"You know everything about me.......and I don't even think about you." Yeesh. 12 words designed to cut someone down to size in seconds. A similar line slayed in Mad Men and it does the same here in Late Night. The reason it's so effective is the film leading up to that point has done a fine job in making us care about the people onscreen arguing. Any film that can do that is worth your time in my opinion.
Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson, deadly as always) is an anachronism. An analog woman in a digital age (ugh). She's a late night talk show host who's living in the past. She hates the internet, she has no interest in modern celebrities and her show's ratings are suffering because of it. After a look around her all male, all white, writers room she wants a change. She wants a woman in the mix. In walks Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling), a woman who no writing experience who just happens to be in the right place at the right time. To say they are like oil and water is an understatement.
Late Night is all about the messages. It's a movie on a mission to pack as many of them in as possible. #Metoo, glass ceilings, ageism, affirmative action, tokenism, racism, sexism, mental health. It's a proper bonanza. It should feel smug and preachy but miraculously it doesn't. It has a lovely lightness of touch, a way of getting its points across without (mostly) ramming them down your throat and it's all down to a superb central pairing of Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling. They're great together as two women battling against societal pressure seeking to keep them both down. Katherine as a 56 year old woman in a business dominated by younger men and Molly as a dark skinned woman in a room full of white faces. The fact that both are better at their jobs than the people around them makes them an instant threat.
This was directed by Nisha Ganatra, a gay woman of Indian descent who faced the same struggles as Molly does. It stars Emma Thompson, an actress in her 50's who's been facing ageism in Hollywood for decades now. And of course Mindy Kaling, another woman with a career mirroring the character she plays her. 3 woman who've all dealt with discrimination in it's many forms. Their combined experience gives the film a strong and very welcome bang of authenticity. Add in their comedic skills and you're on a winner.
There's a lot going on here though. At times maybe too much. The writer's room is packed full of faces you'll recognise from Veep, The Sopranos, Kingdom and Hannibal. The chaotic nature of the writing room is reproduced well but you never get a sense of how it works or the thinking behind it. It's in this maelstrom of testosterone where the film's deft touch disappears momentarily as it's all stuff we've seen done better before. The only standout in this part of the film is Reid Scott as a writer called Tom. He plays a part that goes against expectations and if you only know him as the arrogant bastard Dan from Veep you'll be surprised by him here. Dotted through the film are little moments like that too, scenes that zag when you expect them to zig. It's nice, it keeps you on your toes.
I liked Late Night. It's a commentary of the state of showbusiness (or any business) about the way that world works if you aren't the "right" colour or sex. An important POV combined with some genuinely funny comedy and a pair of first rate performances makes this a film definitely worth your time.
