'Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare' A Review

Fukushima A Nuclear Nightmare is a documentary about the 2011 earthquake, resulting tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster. Through found, news and social media footage from the time and talking head interviews, the Fukushima incident is delved.

The footage is harrowing and the first hand accounts, particularly those from the plant workers, are poignant and make for an informative and effective doc but other than general warnings about nuclear power, capitalism, and just overall human hubris what it all ultimately means, the broader take aways or specific indictments, are left vague. It feels as if it's building up to a call-to-action but there's no number to call, no organization to donate to, nothing to be done(or at least that's the feeling one is left with). Nuclear power rises in popularity again, another threat in the laundry list of our current pre-apocalyptic age.

A reminder we haven't learn from the past even if when it's recent.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

Rent It.

'Inside The Manosphere' A Review

Inside The Manosphere is a documentary about the rise of toxic masculinity/misogyny on the internet particularly focusing on influencer culture. Presenter Louis Theroux interviews and shadows various manosphere goons attempting to discourse with them logically and making faces at their more egregious declarations.

The movie is composed of social media clips and footage of Theroux as he follows various influencers observing and interviewing them. Visually it's not particularly original or dynamic but with this kind of doc cinematography isn't really a focus and ultimately doesn't detract from what it's trying to get at. But what is that exactly? Other than letting these guys regurgitate their poisonous talking points and Theroux looking surprised and/or disgusted he occasionally challenges some of their views in conversation(which is something) but there's not as much of a pointed indictment as this kind of ugliness should solicit(in favor of attempting to take a more humanist view ie most of them didn't have dads and/or were abused) nor is the broader cultural context in which these twisted Peter Pans exist much investigated nor their, and more broadly this movements, effects on women. 

It all feels mostly superficial, simply scratching the surface, the attitude boils down to "how crazy is this right?" with Theroux as the straight man, in some ways mirroring the same tactics as these influencers. Without more nuance, analysis, and context this could be viewed as providing a more mainstream platform for these worms.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Stream It.

Big City Living

I knew it was different
when at the Barnes & Noble

a man tried to sell me

on becoming an escort

a rite of passage perhaps

for any rube

moving to the city

with nebulous dreams

strangers, unsolicited

extolling the benefits

(and growth opportunities)

of sex work

'The Bride!' A Review

The Bride! is a horror movie inspired by Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. The movie opens in purgatory(?) with a monologue from the spirit of Mary Shelley(Jessie Buckley) waxing poetic about the sequel she wants to write, she then posses(?) Ida(Jessie Buckley) a woman in 1930's Chicago who dies and is revived at the request of Frankenstein(Christian Bale). The two then go on a crime spree(kinda?) a la Bonnie & Clyde.

Buckley, who has had a totally earned bangers year or two, give this everything she has. She's pouring her talent, energy, and self into this part and unfortunately all that effort can't really make sense of the clunky script or the uneven tone. Similarly Bale, one of our best living actors, brings all his focus and eccentricity to give Frank some electricity but neither of them is able, despite truly colossal effort, to resurrect the movie. The supporting cast has substantial talent but none of them have much to do(Annette Benning particularly is woefully underused) and all struggle with the wooden dialogue and convoluted plotting.

Where the film shines is in its production, the costuming, the make up, the dance sequences, the soundtrack are all rich with ideas and artistry the issue though is that all design aspects(as well as the acting and narrative) all feel like disparate components that are never synthesized, there is no unifying vision or tone, it's thematically rich but underdeveloped even confused. Writer/director Gyllenhaal conflates female rage with female empowerment, agency is addressed as far as the titular Bride's name but not in how the character actually behaves and reacts to situations. We ultimately don't even know who she is, is she Mary Shelley's ghost, is she Ida, or is she The Bride? Her personality, her personhood isn't clearly explored in favor a series of violent confrontations/situations. Gyllenhaal is ambitious here both artistically and narratively but the result is more cacophonous than impactful.

Despite the considerable powers of Buckley and Bale the monster fails to animate.

Currently in theaters.

Don't See It.

'War Machine' A Review

War Machine is a scifi/action movie about aspiring Army Ranger "81"(Alan Ritchson) whose team is attacked by a large alien military machine during their final training exercise.

Ritchson has enough presence and stoic charm to make up for his limited range and seems to be the heir apparent to the beefcake 80's action star a la Stallone/Schwarzenegger, and that's not a bad thing, there have been a dearth of straight-up action movies in recent years, unfortunately the movie he's in is a bit too thin to make an impression but here's hoping this is the beginning of more feature leading roles for Ritchson. The supporting cast have some talent but all are so woefully underwritten and most of the "bonding" in the first half while the recruits are in training is montaged.

The look of the picture is pretty generic but at least most of the scenes take place during the day in adequate lighting. The alien machine design is pretty simplistic bordering on laughable but the CGI isn't bad and with the set and sound design there is a sense of reality. There's plenty of pretty intense gore, which at times is a bit incongruous, tonally the movie doesn't seem totally clear on what it wants to be. It's overly serious but doesn't spend much time on the emotion or character and the scifi element is so brutal and menacing there's not a ton of fun in it.  Still, not terrible just not particularly good.

A laundry flick.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Stream It.

On The Train

I have seen the despairing faces

wrapped tightly in plastic tarps
and smelled the shit

wrinkled my face in disgust

at the smokers and agree

yes

these are unpleasant things

my fellow work-a-day commuters

would prefer these miseries

somewhere else

out of sight

but in their honesty

are they more human

than the truculent DePaul student

taking up multiple seats with bags

or sprawling legs

than the blustering businesswoman

barking her marketing directives

to a meek assistant

than the baby-faced Goldman bros

braying their hotness rating

for their co-workers

they all seem alien

in their artifice

in their vanity

but I recognize

the need for warmth

the need for sleep

these are universal things

the stink more tolerable than avarice

'Pillion' A Review

Pillion is a romantic dramedy about Colin(Harry Melling) a sexually inexperienced introvert living with his parents in suburban London who meets Ray(Alexander Skarsgård) an enigmatic biker from a local club. Ray then initiates Colin into a strict BDSM relationship which Colin initially enjoys but ultimately struggles to find fulfillment in.

Melling gives an incredibly brave an honest performance, the character seems incapable of artifice and all of Colin's emotions wash over Melling's face(and body), his yearning for love most of all is so heartbreakingly apparent throughout, he is shattering in his vulnerability. Skarsgård, in maybe his best roll to date, is equally compelling if not as easy to read. He's mysterious but within that mystery he's able to find moments of revelation and eccentricity for the character, revealing to us circuitously his motivations, his desires, and his limitations. The two have phenomenal chemistry and although the support cast is wonderful, its the exploration and discovery of their dynamic that is the real beating heart of the film. Those scenes behind closed doors where power, pleasure, and absurdity are delved.

Visually simple yet beautiful and evocative. Dark suburban streets flicking by with the rev of an engine on the soundtrack you feel what Colin feels, you feel his liberation but also fear. The score is pitch perfect, passionate but haunting, and there's some diegetic music that's really effective. The costumes are great, all in all it's not flashy but totally harmonious production design.

Rich with emotion, intricate power dynamics and graphic passions.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.