Late Night (2019)

An episode from the life and career of David Letterman - come on, it is - is brought to the screen in this intelligent and funny movie - a frequently laugh-out-loud one - and one that most of all is always interesting, but to nitpick, the one element that doesn't quite work is the writing around the excellent Mindy Kaling's character, a diversity hire to the all-white-male comedy writing team that is slowly but surely sending the career of Emma Thompson's David Letterman down the gurgler with its tired ideas and safe jokes: it never feels like this character is the one absolutely necessary for the change required at the show - she's female, writes a good joke, and is willing to speak truth, but the impetus for change preceded her arrival - low ratings and the threat of Letterman losing his job - so really any non-white-male might have done the trick of refreshing the writers' room? - and Mindy Kaling's character's burgeoning relationship with one of the other writers is also unnecessary, added, probably to bolster the character's wobbly presence. 

★★★★☆

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A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

Have your eyelids toothpicked open while The Secret plays on repeat OR have as much fun watching this Disney fantasy as it incessantly hammers its positive psychology message - that's everything - while all else - logic and plot, story and watchability, even basic sense - is nothing. 

★☆☆☆☆

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Inside Out (2015)

It goes on a little bit with repetitive scenes of 'memory islands' collapsing, but Pixar's Inside Out, an animated movie-length Herman's Head about the inner workings of a depressed child's head, is surprisingly touching and a breath of fresh air for anyone who has grown weary of the positive psychology industry: the message of this film is the importance of acknowledging and sharing, and not simply blocking out or smiling through, Sadness.

★★★★☆

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