Tim joined Paul Douglas and Jordana Green Tuesday to review the original series “Pam & Tommy” (Hulu) and original movie “Home Team” (Netflix) on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM. Click to listen below. The segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” with Tom Barnard on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes” on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on NBC affiliate KARE on the news program “KARE 11 News at 11”.
Tim joined Paul Douglas and Jordana Green to review the original streaming movie “The Dig” (Netflix) and mystery series “Losing Alice” (AppleTV+) on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM. Click to listen below. The segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” with Tom Barnard on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes” on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “Let’s Talk Movies with Tim Lammers” with Tim Matthews on KRWC-AM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on NBC affiliate KARE on the news program “KARE 11 News at 11”.
A bright new day is dawning for the music of The Beatles with “Yesterday,” a funny, sweet and oftentimes poignant romantic comedy that examines the simple notion of a world never exposed to the music of the Fab Four until it’s brought to the fore in a most unusual way.
British TV actor and Hollywood newcomer Himesh Patel stars as Jack Malik, a struggling musician who concedes to his longtime manager Ellie Appleton (Lily James) that after 10 years after trying to make it the big time, he’s ready to call it a day with his career. Jack’s fortunes mystically change overnight, though, when, after a worldwide power blackout and his bike’s collision with a passenger bus, he wakes up to learn that people have never heard of the music of The Beatles.
AUDIO: Listen to Tim’s review of “Yesterday” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM. Segment brought to you by Mike Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Having memorized most of the songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney by heart (moving versions of “Yesterday” and “The Long and Winding Road,” among them) Jack – realizing the profound impact the tunes have on everyone he plays them for – sheepishly decides to pass the songs off as his own, resulting in a meteoric rise to the top of the world’s music scene. But the more successful Jack becomes, the more guilty he feels about living the lie, and the more distant he feels from the true love of his life, Ellie, who seems to be left behind as Jack achieves the fame he was always looking for.
With a story by Jack Barth and Richard Curtis and a screenplay by Curtis (the genius behind “Four Weddings and Funeral,” “Love, Actually” and the undiscovered gem “About Time”), “Yesterday” is a complete breath of fresh air in the Hollywood’s ever-increasing stale environment of sequels and remakes. The source material is completely realized by director Danny Boyle, who adds visual pizzazz to the relatively simple story, which ultimately makes for one of the best films of 2019.
With the “Slumdog Millionaire” Oscar-winning director calling the shots, Boyle clearly had the clout to properly execute Barth and Curtis’ vision, and the first great movie was casting Patel – a relative unknown, at least to American audiences – in the crucial lead role. Patel is a complete revelation as Jack, a clearly talented musician who can not only sing and play guitar and piano but maintain a magnetic presence throughout the film. Patel’s performance is elevated by the undeniable charm of James, who continues to impress with every film she’s in. James’ character’s strength is matched her vulnerability, and complete realization of the role makes James completely relatable. Thanks to stunning turns in “Cinderella,” “Baby Driver” and now “Yesterday,” James has become Hollywood’s quintessential girl-next-door.
While Patel and James anchor “Yesterday,” the film is loaded with several key supporting performances, including “Saturday Night Live” star Kate McKinnon, who is wickedly hilarious as Jack’s agent, Joel Fry as Jack’s gloriously misinformed roadie and pop superstar Ed Sheeran as himself. Sheeran is particularly amazing, given he’s playing a heightened version of himself as he instantly recognized Jack’s talents and brings him aboard his tour as an opening act, effectively swinging his protégé’s door wide open to worldwide fame.
“Yesterday” wouldn’t be complete, though, without the music of The Beatles, as the film perfectly captures the hole left in pop culture as Jack encounters people clueless to the group’s music at every turn (similarly fascinating would be a scenario of a world that never knew Elvis Presley). And while there are arguments to be had with the “What if?” scenario of The Beatles music not existing (if John, Paul, George and Ringo weren’t around, how could the countless acts they influenced be?), Boyle, Curtis and Barth have clearly captured lightning in a bottle with “Yesterday,” as countless filmmakers are no doubt kicking themselves, asking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” On a smaller plane, the film also examines people’s trajectories had not everything in life gone according to plan, resulting in a moment that is bound to leave audience members with goosebumps.
No matter whose idea great art is, somebody has to break the mold to make classic music as The Beatles did, and as it relates to film, “Yesterday,” is a perfectly-formed collaboration of filmmakers and actors who collectively crafted a near-perfect movie. Sure, it’s a fantasy movie that can’t be completely described but only experienced in person in order to realize its full impact; but fans will be happy to know that it has the same sort of life-altering impact that The Beatles had on people when their music was heard and felt all those years ago. “Yesterday” is not only a movie for today, but many tomorrows to come.
