Tag: Mélanie Laurent

  • Movie Review: ‘Murder Mystery 2’

    Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2022.

    Set to premiere on Netflix March 31st, ‘Murdery Mystery 2’ is an action comedy mystery film and is the sequel to 2019’s ‘Murder Mystery’ once again stars Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, is directed by Jeremy Garelick (‘The Break-Up’) and is written by James Vanderbilt (‘Zodiac’ ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’).

    What happens in ‘Murder Mystery 2?’

    Four years after solving their first murder mystery, husband and wife duo Nick Spitz (Sandler) and Audrey Spitz (Aniston) are now full-time detectives and are invited to celebrate the wedding of their dear friend, the Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar) on his private island. However, trouble follows the Spitzes again when the groom is kidnapped for ransom and, subsequently, makes each guest, family member and the bride herself a suspect.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Murder Mystery 2?’

    ‘Murder Mystery 2’ stars Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz, Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz, Mark Strong as Miller, Mélanie Laurent as Claudette, Jodie Turner-Smith as Countess Sekou, John Kani as Colonel Ulenga, Kuhoo Verma as Saira, Danny Boon as Inspector Delacroix, Enrique Arce as Francisco, and Adeel Akhtar as the Maharajah.

    Initial Thoughts

    ‘Murder Mystery 2’ is exactly the type of blockbuster comedy Netflix, and all other streaming platforms for that matter, are in need of. Sure, crime documentaries are all the rage and reality shows are still our guilty pleasures and dirty little secrets, but sometimes we come home from a long day and just need to have some escapism from our daily realities. That is exactly what this film provides – a trip to an exotic private island with crystal blue waters followed by a stunning and thrilling escapade through the city of love.

    Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2023.

    ‘Murder Mystery 2’ is bigger and more action-packed than its predecessor

    The original ‘Murder Mystery’ reunited Sandler and Aniston for a lightweight comedy that may not have gotten the most stellar reviews, but for many viewers at home, it was exactly what they were looking for and needed – an easy-to-watch and fun comedy-suspense film for the weekend.

    If you enjoyed the first film, you’ll be happy to know that the sequel is bigger, bolder and even more thrilling.

    In fact, the climactic stunt in the final act of ‘Murder Mystery 2’ takes place on the famed Eiffel Tower and is the first of its kind to ever be filmed. While other stunts have taken place on the tower’s observation decks, this is the first time a stunt has ever been performed at the very top, 1000 feet from ground level. As for getting to make history, director Jeremy Garelick told Moviefone that it, surprisingly, wasn’t that difficult gaining access to film on the Eiffel Tower once he name dropped Sandler and Aniston.

    However, it was actually a scene in which the two are in a blazing room of fire that Aniston told Moviefone was the most physically challenging for her, and it was cool to see the actress in more of an action role than we are used to seeing from her.

    Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2022.

    Related Article: Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston Talk Netflix Sequel ‘Murder Mystery 2’

    Where does ‘Murder Mystery 2’ take place?

    With Nick and Audrey Spitz back on the crime-scene, this high-stakes case finally takes them to the city of their dreams – Paris. Several of Paris’s most beloved landmarks make key appearances in the film, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Opera House, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, the Love Locks Bridge and, of course, the Eiffel Tower, which serves as the location for the film’s epic finale.

    This is where that escapism kicks in. Even though the scenes are sometimes stressful because of the situations the Spitzes find themselves in, watching the characters zoom around some of Paris’s best and most stunning landmarks truly makes you feel like you’re transported there. Maybe it’s not a sweet romance-drama, but chances are, if you chose to watch this film, you were looking for some excitement.

    Enrique Arce, John Kani, Jodie Turner-Smith, Mélanie Laurent, and Kuhoo Verma in Netflix's 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Enrique Arce, John Kani, Jodie Turner-Smith, Mélanie Laurent, and Kuhoo Verma in Netflix’s ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2022.

    The Supporting Cast aka the Suspects

    Mélanie Laurent plays Claudette Joubert, the bride-to-be is a Parisian shopgirl who won the Maharajah’s heart. Seen as a gold digger by others, the character is naive and is supposed to not fit into the world of billionaires.

