Late Night

— Amazon Prime’s pricey Sundance acquisition of the Nisha Ganatra film flopped in theatres but I’m not sure why. Emma Thompson is, well, Emma Thompson, who easily and convincingly plays a legendary late night talk show host about to lose her show, a storyline that could end up being smart and funny or just schmaltzy and tired. It ends up being pretty good while being “feel good” too. Quick dialog and humor with a feminist subtext are served up well thanks to Thompson’s acerbic manner and her protege’s ability to bring out a more tender, but by no means less impressive, side. It’s not quite as tightly crafted as “Devil Wears Prada,” but it’s hard not to see similarities. I think it’s theatrical failure may reflect more on Amazon than on the film since it’s one of the first Amazon films distributed by Amazon—successes like “The Big Sick” and “Manchester by the Sea” were released by third parties before Amazon formed their own distribution arm. [Amazon Prime streaming.]

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[2019. 102 min. Directed by Nisha Ganatra. Starring Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, and Hugh Dancy.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/late-night-2019