“Late Night”- June 7
Starring the ever-radiant Emma Thompson in a role we described as “an enormous gift of a character,” “Late Night,” aims to reach a wide audience but also invoke an important media message; ideology and ratings don’t always mix. Thompson plays Katherine Newbury, a late-night talk show legend who may no longer have the same outreach or comic relatability as before. Ratings have been slipping because she refuses to play the game (or use social media), choosing to book intelligent guests rather than entertaining ones with potential to draw a crowd. A new writer, Molly, played by Mindy Kaling,(who also wrote the script) is brought on board to help turn things around. The subject matter is obviously incredibly timely. Our review also compared the movie to “The Devil Wears Prada” with its mentor/mentee, old world/new ideas narrative. Kaling script is sharp, and there’s also a scandalous component to the plot, but “the biggest joy from [director] Nisha Ganatra’s “Late Night” is that it will remind the global moviegoing community we need more Emma Thompson in our lives.” – AB
“The Last Black Man in San Francisco” – June 7
Moreso than almost any other American metropolis, San Francisco has seen gentrification nearly obliterate what little history the city has maintained. Fueled mostly by the machinations of the city’s tech industry, the San Francisco of years past has become all but unrecognizable to its native inhabitants. Fifth generation San Franciscan Joe Talbot’s debut feature, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” is his love letter to his hometown – and also to his best friend, Jimmie Fails. Fails makes his screen debut in this Sundance darling, playing a fictional version of himself. Talbot’s film picked up a Special Dramatic Jury Prize at Sundance on its way to a seven-figure sale to A24, and we’re thrilled to say that the film itself looks like a joyous, visually poetic stunner (our own Gregory Ellwood called the film “a haunting triumph”) about family, friendship, and the place you call home – and what happens when you don’t recognize that place anymore. Although both Talbot’s film and Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” are being released by A24 in the thick of summer movie season, we wouldn’t count either of them out for major awards consideration as 2019 draws to a close. – NL [Our review]
“Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story” – June 12
While we’re all waiting with bated breath for “The Irishman” to drop later this year, Martin Scorsese die-hards will get a fix of their cinematic drug of choice when “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story” hits Netflix this June. Of course, anyone who’s familiar with Scorsese’s body of work knows he’s directed some pretty outstanding concert movies: “The Last Waltz” is one of the finest and most rewatchable films of its kind, and “Shine a Light,” his rollicking Rolling Stones recital flick, is a buried treasure. And yet, “Rolling Thunder” promises the director’s legions of fans something comfortingly familiar, and yet also not quite more of the same. Described by Netflix as “part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream,” “Rolling Thunder Revue” captures the iconic folk singer’s fabled Rolling Thunder tour that took place from 1975 to 1976, featuring revealing interviews with its subject, as well as performances from Joan Baez, Ringo Starr, and of course, Dylan himself. For fans of Scorsese’s documentary work and 1970’s rock n’ roll mythology, this is one you can’t afford to miss. – NL
“The Dead Don’t Die” – June 14th
In 2016, Jim Jarmusch directed one of that year’s finest films with “Paterson,” a lovely, understated look at the creative routine of a poetically inclined bus driver. That wistful comedic miniature hearkened back to the Zen-like simplicity of the director’s great, early work (“Stranger than Paradise,” “Mystery Train,” etc.). Jarmusch’s latest – the star-studded zombie flick “The Dead Don’t Die” – looks both more mainstream and also completely different than anything he’s ever attempted. This isn’t the first time the renegade director has messed with established genre tropes (see: his intoxicating deconstruction of vampire mythology, “Only Lovers Left Alive”). Still, ‘Dead’ looks like a more accessible effort than that admittedly slow-paced romantic reverie. What’s more is that Jarmusch’s latest sees the filmmaker teaming up with some of his cherished regular collaborators (Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, RZA), while adding some intriguing fresh blood into the mix (Caleb Landry Jones, Selena Gomez and comedy legend Carol Kane, just to name a few). Despite the fact that it’s kicking off this year’s Cannes Film Festival on May 14, this one has ‘crossover hit’ written all over it. – NL
“Toy Story 4” – June 21
There’s an entire generation who’ve grown up with the “Toy Story” films as they have become more emotionally complex, moving further away from the ebullient world of childlike make-believe that characterized the first film. How many of you were holding back tears near the end of “Toy Story 3?” We get choked up just thinking about it. There’s a reason that this is arguably Pixar’s most durable and resonant property (sorry, “Cars”). The “Toy Story” movies are distinguished by their surplus of pathos and imagination – they’ve grown as its audience has grown. “Toy Story 4,” which arrives in theaters everywhere on June 21, looks to be another smash hit for the folks over at Disney. Josh Cooley (best known for his work on the excellent “Inside Out”) is stepping into the director’s chair for this one, which depicts the latest adventures of Woody, Buzz and the gang as they contend with a new toy named Forky (“Veep’s” Tony Hale), who is suffering from a kind of existential crisis. Throw in new voice contributions from the likes of Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele, and you’ve got all the ingredients for another can’t-miss smash. – NL
“Yesterday” – June 28
As far as high concepts go, the gimmick that exists at the heart of Danny Boyle’s upcoming “Yesterday” is quite a doozy. Himesh Patel of “Eastenders” stars as a budding musician who is the victim of a near-fatal accident and awakens to a world where – surprise – no one has heard the music of the Beatles. What would you do if you played the instantly identifiable notes of “Let It Be” for your friends and were greeted with the earnest question of “Hey, who wrote that?” It’s a fascinating question, and even if the movie itself looks a bit schmaltzy, we have the utmost faith in Boyle as one of our premiere visual storytellers. What’s more is that the “Shallow Grave” director has been on something of an upswing lately, following his Oscar-nominated biopic “Steve Jobs,” his unexpectedly soulful sequel to “Trainspotting,” and his kinetic episodes of the FX guilty pleasure “Trust.” With a supporting cast that includes Kate McKinnon, Lily James, Ana de Armas, and Ed Sheeran, this could prove to be an early summer sleeper hit, and another win for its prestigious director. – NL