Movie Review: Killer Heat (2024)

Genre: Neo-Noir Mystery  

Director: Philippe Lacôte  

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Richard Madden  

Running Time: 97 minutes  

Synopsis: On the Greek island of Crete, private detective Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is hired by Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley) to probe the death of her brother-in-law Leo (Richard Madden), who supposedly fell to his death while rock climbing. The wealthy Vardakis family controls the island, and Penelope is married to Leo's twin brother Elias (also Madden), the CEO of the family's business empire. Nick's sleuthing uncovers a web of jealousy linked to a long-ago relationship between Penelope and Leo, and teams up with local police detective Mensah to uncover the truth.

What Works Well: The Crete filming locations are attractive, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt brings the requisite ruffled curiosity to the role of a private investigator running from his own jealousy demons. The narration is marginally overdone, but mostly effective.

What Does Not Work As Well: The commitment to noir fundamentals is admirable, but locating this mystery under bright Mediterranean skies defeats any attempt at a dark aesthetic. The plot machinations are undone by a focus on too few characters (Nick, Penelope, and Elias) limiting the potential pool of conspirators. Shailene Woodley struggles to convey a femme fatale's complexity, and once revealed, the evil intentions and follow-up actions hardly make any sense.

Key Quote:

Nick (narrating): Sometimes you use a carrot. Sometimes you use a stick. Sometimes you just lie your ass off.



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Movie Review: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Genre: Teen Comedy  

Director: Gil Junger  

Starring: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Allison Janney  

Running Time: 97 minutes  

Synopsis: Anti-social Kat (Julia Stiles) and her younger flirty sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) attend the same Seattle-area high school. Their over-protective father (Larry Miller) stipulates that Bianca can only see boys if Kat is also dating. Classmate Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his rival Joey (Andrew Keegan), a self-absorbed but rich teen model, are both desperate to get close to Bianca. They decide to pay bad-boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) for the trouble of trying to get Kat interested in dating.

What Works Well: This busy reimaging of Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew does not lack in ambition: multiple well-drawn characters energetically compete for space and time in pursuit of romance, high-school style. Most of the humour is sharp, Heath Ledger finds a highlight commandeering the public address system at the school's stadium, while Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are other future stars shining in early roles. The conceited Joey strikes impressive poses in pursuit of oily villainy, and the energetic soundtrack features an eclectic rock mix.

What Does Not Work As Well: The obstacles placed in the path of Kat and Bianca's happiness by their father are contrived mechanisms to activate the plot. Director Gil Junger has trouble finding and maintaining cohesive focus: Cameron is introduced as the initial protagonist, but is eventually sidelined in favour of Patrick, who is late to join the proceedings. Cliques are introduced for no useful purpose, while Allison Janney as the dismissive guidance counselor fades away completely.   

Key Quote:

Patrick (to Cameron): See, first of all, Joey is not half the man you are. Secondly, don't let anyone, ever, make you feel like you don't deserve what you want. Go for it!



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Movie Review: 7500 (2019)

Genre: Hijack Drama Thriller

Director: Patrick Vollrath

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Running Time: 92 minutes

Synopsis: On a Berlin to Paris nighttime flight, Tobias Ellis (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is the First Officer while his partner Gökce (Aylin Tezel) is one of the flight attendants. Once airborne, murderous hijackers storm the cockpit and incapacitate the Captain (Carlo Kitzlinger), but the injured Tobias regains control and locks the hijackers out of the flight deck. As he struggles to land the plane and keep the passengers safe, he notices that 18-year-old hijacker Vedat (Omid Memar) may not be as fanatical as his colleagues.

What Works Well: German director Patrick Vollrath's feature film debut is almost entirely set in the cockpit and unfolds in close-to-real-time, resulting in a tense, claustrophobic, and effective thriller. Focusing on realism, the human actions are filled with missteps, injuries matter, heroism is accidental, and routine movements like pulling levers or using microphones are hampered by pain or lack of knowledge. The interactions between Tobias and Vedat reveal a complex web of emotions within panic, anchored by a level-headed Joseph Gordon-Levitt performance.

What Does Not Work As Well: The film's strengths are also its limitations: nothing matters beyond the confines of the cockpit; and in striving for authenticity, repetition and prolongation creep in.

