Tag Archives: review

Regretting You

The new family drama film Regretting You has some of the hallmarks, um, characteristics of a Hallmark Channel movie. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing.

A young, attractive cast. Small town setting. Much communication via text messages. Wine drinking. Plus a widow.

And, like many Hallmark films, once the scene is set, you pretty much know where the story is going to go. Getting there is what makes such a film work. Or not. (That, too, is not necessarily a bad thing. I mean… you knew the boat was gonna sink but you watched all three hours of Titanic anyway, right?)

Unlike Hallmark films, Regretting You has sex (but no nudity), drug use and some kissing that’s hotter than what you’ll encounter in Hallmark land. It’s rated PG-13.

Morgan (Allison Williams, daughter of TV newsman Brian) is a thirty-something mom of a 17-year-old daughter Clara (McKenna Grace). Morgan became pregnant with Clara when she was Clara’s age, so she’s overly protective.

Morgan’s life is hit with a double whammy when her husband Chris (Scott Eastwood, Clint’s son) and her sister Willa (Jenny Davidson) die in a car crash. That shock is followed by a life-altering revelation. An old platonic friend of Morgan’s, Jonah (Dave Franco), was involved with sister Willa and he begins showing up often at Morgan’s house.

Meanwhile young Clara is hot to trot and begins a flirtation with fellow high school student Miller (Mason Thames). So mom Morgan has to deal with her own issues and keep a watchful eye on daughter.

The great actor Clancy Brown has a small role in the film. He was a prison guard in The Shawshank Redemption. He supervised the duel at the end of John Wick 4. And, of course, he’s the voice of Mr. Krabs on SpongeBob SquarePants. Always good to see him AND to hear his amazing voice.

Regretting You is based on a book by the prolific best-selling author Colleen Hoover. Unlike the previous Hoover movie It Ends With Us, this new film will hopefully remain free of the bad vibes, controversy and litigation that followed in the wake of its production and release.

A spicier Hallmark sort of movie is how I’d describe Regretting You. If that sounds like something you’d like, check it out.

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A Real Pain

A Real Pain is a sweet little movie about two cousins who travel to Poland together via funding from their late grandmother. On the trip they explore grandma’s homeland, their Jewishness and their relationships with one another.

David is played by Jesse Eisenberg who wrote and directed the film. He’s the straight arrow, married with a kid, working in marketing in NYC. He has anxiety but controls it with meds.

Cousin Benji is the title character, played by Kieran Culkin. He’s a mess. One might easily conclude that he is “on the spectrum,” based on his erratic behavior and his responses to certain elements of their trek.

Shortly after they arrive in Warsaw, they meet up with their entourage including recent divorcee Marcia (Jennifer Grey!) who Benji pals up with, though not in a romantic way. There’s also an older couple from Cleveland. And, interestingly, a black man from Wisconsin, who escaped genocide in his native African land and became interested in Judaism from a support group in the U.S.

The tour leader is an Englishman who narrates the group’s visits to a war memorial, a cemetery and a concentration camp. David and Benji break off from the group to see the place where grandma lived.

The film’s soundtrack is primarily Chopin piano pieces which, like anything that’s overdone, become tedious after a while. Of course, it’s entirely appropriate to use his music as he is a Polish icon. Heck, the Warsaw airport is named for him!

Benji lives in Binghamton so he and David haven’t spent much time together recently. Their interactions with each another and with the travel group are often uncomfortable as the cousins revisit their family histories and try to understand each other’s current life situations.

For fans of Kieran Culkin’s work on the recent series Succession, A Real Pain is a must-see. His performance is the spice that gives the story some necessary conflict and helps showcase his range as an actor. Some folks have suggested that his work here may even be award-worthy. TBD.

A Real Pain clocks in at just under 90 minutes. It is rated R for language and drug use, mainly weed. 

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