'The French Dispatch' A Review

 The French Dispatch is a cinematic magazine a la The New Yorker, broken up into vignette "articles". Each one with a different topic, story, and title card. The film is framed as the last issue and contains all of the typical artistic meticulousness people have come to expect from writer/director Wes Anderson.

No surprise coming from Anderson, the ensemble cast is large and stacked with talent, to the point about a third of the famous actors on the bill have virtually nothing to do. They all fair well, an Anderson picture virtually never fails, almost all just kind of show up, get into the fast-talking somewhat monotone Anderson vernacular and that's it. Which is successful to a point. But the the thing Anderson struggles with, particularly in his post-Tenebaums phase is pathos. The film looks beautiful, it's precisely, complicatedly constructed, the dialogue is tight but it struggles for real human emotion. The two stand outs who are able to meet the Anderson patois but then go beyond are Adrian Brody in a large comedic, almost Wil-E-Coyote cartoon performance, and Jeffrey Wright in a funny, authoritative but deeply melancholic turn. Wright particularly is astounding. And his performance, by comparison, shows what the other actors aren't doing.

Production all around from set to costumes to score, no surprise- perfect, pristine. But it seems in recent years Anderson is relying more on his production design rather than his actors, which is certainly a choice, and it works well enough, but taking time and focus away from the actors has a result of the director or his film somewhat losing focus of humanity and that's a problem. It seems, perhaps, that he's using ensemble casts with a gross of famous names to compensate for this but it only shores up this oversight but so much.

A gorgeous puzzle box of a movie with a dominating turn from Wright but somewhat too calculating and twee.

Currently available for rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

'Old Henry' A Review

Old Henry is a western about reserved Oklahoma farmer/homesteader Henry(Tim Blake Nelson) and his son Wyatt(Gavin Lewis) who discover an abandoned horse and get drawn into a violent situation while they grapple with familial tension.

Nelson gives a wonderfully layered, recalcitrant, physical performance. Despite his small stature and ropey frame he is utterly believable as a turn of the century farmer as well as a capable combatant when called upon. It's a fine line and he can be(and has been cast as many times) an odd presence but he is refreshing and effective as the lead here. Lewis as his son is clearly a bit green but none the less has good chemistry with Nelson and their dynamic gives the story some necessary dimension. Stephen Dorff as Ketchum the heavy continues his post True Detective resurgence and is deliciously villainous here, he plays the black hat with a charming loquacious wryness which pairs perfectly with Nelson's gruff restraint.

Unadorned cinematography evokes a sprawling bleak beauty which matches perfectly with the genre and the setting. Most of the action takes place on a single farm and all of the action takes place within a couple miles and this focus of location furthers to enhance rather than restrict the narrow but potent story. The narrative is simple, as is the production, as are the performances, but taken together it all has a surprising depth. And the result is a very pleasing, effective, at times meditative, at times thrilling, modern western. It's great to have Old Henry in the same year as the questionably critically lauded, unduly complicated The Power Of The Dog as counter programing.

An excellent, straight-up, genre piece. No frills.

Currently available for rent on most VOD platforms.

See It.

Joker's Move

At the first party I went to
a friend of my sister's boyfriend
nicknamed Joker

ashed his cigarette

into the beer

of this asshole 

German exchange student

in order to instigate

a confrontation

and it was stunning

to my 15-year-old self

not only because

it was so effective

but because the move

was so simple

even elegant.

I would later co-oped it

during my own times

of collegiate conflict

the difference being

I smoked clove cigarettes

(because they were black,

burgeoning artist that I was)

it's utility was undiminished.

'Don't Look Up' A Review

Don't Look Up is an end-of-the-world "satire" about two scientists who discover a meteor headed for earth, their difficulty getting anyone in the government to believe them or take it seriously, the media tour they embark on in order to sway public opinion, as well as the various responses the world has to trying to prevent the impending impact.

Leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are underutilized, their characters underwritten, and from a casting stand point they're not particularly appropriate for this kind of tone. The cast is absolutely stacked with talent, good on writer/director Adam McKay for all the gets, but for the most part they are not comedians and the odd tone is continually missed(other than Timothée Chalamet who seems to be the only person to understand what kind of movie he's in) making for something that is not very fun, pleasant, and from a satirical perspective, effective.

