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Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The funny-tragic rom-com ‘Oh, Hi!' starts blissful, ends toxic
The high-stakes romantic comedy 'Oh, Hi!' is a backhanded compliment to lotharios like Rudolph Valentino, James Bond and 'The Wolf of Wall Street's' Jordan Belfort. At least those frank seducers wanted quickies. Fickle Isaac (Logan Lerman) strings women along pretending to be a sweetheart. Four months into dating Iris (a bubbly Molly Gordon), he whisks the smitten girl on a weekend getaway to a farmhouse in fictional High Falls with quaint Shaker furniture and a closet of erotic accessories. There, at the worst possible time, Isaac blurts he doesn't want to commit. His kindness is cruel — and Iris wants payback. The first act is all infatuation with director Sophie Brooks and cinematographer Conor Murphy delighting in scenes of superficial bliss: sunflowers, pretty clouds, Adirondack chairs nestled together just so. The intention is to slap each shot with the Instagram hashtag #couplegoals. Then Brooks shifts into the light thriller she's teased since the opening notes of heaving, scratchy violins. Iris and Isaac haven't noticed any red flags. But there are cautionary pink ones. Iris is visibly insecure about Isaac's conversations with other women, including the strawberry peddler who coos that he has 'soft hands,' and his mother, who dials him up to crack inside jokes. Iris' smile is too tense; Isaac's comes too smoothly, even when sharing a memory of catching his father cheating on his mom. A pop psychologist would say witnessing his dad's infidelity triggered Isaac's fear of commitment. (Brian de Palma experienced nearly the same thing and turned into, well, Brian de Palma.) But Isaac is a literature guy, toting around a paperback of Nobel Prize winner José Saramago's 'Blindness' to underscore that neither one of them sees their mismatch clearly. Isaac just wants the girlfriend experience without the weight of expectations. Iris' dewy eyes are all expectation. The plot finagles a way to tether them to the bedroom until they get closer to being on the same page. (It involves several pairs of handcuffs.) The mechanics of this hostage situation are hard to buy. You have to keep reminding yourself that she's drunk and impulsive while he, rather nonsensically, holds his feelings inside until the exact moment he should shut up and save himself. Partners like Isaac have been edging toward a clinical diagnosis: alexithymia, or the inability to describe your emotions. It's the people around the patient who suffer the symptoms. Iris' best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan, an always welcome sight) offers a blunter verdict: 'Classic softboy,' she laments. 'They trick you, they get you — they're the worst.' And they're not new, although they do seem to be mushrooming. Cinema has warned us about variations of this breed of harmless-looking heartbreaker for generations — it was Woody Allen's entire persona. The female version is Julia Roberts' 'Runaway Bride,' so mealy about her own feelings that she ditches four grooms at the altar. This month, you can also watch the pretty good new psychological horror film 'Bury Me When I'm Dead,' which trips over an even higher narrative hurdle by telling its story through the POV of its wishy-washy lead. Passivity can be as impossible to capture on camera as the moon. Movie scripts, like vexed suitors, struggle to pin down a vaporous lover. Here, Isaac attempts to outrun criticism by sighing, 'The issue is that I treated you too well?' Lerman is the former teen dreamboat of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' and the 'Percy Jackson' series, and he's interesting casting. Girls from the ages of 11 to 15 idealize pinups like him who have been packaged as handsome, innocuous and flat. Accordingly, he plays Isaac shallowly so that Iris can fill him in with her own projections. If he gave the character a personality, we'd get distracted wondering whether the couple could work out. I'm noncommittal myself on whether Lerman delivers a serviceable performance or a strong one. But his Isaac excels at spotting what people want and reflecting it back. He's unnervingly good at faking charm, like a fox that smooth-talks its way out of a trap. It's a bigger issue that the film doesn't have a handle on Iris' character. One moment, she's an empathetic audience stand-in, the next she's Kathy Bates in 'Misery.' Despite those bumps, Gordon, who shares a story credit with Brooks, is a nimble, likable comedian. Capitalizing on her theater-kid energy, she executes a talent-show dance number to capture Isaac's heart. (Check out her comedy 'Theater Camp,' which Gordon co-wrote and co-directed.) 