Late Night

Entertainment One | Release Date: June 7, 2019

6.0	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 84 Ratings

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MarkHReviewsJun 28, 2019

“Late Night” is smart, observant and, most importantly, it never forgets that it’s a comedy. In the hands of writer/actor Mindy Kaling (“The Office,” “The Mindy Project”), this film offers gentle critiques about race and gender, while never“Late Night” is smart, observant and, most importantly, it never forgets that it’s a comedy. In the hands of writer/actor Mindy Kaling (“The Office,” “The Mindy Project”), this film offers gentle critiques about race and gender, while never forgetting to keep us smiling.

By being in the right place at the right time, Molly Patel (Kaling) is hired as a new staff writer for late night host Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson). Newbury’s talk show has been running for 28 years, apparently coasting on fumes for the past decade or so. There’s the subtle implication that Newbury has had to swim upstream the whole time. In any event, told by a network executive that this year will be her last, Newbury stages a last-ditch effort to reclaim a relevant role in popular culture. (Apparently, booking Doris Kearns Goodwin and Diane Feinstein for erudite conversation is not the ratings bonanza of Kevin Hart on a Slip N’ Slide.) Creative tension, conflict and self-awareness ensue.

There’s a lot to like about this film. As the film’s co-star, Kaling is charming and appealing. As the film’s writer, Kaling is shrewd enough to recognize that this is Emma Thompson’s film and that sometimes she should just get out of the way. (From press reports, Kaling wrote the role specifically for Thompson, with no idea whether she was interested.) At times, Kaling’s script evokes “The Devil Wears Prada” with Meryl Streep in full flight. However, it’s when talk show host Newbury is interacting with her writers (totally white and male before Molly’s appearance) that the film seems most authentic. There’s an air of veracity to those interactions that gives moviegoers the impression that the screenwriter has pulled back the curtain and offered a glimpse of something very real. And while there are no real laugh-out-loud moments (“Booksmart” apparently cornered the market), the wry, observational tone of the script is ultimately quite satisfying.

That said, this film is not flawless. When a ninety-minute script relies on an epiphany or even a gradual increase in self-awareness, that evolution/transformation can strain credulity. In this regard, “Late Night” is not immune to a little eye-rolling. There also are a variety of loose ends that leave the show feeling incomplete. John Lithgow is fabulous as Newbury’s long-suffering husband, a role that could have been better-developed. Is Molly’s co-worker a real friend or a sexual opportunist? Is Kaling suggesting he could be both simultaneously? The film’s conclusion is particularly unfulfilling, suggesting an implausible culture shift that may cause world peace to break out any minute.

What ultimately makes “Late Night” worthwhile is its generosity of spirit. Kaling’s script is the platform for one of Thompson’s best performances, a symbiotic relationship that permeates many elements of the project and urges forgiveness for a few minor missteps along the way.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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dollywizJun 19, 2019

Very disappointing! I expected so much from this movie, mainly because of Emma Thompson. It's probably the weakest role I've seen this superb comedic and dramatic actress play. I thought the plot line and writing waspure drivel.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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chetlySep 13, 2019

Great acting but I feel the talent goes to waste. Some story lines never get resolved. The ending was not rewarding for me. So much potential but was ultimately a let down for me.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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tropicAcesJun 13, 2019

A film that never really gets any laugh-out-loud moments but does earn consistent smirks. Its issue is not the incredible Emma Thompson, it is the fact that (just like "Long Shot" a month ago), the film wears its agenda on its sleeve. NothingA film that never really gets any laugh-out-loud moments but does earn consistent smirks. Its issue is not the incredible Emma Thompson, it is the fact that (just like "Long Shot" a month ago), the film wears its agenda on its sleeve. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but some of the "look, we're woke!" jokes are cringe-worthy, and take away from some actual good social commentary bits.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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Compi24Jun 15, 2019

Mindy Kaling pulls double duty on "Late Night," both writing and co-starring in a purported passion project of hers that I found to be lacking in a surprising amount of just that -- passion. Her and Emma Thompson are agreeable enough asMindy Kaling pulls double duty on "Late Night," both writing and co-starring in a purported passion project of hers that I found to be lacking in a surprising amount of just that -- passion. Her and Emma Thompson are agreeable enough as leads, with decent chemistry propelling them through a few challenging scenes. Beyond that, though, I didn't get much else from this experience. It offers a stunningly paltry amount of substance or nuance to combat the already-dying "women aren't funny" fallacy, struggles mightily in adequately delivering any progressive ideals by falling over itself with some rather anti-progressive blips of content throughout, and introduces a number of romantic subplots that just didn't need to be there. I like the people involved a great deal, but I just didn't laugh nearly enough as I should have. So, for me, it's a disappointment.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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LamontRaymondJul 14, 2019

Ugh! This movie is criminally overrated. It's both over-written and under-written, I feel. I've never seen any of Mindy Kailing's work before, but I sense that she can be a good actress in a better vehicle than this one. It starts out inUgh! This movie is criminally overrated. It's both over-written and under-written, I feel. I've never seen any of Mindy Kailing's work before, but I sense that she can be a good actress in a better vehicle than this one. It starts out in promising fashion, but it goes absolutely nowhere. The ending is TERRIBLE. Emma Thompson's story arc is entirely insufficient. You certainly don't like her any more than you did at the beginning. I'm sensing that in the industry bubble this worked much better than it did with regular movie-goers like me. Bringing politics into late-night really killed the appeal of these shows, and it seems like the creators of this film never got that message. People don't want to obsess about politics all day and they get it fed to them during their "entertainment" at night. Oh well.… Expand