“The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready,” Lorne Michaels, creator and producer of “Saturday Night Live,” once said. “It goes on because it’s 11:30.”

This same quote is also used to open director Jason Reitman’s new movie, “Saturday Night.” The film follows Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle), as he navigates the 90 minutes leading up to the first episode of “Saturday Night Live,” which aired Oct. 11, 1975.  

Throughout the film, the audience sees how things continuously go wrong for Michaels, as he deals with missing actors, sets falling apart and an overabundance of planned material sure to go past the show’s network-allotted time slot. 

John Papsideria, the film’s casting director, truly hit the nail on the head. Not only do the film’s cast members do a great job at portraying their real-life counterparts, but they physically resemble them as well, something often lost in biographical films.

This is best seen with Cory Michael Smith, who portrays comedian and actor Chevy Chase in the film. In fact, Smith portrays Chase so well it felt like it was really Chase on the big screen. 

Not only do the two actors look similar, but Smith executes Chase’s mannerisms perfectly. 

Chase is known for being a difficult actor to work with, especially regarding scandals involving racial slurs, physical altercations and aggressiveness — something “Saturday Night” touches on a bit. In a particular scene, Chase gets into a physical altercation with John Belushi (Matt Wood) over a hurtful comment Chase made about Belushi’s weight. 

Other familiar faces, including Rachel Sennott, Dylan O’Brien, J.K Simmons and Willem Dafoe, are also enjoyable to watch on the big screen. Each actor does a fantastic job at portraying the person they were tasked to play, depicting them in a light that contributes to the overall chaos of the story.

In the end, though, it’s LaBelle who truly steals the show. According to an article from Forbes, LaBelle spent considerable time preparing for his role as Michaels, and it shows.

“I watched the whole first season just to get an idea of the style of comedy, who the guest hosts were, and what would have been in their heads on that first night,” LaBelle said in the article. “I read a lot of books about how Lorne got to know everyone, formed the show, and what his earlier career was like to understand how these relationships developed.”

In the film, Michaels is conveyed as resilient, despite dealing with the chaos. However, the hectic atmosphere and disorganized situations are what make the film so fun to watch.

Another contributor to the movie’s immersiveness was its use of sound. For example, when tensions were rising in a scene, upbeat and rather unsettling music would play in the background of the scene.

In a particular scene, when Michaels’ cousin and assistant Neil Levy, portrayed by Andrew Barth Feldman, is stressed out about trying to find a missing actor, he is encouraged to take a hit of weed. As Levy continues walking around in search of the actor, the audience gets to see how the hit of this substance is affecting him. 

The audience begins to hear everything in slow motion, as if hearing Levy’s surroundings from his perspective. To top this stressful scene off, there is an uprising drumbeat playing in the background, adding to the buildup throughout the scene.

“Saturday Night” allows viewers to be completely enthralled with every event that happens throughout the movie, and with a cast of quirky personalities, the film leaves audiences wanting to see more of every character. Whether watching with friends or alone, it is impossible not to laugh out loud.

Rating: 4.5/5

Woman of the Hour, 2024.

Directed by Anna Kendrick.
Starring Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Tony Hale, Nicolette Robinson, Autumn Best, Pete Holmes, Andy Thompson, David Beairsto, Tighe Gill, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle, Matt Visser, Jedidiah Goodacre, Dylan Schmid, Rob Morgan, Denalda Williams, Jessie Fraser, Max Lloyd-Jones, Nancy Kerr, James Yi, Jessica Chaffin, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Darcy Laurie, and Taylor Hastings.

SYNOPSIS:

Sheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV show, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that, behind the man’s gentle facade, he hides a deadly secret.

Somewhere between serial killer thriller and dark comedy takedown of sexist showbusiness industry standards, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman of the Hour gets at some psychologically uncomfortable truths about surviving in such a misogynistic world (especially for the 1970s in which the story unfolds, separated into different years and character threads) and the deceptiveness of a highly intelligent sociopath (a chilling Daniel Zovatto.) More tantalizingly, the film presents the bulk of the narrative on the stage of a matchmaking game show for supreme thrills, sharply editing back and forth through time with clever transitions that, yes, leave one hanging and eager to return, but equally invested in the wraparound events connected to the general premise.

This story is also based on actual events, but Anna Kendrick is so confident, comfortable, and skilled in telling this story she knows she doesn’t have to drop that bombshell until the film is over. Working from a screenplay by Ian McDonald, one would be forgiven for assuming this was all a brilliant, fictional premise that places an aspiring actress on a cheesy dating show alongside a chauvinistic host (Tony Hale) who encourages the titular woman of the hour to dumb her intelligence down and play up physical beauty to make herself more appealing to the uneducated and slimy bachelors, with one of those three being a sly-tongued, manipulative, murderous maniac capable of masking that ugly side for just enough time to lure his prey into isolation and danger.

