'The Rental' A Review

The Rental is a horror movie about two couples going away for the weekend to a remote cabin using an online rental site. Charlie(Dan Stevens) and Mina(Sheila Vand) are business partners and Michelle(Alison Brie) and Josh(Jeremy Allen White) are their respective significant others and Charlie and Josh are brothers. After conflict with the caretaker Taylor(Toby Huss) the group takes moly and the evening goes too far. Tensions, suspicions, and paranoia rise and the group finds themselves trapped in a situation out of control.

The cast is wonderfully stacked. Stevens is always a treat and gets to play a little against type with a streak of smarm. Brie in one of her more dramatic turns, flourishes. Vand who has the most dimension to play within is captivatingly raw and electric and White is also magnetically charged. The group as a whole and the various subsets all have wonderful chemistry but the narrative the characters are within never quite makes up its mind what it wants to be nor allows the actors to go horror-movie-ham or have any kind of realistic emotional development.

Beautifully shot with graceful flowing camera movement, a stunning static location balancing both beauty and claustrophobia. A subtle thrumming score all balance to create a near perfect mood. But the glaring problem is the narrative, it is hodge-podge of derivative horror tropes injected with some baffling interpersonal issues and the two never come together. The story, and hence the movie, lacks focus and as such, despite it's stellar cast and immaculate production never really gets off the ground. First time director Dave Franco shows great ambition and promise but the tone lacks clarity- is this a slasher film, a home invasion, a moral allegory? The answer seems to be 'yes' and in trying to hit so many genre points none are fully realized.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Stream It.

8 Years

Eight years ago
I woke up at 7am
wretched
in the sink
and dug
the bottle
of Bacardi Superior
out of the trash
and gagged down
the half inch of swill
that was left.

My last drink.

'The Booksellers' A Review

The Booksellers is a documentary about Antiquarian booksellers as well as the book business in general. The movie follows various booksellers in NYC to their offices, book fairs, and auctions. They are also interviewed about the history of the business, it's various niches, and their personal journeys within it.

Some interesting broad strokes on the world of books and booksellers but too much time is spent on affluent collectors and the high priced portion of the business to have anything like broad appeal. When primarily dealing with and talking about books that cost a couple thousand dollars or more we are by definition talking about an exceptionally slim market and group of people simply in the terms of economics and as such the interest level of the average viewer would be pretty narrow. The history of book shops and used book stores is discussed at various points briefly but this is not a broad look at books, their history, and their evolution in the digital age it is focused relatively exclusively on the  wealthy subset who collect these objects not for their function but for their prestige. The potentially fascinating and appealing subject matter narrows to another odd look at high end collecting, more akin to art or baseball card collecting than books as important cultural objects/tools or literacy in general.

But to quote Roger Ebert- it's not what it's about it's how it's about it. The Booksellers is a quirky and effective look at an intriguing subset which doesn't effectively acknowledge the economic privilege therein.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Stream It.

The Slab

My dad likes to say
"any day on a motorcycle
is a good day"
and he's not wrong
gliding across farmland
floating along rivers
soaring over hills
it's like flying, freedom
unfettered
in the present
passing through each moment
to the next
only yourself
traversing the impassive road
but it's not always easy
at 90° the engine never cools
the concrete bakes
warm waves roil and crash
and the only thing that keeps
heat exhaustion at bay
is the wind at speed
we did not so much ride as flee
even so, it was a good day
because even hot and near sick
there is nothing like feeling free.

Legacy

I don't know much
about fathers and sons
only having one
and being one
but for me
it can be a struggle
to balance the weight
of the years
joys and triumphs
as well as tears
but life is short
and time is precious
a platitude perhaps
none the less affecting
so effort and acceptance
plied with patience
and attention
may not solve enduring problems
but can mend the present's detachment

'Showbiz Kids' A Review

Showbiz Kids is a documentary about kids in showbiz. The movie follows a hopeful child actor(Marc Slater) going to auditions during pilot season, a working child actor(Demi Singleton) as their career ramps up, cut with interviews of various former child actors with archival footage of their young work.

An intriguing and sometimes heartbreaking but unfortunately unsurprising look at how fame and working full time on movies and TV shows distorts childhood and the family unit with interviews from Evan Rachel Wood, Jada Pinkett Smith, Henry Thomas, Mara Wilson, Wil Wheaton among others.

