'Crime 101' A Review

Crime 101 is an action/thriller about elusive methodical jewel thief Mike(Chris Hemsworth), his in-the-dark love interest Maya(Monica Barbaro), the cop on his trail with marital problems Lou(Mark Ruffalo), and frustrated high-end insurance broker Sharon(Halle Berry) and how their stories intersect over one final heist.

Hemsworth is a out of his element, whenever he's asked to play more muted/stoic/reserved characters he seems to struggle, a la Extraction & Extraction 2, he needs characters with humor or some perspective. He's unquestionably a compelling star but this is one archtype he's yet to crack. Ruffalo and Berry are able to bring much more depth and authenticity to their characters even if on-the-page they're pretty thin. You can just tell they have a backstory they've come into their scenes with, their history and context, as a result they feel like actual humans you want to watch. Barbaro and the heavy, that lil gremlin Barry Keoghan, are both miscast. They have yet to demonstrate they have any real range and do nothing but detract here. Barbaro's character is a plot point only and she fails to make it more than that. Keoghan has yet to demonstrate he can do anything successfully beyond his debut Killing of a Sacred Deer and continues to fail into a stunningly robust career with role after role where he deploys the same limited arsenal of ticks and calls it acting.

Shot mostly on location in LA the city looks great and feels like a real place people exists(a big plus these days!). The car chases are thrilling, the heists are tension filled and fun, there's just not enough of either in a runtime that is overlong. There's been some decent Heat knockoffs over the years- The Town, Den of Thieves, even Wrath of Man to a degree- but this isn't even able to reach those mid-tier heights. There's too much character stuff and most of that stuff lacks depth, there's not enough action/thrills and what there is doesn't hold as much as weight as it should because there's little investment in the characters, and just overall the plot is unnecessarily complicated.

Aspirations to Heat with an A-list cast(on paper at least) produce a straight-to-DVD quality caper.

Currently streaming on Amazon.

Stream It.

'The Sheep Detectives' A Review

The Sheep Detectives is a mystery/comedy based on the 2005 novel Three Bags Full about an isolated shepherd, George(Hugh Jackman), in the English countryside who dies untimely. His sheep, who are well versed in the who-dun-it having been read numerous murder mysteries by George set out to solve the case.

Jackman isn't in the film except for the prologue but his presence gives some star-power and emotional weight to lay down a great foundation to launch from. The voice cast- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O'Dowd, Regina Hall, to name a few- are all spectacular bringing comedy, playfulness, and a sincerity that is really the secret sauce of the film, putting it on par with the likes of Babe and Paddington. All-in-all just a stellar cast.

Filmed mostly on location in the English countryside with extensive but pretty seamless CGI for the animals. The score is unobtrusive but potent and the script just really soars, producing laughs, a breezy but still engaging mystery, and a ton of heart.

The best live-action family film since Paddington 2.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

Ur-Lake

The lake always forgives
the water's stillness
a soothing balm

on ache and worry

its natural sounds

birds and bugs and frogs

and periodic quiet

a purifier

of the constant plague

of news

and noise.

'#SKYKING' A Review

#SKYKING is a documentary about the 2018 Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 incident where ground service agent Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a commercial propliner. Through FAA audio of the incident, talking-head interviews, social media and security footage, and reenactments Beebo's life and his ultimate suicide are explored.

Framed and edited almost like a thriller the movie certainly scratches the True Crime itch and some of the broader themes that motivated and shaped Beebo are investigated- class, race, religion, politics, masculinity- but ultimately drawing any kind of conclusion or pointed commentary is beyond director Patricia Gillespie ability or desire, you can almost see her walking the tightrope of analysis and commercialism and the movie concludes with a kind of dewy sentimentalism. It is startling how minimized just how dangerous this act becomes as the runtime progresses.

Suicide, economics, education, societal expectation these are all deep and complicated themes and the movie and the interview subjects provide periodic insight about Beebo and his broader story. There is justly sorrow here from his family and friends but the perspective they are able to provide(or at least what is shown) is limited and a lot of them(his mom in particular) are still very much in their grief in a way that makes the movie flirt with exploitation.

