'Elvis & Nixon' A Review

Elvis & Nixon is a historical dramedy about the 1970 meeting between Elvis and Tricky Dick. The movie opens on Elvis(Michael Shannon) watching TV in Graceland, he becomes perturbed by the news and sets off to offer his services to the President as an agent-at-large to help fight the drug war and combat communists. He reenlists his old friend and former handler Jerry(Alex Pettyfer) to make it all happen. They travel to DC and after some bureaucratic back and forth Elvis meets Nixon(Kevin Spacey).

Shannon as The King is bizarre, funny, layered, and at one or two points effectively poignant. He does not do an Elvis impression but imbibes the performance with the mercurial essence of the legendary star rather than affectation. Shannon, as always, is indelibly watchable bringing verve, nuance, and a liveliness to a portrayal which has become, typically, mere caricature. Spacey is playful as the oft maligned president, the turn is almost like a lighthearted version of House of Cards' Underwood, but he doesn't offer anything beyond the surface. Pettyfer as the audience stand-in is snooze inducing and pointless, with Elvis and Nixon as the titular characters Pettyfer's Jerry is completely disposable and Pettyfer's performance does nothing to refute that. He may be a great model for Ralph Loren but his acting go-to seems to be inexpressive and barely conscious.

The story leaves a lot to be desired, the subject matter would be more appropriate for a short film rather than a feature. Other than the meeting referenced in the title, which lasts for ten minutes and is then dragged out another five, everything before is simple and protracted build up. The ancillary characters are not only uninteresting the performances are uninspired. It would utilize both Shannon and Spacey better, and be more interesting, were they to share more screen time. There is also a noticeable lack of the cinematic, whether because of budget constraints or this being Amazon's sophomore feature, the movie does not require and is not heightened by the big screen. The experience would not suffer, may even be better, at home.

Worth watching for Michael Shannon's Elvis alone.

Rent It.

Walking The Line

After a lovely couple days the full fruition of spring retreated and we're left with day after day of clouds necessitating heavy jackets. The seasonal reluctance takes its toll and there is a sense of irritability and disappointment exacerbated, perhaps created, by spring's oscillations.

Fatigue, stress, and discontent are prevalent. No where more so than my small storefront office where the mood has been thick and soupy. Nothing overt of course, nothing direct, just passing comments with muddled intention clearly motivated by frustration. Unclear expectation, passive aggression, and a vague off putting entitlement all taken together made for a low grade interpersonal slush perpetuating a week long trudge.

But this is a passing thing. Soon the weather will definitively shift, ushering in a period of revitalizing warmth. Sooner or later the fog at my office will dissipate or resolution will be found elsewhere. Either way this current malaise is but fleeting. And relief will accompany the inevitable sun. Until then endurance can be fortified with gratitude, for simple things like a fridge with food to the full and illustrious moon.

Little League

Behind St. Mark's
Lutheran church
on the neglected diamond
we engaged in our
post-practice scrimmage.

Elliot was on the mound-
my sometimes friend
more often foe-
who had beaned me twice that game,
undeterred I stepped to the plate again.

Batting always terrified me
and I never enjoyed baseball at all
but my dad wanted me to play
and I had trouble fitting in
so I tried, I tried, despite the fear.

My third at-bat
two balls, two strikes
Elliot wound up and pitched
the ball hurtled toward me
and struck my back.

I crumpled, crying
something inside me snapped
and rage, like a tidal wave
swept me up and toward the mound
the bat gripped tight and threatening.

As I charged toward Elliot
determined to pummel him
for his deliberating beanings
I felt more monster than man
but, strides away, our coach caught me in a flying tackle.

Dejected, tear-stained, and ashamed I returned to the dugout.

I never played the game again.

'Green Room' A Review

Green Room is a crime thriller about an indie punk band on tour that falls into a gig at a rural Oregon neo-nazi skinhead venue. After their set the band stumbles upon something they weren't meant to see and a tense stand off ensues. The stand off gradually becomes a full fledged siege and although the outcome is uncertain it is clear it will not end well.