Interesting if somewhat narrow in scope the movie takes an honest and commendable look at the damage fame, success, and wealth can wreak on the child stars(and their families) that attain them. The movie doesn't shy away from the darkside of the business but isn't overwhelmed by it either.

Currently streaming on HBO.

Rent It.

'Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen' A Review

 Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen is a documentary that takes an in-depth look at Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact of that depiction on transgender individuals and the community at large. Through talking-head interviews and archival footage from the silent film era to present the complicated portrayal and evolution of transgender people in media is investigated from various derogatory and questionable troupes to the more recent points of progress and acceptance.

A sweeping, fascinating, and moving dive into a marginalized group through depictions in mostly mainstream TV shows and features provides a unique and sometimes stark look at how we rely on our art to inform who we are and how that can betray us. The film also includes history on the transgender community and struggle along with incredibly poignant personal accounts from the various performers/historians/experts that are commenting on the various films/TV shows being discussed.

The relatively standard format(archive/talking head) is enlivened by the expertise as well as the honest emotion on display. Especially informative and important for the cis community as it recontextualizes and clarifies some major works of the last 50 years and makes a clear and unapologetic human connection to a group that is perennial othered.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't Miss It.

Monotony

One day
then the next
nothing breaks
the pattern set

Activities
took for granted
now more precious
in their absence

The trick
in this constriction
is to fill the void
of that which is missing

'Archive' A Review

Archive is a scifi movie in the man-attempts-to-revive-deceased-loved-one-via-AI vein. George(Theo James) is a robotics engineer isolated in a remote facility in Japan working on AI technology. He has two prototypes J1, a boxy non-verbal AI, and J2(Stacy Martin), a humaniod verbal but still boxy AI, who assists him in his work. He's working on J3(also Stacy Martin) a "fully" human version in which he wants to upload the consciousness of his deceased wife(also Stacy Martin) held in a mainframe, the titular "archive". He faces opposition from his employer, an exceptionally vague entity, who he is lying to about his progress as well as the Archive company who becomes suspicious of his tampering with the unit. But all is not what it seems!

James is serviceable but either doesn't have the experience or talent to really give this roughly sketched grief-stricken mad-scientist much dimension. Martin is wonderful in her various interactions particularly in the heartbreaking conflict of J2, the character is well aware she is being replaced by an upgrade. But the muddled and messy story in which the actors inhabit doesn't allow either of them to really dig too deep into the interesting ideas that are brought up but never mined.

An absolutely gorgeous production design and a moody thrumming score create an immersive mood and look but they can only do so much. The problem is the narrative is mostly derivative, seemingly a composite of Ex Machina and Black Mirror episodes, and on top of that unclear as to it's focus. Is the issue pressure/observation from outside forces, is it the beautiful complex consciousness of J2(unfortunately no), or the perverse reversal of a loved one's untimely death. The movie never makes up it's mind and the "twist" ending is not only not a particular surprise it's unsatisfying as it invalidates the entirety of the movie proceeding it.

Ambitious but ultimately mundane. Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Stream It.

Caramelizing Onions

Patience
that's all it takes
and a little stock
doesn't mean it's easy
in fact
Time
has ever been
the chef's foremost foe.

Top 10 Movies Of The Year So Far

Top 10:
Blow The Man Down
Da 5 Bloods
Driveways
First Cow
John Lewis: Good Trouble
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Palm Springs
The Platform
The Vast Of Night
The Trip To Greece

Most Underrated:
Guns Akimbo

Most Overrated:
The Painter And The Thief

Worst of the Year Contenders:
7500
Extraction
Shirley
Spaceship Earth
True History Of The Kelly Gang

'Desparados' A Review

Desperados is a romcom that follows Wesley(Nasim Pedrad) a 30-something unemployed counselor desperate to find a husband. She's set up on a blind date with the affable and charming Sean(Lamorne Morris) but he's put off when she immediately talks about marriage and kids. As she leaves the date she bumps her head and meets Jared(Robbie Amell) who she then goes on a few successful dates with. When they have sex and then he ghosts her her and her friends write a drunken email to him as revenge, while sending it Wesley gets a call from Jared who has been in a coma. Wesley with her friends in tow set out to delete the email before Jared leaves the hospital.

