Rough Night feels like a female cast of The Hangover with a little Weekend at Bernie’s thrown in. I’m giving it a B-. Five friends from college reunite in Miami to celebrate Jess’s (played by Scarlett Johansson) bachelorette party, which her friend, Alice (played by Jillian Bell) has arranged. Each of the friends is quirky and flawed. They are an eclectic mix from homeless activist to sex-starved schoolteacher. The dynamic of the different women gives viewers with at least one person they can identify with and serve as a dramatic difference to the groom’s friends who appear “normal”. The night of debauchery goes wrong when they accidentally kill a stripper, then decide to move the body. Hilarity ensues as they keep trying to get rid of the body only to have it show up again. Tempers flare and friendships are put to the test as they finally come clean about what annoys them, only to have them realize when their lives are on the line, that they are best friends for life. Scarlett Johansson is funny which is a big change from her kick-butt roles. Kate McKinnon is Jess’s Australian college friend and has some of the best moments. Surprising roles by Demi Moore, Ty Burrell, and Dean Winters give viewers some over the top characters. Sadly, the movie tries to do too much. It’s funny but also serious. It makes statements on feminism, friendships and love, however they seem out of place in the humorous movie. When the movie goes to the serious parts, the humor is gone. Some of the humor seems forced and contrived or over-used as if we've seen it in all the funny movies. There are also some storylines which feel thrown in, like the strange neighbors and groom’s discussion on why Jess might not want to marry him. There were times when the characters could have done what was right but kept going down the wrong road because it was funnier. When you rewrite the movie while seeing it, you know it didn't always keep your attention. With over the top sexual humor and raunchiness, Rough Night deserved it R rating. It’s not a movie for those who are easily offended. But if you are looking for a movie with laugh-out-loud moments, go to the earlier show when it’s cheaper and enjoy the zaniness.
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Melissa KeirIt's all about the movies... Archives
January 2020
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