The band played by Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, and Anton Yelchin feels authentic. Grimy, musically proficient, morally suspect and somewhat pretentious they are relatable and familiar. When the violence starts to happen they respond, believably, not with competence but with panic. Yelchin struggles the most, seemingly a bit out of his element or at least unable to lock in as fully as some of the other bandmates. Decent but noticeably not as comfortable. Patrick Stewart, cast against type, as the quiet and menacing neo-nazi leader is incredible. Potent and thrilling, you just want more of him. Imogen Poots as Amber who gets lumped in with the band through happenstance has a magnetic tenacity and fierceness that infers a lot of dimension. Macon Blair(director Jeremy Saulnier's best friend and star of his previous film) has a supporting role as Gabe an underling but exudes confidence, complexity, and emotion. All in all a formidable ensemble that creates an evocative, singular, and gory world.

The production design is pointed and distinct, furthering the feeling of a unique style within a typically exhausted genre. The score, costumes, props, cinematography all work in harmony to bring this rural skinhead haven, along with its corresponding danger, to life.

If there is a fault with the film it is only by comparison to Saulnier's 2014 critically lauded Blue Ruin. Green Room has a large ensemble and as such individual development is sacrificed for cultivating mood and furthering story. Its plot is also not as single minded as its predecessor with motivations complicated rather than streamlined. But these criticisms can only be leveled when putting the films in conjunction with each other. On its own Green Room stands tall.

An edge-of-your-seat thrill ride with artistry.

See It.

In The Moment

Nicole and I went to the Art Institute this morning to catch the Van Gogh Bedrooms exhibit as it wraps up on May 10th. It was very cool albeit not as conducive for contemplation as I would have liked. It was packed, no surprise there, what was surprising was how many people were glued to their phones.

In a shoulder-to-shoulder mass of a hundred people a good eighty were jostling not to stand and soak in the venerable art work but to snap pics with their phones. Not even selfies, which although equally irritating, might have been understandable. People were just trying to get pictures of the artwork itself devoid of context. Images of famous art work are readily available on the internet, prints easy to purchase in the gift shop. The motivation behind all this wanton documenting is beyond me. And this was not only young people, in fact, the majority of these camera frenzied shutterflys were people over the age of 50.

In this our capricious digital age this compulsion has developed to constantly document and post on social media. To obtain proof that you saw this person, saw this object, were at this place. But at what cost? I've fallen prey to it myself. Taking numerous pictures(not with my phone but with a camera at least) of shows or vacations at the detriment of actually experiencing and enjoying them.

Taking pictures and having images to reference of an interesting experience is fun. But actually being in the moment, soaking in the experience as it happens, being present in your own life with minimal distractions or barriers is infinity more enriching.

It can be a hard balance to strike, snapping a couple pictures to remember the experience but not over doing it. But less is more. Take a couple pictures then put down your phone. You can't sleepwalk through life. We're not robots, at least not yet.

'The Huntsman: Winter's War' A Review

The Huntsman: Winter's War is a fantasy adventure both prequel and sequel to 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman. The film opens some time before its predecessor on a chess game between Evil Queen(Charlize Theron) and soon-to-be Ice Queen(Emily Blunt). A short time after a tragedy occurs sparking the iceyness of the Ice Queen who quickly builds her own cold terrifying kingdom utilizing stolen children as her warriors. Two of those children are Eric(Chris Hemsworth) and Sara(Jessica Chastain) who fall in love despite it being forbidden. They are discovered, beaten, and separated. Years pass. The film picks up with Queen Snow White's(never shown) loss of the magic mirror and Eric's quest to get it back.

Theron, once again, provides some delicious over-the-top sultry villainy in her second turn as the Evil Queen. No one else in the cast tries or is able to meet the size of her performance but all three of the other A-listers Hemsworth, Chastain, and Blunt find a pleasing balance of camp and commitment. There are moments when each of them really relish the grandness of it, lean into the genre and adventure of it all and just play. Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, and Sheridan Smith provide much needed humor and an infectious wry energy. Smith especially comes on screen with such a powerful magnetism you never want her to leave. For the most part the women in the film are more capable than the men, they do more and kick more ass, and that is never called out. It is incredibly gratifying.

There is something fundamentally absurd about the film but regardless it is never sold out and it is fun. It also has some substantial darkness, an allegory for child soldiers, depression, loneliness, the impotence of power. Although these themes aren't really delved into they're there and the lightness with which they are incorporated into the story gives it a bit more depth than you would otherwise allot to something as ill-conceived as an action based Snow White presequel.

Beautiful visuals, spirited performances. Messy but delightful.

Rent It.

Ode To The Blood Orange

What glory, what gratitude
during those brief months
when your lusciousness
is available for purchase.

