Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - Box Office Review

Based on a true story, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" (or WTF for short) takes us on a reporters journey documenting the war in Afghanistan in the early 2000's. The film shows the relationship foreign journalists share while covering a volatile country in the midst of conflict with American military forces. We are also treated to some cultural and political normalcies to the region that might seem, literally, foreign to anyone not from the area. This film stars Tina Fey and one might assume it's a comedy, like I did, but it is not. This is a dramatic and at times intense look at the day to day life of individuals in Kabul during the Afghan War. 

This movie has a star studded cast. I didn't realize going into the theater how many talented actors were going to be on screen. Alfred Molina, Martin Freeman, Margot Robbie and Billy Bob Thornton are the main characters who share screen time with Tina to make this a dramatic and occasionally humorous film. Each actor played their part well and was unique in their on screen personality which helped shape the overall feel of "WTF" in a way that I haven't quite seen, yet, this year. To be fair, I haven't really watched a documentary style film this year until this one. This set the bar reasonably high for all other movies similar to "WTF" being released this year.

The fact this movie is based on a true story helps elevate the intensity that might otherwise seem flat or cliche'. The moments where we see the spirit and fight of Tina's character were small treasures in this film. Each moment usually had Billy Bob's character with a snarky remark that was humorous which helped relieve some of the tension. The back forth dialogue between those two was fun. Also, seeing Freeman as a heavy drinking, womanizing Scotsman was humorous. Finally, while Margot Robbie is a talented actress she is also insanely attractive which was part of her character in this movie. So, it worked.

"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is in theaters now! If you enjoy the dramatic, documentary style film that has humor peppered throughout I recommend you support this film by seeing it in theaters. It's a decent film that has talented actors who help bring this story to life. There's perspectives in this film you might not get from other movies this year and for that reason I also recommend you see this movie in theaters. However, if you catch it on Redbox that's ok too. This isn't a special effects heavy film that demands big screen viewings. The characters are all acted well and the story is based on real life events, while still being entertaining.  Plus, we get to see a Tina Fey that I don't believe we have seen on camera before and that's a good thing. 

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Sisters - Box Office Review

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are two comedic talents that instantly spark my curiosity when they are working on something. The fact they decided to make a movie together was immediately intriguing to me. I might have been the only guy in the theater not on a date but I still found myself laughing out loud and enjoying some humorous moments on screen. “Sisters” came out to a decent weekend earnings and even better critic and viewer reviews. There wasn’t much of a drop in earnings from week 1 to week 2 either. This suggests that word of mouth helps carry this movie along and for good reason.  

Amy Poehler plays the responsible, career driven, sister who is tasked with informing her sister that their childhood home is being sold. Tina Fey is the free spirited, snarky, party sister who believes that responsibility is just a really long word. The cliche’s don’t end there as we see the basic plot points of stories like these manifest throughout the film. The responsible sister lets loose and learns something about herself and life. The party sister learns how everyone must grow up at some point, no matter how many failures you endure. The basic concept of this film is standard and lacks creativity. There’s nothing memorable with the overall story because we’ve seen it before in countless “coming of age” films.

The characters were entertaining and a familiar few faces appeared throughout the film. If you watched “Parks and Rec” and/or “30 Rock” you might have noticed a certain counsel man and an awkward writer who always picks the worst lunches. Nice little touches here and there helped make this film entertaining. The comedic timing in this film was done well, thankfully. It almost felt like the female version of “Step Brothers” which I was fine with. Watching two grown women try and reclaim the best night of their high school life was definitely entertaining. There were a few moments where the women in the audience were laughing and I wasn’t but only because I wasn’t sure where the joke was. The female audience seemed to understand so that demographic was satisfied, surely. Overall, I laughed many times and walked out of the theater pleased I made the purchase to see this comedy.

“Sisters” is in theaters now! I give this movie all the “dear diary” entries discussed in the film and maybe a few more. I recommend matinee prices but if you are looking to treat your lady to a comedy she’ll enjoy, date night this film. It never hurts to see a film your girl will like, probably more than you, from time to time. It’s funny. It’s entertaining. It’s not gender specific like a Lifetime movie. Overall, this was a good, laugh filled, time in the theater and I enjoyed seeing Tina and Amy on screen together.

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