Emma Thompson is rightly praised for her acting in this film; she turns in her usual professional performance, subsuming her own personality in the interests of fulfilling the demands of the role. The real star of the movie, though, is its writer, the co-lead actor, Mindy Kaling.
I laughed and I cried, I marveled at much of the snappy dialogue, I admired the complex characters she created--not least that of Walter, the husband of Thompson's character, played by John Lithgow, and that of Brad, the head monologue writer, played by Reid Scott (of "Veep").
There is a lot about workplace abuse, harassment, feminism, and the often misogynistic and misanthropic nature of much of our comedy. I liked the real-world shots in New York, which subtly brought out the gross inequality present in the lives of New Yorkers.
The one thing I did not like about the movie was its distribution strategy. "limited release" and Amazon video don't add up to a strategy to promote this movie to its fullest. That's history now, though; I saw the film in a proper auditorium as part of a film society. Much more effective for the viewer, and it made me appreciate its qualities.much more than I would have done if I'd just watched it on my laptop.
I laughed and I cried, I marveled at much of the snappy dialogue, I admired the complex characters she created--not least that of Walter, the husband of Thompson's character, played by John Lithgow, and that of Brad, the head monologue writer, played by Reid Scott (of "Veep").
There is a lot about workplace abuse, harassment, feminism, and the often misogynistic and misanthropic nature of much of our comedy. I liked the real-world shots in New York, which subtly brought out the gross inequality present in the lives of New Yorkers.
The one thing I did not like about the movie was its distribution strategy. "limited release" and Amazon video don't add up to a strategy to promote this movie to its fullest. That's history now, though; I saw the film in a proper auditorium as part of a film society. Much more effective for the viewer, and it made me appreciate its qualities.much more than I would have done if I'd just watched it on my laptop.