'Dog' A Review

Dog is a roadtrip buddy dramedy about veteran Jackson Briggs(Channing Tatum), discharged after a traumatic head injury, tasked with taking military dog Lulu to her handler's(and his friend's) funeral in order to secure a recommendation from his CO to a mercenary company. Both Briggs and Lulu suffer from PTSD and have to contend with that, come together, and begin healing in order to get them to their destination.

Tatum doesn't sacrifice any of his comedic wattage but balances it out with his usual charm and a surprising, realistic, dynamic pathos. There is none of the frequently depicted PTSD type of indicators, he doesn't violently attack anyone, he doesn't brandish a gun for no reason, he's not unhinged but he's clearly in pain, but he moves forward. The script combined with Tatum's grounded approach make this not only unique in this type of portrayal but perhaps one of the more accurate. There's a list of excellent supporting actors that have what are in essence, stops on the trip, Jane Adams and Kevin Nash as a couple Briggs and Lulu run into, Ethan Suplee as a fellow veteran, Bill Burr as a SF cop- although each relatively brief(the film keeps the momentum going) they're all really effective and all the performances share Tatum's lead of grounded realistic emotion with a necessary streak of humor.

Visually simple but effective there is no flashy camera work, its all pretty nuts and bolts, not quite a surprise from first time directors Reid Carolin and Tatum himself(long time writing/producing partners) but it works and fits with the straightforward approach of the narrative and style. The story may seem from the description or from the trailer like something that could be saccharine or overly broad comedically but it has humor and heart in equal measure, has fun but also has something to say, an impressive balance of tone.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

See It.

Chicago Transit Authority

It gets me where I need to go
however circuitous

it gets me where I need to go

wherever I am

it can take me anywhere

wherever I am

there are multiple paths

to my destination

perhaps not always swiftly

perhaps not consistently efficiently

none the less

it gets me where I need to go

air conditioned or heated

(their operation always depending)

comfortable, moderately safe

within the confines of steel

under the casual artistry

of the conductor

or the put-upon proficiency

of the driver

train or bus

transfer or shuttle

the city is always in motion

always thrumming

always moving

and at any time

it gets me where I need to go.

The first thing to understand about Chicago

is that the CTA is the city. In all it's lovely capriciousness.

'Uncharted' A Review

 Uncharted is an action/adventure movie, based on the video game series of the same name, it is in essence a prequel to the games but barrows scenes and sequences from its various installments. Brothers Sam and Nate are historical/treasure hunter enthusiasts, orphaned and living in a Catholic orphanage in Boston. When they are caught attempting to steal an old map they are separated. Flashforward Nate(Tom Holland) is working as a bartender in NYC as well as running low level cons, pickpocketing, and hustling while doing antiquities research on the side. He is head hunted by Sully(Mark Wahlberg) and the two set off in search of Magellan's treasure.

Holland brings his consistent casual charm as well as a surprisingly physical dynamic to his performance, doing seemingly most of his own stunts. Although there is nothing particularly complex about the character, or the movie at large, Holland is well cast here and it's his first non-MCU project which really kind of clicks. Wahlberg is decent, lands a couple jokes, but may have crossed over into the Bruce Willis part of his career(ie phoning it in) Wahlberg has always had presence but his interest in working seems to have waned over the past five years. None the less he's if not particularly memorable at least serviceable. There are some fun choices in the supporting cast, Antonio Banderas and Tati Gabrielle as heavies, Sophia Ali as an associate of Nate and Sully's, and they work but really it's not a movie that is much about the acting.

An expansive jet-setting look, inspired by the game series as well as adventure flicks like National Treasure and Indiana Jones, the plot moves, both in location and pacing, there are a fair amount of practical effects and staging with the full blown CGI fest not coming until the end. It's fun, there's not a whole lot to it but so what, the movie itself seems to have no pretention or apologies for what it is.

Straight up popcorn adventure.

Rent It.

'Swan Song' A Review

Swan Song is a dramedy about retired Sandusky, OH hairdresser Pat(Udo Kier) who leaves the monotonous routine of his retirement home at the final bequest of his closest and most wealthy client who has passed away. He travels through his town, revisiting old haunts and reconnecting with acquittances and friends while gathering the beauty supplies he needs for his final transformation.

Kier, mostly known for his work in genre pictures and his collaboration with Lars Van Trier, is given a wonderfully quiet, poignant story in which to populate a funny, dignified, empathetic character. It's a treat from Kier, who has long been a consistently working character actor but seldom(if ever) the lead, and with such grounded, emotional material. It's a shame, this simple yet powerful performance has been overlooked in this years awards conversations, particularly given Kier is a decades-long cinematic mainstay. The supporting cast, seemingly populated with actors and non-actors alike, consist of mostly small and subtle roles but highly effective in giving dimension to the world and playing off of Kier, propelling him on his journey.

Visually simple but highly transportive Sandusky is depicted with a care and attention few films have for their locations, we so often get bland, non-descript NYC or LA(often shot in Atlanta or Vancouver), so the location itself is refreshing not to mention how effective it is rendered as the place Pat inhabits. A real place that contains dynamic life and stories worthy of attention. As far as the narrative it is equally refreshing in that its a LGBTQ story where the protagonist is elderly, where there is sorrow but not trauma, and that sorrow has more to do with age rather than bigotry. Where its not about coming out, the struggle, dating etc. but about quiet reflection and one final ride. A victory tour. 