Pedrad, is either miscast or misdirected or both. Her typical oddness and humor are flattened to a cookie-cutter bland insufferablness that makes for an astonishingly uncompelling lead. Her talent is grossly squandered in this run-of-the-mill regressive baffling 90's throwback. Morris is able to still retain his innate charm but the vessel the two find themselves in is astonishing. Wesley's friends played by Anna Camp and Sarah Burn are both wonderful actors and welcome presences in the movie but they can't help but be dragged along behind this awful narrative.

Visually uninteresting, narratively borderline horrifying, Netflix breaks it's streak of thoughtful or at least palatable romcoms.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

'The Old Guard' A Review

The Old Guard is an action movie based on the comic book of the same name. The story follows a group of immortal altruistic warriors lead by Andy aka "Boss"(Charlize Theron) who hire themselves out as mercenaries for causes they deem just. When they are betrayed and another immortal Nile(KiKi Layne) appears the group has to track down the person trying to capture/kill them and bring Nile into the fold.

As always Theron is a power house of a presence, her physical surety and grace is lethal and elegant, her ability to be both stoic and imposing but also deeply emotional is confounding. Her filmography has always been varied but over the past five years she has shown how dominate and versatile she can be as an actor- from Mad Max to Tully to Atomic Blonde to Long Shot- she is unarguably one of the most dynamic actors working today and as such is always wonderful to see onscreen. Layne pairs well with Theron, strong, imposing, but still emotionally present, the two have great chemistry. Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, and Luca Marinelli who play the remainder of the titular old guard are all confident and solid, and their dynamic with Theron is effortless. Chiwetel Ejiofor as the conflicted middleman is somewhat underutilized but always a pleasure to see and Harry Melling as the Mark Zuckerberg stand in is not quite dimensional but is deliciously sneering and corrupt.

The action is impressive, propulsive and mostly practical giving it a kinetic hook that a lot of CG action doesn't have. The sets/locations to the costume to the score all carefully considered with no melodrama or obviousness that can usually pop up in action movies particularly comic book adaptations. The story is somewhat an amalgam of familiar elements- ageless healing warriors, corrupt company trying to 'extract' the genetic secret, the otherness of having powers- but even so this feels fresh and is taken serious enough where there is an actual sense of reality and the group itself is looking to battle actual political/social unrest. And it's just plain fun!

One of the most effective, if not the most, of Netflix's action features, that certainly warrants the big screen. Meticulously constructed, well balanced, surprisingly emotionally complex, a great ride.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.

Nightmares

As I child I would wake up
in the middle of the night
and quite naturally want my parents
alone and afraid in the dark
but I knew I had to have a reason
the normal night and shadow
being habitual were not proper cause
for midnight screaming
so I would compose a nightmare
usually involving dinosaurs
as that seemed the most plausible
and when I had my story straight
I would yell and shriek until they came
but their room was far away
and my sister's was right next door
one night after clamoring to no effect
she pounded on the wall and said "go to them"
sound advice as they had not come
so I gathered my courage
got out of bed and walked down the hall
but standing outside their door
in our dark and quiet house
I realized I was no longer afraid
If I was brave enough
to traverse alone our home at night
I had no need of their comfort
until the morning light
it was the last time I called for them.

'Relic' A Review

Relic is an Australian horror film about three generations of women dealing with the deterioration of the eldest's mental state which is perhaps accelerated by a supernatural force. Kay(Emily Mortimer) and Sam(Bella Heathcote) go to Kay's mother's house after she is reported missing. They find a cluttered home and post-it notes everywhere and the suspect she has dementia. When Edna(Robyn Nevin) turns up but is unable/unwilling to talk about where she's been tensions between the three begin to rise. Edna begins to act more aggressive and erratic and the dread and doom of some external force mounts.

The three main cast are all totally assured and pitch perfect. Mortimer is completely open able to communicate grief, regret, envy, fear, determination, a plethora of emotions effortlessly and she is the grounding center of the film. Nevin is stunning and haunting, her performance is fragile and etheral, occasionally surfacing back to herself but never sure of any reality, before plunging back into unreachable feralness. Heathcote is also quite effective but given her characters age and position in the family she doesn't have the same shade and texture to deal with, but even so a vital and solid part of the cast. The three have excellent, fluid chemistry playing the frightening text but also implying this ocean of real world human complexity which differentiates the film from what could be a more pedestrian jump-scare modern horror flick.