Anna Kendrick also plays that frustrated LA-based actress who has trouble booking gigs. As Sheryl, it also gives the well-known actress ample opportunity to seemingly inject a more personal connection into the character whenever venting about such notorious Hollywood sexism (whether it be individuals likely being blacklisted from roles for refusing nudity or the demeaning types of characters they are expected to play, even on a reality TV game show.) One can only assume this behavior was rampant more in the 70s and somewhat eliminated in modern times, but the point is still largely valid and effective.

Woman of the Hour is not single-minded, though. Jumping around before and after this portion of the narrative, the focus turns to Rodney, the previously mentioned serial killer who is undoubtedly strange and unkempt but with enough charm and photography skills to earn the trust of young women and men, typically promising them modeling fame and an opportunity to win some money. Other times, he is in a lucky position to help out an unassuming soul before conducting his disturbing kills, which occasionally switch to the victim’s perspective to make the scenes all the more unsettling.

A third perspective follows Nicolette Robinson’s Laura, an audience member watching the game show who instantly recognizes Rodney as the man who sexually assaulted and murdered her friend. This is the shakiest part of the narrative, as the film slightly tries too hard to make everyone from her initially reasonable boyfriend to front desk security guards play down her concerns and make her out to be crazy. As filled with urgency as Nicolette Robinson’s terrified and traumatized performance is, there is a disconnect between observing men being forced to behave uselessly to keep the mechanics of dramatized elements of this true story working and men’s more genuinely scummy personalities here.

That’s mostly nitpicking since Woman of the Hour is a suspenseful, heart-pounding exercise. It feels like it shouldn’t work, considering the narrative jumps backward and forwards, but it does, which is also a testament to the film making viewers deeply care about these characters, from the protagonist to the victims. Anna Kendrick has also clearly learned a lot over the years from acting, elevating tension through tense cinematography (working with Zach Kuperstein), such as a wide-angle tracking shot tapping into the heart-racing fear of being a woman walking alone at night. She also arguably delivers the best performance of her career, especially when her capacity to play by the host’s rules goes out the window, demonstrating her intelligence and putting the men in the hot seat with tough questions. Again, the scariest part is that the most dangerous, sadistic person in the room maliciously adapts to that, practically knowing what she wants to hear.

Where Woman of the Hour ultimately ends up is also thrilling and challenging, suggesting that, even if it is profoundly messed up, the greatest survival mechanism for women is outsmarting even the most calculated, despicable men. 

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=embed/playlist

Edging toward the dusty cliff of Angels Point in Elysian Park, the music video crew sets up its last scene at the picturesque overlook of sprawling Los Angeles, cueing the twinkling song about renewed tenderness, “Otro Capitulo,” once again.

Becky G shifts her feet in a one-two-and-three-step motion while an artificial gust powered by leaf blowers turns the scene into a hazy fog, all while she rotates to embrace the city that raised her with open arms.

I meet the Mexican American singer, whose real name is Rebecca Marie Gomez, in her trailer up Elysian Park’s main road. She’s switched out her silky bandanna top for a more comfortably fitted baby pink tee. Still tethered around her neck is a dainty gold chain with the name of her fourth studio album, “Encuentros,” released Oct. 10.

Still catching her breath following the serotonin-exuding shoot, Becky reveals she is happy and ready for a new chapter in her life, hence the title of “Otro Capítulo,” the only cumbia track on her new LP.

“The song embodies something that I’ve been feeling for a really long time, which is the turning of the new leaf,” she said. “I feel like I’ve just shed so much skin.”

The earworm of cosmic bliss and new beginnings is also the name behind her sophomore headlining tour, Casa Gomez: Otro Capítulo, which kicked off Oct. 11 at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom.

The song is situated in a larger collection of conflicting emotions, a varying negotiation of personal values amid heartache.

“‘Encuentros’ was like really this place of embodying,’No, no, we’re angry. No, no, we’re terrified. No, no, we’re confused. No, no, we’re joyful,’” Becky said, becoming alive with every emotion as she said it.

In March 2023, infidelity rumors regarding longtime partner Sebastian Lletget began to swirl on the internet, prompting a public statement by the FC Dallas midfielder where he apologized to Becky and announced that he was committing himself to a mental wellness program. Becky did not publicly address the flurry of gossip that ensued on social media.