McKay is a great director and the production is well put together but never goes quite beyond competent in its aesthetics. There are simply some fundamental issues with the story- obvious, bludgeoning, inappropriate metaphors- with characterization which are not far enough removed from reality to be considered satire and so many characters and virtually no character development rendering this story about humanity relatively devoid of it. The approach also just feels old, dated, and careless. Who is this movie for? Other than 'climate change is real', what is this movie trying to say? If that is the sole message Al Gore did it better, more concisely, more informatively, less contentiously in 2006 with An Inconvenient Truth and then did it even better in 2017. So, what's the point?

Boring, pedantic, pseudo-liberal grandstanding. Waste of talent on all fronts.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

'Red Rocket' A Review

Red Rocket is a dramedy about down-and-out porn star Mikey(Simon Rex) who returns to his hometown of Texas City after bottoming out in LA. He shows up on the doorstep of his estranged wife Lexi(Bree Elrod) and her mother Lil(Brenda Deiss) and begs for a place to stay which they reluctantly provide but require him to do chores and get a job. Mikey uses his charm and seemingly relentless narcissistic optimism to hustle a life back together. After some successes he treats Lexi and Lil to donuts at a local shop and meets Strawberry(Suzanna Son) who he becomes infatuated with.

Rex gives a remarkable performance both grounded and with a kind of perverted exuberant whimsy. The character is shallow and yet Rex makes him if not exactly dimensional at least motivationally clear and magnetic. He is the lead and no question anchors the film and is the guiding throughline through it but it is Texas City itself, the community, and by extension the support cast that really bring the film to a depressed yet effervescent life. Elrod is absolutely stupendous as Mikey's ex, full of humanity, and a stunning reality. Deiss along with a large support cast of mostly non-actors fill out the cast in a robust powerful way. Although Mikey and his story is the focus it is the community that feels the most alive and is given a deserved but much neglected dignity. Son is absolutely fearless and her character's relationship with Mikey becomes the crux of the film. It is complicated, delicate, and difficult but through her(and Rex's) assured performance(s) we can understand what's happening, laugh at the foibles, cringe at the grossness, but not condemn the fact we are seeing it.

Shot with Baker's usual understated but engrossing assurance, Texas City comes a live in the most unexpected way. A refinery, dilapidated homes, old cars, a depressed mall, all have a vibrancy and respect we've really never seen. The score amounts to basically one song repeated maybe three times, with one surprising diegetic performance, and this restraint just furthers the integration of the production design and its effectiveness.

The relationship between Mikey and Strawberry is a grooming abusive one and that is featured prominently in the second half of the film which may be, fairly, a turn off for some. Yet Baker continues to tell unconventional stories in unconventional ways, spot lighting classes, groups, and cultural subsets that don't usually have their stories told. And even if this aspect is complex and hard the film as a whole is filled with such an energetic life, such a Truth, the ride is certainly worth it, the ideas are ones that should be contended with, and the people are deserving of respect(if not always sympathy).

Currently in theaters coming soon to VOD.

Don't Miss It.

Life's Ledger

We can say, easily, and with perfect correctness
yes, the cold is uncomfortable, even intolerable
it bites and picks and squeezes
and noses run and throats scratch
and sweat pours from layers once inside

yes, COVID is exhausting and continues to be scary

and somehow we are in some ways anesthetized to that fear

because it is so common place, so everyday

and political derision and governmental inability

and isolation and household chores that seem to compound

because the only place safe now is the home

all this is true

but what is also true

a friend's child takes his first steps

and given all the constriction and worry

this landmark is not only good, its joyful, rapturous

and the silence when the snow gently falls and piles

the cold when its not so cold, that clarity, that beauty

the satisfaction of a perfectly constructed warm sandwich

the inspiration and assurance of a great film

masked laughter in a dark theater

the courage of a child fearless in receiving shots(or at least the bravado of such)

support of friends, love of family, the camaraderie of simply sharing time

the scales always balance, if you make a ledger, the scales always balance.

