'Aftersun' A Review

Aftersun is a drama about a father/daughter vacation, Sophie(Frankie Corio) and Calum(Paul Mescal) through the lens of the adult daughter's reflection. The bulk of the film takes place during the vacation itself, with brief cutaways to the adult Sophie watching camcorder footage from the vacation, as well as dream-like sequences in a strobing dance club where the adult Sophie pursues her un-aged father Calum.

Corio and Mescal give grounded, realistic performances however frequently their Scottish accents are so thick it is impossible to make out what is being said(outside of the UK subtitles should have been provided). But ultimately they don't do too much because of the pervasive vagueness of the script and it's disinterest in imparting any specifics narrative or emotional.

Normally beautifully shot but also intercut with grainy, shaky, barely legible camcorder footage as well as the lack of intent in the dream and adult Sophie sequences, visually it's uneven. The score is relentlessly ominous preparing the audience for a tragedy that never arrives which renders it ineffective and inappropriate. The soundmix, presumably intentionally, is one of the most bizarre choices in recent cinema memory because it jacks up the volume of the score, music, and ambient noise way above the vocal track. So not only does the audience have to contend with the thick accents but also the disproportionately cacophonous back ground noise to attempt to discern what is being said.

Narratively the film seems to have little point to it and offers no insight. What is actually wrong with Calum, is it mental health, cancer, AIDS? What does adult Sophie think of this vacation, why is it important? What we see is kid Sophie, seemingly having a pretty nice vaca, so why all the telegraphing of tragedy? Are we to presume Calum commits suicide after this? If so there is so little there in the way of dimension for either character that implication has little to no impact.

It appears what we are left with is some graduate level mediation on existentialism and classic post-modern rejection of narrative. Which, OK, but the result is so reserved it says nothing, so inert it is boring.

Perhaps appealing for those yet to contend with an absentee father.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

Out Of The Past

As if
from a college town in 2004

outside of an Umphree's concert
this scraggly, lost man-child
replete with pathetic patchy beard

and distressed army/navy surplus jacket

puts himself in my way

in 2022 

on the northside of Chicago

with a dispensary 

no more than 4 blocks away

and says

"you got any weed?"

I laugh in his face

overcome 

by the anachronism

and the audacity

'Decision To Leave' A Review

Decision To Leave is a mystery/drama about insomniac detective Hae-Jun(Park Hae-il) working in Busan and only spending the weekends with his wife in Ipo. An immigration officer dies under mysterious circumstances and he becomes obsessed with his widow who is the prime suspect Seo-Rae(Tang Wei).

The film is strictly demarcated at the 75 minute mark, after which there is a time jump and the tone, editing and narrative drastically shift. The performances obviously are influenced by this. Hae-il and Wei, at the start, give wonderful, layered, odd performances and have great chemistry. It builds in this complicated way and comes to a satisfying conclusion. Then the film continues for another hour and a half in which the portrayals become somewhat farcical as the tone goes full on melodrama and the characters behave illogically. Not a fault of the actors but still a bizarre and ineffective drastic turn.

The production is uneven, visually(at the beginning) crisp with some very effective and evocative editing choices. Scenes bleeding into one another, characters observing other characters or imagining what other characters are doing appearing in those scenes as observers, a character making audio notes serving as narration for the scene we're seeing. It's all very lyrical and transportive and is present throughout the first portion of the film. Bafflingly this technique is abandoned after the time jump. At the start the tone is a weird mix - mystery, romance, procedural, drama- but it works. This delicate dance of genre is jettisoned for daytime TV melodrama halfway through and it becomes plodding, convoluted, and so illogical as to be, not to put to fine a point on it, dumb.

Incredible promise and intrigue deflated to the mundane.

Currently available on VOD.

Stream It(in it's entirety).

See It(stopping at the 75 minute mark).

Generational Gaming

Playing Mario Kart with my niece
my nephew contentedly
in my lap
I am grateful for my Nintendo 64
for its stalwart diversions

its simple adventures

its sturdy construction

for this shared moment

in quiet communion

even if 

after fifteen minutes

she proclaimed it 'too hard'

and went back to playing Barbie

'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' A Review

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a vacation mystery, a somewhat sequel to 2019's Knives Out, carrying over the detective Benoit Blanc(Daniel Craig) but nothing else. A group of friends who have a vague involvement in lead friend Miles'(Edward Norton) tech/media company get together for their yearly vacation/adventure hosted by Miles. Andi(Janelle Monáe), one of the group, recently completed a failed suit against the company and was estranged from the group but attends anyway. Blanc is mysteriously/erroneously invited.

The star-studded cast all have wonderful outfits and clearly are having a great time on their Grecian island shoot but all are thin, grating characterizations(if not outright caricature), even Craig so wonderful in the first film here is predictable, boring, and less sophisticated than his previous iteration. There is attempt at class commentary which is way off base and particularly ironic coming from a cast and a filmmaker who are themselves rich, part of the strata in which they attempt(and miserably fail) to send up. There is a cavalcade of cameos which are cool I guess, but serve ultimately no purpose and function only to overstuff an already bloated runtime.

Visually a bit glaringly glitzy, full of pastels and over-saturated coloring, the costuming absolutely incredible, the soundtrack/score mostly forgettable. The production, overall, inconsistent. The script is baffling. The turns and reveals in the mystery are telegraphed, predictable and frequently illogical. Even if the mystery element of it were engaging the characters are so two dimensional, so unlikable, there is ultimately no stakes, we don't actually care about anyone, they could all be killed with no emotional effect. 

One of the reasons the first film was successful was because Ana De Armas was the center, a good person caught in an impossible situation, and Craig was a supporting character and as such allowed to go big. Here Craig functions kind of as the main with Monáe somewhat sharing the spotlight as the movie progresses and as such the chemistry doesn't work. Not to mention Monáe is simply out of her depth, in recent years she has failed to make good on the promise she showed in Hidden Figures and this is no exception.

Plodding, uninspired, self-satisfied.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

'Avatar: The Way Of Water' A Review

Avatar: The Way Of Water is a scifi movie, a sequel to 2009's Avatar. The Navi are again threatened by corporate/military humanity, this time the desired resource is anti-aging whale gland extract.

There is not much to say about the performances because the characters or so thinly drawn and the plot so convoluted there is little in the way of performance to be found. The returning characters frequently act in ways counter to what the first movie set up and the new characters frequently act illogically clearly only to further the uncompelling, contrived, ill-conceived plot.

Visually indistinguishable from its predecessor(other than the inclusion of awful and extremely jarring motion-smoothing in a couple sequences) it begs the question what took so long given the technology employed seems not to have evolved. The water and reef sequences, the ecosystem that is "new" in this installment is only featured for a fraction of the runtime. Additionally the script is so bloated, derivative, and regressive(even in regards to it's predecessor) it seems it was written in a rush upon the initial box office returns in 2009 and never revised, again begging the question what took 13 years.

The original, even if narratively simplistic and trading in problematic tropes, was at least fun and felt visually fresh. This is a three hour plus trudge, immediately forgettable upon it's conclusion.

