The Sheep Detectives

Director: Kyle Balda
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Emma Thompson, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Conleth Hill, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O' Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Rhys Darby, Brett Goldstein, Laraine Newman
Running Time: 109 min.
Rating: PG

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)    

With The Sheep Detectives, director Kyle Balda somehow manages to make everything look and seem effortless when the feat he accomplishes is anything but. You might even argue it's the most difficult genre to execute well given how few family films respect the audience's intelligence to such an extent. Pulling off multiple tricks at once, it's a heartwarming comedy, an emotionally stirring adventure, a meticulously plotted murder mystery, and a deep meditation on grief and loss all wrapped into a heartwarming, easily accessible package. 

As evident from its title, it stars a herd of CGI sheep in an era where digitized animals have taken over the big screen, often in negative ways. But this is a delightful exception, not just due the high quality of those  effects, but  because it's a story too enchanting for viewers to dismiss. The most obvious comparison is 1995's Babe, that little masterpiece about a courageous pig that won over critics and audiences on its way to earning multiple Oscar nominations. And this shares many of its best qualities, with acting, set design, costuming and cinematography all working in lockstep to transport us to this whimsical world comfortably situated somewhere between fantasy and reality.

Shepherd George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) resides in the small English village of Denbrook where he tends to his flock of sheep, reading them mystery novels he assumes they'll never understand. Except all of them can, hanging on his every word while they analyze clues, narrow down the suspects and eagerly wait to hear him reveal the ending the next morning. But when George is shockingly discovered dead outside his trailer, they can't process it, believing it's only something that happens in books. 

The sheep deal with this terrible news the only way they know how to cope with unpleasant thoughts, collectively agreeing to forget what happened to spare themselves the pain, even if that means forgetting George. But their plan doesn't work so well once Denbrook's sole police officer, the bumbling Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), arrives on the scene, followed closely behind by eager reporter Eric Matthews (Nicholas Galzatine), who suspects foul play. 

Concluding George was poisoned, Tim turns his attention to a growing list of suspects, including the late shepherd's daughter Rebecca Hempstead (Molly Gordon), who arrives from the U.S. flanked by her dad's snarky legal advisor Lydia (Emma Thompson). Meanwhile, the lambs decide to investigate on their own, with crime expert Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), wise ram Mopple (Chris O' Dowd), the fluffy Cloud (Regina Hall), distinguished Sir Richfield (Patrick Stewart) and loner Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) putting their heads together and discovering more than they ever counted on.

The multiple sides of George are revealed over the course of the picture, with most coming to light after his mysterious murder. Initially, we get the impression he's viewed by the townsfolk as a cranky, isolated curmudgeon, even as the reasons for his prickly personality start to make more sense over the course of the investigation. He also has a protective soft spot for his sheep, which is glaringly evident in the brief amount of time we're privy to their bond. It's far more than a job to him, with the charismatic Jackman leaving an unforgettable impression that hangs in the air long after his character's murder.  

George does have enemies, most notably neighbor and fellow shepherd Caleb (Tosin Cole), with whom he's seen arguing the night of his death. He also this complicated relationship with estranged, guilt ridden daughter Molly, who's returned to settle his affairs following the killing. As for the sheep, their biggest adversary are themselves, for as intelligent as they are, they're not exactly independent thinkers, being sheep and all. And that's the mindset they struggle to break free from this entire time, realizing they owe it to George to get to the bottom of this, no matter how horrible it makes them feel.  

Lily assumes her investigative skills and reasoning are enough to crack the case, but she still has a lot to learn, most notably from the stoic Sebastian. Rescued from carnival fighting by George, he has a wealth of wisdom to share, particularly as it relates to the flock's poor treatment of a baby Winter Lamb (Tommy Birchall) who's ostracized and belittled for being different.  Of the many successful sub-plots, this one's the very best, sneaking up on you as the innocent youngster's plight continuously builds, eventually reaching an emotional catharsis that soon becomes inseparable from the central mystery. 

Despite dealing with such heavy, relatable themes, Craig Mazin's script (based on Leonie Swann's 2005 German novel, Three Bags Full) effectively retains the film's light hearted touch throughout. Even when catching the culprit soon becomes secondary to these sheep facing the painfully harsh truth that they'll have to face their loss head on. 

Zaniness ensues when the action shifts from the pasture to town for the reading of George's will, with the sheep keeping their eyes and ears open as an overwhelmed Tim clumsily navigates his first ever murder investigation in this idyllic countryside town. But Nicholas Braun's quirky, physical performance as this incompetent cop with a crush on the main suspect evolves as Tim slowly gains confidence, at least when he's not being verbally eviscerated by Thompson's salty character. 

A bespeckled, nearly unrecognizable Nicholas Galitzine's supporting turn as this goofy reporter looking to prove his mettle as a journalist should make audiences forget all about Masters of the Universe, if they haven't already. Sent to Denbrook to cover what ends up being a hilariously small "cultural festival," his Eric unexpectedly stumbles into an a far more intriguing story. 