An investigation of a personal tragedy made public, emblematic of greater social problems(capitalism much?) that in the end fails to clearly state a thesis.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Rent It.

'Paralyzed By Hope: The Maria Bamford Story' A Review

Paralyzed By Hope: The Maria Bamford Story is a documentary about the life and career of comedian Maria Bamford told through talking-head interviews, archival footage, and snippets of Maria's current life.

She's an incredibly compelling artist who's been very open over the years with her various mental health struggles. It's nice to see, almost a comprehensive retrospective, of her stand-up career as well as inspiring to go through her life's trajectory- family issues, mental health, reconciliation- and all. It doesn't really offer anything beyond what her memoir does(in fact Sure, I'll Join Your Cult is probably more effective and moving coming directly from Bamford) but it is satisfying, well done, insightful, and often really funny.

A pleasing greatest-hits for the Bamford superfan, a great opportunity for more insight for the casual fan, and a good starting point for those who know her face but not her name.

A courageous look at the intersection of life, struggle, and art. Also funny.

Currently still on the festival circuit. Co-director Judd Apatow has sold his last couple documentary projects to HBO so presume it will end up streaming there at some point this year.

See It.

'Devil Wears Prada 2' A Review

Devil Wears Prada 2 is a comedy, a sequel to the 2006 original picking up 20 years after the events of the first film. Andy(Anne Hathaway) is now a successful investigative journalist but she's laid off propelling her once again to work for Miranda(Meryl Streep) as the features editor for Runway in an effort to rebound the brand after a sweatshop scandal. She reunites with fashion editor Nigel(Stanley Tucci) and former frenemy Emily(Emily Blunt) now working for Dior as well as some new faces.

Streep slips back into Miranda like a glove and it's delicious to see her return here with the same prickliness and professionalism but also a kind of put-upon bafflement about developments in the culture. Hathaway too seems effortless in getting back into the character after 20 years, she's funny, she's relatable, she's a bit more competent than she was in the original and her chemistry with Streep(and Blunt and Tucci) is wonderful. It's great to see Blunt and Tucci back in their roles. Overall it's just really nice and fun and compelling to see the core four return to their roles(even if the plotting has a couple problems) this is perhaps the most successful legacy sequel to-date in recalling the original and providing and equally(if somewhat too similar) experience. Tracie Thoms doesn't have a tone of screen time but it's great to see her back too. The new supporting cast are mostly all wonderful- Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Rachel Bloom, and Simone Ashley are all wonderful, it's incredible to see Lucy Liu although she was clearly only on set for a day or two. The downsides are B. J. Novak who is miscast and just doesn't make much of an impression and Patrick Brammall as Andy's love interest who isn't particularly interesting and whose inclusion seems more obligator than anything else. Justin Theroux as a Jeff Bezos stand-in is pretty funny and biting but not altogether successful.

Filmed, seemingly, mostly on location in the NYC area as well as in Milan the production design is pitch perfect and evocative, it feels like real places that real humans exist in. And the costume and set design are beautiful bordering on transcendent, if nothing else it's worth a watch just for the outfits.

The plotting is a bit hit or miss and needlessly retreads the outline of the original. It doesn't really track that Andy as a 40 year old and 20 year veteran journalist would transform into the bumbling aw-shucks kid she was in the original(but that's kinda part of her arc). Some of the conflict in the last third is needlessly complicated and feels somewhat contrived. Blunt has a heel turn that feels pretty silly. None of it is particularly egregious but the result all taken together is that the movie's momentum suffers, this is a near perfect 100 minute movie that is 120 minutes. Nonetheless entertaining.

A standout legacy sequel with a great cast energized to return and, no surprise, inspired costuming.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

A Pledge

May I never be certain
may I always question
and imagine

may age nor experience

calcify me

to wonder

and discovery

may I always be fluid

and changeable

pliant

to life's challenges