'The Zone Of Interest' A Review

The Zone Of Interest is a historical drama about the domestic life of the commandant of Auschwitz.

The cast is all very talented and gives shallow reprehensible(ie realistic) performances but the whole endeavor begs the question, to what end? What is the point? This kind of investigation of the Nazi machine has been done many many times since 1993's Schindler's List brought cinema about the Holocaust into mainstream Hollywood and this doesn't do anything particularly new or inventive and doesn't have anything particularly new to say or observe. 

Immaculately shot, impeccably costumed, successfully scored writer/director Jonathan Glazer is unquestionably a superb craftsman but as a storyteller this leaves a lot to be desired and doesn't have any of the formal inventiveness Glazer displayed in his last feature Under The Skin. The whole rigmarole begs the question- why? But never musters the energy to answer it.

Incredible artists produce a profoundly uninspired script.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It. 

A Truth

There is no certainty
there's just this

'I.S.S.' A Review

I.S.S. is a scifi thriller about what the US/Russian personnel do on the International Space Station after nuclear war breaks out on Earth.

Ariana DeBose as Dr. Kira Foster is somewhat out of her element, the premise doesn't really play into her natural charisma and the script on its own is not great. She struggles to make sense of the contrived plot and her attempts at imbuing it with genuine emotion not only aren't successful but serve to reveal with additional clarity the failings of the screenplay. Chris Messina is wonderful and also seems to understand, more so than any of the other cast members, what movie he is in. The movie isn't terrible and there's the germ of a decent pulpy popcorn pleasing idea in there but director Gabriela Cowperthwaite(primarily a documentarian) is out of her element, as is DeBose, as is the movie's heavy John Gallagher Jr. You can just feel that the script was either re-written by too many people or rushed into production.

All the production elements are actually pretty great, it looks good, the actors move through the space believably, the space suits, the set dressing, its all around solid. Its just a shame that, at the end of the day, its just kind of boring and in attempting to provide emotional stakes as well as some decent action/thriller elements neither aspect is delivered in a satisfactory way.

Failure to launch.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

Camaraderie

I'll admit

I scoffed

at my company's 

incessant posturing 

regarding returning to the office

content and productive am I

at home in seclusion

what with Teams or Slack

and their illusion of connection

what with my own internal

drive and expertise

I have no need of the office

and its transparent constructs

its inconveniences, its redundancies

but

with my whole team in town this week

I return out of obligation

and find I am delighted

to see all these faces in the flesh

I have only known in brief flat-screened chats

have only heard as disembodied voices

to see and hear and be with these people

in this moment, now

who I may not exactly like

but with whom I have a fellowship

this thing we so closely share

and it is good to be there

to say hello in the morning

to say goodbye in the evening

to ask some mindless inconsequential question in passing

I find this forgotten itch is scratched

I realize I haven't felt this way since 2019. Before.

'The Beekeeper' A Review

The Beekeeper is an action/revenge movie about beekeeper Adam Clay(Jason Statham) who is a retired Beekeeper(a clandestine organization who's purpose is to preserve the system of society). When his landlord and friend Eloise(Phylicia Rashad) falls victim to a phishing scam he must once again set out to "protect the hive".

Statham puts on his standard stoic action hero act and its not bad(its not amazing) but not as fun as last year's Operation Fortune or as badass as 2021's Wrath Of Man but still serviceable. He's still a solid B-list action star and despite his advancing age his facility with fight choreography, his kinetic ability is undiminished. There are some gems in the supporting cast particularly Josh Hutcherson as the wheedling pharma-bro-type heavy and a brief appearance from the always wonderful Minnie Driver. There's not a lot of depth to any of the characters but who cares? Its not that type of movie.

Shot with a confidence and aesthetic this kind of movie doesn't typically received the action sequences are frequent and dynamic and even if, at its core, this is a relatively derivative idea its entertaining, effective, and its not part of a franchise. 

Not stunning but a solid action flick.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.

