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    Movie Review

    Stuber takes viewers on an unexpectedly funny ride

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 11, 2019 | 1:24 pm
    Stuber takes viewers on an unexpectedly funny ride
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    On the surface, Stuber deserves to be a forgettable film. Its concept — cop uses Uber driver to drive him around on police business — seems like some lazy screenwriter’s attempt at shoehorning in the modern world. But the difference between concept and execution can be vast, as is the case in this entertaining film.

     

    Kumail Nanjiani is Stu, a mild-mannered guy who works two jobs mostly as a way to help his friend/unrequited love interest, Becca (Betty Gilpin), start a spin cycle gym. In the course of driving around for Uber, he picks up Vic (Dave Bautista), a cop who’s obsessed with catching a drug kingpin and — plot convenience alert! — has recently had Lasik surgery, preventing him from being able to drive himself around.

     

    Predictably, Vic requires more of Stu than just being his chauffeur. Without a partner or anyone else to help him, Vic drags Stu into increasingly sketchy situations, pushing him far past anything he’s ever done before. Concurrently, the pull of the two women in their lives — Vic’s daughter, Nicole (Natalie Morales), wants him to stop by her art show — keeps each of them even more off-balance than the craziness of the situations they encounter.

     

    Clocking in at a breezy 93 minutes, the film is kept moving by the filmmakers’ willingness to go beyond the expected and the great chemistry between Nanjiani and Bautista. The film didn’t really need to be rated R, but director Michael Dowse and writer Tripper Clancy make it so anyway, loading it up with profanity, a few randomly gory sequences, and more to keep the audience roaring.

     

    The relationship between Stu and Vic is classic odd couple in a way, but the film thankfully shies away from clichés. The outrageousness and fast pace of the plot prevent Clancy from getting bogged down in one-liners, and other little touches — Vic’s technological cluelessness, a clever twist on racial perception — elevate the film, as well.

     

    Following his Oscar nomination for writing The Big Sick, Nanjiani has been in strong demand, including starring in a Marvel movie. He has an affability that’s infectious and also an ability to deliver a cutting line just so. Bautista is an ideal foil who has sheer presence due to his size, with the added bonus of knowing how to act stupid in an endearing way, something he’s perfected during his stint in Guardians of the Galaxy.

     

     Stuber winds up being much funnier than it actually needed to be, a nice surprise in a summer movie season that has had more than its fair share of disappointments. It doesn’t break any new ground, but it overdelivers on its premise and showcases two great actors in prime roles.

    Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani in Stuber.

    Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani in Stuber
      
    Photo by Mark Hill
    Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani in Stuber.
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    Movie review

    Early days of pandemic become a powder keg in tense movie Eddington

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 18, 2025 | 12:47 pm
    Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Eddington
    Photo courtesy of A24
    Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Eddington.

    The coronavirus pandemic had a profound impact on the entire world, one that has been shown in various ways by movies and TV shows. However, even though a number of productions have attempted to show what life was like during the early days of the pandemic, few have tried to truly reckon with the way lockdowns and restrictions changed people.

    Filmmaker provocateur Ari Aster does just that in Eddington, set in a fictional small town in New Mexico in early 2020 that proves to be a microcosm of the debates taking place worldwide at that time. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is not a fan of mask mandates or other restrictions imposed by the government, while mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) tries to lead by example in an effort to keep his community safe.

    The men butt heads not just on how to deal with the pandemic, but also over a personal history involving Joe’s wife, Louise (Emma Stone). When news of the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota makes its way to town, it starts a slow simmer among the town’s youth population, putting even more stress on Joe and his small department. Conspiracy theories, white guilt, partisan politics, cults, and more combine to make the community into a powder keg that threatens to explode at the slightest provocation.

    Aster (Midsommar, Beau is Afraid) takes aim at all sides in a film that’s part satire and part thriller. No matter how each viewer reacted to the pandemic, the film offers at least a character or two that will come close to representing their viewpoint. Although opinions may differ, it seems clear that Aster is not portraying one side as “right” or more righteous than the other. What he is doing is demonstrating just how much was happening in a short period of time, and how those things could negatively affect anyone.

    On the flip side, the film also challenges viewers with viewpoints that may not match their own, which can make for an uncomfortable experience at times. The reactions various characters have to certain events range from rational to wholly unexpected, and Aster seems to delight in keeping the audience on their toes the entire time. This is especially true when violence rears its ugly head, resulting in some intense and upsetting scenes.

    Not everything in the film lands, though. A subplot involving Louise and Vernon (Austin Butler), a cult leader who preys on her fears, feels tacked on, with no relation to the film as a whole. In fact, the character of Louise is a misfire in general, one whose purpose makes little sense. Aster also lets (asks?) some actors speak in almost inaudible tones at various points in the film, a frustrating experience in a film as dialogue-heavy as this one.

    Phoenix loves to dig into off-kilter characters, and this one ranks high on that scale. Even if you don’t enjoy what his character does, it’s hard to fault the performance that brings him to life. Most of Pascal’s scenes are with Phoenix, and while he matches Phoenix’s energy, the lower key nature of his character leaves him overshadowed. The nature of the film means few others make an impact, although Deidre O’Connell as Joe’s passive-aggressive mother-in-law and William Belleau as Officer Jiminiz Butterfly stand out in their scenes.

    Few of us would volunteer to go back to the baffling days of early 2020, but Eddington does a great job of examining what was happening at the time and how events united some and divided others. It’s not a feel-good film, but it is one that will make viewers re-examine their reactions at the time and how those influenced the current reality.

    ---

    Eddington is now playing in theaters.

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