“Mafia Mamma,” a new action comedy starring Toni Collette now playing in theatres, is a coming-of-middle-age story about a suburban woman who travels to Italy for the reading of her grandfather’s will, and accidentally gets her groove back.
Collette is Kristin Balbano, a chatty American advertising executive whose life changes in an instant when her phone rings, long distance from Wurope. On the other end of the line is Bianca (Monica Bellucci), consigliere for the Balbano crime family. “Your grandfather is dead,” she says. “You need to settle his affairs. You’ll fly to Italy tomorrow night.”
Although she’s always wanted to go to Rome, Kristin can’t leave at such short notice. “Everything is crazy at work and my husband needs me.” Besides, she wasn’t close with her grandfather. In fact, they never met.
She has a change of heart, however, when, while still on the phone, she catches her husband cheating on her with their son’s guidance counselor.
Her marriage in tatters, she figures some time away would be a tonic and accepts Bianca’s offer. It isn’t until she arrives in Rome for the funeral that she learns she is one of her grandfather’s only blood relatives, and is next in line to run the family business. Even though the old crew isn’t impressed by her—”How are we supposed to appear strong when she is dressed like a librarian?”—she reluctantly steps into the lead role.
Unfortunately, the business is under siege, involved in a turf war with a rival family. As assassins circle around, Kristin discovers a new life as decides whether she can run a crime organization and still be the good person she always thought she was.
“It’s not about losing yourself,” says Bianca. “It’s about becoming yourself.”
“Mafia Mamma” is like “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “Eat, Pray, Love” only with 100% more gunplay and slapstick violence. Kristen’s story of personal awakening and empowerment is predictable, played at a sit com level, but Collette’s easy charm counts for something. Her broad comedic approach wrings laughs out of the material. Whether she is killing a baddie with a stiletto, or admitting to never having seen “The Godfather” because, “It’s really hard to find three-and-a-half hours,” she elevates this standard fish out of water tale.
The story of a woman fighting sexism and an old-school male-centric system doesn’t offer much in the way of surprises, but it does so with a fair amount of enthusiasm.
Watch Richard Crouse review three movies in less time than it takes to cast a spell! Have a look as he races against the clock to tell you about the hallucinogenic “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the feel-good flick “Peace by Chocolate” and the Liam Neeson actioner “Memory.”
Richard joins CP24 to have a look at new movies coming to VOD, streaming services and theatres. Today we talk about “M.C. Escher on an acid trip” experience of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the feel-good flick “Peace by Chocolate,” the World War II thriller “Operation Mincemeat” and the latest Liam Neeson thriller “Memory.”
Richard joins CTV NewsChannel anchor Jennifer Burke to talk about the trippy “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the feel-good flick “Peace by Chocolate,” the stranger-than-fiction World War II thriller “Operation Mincemeat” and “Memory,” the latest from Liam Neeson.
Richard joins NewsTalk 1010 host David Cooper on the coast-to-coast-to-coast late night “Showgram” to play the game “Did Richard Crouse Like This?” This week we talk about the hallucinogenic “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the feel-good flick “Peace by Chocolate” and the Liam Neeson actioner “Memory.”
The release of “Memory,” a new Liam Neeson action movie, now playing in theatres, makes the star’s fourteenth anniversary as an action star. 2008’s “Taken” kicked off the “special set of skills” phase of his career of usually playing tough guys shooting their way through one last job.
“Memory” continues the actor’s unbroken string of shoot ‘em ups, but with a twist. He still has a special set of skills, which he deploys to deadly effect, but this time there is a ticking clock.
Neeson is Alex Lewis, an assassin for hire who prides himself in the precision of his work. He is brutally efficient, but lately there have been slip ups. Nothing major, but his memory isn’t what it once was, and the quality of his work is suffering.
As his memory fades, Lewis finds himself in the crosshairs of an FBI agent Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce, who starred in “memento,” one of the best thrillers involving memory ever made) and Mexican intelligence. Worse, when he turns down a job from ruthless crime human trafficking boss Davana Sealman (Monica Bellucci) to kill a child, she vows to kill him. “I’ve done crazy things,” he says, “but you don’t hurt children, ever.”