'Self Reliance' A Review

Self Reliance is a comedy/thriller about Tommy(Jake Johnson) a lonely listless man who signs up for a Dark Web version of the most dangerous game, the caveat being, he cannot be killed unless he is alone.

Johnson gives an emotional and often funny performance, attempting to marry the action conceit with meditations on mid-life crisis and solitude to varying results. The supporting cast has some absolute killers- Anna Kendrick(as his love interest), Natalie Morales(as his ex), Andy Samberg(as himself), Mary Holland/Emily Hampshire/Nancy Lenehan(as his family)- but none are given much screentime and aren't incorporated fully into the story.

The script, written by Johnson(also serving as director), is clearly made to be low budget and its also clear the shooting schedule was limited so although the supporting cast is incredible it is clear they were only on set for a day or two, as a result much of the film is Johnson running around LA(actually shot on location which is a huge plus) kind of narrating his internal journey. Which isn't totally ineffective. There's laughs, there's some insight, but overall you are left with a feeling of incompleteness, of dissatisfaction, wishing Johnson would have a bit more time to revise his script and a bit more money with which to shoot it.

An intriguing if somewhat underwhelming debut from Johnson.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Stream It.

Top 5 Movies of 2023

Top 5:

The Boy And The Heron

Fremont

The Killer

Landscape With Invisible Hand

Quiz Lady

Honorable Mentions:

American Fiction

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. / Judy Blume Forever

Bama Rush

Barbie

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Godzilla Minus One

Polite Society

Sisu

They Cloned Tyrone

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah

Disappointments:

The Creator

Next Goal Wins

No Hard Feelings

Poor Things

You Hurt My Feelings

Most Overrated:

Maestro & May December

Most Underrated:

Plane

Worst Of The Year:

Saltburn

Performances Of The Year:

Awkwafina & Sandra Oh, Quiz Lady

Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario / Renfield / Sympathy For The Devil

Russell Crowe. The Pope's Exorcist

Viola Davis, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Michael Fassbender, The Killer

Tiffany Haddish, Landscape with Invisible Hand 

Glenn Howerton, Blackberry

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Jeffrey Wright & Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Anaita Wali Zada & Gregg Turkington, Fremont

Scenes Of The Year:

Final fight, Bottoms

Karaoke, Fremont

Opening sequence, Magic Mike's Last Dance

K-Pop performance, Joy Ride

Joan: Still performance, Theater Camp

The Big Freeze

"its cold"

you'll say
"its dark"

you'll say

"its hard"

which is true

the ice creeps

and the night is long

but there are times

when we must do things

we do not want to do

many times

we must endure

things which we would rather not

the winter 

is a reminder of this

and despite its difficulty

you cannot deny

its unrelenting beauty

'American Fiction' A Review

American Fiction is a dramedy about Monk(Jeffrey Wright) a professor and frustrated writer who after being put on a leave-of-absence, having his latest book rejected, and a death in the family forcing him to return home to Boston writes My Pafology a melodrama about dead-beat dads and policy brutality, asend-up of the expectations black writers are burdened with. The book generates unprecedent monetary interest which Monk has to morally contend with given his increasing complicated family situation.

Wright, one of the greatest actors living, gives another staller performance. Monk gives him an opportunity to play more grounded, more real, not that he's ever not believable but in genre fair like The Batman or the extremely stylized like The French Dispatch those characters have a bit harder edges. Here he gets to play with and through some interesting socio-economic themes without being preachy or bludgeoning as well as familial responsibility, romance, and grief, and these things don't have any easy or clear answers. Wright, through Monk, is allowed to explore and simply be and he does it with an authenticity and honesty which has defined his career. The supporting cast all give equally dimensional subtle but still provocative performances- Tracee Ellis Ross(in a quietly heartbreaking brief appearance), Sterling K. Brown as Monk's deliciously hedonistic younger brother, Leslie Uggams as Monk's mom with Alzheimer's, just to call out a few.