Your exotic tartness
helps banish
the lethargy of winter,
Your potent sweetness
lifts the monotony
of the oppressive chill,
Your playful peel
and vivid fruit
brighten eyes dull with gray.

O' Blood Orange
sovereign of sweet and sour
your singular bounty
is not left unrevered.

Framework

The Schwa show tonight was a success, in the sense we had fun and the audience liked it. There were only four of us there tonight so we did a Shotgun, a rudimentary form where you start in a car. It turned out we were on the way to the Sidney Opera House, we put on a mix tape of opera songs, and would periodically cut out of the car to enact them.

It was a simple and playful mechanism which both we and the audience really enjoyed. The move of setting up a number from an opera and then cutting to it came to us pretty early in the piece and we kept using it till the end of the show. Sometime improv shows can be a bit rudderless, a collection of disparate scenes with no connection, no unifying theme or idea. This, theoretically, is a problem that an improv form is suppose to solve but I've found as time has passed old forms are performed in perpetuity but new forms aren't necessarily being created, and improv itself seems to be evolving quicker than its underlying mechanics.

The solution, seems to me, is to free ourselves from this notion of rigid form and move towards the idea of a simple framework or framing device. And this frame can be applied before a show(ie deciding on a specific opening, goal, style etc.) or discovered within a show typically early on(some pattern, theme, or idea that emerges that then becomes the show). In the Schwa show tonight we did a little bit of both, we decided to do a Shotgun before hand which basically boils down to just starting in a car and then relatively quickly found the opera through-line. These two things are kind of atypical for teams to do. There is kind of an unspoken reticence to put a deliberate lay on to a show(even though many of the most popular improv shows have thick stylistic lay ons) as well as maintain a game throughout a show in favor of creating ever-new scenes/characters/situations and only making connections towards the conclusion. I think this reticence comes from a fear of doing things "right" and the misconception that the type of play I'm advocating strays from "pure" improv. The reality is that improv is an ever evolving, malleable, mercurial artform that is heavily influenced by its constantly changing practitioners, and thus should be allowed much more freedom. Not constrained by some nebulous and nostalgic idea of what improv is or rather, what it use to be.

'Jungle Book' A Review

Jungle Book is a family adventure movie based on the 1967 animated classic. A boy Mowgli(Neel Sethi) is found in the jungle by panther Bagheera(Ben Kingsley) and taken to be raised by a wolf pack. A drought brings the return of tiger Shere Khan(Idris Elba) who threatens Mowgli's life as he does not belong. Mowgli leaves his pack and encounters numerous celebrity voiced animals before returning to confront the usurping tiger.

Sethi does an admirable job considering he is an inexperienced child actor forced to act basically alone on a blue sound stage. Due to the artificial nature of the environment his performance can't help but come off as inauthentic, he seems to be a doing an impression of the animated Mowgli from the Disney original without any of the charm or chemistry. The vocal performances from the super-star-studded cast are almost unilaterally uninspired save for Elba's Shere Khan the cast gives little effort. You can almost hear them reading. Not to mention most of them basically use their normal, clearly recognizable, celebratory voices which is distracting.

Visually the movie is stunning. Life like animals and rich jungle landscapes but there is something discordant and odd about it all given the one and only actual human in the middle of it. But despite it's stunning composition it lacks any semblance of heart. It feels like, what it is, a copy of a copy of a copy. The prevailing feeling your left with is a desire to revisit the animated film.

Lacking the joy of the animated original and the adventure and thrill of the 1994 live-action incarnation. Passable.

Rent It.

To The Woman On The 82 Bus

I only saw you
out of the corner of my eye
as you boarded
and sat kitty-corner to me.

I noticed in-passing
your hijab but remained immersed
in the post-apocalyptic
genre classic Swan Song.

Shortly into our
sojourn down Kimball
a man reached over
his two sweetly rambunctious boys
to point quietly
at the Burger King bag you held
which silently dripped
milky pink-white droplets
onto your artfully embroidered skirt
you muttered "oh gosh"
and tilted the bag
attempting to quell
the steadily increasing leak
of the runny BK shake.

But time and temperature
had done their duties
and the dribble became a drizzle,
I reached out and caught it
before it could again
stain your clothes
and you said
"I'm so embarrassed"
with such sincerity
it near broke my heart
for who hasn't been stuck
with an uncooperative
melting Burger King shake
on crowded public transit
at least metaphorically.

You shortly disembarked
to throw away the offending
would-be treat
and I remained,
fingers sticky with drying strawberry dairy.

