Cold Copy

This movie certainly wasn't intent on doing any favours for the journalism industry. Every character is an absolute monster and it's not even all that subtle about it. I get that it's a cut-throat industry and what this film is portraying probably isn't all that far from accurate. It doesn't change the fact that it makes for a pretty tough watch though.

Even still, the movie feels very flat. I never really felt like I'd been given a reason to keep watching or to stay invested. The story just kind of ticks along and then there's a decent, if quite cliche, ending and that's that. It's all very forgettable stuff.

I don't know, I just didn't feel like the film had enough to offer. I'm not going to remember this one a week from now. 5/10.

I loved Tracee Ellis Ross in this! Aside from looking captivating, I couldn't hate her even though I should. The storyline was great! And, although I disliked the lead's character and actions, she played her part well, and kept me wondering what would happen next! The film displays the reality of the extent someone who needs life validation would go to get ahead or to stifle someone else's success. We've all come across a character like the lead, where even in her facial expressions, she can't hide her evident misery at another's progress. It's cringe, but I love that it shows what goes around comes eventually around. I liked how the movie ended. With all the junk movies out there, this one was a worthy watch!

In dramatic thriller "Cold Copy" journalism student Bel Powley (strong rising star) scratches a place in the class of her idol Tracee Ellis Ross (slightly over the top) - a hard-hitting interviewer at the height of her game & fame. To stay, learn & thrive tho, Powley must take tough advice, especially on the story she's on about her teen 'friend' Jacob Tremblay (meh) whose famous author mum died some years earlier. It follows a predictable path, but with little tension and scant twistiness, ending somewhat satisfyingly yet still with many loose ends untied. Debut writer / director Roxine Helberg aimed for a "Wall Street"-lite... and just about made it... albeit VERY litely. Mediocre.

Cold Copy is categorised as a crime/thriller/mystery but in my opinion it's just a drama, not even a good one. Watching this was like when you start reading a book and after hundred pages you start to realize that this is going nowhere, but you started the book, so you want to finish it, in case it got better but you have no high hopes. This movie is the same, the story is weak but you hope it will get better. I found everything very predictable so no mystery for me, nor any thrilling. Maybe a crime if you could call that a crime, it's more infantile behaviour. Writer/director Roxine Helberg didn't convince me. I watched Cold Copy because of Jacob Tremblay, that shined in Doctor Sleep and Room. He also played the young Tandy in the excellent comedy series The Last Man On Earth. He wasn't bad in Cold Copy, the story was just boring to watch. The other characters were annoying to watch. Time waster in my humble opinion.

...the characters and acting weren't good

The film delves into to competitive world of journalism, following a (seemingly) sweet and timid grad student as she pursues her dreams, and gets accepted into a class taught by an "alpha dog" of current events news, a forceful anchor of a "Hard Copy" type show. We come to learn that our timid lead is not a shrinking violet at all, but a little cutthroat who will do anything to be seen and heard by her professor. There's the makings of a good story here, and while it is somewhat explored in the 90 minute runtime, it has gaps and holes that make it less than believable.

Neither of the two lead female characters... are terribly appealing, and the actors playing them seemed stiff and fake. Our student (Mia) is portrayed as too fearful to become the wretch she turns into (almost overnight), and the professor/anchor is an almost non-human caricature of vindictive success. 16 year old Igor (Jason Trembley) does better as the subject of Mia's story... I wish they'd have done more with wrapping his storyline... would love to know what happens next for him. We're teased, but then no.

With a tighter story, and better characters, this could've been an improved film. Instead it becomes (pun intended) "nothing to write home about." Meh.