Fri. September 26, 2014
By Gregg Shapiro
The Skeleton Twins, the perfect comic companion piece to Obvious Child, released earlier this year, is a pitch black comedy about suicide, secrets, bad mothers, alcoholism, strained sibling relationships, marital infidelity, pedophilia, inappropriate behavior, lip synching and Halloween. What saves it from being a total downer is the brilliantly funny writing by Mark Heyman (Black Swan) and director Craig Johnson, as well as the extraordinary performances by lead actors (and former SNL cohorts) Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig.
Siblings Milo (Hader), an actor/waiter, and dental hygienist Maggie (Wiig), known as the "gruesome twosome," are reunited after 10 years following Milo's failed suicide attempt in Los Angeles. Returning to their Nyack, New York hometown, where Maggie lives with sexy but slow husband Lance (Luke Wilson), the sibs attempt to repair their broken brother and sisterhood.
Gay Milo is depressed but hasn't lost his alternately silly and snarky edge. Milo's presence seems to spark something in Maggie, who has been leading Lance to believe she is participating in their attempts to get pregnant, while secretly taking birth control pills. Also unbeknownst to poor Lance, Maggie struggles with monogamy issues.
Meanwhile, Milo takes the hometown return opportunity to attempt to reconnect with an old lover. The emphasis is on old because, as a 15 year old high school student, Milo became involved with his older English teacher Rich (Ty Burrell). The affair cost Rich his job (he now runs a bookstore) and played a part in Milo's ongoing downward spiral.
If it all sounds kind of bleak, it is. However, there are more than enough comedic situations, including a visit from their woo-woo and itinerant mother Judy (Joanna Gleason), a nitrous oxide episode at Judy's office, and a choreographed bit to Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," that effectively balance the looming darkness. Wiig's performance shows depth and dimension, but it's Hader who has the (skeleton) keys to the kingdom. Milo is much more than just Hader expanding on his beloved Stefon character from SNL. Hader completely fleshes out Milo, making him familiar, funny, fresh and unforgettable.
Thanks to cable food channels and the various and sundry cooking shows and competitions that are broadcast, kitchen culture is more popular than ever. The hunger for food in films, including dramas, comedies and documentaries, pre-dates the current epicurean enthusiasm (see Babette's Feast and Like Water For Chocolate). Nevertheless, the cravings continue, and 2014 has served up two more appetizing cinematic courses, "The 100 Foot Journey" (still in theaters) and Chef (Universal), now available on Blu-ray+DVD+Digital HD.
Writer/director/actor Jon Favreau plays Carl, the titular character in Chef. He's a brash, obsessive, kitchen commando with a staff, including Martin (John Leguizamo), Tony (Bobby Canavale) and Molly (Scarlett Johansson), that respects (make that worships) him, and a tyrannical boss, Riva (Dustin Hoffman), with a Napoleon complex. Things reach a boiling point following a negative review from powerful and feared restaurant critic Michel (Oliver Platt), leading to a showdown between Carl and Riva. Carl walks.
Adding coarse sea salt to the wound is his divorce from the glamorous and successful Inez (Sofia Vergara), mother of his devoted but neglected son Percy (Emjay Anthony). Inez wants nothing more than for Carl to succeed, even going so far as to connect him with her zany publicist Jen (a wickedly wacky Amy Sedaris). But Carl, who wants to succeed on his own, eventually succumbs to Inez's charms, accompanies her and Percy back to Miami, where she is from and where Carl got his start. A meeting with Inez's first ex-husband Marvin (Robert Downey, Jr.) leads to a new venture in the exciting world of food trucks.
Chef puts a lot on the menu, including the good and bad power of social media (see the escalation of a Twitter war of words), father and son relationships, road trips, unfinished relationship business, food as a means of creative and personal expression, and the desire to succeed. As with The 100 Foot Journey, it's best to see Chef on a full-stomach. Also, vegetarians and vegans should be warned that meat, raw and cooked, plays a prominent role here. Blu-ray/DVD bonus features include deleted scenes and commentary by Favreau and co-producer Roy Choi.
For the complete article (non-reader view with multimedia and original links),
Tap here.
Head to the local LGBTQ news, events, directory and people network at ChicagoPride.com