'Beast' A Review

Beast is a psychological drama about a young woman Moll(Jessie Buckley) on the island of Jersey discontent under her controlling mother and oblivious brother and sister who meets a mysterious loner Pascal(Johnny Flynn). The film opens on Moll's birthday where her mother, sister, and brother are being awful to her so she leaves. She dances all night and leaves with a guy who turns out to be a jerk, before things get really awful Pascal scares him off and the two begin a timid courtship. Concurrently in the community there are a series of violent murders, the policy throw suspicion on Pascal and Moll suffers from guilt of her own.

Flynn and Buckley both put in good performance, better than the movie in which they're in. The supporting cast are all fine but everyone including the leads has to contend with a preposterous script that frequently strains plausibility. Moll's family is so over-the-top oppressive it verges into soap opera. The shameful event from her past that is referred to multiple times is so tame as to be almost, if not normal than at least totally understandable. The way the cops act is dubious to the point of laughability and calls into question what rights UK citizens have. This is all to say the script has a profound lack of clarity and intention. Flynn and Buckley have great chemistry and if the story were simply a tale of their love it would actually be watchable, even interesting.

The narrative vagueness extends into the setting. The production design is nebulous late 20th century, the costumes are pre-Mod 60's, at one point a cop takes out a clearly contemporary recording device. It's unclear what year it is and also unclear what town the characters are in until Jersey is referred to at the end of the 2nd Act. There are some interesting dream/nightmare/hallucination sequences and beautiful romantic shots of cliffs and beach and fields. Visually there's a point of view, too bad the content of the shots is so muddled.

A lot of the elements of the film are passable to even decent, clearly a lot of effort was put in. However there is such a startling lack of clarity in the script that the film is virtually unwatchable. The way numerous characters act is so outrageous it is humorous. The "twists" of the plot range from unclear to dumb. The "inner psychology" of the lead is so unclear it comes across as totally contrived. The shifting of suspicion, which becomes the focal point of the story, is not only forced its mostly irrelevant. The ending has nothing going for it save that it is an ending and signals the film is complete.

Don't See It.

'First Reformed' A Review

First Reformed is a religious drama about the reclusive Reverend Toller(Ethan Hawk), the pastor at the historical First Reformed church. One of his parishioners, Mary(Amanda Seyfried), asks him to counsel her disturbed husband who harbors radical environmentalist beliefs. This encounter sends Toller towards a spiritual and existential crisis.

Hawk puts in a solid, steady, confident performance really shinning in the moments of spiritual and moral discussion with the other characters. The numerous scenes he has alone, contemplative, are effective if not as electric. Seyfried is adequate but the character is mostly a blank, a sounding board for Toller with little actual individual dimension. The vaguness of the part pairs well with Seyfried's glassy acting style but ultimately the role is mostly irrelevant. Cedric Kyles(aka Cedric The Entertainer) as the local mega church pastor who employs Toller is excellent, magnetic in this atypically understated role. The supporting cast are sufficient but they are redundant to a degree as Toller's internal journey is the focus.

The cinematography is moody, dark, and stunning. In a truncated aspect ratio the film mirrors the psychological isolation and bleakness of its lead. The score also compliments the action with a gothic foreboding. There is a sense, throughout, of impending doom. The story takes it's time, is almost meditative, but culminates in an ending that is both over-the-top(at least in what we've seen leading up to it) and disappointing in its ambiguity. It's not that the film doesn't have a streak of contemplation and invite you to draw your own conclusions but it does veer into hard magical realism in the last ten minutes which feels, at best, unearned. It seems the message revealed is, ultimately, Man's impotence. After a thrilling journey this is kind of dull and feels false.

Thought-provoking and darkly inspiring with a somewhat flat conclusion. Of special interest to those with a spiritual practice.

See It.

The Honeycutts

As a child

I'd visit our neighbors

frequently

mostly for

a nip or two

from the fully stocked

candy dishes

carefully arranged

throughout the kitchen

and living room

but also for

the warm attention

of the missus

and the patient tolerance

of the mister

both accepting

of my child-self

from a kind

and comfortable

remove.

They were perhaps

my first friends

odd to say

as I was four

and they were in their 50's

but their openness

and generosity of spirit

lingers in my memory
and grows

upon reflection.

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' A Review

Solo: A Star Wars Story is a sci-fi adventure movie, the origin story of Han Solo, and the latest installment in the Star Wars extended universe. The movie opens on planet Corellia where a young Han(Alden Ehrenreich) is part of an orphan gang which he hopes to escape along with his friend Qi'ra(Emilia Clarke). Plans go awry and the two are separated. Han joins the Empire military and three years letter joins up with criminal outfit headed by Tobias Beckett(Woody Harrelson ). After a failed job the gang has to get creative and securing the necessary goods for crime boss Dryden Vos(Paul Bettany). Sound convoluted? It is!

