they also the marriage of Beth and Don, who are, you know, the lead characters also have a teenage son and their relationship comes into play. And none of the characters in the film are bad people. And their complications might be sort of considered small or very new,

Yorky or very kind of middle upper class, which is not untrue. But that's the kind of the beauty of it. It's such a green tea kind of afternoon film, you know. Yes, it's a pretty great description. It is profound, it is really fun to watch. And genuinely, it's really refreshing, I think, when there are films like these that fill really middle brow, in a sense. They're smart, they're funny, but they're also unassuming, they're unpretentious. And they are probing at very particular experiences

of being a human alive who has relationships of different kinds of people and is alive in the world and trying to do something with their life. And also, I think more widely what the film looks at is what does success or failure feel like for people? Because both Beth and her husband Dawn are not necessarily kind of hyper-successful New Yorkers. Beth is not a master successful novelist. She wrote one memoir and she's really aching and trying to get her novel of the ground and she's teaching creative writing to people,

and the frustrations of essentially being sort of in the middle with your career, and similarly, don her husband as a therapist, but not, you know, a incredibly successful or super rich kind of therapist. Those everyday frustrations are so well-captured in the film. It's also, it's almost imperceptible. And I think that's one of the whole markers of, you know, a filmmaker like Nicole Hall of Center. She makes it look so easy

and effortless that you almost, you cannot be blamed for ignoring or kind of missing or just having the craft and the detail of what she's put on the page and on the screen, kind of wash over you because it is also so deeply enjoyable. She does make the ordinary feel so incredibly extraordinary precisely. Because they are ordinary people. And I loved that portrayal of the son who sort of feels like he's a third wheel in this relationship between his parents. I've never really thought about before, but what an interesting concept. And again, it's those sort of life lessons

that you don't really realize that you're soaking up until you're perhaps going through it yourself. And the whole idea of unconditional love, which I get in spades from my mom always have done. And I know that I will show her any work and she will love it. And actually, I love that. I would be really upset if she suddenly was like,

actually, I don't think this is very good. That would break me at this point because it has gone on my entire life. So if I did something that she didn't like, it would mean that she really didn't like it. And I don't think I could handle that. Oh, you see, one of the things I really loved about your interview with Nicole was that she talked about, like, not expecting, and in fact, kind of not demanding unconditional support from her peers or the people who were you know, reacting to her work or feeding back into it kind of in a creative

capacity. I'm very similar. I want edits. I want genuine feedback. I don't I never have wanted to do this. I do for my peers for sure. Like I absolutely would always take on board constructive criticism and I ask for it. I don't always get it because constructive criticism and I ask for it.

I don't always get it because I think sometimes people are afraid to tell me how they feel. I don't know why, but you know, do feel free. Thank you so much. What a beautiful review of a beautiful film you hurt my feelings. Now it is time for the laughter lift. Um, oh god. Let's get in. Hey Anna, you know I'm coming up to my one year anniversary. Yes. I did mention it in the interview. You were at my wedding, you know. I'm aware, I'm seeing, I'm getting a glare in my glasses from your giant ass wearing. Well anyway, some of my friends got mad recently having met online.

They just clicked. No. Nothing clicks anymore. There's no clicking. It's all touch screen. That kind of made me want to vomit, actually Hannah. Anyway, this might be new to you, Anna, but Mike is in a band, apparently. So, for hour and a first rate, I bought him a new drum kit.

It was a symbol of my love. No. The dim-bum. No. The dim bum. Shhh. Oh dear. Oh, I can see our producer kinda laughing. And also countering and shame. And you know what, that is the appropriate response.