Lammometer: 9 (out of 10)
AUDIO: Tim reviews “Yesterday” and more with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on “Paul & Jordana” on WCCO-AM. Segment brought to you by Mike Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
Ten years after the hit movie based on the blockbuster stage musical, a questionable sequel to the ABBA-inspired “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” has finally arrived with mixed results. Loaded with a new set of lesser-known ABBA tunes and the return of some of the original film’s hit favorites, “Here We Go Again” has its share of highs and lows for the first two-thirds of the film until it recaptures the full glory of the 2008 film in a strong third act.
“Here We Go Again” begins with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who apparently after her honeymoon with Sky (Dominic Cooper) decided to settle in Greece (And why not? The setting is gorgeous) and is struggling to open her mom Donna’s (Meryl Streep) original abode as a premiere hotel destination.
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s reviews of “The Equalizer 2” and “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.”
There’s trouble in paradise, though, as Sky has found his dream in the hotel business a half-world away in New York City; and complicating matters is that she discovers she is pregnant with their first child. Effectively, Sophie’s dilemmas mirror that of her free-spirited mom in her younger years (Lily James), and the scenes of which are juxtaposed throughout the film in a series of flashbacks.
Part sequel and part prequel, “Here We Go Again” works best when the original cast appears, including Christine Baranski and Julie Walters as Tanya and Rosie – Donna’s best friends/Donna and the Dynamos back-up singers – as well as Sophie’s three dads: Sam, Harry and Bill, played again by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard, respectively.
Naturally, Donna’s back story includes the younger versions of Tanya and Rosie (Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies), and chronicles her brief romances with Sam (Jeremy Irvine), Harry (Hugh Skinner) and Bill (Josh Dylan), leading to her pregnancy with Sophie – which, of course, drove the story line of who the dad was in the original “Mamma Mia!”
While the younger cast members are admirable additions to the large ensemble, they just can’t live up to the memorable performances put in by the veteran stars of the original. Sure, they’re at the heart of the musical numbers that are mostly, but not always, delightful, but the minute the narrative gets back to the storytelling in-between, it feels like all the air has been sucked out of the movie.
VIDEO: See Tim’s reviews of “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” and “The Equalizer 2” with Adrienne Broaddus of KARE-TV.
There are a couple new additions to the “Mamma Mia” sequel that are particularly noteworthy: Andy Garcia as the handsome caretaker of Sophie’s new hotel, and Cher as Donna’s/Sophie’s estranged entertainer mother/grandmother who turns up uninvited to the grand opening of the new business. Cher’s appearance in the film, while brief, is naturally one of the big highlights of “Here We Go Again,” merely because her powerhouse voice reminds you just how less-musically inclined her co-stars are. Cher also has a statuesque presence, which makes up for almost the complete lack of Streep in the film, save for one emotionally powerful scene at the end.
Whether a follow-up chapter was even necessary is something fans of the original will surely debate after seeing the sequel, including a crucial plot point involving the main character, Donna (Meryl Streep), that dampens the mood almost from the get-go. A daring, if not welcome move from a storytelling standpoint? Probably, but it also casts a dark cloud over the sunny disposition that made the original production – both on stage and film – such a joy.
Luckily, “Here We Go Again” ends on a high note, as writer-director Ol Parker assembles the entire cast for an entertaining curtain call number that rivals the end credit tunes of the original “Mamma Mia!” True, the second go-round of the story of Donna and the Dynamos won’t knock you off your feet, but thanks to some lovable tunes, it will surely want to make you get up, dance and naturally, sing.
Lammometer: 6.5 (out of 10)
“The Equalizer 2” (R)
Denzel Washington is back as Robert McCall – and this is a pretty big deal for Washington – since this is his first sequel in his career. McCall is a retired CIA Agent who still has knack for kicking the bad guys’ asses when they’re preying on the defenseless. Despite that, he’s still trying to lead a low-profile existence by being a driver for a ride-sharing service – but he’s pulled back into the spy game full-time when his colleagues are being assassinated – and he’s on the list.
Washington is great as usual, even when the story gets predictable with the reveal of who is behind the killings. The final showdown gets out of hand, too, when McCall takes on the bad guy as a hurricane begins to bear down on East Coast. Fans of revenge thrillers won’t care, though, especially when it Washington is the guy pulling the trigger.
Lammometer: 7 (out of 10)
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s reviews of “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” and more with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on WCCO Radio (segment begins 9:30 in)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
