Two friends with very different personalities start their own beauty company, Mel & Mia’s, despite not agreeing on how they should run it. One is more practical, while the other wants to earn her fortune quickly and live a lavish lifestyle. Things take a turn for the worse when their company runs into debt, forcing them to turn to an unscrupulous benefactor who intends to steal the business out from under them. The two must address their differences to save their business.

It’s hard to come across a comedy that is genuinely funny. I mean make you keel over in pain kind of funny and that’s exactly where Like A Boss takes you as an audience member. With like Like A Boss, what you get is funny, funny and funnier and director Miguel Arteta and stars Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne and Selma Hayek have a whole lot of fun as they push some extreme comedy to the edge. From vivid childbirth cakes to weed smoking babies and the pains of ghost pepper cooking, Like A Boss has it all when it comes to totally outlandish and laugh-out-loud moments and it revels in the laughs that it throws at its audience. You won’t be able to stop yourself from keeling over with these outlandish hysterics. It’s been some time since I’ve laughed this hard with a comedy film and Like A Boss goes down an absolute treat.

Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne go for it in Like A Boss as best friends and small business entrepreneurs Mia and Mel who finally have the chance to step up to the big leagues in the beauty world in Like A Boss. Both actresses get to riff off of another here and they display perfect chemistry and create a whole lot of laughs with this one. They set each other up for some great comedy here, but their talent as performers really helps to build out the central themes of loyalty and friendship in Like A Boss and they prove that sometimes its better to appreciate what you have then to strive towards stars that dazzle just a little too bright. Haddish and Byrne have terrific handling of the comedy on offer in Like A Boss and they absolutely make this film a joy to watch.

Facing off against our two besties is Selma Hayek as make-up diva Claire Luna and she’s one absolute uber bitch. Best described as a pint-sized barbie doll come to life, with a personality to match, Hayek’s Luna is an ultra-competitive backstabber who is willing to go to whatever lengths she needs to in order to win regardless of the cost. Hayek revels in how far she can push it here as the chief villain and she gets to cut loose and have some fun thanks to her dis-dastardly plan to rip off Mia and Mel. Like A Boss is a great film for Hayek to mix things up and she gets to do something very fun here and her villainous performance heightens the enjoyment of Like A Boss.

Providing a key level of support is Jennifer Coolidge as over-the-top make-up assistant Sydney and the delightful Billy Porter as smooth operating cosmetic wizard Bennet. And both performers sprinkle plenty of magic around. Coolidge once again offers up her unique comedic timing here and her pithy one-liners will give you all the giggles. But if there’s a scene-stealer then it is absolutely Porter, who is in command of every scene that he’s in and offers up plenty of outrageous moments that will leave you hollering. Both actors are used to perfection by director Arteta and their inclusion in Like A Boss makes this film all the more hilarious.

Like A Boss is just a perfectly fun and riotous comedy film and it goes down perfect for a night out with you and all your besties. You’ll be laughing your heads off, and when the credits begin to roll you’ll be certain your friendship is all the stronger for it.

Image: Paramount Pictures

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Set in the world of high frequency trading where billions of dollars are made in milliseconds, director Kim Nguyen has created the space for a compelling and thrilling piece of cinema. And while the thrill of the hunt and the desire to win at all costs does resonate within this work, the director takes another step and really focuses inward upon the characters that are present in this crazy story.

As an example of character acting at it’s finest, The Hummingbird Project draws out plenty of amazing talent and it’s headlining star is the always sensational Jesse Eisenberg. Known for his whip smart movement and motormouth performances, Eisenberg has made a place for himself in Hollywood with being able to portray the smartest guys in the room, and here he finds a character who fits his performance perfectly as the hot-headed Vincent Zaleski. Driven by an unwavering desire to succeed, and especially to succeed on his own, via his own merit, Vincent is headstrong, defiant, argumentative and determined to get what he wants out of life at any cost. In short, it’s a perfect fit for Eisenberg’s talents, and his character arc throughout this movie offers up something brand new and unique for his catalogue of credits and he absolutely holds the attention of the audience in front of him.

Joining Eisenberg in this crazy, high risk narrative is Swedish heartthrob Alexander Skarsgard, and he does an entire 360 switch-up here as Vincent’s cousin, and programming genius Anton Zaleski. Balding, introverted, possibly autistic and unfathomably intelligent, Anton is the genius behind Vincent’s plan and his desire to beat the market by a millisecond sets these cousins off on their journey. Skarsgard’s performance is unlike anything the actor has ever done before, and it’s a really reserved piece of acting from the perspective of an incredibly oddball character who fluctuates from extreme timidness to explosive rage at a moments notice. But unlike Eisenberg’s Vincent who is concerned with nothing but materialistic success, Anton desires a way to escape the fast paced world of trading and find some kind of peace with his life and this is where The Hummingbird Project gets interesting.

Bearing down on these two misfits is Selma Hayek as their brutal former boss Eva Torres, whose shark-like appearance and enormous ego is enough to scare the hell out of anyone. As Torres, Hayek is a reflection of the very worst parts of corporate America and materialistic culture, and her presence and assimilation into the role is something that really captures the audiences attention. She gives Vincent and Anton a real run for their money and it’s very interesting to watch this dynamic at play.

Kim Nguyen has a great style as a director and while The Hummingbird Project concerns the swanky offices of the New York skyline, the vast majority of the story takes place out in the unbroken wilderness of America and it’s here that we get an incredible juxtaposition of ideas and thematic underscores. Thanks to the cinematography of Nicolas Bolduc we have amazing shots of the beautiful Appalachian mountain ranges, and amongst all of this are a team of slick hustlers trying to undercut it all in the pursuit of profit. Narratively, it makes for some very interesting ideas and as an audience member you’ll find yourself contemplating on everything that is set before you. The film also gives it’s audience one hell of a shock thanks to its ending, and it’s a narrative twist that really switches everything up.

The Hummingbird Project is ultimately the tale of a pair of misfits who decided to take on the system and the trials and tribulations that fall upon them by doing it. It’s thought provoking and insightful and audiences will definitely come out of it having experienced something unique.

Image: Madman Films

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