'Oh, Hi!' sides more with her than him, which is understandable given the women who made it and its intended rom-com audience. Yet that allegiance puts it uncomfortably close to hissing, 'Look what you made me do.' One smart critique launched by the film (albeit underdeveloped) is that no one wants to confront Iris with the truth. Her mother (Polly Draper) comes with her own baggage, advising her daughter, 'Sometimes men don't know what's best for them.' Meanwhile, the internet's you-go-girl optimists placate Iris with flimsy assurances that men always pull away before they commit. As for Max, she suggests killing Isaac, then claims she's kidding. Is she? Probably. But both she and Iris are so accustomed to disguising their wants with humor that it's hard for them — and us — to know what they genuinely think. Max's own boyfriend, the mellow and supportive Kenny (John Reynolds), may as well be wearing a T-shirt that says, 'Not All Bedmates.' Otherwise, the only other mildly memorable role is a prurient neighbor played by David Cross, who is really just there to lend the indie production his star clout. Pointedly and inevitably, our leads regress into Mars-Venus caricatures — he's the jerk, she's the psycho — as Brooks vents her frustration that gender tropes haven't evolved. And not for lack of trying. For months, Isaac has whipped up homemade scallop dinners, while Iris patiently played it cool. The film's core question is: How have men and women worked so hard to overcome toxic archetypes and still wound up stuck here? There's no satisfying answer to that. Brooks can merely offer this flawed pair more kindness than they grant each other (or themselves). Which makes 'Oh, Hi!' a pleasant if perilous date night film. Having spent an enjoyable evening with it myself, I have to admit: I like the movie fine, but I'm not in love.
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Father arrested in New York in death of 9-year-old daughter he had reported missing
CrimeFacebookTweetLink Follow Latham, New York (AP) — A man whose 9-year-old daughter was found dead in a wooded pond after he reported she had been abducted while they were vacationing in upstate New York was charged Monday with murder. Luciano Frattolin, 45, of Montreal is charged with murder and concealing of a corpse in the death of his daughter, Melina Frattolin, New York State Police Capt. Robert McConnell said. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf at his arraignment Monday, according to court officials. The public defender's office assigned to defend Frattolin did not immediately respond to phone and email requests for comment from The Associated Press. Luciano Frattolin called 911 Saturday night and later told authorities his daughter had been abducted from a parking lot near Lake George, a resort town in the Adirondack region, authorities said. That led officials to issue an Amber Alert overnight to enlist the public's help in finding her. But authorities said there were inconsistencies in the father's account, and they concluded there was no evidence she had been taken. Frattolin initially said he could not find his child after he stepped out of a wooded area at a parking lot near Lake George. 'During a subsequent interview, he then reports two unknown males forced her into a white van,' McConnell said. 'That lead was thoroughly investigated and disproven.' Surveillance video shows the father and daughter in another nearby resort town, Saratoga Springs, at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The girl spoke on the phone with her mother about an hour later and did not indicate she was under duress, police said. Police believe Frattolin killed the girl after the phone call and before he made the 911 call. Forest rangers found the girl's body on Sunday afternoon in the shallows of a pond about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Lake George, in Ticonderoga, authorities said. The criminal complaint said Frattolin concealed her body under a log. An autopsy has been scheduled. Police said the father and daughter had been vacationing since July 11 in the U.S. and were expected back in Montreal that weekend. The girl lived in Montreal with her mother, who has been estranged from Luciano Frattolin since 2019, police said. Frattolin did not respond to requests for comment sent via LinkedIn, Instagram and his company website over the weekend. He described himself as a 'loving father' on his Instagram profile, and on the website of a coffee company said to be founded by him, a post says that his daughter Melina is 'the light of his life.' Police said Frattolin had no prior criminal or domestic violence history.