Perhaps it's time for writer/director James Cameron to retire or at least take on some collaborators who can provide some perspective outside of the boomer billionaire niche.

Currently in theaters.

Don't See It.

Solstice

I welcome the Winter
its difficulty
its capriciousness

in its return

am I reminded

of life's certain

changeability

in its intrinsic

discomforts

am I yearly tempered

enlivened

by cold and darkness

'White Noise' A Review

White Noise is an absurd dramedy, an adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same name. In a nameless suburban college town in 1984 a family encounters various untoward events.

After a string of lesser offerings Adam Driver is back in form. In this odd mishmash of tones and genres he is absolutely electric, almost balletic in how he weaves and flows through scenes. It's as if he is in the preferable zone throughout the entire film. No moment or gesture or line is wasted, there is no moment in which he is not present, he knows when and exactly how to modulate his performance to guide is through the ever shifting comedy-drama-scifi-thriller-romance. It is almost the opposite of his other career highlight Paterson where he channeled a kind stillness, here it is all momentum, all verbosity, but still with an unshakable compelling humanity. Gerwig is overshadowed, has less to do, and doesn't seem as comfortable with tone, she isn't bad but(especially comparatively) it is not particularly inspired. Their kids all give good turns, especially Raffey Cassidy as the eldest daughter, but it is unarguably Driver's film. Cheadle, in a supporting turn that matches Driver, plays his friend and co-worker and defacto narrator. He is also stupendous, letting the rich dialog flow through him with a melodious assuredy. 

Impeccable, immersive production design reminiscent of a less fastidious Wes Anderson elevate this beyond much of writer/director Noah Baumbach recent movies of upper class Manhattanite ennui to something actually interesting(as does the story itself). Forgoing his recent penchant for 'realism' the film is a delightful smorgasbord of tone, stylized overlapping dialogue, and plenty of metaphor and social commentary to boot. It doesn't always work, it doesn't always make sense, but it reflects a wonderful, thrilling ambition. In adapting "unfilmable" popular period novels this puts Inherent Vice to shame.

A bizarre, challenging film, that still entertains and ultimately remains unflinchingly optimistic.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to Netflix.

See It.

'The Fire Within' A Review

The Fire Within is a documentary about volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. Compromised almost exclusively of footage and images shot by the Krafft's themselves, their work speaks for itself with minmial narration by director Werner Herzog in his signature style.

It is impossible not to compare this to 2022's other documentary about the Krafft's comprised mostly of their own footage(one has to assume an archive of their work was just recently made available) Fire Of Love. Where Fire Of Love seems to attempt to do a Herzog impression and, ill advisedly, attempts to make the story a romantic one Herzog, no surprise, is better at doing what he does. He let's the incredible images the Krafft's captured speak for themselves. The majority of the film is simply flowing, undulating lava, and expansive volcanic clouds. He doesn't focus on their relationship, he doesn't focus on science, he focuses on the couple as filmmakers and venerates them as such through the images they captured. Even though it is clear the two filmmakers had access to the same footage Herzog has a keener eye, not only for the majesty of nature, but for the small intimate human moments. He functions here almost exclusively as an editor, selecting the images and sequences that he finds the most compelling, the most interesting, and he, as ever, is insightful. His eye is not on how to package it but on how to convey his ecstatic truth, which he achieves.

In his narration he calls our attention to certain things but he doesn't lead us, he maintains his dry humor and sage-like observations, and tells us some simple conclusions he's drawn about the images we are seeing and the people that made them but leaves us to take from it what we will.

A majestic and compassionate documentary about volcanos and two people that were drawn to them. Herzog, at 80, remains singular.

Currently available for rent on Amazon.

See It.

CTA Soundtrack

the boombox
has become
the bluetooth speaker

renegades

who have seemingly

never conceived of headphones

inflicting 

their playlist

on involuntary passengers

pulsing, pumping

beats, lyrics

intrusive cacophony

and yet

the melody

echos the churning train

reflects the pulse in the bodies within

better this noise

than tourist's bleating

or the bluster of the trader bros.

'Violent Night' A Review

Violent Night is a Christmas-action-comedy where Santa(David Harbour) gets trapped at a large estate during a home invasion. 

Harbour is a great drunken Santa with an edge. He's able to balance the comedy and the gory action with a believable level of heart. John Leguizamo as the heavy is having a blast and is equally comfortable with the humor and the gruesomeness. The supporting cast are all fun and effective- Beverly D'Angelo as the matriarch of the rich family that's being robbed, Edi Patterson as Ava her daughter, Cam Gigandet as Ava's husband etc.- all solid and serve to achieve the odd tone. Leah Brady as Trudy is probably the most committed(and oddest) as the kid-with-a-heart-of-gold who still believes in Santa and gives him the inspiration he needs...to kick ass!

Although mostly contained in one location the production design is crisp and festive, the gore comically gory, the fight choreography sometimes inspired, sometimes typical shaky-cam but in aggregate mostly thrilling. It's an odd mix of tone part campy horror, part action, part genuinely(but still R rated) sentimental holiday movie and the alchemy mostly works. 

Exciting, effective, adult holiday offering, good counter programing to the glut of underproduced Christmas romcoms.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.

'Love, Charlie' A Review

Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter is a documentary about the life and career of Chicago-based celebrity chef Charlie Trotter. From talking-head interviews, archival footage, stills, and letters written by the subject his life, work, and legacy are explored.

An intriguing if somewhat limited portrait of the influential chef. His privilege is only casually referred to(he came from money, his father funded his restaurant, and it is safe to assume that his years of world traveling and eating prior to that were also parentally funded) which is disappointing. He pioneered/popularized tasting menus, vegetarianism, the chef's table but there is overall a lack of context for what his place in the culinary world was/would become. His kitchen was notoriously cutthroat and volatile and he himself was described by many as the worst boss they'd ever had, while this is acknowledged it's simply kind of accepted as part of his personality, not interrogated other than to say he was a "perfectionist". His substance abuse is also only kind of acknowledged and not delved into(it was common knowledge in Chicago in the last years of his life). Of the interview subjects only Grant Achatz offers much in the way of insight or dimensionality. The other subjects are loyal friends who provide a number of interesting anecdotes but fail to draw a full portrait of the man.

Not quite a fluff piece but certainly not a full depiction of the man or his impact. Interesting, but thin in content and middling in form.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Stream It.

'Spirted' A Review

Spirted is a modern musical adaptation/sequel of A Christmas Carol. The movie opens on a modern day 'client' who is getting the 'Christmas Carol' treatment in order to change, Scrooge(Will Farrell) has played the part of the Ghost of Christmas Present for two hundred years and is looking for a challenge. He along with the team of spirits who redeem a human once a year in the CC tradition select select an 'unredeemable' PR exec Clint(Ryan Reynolds) as their next target. He is not an easy mark and maybe Scrooge has something more to learn!

