Dishes

Although no ones favorite pastime
there is value in the removal of grime

promptly cleansing dirty dishes

timely filing in dry conditions

a sink full of used utensils

or a wrack packed like a teetering temple

compounds the stress of day to day

but an empty sink wipes it away.

'Nomadland' A Review

Nomadland is a drama based on a memoir of the same name that follows Fern(Frances McDormand) as she travels around the western part of the US in her van, in which she lives. She gets various temporary jobs and meets and befriends various people.

McDormand gives a wonderful performance, as she almost always invariably does, but this isn't really anything we haven't seen from her before and there's an element of dressing-down that doesn't quite sit right. This rich celebrity shitting in a bucket, wow, how brave kind of a thing, this unreality is brought into further contrast by the non-professional actors/real life nomads the film is populated with. The 'real people' are all great characters but they are relegated to stilted monologues and are seen almost exclusively in relation to McDormand's Fern and her journey so aren't given enough time or space to show the dimension they so clearly have. The other 'big name' is David Strathairn who, also, does well but having these two stars in this cast in this story comes across as bizarre not authentic.

Beautifully shot on location, with an effective if at times telegraphing score, the production is solid but the major issue is the script. What is this story about? What is the intent? Not only are those broad questions unclear Fern's situation and backstory is woefully opaque until close to the end of the film. It presents itself- taking place in the recession, Fern being a migrant worker- as if it were about economics but it becomes more and more apparent money isn't really a concern here and ultimately Fern isn't forced into her life style she's chosen it. Ultimately it's a story about a the nomad lifestyle and grief but that's not clear, nor is the timeline, nor is it particularly effective in stating or exploring those designated themes. As a mix of fiction and documentary it fails, the fiction is too scattered and the documentary is underdeveloped.

An excellent, if predictable, performance from McDormand doesn't elevate this muddled, bleak tale that like it's main character seems to wander aimlessly learning almost nothing.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Stream It.

'The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things' A Review

The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things is a time-loop dramedy that follows Mark(Kyle Allen) a high schooler stuck repeating a summer day in his affable suburban town. After(presumably) years in the loop where he diverts himself doing random activities he meets Margaret(Kathryn Newton) who's also stuck in the loop and the two become friends as they search out and map fleeting perfect moments in their town.

Allen is refreshingly devoid of ennui or edge. He's an every-kid with seemingly little to no baggage beyond the normal low grade self centeredness his age typically prescribes and has a mature and positive outlook on the world and the loop. Newton also is not flawed, neither character is in the loop to "become a better person", she has dimension and something that weighs on her that she doesn't immediately reveal to Mark but that subtle mystery is what the film is really about. The two have wonderful chemistry, light and impactful, emotional without being overwrought or heavy. The supporting cast, essentially repeating their various performances in different ways, are all wonderful if not super detrimental to the plot as the main focus is, justly, on the two leads.

Some sharp editing and mild CGI pair well to convey the timeloop and keep the momentum of the day constantly pushing forward. The soundtrack is effective but not obtrusive and the modern/retro production design and costuming make for a a familiar setting that doesn't lock in to a specific year(although there is the mild use of phones). What's so gratifying about the film is it's simplicity and it's focus, the two leads aren't tortured, their complicated kids in a weird situation trying to figure it out, but the loop doesn't function to transform their character. They spend their time seeking out these simple beautiful moments which are shown with patience and are just as much a part of the theme as what's going on with the characters. It has a message but plenty of levity.

A fresh, understated take on the timeloop that focuses on positivity and small things to effectively demonstrate some larger powerful ideas, also has plenty of laughs.

Currently streaming on Amazon.

 See It.

Snow

Ceaseless
you accumulate
old friend
mindless
of your
imposition

Regal

in your

clarity

frustrating

in your 

slushy morass

'Monster Hunter' A Review

Monster Hunter is an action/fantasy, based on the video game series, about an Army Captain Natalie(Milla Jovovich) who, along with her squad, are transported into an alternate world filled with dread monsters. Natalie meets up with a native Hunter(Tony Jaa) and the two join forces to repel the evil forces and get Natalie back to her world.