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Father arrested in New York in death of 9-year-old daughter he had reported missing
Latham, New York (AP) — A man whose 9-year-old daughter was found dead in a wooded pond after he reported she had been abducted while they were vacationing in upstate New York was charged Monday with murder. Luciano Frattolin, 45, of Montreal is charged with murder and concealing of a corpse in the death of his daughter, Melina Frattolin, New York State Police Capt. Robert McConnell said. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf at his arraignment Monday, according to court officials. The public defender's office assigned to defend Frattolin did not immediately respond to phone and email requests for comment from The Associated Press. Luciano Frattolin called 911 Saturday night and later told authorities his daughter had been abducted from a parking lot near Lake George, a resort town in the Adirondack region, authorities said. That led officials to issue an Amber Alert overnight to enlist the public's help in finding her. But authorities said there were inconsistencies in the father's account, and they concluded there was no evidence she had been taken. Frattolin initially said he could not find his child after he stepped out of a wooded area at a parking lot near Lake George. 'During a subsequent interview, he then reports two unknown males forced her into a white van,' McConnell said. 'That lead was thoroughly investigated and disproven.' Surveillance video shows the father and daughter in another nearby resort town, Saratoga Springs, at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The girl spoke on the phone with her mother about an hour later and did not indicate she was under duress, police said. Police believe Frattolin killed the girl after the phone call and before he made the 911 call. Forest rangers found the girl's body on Sunday afternoon in the shallows of a pond about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Lake George, in Ticonderoga, authorities said. The criminal complaint said Frattolin concealed her body under a log. An autopsy has been scheduled. Police said the father and daughter had been vacationing since July 11 in the U.S. and were expected back in Montreal that weekend. The girl lived in Montreal with her mother, who has been estranged from Luciano Frattolin since 2019, police said. Frattolin did not respond to requests for comment sent via LinkedIn, Instagram and his company website over the weekend. He described himself as a 'loving father' on his Instagram profile, and on the website of a coffee company said to be founded by him, a post says that his daughter Melina is 'the light of his life.' Police said Frattolin had no prior criminal or domestic violence history.
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Father arrested in New York in death of 9-year-old daughter he had reported missing
Latham, New York (AP) — A man whose 9-year-old daughter was found dead in a wooded pond after he reported she had been abducted while they were vacationing in upstate New York was charged Monday with murder. Luciano Frattolin, 45, of Montreal is charged with murder and concealing of a corpse in the death of his daughter, Melina Frattolin, New York State Police Capt. Robert McConnell said. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf at his arraignment Monday, according to court officials. The public defender's office assigned to defend Frattolin did not immediately respond to phone and email requests for comment from The Associated Press. Luciano Frattolin called 911 Saturday night and later told authorities his daughter had been abducted from a parking lot near Lake George, a resort town in the Adirondack region, authorities said. That led officials to issue an Amber Alert overnight to enlist the public's help in finding her. But authorities said there were inconsistencies in the father's account, and they concluded there was no evidence she had been taken. Frattolin initially said he could not find his child after he stepped out of a wooded area at a parking lot near Lake George. 'During a subsequent interview, he then reports two unknown males forced her into a white van,' McConnell said. 'That lead was thoroughly investigated and disproven.' Surveillance video shows the father and daughter in another nearby resort town, Saratoga Springs, at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The girl spoke on the phone with her mother about an hour later and did not indicate she was under duress, police said. Police believe Frattolin killed the girl after the phone call and before he made the 911 call. Forest rangers found the girl's body on Sunday afternoon in the shallows of a pond about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Lake George, in Ticonderoga, authorities said. The criminal complaint said Frattolin concealed her body under a log. An autopsy has been scheduled. Police said the father and daughter had been vacationing since July 11 in the U.S. and were expected back in Montreal that weekend. The girl lived in Montreal with her mother, who has been estranged from Luciano Frattolin since 2019, police said. Frattolin did not respond to requests for comment sent via LinkedIn, Instagram and his company website over the weekend. He described himself as a 'loving father' on his Instagram profile, and on the website of a coffee company said to be founded by him, a post says that his daughter Melina is 'the light of his life.' Police said Frattolin had no prior criminal or domestic violence history.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Missing girl Melina Frattolin, 9, is found dead after dad claimed she was snatched away in a white van
A nine-year-old girl has been found dead less than 24 hours after her father claimed she had been abducted in a white van, police have said. New York State Police (NYSP) issued an 'amber alert' on Saturday for Melina Frattolin after Luciano Frattolin, 45, told them he thought his daughter had been kidnapped. However, on Sunday they issued a heartbreaking update saying 'there is no indication that an abduction occurred' and the little girl had been found dead. Galanis Frattolin was described as five feet tall, weighing 100 pounds and being of Indian descent with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt, shorts and white Adidas sneakers. Amber Alerts are activated in 'the most serious child-abduction cases,' according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) website. 'The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child. 'These alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cellphones, and other data-enabled devices.' The nonprofit said that 1,268 children have been 'recovered' thanks to their assistance in 2025 alone. Lake George, where the girl was last seen, is a small waterside town in the Adirondack region of upstate New York around 60 miles north of Albany.