The cast are all serviceable but none are particularly inspired. Farrell is more comfortable than Reynolds with the song-and-dance aspect of the movie but neither really has much affinity with either discipline so the result is relatively lackluster. Why Farrell and Reynolds rather than Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes? Octavia Spencer, delightful as always, has the most powerful voice in the cast but isn't given much chance to use it. Sunita Mani and Lily Sullivan pop in for some nice comedic moments but are underutilized.

Despite it's star power and obvious budget there is a flatness about the movie, doesn't have the edginess of Scrooged, the emotional payoff of a straight forward CC riff, or the laughs of The Muppet Christmas Carol. For all the trimmings it registers more in-line with Netflix's glut of mediocre holiday content(passively watchable) rather than something of actual quality or uniqueness.

Currently streaming on Apple+.

Stream It.

ISU

Every new higher education attendee
has to grapple with disappointment
or at least a level of cognitive dissonance

squaring the reality

with the collegiate utopias portrayed in media

I was no different

it was a harsh adjustment

the biggest culture shock

the most horrifying surprise

was being in an environment

with kids who came from money

their entitlement

their obtuseness

their unwarranted confidence

was alien, off-putting in the extreme

and in fact these people, despite their privilege

were less interesting, less talented, less knowledgeable

than anyone I went to high school with

I learned more about race, class, and culture

more about actually living in my hometown

than I did at this institution purported to be the gateway to adulthood

not to say Rockford was some egalitarian paradise

but I went to school with white, black, and brown kids of all kinds

Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and a few obligatory wannabe Wiccans

poor, working, and middle class, but no actual rich kids

there simply weren't that many in the community and those few that were

surprising no one, didn't send their kids to public school

and this exposure had opened up my perspective to certain realities

back to college

the theatre department of which I was a part, in particular

had this air of casual affluence that I found not only incomprehensible

but enraging

it was clear I did not belong and I did not want to

I struggled

but even though I would describe my collegiate experience as negative

this crucible fostered and solidified in me a distrust for the wealthy

codified my perception and understanding of socio-economic disparity

and on which part of the divide I stood and intended to remain

so perhaps

it did prepare me, shape me, teach me, come to define me

even if the method

was the stick not the carrot

even if the lessons

had nothing to do with academics

in hindsight

I'm grateful for it.

'The Fabelmans' A Review

The Fabelmans is an autobiographical drama from Stephen Spielberg. The film opens in New Jersey with Sammy(the Spielberg stand-in) going to his first movie, The Greatest Show On Earth, with his parents Mitzi(Michelle Williams) and Burt(Paul Dano). He becomes obsessed with the train crash sequence and, after getting a train set over Hanukkah, begins to recreate it and film it launching his interest in making movies. Burt gets a new job and the family movies to Arizona and Sam's movie-making broadens. The story then splits focus alternating between Sam's burgeoning artistic ambition and his parents marital issues.

Gabriel LaBelle who plays the older Sammy(the bulk of the runtime)brings a gracious, open, naturalism to his performance. He grounds and centers the film, no small feet for the younger actor. Although his totally unnecessary and bafflingly obvious colored contacts are supremely distracting. Michelle Williams gives an odd, broad, caricature-like performance that strains credulity almost immediately. She is the film's defacto co-lead and that focus is bizarre from the standpoint of the script as well as her performance. It's reminiscent of her over-the-top relatively thin turn as Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn. Whether it is the script, direction, or her conception of the character it doesn't work and it is grating to watch. A mid-Atlantic mentally unstable wannabe starlet is what comes across. Dano doesn't have much to do and his performance is so reserved it doesn't have much of an impact. There are some great supporting cast members- Judd Hirsch(who functions exclusively to provide exposition and make some subtext text), Seth Rogan(who doesn't have much to do), Julia Butters(Sammy's sister, doesn't have enough to do), Sam Rechner(a conflicted bully), and Chloe East(Sammy's Jesus freak girlfriend)- but the story itself lacks focus and the supporting characters come and go seemingly with little purpose.

The film looks and sounds great, there is no argument that Spielberg is a master craftsman the big issue is it's too long and lacks focus. There seems to be a lack of understanding from Spielberg about what his story is actually about. Is it about movies(the first act is), is it about his mother's undiagnosed mental illness/his parents divorce/family dysfunction/emotional abuse(the second act), or antisemitism(kind of the third act?). Thematically it's scatter shot and various aspects of it don't really come together, it plays more as a series of loosely connected vignettes rather than a narrative which may be realistic as to what actually happened but it fails to get at what Herzog calls the ecstatic truth. For example Mitzi is clearly suffering from some form of mental illness and we see her repeatedly being emotionally abusive to Sammy, once physically abusive, and yet there seems to be no awareness on the part of the filmmaking that this is what is happening, there is such a lack of point of view it implies this behavior is normal and begs the question does Spielberg even know what his parents were doing, has he ever been to therapy, does he even understand the effect of the memories he's recreating. The result is that we are simply watching sequences of trauma with little awareness and no insight.

Perhaps this will have some appeal in the 55 and over demographic, but although well made and mostly well acted, for all the effort The Fabelmans simply relays events but lacks perspective on those events.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

'Sr.' A Review

 

Sr. is a documentary about avant garde filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. made by his son Robert Downey Jr. Part profile, part retrospective, part art project, part therapy the black and white film unfolds in a series of vignette's with Junior interviewing senior on the phone and in person, clips from Senior's filmography, and Senior shooting and editing various sequences of his own as part of/counter to his son's project.

It becomes clear very quickly Senior is uninterested in and barely willing to reflect, although he is the most loquacious about providing detail about his various films(which are all very intriguing and eclectic). Junior does get some basic information and asks some direct, if never accusatory, questions particularly about Senior's period of drug addiction, while as always being forethcoming about his own, which Senior does answer at least in part. As the film progresses it becomes clear there is culpability here but it's clear Junior does not judge his father and accepts him and its also clear at some point(before Junior himself) Senior turned his life around and it's clear Senior takes some responsibility for Junior's destructive period. It's nuanced and moving and complicated but it takes its time and it's able to, because of it's patience and subtlety, access a greater truth.

The other element clearly focused on and celebrated is Senior's particular creativity. Not only is there extensive footage of his films but him working with the production crew filming his own sections are delightful. Senior's curiosity, humor, and  unique perspective are conveyed with a casualness and an attention that are really moving.

The black and white cinematography, the score, the composition can come across, initially, as pretentious but it very quickly settles in and grabs the viewer, it's a documentary about a man and his son who are life long moviemakers who are not only the subjects but their influence can been seen in the construction of the film itself. It is not concerned with mythologizing Senior but with allowing him the space, dignity, and attention in the time that he has left. The only fault is that it can't be seen on the big screen.

Deep and simple. A meditation on family, death, and the art of making movies.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.

Seasonal Activities

We dressed a skeleton
in a Santa's suit
a new tradition
perhaps

'The Menu' A Review

The Menu is an absurdist thriller about Margo(Ana Taylor-Joy) a last minute guest of Tylor(Nicolas Holt) to a extremely exclusive fine dining restaurant located on a island. As the meal, presided over by head chef Chef Slowik(Ralph Fiennes) commences it becomes clear there is something sinister afoot.