Conclusion: A crisis confined to close quarters.



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Movie Review: Premium Rush (2012)

Genre: Crime Chase Thriller

Director: David Koepp

Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Michael Shannon

Running Time: 92 minutes

Synopsis: Disenchanted law student Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a speed-loving daredevil bicycle courier in New York City, and having relationship problems with his girlfriend and fellow bike courier Vanessa (Dania Ramirez). Wilee's last job of the day is to rush-deliver a package from Vanessa's roommate Nima (Jamie Chung) to a Chinatown address. The package contains a $50,000 hawala ticket, and Wilee is soon being furiously pursued by corrupt cop Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon), who is drowning in gambling debts.

What Works Well: Co-writer and director David Koepp creates a movie with its own power-generating source in the form of reckless biking on New York's wild streets. Every car, truck, pedestrian, stroller, and traffic light is a near-miss opportunity for a bone-breaking or skull-cracking fall, and Mitchell Amundsen's cinematography captures the thrill of a muscle-powered (and in Wilee's case, brakeless) machine carving impossible pathways through the maze of danger.

What Does Not Work As Well: Essentially a roadrunner-inspired bicycle chase movie riding one idea for 90 minutes, the cinematic bag of tricks begins to run out about halfway through. The characters have all the depth of cardboard cutouts, with Michael Shannon leaning towards blatantly cartoonish. The sub-plot of a bike-equipped police officer who develops a particular dislike towards Wilee is under-leveraged.

Conclusion: Plenty of verve, but not much else.



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Movie Review: 500 Days Of Summer (2009)

A sweet but ultimately still fickle romantic comedy, 500 Days Of Summer enjoys an amiable couple, hip music, and a scattered structure.

Working at a small greeting card company in Los Angeles, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) spots Summer (Zooey Deschanel), the new office assistant. They bond over music and he expresses interest in a relationship, but she does not believe in love and just wants to be friends, although after a few outings they start enjoying moments of intimacy. Summer encourages Tom to pursue his passion for a career in architecture.

As the relationship goes through ups and downs, Tom remains more invested than Summer. Exasperated by her mixed signals and the undefined nature of their relationship, his work suffers and he seeks advice from his young sister Rachel (Chloë Grace Moretz) and best friend McKenzie (Geoffrey Arend). A break-up and potential reunion beckon.

An independent production with a simple story of boy meets girl, boy loves girl, boy maybe loses girl, 500 Days Of Summer is made to appear more intriguing with plenty of time hopping. Tom and Summer's story takes place over 500 days presented non-linearly, every scene introduced by a number between 1 and 500. Director Marc Webb also rides good chemistry between a winsome, low-key couple played with appealing brightness by Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel.

Adding to the chic quotient is an eccentric soundtrack celebrating non-mainstream musicians (including The Smiths) popular among the throngs eager to be labeled non-mainstream, the independent if questionable attitude underlined by Summer proclaiming Ringo as her favourite Beatle. Another brow-raising cultural oddity emerges through expressed appreciation for architectural landmarks in Los Angeles.

Writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber otherwise navigate typical relationship challenges including a mismatch in commitment levels, twangs of jealousy, and misaligned communication styles. But try as it might, 500 Days Of Summer cannot escape most of the genre's contrivances, and Summer's "just friends with occasional benefits" stance is a rickety foundation from the outset. A misguided scene featuring the random public shouting of a body part name is cringey bad, and the final chapter is weak, contaminated by deceitful behaviour unbecoming of friends. 

With a mix of good days, bad days, and weird days, the outcome is bang on average.



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Movie Review: The Walk (2015)

A biography of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit, The Walk is an inspiring chase-the-dream story enlivened by breathtaking risks and remarkable cinematography.

In 1973, Parisian street performer and aspiring tightrope walker Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) spots a magazine article about the construction of the mammoth World Trade Centre twin towers in New York City. He decides he must walk a tightrope between the two buildings, and starts planning to make his audacious dream a reality.