This debut from writer/director Cord Jefferson is extremely assured, sincere, and effecting but it is not loud. The themes and ideas are explored with humor and heart but we are never left feeling despairing or beaten by it(in contrast to some of this year's other awards contenders). Its thoughtful and perhaps this lack of flash and middle school moral simplicity have not put it in the same conversation as splashier film's like Saltburn or more ostentatious ones like Oppenheimer but it should be. It is, in virtually every aspect, better than most of the "serious" movies released in the last gasp of 2023.

Filmed on location the with a decent but subtle soundtrack and some interesting if restrained editing the production makes it feel real, makes it feel true. It is not smug, it is no pandering, it asks interesting questions and explores them without apology or certainty.

A layered funny, thought-provoking debut from a filmmaker to watch lead by a Wright in his prime.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't Miss It.

'All Of Us Strangers' A Review

All Of Us Strangers is a supernatural drama about Adam(Andrew Scott) a lonesome screenwriter in London who strikes up a relationship with his neighbor Harry(Paul Mescal) at the same time he is returning to his childhood home to visit with his deceased parents(Jamie Bell and Claire Foy).

Scott is raw, emotional, and open. Its a very heartfelt and true performance, he's clearly giving it everything he's got which is commendable and at times truly beautiful but some of the script and editing work against the work he's trying to do. A big problem in the script(loosely based on a horror novel) is the mechanics and idea of his visits to his parents- is this in his head, are they ghosts, is this nefarious, is this some kind of divine cathartic opportunity? What is happening and what are its mechanics? Writer/director Andrew Haigh doesn't seem interested in answering these questions, and that's fair, this isn't trying to be a genre film but by using this genre trope the lack of clarity around it is distracting and at times undercuts or obfuscates some of the emotional truths the film is attempting to get at. With the editing there is simply too many close ups of Scott, every other scene has protracted close ups of his sad watering eyes and within those scenes there are numerous cuts of variations on the same close ups. The result is it feels as if we are investigating Adam(and by extension Scott) too much, we(the audience) are too close, it feels intrusive rather than inclusive. Off putting. We are being thrust at him when we should be him.

Mescal, Bell and Foy are all wonderful(particularly Foy, a killer as always) although sometimes the accents get a little bit thick for a US ear(we can absolutely subtitle UK films). But all three are equally constrained by the genre mechanics opacity of logic and all have relatively limited screentime in which to work.

The film looks great with rich and evocative night shots and utilizing kind of tracer or fuzzy imagery for the drug scenes as well as to evoke memory. The soundtrack is effective, the costuming and some of the set dressing(particularly when Adam is visiting his folks) subtle and works wonderfully. There's a lot to like and there's a lot that is of interest but overall the narrative itself is a bit overbearing in its bleakness. Adam is unhappy, he is stuck, and every aspect of the film works to underline this. There are transcendent moments- some of Adam's conversations with his parents are cathartic if somewhat on-the-nose, the montage of Adam and Harry falling in love is beautiful and makes you see the potential romcom that could have been- but what you are left with ultimately is a sedentary melancholy not particularly without hope but certainly not hopeful.

Not for this reviewer but for those with a higher tolerance for sorrowful whimsy.

Rent It.

Ms. Kitty

We say goodbye

to our stalwart cat

who, for two decades,

provided comfort

as well as consternation

solace as well as stress

but above all love, loyalty

unshakeable, unflinching

company and care

when it was needed most

she passed as she lived

with dignity and strength

and now resides in the clearing

at the end of the path

to frolic, fight, and feed

forever.

'May December' A Review

May December is a melodrama inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal. Elizabeth(Natalie Portman), an actor, goes to spend time with Grace(Julianne Moore) and Joe(Charles Melton) as she will be playing Grace in an upcoming indie movie. Grace and Joe met when Grace was Joe's teacher and they began a relationship when he was 13 and she 36. After Grace gave birth to their first child in prison and she was released they were married, 23 years later, enter Elizabeth.