Ehrenreich has an almost insurmountable task in playing one of the most iconic and beloved characters in American cinema and he does a decent job. He doesn't have the magnetism of Harrison Ford but he does have charm. His confidence comes and goes but its not necessarily clear if that is the actor or the character so it works. We are seeing him as he becomes Han Solo, not fully formed, so the flashes of insecurity, recklessness, and incompetence work. Clarke is serviceable but a bit lost, her character itself and the motivations are muddled to the point of substantial confusion. Harrelson is startlingly flat, whether he was not invested or the fault lies with direction or the script the performance is dull and forgettable. Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian fares significantly better. He exudes confidence and there's a feeling of not only authenticity but real relish. He puts in the most contagious performance save for his co-pilot L3-37 voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge who steals every scene she's in. Thandie Newton, one of the greatest actors of our time, is woefully underutilized to the point it is somewhat baffling that she was cast in the first place.

Visually appealing, excellent creature design, with an effective if forgettable score the movie has some fundamental structural and pacing problems. There is too much going on, protracted action sequences set up with little to no reason or emotional meaning. The plot jumps time and space so frequently it has narrative ADD. The actual human moments are few and far between and as a result a lot of the action has no weight. Whether this is due to issues with the script or because of the, much publicized, change in directors it makes for an entertaining if uneven and ultimately skeletal experience.

Rent It.

Monday Morning

In college
I had a literature class
Monday at 8am
and the prof
was this old Dutch guy
energetic and enthusiastic
looked like Ian Holm-
Bilbo from LOTR
and every morning
he'd walk in grinning
heave a deep satisfied sigh
as if he'd just finished
an extensive and delicious meal
and say
"Monday, my favorite day of the week!"
then start class
he would do this every day
and at first I thought it silly
contrived
but over time
I found his positivity
not only genuine
but contagious
and came to know
he believed
one day I asked him
"What's the secret?"
 and he replied
"Eventually the irony is lost."
Something to remember
during ease
and adversity.

'RBG' A Review

RBG is a documentary about supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Through relatively conventional contemporary interviews and archival footage the film takes a look at Ginsburg's family, work with the ACLU, her appointment, and her time on the bench. It also investigates the genesis of her pop culture iconography and her tremendous youth appeal and influence.

The film highlights a number of gender discrimination cases Ginsburg brought to the supreme court in the 70's and 80's as well as some major cases she tried as a justice. Knowing the specifics of these cases and the trail blazed by Ginsburg for gender equality is fascinating not least of which because Ginsburg herself is so reserved. There is not a lot of volume to her actions only a sharp and deep conviction. Some time is also spent around Ginsburg's marriage, it's importance, and the odd couple pair her more gregarious husband Martin.

The information in the film is broad but not particularly deep but that is immaterial. We get a sense of this important, inspiring figure and the work she continues to do. We get a sense of how vital the court is, how precarious its position, and how divisive the times we live in. But we also get the sense that this has happened before, Ginsburg makes a direct analogy to the red scare, and that the law, lawyers, judges, individuals can make a difference.

Engaging and energizing if not particularly cinematic.

Rent It.

Nuclear Family

Four is a number of power:

Four sides to a square
four corners in a box
four whiskers on a cat
four legs on a fox.

Mom and dad
me and sis
imperfect perhaps
but bound to persist

Four fingers on a hand
four walls to a room
four letters in love
four feathers in a plume.

Family is not unique
all bound by blood
but mine is mine
stalwart and beloved.

Four posters on a bed
four tassels on a shawl
four legs on a chair
I'm part of Four- I can always call.

'Tully' A Review

Tully is a drama about motherhood which follows mother of two with one on the way Marlo(Charlize Theron) as she struggles with expectations, pressures, and responsibilities both internal and external. The film opens on Marlo during the chaos of dropping her two kids Sarah(Lia Frankland) and Jonah(Asher Miles Fallica) off at school, mostly due to Jonah's as yet undiagnosed behavior problems. Later the family along with dad Drew(Ron Livingston) go to Marlo's affluent brother's home for dinner where he offers her the gift of a night nanny after the third child is born. Initially averse Marlo takes him up on the offer after becoming overwhelmed and Tully(Mackenzie Davis) begins working for the family. As Marlo's load is lightened through the care and attention of Tully the two develop a deepening friendship.