He embarks on a romance with fellow street performer Annie (Charlotte Le Bon), befriends photographer Jean-Louis (Clément Sibony), and seeks mentorship from crusty circus tightrope artist Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley). With the construction of the buildings nearing completion, Philippe relocates to New York for intensive reconnaissance and logistics preparations, and gathers a ragtag group of accomplices. He sets August 6, 1974 as the date of his unsanctioned stunt, but on the big day little will go according to plan.

Directed and co-written by Robert Zemeckis based on Petit's book, The Walk is an exquisite recreation of a bold act of mad artistry. Gordon-Levitt as Petit narrates his story directly to the screen from atop the Statue of Liberty with the twin towers in the background. This playful narrative device mimics Petit's cheerful but seriously determined approach to his craft, and the film is infused with a maverick's spirit.

The opening chapters provide an interesting-enough but familiar backstory, Petit the only character provided with context, while Annie, Papa Rudy and the ever-expanding group of accomplices remain at the basic sketch level. Petit's personality is revealed through fairly mundane scenes from his humble family origins, early tourist performances, and interactions with Papa Rudy in the big tent.

The final third is dedicated to the walk itself, and soars to a whole other elevation. Petit and his crew have to execute a heist-like sequence to avoid security guards and set-up the rope without anyone noticing. Then with majestic elegance, Zemeckis, cinematographer Dariusz Wolski and their special effects team master the dual challenges of buildings that no longer exist and creating the illusion of an actor walking a tightrope more than 400 metres in the air. The cinematic adventure in the void between the towers' two corners is one long astounding and heart-stopping sequence.

Running through the experience is the fundamental question of what drives an individual to absorb such risks. Remarkably, The Walk demonstrates an answer of exhilarating freedom. By the time Petit is near the clouds, his attitude is pure detachment from earthly constraints, and eternal oneness with two great buildings and a rope.



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Movie Review: Project Power (2020)

A mindless action movie with science fiction notes, Project Power offers a nonsensical story and sloppy execution.

In New Orleans, the new drug Power hits the streets, providing users with an exhilarating jolt of individualized superhuman characteristics for 5 minutes. Young Robin (Dominique Fishback) and her cousin Newt (Colson Baker) become street-level peddlers. Police detective Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of Robin's customers, unapologetic about upgrading his stamina, speed and resiliency to apprehend pumped-up criminals.

The mysterious Major (Jamie Foxx) arrives in town intent on identifying the source of the drug. He tracks down Newt then Robin, and identifies a conspiracy by shadowy government types to test the drug in successive cities. The Major has personal reasons to investigate the drug epidemic, but will have to team up with the scrappy Robin and sceptical Frank to stop the carnage.

Project Power finds the reputable Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who should both know better, slumming it in a generically gratuitous thriller. While some of the cinematography is slick and a kernel of interest may reside in the idea of illegal drugs evolving to provide the ultimate high of superpower abilities, the Mattson Tomlin script is not interested in anything cerebral.

Instead the objective is to check-off a succession of unlikely action set-pieces, and these are often derivative, poorly structured and horribly edited into incomprehension. Every pill causes a different outcome depending on the individual user, triggering a ghastly "guess the next monster" parlour game. Co-directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman mechanically hustle the action along without explaining any aspect of whatever evil plot may be unfolding, the bad guys barely introduced and remaining essentially faceless and nameless.

The attempts at injecting some humanity through Robin's character and the Major's personal quest register as perfunctory, confirming Project Power as a disappointing short circuit.



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Movie Review: The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)

A courtroom drama based on real events, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 explores a legal assault on democratic principles by regressive but camouflaged ideology.

August 1968 is approaching and various groups of anti-Vietnam War protesters plan to descend on Chicago for the Democratic Party National Convention. The Mayor's office responds with a large police presence and a National Guard deployment. Five months later, the Nixon administration assumes power and new Attorney General Mitchell directs federal prosecutor Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to prosecute seven activists for the events of August 1968 on charges of cross-state conspiracy to invoke violence. 

With Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella) presiding, the defendants include Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) of the Youth International Party, Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) of the Students for a Democratic Society, and Dave Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch) of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. They are represented by defence counsel William Kunstler (Mark Rylance). Bizarrely thrown into the same courtroom is Black Panthers leader Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), but without a lawyer to represent him.