'Scream' A Review

Scream is a meta-slasher movie, the fifth installment in the series, that brings us back to Woodsboro 25 years after the events of the first movie. The movie opens with a scene mirroring that of the original but with commentary on the evolution of the horror genre in the ensuing years as well as digital security. The Ghostface killer has returned! The movie pulls in a new cast of young characters that are targeted/have to deal with the threat as well as the series hero Sydney(Neve Campbell) and series mainstays Gail(Courtney Cox) and Dewey(David Arquette).

The newcomers all bring a freshness and much-needed contemporary connection to the movie. Melissa Barrera as Sam is the lead but doesn't function to replace or duplicate the character of Sydney, there's a fun twist to her character, and she anchor's the movie effectively although the real fun is had by the supporting cast. Mason Gooding(as Chad), Mikey Madison(as Amber), Jack Quaid(as Richie), Jasmin Savoy Brown(as Mindy) all really lean in, are funny, and have a ton of fun which is contagious. And there's a good balance between establishing this new young cast with bringing in the series vets Campbell, Cox, and Arquette. It isn't their movie but they're an integral part of it, there inclusion is enough to be satisfying but not so much where it falls victim to the kind of flaccid retread many of these "requels" tend to.

The production design is sharp, the pacing propulsive, with some bangers on the soundtrack. Great balance of gore and humor as well as perfect and precarious balance of homage and narrative progress. If it isn't out-and-out scary well the Scream franchise was never really about that. The story moves, the kills are gross, there's a lot of laughs, Campbell returns as reigning final girl Sydney, and there's plenty of commentary about the horror genre as its evolved over the past decade or so. What more could you want?

A surefire hit for horror or Scream fans. A notable improvement from Scream 4.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

See It.

'The King's Man' A Review

The King's Man is period action/dramedy a prequel to the Kingsman movies about the founding of that organization. Orlando(Ralph Fiennes) is a former solider come pacifist who's wife dies while on a mission for the Red Cross. As a result he is protective of his son Conrad(Harris Dickinson) but they must act when the dangers of WWI threaten.

Fiennes is a consummate actor and gives this as much commitment as Coriolanus and virtually carries the entire movie however there is only so much he can do with the overly long, tedious plotting, and mish-mash of tone. There are some inspired turns in the supporting cast- Rhys Ifans as Rasputin is delightful, Tom Hollander in a triple role, Djimon Hounsou just in general is a breathe of fresh air. But none of the performances is able to break the tedium.

The movie looks slick enough with some compelling action sequences(the Rasputin dance-fight particularly) but the tone is too disparate to come together. Given the franchise is known for its humor there is a startling lack of it here, much time is taken with historical events and context and there is a protracted WWI battle scene straight out of 1917. It can't decide if it wants to be a Kingsman movie or a WWI prestige drama, it's bizarre. Perhaps this incongruity is a result of the protracted time it had in post-production, originally slated for a 2019 release, delayed for reshoots then delayed again because of COVID. It's plain the movie has been hacked and sliced into near incomprehensibility.

Despite the best efforts of the heroic Fiennes, a mostly flat miss.

Currently in theaters coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

'The Lost Daughter' A Review

The Lost Daughter is a drama about a middle-aged Harvard professor Leda(Olivia Coleman) who goes on a vacation to a Greek island, while there she observes a large family also on vaca particularly a young mother Nina(Dakota Johnson) struggling with her three year old daughter Elena. This causes her to reflect on and feel guilt and shame about her time as a young mother, shown in flashback with Leda played by Jessie Buckley, these scenes almost exclusively depict Leda being abusive, neglectful, and/or cold to her two daughters.

Coleman, no surprise, gives an assured, layered, complicated, powerful performance with Buckley playing a harmonious version of  the same character. Johnson isn't given enough lines or screentime to carveout much of a character and she is, in essence, a plot device for Jeda's character(which is a disappointment). All the supporting characters, the men particularly, are similarly thinly drawn with the exception of Dagmara Domińczyk as Callie who, even with the limited time she has, conveys a dimensional, compelling, seemingly real human being, virtually the only one in the whole film.

