EZRA-FR

Event date(s): September 16, 2024
Time(s): 07:30 PM - 09:30 PM
Category: Fredericton
Location: Fredericton

The Monday Night Film Series presents EZRA on Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Tilley 102, UNB.

What Bobby Cannavale and Robert De Niro hit the road in this star-studded and heartwarming comedy about stand-up comics and stand-up parents — or at least those trying to be. New Jersey comic Max (Cannavale) tells stories, not jokes, with there being no better source of chaos in his life to pull from than his son with autism, Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald). Finding himself at odds with doctors and ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne), Max packs their bags and brings both his father (De Niro) and Ezra on a cross-country trek to Los Angeles, where Max has been promised a spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live! It’s a fairly traditional road movie with an autism twist à la Rain Man.

It’s no surprise that longtime real-life partners Byrne and Cannavale have an easy chemistry, and Cannavale and Robert De Niro, who plays his gruff father, Stan, have a sparkling, rapid-fire New York-accented rapport. While Cannavale holds the center as the complex Max, demonstrating his range as well as his ability to lead a movie, De Niro, unsurprisingly, is magnetic.

Goldwyn’s direction is sure-handed in navigating the complicated tone that tiptoes through comedy and pathos. He pushes his style with cinematographer Danny Moder, using handheld close-ups for more emotionally intense moments, and imparting a sense of gritty authenticity to a story that often requires a suspension of disbelief. 

“What keeps the story sweet is the chemistry between Cannavale and Fitzgerald, who build a bond worth cherishing.” Natalie Winkelman New York Times

This term, 14 limited release, independent foreign & Canadian films will be shown. Admission is $10/film, but a half-yearly $12 student film society membership reduces admission cost to $7/film. The series is open to all. Memberships are available at Tilley 102 every Monday night.

For further info, contact NB Film Co-op 455-1632  info@nbfilmcoop.com or visit our website.

The NB Film Co-op in partnership with the UNB Faculty of Arts and the Toronto Film Festival presents the series.

Building: Tilley Hall

Room Number: Room 102