The production design, particularly the set design, of this sprawling, moldy, labyrinthine house is incredibly impressive and immersive. The subtle score, the creeping cinematography, the semi-suburban location all harmonize to create this dark shrinking world of dread. And for most of the runtime it really works. The problem is it is unclear what is actually happening and why. Is the curse/ghost/possession a metaphor for dementia or is it an actual independent thing, if so what exactly is it? There is allusions to a family history and a cabin and a (haunted?) stained glass window but its never made clear enough to understand so it seems superfluous. The final sequence is baffling, gross, and borderline incomprehensible and most of the interest and intrigue the film has, quite successfully, built up is deflated. 3/4 of a great movie brought down by its mismanagement of tone and it's opaque intention.

Available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

'Palm Springs' A Review

Palm Springs is a time-loop romantic comedy about Nyles(Andy Samberg) and Sarah(Cristin Milioti) who are caught in a Groundhog's Day style time-loop reliving Sararh's sister's wedding day over and over again. The two grapple with both existential and interpersonal crisis as well as boredom as the begin to form a bond.

Samberg is as understated as we've ever seen him but still with his innate charm and ease with no real sacrifice of humor. He has moments of gonzo comedy but it's encased within a deeply empathetic performance. Milioti is also excellent and has more emotional dimension in which to play, she's able to balance surprising pathos with crescendos of comedic emotion. The two have wonderful chemistry and the film provides a lovely framework within which the two are, basically alone in a limited location, and allowed to have fun and get to know each other and given they are two complicated, prickly, strong characters that journey is incredibly fulfilling. The supporting cast are all great(particularly Conner O'Malley's unhinged groomsmen) but because they all reset each day they are rendered mostly immaterial to the narrative and the sole focus is on Nyles and Sarah making it a surprisingly intimate story.

Made on a limited budget the strength of the script and of the conceit of the time-loop(a mostly sure fire plot device for character development, see Edge Of Tomorrow and Happy Death Day) propel this relatively small film into one of the best of the year. It's quiet, thoughtful, romantic, funny and just plain fun. The production elements are competent and effective(if not particularly dramatic) and allow Samberg and Milioti the freedom to really play and create full dynamic characters.

A charming, thought-provoking, but never ostentatious romcom that doesn't reinvent the genre but is clearly operating on a different plane.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Don't Miss It.

My Part

I must ask what is my part
when set adrift in the dark

When overcome with upset
what is it I can't accept

Letting go of expectation
the struggle with clear expression

The need for tight control
leaves me primed to explode

Resentment is the main offender
which can eat until forever

All this wreckage is partly mine
to banish if I have the mind

Other people I cannot sanction
but I own all my own reactions

There is freedom in being me
for I can choose how to proceed

A COVID Birthday

Time marches on
it does not stop
for plague or politics
protest or pain
we eat, we sleep, we age
and the days roll on
what then can be done-
we celebrate the victories
the milestones
we relish the company
the connection
we seek out service
and adventure
where and when we can
we endure.

'There Are No Fakes' A Review

There Are No Fakes is a Canadian documentary that starts with Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn's law suit against a gallery about an allegedly forged painting he purchased by renowned Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau. But what's uncovered is a far reaching fraud ring populated by dark and dangerous characters.

The film takes it's time and traces the events back from Hearn's acquisition and then his notification that his purchase may be a forgery. Morrisseau as an artist, his work, his life and his legacy are explored while folding in the various art dealers, lawyers, and auctioneers. It's a fascinating, complex, heartbreaking story that goes significantly beyond Hearn's case, and who virtually disappears from the movie after the beginning of the law suit which is the catalyst for unspooling this vast network.

Through interviews, found footage, and a couple recreations the film goes beyond true crime to an incredibly effecting story of humanity and art. The way it's constructed is not unlike many by-the-numbers docs but the story itself is incredibly powerful.

Currently streaming on Amazon.

See It.

'Lost Bullet' A Review

Lost Bullet is a French action/thriller about a mechanic Lino(Alban Lenoir) who gets imprisoned after a botched robbery. He's given a job by Charas(Ramzy Bedia) a cop who heads a drug enforcement task force in order to soup up their cruisers in order to catch drug traffickers. On the day Charas offers Lino parole and an actual job on the squad a violent betrayal puts Lino on the run.