This is a film about a deeply anti-social narcissist, possible sociopath, where the flashbacks are virtually all depictions of trauma and the present is a series of cruel, thoughtless, stupid, absurd interactions. This is kind of a trend for prestige pictures of the last 5-10 years, neutral slice-of-life character studies of deeply unlikable characters, and this is about a middle-aged woman, a demographic underrepresented in these kind of movies, and it depicts a nuanced realistic version of motherhood that butts up against stereotypical roles and societal pressures. So as far as representation is concerned there's something to value here. However. 

Jeda as a character is very unpleasant and boring. Her behavior frequently unhinged to the point where her mental and physical health is in question, her privilege utterly unexamined, her emotions apparent but ultimately uncompelling as she seems to have virtually no awareness or connection to them nor is she interested in any kind of reflection or search for insight, she seems to regret some of her choices yet does nothing, changes nothing, behaves the same way she always has. She is a poster child for the AA saying "self-knowledge avails us nothing". She has no acceptance of her choices and seemingly no acceptance of who she is. She is both apologetic and non-apologetic about things she did in her past, she is conflicted, about everything. She intellectually knows what she's done and what she wants but it stops in the head. And perhaps this is realistic but cinema is not about realism alone. Jeda is sad and pathetic and mean, full stop. Depicting such a character offers nothing that the news or someone who is part of a dysfunctional family wouldn't already intimately know. It offers no insight, no hope, no path forward, no progress, aside from as noted above representation in and of itself. It is traumatic and forces the viewer simply to share that trauma. That all on top of a series of cringe inducing Karen-esk interactions which Jeda has with the Italian-American family that Nina is apart of that I won't go into.

It's great first time writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal got to make this film with this budget and this cast, bringing a middle-aged woman's story, particularly one that questions the traditional role of motherhood, into the award season conversation. Yet this is an excoriating film, a trend of late, giving time and attention to profoundly pessimistic, bleak, nihilistic, apathetic characters and stories. And right now, more than ever, what is needed is hope and inspiration, that is the way forward, not prosaic existential malaise.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

Home Again

You go away
so you can come back

so you can return

for in the absence

grows an understanding

a resonance,

travelling

for adventure

or relaxation

can fulfill

certain needs

can open and inspire

but perhaps

more important

is the perspective

imparted, if you let it

of how precious

normal life can be

you leave 

to come home again

so Home

takes on new meaning.

'The Disciple' A Review

The Disciple is an Indian drama, in Marathi, about Sharad Nerulkar(Aditya Modak) an aspiring Indian classical music vocalist in Mumbai, who studies under Guruji(Arun Dravid) and struggles to reconcile familial and societal pressures with his musical ambitions.

Modak gives a wonderfully textured yet restrained performance and his conflict isn't unlike that of something like Whiplash yet it is much more subdued, meditative, and mostly lacking any kind of friction. The supporting cast all singers first and actors second and are all excellent yet most of the focus is on the music itself and the city of Mumbai, perhaps the second biggest performance is only a vocal one by Sumitra Bhave as the voice of Maai, a deceased musical guru, whose lectures Sharad listens to as he rides his motorcycle at night(these sequences are some of the most striking of the year). It is not a character piece or a conventional narrative, it's a beautiful hypnotic tone poem.

The sound design features diegetic performances of Indian classical music as well as non-diegetic scoring of songs in that style, its immersive and entrancing, putting you squarely in the world the lead inhabits. The cinematography is dark and moody but equally contemplative, it doesn't reflect dark emotion or gloom or danger but a soft deliberation.  Perhaps the runtime drags a bit and the flashbacks of Sharad's childhood aren't all necessary, yet the film is so striking, so quiet, so subtly impactful, it's missteps are forgettable.

Stunning if hushed, assured if elusive, utterly transportive if a little sleepy.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.

'The Tragedy Of Macbeth' A Review

The Tragedy Of Macbeth is a Shakespearian drama adapted from the Bard's Macbeth.  After battling and capturing the traitorous Thane of Cawdor Macbeth(Denzel Washington) encounters three witches(Kathryn Hunter) who relay a prophecy of his eventual kingship, Macbeth writes to Lady Macbeth(Frances McDormand) of this encounter thus putting into motion their plot to usurp the throne of King Duncan(Brendan Gleeson).