In a lineup of colorful suspects who include innkeeper Beth (Hong Chau), the town's Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holbrook-Smith) and local butcher Ham (Conleth Hill), Rebecca tops the list due to her impending inheritance, Endearingly played by Molly Gordon as the likable girl-next-door, we don't want to believe she's guilty any more than Tim does, even when the evidence says otherwise. Regardless of screen time, all these characters are wonderfully sketched out, which goes double for the sheep who start causing a real ruckus the more directly involved in the case they become.  

Knives Out meets Paddington as Balda juggles all these seemingly disparate elements, culminating in a Columbo-inspired resolution straightforward enough for viewers not to notice amidst all the cleverly placed distractions. Invoking laughter and tears, it it ends on the perfect note, signing off with a moving final scene that sees a new book open, reinforcing how bad memories tend to make the good ones resonate even more.                                                 

You People

Director: Kenya Barris
Starring: Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, Sam Jay, Travis Bennett, Molly Gordon, Deon Cole, Andrea Savage, Elliot Gould, Rhea Perlman, Mike Epps, Bryan Greenberg, Matt Walsh
Running Time: 118 min.
Rating: R

★★ ½ (out of ★★★★) 

Say this for Kenya Barris' Netflix culture clash rom com, You People: It's funnier than not and many of the jokes land. There's also an inspired premise at its center that positions the film as a more unruly, pessimistic Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. Because it's efficiently made and you grasp the intent, it really comes down to your willingness to be bludgeoned with different variations on a similar joke for the sake of enduring an occasionally awkward sit. Barris (who created TV's Blackish) and co-writer and star Jonah Hill would probably tell you that's the point, and while it scores for not holding back and being refreshingly un-PC, this was never going to be the smoothest ride given its material.

Anyone in need of a harsh reminder that marrying someone means marrying their family, just imagine spending two hours with the wacky, ignorant in-laws here. But considering the lengths the script goes in depicting their self-righteous prejudices, the ending amounts to the proverbial wave of a magic wand. And therein lies the film's conundrum of attempting to reconcile its humor with more serious social commentary. There's this feeling it doesn't quite get there, even if its talented cast does admirable work in balancing the tone. We're at least reminded how good Hill is, creating a relatably insecure character with noble intentions who contends with a bunch of nonsense that brings him to his breaking point. Unfortunately, it's possible viewers might reach theirs first. 

When thirty-five-year-old broker and cultural podcaster Ezra Cohen (Hill) meets fashion designer Amira Mohammed (Lauren London) after mistaking her for his Uber driver, they go out to lunch and embark on a relationship, sharing a mutual attraction despite dissimilar backgrounds. Ezra's family is Jewish, with parents Shelley (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Arnold (David Duchovny) outwardly enamored by the fact their son's dating a Black woman, a point they embarrassingly hammer home to display how open and tolerant they are. That they do this while holding up lesbian daughter Liza (Molly Gordon) as an example of their progressiveness only magnifies their tunnel vision.

Amira's parents Fatima (Nia Long) and Akbar (Eddie Murphy) are devout Farrahkhan supporting Nation of Islam followers, with him far preferring his Black daughter to date a Muslim. After Ezra and Amira move in together and he contemplates proposing, a joint family dinner goes spectacularly wrong, leading to increased tensions when the engagement is announced. With Akbar publicly humiliating Ezra at every turn, Shelley cluelessly and disrespectfully parades Amira around town for diversity cred, oblivious to how uncomfortable it's making her future daughter-in-law. As the wedding approaches and the tension of their parents' behavior weighs on Amira and Ezra, both start wondering if what they have together is strong enough to withstand their feuding families.

Most of the best moments come from Hill's flustered, deadpan reactions to the constant ribbing and humiliating abuse his character receives from Murphy's Akbar. And while the latter is too humorless a character to even mildly empathize with, there's still a lot of mileage in seeing two talents like Hill and Murphy bounce off each other for the first time. Similarly, there's no telling how much worse this could have been without actors the caliber of Murphy and Louis-Dreyfus, who put their own unique spins on what could have easily been walking stereotypes. Lauren London is likable and engaging as Amira while an opening credit montage featuring Ezra's Black culture podcast with friend Mo (Sam Jay) is an early highlight.  

With the exception of an early gag involving Duchovny's Xzibit obsessed Arnold doing his best John Legend, he and Nina Long are curiously sidelined, their characters lacking personal agency, merely taken along for the ride with their respective spouses. Well directed by Barris with solid performances all-around, it has a repetitive quality that starts to wear thin in the second half. Much of that can be attributed to Shelley and Akbar, whose antics are rooted in the same kind of misunderstandings and everyday prejudices that drive issue oriented sitcoms. But then it keeps going, with characters less resembling real people than lightning rods for controversy. And once the film starts tackling racism and anti-semitism head-on, it feels tonally off, especially when Barris has to take this in for the landing. 

Regardless of how much rumored work was required getting Hill and London on the same page as a believable couple, they're mostly fine together, as any lack of chemistry isn't the film's biggest problem. They share an easygoing rapport that does seem more platonic than romantic, but it's really the chaos surrounding them that wears thin after a while. Following a surprisingly strong start, the concept just seems to run out of gas before reaching an easy conclusion. In aiming to function as a fun, socially relevant time capsule, You People marginally succeeds, but with the pieces of a better movie strewn and scattered about.