To stay alive and help bring Sealman to justice, he must piece the shattered pieces of his memory back together. “We all have to die,” he says, “what’s important what you do before you go.”
Directed by veteran James Bond filmmaker Martin Campbell, “Memory” is a well-constructed thriller, but has a generic, workmanlike feel. The characters feel as though they’ve been cut-and-pasted from other, better movies, leaving the viewer with a feeling of déjà vu. We’ve been there and done that and despite the level of performances from a cast of old pros, it is sunk by a laboured script.
The story of a man trying to undo the bad he has done in his life as his memory fades is a compelling one, but unfortunately, in the end, “Memory” is a forgettable action flick.
Richard’s CP24 reviews for Daniel Craig as James Bond in “Spectre,” the Charlie Brown reboot “The Peanuts Movie” and the Drew Barrymore cancer drama “Miss You Already.”
Richard’s “Canada AM” reviews for Daniel Craig as James Bond in “Spectre,” the Charlie Brown reboot “The Peanuts Movie” and the Drew Barrymore cancer drama “Miss You Already.”
Daniel Craig suits up again in the latest Bond flick, taking his fourth spin as the super spy in Spectre. The film’s overseas reviews have been very strong and it will likely dominate the weekend’s box office but who among us would call Craig the best Bond?
I have a theory that the Bond nearest and dearest to your heart is the first 007 you saw projected on the big screen.
Popular consensus tells us that Sean Connery, who played the role in six films spanning 1962 To 1971 and then once again in 1983’s non-officially sanctioned Never Say Never Again, is the best Bond. As cool as Connery was he isn’t my top of the pops. Dr. No, the first 007 movie, came out before I was born and Connery more or less permanently parked his Aston Martin around the time I entered grade two.
The Bond that made the biggest impression on me was Roger Moore. I know critically speaking he wasn’t the most beloved Bond. Pauline Kael once wrote about him, “Roger Moore is dutiful and passive as Bond; his clothes are neatly pressed and he shows up for work, like an office manager who is turning into dead wood but hanging on to collect his pension.”
I also know that hardcore spy fans considered Moore too well-mannered and pleasant to be effective, but he was my first, and I guess the first cut is the deepest because I still have a fondness for his breezy take on the super agent.
But that’s just me.
To get a broader picture I did a highly scientific Double-Blind Bond Peer Reviewed In House Clinical Trial (in other words I asked my Facebook and Twitter friends) to determine the world’s favourite 007 portrayer.
The contenders were Connery, George Lazenby, Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig — everyone who has played Bond in one of the 24 officially sanctioned 007 movies.
Several contributors brought up others like Barry Nelson, who played James Bond in a 1954 television adaptation of Casino Royale. Also mentioned were David Niven’s turn as Bond in 1967’s Casino Royale and another actor who has never played 007. “Clive Owen,” suggested one poster, “once they get around to casting him in the next one.”
After eliminating the unofficial 007s and non-Bonds a team of experts (OK, it was just me reading through the posts as Live and Let Die played on the TV behind me) sifted through the results.
Pollsters said Brosnan Is Not Enough to ’90s Bond Pierce Brosnan who came in dead last with just 1.9 per cent of the vote.
“I liked Pierce Brosnan because he embodied all the others combined,” wrote one positive poster. “Charm, humour, ruthlessness, cunning.”
Timothy Dalton earned 3.9 per cent with one respondent saying, “If there really was an agent who was an assassin with a licence to kill … it would be him.”
At 9.8 per cent, George Lazenby fared better than Brosnan and Dalton even though he only made one 007 film.
My favourite Bond came in third with 15.6 per cent, just behind Daniel Craig’s 21.5 per cent. “Craig gets me wanting to watch whereas the others are placeholders,” wrote a Facebook friend, “Sorry.”
By far and away, Sean Connery was the winner with a whopping 39.2 per cent of the vote. This comment seems to sum up the reason why people like him. “Sean Connery because Sean Connery!”
Who is your favourite Bond? Chime in at @metropicks.
“Mafia Mamma,” a new action comedy starring Toni Collette now playing in theatres, is a coming-of-middle-age story about a suburban woman who travels to Italy for the reading of her grandfather’s will, and accidentally gets her groove back.
