Coupon clipping caper ‘Queenpins’ conveys clever comedy
We’re all familiar with the notion of coupons. Whether they’re bits of paper clipped from the weekend newspaper or codes procured from some website or another, coupons are a significant part of our consumer culture. Everyone recognizes that tiny thrill that comes with paying less.
But when couponing is pushed to its extremes, things can get a bit … strange. Shoppers developing methods to maximize savings, winding up with rooms filled with groceries and other goods, all in pursuit of that thrill.
And some people are willing to go even farther.
“Queenpins,” the new film by writer/director team Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, draws its inspiration from a real story of coupons run amok, an international scheme that made its masterminds millions of dollars, all from exploiting those seemingly innocuous slips of paper.
It’s a heist story, a caper story, yes – but it’s also a story about the lengths to which we will go in order to feel empowered, to feel as though we have some agency in the direction our lives take. It’s a charming and occasionally goofy story about female friendship wrapped in a pink-collar criminal enterprise, led by a dynamic and talented cast.
2 Fast 2 Frozen – ‘Frozen II’
Disney’s “Frozen” was one of the most successful films of all time, raking in nearly $1.3 billion at the box office; as of now, it remains the 15th highest-grossing film of all time. It has also spent the past six years as a beloved mainstay in many a child’s home, with earworms like the ubiquitous “Let It Go” lodging themselves firmly into the wider pop culture landscape.
Obviously, there was always going to be a sequel.
But we no longer live in a world of hastily churned-out video-only sequels to iconic IP. There was never going to be anything direct to video about this one, though the truth is that it probably doesn’t matter all that much how good a sequel actually is – people were going to buy in.
But while “Frozen II” isn’t the achievement that its predecessor was, it’s still pretty darned good. Better than it had to be, really.
It is a continuation of the story of Elsa and Anna and their friends, a film that offers answers to questions that you may (or may not) have had about the previous installment. It features the same voice cast, the same directors, the same screenwriters and the same songwriters, all clearly having as much fun as you can have while also being tasked with continuing the money-printing legacy of Disney in general as well as “Frozen” specifically.
Yule regret ‘A Bad Moms Christmas’
Mirthless motorcycles - ‘CHiPs’
Hit and Run' more run than hit
Chase comedy has moments, but falls flat
August's end also marks the end of the summer movie season. This means that the last couple of weeks of that month are the repository for many of the studios' also-rans. These are films that don't fit the blockbuster bill, nor do they warrant inclusion in the fall's lineup of more sophisticated movies. Calling it a wasteland is probably harsh, but not overly so.
This is where we find movies such as 'Hit and Run,' a comedy that seems to be the pet project of actor Dax Shepard (TV's 'Parenthood'). By all appearances, this is Shepard's magnum opus not only did he star in the film, but he wrote and co-directed it as well. Heck, he's even listed in the credits as an editor.
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