From the outset the trial proceedings descend into farce, with Judge Hoffman obviously prejudiced against the defendants and taking every opportunity to exasperate Kunstler. And over the long trial duration, underlying tensions between Abbie Hoffman and Tom Hayden bubble to the surface.

While delving into events from a different societal era, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 provides piercing commentary on the misuse of power as a cautionary tale applicable in a modern context. Writer and director Aaron Sorkin deploys his usual sharp dialogue exchanges and witty retorts to enliven infamous court proceedings from the late 1960s, but the contemporary message hides in plain sight: one vindictive Attorney General and one intolerant judge are all it takes to threaten basic freedoms and destroy lives.

The script generally excels in both words and dynamism, skipping from pre-convention preparations straight to the trial, then circling back to the Chicago clashes between police and protesters in often gripping, tension-filled flashbacks as part of the testimony. The fine margins between protests and riots are defined by the briefest of words and actions and become key turning points in activist history.

But with the charges clearly trumped up and the judge on a one-man quest to pervert justice, this is starkly delineated right and wrong storytelling. The few arguments between Abbie Hoffman (revolution through dope and hippies!) and Tom Hayden (revolution through politics and policies!) don't disguise the absence of meaningful intrinsic moral dilemmas. Sorkin also displays a tendency to twiddle the manipulative knobs to eleven, and on a few occasions the music soars to schmaltzy registers while the courtroom histrionics abandon theatre in favour of opera.

The ensemble cast members contribute plenty of talent but enjoy few opportunities to shine. The defendants are efficiently drawn, although the characters are static. Mark Rylance as the lawyer Kunstler carries the heaviest dramatic weight, while Frank Langella's Judge Hoffman is the pantomime villain. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the lead prosecutor starts strong but fades almost into insignificance, while Michael Keaton contributes a small but key role as a prominent defence witness. Important female roles are conspicuous by their absence.

It may be too well-intentioned, but The Trial Of The Chicago 7 nevertheless carries timeless lessons about the slippery slopes threatening all democracies: the system only functions when the guardians care enough to protect it.



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Movie Review: 50/50 (2011)

A dramedy about friendship, 50/50 deploys a deft touch to explore the disruptive impacts of a cancer diagnosis.

In Seattle, Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a laid-back twentysomething working for public radio. He is in a tepid relationship with Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), and best friends with the jovial Kyle (Seth Rogen). Seeking relief from unexplained back pain, Adam is diagnosed with a massive cancerous tumour, and given a 50/50 chance of surviving. His mother Diane (Anjelica Huston) is naturally frazzled.

Adam starts chemotherapy and befriends fellow cancer patients Mitch (Matt Frewer) and Alan (Philip Baker Hall), as well as young and inexperienced therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick). Rachael tries to be supportive but struggles to cope, while Kyle does his best to keep his best friend's spirits up. Adam maintains his steady emotional state, but his life nevertheless fundamentally changes.

Finding flashes of genuine humour in a film about the devastating effects of cancer is never easy, but 50/50 pulls off the neat trick almost effortlessly. Thanks to pitch perfect performances from Gordon-Levitt and Rogen, the film seeks the warm foundations of friendship, and as Adam's condition worsens, Kyle's presence and determination to be there for his friend emerges as a smiling rock on which an admirable film is built. The Vancouver and Seattle locations add a fresh, rain-cleansed aesthetic.

Director Jonathan Levine, working from Will Reiser's sparkling script, goes looking for the playfulness that helps maintain sanity on the margins of the disease. Adam shaves his hair using Kyle's never-washed body trimmer. Kyle never misses an opportunity to chase women, and encourages Adam to play his ailment as a pick up line when the relationship with Rachael flounders. Katherine knows all the therapy lingo but has no experience in how to use it, and the charming Anna Kendrick perfectly tries too hard and says the wrong thing at almost every opportunity.

And even the secondary characters in Adam's orbit contribute to both the drama and the humour. Mom Diane is already dealing with a husband in docile dementia, and now has to gather up the courage to confront her son's sickness. The effort from both mother and son to meaningfully connect resonates as a worthy sub-plot. Similarly, Adam's unexpected friendship with the elderly Mitch and Alan exposes him to father figures confronting cancer with dignity and no shortage of impishness.

