'Late Night' is a female driven comedy we need.

Late Night tells a story of two strong female characters. One of them, Katherine Newbury played by Emma Thompson is a successful host of a long-running late-night talk show that is seeing ratings downfall, while the other one Molly Patel - played by Mindy Kaling, is an ambitious new-comer that joins the team bringing new and fresh ideas on board.

The comedy was helmed by a female director most known for directing few episodes of Amazon’s TV show Transparent and it was written by one of the co-leads, Kaling mostly known for her role in the ensemble comedy The Office. The script offers tons of jokes about Hollywood and its beauty, as well as gender stereotypes and standards. So, if you’re tired of male-driven comedies and look for refreshment this is the movie you should give a watch.

Late Night turns out to be an interesting spin on a "buddy comedies" with strong performances by its female leads. This film plays with a fascinating spin on ageism and racism that are still so prominent in Hollywood.

The cast is perfect – Emma Thompson in particular shines. She playfully delivers every line making it her own, owning every scene she appears in. Her spin on "the evil boss" character gives Meryl Streep and her The Devil Wears Prada performance run for the money. Kaling, on the other hand, is delightful as an awkward but lovable girl next door. Both actresses together create magic – an untypical duo having remarkable on-screen chemistry that makes it impossible not to root for the characters. Supporting cast is a funny and nice addition – John Lithgow plays Kathryn’s husband adding some of the most dramatic moments for the lead character.

So, even if in terms of distinctive take, plot-wise this film does not add anything new – its take on female characters, ageism and ethnicity is significant post the #MeToo era. Late Night is an imporant film that proves that females can be as hilarious as males and can lead movies, even after they turn 50 – a funny gag that has been made by Thompson character when she made fun of the fact that Tom Cruise still playing leads in action flicks, like The Mummy, while herself not much older could play the titular character, The Mummy.

The low box office performance shows that there still can be objections for moviegoers when it comes to choosing films, perhaps this would have made twice or even thrice as much if it featured two male characters? I believe that this is a good movie and deserves to be seen in theaters.

4/5

#latenight #emmathompson #mindykaling #hughdancy #amyryan #dennisohare #comedy