Washington and McDormand are two of our most acclaimed living American actors and its wonderfully refreshing to see them in a Shakespeare adaptation. Their talent shows up, as usual, and they both clearly relish the opportunity to do something so different and stylized, when they click with the material, which is often, it is totally unique, completely engaging. But there is an ebb and flow to both of their performances, moments and scenes when they nail it and moments when the language kind of gets away from them, but that is not a critique that is a virtually fundamental fact of performing Shakespeare. The exception though is Hunter who gives one of the most startling, captivating, fully realized performances of the year as the three witches. Her vocal dexterity, her absolute facility with the language, her physical presence, her total confidence make every second of her screen time near perfect. The other real spark in the cast is Stephen Root in a glorified cameo. 

Shot in black-and-white on stylized soundstage sets there is a clear, and effective, influence from German expressionism that pairs well in creating a play adaptation that feels somewhat like a play, that exists in an un-specific past, yet is visually immersive. A subtle barely present score rounds out the production elements to create an eerie mood and otherworldly tone. 

A production with flair, a great cast, and assured direction from Joel Coen's first solo effort make for a great and occasionally transcendent Macbeth.

Currently in theaters coming soon to Apple+.

See It.

'Passing' A Review

Passing is a period drama adapted from the 1929 novel of the same name. In 1920's NYC Irene(Tessa Thompson) runs into a childhood friend Clare(Ruth Negga) at a hotel, Irene is "passing" for the day in order to shop but Clare is married to a wealthy racist white man and is "passing" as a way of life. After some trepidation the two friends reconnect.

Both Thompson and Negga give stellar performances, subtle but infinitely complicated. Thompson in the lead and with the more restrained role has more work to do, many layers and filters to transmit through, and it's an incredibly intricate performance if ultimately lacking in some catharsis or transformation. Negga is effervescent, powerful, exuberant but she too is operating through so much text and subtext that, not that the performance falls short, but because of the remove, because of the twisting alleys of emotion that both characters maze through, there is an overall lack of satisfaction. The supporting cast are all solid but they are all given little to do as the focus is, rightly, on the central two, that is save for André Holland who plays Brian Irene's physician husband. Holland has a bit more to do and serves to, very necessarily, ground the film as his portrayal is more direct and his intentions clear.

Visually striking and immersive, shot in a soft and entrancing black-and-white, with a melodious fluid simple jazz score, the production is impeccably organized and deployed by first time director Rebecca Hall whose assurance in her freshman effort is astounding. The issues, which may simply be a matter of taste, are with the narrative itself. The ending seems inevitable and in some ways perfunctory. There is an ocean of subtext between the characters but virtually nothing is ever made text and this results frequently in an emotional lack of clarity as to what's happening and what the motivation for certain behaviors are. This obliqueness is surely intentional and its effective to a point, there is simply too much of it. 

It is fresh and wonderful to see a period piece about people of color within a narrative and context we don't see often(if ever) however within the story there is an odd, inherent, classism which is unaddressed and unexplored which undercuts some potential empathy for the leads. Irene and Brian have a maid Zu(played by Ashely Ware Jenkins) and as the film progressed I couldn't help wanting, preferring even, seeing a movie about her. I had a similar reaction to Portrait Of A Lady On Fire. 

Elegant production, striking performance, perhaps too faithful of an adaptation of a hundred year old novel.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Rent It.

'The Matrix Resurrections' A Review

The Matrix Resurrections is a scifi movie, a sequel to the Matrix Trilogy.  The movie opens on what is, in essence, a mirror image of the first scene of the original film only to discover it is a simulation in order to extract an AI consciousness that is modeled on Morpheus(Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), saved by Bugs(Jessica Henwick) a captain in the somewhat progressed society following Neo and Trinity's sacrifice in the original trilogy. Turns out Neo(Keanu Reeves) and Trinity(Carrie-Anne Moss) were saved by the machines and plugged back in to a new and improved matrix in order to harvest the seemingly boundless energy that results from their connection(love power?). After recruiting Morpheus Bugs sets her sights on freeing Neo who is a famous video game designer for creating "The Matrix" which is, in essence, the first film. Sound confusing, overly complicated, and too reliant on the success and plot of the first feature to add up to a stand alone story? You bet!