    Meanwhile, the Maid of Honor, Countess Helene Sekou, played by Jodie Turner-Smith, who also happens to be the ex-fiancée of the Maharajah fits very well into the billionaire world, and actually has some fun moments in the film while bullying and bossing around her mini-me assistant, Imani.

    Enrique Arce plays Francisco Perez, a womanizer who attempts to flirt with any female character in the film he comes into contact with. He’s sort of the comedic relief within the comedy film, but can sometimes go a little too far and would most definitely be canceled if he were a person in real life.

    The Maharajah’s sister Saira is portrayed by Kuhoo Verma, who seems to be the most innocent, but we later find that she may be the worst of them all.

    Finally, we have former MI6 hostage negotiator Connor Miller (Mark Strong) and the return of Inspector Laurent Delacroix (Dany Boon), who serve as the mediators between the Spitzes and the suspects.

    Jennifer Aniston, Mark Strong, and Adam Sandler in 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Jennifer Aniston, Mark Strong, and Adam Sandler in ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2022.

    Final Thoughts

    If it seems like I barely went into detail on the cast, it’s because, after watching the film, brief character descriptions are really the only thing memorable about them.

    Just as you’d expect, Sandler and Aniston are clearly the two leads of the film. That’s just fine because, once again, the two kill it with their on-screen chemistry. Following 2011’s ‘Just Go With It’ and 2019’s ‘Murder Mystery,’ these two are as funny as ever. Director Garelick said that it was easy directing these two professionals, since they don’t need that much direction, and that level of prestige doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s easy to see the duo’s presence on set elevates the rest of the cast’s performances and, ultimately, the overall film.

    However, while there is a fun cameo by a popular comedienne at the end of the film, the movie may have benefited by having a few more familiar and memorable faces to make up the ensemble cast.

    Still, expectations for movies released exclusively on streaming platforms tend to be slightly lower and, compared to the first film that primarily took place on a yacht, the sequel is easily bigger, bolder and more epic as our two leads are thrust into numerous action-packed scenes all around Paris. There’s also something about murder mysteries that, despite the quality of the film, you still need to finish the movie to find out – WHODUNNIT?!

    There’s no doubt ‘Murder Mystery 2’ will capture the number one spot on Netflix following its release.

    ‘Murder Mystery 2’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

    Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2023.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Murder Mystery 2:’

    Where to Stream and Watch: ‘Murder Mystery 2’ 

    Buy Adam Sandler Movies On Amazon

    ‘Murder Mystery 2’ is produced by Happy Madison Productions, Endgame Entertainment, Echo Films, and Vinson Films, and scheduled for release on Netflix March 31st.

  • ‘Murder Mystery 2’ Interview: Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston

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    Premiering on Netflix March 31st is the sequel to the popular film ‘Murder Mystery,’ entitled ‘Murder Mystery 2,’ which was directed by Jeremy Garelick (‘The Wedding Ringer’).

    What is the plot of ‘Murder Mystery 2?’

    Four years after the events of ‘Murder Mystery,’ Nick (Adam Sandler) and Audrey Spitz (Jennifer Aniston) are now full-time detectives struggling to get their private eye agency off the ground when they’re invited to celebrate the wedding of their friend the Maharaja (Adeel Akhtar) on his private island.

    But trouble follows the Spitzes again when the groom is kidnapped for ransom soon after the festivities begin ― making each glamorous guest, family member, and the bride herself a suspect. Now, Nick and Audrey Spitz are on a high-stakes case that could finally give them everything they’ve ever dreamed of: a shot at their detective agency finally becoming successful and a long-awaited trip to Paris.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Murder Mystery 2?’

    ‘Murder Mystery 2’ stars Adam Sandler (‘Happy Gilmore,’ ‘The Wedding Singer’) as Nick Spitz, and Jennifer Aniston (‘Horrible Bosses,’ ‘We’re the Millers’) as Audrey Spitz, as well as Mark Strong (‘Shazam!’), Mélanie Laurent (‘Now You See Me’), Jodie Turner-Smith (‘Queen & Slim’), Tony Goldwyn (‘Ghost’), Annie Mumolo (‘Confess, Fletch’), Enrique Arce (‘Terminator: Dark Fate’), and Wilmer Valderrama (‘Larry Crowne’).

