James L. Brooks' 'Ella McCay' feels like a relic from a bygone era of cinema, where mid-budget adult films with broad appeal and relatable characters were the norm before streaming services took over the market.
The film's lead promotional image is a nostalgic reminder of 90s and early 2000s comedies such as Confessions of a Shopaholic, Miss Congeniality, or Little Miss Sunshine. At its core, 'Ella McCay' is a story about a young woman who overcomes her troubled past to become one of the youngest lieutenant governors in her home state.
However, the film's narrative is marred by incoherent characters and a confounding plot that seems to defy basic storytelling logic. The lead character, Ella, is portrayed as highly intelligent and moral, but her defining traits are wonkish-ness and reactivity, making it difficult for Emma Mackey to sell the role.
The supporting cast includes a motley crew of characters, each more outlandish than the last. Jamie Lee Curtis's Aunt Helen feels like a caricature of herself, while Jack Lowden's husband Ryan is introduced only to be suddenly dropped without reason. The film's reliance on convenient plot devices and time cuts also raises questions about how Ella McCay became the lieutenant governor in the first place.
Despite its flaws, 'Ella McCay' does offer a few glimmers of hope. A brief flash of complexity late in the film shows that there may be more to the character than meets the eye. However, this is too little, too late, and the film ultimately feels like a disappointing mess.
James L. Brooks, an 85-year-old writer/director/producer with a storied career, seems to have reached the end of the road with 'Ella McCay'. The film's disjointed narrative and lack of polish make it a relic of a bygone era, one that may soon be lost forever in the streaming wars.
The film's lead promotional image is a nostalgic reminder of 90s and early 2000s comedies such as Confessions of a Shopaholic, Miss Congeniality, or Little Miss Sunshine. At its core, 'Ella McCay' is a story about a young woman who overcomes her troubled past to become one of the youngest lieutenant governors in her home state.
However, the film's narrative is marred by incoherent characters and a confounding plot that seems to defy basic storytelling logic. The lead character, Ella, is portrayed as highly intelligent and moral, but her defining traits are wonkish-ness and reactivity, making it difficult for Emma Mackey to sell the role.
The supporting cast includes a motley crew of characters, each more outlandish than the last. Jamie Lee Curtis's Aunt Helen feels like a caricature of herself, while Jack Lowden's husband Ryan is introduced only to be suddenly dropped without reason. The film's reliance on convenient plot devices and time cuts also raises questions about how Ella McCay became the lieutenant governor in the first place.
Despite its flaws, 'Ella McCay' does offer a few glimmers of hope. A brief flash of complexity late in the film shows that there may be more to the character than meets the eye. However, this is too little, too late, and the film ultimately feels like a disappointing mess.
James L. Brooks, an 85-year-old writer/director/producer with a storied career, seems to have reached the end of the road with 'Ella McCay'. The film's disjointed narrative and lack of polish make it a relic of a bygone era, one that may soon be lost forever in the streaming wars.
. Newsflash: just because they're not super campy or cringeworthy doesn't mean they're not outdated. I mean, come on, a 90s/early 2000s vibe is just code for "we couldn't be bothered to make something new". And don't even get me started on the cast – it's like they raided a casting call for every middle-aged suburban mom and her relatives 
. The plot? Forget about it... I was too busy face-palming at all the convenient plot twists 
. Overall, just another disappointing film from someone who should know better 
.
... like what happened to James L Brooks? I mean I've seen better written scripts on Wikipedia 
. The lead actress Emma Mackey is gorgeous but her character Ella is just so... annoying 
. I'm not even going to get into how they handled Aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) - it was like they took every stereotype and mashed them together into one cringeworthy character 
. And don't even get me started on the convenient plot devices... boo 
. Overall, it just feels like a relic from another time when movies had actual direction 
. The streaming wars have changed the game, folks, and this movie is just not keeping up 
.
it's like they're more concerned with getting a star in the film rather than actually developing a good story or characters. and come on, aunt helen is literally just jamie lee curtis as herself 
the plot is so convoluted it's like they're trying to recreate the plot of an old soap opera or something emma mackey's character feels like she's just phoning it in and jamie lee curtis's aunt heather is literally just her in a different outfit lol anyway, it's clear that james l brooks is still getting the hang of this whole streaming thing 
. The nostalgic vibes are definitely there, but under the surface, it's like they took all the parts that worked for 90s comedies and mashed them together without really refining anything 
. Emma Mackey is great, don't get me wrong, but she deserves better than a script that just kinda... exists 
. And Jamie Lee Curtis as Aunt Helen? More of the same ol' sassy self, which, honestly, feels like an old role 
. The plot's all over the place and some characters feel like they just showed up to be there 
. But hey, at least it tries, right? Maybe James L. Brooks is just feeling a little lost in the streaming landscape 
. Can someone please tell me how Ella McCay became LT Gov without all the crazy plot twists 
...the lead actress Emma Mackey is just not my cuppa tea 
...her character Ella feels like a generic, cookie-cutter heroine 
...and don't even get me started on the plot twists 
...it's like they took every cliche from the 90s and mashed them all together 
...I mean, I'm all for giving old geniuses like James L. Brooks a chance 
but this one feels like a major letdown 
...I guess it's just not my kind of movie 
, but sadly, that wasn't enough to save the whole film 
...oh well, I guess I'll stick to my Marvel movies 