Taylor-Joy is captivating as ever, she's able here to play a bit more grounded than her other 2022 offerings(Amsterdam, The Northman) and acts, in essence, as the audience surrogate. Unfamiliar and uninterested in haute cuisine, the only diner not of the 1%, and the only character we really care about her realism helps propel a lot of the peril and humor. Fiennes does one of the things he does best, mix threat with compassion, his performance kind of writhes with contradictions- pride, thwarted ambition, regret, principle- it's impressive as always. A good follow up to his 2021 underseen and underappreciated turn in The Dig. Holt is decent but whether in the performance or the script, the character fails to gain much traction especially opposite Taylor-Joy and Fiennes although in his final scene it really clicks. The supporting cast is impressive - John Leguizamo, Judith Light(Angela!), Janet McTeer(all diners), and Hong Chau(the maitre d’). None have particularly large parts but all function to elevate and deepen the film which, almost totally, takes place in one location.

The film has a realistic foodie-crispness, no surprise as a Chef's Table director was involved as well as various fine dining professionals, the score is relatively minimal but effective, the restaurant itself and the locations are all beautiful but also have an appropriately haunting kind of gothic isolation. The real triumph is the script, with great darkly comic moments sending up fine dining as well as the rich while at the same time making some pretty effective and direct commentary on class, the service industry, and economic exclusivity not to mention a couple moments of real violence. Tonally its an odd highwire act but never falters.

Laughs, gore, hope, and just desserts.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't Miss It. 

Cooking For My Parents

Some things can't be forgiven
Some things can't be forgotten
Some times regret doesn't dissipate
But most things can be healed.

'Slumberland' A Review

 Slumberland is a family fantasy/adventure movie about Nemo(Marlow Barkley) who goes on adventures in her dreams, based on the 90's comic strip. Growing up on an isolated island lighthouse with her father(Kyle Chandler) Nemo is content but when he is lost at sea she is forced to live with her awkward estranged uncle(Chris O'Dowd) and begins escaping into her dreams hunting treasure with Flip(Jason Momoa) a former friend of her father.

Barkley is assured and emotional, realistic if not exactly electric, occasionally wooden, a serviceable YA lead. Momoa is the real stand out, going for broke, clearly delighting in the opportunity to go this big and not having to be a hunk. It's kind of his version of Beetlejuice and it's great. O'Dowd is funny and also kind of heartbreaking as the clueless, cold, door knob salesman and his pay off is pretty sweet. Chandler, although only in the movie briefly, is wonderful as the loving yet grieving dad.

Visually the movie is mostly CGI but it's well done and the designs are imaginative, it works, and it takes advantage of the dream-setting, there are a couple different set pieces and sequences and its enough to feel like its properly taken advantage of, we are transported to this dream-world. An effective execution(as opposed to something like Doctor Strange 2 where the multiverse is only really shown in one montage sequence). A decent soundtrack and fun costumes make for an all around solid production.

It's a relatively straightforward family movie, the adventure is fun, the lessons(and plot) are maybe a bit obvious but it never slips into saccharine territory. It's ambitions are simple and in those it succeeds.

An engaging family adventure if not an amazing one with a career-best performance from Momoa.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Rent It.

Art For Art's Sake

I've got paid to act
a couple times

each one contained

a bit of grime

So I gave up

that partial dream

although it had

a lustrous sheen

To do the things

I want and when

in pursuit of

joy and health

The only goal

is the thing itself

not a means

to reach a future end

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' A Review

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a superhero movie, the sequel to 2018's Black Panther. The movie begins with the death of T'Challa(as a result of the death of Chadwick Boseman), as Wakanda mourns world powers get bolder in their attempts to seize vibranium and a superpowered-secret-underwater-nation is discovered and is inexplicably and totally hostile particularly bafflingly to Wakanda.

Perhaps as a result of superhero fatigue, the quick turnaround, and the untimely death of it's star there's a lot of weariness about the movie, in it's script, visuals, direction, and it's cast. Letitia Wright becomes the defacto lead and is unfortunately not up to it, she is clearly out of her depth and is unable to bring the presence needed to hold the movie together and the script calls for her to act counter to what has been set up in her previous appearances. Angela Basset, Lupita Nyong'o, and Winston Duke are the only ones that are able to recapture their electricity, quite frankly they are the only ones that really feel human in an increasingly convoluted illogical story. The wonderful Danai Gurira is done a disservice and is mostly side lined(as well as burdened with a truly awful 'superpowered' suit). All in all it's kind of a mess.

Visually the movie is dreary, dark, overly stuffed with CGI verging on the indecipherable at times. The idea of the Talokan is intriguing but it's execution strains credulity far beyond the shattering point. None of it make sense. The score is more muted and underutilized than it's predecessor, there are in essence no stand out scenes(dramatic, comedic, or action) with or without a needle drop. It is clear this was rushed and it is clear it was made by people still processing their grief. It's heartbreaking but it simply does not come together, it fails to capture virtually every aspect of the first film that made it great. The movie is book ended with two moving tributes for T'Challa and by extension Chadwick Boseman, and those are really powerful, if this movie had to be made it should have only dealt with the death of the Black Panther, introducing new characters, a war, international espionage, an entirely new civilization is simply too much.

Exhausted and exhausting. Too soon.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to Disney+.

Don't See It.

'Master Of Light' A Review

Master Of Light is a documentary about George Anthony Morton, a classical painter. The film follows Morton as he paints, goes to museums, discusses Rembrandt, starts therapy, and returns to his hometown to contend with his past and paint his family.

The film contends with a wide range of themes- race, racism, incarceration, drugs, poverty, familial trauma, transformation, and art. Shot in an unintrusive fly-on-the-wall style with some audio narration taken from straightforward interviews it coveys a quiet intimacy juxtaposed with an unshakeable sense of volatility, a reflection of it's subject. The socio-economic situation is very complex and it would be easy to make judgements, prescribe shortcuts(as Morton's girlfriend perhaps justifiably does at one point) but neither Morton or director Rosa Boesten is willing to turn away and as a result what the film conveys is much more nuanced and powerful. It is clear his past and his struggles is intricately woven with his journey as an artist, the two things are in some ways combined, so both for Morton and for Boesten as she puts the film together these two themes reflect and help to explain each other. It's fascinating and singular.

Emotionally demanding, engrossing, insightful.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

See It.

The Mantra Of The Present Time

I am Steven Nelson
Born Rockford, Illinois
Resident Chicago, Illinois
Sober alcoholic

Grateful husband, son, brother, uncle, friend
And this is the moment. Now.

'Stutz' A Review

Stutz is a documentary made by Jonah Hill about him and his therapist Phil Stutz. The movie is, mostly, in black and white and loosely follows a series of therapy session where Stutz breaks down his methodology and we learn a bit about the two men as they open up to each other during the process. 