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in person about their work on ‘Murder Mystery 2,’ reuniting together, reprising their roles, and the movie’s action sequences.

    Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2022.

    You can read our full interview below or slick on the video player above to watch our interviews with Sandler and Aniston, Jodie Turner-Smith, Enrique Arce, and director Jeremy Garelick.

    Moviefone: To begin with, how much more challenging were the stunts in this sequel compared to the first ‘Murder Mystery?’

    Adam Sandler: I’d say 86% more?

    Jennifer Aniston: 90% more. Were we physical? I mean, what did we do in (the first) movie? We ran down a flight of stairs and drove a car.

    AS: How about the worst part of shooting a scene where you have to walk downstairs is you’ve got to walk back up to do it again.

    Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Jennifer Aniston as Audrey Spitz and Adam Sandler as Nick Spitz in ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2023.

    MF: What was the toughest stunt to do in this film?

    JA: The van stuff was hard. The van stuff was just (challenging) because it was so many pieces, and the Eiffel Tower (scene). I didn’t love hanging from that, it was high up.

    AS: There was a lot of jumping around, getting hit, and punching. Axes were involved. What about the shot of me and you when we go out the window and we’re going down, we were in that little machine holding each other.

    JA: That was this crazy machine and the camera didn’t move.

    AS: You remember when we go out the window and fall into the moat?

    JA: Fully. That was a crazy contraption and I don’t know who came up with it. But that was actually you and me.

    AS: Some of the glass is CGI, but us falling out and going down, that was old me and Jenny.

    JA: The fire scene, though, was physically hard for me personally, just because there were fumes from the fire, fumes from the atmosphere smoke and the ambience, but it looks really beautiful. Then I had some crazy allergic reaction and I woke up and I couldn’t see. Anyway, I didn’t have to work the next day, so I got a day to get that back together.

    Zurin Villanueva as Imani, Melanie Laurent as Claudette Joubert and Jodie Turner-Smith as Countess 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Zurin Villanueva as Imani, Melanie Laurent as Claudette Joubert and Jodie Turner-Smith as Countess ‘Murder Mystery 2.’ Photo: Scott Yamano/Netflix © 2023.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about the big dance number in the movie? I understand that you were not told ahead of time that it was a dance sequence or shown any of the choreography. What were you told you would be filming before the cameras started rolling?

    JA: Well, we were told that there’s a dance, “Get ready for the dance,” and he had received an email that he forgot to tell me about. So, we were informed in some way.

    AS: (We knew) it was going to be a dance. We just didn’t know what the dance was.

    JA: I thought I would stay out of the way. (But I was) dragged into it.

    AS: We wanted to make it real that we didn’t know what it was, so we jumped in there and we did a few takes of that.

    Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston star in Netflix's 'Murder Mystery 2.'
    (L to R) Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston star in Netflix’s ‘Murder Mystery 2.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Murder Mystery 2:’

    Where to Stream and Watch: ‘Murder Mystery 2’ 

    Buy Adam Sandler Movies On Amazon

    ‘Murder Mystery 2’ is produced by Happy Madison Productions, Endgame Entertainment, Echo Films, and Vinson Films, and scheduled for release on Netflix March 31st.

  • Female Filmmakers in Focus: Chloé Zhao’s ‘Nomadland’ & Angelina Jolie’s ‘By the Sea’

    Female Filmmakers in Focus: Chloé Zhao’s ‘Nomadland’ & Angelina Jolie’s ‘By the Sea’

    Welcome to this week’s edition of Female Filmmakers in Focus, a column where you will find a recommendation for films directed by women to seek out each week.