Although it's great to see the gang back together Reeves seems a bit haggard in his performance, whether that's a result of the script or personal burn out, it's not necessarily his fault but there is little freshness and immediacy to it. Moss is a delight, as always, but is given too little to do. New comers Abdul-Mateen and Henwick(along with many of the supporting cast) are delightful breaths of fresh air and new characters and a new take on this world would be the way to move forward with the franchise, a new focus, but even as these new characters are introduced they are sidelined in favor of tired reboot/nostalgia retread. 

Visually the film lacks the originality of the first Matrix and even some of the set pieces of the later two. The score is the same dark techno droning and twenty years on it doesn't have the same impact. The action, what little of it there is, is shot in that frustrating close-up/shakey-cam style where you can't actually see any of it, the angles are never wide enough for any clarity, granted some of the cast Reeves and Moss particularly are getting up there in age but then innovate the action to still make it interesting.

Ultimately it's telling that only one of the two Wachowskis returned, Lana, with Lily explicitly saying she wants to move forward in her career not back. And within the narrative itself Lana seems to make excuses for the movie itself, a character states that Warner is going to make a Matrix sequel with or without them(in reference to the fictitious video game which stands in for the original trilogy of films). 

To be fair there are some interesting ideas going on and it's a pleasure to see the cast return and to revisit this world but there is simply too much relying on the past, not enough inspiration and verve behind the project, for it to break the wave of franchise reboot fatigue.

Currently in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.

Stream It.

South Florida

The land innocent
    the water clear

The tourists sour

    pickled in beer

The mangroves tenacious

    the lizards prevalent

The fish fried

    the sun-bathers pestilent

Iguanas, gators, jellyfish

sunsets, palm fronds, razorgrass

bellies, bikinis, melanoma

this will all be swallowed, like Jonah

Everglades Part 2

Took a tram tour, one of Nicole's favorite things to do. The guide was really knowledgeable and clearly loved the Everglades, lots of fun facts, beautiful scenery, and lots of gators.

After the tram we made our way across Big Cypress Nature Preserve to a kayak trip, stopped at a couple places along the way.

Paddling on the rivers, in and around the mangroves, passing gators literally a couple feet away, it was really stunning and serene.

The big highlight was going through the mangrove tunnel. It was so quiet and intimate, just magical.

Our last day we rented a canoe and tried to make it into the wetlands from the south. The wind was really strong so we made it up the canal and into Coot Bay but not any further. Still a great paddle.

The first part of the trip was nice, relaxing if a bit uneventful, but the Everglades, wow. Totally singular, completely engrossing, truly astonishing.

Everglades Part 1

Spending the next couple days in the Everglades, the real meat of the trip. It's a wild, sprawling, eclectic place where the ecosystems change drastically depending on an elevation of inches. There's pine forests, cypress groves, grasslands, swamp, lakes, rivers, and chock full of wildlife. Truly spectacular. There are some hiking trails but not a ton as even in the dry season its a wet place. But there are a couple which we did and a fair amount of short boardwalks. The sounds here are incredible, lapping dripping water, wind in the mangroves and grass, tons of bird calls, the squelching sucking mud. Beautiful.

Everglades Poems

Everglades 1

the heron soars
the ibis perches

the gator croaks

and all around is

grass, water, wind

and the relentless sun

Everglades 2

there is a rightness to the swamp

like cake on your birthday

or calling your mother on Mother's Day

a harmony

and yet that balance is precarious

fragile

you can smell it in the muck

sense it in the bald cypress

see it in the gator's recalcitrance

fleeting

fleeing Man's avarice

Everglades 3

Rich

like the smell of sex or compost

like the feel of mulch or dried beans

like the taste of a perfect cheeseburger

like the sound of harmonies

what is it?

It's life.

Everywhere.

Everglades 4

Improperly maligned

the gator lies sunning

motionless, totemic

a primordial god made flesh

it sighs, releasing heat

insouciant to the spectators

serene in its purpose

and in its place

it is home

it belongs.