Even though Hill says at one point he has been in therapy for five years this, similar to Selena Gomez's doc, feels too soon. Hill seems to be very much still in the process of healing. He is too raw, too agitated to offer much perspective or wisdom. The movie is not so much a mechanism to share insight but an extension of his therapeutic process. Which is fine, however, he(like Gomez, same with Matthew Perry on his recent book tour) repeatedly says that he wants his struggle to help people which is noble. However he is still clearly very much still in the process of arriving and above and beyond simply normalizing therapy doesn't have much to offer. 

Stutz is much more confident, much more assured, and is clearly a professional and it is clear his process has helped/is helping Hill. However, whether intentional or not, his process is framed as unique. Hill says at the beginning that he tried "traditional" therapy for a long time and it never worked for him until he met Stutz, implying he has a "non-traditional" approach. But what we see is very much  contemporary therapy(there's discussion of visualization, calming, breathing techniques, discussion about the inner child which Stutz calls the "shadow"), Stutz may have his own individual vocabulary but the concepts are very much modern therapy as it exists. This, needless to say, is odd and adds an air of pretention to the movie which- with its black and white cinematography, it's meta turn in the first act, and just the socio-economic privilege that underscores the whole scenario- is already kind of pretentious.

Not to say Stutz isn't a great therapist, he clearly is, not to say he hasn't helped Hill who has, as a result, made a lot of progress, he clearly has. Stutz's concepts are very clear, very actionable, and that's great. But it all raises the question, who is this for? Any audience that would watch this movie is most likely already comfortable with the idea of therapy if not had direct experience with it. Superbad fans who have social or emotional prejudices or barriers against therapy aren't watching this movie. And what it offers above the generic therapy-is-normal celebs-do-it-to is not anything you couldn't find on the wiki for CBT(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) or other contemporary effective methodologies.

It's clear Stutz and Hill have a special relationship and Stutz has helped Hill which is wonderful. But it takes a certain level of narcissism to believe that that is unique especially to the extent that it is documentary worthy. Because celebrities had to go through the struggle and trauma of the pandemic(just like everyone else even if our experiences differ by a matter of degree) I suspect therapy as a subject of documentaries and features will continue in the zeitgeist but the reality is that the 99% have been dealing with these issues longer and with much more severity so what is needed isn't simply "this thing exists and is good" but what do we have to learn as a result.

More self-involvement than self-actualization.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

'Causeway' A Review

Causeway is a drama about wounded veteran Lynsey(Jennifer Lawrence) returning to her home town of New Orleans to recuperate. She meets mechanic James(Brian Tyree Henry) and the two develop a cautious friendship.

After a little over a decade Lawrence returns to the type of indie material that launched her career and she seems to have lost the assurance she displayed in her break out Winter's Bone. It's not that the performance doesn't work but there seems to be an undeniable vein of artifice running through it. Perhaps given her high profile career and media scrutiny there is an extra barrier that she has to contend with that she didn't as an unknown. Even so, whether it's partly the performance or partly the script there is something that feels calculated and that's distracting. Henry is wonderfully at ease, charming, emotional, and real. The two have decent chemistry but his naturalism, by contrast, makes her struggles more apparent.

Shot on location in New Orleans, the locale has a richness and character that's refreshing(its not Atlanta standing in for literally any/all US cities). The score is subtle and effective, the production design restrained and real. The script itself though is a bit generic, seems almost fearful of delving too deeply into the emotion of either of it's co-leads. The two each have, very well put together, monologue moments which simply feel too clean to be honest. In tone it is too deliberate to achieve it's intent. Dog tackles the wounded-veteran-wanting-to-reenlist with much more electricity and truth.

Passable but immature.

Currently streaming on Apple+.

Stream It.

On The Progression Of Alcoholism

The first time I got arrested
I was frightened.
The second time
I was relieved.

'The Banshees of Inisherin' A Review

The Banshees of Inisherin is a drama(billed as a tragicomedy) about two friends in a small island community in 1922 Ireland who "break-up". Pádraic(Colin Farrell) goes to meet his friend Colm(Brendan Gleeson) for their routine afternoon pint only to be ignored by Colm, later at the pub Colm tells him he no longer wants to be friends and not to speak to him. Pádraic struggles to accept this and tensions ensue.

Farrell's considerable talents are extremely muted by the character which is described as dull and dim, which is what we see, there are two brief moments when Farrell and the character come alive one when he's drunk the other when he is grief-stricken. But that's really it. A "dull and dim" character written/portrayed explicitly as such, with little depth, little understanding, little maturity, just isn't really that interesting especially given he is the lead. You don't really care about him, which is fine, but also the circumstances aren't interesting enough to engage with beyond him. Gleeson has a bit more depth but he too is constrained by the whole conceit of the script. Who gives a shit about these two hot-headed, frustrated, emotionally stunted, knuckleheads, I don't. Kerry Condon as Siobhán, Pádraic's sister, is the only character(and the only performance) that actually feels dimensional, feels human, but she's mostly a supporting character, relevant narratively only through her relationship to her brother. Barry Keoghan shows up and does fine I guess but he is doing the exact same twitchy half-wit characterization that we've seen from him before multiple times (most recently in The Green Knight).

The film looks beautiful, sweeping rich panoramics of this Irish island, expansive stone walls, jutting cliffs, animals chomping grass, its gorgeous. The score is not particularly effective with the same discordant theme hammering over and over again to bludgeon us with "something is amiss!" the diegetic songs are wonderful and offer the only hope and grace in the whole thing. Tonally its confused, at times it seems to want to play as realism, other times allegory, it kind of slides from one to the other based on cinematic convivence calling into question the effectiveness of either style.

As a portrait of loneliness I suppose it is functional but it is thin, anemic, it offers no real insights on the human condition and doesn't really portray humanity with any real affection or understanding beyond the superficial. More broadly what the hell does this thing have to teach us we didn't learn over the course of the pandemic. Compare this with A Love Song which mediates on solitude and the yearning for connection but does so in a way that is empowering and hopeful, that speaks to resilience rather than despair.

Not funny enough to counteract the simplistic, undergraduate, existential fumblings of it's main theme.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

Reserve Tank

Most motorcycles

don't have
gas gauges

for a buffer

they have 

the reserve tank

an extra half gallon

you can access

in times of need

'Enola Holms 2' A Review

Enola Holmes 2 is a period mystery, a sequel to the 2020 movie, about Sherlock Holmes's niece Enola(Millie Bobby Brown). After the events of the first installment she's gone out on her own to open a detective agency. Unfortunately being a young woman she finds it difficult to engage clients until a little match girl with a missing sister sets her on the hunt to a bigger conspiracy than she bargained for!

Like in it's predecessor- Brown is charming as ever but lacks depth, Henry Cavill as Sherlock is miscast, Helena Bonham Carter is great but functions barely more than a cameo. The new heavy is David Thewlis as Grail who is wonderful but there's just not a lot for the mostly talented cast to dig in to.