Boundaries

When people talk about interpersonal relationships there is typically a lot of talk about boundaries. Creating boundaries for yourself and in regards to other people in order to cultivate the most healthy and fulfilling relationships possible. This kind of talk can sound pedantic or self-helpy but the reality is that we all do it to varying degrees we may just not be aware of it, it may be more instinctual than intentional. But with self knowledge and analysis this practice can be more deliberate and breed, ultimately, a happier life.

Setting boundaries doesn't mean icing someone out, doesn't mean keeping someone at arms length, it's about finding balance, about knowing your behaviors and how you react in situations. Then putting yourself in a position to be the best version of yourself not only for personal fulfillment and well being but for the benefit of people you interact with.

Saying no can be difficult. But overcommitting or committing to things you ultimately don't want to do is worse because you will inevitably bail or come to resent the thing you're doing or the person that asked you to do it. Being aware of your schedule, what time you need for yourself and actively advocating for that time is important. If you allot time for your needs you are more likely, more willing, and more engaged when people reach out to you. This is not only applicable to obligations or favors but simply spending time with people.

Your family may be loving but crazy, you may have that friend who's great but always wants to go out, you may be or have the kind of romantic partner who needs constant affirmation. What have you. Be aware of what you want and need in order to be content, be aware of what makes you angry and anxious, limit circumstances you suspect may be contentious or overly demanding. Create options for yourself when dealing with situations or people that could prove complicated.

Drawing clear delineations between things you are willing and unwilling to do and sticking to that is hard but will ultimately yield more personal contentment and richer interpersonal connections free(mostly) of guilt and resentment.

'Mr. Right' A Review

Mr. Right is an action-romantic-comedy about a somewhat reformed hitman(Sam Rockwell) and a woman on-the-rebound(Anna Kendrick). The two meet-cute and begin a relationship. Trouble brews when the hitman's former and potential business associates intrude on the burgeoning love affair.

Rockwell and Kendrick have magnetic chemistry and both of their individual considerable charms and charisma are on full display. They also handle their characters with precision and never sell out their mental state- both the characters are mentally unstable. Because of the attention and commitment to their literal craziness the whole thing works perfectly mining comedy while remaining sincere. The two bring an ease and playfulness to their roles that deliver a pure and electric enjoyment. There is also none of the imbalance present in some stories of this type, both characters share equal screen time and attention, both characters are active and kick ass. They may not be terribly complex but they are imminently watchable and incredibly fun. Tim Roth and Rza put in great supporting roles with Roth at points doing a riff on some kind of Bayou Matlock and Rza as an upbeat and affable henchman with potential.

Reminiscent of Gross Point Blank but with a delicate absurdity unbroken because of the confidence and heart of the actors with none of GPB's ennui. If you can get on board with the tone it is an effervescent and pleasurable ride.

Playful and funny with a casually affirming message- be yourself.

See It.

Flirtations Of Spring

Yes, there is some despair and consternation when snow falls in April.
A winter, however mild, so tenacious its agonizing.
But all around there are signs.
Portents of the warmth to come.
And like the last leg of some protracted footrace, relief is in sight.
But before heat can gain momentum we must contend with further oscillations.
Perhaps the reason this skittish season presents such maligned frustration is due to its proximity.
For tomorrow or tomorrow or tomorrow Spring in all its comfort will descend and, this time, stay.

But not quite yet.

Graffiti 200

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -Dalai Lama

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love." Lao Tzu

"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum

'Everybody Wants Some!!' A Review

Everybody Wants Some!! is a comedy set in 1980 on a Texas college campus. The film revolves around the baseball team in the three days prior to the first day of class. The audience and Linklater surrogate is freshman pitcher Jake(Blake Jenner) who slowly befriends his teammates, adjusts to college life, and tries to get laid.

The cast is serviceable enough, broish charm utilized as well as can be expected. Jenner as the lead isn't terribly successful or believable as the nostalgic personification of Linklater's college experience but the rest of the ensemble don't suffer as much. Glen Powell, Tyler Hoechlin, and Wyatt Russell especially offer energy and humor if not a ton of depth but that fault, and much of the films fault, lies with the script.

