Written and directed by English comedian and actor Stephen Merchant in his directorial debut, Fighting with My Family is a surprisingly endearing comedy drama based on the true story of a young British woman growing up in a family obsessed with wrestling who successfully makes her way through the tryouts for the WWE. We first meet the protagonist Saraya who later goes by the stage name Paige, terrifically played by Florence Pugh, as a young girl who fights with her brother Zak, played by Jack Lowden, in their parents’ small-time wrestling circuit in Norwich, England. As a result of their wrestling obsession and punk appearance, the family is often made fun of outside of the wrestling world and is led by the unusual yet loving parents Patrick, played by the always funny Nick Frost, and Julia Bevis, played by Lena Headey best known for her role in Game of Thrones. Eventually, the siblings get to participate in the London tryouts for the WWE at the invitation of the WWE trainer Hutch Morgan, played by Vince Vaughn, but Paige is the only one picked to go to Orlando, Florida to train in the NXT development program for the WWE. She has very mixed emotions because her beloved brother who she has always worked with is overlooked by the WWE. In somewhat typical sports movie fashion, we see Paige struggling in a series of training montages, and, at one point, she threatens to quit before she is encouraged by her family to pursue her lifelong dream. For a while, Zak is deeply depressed about not having a chance like his sister in the most popular wrestling circuit and begins to drink even though he has a new wife and a young baby at home. Over the course of the movie, Dwayne Johnson who started his career in the WWE as The Rock appears randomly and gives Paige advice about how to succeed in the wrestling world. Overall, I found it to be a terrific uplifting film that effectively presents another side of the WWE in which it is like any other sport or form of entertainment that helps bring families together. It is much more than a wrestling movie; at its heart, it is a beautiful story of family and the pursuit of dreams even when it is extremely hard to accomplish.

Based on the true story of one of the world’s most famous comedic duos Laurel and Hardy during their late career, Stan & Ollie is a truly wonderful little movie about the heartwarming relationship between Laurel and Hardy despite their occasional disagreements on their very last tour together across the United Kingdom. We first meet the Englishman Stanley “Stan” Laurel, played by the Oscar-nominated British comedian Steve Coogan, and the American Oliver “Ollie” Hardy, brilliantly played by Oscar-nominated American comedian John C. Reilly who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role, toward the end of the height of their career in the 1930s making movies for the famous comedy producer Hal Roach, played by Danny Huston. Almost two decades pass before we meet the two again. Partly for financial reasons, the comedians finally get over their years-long rift over Laurel leaving Hal Roach Studios and Hardy making a movie without his longtime partner Laurel. In the twilight of their careers, they agree to embark on a rather small-time music hall tour of England and Ireland in 1953 comprised of their most famous acts in addition to several new ones that Laurel has written. Over the course of the non-stop traveling schedule, both comic legends are often at each other’s throats as a result of the disappointing crowd turnouts and the acknowledgement that their careers are inevitably ending soon. Through recreations of their bits and the behind-the-scenes rehearsals, the filmmaker is vividly able to portray the comedic genius of the larger-than-life Laurel and Hardy whose diametrically opposed personalities and physical appearances work perfectly for comedic effect. The actors, particularly John C. Reilly who is almost magically transformed into the overweight mustached Oliver Hardy, help to bring the world famous comedians to life even though they have been dead for over half a century. The film also does a terrific job of painting a much more intimate picture of the pair that explores the complicated friendship between both men in which they often argue but, at the end of the day, love one another as if they were family. Overall, I found it to be one of the most emotionally touching movies in recent memory that is only able to work as a result of the outstandingly realistic depictions of the one-and-only Laurel and Hardy given by the excellent actors; it is a much more personal and nuanced exploration of Hollywood comedy luminaries that goes beyond simply reliving their funniest bits.