Decent production design, with the slickness of a healthy budget, don't do much to belay the general apathy that's conveyed. The script(deviating in this installment from the YA source material) is overly convoluted, the action sequences too sparse, the red herrings too plentiful, the characters underdeveloped, the moralizing immature bordering on trite. It's not terrible but it is one of Netflix's just-watchable-enough-not-to-turn-off type of features that seem to be their unfortunate stock-in-trade at this point.

Meh.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Stream It.

'Selena Gomez: My Mind And Me' A Review

Selena Gomez: My Mind And Me is a documentary about the performer taking place over the past six years(or so). The movie is a glimpse into her life during that time showing her preparing for tours, doing press, meeting with her management, struggling with her health and mental health, returning to her home town, and going to Kenya on a philanthropic mission, this cut with occasional segments of narration from Gomez's diary.

It's seems to be a trend of celebrity docs to be made prematurely(Val, Sheryl, David Crosby), the artist in question needs to grapple with some issue or discovery and part of them working through that process is making a movie about it. All good. But the issue is that at that point the artist themselves has little to no perspective. Gomez is in the throughs of her adulthood, her Lupus, her new bipolar diagnosis. She is still grappling with it all, coming to terms with it, attempting to process it, figuring out a new way of living to manage and pursue her passions and what she thinks is important. That's great. But its not particularly interesting to watch nor is there much, if any, insight to be gained. Her simply putting her health and mental health struggles out there raises exposure and puts that stuff more firmly in the cultural discussion. That's great. But beyond that the movie seems to have very little to say because Gomez simply hasn't had time to gain much wisdom about any of these issues and as a result cannot impart wisdom she has yet to gain.

There are two other issues with the movie. One, even though Gomez is compelling(as a person and performer, check out Only Murders In The Building btw she's amazing) there is an air of entitlement, privilege, and the kind of repugnant naivete of the rich that permeants a lot of it. Not to diminish her struggles or her back ground or what she's gone through or the artistic/chartable work she does but what we see in the movie conveys an out-of-touchness that makes it difficult to connect. It's not a deal breaker its just clearly there and not really addressed in any way so it sticks out. Kind of like when Michael Phelps came out about his depression, commendable and impactful no question, but he framed it in a way as if it was new, as if it was unique and for the working and shrinking middle class the struggle has been real for a long fucking time. It's complicated not cut and dry and ultimately there's just not a lot of nuance in the movie and it feels like that's because the subject and the filmmaker are unaware not because of deliberate choice.

Two, the industry is really messed up. Gomez, especially in the early scenes(2016-2017) talks about her body, as do those around her, in an incredibly dissociative way. She says explicitly at one point that she doesn't want to be a "product" while we see her(and her team) continually, vigorously commodifying her. She attempts to work while getting her Lupus and bipolar in check and she is very clearly in pain and miserable. Her team, some of which may be friends its unclear who's on the payroll and what their positions are, almost unilaterally diminish any and all complaints and problems she has, placating her, clearly in an effort to simply keep her working, keep the gravy train rolling. It's incredibly disturbing. But what's more disturbing is its unclear if Gomez or the filmmakers even recognize this. In the context of the movie it feels like this is normal, this is SOP.

I have a lot of respect for Gomez and I'd love to see something like this from her five years from now. But as is the movie is too raw with too little understanding.

Currently streaming on Apple+.

Don't See It.

'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' A Review

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a biopic parody about the titular musical parody artist. As a kid Al listens to Dr. Demento and gets interested in parody songs, his factory working father(Toby Huss) is aggressive and dismissive of his son's ambitions but his mother(Julianne Nicholson) secretly gets him an accordion. At a high school party Al lets loose and plays stunning and thrilling his peers only to return home and have his dad destroy his beloved instrument sending him out on his own. Sometime later Al(Daniel Radcliffe) lives with three buds and writes "My Bologna" launching his career.

Radcliffe, once again proving himself the most intriguing Potter graduate, brings a necessary iron-clad commitment to the absurdist story. He sells it and he's clearly having a ball. He scores the comedic crescendos and bizarre tangents as well as the pockets of real heart that populate the movie. It's impressive, from being one of the more bland HP kids he's grown into an eclectic talent. He dominates here, just absolutely off the leash, raw, funny, and explosive. Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna is also wonderful, she plays this skewed version of the pop princesses with a delicious avarice, an almost Bond villain level of relish. The two have great chemistry and effectively ground the increasingly preposterous plot developments. The supporting cast is stacked- Huss is always a knockout and this allows him to do what he does best- broad comedy with an unshakable commitment- Rainn Wilson is a much needed breezy compassionate presence, former child star Spencer Treat Clark(of Unbreakable fame) is great as one of Al's buds/band mates, Quinta Brunson shows up briefly as Oprah- it's all just so playful but commitment and bizarre. 

Clearly on a limited budget it still looks great. Solid locations/set design, pitch perfect period costuming, a great soundtrack(obviously and correctly mostly Weird Al tunes). It all just works. More so than the questionable cult hit Walk Hard it functions both as an effective(if fictitious) biopic as well as a send-up of the genre. There's just so much life to it, so much energy, which is all channeled through and coming from Radcliffe's lead performance as well as the pretty out-there but uncompromising script. There are some big swings almost all of which connect. It's a triumph in tone.

A joyous, surprising thrill ride. A guaranteed good time for Weird Al devotees and the uninitiated.

Currently streaming on the Roku Channel(app you can download for free with a Roku device).

Don't Miss It.

Inspiration

In 2000 my friend Ryan Green told me about High Fidelity,
he said it was great but if it wasn't John Cusack 

it'd be too much John Cusack.
My sister, home for spring break, took me and my friend Ben Geller.
We all liked it, I in particular, loved it. 

Not only for its insights into "adult" relationships

but for one of it's supporting characters, 

Jack Black's Barry.

As a chubby, sensitive, sometimes shy kid 

it was a revelation.

Heretofore I had to settle for Chris Farley, great 

but ultimately, at least on the big screen, a buffoon.

Or John Candy, too old, wise, and serene to really feel attainable.

Barry felt like someone I could be 

and there after I modeled myself after him.

I got louder, funnier, more opinionated, tougher.

Seeing that character 

gave me the permission 

to take up the space I had previously been too terrified to.

It gave me the example of the confidence I wanted.

I eventually moved on- Sam Jackson's Jules Winnfield was the next biggie.

But Barry was my number 1.

'Black Adam' A Review

Black Adam is a superhero movie about a beleaguered city(country?) that gets the hero it doesn't want(but needs?). The movie opens thousands of years in the past when a usurping king enslaves a people in search of their regions singular resource(sound familiar?). A hero rises, ordained by the council of wizards(?), he takes back the city but destroys(part of) it in the process. Thousands of years later(the present) a resistance fighter inadvertently awakens him, he is Teth-Adam(The Rock)!

The Rock brings his undeniable presence to the movie but is hamstrung by the characters limited humor and bleak outlook, he spends much of the movie floating around looking dour, not a good use of The Rock. The supporting cast are all serviceable but most are constrained by the convoluted plot, made too dense by layers of unnecessary exposition and multiple McGuffins that it renders the stakes virtually nil. The one bright spot is Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate who's able to push forward a fully formed personality as well as seems to be having a ball.