“I think there was a moment where my silence was confused for weakness, and it was a choice and it’s important for me to honor that,” she said.

A couple of years ago, the 27-year-old believed she knew all there was to know about life, an understandable dose of faith for someone who has spent most of her teens and early adulthood in the public eye.

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“More of my life has taken place on the internet now than it ever did before, which is so strange to think about,” she said.

By age 14, Becky G had reached a record deal with Kemosabe/RCA Records after uploading a zealous rap freestyle over Jay Z and Kanye West’s “Otis” beat on YouTube. She professed her desire to hustle beyond her short-lived stint in G.L.A.M., a pop girl group. “Wrong label, wrong time,” she rapped.

It wouldn’t be long before she itemized her career aspirations in her 2013 JLo-inspired freestyle, “Becky From the Block,” asserting “I won’t stop till I get to the top.” Then came “Shower,” her 2014 feel-good pop wonder about a persistent crush that propelled her debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

“The song embodies something that I’ve been feeling for a really long time, which is the turning of the new leaf. I feel like I’ve just shed so much skin,” Becky G said of “Otro Capitulo,” a track off of her latest album, “Encuentros.”

(Jill Connelly / For De Los)

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“I felt like a mujercita already, I thought I knew everything,” said Becky. “The older I get, the more I recognize that I know nothing at all. That’s so exciting for me.”

Though her first album, “Mala Santa,” wouldn’t be released until 2019, Becky G quickly found her lane in collaborating with top industry artists like Pitbull, Banda MS, Daddy Yankee, Snoop Dogg and Bad Bunny. She’d often flex her linguistic skills in both English and Spanish and across genres like pop, trap and reggaeton, opening for main acts like J Balvin, Katy Perry and Demi Lovato.

“The music I’ve made throughout all of my career really reflects my playlists growing up,” said the Inglewood-raised artist. “It was a genre-less playlist from salsa, merengue, rancheras, pop/rock en español, to hip-hop, R&B and pop music.”

Last year, she ventured into a new realm with the release of her first música Mexicana album, “Esquinas,” which honored her Mexican roots in covers of drunken-sung ballads like “Un Puño de Tierra,” “Cruz de Olvido” and “Por Un Amor.” She also paid tribute to her late grandfather, the catalyst of her dreams, in the tear-jerking elegy “Querido Abuelo.”

“It represented culture, community, connection to the things that raised me. From my abuelitos to my siblings, to the two flags and languages that I identified with growing up,” she said. “I had to go deeper to this place of acceptance as well that I’ll never be a baby in my dad’s arms while he listens to Chalino and Ramon Ayala.”

The “Sin Pijama” singer teased her transition to the genre during her 2023 Coachella set, donning a cerulean tejana hat and a rhinestone bralette. The stage opened the door to what she considers to be “Casa Gomez,” the familial energy one feels when attending a carne asada cookout. She brought out special guests Marca MP for their lento 2022 remix of “Ya Acabó” and Fuerza Regida frontman Jesus Ortiz Paz (also known as JOP) for a raw rendition of their 2023 “Te Quiero Besar.”

Then out came a nascent Peso Pluma for their duet “Chanel,” the leading single for “Esquinas” that debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 55. The raspy Mexican vocalist would go on to perform at Coachella in 2024, this time bringing Becky G as a special guest to the desert stage.

“More of my life has taken place on the internet now than it ever did before, which is so strange to think about,” said Becky G, who has spent more than a decade in the limelight.

(Jill Connelly / For De Los)

“She was the first woman who lent me a hand in this industry,” announced Peso Pluma to the crowd of thousands.

But Becky G’s venture into música Mexicana has also come with pushback from outsiders who claim she is only Mexican when it’s convenient.

“I laugh because I’m like, con el nopal en la frente,” she said, lightly slapping her forehead after uttering a colloquialism often used to emphasize someone’s evident Mexican roots via their appearance. “It couldn’t be more obvious that I’ve been proud of my roots since day one.”

Negative comments fuel her to keep going, especially as she’s witnessed— and helped — other Southern California contemporaries popularize the genre.

“I had a conversation with Ivan Cornejo about this, same thing with JOP. We are having a whole conversation in English, and singing in Spanish,” she said, halfway laughing. “We feel like we have this thing to prove.”

“She inspired me to have a voice,” said Cornejo, the Riverside-born singer who collaborated with Becky on the sad sierreño duet “2ndo Chance.”