Jovovich proves again that she is a competent, bankable action star. She's present, she's magnetic, and clearly does the majority of her own stunts and fights, which are both substantial and impressive here. Jaa the Thai martial arts legend, is clearly having a great time and his physical presence and mastery serve to make what could be a CGI fest tactile and real. The supporting cast is limited as the bulk of the movie focuses on Natalie and Hunter but there's a solid turn by TI as one of Natalie's soldiers and Ron Perlman as the quaffed gruff leader of one of the alternate world hunter groups.

Say what you want about Paul W.S. Anderson but he makes his own movies and has an eye for action. The desert landscapes of the alternate world, the creature design, and most crucially the incorporation of the CGI creatures is virtually seamless. He delivers what he sets out to, an action filled, fantasy epic that doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't overstay it's welcome.

A fun well crafted adventure with no pretention that delivers on the promise of the title.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

'Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar' A Review

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a comedy about two best friends Barb(Annie Mumolo) and Star(Kristen Wiig) who live in a small midwestern town, are laid off, and take a vacation to a small beach town in Florida.

Wiig is back to form here in a straight up comedy in this absurd, big, emotional character. It's refreshing to see her return to the genre and there's clearly so much joy and energy that radiants from the performance. Part of that has to do with Mumolo, her best friend and with whom she co-wrote the script. And as good as Wiig is Mumolo almost steals the film. She's quirky and dimensional, fierce and vulnerable, it's a wonderful rollercoaster of a performance, absolutely grounded in heart but that flits off and crescendos with bizarre relish. The supporting cast is all specifically strange(and effective) with Wiig in a double role as the heavy, Jamie Dornan as Edgar the love interest of both Barb and Star clearly delighting in no longer being in the languorous 50 Shades movies, and Damon Waynes Jr. as a laughable and overly particular 'spy' he also is clearly having a blast. And on and on with a variety of odd cameos.

The production is chock full of pastels, teased hair, and 90's dress. There is no brauvera camera movement or sequences but the sets, costumes, and score make up for the lack of POV with the cinematography. And maybe that's not necessary so brimming is every other aspect of the film with electricity, delight, with a full dose of the eccentric. On paper this may seem like a straightforward comedy but it's anything but.

A return for Wiig, a triumph for Mumolo, and an overall bona fide delight.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Don't Miss It.

Frostbite

I can't feel
half my finger

frostbite maybe

the numb lingers

Perhaps just

phantom strain

circulation trouble

an aging pain

Who needs

all their digits

piano was never 

an ambition

'The Little Things' A Review

 The Little Things is crime thriller about a former LA detective now deputy sheriff of a rural county Joe(Denzel Washington) who's asked to pick up some evidence in LA, the visit draws him back into one of his cold cases as there are ongoing murders with the same MO being investigated by up-and-coming LA detective Jim(Rami Malek) and the two form a begrudging partnership. Through mostly suposition they land on an exceedingly greasy and obvious suspect Albert(Jared Leto) although actual evidence is in short supply.

Washington, one of greatest living actors, is of course great. His ability to be in the moment, to be authentic, to infer loads of information and character dimension continues to be marvelous to watch, unfortunately his choice of material in recent years hasn't consistently been up to his talent and this script is one that is not up to his level. Malek is miscast as this strait laced, driven detective not given much if any room to do what he does best- eccentricity. Malek is an odd actor and casting him here against type as some kind of 90's cop everyman simply doesn't work, he's too constrained, too muted. Leto is either miscast or simply not directed as his performance is all telegraphing guilt, unjustifiable creepiness, and a put-upon artifice that comes across as glaringly fake. From his clearly padded stomach to his obviously fake duck walk nothing about it conveys that the character is an actual person, it is Jared Leto the actor giving a capital P Performance.