Visually the movie is pretty spectacular, particularly the fight scenes. All brightly lite, impactful, dynamic, with an element of visceral carnage and real danger that many superhero movies lack in their CGI sameness and PG-13 adherence. Here Black Adam feels genuinely dangerous and unpredictable which feels different and cool. The costumes are great, the score is catchy, it simply fails from the stand point of the script which attempts to pack two or three movies worth of plot into one. It's too complicated and as a result the pacing after the first act is sluggish. The attempts at allegory come across as clumsy rather than inspiring.

Lower tier superhero fair despite considerable potential.

Currently in theaters coming soon to HBO Max.

Stream It.

'Tár' A Review

 Tár is a drama about abuser and internationally renowned conductor Lydia Tár(Cate Blanchett). The film opens on a Q&A event which neatly provides Lydia's professional bonafides as well as sets up tension with her beleaguered assistant as well as a mysterious young woman who is seen watching the event. Lydia is generally self-centered, pretentious, rude, and cruel. We see her act this way with her wife and colleagues and eventually allegations of grooming and abuse of power come to light.

Blanchett is a fine actor but either she is out of her depth or the script lets her down. The character is profoundly irritating and uninteresting. Rich, entitled, god-complex, rigid and the, presumably, redeeming quality- talent, passion for music- is not shown or translated in an effective way so ultimately what you are left with is a shallow elitist character clearly consumed with avarice and ego. The character, as written, is unengaging and on top of that as played by Blanchett is very stilted, very manufactured, very presentational. Whether that's deliberate or not it simply reads as contrived. The same is true of a lot of the cast, aside from Nina Hoss as Sharon Lydia's wife who gives virtually the only realistic performance, a lot of it feels fake. There's a recurring bit with two characters that Lydia deals with, one having a nervous tick of knee bobbing and another with pen clicking, both of which, as portrayed, do not feel real in any way, it reads very clearly as unnatural, as an acting direction.

Visually it's very crisp, the costuming very slick, the score including a fair amount of diegetic music from the orchestra, is all very effective. There are some cool dream sequences too, its clear in his decade plus off writer/director Todd Field hasn't lost any skill as a filmmaker. The same can't be said of his ability as a screenwriter.

First and foremost, who cares about Lydia, the script offers nothing about her character that is engaging other than her "genius" which is repeatedly voiced explicitly but never effectively shown. The attempts at commentary about cancel culture, #metoo, the "price" of genius fall flat. The circumstances are never fully investigated, Lydia's character both what she actually did and what her perception of that is is never explored. As portrayed she has little(or we are not given access to) interiority. So, given that, what's the point? The film hints at bigger issues but lacks the courage to actually get in the trenches and address them. It hints, it implies, it skirts and in that cowardice reveals it's irresponsibility. And taking the bigger issues aside the character is just kind of awful so why would we want to spend over two and a half hours with her when she doesn't do or change much at all. What does she have to teach us? What humanity is on display? Nothing and not much.

Frustrating, regressive, and shallow.

Currently in theaters coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

Charm

An actor acquaintance was talking about an ex

ex-friend or ex-lover I wasn't clear

but she said

"he had the intense focus of the alcoholic"

and it explained a lot for me

I had never put it together

a quality of the addict

is a singularness of purpose

-consumption of the substance-

but this extreme attention

can be leveled at a person

like a spotlight

the recipient feels seen, feels distinct

it can translate as charm.

Whether honest connection

or manipulation

something to be aware of. The wattage.

'Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon' A Review

Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon is a New Orleans set fantasy thriller about an escaped mental patient who has mind control abilities. Mona(Jun Jong-seo) escapes an institution and encounters stripper Bonnie(Kate Hudson) and befriends her son Charlie(Evan Whitten). Mona and Bonnie develop an uneasy criminal partnership utilizing Mona's power. The cops, already after Mona after her escape, close in.

Jong-seo puts in an appropriately odd almost alien performance, unsettling yet alluring. Hudson goes full on as the shitty stripper mom- it's by far her best role and performance in quite awhile- complicated, funny, dark, dimensional, it's wonderful to see. Whitten is good for a child actor, especially towards the end of the film. Craig Robinson in a supporting role as cop is wonderful, as always, and functions as a much needed grounding agent. Ed Skein as Fuzz, in almost an extended cameo is delicious and surprising, kind of a wiser, benevolent version of Alien from Spring Breakers. There is a lot of talent in the cast but the characters are kind of superseded by the tone.

Like all of Ana Lily Amirpour the production design is immaculate and transportive. The dark of New Orleans at night is lush, the neon and lights crackling, the costuming and set design realistic but hyper specific. And above all the score, this electronic, eerie, propulsive sound that almost never fades during the entire runtime. All together it creates a big mood. Each element(as well as the acting and script) equally working together to create this cohesive whole, it thrills. The pacing lags a bit in the middle, doesn't detract much but you're left with the feeling that this is a good 106 minute film and it could have been an amazing 90 minute one.

Visually rich, addictive score, and a solid script make for a wonderful ride.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

See It.

'Raymond & Ray' A Review

Raymond & Ray is a dramedy about two traumatized brothers attending the funeral of their abusive father. 

Ethan Hawke brings his confidence and presence, and makes Ray three dimensional, makes him dynamic. It's a grounded, subtle, realized. Ewan McGregor struggles a bit with the more buttoned up Raymond but the two have great chemistry and where McGregor stumbles its mostly the fault of the script not his acting. It's great to see Sophie Okonedo as Kiera and Maribel Verdú as Lucia, both bring their unique energies to the screen, but as written both function solely as foils for the two brothers. Bechdel test: fail. The cast are all talented but the themes their asked to contend with are left mystifyingly unexplored.

Visually effective save for the handful of glaring greenscreen car scenes, a decent score with some nice diegetic trumpet playing from Hawke(even though that aspect of the character feels a bit shoehorned given his personal interest and Born To Be Blue). The big offense is the themes, death, grief, trauma, abuse, all of which are hinted at, indicated, but never explored, never actually confronted. There are no insights here, none of it is ever really addressed, nothing is worked through, and for the most part no one takes or gives responsibility for the damage. Most of the characters in the movie are messed up and that's taken here as the norm, they have no impetus to change, no motivation to transform, no path in which to do either. So it ends with the titular leads, basically, in the same position and condition in which the movie started, which is not something that's remotely interesting- two 50 year old messed up white dudes going to their asshole father's funeral while continuing not to deal with how and why they are messed up. Snooze. Shit, Breakfast Club has better insights about fathers and sons and that's not even what it's about.

An intriguing premise and two solid leads devolves into cowardly emotional simplicity.

Currently streaming on Apple+.

Don't See It.

'Ticket To Paradise' A Review

Ticket to Paradise is a romcom about two rich narcissistic divorced boomers(Clooney and Roberts) who attempt to break up their daughters hasty marriage.