A couple of you building my family into these terrible jokes. Anyway, Mark and Simon have been in touch from the Grand Union Canal and they wanted to know how does one know if you're getting a good deal on a boat? I explained usually just when there's a sail on it Where look vindicated hat? Where does zombies like to go sailing Anna? Where guess I can't the dead Yes, anyway, what's still to come? I've completely forgotten. My brain has turned into mush, but yes, we still have one more

review to go and take one, and that will be the wrong-cheey Girl Comedy Joyride. We'll be back after this, unless you're a Vanguardista, in which case we'll be back shortly. this unless you're a Vanguardista in which case will be back shortly. Metrolinx and cross links are reminding everyone to be careful as Eglinton Cross-town LRT train testing is in progress. Please be alert, this trains can pass at any time on the tracks. Remember to follow all traffic signals, be careful along our tracks and only make left turns where it's safe to do so. Be alert, be aware, and stay safe. I just had such a good time with this Anna. It's Joy Rye, tell us about it,

and then we're gonna hear a clip. I genuinely, I think instead of summarizing the film, I'm gonna do a content warning for any listeners. This is very much an 18 R rated, raunchy, filthy comedy, very much in a vein of brain space. So before I go into any details of the film, if you have any children listening with you in the room in the car, now would be the time to pause and move on. Because there is simply no way to talk about Joyride without dropping some

wrong team adult words. So let's get a little taster of the film via this clip. adult words. So let's get a little taster of the film via this clip. Consideres I won't. I don't think I've ever been around only Asian people. I mean, we look like everyone else for once. I think we blend right in. Yeah, but people here can tell Chinese Chinese from American Chinese. Wait a minute. See? Hong Kong Chinese.

Bluetooth. Shanghai Chinese. Buzi adults are listening to this now. Joy Ride is the debut feature by writer director Adele Lim, who actually is the co-writer of Crazy Vich Asians, which was a massive, massive, massive success a few years ago. And it tracks the titular Joy Ride of a group of childhood friends. Some of them are strange. Some of them, you know, lifelong buddies. It's got Ashley Park from Emily in Paris as the lead,

she's Audrey, she's a very kind of, you know, tightly-knit, really successful lawyer. She's been best friends all her life with Lolo, who's an aspiring, really raunchy artist. She loves to do sex positive and body positive artwork, includes a lot of appendages, as inspiration, played by Sherry Kohler. And Stephanie Sue as Cat Huang, who they meet in China

where they travel to lockdown a deal for Audrey's law firm. And tagging along with them, as we've seen in the clip, is Dead Eye, who is a K-pop stand and a childhood friend, well, cousin of Lolo's character. They all band together on this trip and also along the way they are on a mission to reunite Audrey with her birth mother, who gave her up for adoption by Americans, very early on in her life. Now, like I mentioned before, I love, I don't know about you, I know about you. I know we both love a nice, ronchi comedy. Yes we do. And this is very much that. Yes it is. I don't think I've seen a film this outrageously, deliciously, and hilariously filthy since Breitzmates.

I have not seen so many, both on screen and in the script since Breitzmates. I have never seen a close up full frontal shot of a tattooed vagina in a movie ever. And this happens and you know what? I love every minute of it. I was like, I was like, how is Anna going to approach the review of this film? It's going to be tricky. She might have to use a lot of metaphors. She might have to use...

No, there's absolutely no way off. But song it is. The bird song, everything, because I think it would be misrepresenting the film if you talk about Joe Wright in a PG way, because it is strictly and very deliberately non-PG. Yes. It is hilarious. All the performers of the characters are so outrageous and extreme.

All of them are so horny. So every single man in this film is both unbelievably good looking like to a genuinely obscene degree and gets fond over pod like physically traumatized and damaged by just a sheer rafraud, raging horning as they're meditating from these women. Good for them. But also good for them. We've seen films where sexy women are inexplicably drawn to the male protagonists.

And although there is less of an inexplicable nature to this because all of the women are incredible, I like that whoever they have their eye on, we get this incredible sex scene out of it. No, we don't get a sex scene, we get a sex montage. We get a sex montage. It's so specifically about female pleasure. Absolutely. And I remember last time we were on, we were boning the lack of female pleasure in a terrible Netflix series that we had to review. And it is so the opposite in this. And oh, I just thought it was beautiful.

I really did. It was so happy. It made me how with laughter. But as you kind of mentioned up top there is, of course, a really kind of sensitive side to this, which reminded me of Return to Seal, which I kind of saw fairly recently again about the sort of a birth, trying to find a birth mother.

