ELLA MCCAY
Starring: Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, Julie Kavner, Spike Fearn, Rebecca Hall, Albert Brooks, and Woody Harrelson
Director: James L. Brooks
ADRIANO
You do not have to tell me that the perky Hallmark tone was by design in Ella McCay. It’s obvious the overly sentimental music and cheesy performances are all on purpose, and to the film's credit, there is some charm. That said, narratively, director James L. Brooks seemingly threw every single idea he had lying around, resulting in a ton of loose threads. Unfortunately, none of them have enough emotional investment to properly grab onto. Ella McCay is mostly moving parts being shown at you, and it's not particularly entertaining enough to enjoy.
AMARÚ
I had to look up the age difference between Emma Mackey and Rebecca Hall to believe that Hall could feasibly play the mother to Mackey’s titular character in Ella McCay. While technically realistic, something about the relationship doesn’t work, which explains this movie in a nutshell. I technically adore these hopeful, goofy, pathos-filled dramas that are feel-good crowdpleasers, and McCay has pieces of that, which audiences will love; however, with its incongruous characters, surface-scratching plotlines, and somehow simultaneously saccharine yet blunt dialogue, the emotion lands hollow. I tried hard to enjoy this, but like the fake promises from politicians this film criticizes, it’s filled with pretty words and no substance.
