Review of Late Night (2019) by Markhreviews — 28 Jun 2019

“Late Night” is smart, observant and, most importantly, it never forgets that it’s a comedy. In the hands of writer/actor Mindy Kaling (“The Office,” “The Mindy Project”), this film offers gentle critiques about race and gender, while never forgetting to keep us smiling.

By being in the right place at the right time, Molly Patel (Kaling) is hired as a new staff writer for late night host Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson). Newbury’s talk show has been running for 28 years, apparently coasting on fumes for the past decade or so. There’s the subtle implication that Newbury has had to swim upstream the whole time. In any event, told by a network executive that this year will be her last, Newbury stages a last-ditch effort to reclaim a relevant role in popular culture. (Apparently, booking Doris Kearns Goodwin and Diane Feinstein for erudite conversation is not the ratings bonanza of Kevin Hart on a Slip N’ Slide.) Creative tension, conflict and self-awareness ensue.

There’s a lot to like about this film. As the film’s co-star, Kaling is charming and appealing. As the film’s writer, Kaling is shrewd enough to recognize that this is Emma Thompson’s film and that sometimes she should just get out of the way. (From press reports, Kaling wrote the role specifically for Thompson, with no idea whether she was interested.) At times, Kaling’s script evokes “The Devil Wears Prada” with Meryl Streep in full flight. However, it’s when talk show host Newbury is interacting with her writers (totally white and male before Molly’s appearance) that the film seems most authentic. There’s an air of veracity to those interactions that gives moviegoers the impression that the screenwriter has pulled back the curtain and offered a glimpse of something very real. And while there are no real laugh-out-loud moments (“Booksmart” apparently cornered the market), the wry, observational tone of the script is ultimately quite satisfying.

That said, this film is not flawless. When a ninety-minute script relies on an epiphany or even a gradual increase in self-awareness, that evolution/transformation can strain credulity. In this regard, “Late Night” is not immune to a little eye-rolling. There also are a variety of loose ends that leave the show feeling incomplete. John Lithgow is fabulous as Newbury’s long-suffering husband, a role that could have been better-developed. Is Molly’s co-worker a real friend or a sexual opportunist? Is Kaling suggesting he could be both simultaneously? The film’s conclusion is particularly unfulfilling, suggesting an implausible culture shift that may cause world peace to break out any minute.

What ultimately makes “Late Night” worthwhile is its generosity of spirit. Kaling’s script is the platform for one of Thompson’s best performances, a symbiotic relationship that permeates many elements of the project and urges forgiveness for a few minor missteps along the way.