It's nice to see Clooney and Roberts on screen together and in this type of lighthearted fair but the script is so obtuse, so bludgeoning regardless of the talent in the cast it's tough to take. It seems like they're having a good time but not because what they're making is good but because of its beautiful locations. Their characters are awful and their much delayed 'redemption' is unbelievable and forced. The comedy is incredibly strained, there's an air over the whole movie of rich people entitlement(the basic circumstances of the whole movie would be incredibly expensive for any of the characters to logistically participate in), and whatever romance is involved is also highly questionable(an extremely hostile divorced couple is going to give-it-another-shot after 15 years? A recent college grad deciding to get married within a couple weeks of meeting someone IS an insane naïve thing to do). It is nice to get time and attention on the Balinese people but even then it smacks of stereotype, the 'exotic' foreigner.

The production is all relatively successful if not inspired(not atypical for a romcom). Effective cinematography, decent score, eye-candy costumes. It all works. It's the script that is the insurmountable hurdle. The plot and the attitudes are straight out of the 90's but not in a nostalgic way, it's baffling and it's boring.

A romcom mostly devoid of romance or comedy. 

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

The Unstoppable Force

One lesson I learned the hard way
after arrests, firings, failures

pain of a wide variety

was that most things

are outside my control

that I exist and operate

within a broader context

sometimes benevolent

sometimes malevolent

but always indifferent

to my personal desires

and perceptions

the understanding of this

the deference to this reality

struck me, for a time, as supplication

which I rejected

and caused more suffering

but in eventual acceptance to this fact

the truth that I can only control myself

and exist within and am a part of

a wonderous, eclectic organism

a life, not exclusive from but included within 

something wider, greater

in this knowledge

I found a new freedom

a new happiness

'Lou' A Review

Lou is an action/thriller set in 1986 on an island off the coast of Washington. Lou(Allison Janney) is the mysterious landlord with a particular set of skills who, when her tenant Hannah's(Jurnee Smollett) daughter is kidnapped by her presumed dead father(Logan Marshall-Green), sets off with her to get her back.

It's great to see Janney as a grizzled bad ass, a delight in fact, and she totally inhabits it. Smollett does well but her character, as written, frequently strains credulity. Marshall-Green is always intriguing and he brings his particular blend of leading man charm and creepiness to the villian role. All in all the three are solid, of the supporting cast there are few and don't make too much of an impact.

The production has value, visually- although taking place mostly in darkness and rain- has a decent clarity, the fight scenes and action sequences have punch(although there are not enough of them), the real issue is the script and pacing. There's a tension in the movie with what it wants/intends to be, is it Taken starring Janney? If so there's not enough of Janney putting bad guys in the dirt. Is it some kind of psychological familial espionage investigation? If so it's not smart enough. It has a lot going for it it just doesn't quite come together.

Worth a watch for Janney kicking ass, everything else is relatively meh.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Stream It.

'Bitch Ass' A Review

Bitch Ass is a slasher movie set in 1999 LA. As part of a gang initiation a group of four teens are sent to break in to a local home after the elderly owner recent passing. Once inside the seemingly simple b-and-e takes a turn.

All in all the movie boasts a talented cast with Teon Kelley as Q as the primary lead and Tunde Laleye as the titular villain. Like many genre flicks the focus here is on the plot and less on character dimension, even so the cast is assured, doles out laughs and scares with ease and brings the needed electricity to this 80's throwback.

Visually crisp with some interesting deployment of aspect ratio and split screen, an effective soundtrack, and even though clearly on a budget some impressive production set pieces. An entertaining first outing for writer/director Bill Posely and co-writer Jon Colomb, bodes well for future projects.

Slick, cheap, effective b-movie fun.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

The Immovable Object

One important thing my parents taught me

each in their own way
was immovability

which is not inherently virtue or vice

it can manifest as stubbornness

an inability to compromise

an inaccurate self righteousness

but it can also manifest as principle

an expression of character

an adherence to truth

As a result of their example

I found within my self a threshold

beyond which, regardless of consequence,

I would not pass through

the trick of course is tempering this quality

with fluidity, with humility

identifying the appropriate when

to deploy the simple, powerful declarative

No.

and mean it

with totality.

'Amsterdam' A Review

Amsterdam is a period comedy/mystery set in 1933 NYC. Best friends Bert(Christian Bale) a doctor and Harold(John David Washington) a lawyer work together for veterans health and rights. In a flashback we see them meeting during WWI, both injured the two bond with an eccentric nurse Valerie(Margot Robbie), after the war the three live freely in Amsterdam for a time but are eventually separated. In the present Bert and Harold investigate the untimely death of their former commander and reconnect with Valerie. 

Bale brings his signature commitment and nuance to the role but in this collaboration with writer/director David O. Russell, their third, the material does not match his talent. He's the most assured, most compelling performer in the lengthy cast but it can't elevate a flat script and a convoluted plot. Washington struggles to generate much depth for his character, it's relatively inert, and ultimately cannot overcome the narrative problems. Robbie, like Bale, is assured and magnetic but is equally hamstrung. The extensive supporting cast is filled with celebs but there is so little for them to do in the overly complicated but ultimately unaffecting plot it doesn't much matter.

Visually crisp and rich, beautiful period settings and costuming with a score that is half effective and half bludgeoning all in all make for a immersive production. But the script and tone are the big problems. There is so much plot the characters, their connections and emotions take a back seat, and the plot itself is complex but shallow, the attempts at racial and social commentary are clunky in the extreme. Tonally it attempts comedy but also melodramatic romance, attempts serious social justice but answers it with twee flower child 'love is the answer' sentiment. It's bizarre.

A pristine production, an excellent cast, but with a confused, clunky, emotionally static narrative rendering a lot of effort mostly mundane.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

'Catherine Called Birdy' A Review

Catherine Called Birdy is a coming-of-age comedy set in medieval England. Birdy(Bella Ramsey) is reaching the age of maturity and due to her father Lord Rollo's(Andrew Scott) financial needs is up to be married off to a wealthy old man which she does everything she can to prevent.

Ramsey is wonderful, infectious, funny, caustic, she fills up the screen and shoulders the movie with assurance. It's great to see her get this much acting breathing room and if there were doubts after her star turn in GoT this puts any remaining to rest. The supporting cast are all really talented and put in engaging performances but the script doesn't have much room for anyone other than the titular hero. Scott puts in a valiant effort but can't pull off the relatively unbelievable third act turn. Billie Piper, Lesley Sharp, the incredible Sophie Okonedo, Mimi Khayisa- all great talents- are not given enough to do.

Beautiful on location shooting and excellent costume make the movie great to look at but the modern soundtrack is not as successful and only highlights the overall tonal confusion. The movie juxtaposes some pretty broad comedy against some pretty stark realities, it investigates some real gender struggles but totally ignores those of class(the serfs are depicted as extremely content and adoring of their lords and ladys). There is some indicating towards the realities of life, the impossibility of happily-ever-after endings, but then the movie delivers one. It's incongruous.

A breezy, overly simple, feel-good movie suitable for a YA audience but perhaps not a general one.

Currently streaming on Amazon.

Don't See It.