Page 14 - aruba-today-20220830

a14 people & arts
Tuesday 30 augusT 2022
In 'Me Time,' Wahlberg and Hart make some trouble

By LINDSEY BAHR fantasy involved when it
There is a montage in " Me comes to the financial reali-
Time," the new Kevin Hart ties of characters in big Hol-
and Mark Wahlberg Netflix lywood comedies. It is often
comedy, where Hart's char- used to signal a middle to
acter Sonny gets a day to upper middle-class life that
himself for the first time in is comfortable without be-
a long time. For years, he's ing flashy. It is relatable and
devoted himself as a stay- slightly aspirational and
at-home dad to his two kids something that is just sup-
(the very cute Che Tafari posed to be background.
and Amentii Sledge). It's a Perhaps it's just a sign of the
job he takes very, very se- times, when so many are
riously, making Instagram struggling and housing in
influencer-worthy lunches big cities like Los Angeles is
and managing the home more expensive than ever,
while his wife Maya (Regi- but in "Me Time," the wealth
na Hall) is working. She's a on display is downright dis-
successful architect, we're tracting.
told, but we'll get to that Huck's costly lifestyle and
later. This image released by Netflix shows Mark Wahlberg, from left, Regina Hall and Kevin Hart in "Me elaborate Kardashian-like
Sonny has a modest vision Time." parties turn into a bit of a
for his day off: He wants to Associated Press plot point when a loan shark
golf. He wants to find an (Jimmy O. Yang) comes af-
underground barbeque better than it is. then comes to a complete frazzled family man. It's ter him for $47,000 — which
spot. And he wants to do a "Me Time" was written and halt. "Me Time" cuts to 15 something he's very good seems like a lot but also not
few other things in private. directed by John Ham- years later and spends far at, but also something enough for someone who
But nothing goes the way burg, who also did "I Love too much time establishing we've seen many times shells out thousands of dol-
he hoped it would. Unfortu- You, Man" and "Along Sonny's home life instead of before. Still, it's nice to see lars to have a personal raw
nately, his underwhelming Came Polly," and it is as fine just getting him back with both try a different comedy bar in the desert and a tour
experience is similar to that a premise as any to pair a Huck as soon as possible. partner out instead of their bus wrapped with pictures
of watching the film itself. standard straight man with As Huck, Wahlberg was go-to co-stars. And though of himself. And then there's
"Me Time" somehow squan- a wild and crazy friend clearly ready to go all out, the two actors seem to be the perplexing question
ders a solid premise, a from his youth. In this case including some nudity. He having fun together, the of why Maya, who her bil-
stacked cast and a seem- that friend is Huck (Wahl- gets to be a high-rolling film never really finds its lionaire client (Luis Gerardo
ingly unlimited budget. It berg). We meet them cel- party fiend, which has its lane, frenetically jumping Méndez) says is "the best
didn't need to be anything ebrating Huck's 29th birth- moments even though from half-baked bit to bit, architect in the world," lives
great in this movie comedy day. His wild activity that his character never really too many of which involve in a cookie cutter Sher-
drought we seem to be in. year is BASE jumping, which makes much sense. Hart, someone sticking some- man Oaks home that looks
But considering who was provides a lively and prom- meanwhile, stays in his thing down their pants. like it's been lifted out of a
involved, it really should be ising start for the film that comfort zone as a slightly There's always a bit of 1990s sitcom. q

Coming to a theater near you: $3 movie tickets for one day

will be a nationwide dis- Before each showing, cantly over the summer,
count day in more than ticket buyers will be shown seeing business return to
3,000 theaters and on more a sizzle reel of upcoming nearly pre-pandemic lev-
than 30,000 screens. Major films from A24, Amazon els. Films like "Top Gun:
chains, including AMC and Studios, Disney, Focus Fea- Maverick,""Minions: Rise of
Regal Cinemas, are par- tures, Lionsgate, Neon, Gru,""Doctor Strange in the
ticipating, as are all major Paramount, Sony Pictures Multiverse of Madness" and
film studios. In participat- Classics, Sony, United Artists "Jurassic World Dominion"
ing theaters, tickets will be Releasing, Universal, and pushed the domestic sum-
no more than $3 for every Warner Bros. mer box office to $3.3 bil-
showing, in every format. "After this summer's record- lion in ticket sales as of Aug.
Labor Day weekend is tra- breaking return to cin- 21, according to data firm
ditionally one of the slow- emas, we wanted to do Comscore. That trails 2019
est weekends in theaters. something to celebrate totals by about 20% but
This year, the August lull moviegoing," said Jackie exhibitors have had about
has been especially acute Brenneman, Cinema Foun- 30% fewer wide releases
Movie theaters reopen after COVID-19 closures on March 5, for exhibitors. Cineworld, dation president, in a state- this year.
2021, in New York. which owns Regal Cine- ment. "We're doing it by of- Organizers of National Cin-
Associated Press mas, cited the scant supply fering a 'thank you' to the ema Day described the
of major new releases in its moviegoers that made this event as a trial that could
By JAKE COYLE moviegoers during a quiet recent plans to fill for Chap- summer happen, and by become an annual fixture.
NEW YORK (AP) — For one spell at the box office. ter 11 bankruptcy. offering an extra entice- While some other countries
day, movie tickets will be The Cinema Foundation, a But, if successful, National ment for those who haven't have experimented with a
just $3 in the vast majority of non-profit arm of the Na- Cinema Day could flood made it back yet." similar day of cheap movie
American theaters as part tional Association of The- theaters with moviegoers After more than two years tickets, the initiative is the
of a newly launched "Na- ater Owners, on Sunday and potentially prompt of pandemic, movie the- first of its kind on such a
tional Cinema Day" to lure announced that Sept. 3 them to return in the fall. aters rebounded signifi- large scale in the U.S.q