Writer/director John Lee Hancock has said he wrote the script in 1993 and that is unfortunately very obvious, it is clearly directly inspired by Seven and Silence Of The Lambs and doesn't take into account in the wake of those films copycats were made for the subsequent fifteen years. At this point the narrative is a retread of a retread and offers no new insights or discoveries on the serial killer vs. driven detective theme. It is set in 1990 and the cars, costumes, and look all work(aside from Malek's inexplicably modern tailored suit). But the solid production and slick look can't elevate what is a tired, unoriginal script.

All of Washington's considerable powers can't elevate The Little Things beyond the mundane.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

Don't See It.

'Bliss' A Review

Bliss is a allegory come drama about a listless addict Greg(Owen Wilson) who meets a manic pixie dream girl with an edge Isabel(Selma Hayek) who convinces him the world he leaves in is a similuation all while they take various drugs in the form of colored crystals which alter their (perhaps perception of) reality.

Wilson is miscast and approaches the character with an apathy and lack of effort that are presumably an attempt at character, but he is overmatched by the thinly drawn needlessly convoluted script. Hayek fairs much better, holding the movie together by shear force of will and star power. She's delightfully unhinged and mercurial but even with the full force of her considerable talent she's unable to drag the narrative from the psuedo-philsophical swamp. Nesta Cooper as Greg's daughter Emily is emotional and sincere but she too is unable to rest any sense or enjoyment from the dregs of the script.

Visually intriguing with a mostly effective and unassertive soundtrack the production is competent but the design elements also cannot transcend the boorish story. Whether the realities Greg is experiencing are "real" is a main tension of the script but there seems to be no actual stakes and neither "reality" comes across as real and as such there is no investment to be had, either in the two worlds or in Greg. The "questions" raised are a fumbling rehash of what was done so well in The Matrix twenty years ago and in Bliss come across as the stoned ramblings of an undergrad. 

A stilted, ineffective, tone deaf allegory for addiction written by someone who knows nothing about it.

Currently streaming on Amazon.

Don't See It.

Skyrim

Wondrous a world

of dragons and magic

moral quandaries

and arcane gadgets

Consuming time

in quests and building

work can wait

I've adopted children.

Alchemical mysterious

enchanted weapons

thwarting gods

and smithing lessons.

Hours pass

I forgot to shower

that sharp odor

may be my own sour.

'The Dig' A Review

The Dig is a period drama set in the days leading up to the beginning of WWII. The film focuses on Suffolk landowner and widow Edith Pretty(Carey Mulligan) who hires a local working-class excavator Basil Brown(Ralph Fiennes) to unearth burial mounds on her property.

Mulligan, on a streak, gives a crystalline performance, measured, reserved, but with multi-faceted emotions as Edith, a widow suffering from a terminal illness, grappling with mortality, legacy, and her relationship with her imaginative primary school aged son Robert. Archie Barnes who plays Robert is wonderfully real and grounded and his emotional journey is taken just as seriously as that of the two leads. Fiennes's performance is sublte but tectonically solid as this salt-of-the-earth, self-taught, archeologist. His ease and comfort on screen, his ability to totally subsume a character is immensely satisfying and his chemistry with both Robert and Edith is magnetic. As the dig progresses additional supporting cast enter the film, all good additions, particularly John Flynn as Rory Edith's cousin. Other than some tensions with upper class pompous archeologist Charles Phillips played by Kent Scott, and a subplot about newlywed Peggy(played by Lily James) grappling with her closeted husband, there is very little external conflict, the focus is on the job and in the internal transformations of the character and as such it makes for a somewhat sedate but immensely hopeful and gratifying story.

The camera work is expertly done and films the Suffolk countryside with clarity, beauty, and wonder heightening the allure of the mysterious and titular dig. Expertly paced and edited, perhaps inspired by Terrence Malick, scenes and dialogue are intercut, a moment of silence is shown while dialogue form later or before the same scene(or a previous/future scene) is played. This creates an excellent and much needed momentum for a film that could, for some, come across as slow. Although the film is simple and small there is startling breadth of themes addressed- death, class, history, love, marriage, grief- the list goes on. But none is hit on the head, it's a thrilling journey but a quiet one.

An understated hit, filled with unexpected depths and a few surprises.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.