Directed by critically acclaimed Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos whose 2015 movie The Lobster was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, The Favourite is a rather bizarre historical drama containing elements of dark humor that is elevated to be one of the best movies of the year because of the Oscar-worthy acting performances of the three lead actresses. The story is based on real life events that took place during the time of the British monarch Queen Anne in the early 18th century, at a time when England was at war with France. Played by Olivia Colman who is nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, Queen Anne is portrayed as a rather weak and frail figure as a result of her struggles with illness, including gout, and is at the center of palace intrigue including two ladies of the Court. The Duchess of Marlborough Sarah Churchill, played by Oscar winner Rachel Weisz, is initially the favorite of Queen Anne and is given great responsibility over matters of the state during the convalescence of the Queen. The audience quickly learns that Sarah is also the secret lover of Queen Anne who relies heavily on Sarah’s personal advice and looks to her for support. Things are complicated with the arrival of Sarah’s young cousin Abigail Hill, played by Oscar winner Emma Stone, who has lost her position and is now seeking a job working at the Royal Palace. After she gets into the good graces of Queen Anne, Abigail begins a very tense rivalry with the Queen’s current favorite Sarah over who can become the coveted personal favorite of the rather buffoonish Queen. At the same time, the Queen’s power is being tested by the Member of Parliament Robert Harley, played by Nicholas Hoult, who opposes the monarchy’s plan to raise land taxes to support the unpopular war with France. The cunning ploys between the fiercely competitive Sarah and Abigail eventually come to a head and leads to Sarah temporarily being away from the Royal Court. With her absence, Abigail continues in haste her successful endeavor to curry favor with Queen Anne whose disconcerting and petty antics continue to bewilder the Court. Evident of her rise in stature, Abigail even begins a relationship with a baron named Samuel Masham, played by Joe Alwyn. A key aspect of the filmmaker’s unique style, the movie is filled with some rather outlandish and quite simply weird moments, however, it is to a much lesser degree than his earlier works. The strangeness is quite effective in satirizing the excesses and eccentricities of a Royal Court, particularly Queen Anne’s in the early 1700s at the corroding height of the British Monarchy. Overall, I found it to be a highly entertaining and fascinating film that delves deep into the closed-door politics of the Royal Palace, and it is very special as a result of the brilliant casting of three actresses at the top of their game.

Directed by Peter Farrelly who along with his brother Bobby is best known for such comedic films as 1994’s Dumb and Dumber and 1998’s There’s Something About Mary, Green Book is a heart-warming comedic drama about an unusual road trip through the South in the 1960s with a famous black musician and a rough Italian-American driver. Inspired by a true story, ill-mannered tough guy Tony ‘Tony Lip’ Vallelonga, played by two-time Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen, is a Manhattan bouncer looking for a job and eventually lands a job as a driver for the sophisticated and proper African American jazz pianist Dr. Don Shirley, played by Oscar winner Mahershala Ali. Despite their mutual misgivings mostly as a result of their ethnic differences, Shirley is told that the strong-willed Tony would probably be best suited for a journey through the extremely hostile South for black men like himself. Tony’s wife Dolores, played by Emmy nominee Linda Cardellini, encourages her hesitant husband to take the job. At first, both men really do not understand each other at least from a cultural and ethnic perspective, with Tony feeling that Shirley is really not black enough according to the day’s stereotypes. In almost a role reversal, at least according to the prejudices at the time, Shirley objects to the profane and often irreverent mannerisms of Tony who has never really left his comfort zone of New York City. Most of the road trip is smooth sailing with the exception of several incidents in which a few racist Southerners verbally and physically attack Shirley simply due to the color of his skin. Ironically, Shirley who is an extremely talented classically-trained pianist with impeccable manners is often barred from patronizing the same clubs and other venues where he is performing as they venture deeper and deeper into the Jim Crow South. Although at times the film glosses over the much more inhumane treatment that Shirley would likely have experienced as a black man in the South, the story evolves into a bittersweet buddy comedy in which Tony and Shirley look past their differences and develop a friendship that would last a lifetime. Emphasizing the racial underpinnings of the movie, the title itself refers to the actual travel guide known as the Green Book that directed black motorists to the black friendly establishments in the Deep South. In a rather jarring moment for Tony, he seems confused by receiving this book because he did not know that its existence was required for someone as respected as Shirley just because he is black. Overall, I found it to be an endearing and entertaining buddy road trip film that largely promotes interracial harmony evolving over an extended trip between two different men from two very different backgrounds. Furthermore, the movie works so beautifully as a result of the terrific chemistry between such acclaimed actors as Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali.