Booksmart: a review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

The slob comedy and teen sex romps are not original concepts. Carpe diem tales date back to the Middle Ages in the English language. But a teen sex slob comedy with two female honor roll students as protagonists--the original twists begin. If you like to laugh and aren't easily offended, Booksmart is a great investment of your time.

Amy (Kaitlyn Dever, yes, from Last Man Standing) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein, Jonah Hill's sister!) are ready to graduate and attend their awesome colleges of Columbia and Yale, respectively. However, on their final day of high school, class president Molly finds out in various traumatic ways that some of the biggest party people in school are going to desirable destination universities themselves. While Amy is perfectly satisfied to eat cake and watch a movie marathon on the night before graduation, Molly hastily comes up with a party game plan. Find out where the big blowout is that popular jock and class vice president Nick (Mason Gooding, Cuba's son) is hosting. And be the craziest party people there.

Of course, the road to the party is winding and full of peril, which includes the crazy and seemingly omnipresent Gigi (Billi Lourd, Carrie Fisher's daughter--see a casting trend?) who seems to be a lot of fun and trouble; her attention-starved brother Jared (Skyler Gilondo) who has a major crush on Molly; and the school principal (Jason Sedekis) who provides one of the classic embarrassing moments in the film. Later in the plot, the main characters' serious epiphanies about each other are worthy of good John Hughes outings.

Director Olivia Wilde (hi, Thirteen from House) has a strong debut with great timing and original angles to flesh out a hilarious script from a staff of writers (Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, and Katie Silberman). Dever and Feldstein portray their characters with the right balance of intelligence, street naivete, and sisterly love for one another--although Dever's gay character Amy gets mileage from the wrong impression her parents (Will Forte and Lisa Kudrow) get about their daughter's relationship with Molly. 

Yes, it has the requisite crude humor and irresponsible behavior. But the flashes of commentary on social classes, the teaching profession, and the original protagonists executing the classic tropes put creative spins on what could have been an overly familiar story. For any comedy fan with a tolerance for profanity, Booksmart is worth seeking out.

Rating: ***1/2 out of ****.

Annapurna Pictures presents Booksmart. Directed by Olivia Wilde. Written by Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, and Katie Silberman. Starring Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldman, Mason Gooding, Jason Sedekis, Billi Lourd, Skyler Gilondo, and Jessica Williams. 102 minutes. Rated "R" for crude humor, profanity, sexual situations, and drug use.

ROCKETMAN: A review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Biopics are back, for better or worse, especially with the box office success of Bohemian Rhapsody. The Elton John-produced Rocketman takes a musical fantasy approach not unlike Across the Universe, so it avoids the problems of being a visual encyclopedia article. It may not be chronologically accurate, but it is emotionally honest in its portrayal of the rock superstar.

Sir Elton Hercules John (Taron Egerton) looks as if he's walking from a triumphant concert experience in one of his signature costumes. Instead, he's walking into a rehab group counseling session, which is the framework of the film. Viewers start following his childhood as Reginald Dwight, living with an alcoholic mother (Bryce Dallas Howard), an absentee father (Steven Mackintosh), and a supportive grandmother (Gemma Jones). He is a precocious pianist and talented mimic of other musicians who gets a break in obtaining lessons from the Royal Academy of Music.

After having some fun in the bar band scene, Reggie tries to sign up with a record label and is paired with a lyricist who becomes his brother in music and best friend Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). Along the way, John struggles with his preference for men and unfortunately, picks up a tendency to get high on every substance known in a combination of excess and self-pity.

All of this is told in an effective combination of John and Taupin's songs and surreal musical set pieces, including a deliberately jarring version of "The Bitch Is Back" sung by Reggie as a child (Matthew Illesley) in the old neighborhood, and a levitating crowd singing along with "Crocodile Rock." The actors are uniformly good, from Bell as Taupin and the family member troupe to a great manager and scoundrel lover, John Reid (played with a sneer by Game of Thrones' Richard Madden).

Still, Eggerton should get the most credit for the film's success, along with writer Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) and director Dexter Fletcher (who ironically ghost-directed Bohemian Rhapsody to its completion). Eggerton is an expressive palate for John's high emotions and most outrageous excesses. Importantly, he also has the right voice for the job, doing his own singing quite well. It would be a shock if an Oscar nomination isn't in his future.

Rocketman is thoroughly adult entertainment, and it should be lauded for its honest portrayal of the gay lifestyle (which reportedly has been heavily censored in the movie's Russia screenings). Although a long film at over two hours, the transcendent music and excellent performances generally overcome feelings of length or self-aggrandizement in the production. It's a must-see for Elton John fans, and a good, raunchy cinematic diversion for music fans in general.

Rating: ***1/2 out of ****

Paramount Pictures presents Rocketman. Directed by Dexter Fletcher. Written by Lee Hall. Starring Taron Eggerton, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Gemma Jones, and Steven Mackintosh. Rated "R" for drug use, profanity, and sex scenes.