The Night Before (2015)

Thanks for the memories!

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Captivating movie !

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The Night Before seemed to have came and went when released during the holidays in 2015. Not much of advertised was for this film and some of the trailers were misleading. Nowadays having rarely many R- rated Christmas films, this was certainly going to be a flop, and it was and is somewhat forgotten. To the film, the comedy involves around the chemistry of its leads, which were good but the overall gags and jokes were many misses. Some decent laughs but overall many of the jokes felt forced and weren't that funny or clever. The Night Before starts off slow then gets better and more consistent after midway through (around the big party scene with Hollywood cameos). Although predictable, in the end the film does show its softer side as it comes together and proves how good friendship and loyalty are towards everything.

Seth Rogan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie and Michael Shannon star in this 2015 comedy. This takes place in New York where we meet 3 pals, Isaac (Rogan), Ethan (Levitt) and Chris (Mackie) who are about to have one last tradition together on Christmas Eve. Ethan finds 3 tickets to a party and along the way they encounter a mysterious man, Mr. Green (Shannon) who puts their lives in a magical yet whacky perspective. James Franco, Miley Cyrus and Tracy Morgan also appear. This is a good comedy with humorous and bizarre moments with a great cast. I recommend this.

Entertaining if forgettable Christmas stoner comedy. Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie go out on Christmas Eve for one last hurrah with their friend Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who they have all gone out together since the death of Gordon-Levitt's family, one last time before they all basically become responsible adults. It's a rather morose set- up for a light and often crass comedy. Judd Apatow was not a part of this film, and "The Night Before" is missing the heart and emotional resonance that Apatow typically brings to comedies he produces (yes, I'll make the case for even the goofy ones like "Anchorman 2" and "Pee-wee's Big Holiday" having heart). I think that's my main complaint about the film. The dramatic elements are rather maudlin and do not come off as all that sincere or genuine. Still, the comedy is pretty darn funny and that's more than enough to carry this film and make it worth watching. It also doesn't hurt that the film features a very funny supporting cast that includes Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kaling, Tracy Morgan, James Franco, and even Miley Cyrus. Michael Shannon gets a special shout out for his part as the thoughtful drug dealer Mr. Green. Overall, this film isn't a comedy classic, but it's funny and will hold your interest while you watch it, even if you'll c completely forget about it two hours later.

Who doesn't love Christmas movies? Me. I don't, with the exception of NATIONAL LAMPOON'S Christmas VACATION and A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR Christmas. Most Christmas movies are nauseatingly saccharine or insultingly inane. Probably because the target audience is generally kids or families. But why should they have the Christmas movie racket cornered? I want more holiday cheer for people like me: cynical, reveling in the absurd, and occasionally inebriated. Enter THE NIGHT BEFORE, from director Jonathan Levine. It's the tale of three friends: Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogen), and Chris (Anthony Mackie) and their annual tradition of getting together on Christmas Eve for a night of drunken debauchery and a celebration of their long-lasting friendship. This particular year, though, the tradition has reached a breaking point. Isaac is getting ready to start a family and Chris's football career has launched him to celebrity status. Ethan, whose life has stagnated, is the only one keen on continuing their Christmas Eve antics and a lucky break leads him to "acquire" tickets to an infamous underground Christmas party….the party to end all parties…the Nutcracker Ball. The trio gets together, don their Christmas sweaters, and set out for one last insane night in New York City where everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Meanwhile, the three of them are each confronted by a mystical marijuana dealer and forced to confront their past, present, or future (because Christmas). THE NIGHT BEFORE, while entertaining, doesn't stand out and probably won't be remembered long.Jonathan Levine is the director behind the 2011 comedy/drama 50/50 in which Seth Rogen helps best friend Joseph Gordon-Levitt cope with a cancer diagnosis. It's an occasional tear-jerker with bouts of humor in the same vein as Rogen's other work, though generally not as crude. It was good. Not great, but good. The same can be said for THE NIGHT BEFORE. The most effective element that I remember from 50/50 was the dramatic moments. I can remember some of the more heart-wrenching moments but, looking back, I couldn't tell you one particular moment that had me laughing. THE NIGHT BEFORE is sort of the opposite. It's got those heartfelt moments. The character of Ethan is pretty relatable and his struggles are familiar. His parents died during the holidays (which set off the guys' current tradition when Isaac and Chris came to the rescue as a surrogate), he's single (his last relationship, which he continues to dwell on, fell apart when he couldn't bring himself to meet his girlfriend's parents), and he's aimless. He doesn't have a career his more successful friends; Isaac is a moderately successful lawyer and Chris is a football player with the NFL. When we're introduced to him, he's working a crappy gig as a server dressed as a Christmas elf for a wealthy party. All he has left are his friends and this tradition, and they're ready to move on. In related subplots, his friends are dealing with their own crises. Isaac is panicking at the idea of being a father and Chris is coming to grips with the fact that his sudden success in the NFL is a lie (i.e. steroids). Their stories are told well but nothing is particularly engaging about any of it. I guarantee, a year or so down the line, I won't remember any of these holiday-worthy heartfelt stories. I'll just remember Seth Rogen on a crap-load of drugs.It's just one of a handful of running gags throughout the movie but it's probably the most memorable. Isaac's wife (played by Jillian Bell) is proud of how well he's handled his impending fatherhood and, as a Christmas gift, gives him a small box containing, well, every drug. Weed, ecstasy, psilocybin mushrooms, etc. He's meant to share it with the group but ends up consuming the entire box himself over the course of the night and has an admittedly hilarious drug-fueled spirit quest. My favorite scene in the movie is probably when he's whacked out on mushrooms and accidentally finds himself in church for midnight mass with his sister and her family members. Another highlight is Michael Shannon's role as the trio's drug dealer, Mr. Green. I wasn't expecting Shannon and I love that he's capable of having stupid fun in the occasional comedy (see also: the second ANCHORMAN movie) as much as he is delivering powerhouse performances. Shannon's inclusion and Rogen's drug-frenzy are about the only things that stand out in this otherwise amusing but totally forgettable movie. THE NIGHT BEFORE has all the elements in place for the sort of Christmas comedy I'm looking for but so much of it goes to waste. I can watch it and enjoy it in the moment, but there's nothing special here that'll keep me coming back every holiday season for some yuletide laughs. If you've not seen it and are wondering if it's worth your time, I'd say sure. It's collected a great comedy cast and there are some solid moments in there. Something's bound to get a chuckle from you.