Portman and Moore are two of the great actors currently working, of course they are excellent. Melton is good and holds his own with the difficult material and opposite the two Oscar winners. The supporting cast doesn't have much to do as the main focus is on the three leads. The actors are all fine but the material doesn't do anyone involved any justice.

Visually the film is rich and alluring, as a craftsman Todd Haynes is still at the top of his game, but both the talent of the cast and the team behind the production design is rendered pretty much irrelevant by how utterly exploitative the story itself is. 

The film invites us to revel in the salaciousness, the drama, the darkness. It pits the two women against each other in an inversion on Single White Female, it thrills, it scandalizes, but what it absolutely doesn't do is provide any insight or catharsis. None of the characters, ultimately, change at all. It occasionally invites us to try to understand these characters but then immediately invites us to laugh at them or feel sorry for them. It wants to have its cake and eat it too but ultimately, when you boil it down, it is simply a shameless Lifetime movie knock off with an awards contender production and cast. Just because it looks great and is well acted doesn't change what it is which is pure schadenfreude viewing. And at least Lifetime typically has the decency to pay their subjects life rights which the filmmakers in this instance did not and contend it is simply "a story" not the "Mary Kay Letourneau story".

A beautifully crafted piece of cinema that has all the wrong things to say.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

'Godzilla Minus One' A Review

Godzilla Minus One is a period kaiju film, the latest in the Godzilla franchise. Near the end of WWII kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima(Ryunosuke Kamiki) lands on Odo Island for repairs, that night Godzilla attacks and only Shikishima and a mechanic survive. Returning to Tokyo after the war Shikishima befriends Noriko Ōishi(Minami Hamabe) and the two raise an orphaned child together. Looking for work Shikishima works on a repurposed fishing boat to deactivate mines only to again be confronted with the monster.

Kamiki anchors the film with confidence and an emotional vulnerability that elevates this monster flick to a whole other level, same with Hamabe, her tenacity, their relationship, his guilt and PTSD it all runs solidly as an undercurrent to the surface level(and still very effective) kaiju adventure. The support cast is all stupendous especially Kamiki's counterparts on the boat. There's a lot of balls to juggle here and the cast absolutely sells the fear and devastation of Godzilla while also carving out fully dimensional characters who are not only dealing with the monster disaster but also the wreckage of life in post-war Japan. Its an impressive feat.

Visually the film is spectacular, with mostly on location shooting, evocative sets and costuming, limited CGI of which the rendering of Godzilla is wonderful and limited and in so doing more effective. The score is a triumph with the classic thrumming Godzilla theme being utilized whenever the creature appears. It has a clarity and a heart the recent US incarnation has not been able to achieve with its current string of films that have far larger budgets. Another example of the viability of smaller budget films that are allowed to have more focus and imagination.

Surprising, entertaining, and maybe even inspiring.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

See It.

'El Conde' A Review

El Conde is a black comedy horror that imagines Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet(Jaime Vadell) as a 250 year old vampire. After his reign he fakes his own death and hides in seclusion gradually losing his will to live. His children, concerned about their inheritance and a string of local murders, hire a nun Carmen(Paula Luchsinger) to investigate the family finances and kill him if needed.

The cast are all pitch perfect in the odd, surreal, satirical tone navigating the various absurdities, gore, and commentary with authenticity and commitment. There's no real stand out as the film is almost like a gleeful, dark, unrelenting, tone poem. The ensemble all works together, knows exactly what film they are in, and serves to further that feeling.

In a rich monochrome evoking a clear influence in Nosferatu the film looks great and is immediately immersive, the subtle unrelenting score furthers that transportive feeling. Its great to see this kind of ambition and formal imagination from writer/director Pablo Larraín after his previous more conventional feature Spencer. The focus here is not much on narrative(although its present) and more on metaphor and image. Probably not for everyone as it is unquestionably odd but still delicious in its eccentricity for those that have the patience for it. Should have gotten a theatrical release.

Confident and lavish, a singular piece of cinema.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.