Despite the wit and talent on display some scenes do land in mundane network television hospital drama land, and 50/50 works its way to a too-tidy ending. But this is a laudable and mostly grounded look at coping with a sudden crisis where there are no certain outcomes nor right or wrong answers, just imperfect people doing their best.

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Movie Review: Looper (2012)

A science fiction thriller with a riotous premise, Looper delivers mind bending and intelligent excitement.

In Kansas of the year 2044, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is employed by gangster boss Abe (Jeff Daniels) as an assassin to kill mob targets sent back from 30 years in the future, when time travel is invented but outlawed. Abe's assassins, known as loopers, also include the high-strung Kid Blue (Noah Segan) and the more laid back Seth (Paul Dano) who is among the humans evolved to possess a low level of gimmicky telekinesis. Joe maintains a rocky relationship of sorts with exotic dancer Suzie (Piper Perabo).

The loopers all know that eventually they will kill their future self, live out 30 years in retirement before looping back to their death. When Seth fails to kill his future self, he pays a high price, but Joe learns that a vicious new mob boss known only as the Rainmaker has taken control of the future and is terminating all looper contracts.

When the future old version of Joe (Bruce Willis) loops back he evades death, and both versions of Joe incur Abe's wrath. Old Joe is on a mission to find the young Rainmaker and kill him, a quest that will involve single mother Sara (Emily Blunt), who is living on an isolated farm with her young son Cid.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Looper blends in elements from The Terminator 2 with traditional gun-for-hire and destiny-versus-fate narratives. The result is a refreshingly original science fiction time travel action movie, with a focus on characters rather than mechanics. Joe and Old Joe admit to each other that it is best not to try and understand the mental convolutions of co-existing in the same time zone, and Johnson wisely hustles the action along towards a tidy resolution.

With a quite complicated and creative hypothesis, Johnson astutely invests almost the entire first half of the film to build a sturdy foundation. Joe's profession, employers, co-workers, sexual partner, weaponry, and the consequences of botching a job are introduced sequentially to normalize the mobster world of Kansas in the year 2044, before Willis as Old Joe and Blunt as the woman to bring them together make their appearance.

The second half then gallops forth as a smart character-driven action movie, with Johnson reserving a couple of science evolution surprises for maximum impact when needed most. And for all the innovative thinking on display, Looper starts to converge on universal human themes as it hurtles towards its climax. Motherhood, sacrifice and the power of dedicated nurturing rise to the fore.

The Kansas setting gives the film a distinctive flavour. Wide open spaces surrounded by cornfields capable of obscuring everything from vagrants to assassins create unique opportunities, and help to demystify the relatively near future.

The cast is capable, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt adding plenty of quality without getting in the way of the imaginative story. Gordon-Levitt and Willis succeed in mirroring two sides of the same damaged person, while Blunt injects the most nuance with a tough exterior hiding both vulnerability and steely determination. Looper is filled with macho guys twirling futuristic guns, but not surprisingly it's a woman who knows how best to influence the future.

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Movie Review: Stop-Loss (2008)

An examination of combat-induced post traumatic stress disorder and the added strain of an army forcibly re-enlisting soldiers, Stop-Loss shines a familiar light on the human cost of war.

During a tour of duty in Iraq, US Army Staff Sergeant Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) leads his squad into an ambush. In the ensuing intense battle the squad suffers losses: Rodriguez (Victor Rasuk) is severely wounded, "Preacher" is killed, and Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is traumatized. King storms a building to save his close friend Sergeant Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum), but in the process causes many civilian deaths, including women and children.

Back in their small Texas community of Brezos, King, Shriver and Burgess are celebrated as heroes. Shriver exhibits signs of PTSD and strikes his girlfriend Michelle (Abbie Cornish) while Burgess embarks on an alcohol-fuelled self-destructive path. King is keen to be discharged having fulfilled his Army obligations, but is shocked to receive a "stop-loss" order from Lieutenant Colonel Boot Miller (Timothy Olyphant) forcing him to serve another tour in Iraq. He refuses to comply and goes AWOL with Michelle's help. Shriver is caught between duty to his country and his friend's erratic actions.