    Nomadland (2020) – directed by Chloé Zhao

    Frances McDormand & Chloé Zhao on the set of 'Nomadland'
    Frances McDormand & Chloé Zhao on the set of ‘Nomadland’

    With the wide release of her third film ‘Nomadland’ into theaters on Hulu this weekend, writer-director Chloé Zhao is only just beginning. Born in Beijing, China, Zhao attended primary schools in England and Los Angeles. She received a degree in political science at Mount Holyoke before enrolling in film school at NYU – where Spike Lee was one of her teachers – and where she met her creative partner, cinematographer Joshua James Richards, who has shot her first three films. Deciding to set her thesis film in Devils Lake, North Dakota because she liked the name she discovered the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which inspired her first two films ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’ and ‘The Rider,’ both of which opened to critical acclaim. ‘Nomadland’ has positioned Zhao as a frontrunner at the Oscars this year, and she will be following it up with the Marvel film ‘Eternals,’ slated for release in November 2021.

    Based on the book by Jessica Bruder, star Frances McDormand originally optioned Nomadland and was so impressed by Zhao’s film ‘The Rider’ that she approached her to write and direct the film. The result is an emotionally rich, painfully relevant film about the waning days of the American Dream. Set in 2011, McDormand plays Fern, a woman reaching retirement age during the Great Recession who has lost her home after her husband passes and the company town they had lived in together shuts down. Fern begins to live in a van, travelling across the country working seasonal jobs. Like Zhao’s first two films, many of the cast are non-professional actors – subjects of the nonfiction book – with a standout performance from a woman named Swankie. Nomadland examines the importance of interpersonal relationships, the siren’s call of personal freedom, our dependence on capitalism, and the harsh realities of aging in a country that doesn’t seem to care about its older population.

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    By the Sea (2015) – directed by Angelina Jolie

    Angelina Jolie on the set of 'By the Sea'
    Angelina Jolie on the set of ‘By the Sea’

    We are now heading into our fourth decade of Angelina Jolie as a public figure, and as those decades changed, she grew as an artist. Getting her start acting in short films directed by her brother while he attended USC film school, she quickly began starring in iconic music videos like Lenny Kravitz’s “Stand by My Woman” (1991), The Lemonheads’s “It’s About Time” (1993), and Meat Loaf’s “Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through” (1993). Her career trajectory started with cult hits like as ‘Hackers’ and ‘Foxfire’, then award-winning television films like ‘George Wallace’ and ‘Gia.’ Then came her Oscar-winning turn in ‘Girl, Interrupted’, blockbusters like ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ and ‘Salt,’ and critically acclaimed dramas like ‘A Mighty Heart’ and ‘Changeling’. In the last decade Angelina Jolie has also come into her own as an accomplished writer-director, with four very different films under her belt: the Bosnian War drama ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’, a biopic of Olympian and WWII vet Louis “Louie” Zamperini ‘Unbroken’, the 1960s psychological romance drama ‘By The Sea’, and Cambodian Civil War drama ‘First They Killed My Father’.

    Of her directorial filmography, By The Sea was likely her most high-profile in that it was the only one of her films in which she and then-partner Brad Pitt both appeared. And yet this film is also her most misunderstood. Written off as a vanity project by many, the film has a small, but passionate fan base, with at least two masterful close-reads by film writers Kim Morgan and Angelica Jade-Bastien. With shades of 60s filmmakers like Antonioni, Bergman, Polanski, and Losey, ‘By The Sea’ follows writer Roland (Pitt) and his wife Vanessa (Jolie) as they set up camp in a coastal hotel, so he can finish his latest book. In the tradition of the great relationship dramas like ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ and ‘La Notte,’ there’s a storm at the heart of this relationship. They may be beautiful people, but anger, malice, resentment, and self-loathing are simmering beneath their façades. All the hallmarks of complicated romance! When Roland and Vanessa begin a voyeuristic fascination with a honeymooning younger couple (Melvil Poupaud and Mélanie Laurent), the tensions in their fraught relationship start to boil over. Sleek and glossy on the surface, with gorgeous cinematography by Christian Berger, a lush score from Gabriel Yared, and to die for costumes by Ellen Mirojnick, at its core the film is melancholic and even unsettling, examining ideas of gaze, fidelity and possession, grief and even vanity itself. Jolie is at the top of her game, both in terms of her performance and her artistry as a filmmaker. ‘By The Sea’ is currently streaming on Netflix.

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