Plain and simple Everybody Wants Some!! is sophomoric and misogynistic. The first third of the film is dedicated to this group of manchildren incessantly talking about pussy and single-mindedly going after it. All the women in the film are treated and talked about as objects, no time or attention is given, by the film or the characters within it, to women as actual humans. Jake's romance with the "quirky" performing arts major shoehorned in towards the end is totally contrived and incongruous with everything we've been shown about his character. The casual narcissism and sexism on display is astonishing doubly so given the film seemingly expects us to view this behavior as "normal" or acceptable even compelling. The juxtaposition of how these characters view and talk about women versus how we're seemingly suppose to view them as engaging is insulting. The argument of "that's how it was then" does not carry any weight, that's not how it is now and filmmakers are responsible for the messages in their films. And in truth I don't believe men actually behave this way, this tenacious and predatory skirt chasing is more cinematic construct than reflection of reality. These characters ultimately do no respect women, this is shown time and time again, and that is a huge, virtually insurmountable, problem.

The production design, the costumes, the music are all pleasingly potent. Visually and auditorily the film evokes the 80's which is wonderful. But the humor and perspectives also evoke the 80's. It evokes the now disturbing sexual aggression and presumptive sexism common to raunch 80's comedies, which in 2016 is dated if not outright offensive.

If you're looking for a more "laid back" Animal House with the same degenerative gender humor and exploitation Everybody Wants Some!! is for you.

Don't See It.

On Death And Dying

Some years ago I was in a dark place. After unsuccessfully battling alcoholism for two years I had been dumped by my girlfriend and fired from my job and threw myself entirely into the bottle. As the days of isolated inebriated misery went by I began to be plagued by suicidal thoughts. I consumed as much as I could and laid plans. I got into rehab before things went too far but it was close. Maybe another day, maybe a couple hours and by alcohol poisoning or my own hand I would have died. And in that limbo, in that darkness, I did not find answers, a white light, or a glimpse of the beyond. What I did find was certainty. Death was waiting. And that certainty changed my perception everafter. I relate this not for sympathy or recognition but to let you know- I know what it is, I’ve been there.

We all owe a death. Whether you believe in some cosmic creator or mere biological happenstance we are all ticking clocks counting down to the inevitable. Some will have longer than others, for some it will go on longer than wanted, some will be snuffed out far too soon, but no matter your particular situation life is finite. The price of life is death. A definitive ending to our time in this world. You cannot escape it, you cannot avoid it, you will die. That is the first thing.

The boundary between life and death is paper thin. It is tissue, gossamer, scrim. Vulnerable to a light wind or mere whimsy. Accident, catastrophe, illness are possible at any moment. Potentially around every corner. The world is full of threats. Both overt and oblique. All outside of our control. Life is incredibly fragile. That is the second thing.

 Death is nothing to fear. That is the third thing.

Acceptance of the inevitable can be difficult, understanding of our frailty demanding. Nothing facilitates this shift in perspective quicker than a near death experience. As anyone who has had one can confirm it brings with it some substantial clarity. You realize how precious life is. And for some this may sound like a cliche, a platitude more appropriate for an inspirational poster rather than anything actually applicable. But if you’ve been to the threshold, if you’ve knocked on Death’s door, you know it is not some proverb but a reality. With this realization the world takes on a sharp and compelling beauty.

We will all die. This is not something to regret or fear. It is simple fact. Like the blue sky or the piss stinking Red Line train car. Don’t fight against this inevitability, accept it. Acceptance can provide a boundless freedom. That is the first thing.

Death could come at any moment. There is not a day that goes by that there isn’t an epidemic, shooting, terrorist attack, plane crash, car accident, on and on. The possibilities are endless and can cause anxiety and dread. But that it is but wasted time and energy. Cruelties and injustices, both actual and metaphysical, are perpetrated regardless of any of our individual worries. So worry serves no purpose. Yes, there is despair but there is kindness. Yes, there is menace but there is hope. Which brings with it more contentment? Which allows for the richer existence? That is the second thing.

Our time is fleeting. How we spend it is our choice. You can be ruled by fear, irritation, paranoia, and a laundry list of other acidic emotions which function only to limit and bind. Or you can choose to relish this capricious gift we were all given. That is the third thing.

Given all this I have some suggestions. Be present in your own life. Don’t dwell in the past or worry about the future. Tell your friends and family you love them whenever and wherever you can. If you have a purchase you want to make, an activity you want to do, a place you want to visit. Do it. If you have a job you hate- quit. Focus on and go after what you want and need and believe. Make compromises but don’t give in. Talk less, do more. Curb expectation. Enjoy. Savor. Seek. Live your life.