Yes. And this was so unexpectedly sweet. It really, it made me cry the hardest that I've cried in the cinema for really quite some time. I get just so unexpected in this like completely out there, like you say naughty, naughty, naughty film. You're absolutely right because while all the jokes are very upfront and very front and center, the heart and the foundation of Joy Right really is this double kind of approach on the one hand

and as we saw illustrated in the clip, probably the only clip without F-bombs in the entire movie, is about how people see Asian people as a monolith and kind of the experience of that. And at the same time, it's looking at the diasporic experience, notably kind of essentially Audrey, who's the de facto protagonist, doesn't speak Chinese. So she has to enlist her friends to be a translator for her, for her illness business trip because she was adopted by white parents. Exactly. So she, by white American parents. So she essentially grew up in

a white environment and her friendship with Lolo comes from the fact that there were the only two Asian girls in their entire town. So even though it's incredibly funny, it is also at the heart of it touching on a very particular and a very, you know, broad experience for Asian people, for Asian women and kind of more widely even for any immigrants or children of immigrants who might, you know, connect with that experience of not feeling truly like they belong neither in their country of origin or their adopted country. A great. You will have so much fun with this movie, as long as you don't take it seriously.

You know, if you're a fan of Seth Rogen, he's the producer on this. You're not getting out of the park. The Turtle movie last week. And you're going to write this this week, too. I just feel like, you know, that separation from James Franco has been a real boon. Well done. It is time now for listener correspondence. And remember to email yours to correspondents at comonomeo.com.

Hi, folks. It's Helen here from the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn in London. An Inn of Court for more than 600 years, Lincoln's Inn is also a popular filming location for TV and film, including Wonder Woman, Cruella, Downton Abbey and the Salman. On Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of September, we'll be opening our doors to the public for Open House Festival. Drop in for free from 10am to 3.30pm and come and explore this amazing location. Visit linkonsin.org.uk to find out more.

This is Jamie Alton, just telling you about my Edinburgh Fringe show. Jamie Alton goes to the movies, a stand-up comedy special, and it takes a light-eyed look at the issues we've got at cinema and going to the movies, especially how to deal with people who talk through trips to the cinema, which we resolve in the show. I'll be at the East Side venue at 1.15pm every day at the Edinburgh Fringe, losing money. Thanks. That was Helen from the Lincoln's Inn and Jamie promoting his Edinburgh Fringe show on 1.15pm every day of the festival. Don't let him lose any money on that. Anna. And I'll be, I'll be in Edinburgh.

What? For a good chunk of August. I'm like, I'm so jealous. I'll be there because I work for the Edinburgh International Film Festival and we'll be running and doing screenings of genuinely some amazing films from all over the world from the 18th to the 23rd of August. So come and watch some movies in Edinburgh. Go and hang out with Jamie and Anna.

At the same time, if you want, maybe not. Send your 20-second audio trailer about your event anywhere in the world to correspondentsachermodomeo.com. I'm really sad to say Anna, that is the end of tape one. I've had so much fun. I'm devastated. This has been a Sony music entertainment production. The team was Lily Hambley, Rhino Mirror, Gully Tickle,

Scarlett O'Malley, was the assistant producer, Michael Dale, wrote the guest notes. Hannah Talbot was the producer and reductor S. Anna, what is your film of the week? We're gonna have a tie. I kinda wanna have a tie between you, hurt my feelings on Joy-Ray. Gone, gone, gone.

What a great double-bill that would be. Between you and my feelings on Joy-Ray. I think for me, it's gonna be Joy-Ray just because I... Joy Ray. What a great double build that would be. Between you and my feelings and Joy Ride. I think for me it's gonna be Joy Ride just because I loved and cried and I want to make sure that all of my friends see this movie and it's the most girly, broy film I've ever seen, I think, which I love. Go with Joy Ride. Don't forget, we have Take 2 coming and then in Take 3, you'll hear Mark and Simon live

from the Grand Union Canal. I know you've missed them. Thanks so much for listening and we'll see you very soon. Business notifications getting out of hand, buried under an avalanche of customer emails, texts and social media messages, keep your edge with Thrive Small Business Software and never miss a message again. Thrive offers one solution to communicate, market, and run your business. But simply, small businesses run better on Thrive.

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