Lenoir is a dynamic lead, competent, driven, emotionally restrained with moments of crescendo. Bedia plays a great good cop and has great chemistry with Lenoir. The supporting cast of drug runners and cops are all great, hard-boiled and present, if not totally dynamic but this isn't a drama and the focus is on Lino and his go-for-broke pedal-to-the-metal journey.

In the mold of Heat crossed with Gone In 60 Seconds(but without the humor) Lost Bullet is an entertaining, well paced, propulsive film with some inventive action and enough story to hold together. A surprising, fun French flick in the American blockbuster mold.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.

Heat Wave

In the Midwest
you get both levels of extreme
sticky humid hot
and the bone-deep freeze
those who complain
of dark winter's chill
are the same who bemoan
summer's concrete grill
but why not relish both supremes
the challenging cold
and the hypnotic heat
for yes, like a lead apron
lies the blistering day
but temperance is not demanded
for adventure or play
and the trial of sweat
may sweeten a foray

'John Lewis: Good Trouble' A Review

John Lewis: Good Trouble is a documentary about Civil Rights activist and congressman John Lewis. Through archival footage and interviews with himself, his family, and various politicians we get a rough sketch of his life and a firmer depiction of his activism from the 50's-70's and the beginning of his political career juxtaposed with the presidential election of 2016, the midterm election of 2018, and the continued fight against voter suppression.

Unequivocally an inspiring, moving, and powerful social and political figure the film doesn't go particularly deep into Lewis's biography or personal life but that's not the intent, the archival footage and his reflection on it of his time with MLK and SNCC is informative and effective and the juxtaposing of his early and later years makes clear the resonance and the fight that continues today for equality and substantial time is given to the right to vote. The film was completed prior to the nationwide protests against police brutality but its clear how the film and the ongoing struggle intertwine and communicate with each other. And so what if Lewis's few opaque actions aren't deeply interrogated(his ousting from SNCC, a somewhat 'dirty' campaign for city council in the 80's), this is not a 1000 page biography but a film and white politicians have ever been given pass after pass for egregious behavior, hell within the film we briefly see Bill Clinton after a reference to his repugnant 1994 crime bill(which Lewis voted no on) which he has never really been made to answer for. Some may consider the film too glowing but that's a double standard and Lewis's work and impact is inarguable. And even more does it underscore the ongoing fight for Civil Rights.

A moving portrait of a man who made change, who stressed the importance and sacred right of the vote, of equality, who advocated non-violence and unflinching dissent, who was a lovely, positive, playful person as well as a fearless warrior.

Available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Don't Miss It.

'Come To Daddy' A Review

Come To Daddy is a horror/comedy about Norval(Elijah Wood) a Beverly Hills musician who lives with his mother goes to visit his estranged dad in a secluded cabin on the Oregon coast. After a cold reception from his dad who then begins to act erratically Norval realizes things are not what they seem.

It's a treat to see Wood who has spent the better part of the last decade producing and his innate boyish innocence and charm hasn't faded. Although he struggles a bit with the odd tone more at home in the movies reality as opposed to it's periodic gonzo creshendos. Stephen McHattie is wonderfully grotesque and it's great to see Michael Smiley and Martin Donovan who clearly relish the opportunity to cut loose. All in all the limited cast works together well, creating some fun moments of gore and comedy.

Visually effective but simplistic, eerie without trying to hard, the production is assured without being flashy. The script/tone falters a bit at times, trying to blend horror, thriller, and comedy but the whole is greater than the some of it's parts and there is a truly bonkers scene with Wood wielding a carving fork. Unique if not totally harmonic, ambitious but a bit rough in narrative construction.

Available to stream on Amazon.

Rent It.

Growing Pains

Nothing will ever be the same
there is no returning to normal
and we must accept either
despair and uncertainty
or Purpose
for change has ever been difficult
and growth painful-
as children were we pleased
to sprout up throbbing inches over days?
did we enjoy the revelation our parents
were not superhuman but fallible even flawed
or that adults in general were not unilaterally
trusting and assured?
did we relish the discovery that in fact we could not be
whatever we set our child's heart's desire to become?
No.
But none the less we grew.

Hot Tub Guy

I was never a hot tub guy
they were always too hot
but sitting in the tub
with two of my oldest friends
looking up at the star filled sky
warm water soothing muscles
quiet company a relaxing balm
maybe I am a hot tub guy after all