To quote Robin Williams in the criminally maligned classic Hook. “To live, what an awfully big adventure.”

Ode To Beanpole's Clodhoppers

You are the worst pair of shoes I've ever owned.
Heavy, vacuous, and stinking.
Countless times I stumbled
because of your ungainlyness.

Stairs especially
but sometimes even navigating chairs
would prove difficult
due to your graceless brick-like construction.

My poor pale feet
constantly chaffed
within your faux leather
and loose improper fit.

And the buckles!
Your inane fastenings
caused me incessant troubles,
the impracticality precipitating frequent tardiness.

Although you were devoid of pleasure,
comfort, and basic functionality
you were my work shoes four years running
and for that service I grant you grudging respect.

Goodbye doltish Skechers imitation motorcycle boots.
If I had a fireplace I'd burn you in it.

'I Saw The Light' A Review

I Saw The Light is a biopic of country superstar Hank Williams. The film opens on Hank(Tom Hiddleston) and Audrey(Elizabeth Olsen) getting married in an auto garage, traces Hank's rise to stardom and ends with his untimely death at 29.

Hiddleston as the music legend is completely out of his depth. Other than a passing physical resemblance Hiddleston offers none of the charm, depth, or relatability of the musician he plays. He plays Hank as a petulant high school punk, sniveling rather than cavalier, resentful rather than independent. Olsen's Audrey is shrewish, self-serving, and unsympathetic. Both characters as played by the leads are unlikable in the extreme. There is no nuisance to the performances, scenes turn for no explicable reason from cordial to preachy to bludgeoning. None of the magic of the musician is shown, little time is even spent on his composing or artistic process or pursuits save the repeated hammering of Hank's desire to do the Opry. The music performed in the film, frequently bafflingly abridged, is passable but has no energy, it is inert.

The structure and focus of the film are equally confounding. Dates periodically flash but there is virtually no context, build, or through-line. Many major events are only passingly referred to and never shown. What is shown but criminally underdeveloped and almost sophomorically portrayed are Hank's substance abuse and womanizing. All we get of the former is Hiddleston's constant swaying and perspiration and what we get of the latter are a simple litany of encounters. His addiction is not explored and functions only as a melodramatic plot device. Hank's perpetual infidelity is drawn in only the most cursory way and its casualness is demeaning. Director Marc Abraham has claimed he wanted to make a film that "avoided biopic cliches" and "investigated the psychology of Hank Williams" on both counts the film utterly and miserably fails.

Disjointed, flat, pretentious, and completely tone-deaf.

Don't See It.

'Midnight Special' A Review

Midnight Special is a science fiction thriller about a father and his son with abilities, fleeing a cult and the government, on their way to a mysterious meeting. The film opens on Roy(Michael Shannon), Lucas(Joel Edgerton) Roy's childhood friend, and Roy's son Alton(Jaeden Lieberher) in a hotel room preparing to leave for an evening of travel. They face roadblocks, confrontations, and Alton's unpredictable powers as they speed off through the night.

Shannon as the father and ostensible lead is as compelling as ever but with none of his usual menace only determination and an unwavering sense of purpose. Edgerton as the competent friend is more subtle and earnest than he's ever been. Lieberher is engaging but struggles somewhat with some of the more supernaturally influenced dialogue. The three share an easy, precise, and functional chemistry hinting at both individual and collective back stories that are never explained but we get a sense of by how they interact. About half way through the film Kirsten Dunst as Alton's mom is looped in and the trio becomes a quartet. Dunst brings some much needed emotional balance to the somewhat restrained other three. Her performance is also incredibly strong, there is no weakness in the character or in the portrayal. Adam Driver and Sam Sheppard also put in worthy supporting turns. Driver has the most fun of the cast providing almost all the film's comic relief. Although all the performances are understated they contain utmost confidence and a surprising potency.

The most effective element of the film is it's narrative. Propulsive and dark it careens through the pitfalls and perils its leads face(bolstered by an evocative repetitive score). It infers a ton of information but never stops to explain, providing virtually no exposition at any point. It assumes it's audience has intelligence. A more mainstream take on the story couldn't help but shoehorn unnecessary flashbacks or contrived voice over to explain what ultimately doesn't need to be explained. We see the characters as they are, we are taken on this small portion of their journey, and our imagination fills in the gaps. It's wonderful and refreshing.

An incredibly smart, fast-paced, sci-fi adventure.

Don't Miss It.