Late Night

Score:  B-

Directed by Nisha Ganatra
Starring Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Reid Scott
Running time: 102 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Late Night teams up two stars of different generations - Thompson and Kaling - in an intriguing premise about a faltering late night host and her new writer, respectively.  Kaling is still struggling to adapt to the feature film format, both as an actor and a writer, but Thompson is brilliant and carries it easily.  Not as funny as it should be, but still fun.  Recommended if you're in the mood (once it's on Amazon Prime).


Katherine Newbury (Thompson) has become a victim of her own success.  The only woman host of a network nighttime talk show, Newbury has been showered with awards and commands respect from her peers.  But while she sticks to her guns, modern tastes have evolved and her ratings, trickling downward for years, reach a new low.  After a confrontation with a network executive, Newbury half-heartedly tries to change things up on her show, particularly behind the scenes - including the rare hiring of a female writer, Molly (Kaling).  With competition and ratings pressures breathing down her neck, Newbury struggles between a desire to return to the top of the industry and a need to remain true to herself.  Both new (Molly) and old (her husband) do their best to convince her those need not be mutually exclusive dreams.

Late Night has significant roles for only its two main players, with a handful of supporting characters sprinkled in.  Emma Thompson plays the late night show host Katherine Newbury, and her performance is the best part of the film.  She effectively conveys a sense of power and control, crucial for a part that is the center of a little universe.  By definition, she is an almost larger than life persona, but still conveys both Newbury's strengths and weaknesses - with real subtlety.  When personal drama rears its head, things could easily have soured if not for her steady and authentic path from pain and regret to release.  Perhaps because Thompson is so good, Kaling comes off as not quite ready for Hollywood prime time.  She is likable, but unable to assemble a coherent character from her individual scenes.  Partly this is because of the script (which, well, she wrote), but it felt to me like she was perhaps trying to disappear into her previous, TV roles rather than to treat this one as a distinct entity.  Most of the supporting characters are Molly's fellow writers, the best of whom is played by Reid Scott, even though it again plays a bit too much like Kaling's male companions on her TV shows.  John Lithgow also appears as Newbury's husband and does very well, particularly in developing a deep, genuine personal background for her.

Late Night is a fine dramedy, but one that coasts on its premise and lead performance while failing to realize its comic potential.  This really is Mindy Kaling's film; not only did she write and star in it, but the premise is semi-autobiographical (she, too, started her career as a "diversity" hire).  It's ironic, then, that the strongest aspects of the film are Emma Thompson's late night host and the twists and turns it takes as she attempts to make her show relevant again.  As mentioned, Thompson's acting is just magnetic, and without it the film would have floundered, perhaps fatally (she also happens to be by far the funniest person in the cast).  There are plenty of social media cliches thrown around, but also some interesting maneuvering, such as Thompson's cat-and-mouse game with her lunkhead potential replacement (played by Kaling-collaborator Ike Barinholtz) and an impromptu stand up performance to blow off steam.  Kaling, in terms of her on-screen character, fails to hold up her end of the bargain, though.  The film tries hard to establish the writers' room as the other main element, but Kaling just fails to shine through and there are no saviors to be found in the supporting cast.  She writes her own scenes as if they were for her TV characters, and that simply doesn't work in a feature film, on the big screen.  The Thompson parts, which are new to her, are not affected by that frame of mind (for the most part).  In spite of its unique premise, the film follows a familiar formula, with Thompson and Kaling's characters parting ways before reuniting at the end.  But even if it's forgettable, it's at least pleasantly done.

***

Late Night, considering its intriguing premise and talented creators, is disappointing yet still a fine watch.  Not only is it Mindy Kaling's first major foray into the movies, it's also distributed by Amazon Studios.  While some of Amazon's first tries have been big successes - Manchester By the Sea, The Big Sick - Late Night seems clearly better suited to Amazon's Prime streaming service rather than as a feature on the big screen.  Mindy Kaling is very talented and I like when studios give people like her chances on neat ideas like this.  But Late Night probably would have benefited from some assistance from a few more seasoned film veterans, too.  I'd recommend this one, but only once it comes to Prime and you're looking for something a little different from the comfort of home.




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