Comedy | www.jaredmobarak.com

REVIEW: The History of Future Folk [2013]

2013/05/282013/07/14 Jared Mobarak

“You still make a crappy assassin, though” Hipster culture appears here to stay. Big-bearded, plaid flannel-wearing, folk music playing bohemians increase their numbers every day as bands like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and Iron & Wine expand into the mainstream rock scene. The appeal probably comes from our American love of wanting to be unique by adopting trends that have become anything but. Yearning to be a part of something without wanting to admit it, we fight against uniformity until the counter-culture morphs into the newest style to loathe. Somehow…

REVIEW: The Hangover Part III [2013]

2013/05/212013/07/14 Jared Mobarak

“Can you take Stu instead?” Love them or hate them, you can’t deny The Hangover and The Hangover Part II pushed the envelope to an extreme. No one anticipated Todd Phillips’ hard-R buddy romp would turn into the phenomenon it did—a hit before its release—and his idea to pretty much remake it in Bangkok for the sequel was an inspired choice for no other reason than it being so uninspired. I loved the first and thought the second’s ability to increase our discomfort level further was just as funny if…

REVIEW: Missed Connections [2013]

2013/05/192013/07/17 Jared Mobarak

“When I think about the soft bigotry of low expectations, I think of dating in New York” Sometimes we must look past formulaic cliché and an overreaching desire to transform a less than trustworthy internet dating tool on Craigslist into a phenomenon used with overwhelming success before realizing entertainment can be enjoyed on levels above or below intellectual stimulation. First-time feature director Martin Snyder and co-writer Marnie Hanel may fall victim to glamorizing a gimmick in order to construct the framework underneath their story, but they don’t skimp on catching…

REVIEW: Tillman [2011]

2013/05/162013/07/18 Jared Mobarak

“Dad, can we talk about Mom?” Some short films suffer due to their brevity and Tillman is one of them. A fifteen-minute piece depicting a sad-sack car dealership owner named Richard Tillman (Wayne Joseph), the film creates a mood very different from what its synopsis hopes to cultivate. Explained as a portrayal of a father-of-three’s seemingly idyllic life soon unraveling into the depressive reality he’s kept hidden beneath the surface, it’s never shown to possess anything other than ambivalence. Richard is obviously unhappy from frame one and our entry into…

REVIEW: Pain & Gain [2013]

2013/05/102013/07/17 Jared Mobarak

“I gotta get a pump” I like when actors not only play to their strengths, but also make a concerted effort to do so. Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson saw an opportunity to have fun playing a couple of bumbling amateur criminals—waiving their salaries along with director Michael Bay for backend deals—and had faith audiences would come to see them make light of their physiques and act the fools. Pain & Gain is a perfect venue for their somewhat limited skill sets as its true to life tale of greed…

REVIEW: And Now a Word from Our Sponsor [2013]

2013/05/082013/07/17 Jared Mobarak

“Can you hear me now?” Points for ingenuity to screenwriter Michael Hamilton-Wright for crafting a feature length script that makes sense around a character only speaking in commercial slogans. Sadly, though, And Now a Word from Our Sponsor possesses little else besides this gimmick. The publicity description overreaches in its comparison to Peter Sellers’ brilliant Being There, somewhat missing the point of the classic. While Bruce Greenwood’s Adan Kundle does find himself fatefully assisting in the reconciliation of his caretakers’ familial strife, his accidental profundity isn’t the incoherent ramblings of…

REVIEW: Wuss [2013]

2013/04/242013/07/18 Jared Mobarak

“Do these kids have parents? It’s still outer suburbia.” Writer/director Clay Liford knows a film titled Wuss better make sure its lead character is a living embodiment of the word. So even though he may be introduced as a self-deprecating nerd willing to laugh about living with his mom and working at the same high school he’s currently standing in to chat up a drunk, former “popular girl” at their ten-year reunion, his luck at cajoling her into visiting his darkened classroom can’t help but get interrupted by the vice…

REVIEW: It’s a Disaster [2013]

2013/04/032013/07/18 Jared Mobarak

“The conversation is real Glenn. The problem is hypothetical.” Even though the Mayans and 2012 have passed, filmmakers still appear utterly fascinated by the end of the world and our reaction to it. I’m not talking post-apocalyptic tales occurring years later—Oblivion or After Earth—I mean true “end is nigh” stuff like Rapture-palooza, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, or This is the End. This is where true, unadulterated introspection is possible, when our feelings lay bare without threat of consequence since in a few short hours nothing…

REVIEW: Admission [2013]

2013/03/222013/07/18 Jared Mobarak

“Thank you, sad lady” When your movie depends on its unorthodox relationship between star (Tina Fey‘s Princeton admissions officer, Portia) and central plot device (Nat Wolff‘s soon-to-be high school graduate dreaming of attending said college, Jeremiah) stemming from the very real possibility they’re estranged mother and son, it’s unsurprising to discover the world around them is a laundry list of eccentrically unique parents. Between her former live-in boyfriend leaving to have twins despite hating children (Michael Sheen‘s Mark), her feminist Bohemian mother who spent years trying to break free from…

REVIEW: How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song [2013]

2013/03/192013/07/18 Jared Mobarak

“It’s not like I’m going to shove you down the stairs or anything” Artistic integrity—is it a dying concept or has the definition simply changed? As a freshman in college I began admitting to anyone who asked my major that pursuing a career in graphic design meant I sold out. Yes, before I had even begun. In hindsight, looking at today’s generation learn about the greats who succumbed to mental illness, poverty, and/or both as they struggled to put their voice/heart/essence/soul onto whatever canvas it was they deemed worthy to…

REVIEW: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone [2013]

2013/03/122013/08/07 Jared Mobarak

“Pretend I’m still here and tell me all about it” I’m a big magic fan—always have been. Armed with a set of tricks needing extensive instructions before allowing my parents to feign astonishment at my implementation, I watched every David Copperfield special and even went to a weekly magic class one summer as a kid. There is something about making the impossible possible through hard work and dedication that is utterly satisfying. Who wouldn’t enjoy witnessing the look in someone’s eye when they’ve been genuinely surprised by a flawless illusion…