"Late Night" on Amazon [View all]

I had just slogged through the 4th episode of Carnival Row – still no sign of the promised carnival and I'm beginning to think they gave it that title just to make it sound more interesting than the poorly written fantasy mish-mash it is – so I thought I'd take a break and watch something more modern. I chose Amazon's new movie "Late Night" because it's about show biz, which show-biz people seem to have fun with, usually making it baseline enjoyable. Though I was no fan of either Mindy Kaling or Emma Thompson, the film boasted a strong supporting cast, including Reid Scott (Veep), Dennis O'Hare (True Blood), John Lithgow (3rd Rock), Amy Ryan (The Office).

Kaling plays a chemical plant worker who finagles an audition as a joke writer for the only late-night, network talk show hosted by a woman, played by Emma Thompson, who's been grinding out 300 shows a year for nearly three decades and is slated for replacement by a younger, more with-it comedian. Of course you know how things are going to turn out but there is some surprising fun along the way, some truths about contemporary life, and some genuine moments of poignancy too. Kaling did a great job on the script and Thompson shines with a performance that is measured, tough and funny. She's completely changed my opinion of her as an actor.