In this edition of Montage, we discuss Melissa McCarthy’s hit comedy Spy, Roberts Downey Jr. and Duvall in family drama The Judge and Chris Rock’s latest directorial effort, Top Five.

Spy

Between Kingsman: The Secret Service and this Paul Feig-directed film, it appears that spy comedies may be due for a comeback (paging Mike Myers!). Melissa McCarthy reunites with her Bridesmaids and The Heat filmmaker as Susan Cooper, a CIA analyst who finally gets her chance to go into the field and infiltrate an underworld arms deal. As she proved in The Heat, McCarthy makes for a convincing unlikely action hero, and as usual, she injects enough heart into the character to make the outrageous world around her feel grounded. Moreover, Feig’s slick direction finds just the right tone to keep the stakes high without sacrificing laughs. Jason Statham and Rose Byrne (another returning Feig star) deliver standout performances, as the former has some of the most quotable dialogue in the film as he pokes fun of his own tough-guy persona. Despite Spy‘s intrinsic entertainment value, the film’s focus feels overwhelmed by its overly convoluted plot and a cast of too many characters. Though this is likely Feig’s goal in sending up films like the James Bond series, it wears a bit thin by the end, coming across as more slapdash than carefully calculated comedy.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Judge

Thanks to his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. currently sits comfortably atop the highest-paid actors working today. However, while the man himself is certainly talented and charismatic enough to warrant such success, his onscreen wit and charm are not quite enough to hide the fact that The Judge is, in nearly all respects, a fairly mediocre melodrama. A strong supporting cast that includes Oscar winner Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio and Billy Bob Thornton does the best they can with the film’s script, but its cliche-ridden “big-city lawyer returns to his hometown to face his personal demons” premise isn’t up to par with their collective talents. Still, the film features enough poignant character moments to warrant a watch, even if it is ultimately crushed by its own army of unnecessary subplots.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

As a Chris Rock-esque comedian-turned-movie-star, Rock stars as Andre Allen in his third directorial effort, Top Five. Much like Richard Linklater’s Before… trilogy, the entire film takes place over the course of a single day, as New York Times reporter Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson) interviews Andre about his controversial new film, in which he attempts to tackle a serious dramatic role. The film features a bit of incisive commentary on the current fame-obsessed culture as well as the Hollywood milieu in general, but it is ultimately the performances of Rock and Dawson that breathe the most life into the film. Their dynamic — which eventually leads into some romantic territory — is played realistically, and the two actors’ chemistry is palpable. However, the film’s meandering pace ends up with just as many low points as it does highlights.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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