The Night Before Review
R: Drug Use and Language Throughout, Some Strong Sexual Content and Graphic Nudity
Sony, Columbia Pictures, Good Universe, Point Grey Pictures
1 hr and 41 Minutes
Cast: Seth Rogen, Joesph Gordon Levitt, Anthony Mackie, Jillian Bell, Lizzy Caplan, Aaron Hill, Ilana Glazer, Michael Shannon. with Nathan Fielder, and Tracy Morgan
Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during my adolescence. Outdated language might be seen in these old posts. Since then, my thoughts and values have grown. This review is being presented as they were originally written, grammatical errors and typos and all. Because to do otherwise would be that same as claiming these flaws has never existed.
BACKSTORY: Thursday November 12th, I went to a Fandango screening for The Night Before with 4 of my friends Luis, Samira, Gil and Marissa. Since Luis and Samira were already at the theater and Gil, Marissa, and I were back at school wrapping up Gil's project. As time went on, I feared that they would be in the theater before us so I rushed the shit out of both of them. As we got to the theater I see Luis' Bruno Mars looking hair and saw that they were inside about to check in, but there was a long line outside. So like the dickhead I am, I pushed through all the people screaming out "SAMIRA! LUIS!" while the people behind were giving me the "fuck you" eyes. As Gil and Marissa looked so humiliated seeing how I had no patience and had to suffer with the glares like I did, I got our tickets and we went up. Because we got free popcorn and soda, I forget my personal rule which was get a good seat then get free snacks afterwards, but since my ass was already at the concession stand with Gil and Marissa, I quickly got my snacks and went upstairs with Samira and Luis. Like the dickhead I am, I remembered that I abandoned Gil and Marissa at the concession stand. So first thing was first, I had to save good seats for the three of us [which I did]. Since they were screening Love the Coopers downstairs behind the stand, they went to that theater, thinking that was the Night Before. I mean they are both Christmas films which I won't blame them for. Plus they had carolers and a Christmas Tree specifically for that screening which was odd. So, I rescued them from their confusion and took them to watch the movie and boy we were having the time of our fucking lives.
STORYLINE: Ethan, Isaac and Chris have been friends since childhood, and for a decade, their yearly Christmas Eve reunion has been an annual night of debauchery and hilarity. Now that they're entering adulthood, the tradition is coming to an end, and to make it as memorable as possible, they set out to find the Nutcracka Ball - the Holy Grail of Christmas parties.
REVIEW: Say what you will about Seth Rogen, but I am pretty sure he is the Adam Sandler of getting high. Like Adam Sandler loves to make films of him and his friends going on vacation. Seth Rogen loves to make films of him and his friends getting high. But unlike Sandler, Rogen can actually create an elaborate story behind it. Though some of his films are hit and miss, Seth Rogen and his partner in crime Evan Goldberg are comedy geniuses. But this time around he teamed up with Jonathan Levine [director of 50/50] to make a Christmas film....where he and his friends get high. Where in Pineapple Express the humor was subtle and the pacing is low brow, The Night Before follows the similar subtle humor, but the pacing is fast. The film goes really fast, where we start like a regular Christmas tale, and then just becomes a really R rated Christmas comedy that is more comedic than Harold and Kumar and more heartwarming than Bad Santa. The thing about the Night Before that really works is the chemistry between Mackie, Rogen, and Levitt and the kind of trouble they get into. You really sense the brotherhood between the three when they really start going on their adventure. Once they start hitting the town, the film really turns into a vignette for each character. There are really three running subplots that centers around our three main leads and they handled a great job covering their individual stories. With each story there is a message, but most of the lessons that are learned are a muddled by the abundance of jokes. The film prospers from all of the celebrity cameos that appears. With each cameo, the level of humor increases by two. Its good to even see lesser comedic actors such as Jillian Bell and Ilana Glazer (who is QUEEN by the way) get their time in their limelight to display their comedic chops. Most of the film is consistently funny, but it screws up with the story at hand which makes it pretty frantic to a point that it just becomes mini vignettes with Rogen, Mackie, and Levitt. Everything about the Night Before is fun and all, until it has to wrap itself up [no pun intended]. When the story does come to a conclusion, it struggles how to end itself, so instead gives 3 different endings with one being more sillier than the other.
LAST STATEMENT: Though it struggles with an ending and is frantic as fuck, The Night Before is a consistently hysterical Christmas comedy with drugs, jokes, and celebrities galore.
Rating: 4/5 | 85%
Super Scene: Isaac gets a text from a man named James