Theron puts in an award-winning performance as Marlo. Complex and subtle, deeply fearless and intensely physical, Theron gives one of the greatest turns of her already exceptional career. The comic sarcasm and frustration, the louder moments, she slam dunks but its the captivating emotion and intention conveyed in posture, expression, stillness, and in her less loquacious moments that really stun. Not only is it a performance that fires on all cylinders it is a character and a focus we have never seen before. A portrait of a mother, not defined by her kids or her husband, but soley and simply her. Her experience, her perspective, her desires. And Theron takes savage and full advantage of the opportunity.

The supporting cast is relatively small but they all, especially the nuclear family, give nuanced portrayals. Frankland is cute but not Hollywood precocious. Fallica's behavior is appropriately irritating but there's a level of reality and variation that hit authenticity rather than either comedy or drama. Livingston, with a small role, reclaims something here. He has great chemistry with Theron and is able to walk a fine line between caring and neglect capitalizing, finally, on the potential he showed years ago in his early break out roles. Davis is good no question, an excellent foil for Theron but the character and the performance are appropriately secondary to the family.

Although not flashy there are some understated, fine cinematic touches and moments that are extremely effective. A cut from a chaotic car interior to a quiet mundane parking lot exterior, the repeated dream-like motif of water, kids playing behind a sheer curtain, among others. The film focuses on small day-to-day activities, chores, and interactions and elevates them to an universal transcendent level.

Truly powerful. An utterly unique captivating film which has universal relatability.

Don't Miss It.

Transformation

One day the town is brown
ground damp, air cold,
perennially overcast
then, a sea change
beige to green
hibernation to exhalation
with sprouts, flowers, leaves
stretched out to bursting
a cornucopic abrupt unfolding
potential, long arrested
in the freeze, released
with vigorous abandon
a new day full up
with life and growth
with the promise
of warmth to come.

'SCRAPS' A Review

SCRAPS is a dark comedy about a well-meaning dinner party that turns acerbic and perhaps revelatory due to series of unfortunate events. The film opens on Erin(Jo Scott) methodically cleaning her house when her husband Isaiah(Mike Brunlieb) comes home from the grocery having forgotten various items. It becomes clear they have a relatively easy marriage with Erin the more type-A and Isaiah the more light-hearted. The guests soon arrive Erin's sister Tanya(Emma Pope) and her fiance Matt(Damian Anaya) and almost immediately polite veneers begin to crumble.

The four leads all put in great performances- Scott as the desperately co-dependent control freak, Brunlieb as the gross and despicable manchild, Anaya as the sincerely kind but frustratingly obtuse would-be doctor, and Pope as 30 something existential crisis incarnate. On the page Scott and Brunlieb's characters are a bit more fully formed so there's more relish in their performances where as Anaya and Pope aren't as flushed out and don't have the creshendo moments the other two do.

Visually the film is tight and confining, helping propagate the building tension, with numerous close ups and restricted shots which back up the claustrophobic emotional action. The score is not as effective as it could be coming in hard and indicating at moments and then disappearing completely for long stretches of the run time. It could be more fluid and subtle with better results. Similarly the third act feels a big clogged with action, the pleasure of the film is the pathetic and delicious nasty humor as a result of the, mostly, normal interactions not the capital E Events. This freshman effort from writer/director Daniel Shar is undoubtedly compelling and exciting displaying a level of proficiency and ability that bode for interesting things to come.

Funny, bizarre, with a surprising streak of 21st Century ennui.

See It.

'Avengers: Infinity War' A Poem Review

Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Get the stones.
Got the stones.


Stream It.

'Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami' A Review

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami is a documentary about icon- actor, singer, and model- Grace Jones. The film follows Jones over an indeterminate amount of time during the mid-to-late 00's. She visits family in Jamaica, records an album, and tours with numbers from her various concerts interspersed throughout.

Part rock-doc part slice-of-life the film doesn't provide the typical talking head historical arc of its subject. The film is more mercurial, more fluid, more surprising much like Jones herself. Although a basic knowledge of Jones is helpful it is not necessary. The force, ferocity, and magnetism of her personality is undeniable and the various songs from her concerts are wonderfully potent. We are not only shown Jones the performer, which is unique and mystifying and enticing, but we are also shown a glimpse of Jones the person, mysterious and contradicting. She constantly changes accents, languages, mannerisms, and attitudes depending on the situations and people she's around. She is wholly and truly herself and its that, more than anything else, which makes her so alluring. The force of her presence is palpable and singular.

The only flaw in the film is a result of the equipment on which it was shot. Having been shot 10+ years ago the quality of the images are not consistent. The concert shots very crisp and rich, some sequences on the tour more like home video. This is slightly distracting but ultimately, mostly, negligible.

 It's unclear why the film languished in purgatory for a decade but now finally released Grace Jones, now as ever, deserves our reverence.

See It.