Directed and co-written by Kimberly Peirce, Stop-Loss fulfils its earnest intention of revealing the trauma of war amplified by the dubious forced reenlistment practice, essentially conscription under another name. Arriving five years into the protracted and unpopular war, the film takes on an easy target and quickly sketches in young men believing they are doing the right thing coming back shell-shocked and jaded, only to be betrayed by the one institution they believed in.

After building a sturdy foundation with the opening battle and subsequent small-town hero's welcome, Stop-Loss stalls. Once King refuses his reenlistment orders and hits the road, the script loops around in lazy circles. As part of his search for a way out of his predicament King visits the badly wounded Rodriguez in a military hospital and Preacher's parents, useful war-is-hell narrative devices but perhaps not exactly what an AWOL Sergeant would do.

Momentum is further lost when Shriver re-emerges to try and reel in his friend, and the triangle of Michelle as Shriver's girl helping King in his escape remains rickety throughout, not helped by unconvincing emotional outbursts. Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum and Abbie Cornish are adequate in the stoic mid-range, but struggle in more expressive moments. A physical scuffle in a graveyard becomes a clumsy low point instead of a cathartic climax.

Stop-Loss revisits the well-worn physical and emotional losses of war, then stops.

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Movie Review: The Night Before (2015)

A Christmas bromance comedy, The Night Before has plenty of good laughs but just as many flat moments.

Ever since both his parents died in a 2001 car crash, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has depended on his good friends Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) to see him through the Christmas season. Isaac is now married to Betsy (Jillian Bell) and expecting his first child, while Chris is suddenly enjoying his finest season as a pro football player. But Ethan is still emotionally stuck in neutral, working menial jobs after having allowed the love of his life Diana (Lizzy Caplan) to get away.

The friends agree that this will be their last Christmas together and the night looks promising when Ethan steals coveted tickets to the secret Nutcracker Ball party. Betsy supplies Isaac with a treasure trove of drugs as a gift for his last Christmas before parenthood, and he is quickly mixing substances and zonking out. Meanwhile Chris goes on a quest to secure weed to impress his teammates, which means that legendary dope dealer Mr. Green (Michael Shannon) gets involved. With the three friends pulled in different directions, their fun is threatened before it really starts.

Directed by Jonathan Levine, The Night Before is a decent attempt to create a modern Christmas fable for the adult bro-therhood crowd. The usual suspects of sex, drugs and men behaving badly are invited to this bash, and while several moments are cringe-worthy, many others are really quite funny. There is enough plot about friendship, growing up, and moving on to hang the immature shenanigans on, and Levine keeps the action hopping and wraps things up in just over 100 minutes.

The rapid-fire improvisation is obvious, and Levine does his best to stay out of the way of his stars as they do their thing on a whim. The actors are often caught staring intently at each other to catch the next line and lob it back, and the sense of anything-can-happen-next is hit and miss, as can be expected.

Ironically, The Night Before is at its worse with the obsessive quest for weed, but at its best when Isaac mixes enough illicit substances to lose his surroundings. Rogen draws good laughs as he hallucinates his way through New York City, culminating in a church service encounter with Besty and her parents that should have been longer.

Michael Shannon injects suitable gruffness as Mr. Green wanders in and out of the movie at regular intervals, and the script makes half-hearted attempts to invoke the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future. James Franco and Miley Cyrus joint the party (literally) late on as themselves, as Ethan finally learns that he will have to earn his way to a meaningful relationship with Diana and Isaac gets his first brush with the tests of parenthood.

The Night Before is unlikely to ever be considered a first-rate Christmas classic, but it deserves a middling place under the tree.

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The Movies Of Joseph Gordon-Levitt

All movies starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and reviewed on the Ace Black Movie Blog are linked below:

Beethoven (1992)

The Juror (1996)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Stop-Loss (2008)

500 Days Of Summer (2009)

Inception (2010)

50/50 (2011)

Premium Rush (2012)

Looper (2012)

Lincoln (2012)

The Interview (2014, uncredited, as himself)

The Walk (2015)

The Night Before (2015)

Snowden (2016)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017, voice cameo)

7500 (2019)

Knives Out (2019, voice cameo)

Project Power (2020)

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022, voice only)

Killer Heat (2024)

Wake Up Dead Man (2025, voice only)

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