Weekend Watch: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Enola Holmes 2
A hilarious music biopic and the young sleuth's next case
Image Credit: Roku
Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, in which I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic’s funny fake career and more sleuthing from Millie Bobby Brown. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite
Though some have gone on to win Oscars, its stars and others tearfully taking the stage to hoist their trophies, music biopics have generally tended to follow such a standard pattern of cradle-to-grave, sex/drugs/rock/roll/delete where appropriate storytelling that they have rightfully been mocked by the likes of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is very much in the Walk Hard style, a bizarre and sometimes brilliant look at some of the life (so far, he’s still with us, thank goodness) of parody musician ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic. Known for his shock of curly hair, accordion skills and ability to turn hit songs into comedy gold by twisting some of the lyrics, Yankovic did not have the sort of hard-scrabble, hard-living early career. He grew up in suburbia, with supportive, happy parents.
And while he may have dabbled in drink or drugs in his time (he’s generally seen as a clean-living vegetarian with none of the diva mood swings that some in his profession display), he certainly didn’t partake of a torrid affair with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood here), nor did he have to deal with drug kingpin Pablo Escobar kidnapping the Material Girl so that Yankovic will play at his birthday party.
Indeed, very little that happens in Weird bears much resemblance to his real life. Written by Yankovic and director Eric Appel after the pair created a mock trailer for an Al biopic on Funny Or Die, this is a joke-laden work of sheer fantasy and refuses to stray from being ridiculous and is more wonderful for it.
In fact, Weird should rank as one of the funniest films of the year, cranking up the dial on the stupidity to include teenage polka parties that are raided by the police as though they were orgies of narcotic abuse, the various scenes of Yankovic coming up with some of his biggest hits such as ‘My Bologna’ and ‘Another One Rides The Bus’ that perfectly parody such po-faced examples in an “honest” biopic or the endless torrent of god-fearing abuse from father Nick (Toby Huss), who sees the accordion as “the devil’s instrument”.
Yet none of it would work quite so well without Daniel Radcliffe, offering yet another crazily convincing performance a world away from his days at Hogwarts. Radcliffe has flourished in the years since Harry Potter, embracing every crazy role he feels like and knocking most of them out of the park. His Yankovic is a prime example – he may not have the musician’s voice perfectly, but he channels him well and smartly lets the real thing do the singing.
Wood is similarly great as Madonna, a gum-chewing ‘80s icon who takes a fancy to Yankovic and kicks off a whirlwind romance that goes to crazy levels of debauchery.
If it can’t quite keep the levels going right to the end, the momentum eventually dipping in the final act, it’s still worthy of praise for the sheer levels of lunacy. Yankovic’s songs have always taken a sideways look at life, and his biopic does the same. It’s worth finding the Roku channel to watch this all by itself.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is on the Roku Channel now.
Image Credit: Netflix
I enjoyed the first Enola Holmes film back in 2020 enough to give it its own Pop Culture Pick column. While the second might not have the same new shine, repeating much of the style and tone, it’s still a frisky, smart and engaging family film.
We’re back following Enola (Millie Bobby Brown, who retains a fine line in fourth wall breaking with her asides) as she’s still attempting to step out of her more famous brother’s shadow. Yet she discovers that setting up her own detective agency is not so easily achieved by a young woman in Victorian London, where she must confront the usual ageism, sexism and queries about whether Sherlock might be available instead.
Still, when the penniless Bess (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss) arrives in her office asking for help to find her missing adoptive sister, Enola is drawn into a mystery surrounding a giant match factory, a potentially corrupt politician and, while she would probably prefer otherwise, the orbit of Sherlock (Henry Cavill, back and clearly relishing every minute of playing the famous detective and verbally sparring with Brown).
The big advantage here is that everything is set up. There’s a brief recap should you be attempting to watch this without having seen the first film, but otherwise, we’re plunged into the new story with some familiar elements. Louis Partridge returns as Tewkesbury, the lord at the centre of Enola’s previous case, and her potential love interest if the two of them can only get out of their own way.
Yet while this second outing is lighter on its feet than the first due to the reduced exposition, it also feels like going through some similar motions. Director Harry Bradbeer and writer Jack Thorne are also back and while they base the case on a real-life employment revolution, there’s still the feeling of repeated beats and some familiar moments.
Helena Bonham Carter returns as Enola and Sherlock’s mother, though her appearances are mostly reduced to deus ex machina get-out-of-trouble assistance or flashbacks to her educating Enola. If there are to be future films, I’d hope she’ll get an actual plotline as opposed to popping in occasionally.
There remains plenty to enjoy, and some new elements including David Thewlis as a driven police officer determined to prove that Enola is up to no good. At the same time, the sequel also offers some slightly unsubtle setup for some of the most famous elements of the classic Sherlock stories.
With plenty of charm, an intriguing mystery and all the banter you would hope for, this is a worthy – if occasionally repetitive – sequel.
Enola Holmes 2 is on Netflix now.