“Coming into the music industry, I was a bit nervous, because I’m [both Mexican and American] and she helped me embrace [it],” he added.

Becky G also sought a collaboration with Delilah Cabrera, the budding 16-year-old singer signed to Los CT, the record label launched by corridos tumbados pioneer Natanael Cano.

“I think that she is very inspiring to all the Mexican Americans,” said the Wenatchee, Wash., teen. “I see her as a big sister.”

The two belt heartfelt lyrics on the tender-strum ballad “Todo,” which details a cautious approach to a new love.

“Brick by brick, we’re continuing to build this bridge that artists like Selena Quintanilla started and couldn’t finish,” said Becky. “I hope that we can help kids who grew up like us feel more OK to be themselves.”

(Jill Connelly / For De Los)

“Encuentros” is a vulnerable, unrelenting and unfiltered compilation at the crux of heartache and healing that Becky G has experienced this past year. She opens the album with the brash “Xlas Nubes,” a corrido tumbado fleshed with the distressing tolls of agony. She then carries her grief through “Desierto,” a banda ballad that hexes a past love to an eternity of dreary karmic payback. The LP’s lead single, “Como Diablos,” is a formal reminder to an ex that from one to 10, she’s “a f— hundred.”

Songwriter and producer Hector Guerrero, who has composed for regional giants like T3R Elemento, Grupo Firme and Los Tigres del Norte, helped Becky craft the hard-hitting corrido tumbado beats of “Encuentros.” Most notable on the charts is the album’s lead single “Mercedes,” featuring Mexicali’s Oscar Maydon, which raced to the top spot on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay shortly after its release.

“Becky explained what she has gone through, which was very emotional. She injected us with those ideas when she would leave the studio,” said Guerrero. “What she has lived through is what is reflected in this album.”

But the rage, breakup-esque tunes are also paired with glimmering tracks of hope like “Muchas Gracias,” which includes an angelic interlude that poses the eternal question: How does one heal a broken heart? “Robando mas corazones? Quebrando más corazones? O sanando mi propio corazón?” (Stealing more hearts? Breaking more hearts? Or healing my own heart?).

And then there’s the bubbly techno tune, the one that was caught in an infinite loop the day of the interview, “Otro Capitúlo.” It is the nucleus of “Encuentros,” packed with a killer electric guitar solo, a nod to La Factoria’s 2006 reggaeton hit “Perdóname,” and sprinkled zest of the late Tejana singer Selena Quintanilla. “Lo que pasó, baby, ya pasó, Vamo’ a empezar otro capítulo” (What happened, happened baby, let’s start a new chapter).

The song also foreshadows what’s to come in Becky’s life.

“I’m ready to open my heart up again, I think you have to as an artist. We’re such lovers. We love love,” she confessed with a glimmering smile. “I think if you go through life so guarded with your walls up, it’s not really a life worth living.”

Now in the makeup room, re-touching her face for the second time in the day, Becky brings up the significance of possibly winning a Latin Grammy for her song “Por El Contrario,” a heartstrung ballad paired with the Aguilar siblings, Ángela and Leonardo, which is nominated for regional Mexican song. She started penning the composition in 2020 alongside songwriting juggernaut Édgar Barrera, winner of 21 Latin Grammys and best known for writing and producing songs for Shakira, Grupo Frontera, Maluma and more.

“Brick by brick, we’re continuing to build this bridge that artists like Selena Quintanilla started and couldn’t finish,” said Becky G. “I hope that we can help kids who grew up like us feel more OK to be themselves.”

(Jill Connelly / For De Los)

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Admittedly, it would be sweet vindication for the Chicana singer born and raised in L.A., someone who is “always feeling like I wasn’t Mexican enough to win a Latin Grammy or to be nominated for a Latin Grammy.”

As the interview reaches its end, Becky takes a breath before quipping a cheeky take likely uttered in silence by every female celebrity whose romantic life becomes the subject of public discourse.

“I’m over here being a jefita chingona, busting my a— and that’s what people want to focus on?” she said, referring to her love life amid a decadelong career without scandals, five Latin Grammy nominations, four studio albums and two headlining tours.

“Please! Relax,” she added, cracking a puckered smile while she slapped away the wind with her hand, a charming attitude reminiscent of the young Becky from the Block who once dreamed of this life at the top.

The sun has set on Chavez Ravine, but the day isn’t over for Becky, who remained in the makeup room long after our interview concluded. There’s still a second part of the shoot, something involving a car. But after some time, she walks out of her dresser decked in a tan football shirt and a faux fur bucket hat, in her full prowess, ready to start anew.