Last year I lost a friend due to COVID, he was in his 70's, gay, and expressed some of the same reserved befuddlements about the evolutions of gay culture reflected by the protagonist. So, even if Early may not have watched this were he still with us(I don't think he was the biggest movie fan, he liked HGTV) it's very important and thrilling to have a story like his told.

Fun and inspiring, deep but simple.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Don't Miss It.

Bell Pepper

I arrived at my friend's house

as she was making dinner

she had just cut open a pepper

(maybe for the first time as we were young)

and she held out a half in her hands

"see" she said "it's beautiful"

and I saw it in a new way

lush, seeded, and vulvic

she was right,

if Georgia O'Keefe

painted vegetables

she'd have painted the bell pepper.

'Kimi' A Review

Kimi is a tech thriller about Angela(Zoë Kravitz) an agoraphobic at-home analyst for mega-tech corporation Amygdala who monitors data streams from the companies at home personal assistant devices, the titular Kimi, when she overhears a crime. She attempts to report it through Amygdala but gets drawn into a more complicated and sinister plot than she realized.

Kravitz, per usual, is excellent and is allowed here a lot of room in which to build the character patiently and with a lot of nuance as she is virtually on screen the entire run time with extended periods by herself. Because of how forward Angela is the supporting cast is limited but is full of talent and pop in for some effective, in essence, cameos- Robin Givens as Angela's mom who is only seen via Facetime, Devin Ratray as Kevin Angela's shut-in neighbor, Alex Dobrenko as Darius an Amygdala IT who brings some excellent and much needed levity, and probably the biggest supporting role is Byron Bowers as Terry Angela's romantic partner who is wonderful and casual and if he doesn't make the biggest impact plot wise serves the much necessary purpose of bringing realism and dimension to Angela's situation which is as much a focus as the actual mystery.

Shot and edited with Soderbergh's usual acuity, even if a large swath of the film takes place in Angela's apartment every scene is dynamic, every scene imparts information, character or story, nothing lacks purpose. Although the narrative might be, at it's core, a riff on Rear Window the context of the pandemic and its effects is both relevant, and effective but not oppressive. It's nice to see as much of recent TV and movies have decided to set stories in a world where COVID simply does not exist. It's a cop out and we need our art to respond in some way and this does it without being hopeless or despairing or relying on a gimmick like an entire story happening on Zoom.

A stellar lead performance from Kravitz, a relatively familiar conceit freshened up enough to be engaging, with some decent big tech commentary.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

See It.

'I Want You Back' A Review

I Want You Back is a romcom about two people - Peter(Charlie Day) and Emma(Jenny Slate)- who are broken up with by their respective partners- Anne(Gina Rodriguez) and Noah(Scott Eastwood)- meet in the stairwell of the office building in which they both work while in morning. They hatch a plan to help each other break up their ex's new relationships in order to get back together with them. They become friends and maybe more!

Day and Slate give absolutely everything they have to elevate the predictable, rote plot, and really soar with the handful of scenes that actually have some comedic potential. They play off each other well but lack the necessary romantic chemistry to make that part of the story really pop. Rodriguez and her pretentious drama teacher boyfriend Logan(played by Manny Jacinto) are fun but underutilized. Eastwood again shows Hollywood nepotism is alive and well as his dead eyes and void of screen presence make most of his scenes hit like a dose of anesthetic(but you get to see his butt, cheeky!). All in all the issue isn't the cast it's the script and cookie-cutter direction.

Visually the movie is boring and undergrad film school basic. The score negligible, the set and costume design bland. Perhaps this is the intent. Amazon attempting to compete with Netflix's factory line of rom coms. Either way the production is uninteresting. The script borrows from movies we have not only seen before but seen many times before and the behavior of it's two protagonist occasionally crosses into pathological without comment or seeming awareness. Another issue with the whole conceit is that it doesn't allow Day and Slate to share much screen time together, hamstringing their ability in conveying or developing the much necessary rom part of the romcom. 

A Hallmark Channel level narrative and aesthetic with a decent cast.

Currently streaming on Amazon.

Don't See It.

'Jackass Forever' A Review

Jackass Forever is a reality/prank comedy the fourth in the Jackass feature series. Like the other three movies and the TV show before it the movie is simply a collection of stunts, gags, and pranks with this installment featuring more of the cast hanging out and enjoying each other casually and in their performances.

For a certain age group there is a magnetic nostalgia in seeing Knoxville, Steve-o, Chris Pontius and the crew back together along with some new members who grew up as fans. Their older, more balanced, and there's less drama but the stuff they do is just as bizarre, stupid, and funny as it ever was. And, oddly, there is something heartening about Jackass Forever because the idea, the format, is unchanged. Some of the set ups are more elaborate, the situations more dangerous as they attempt to continue there perpetual one-uping, some of it grosser and more bizarre, but it is, in essence, the same as it ever was. And that consistency, that simplicity, sticks out in this age of reboots, sequels, and cashing in on the past. It is not Jackass with a brand new cast with a cameo by an aging and washed out Knoxville and a new social media twist. It is Jackass now with the guys in their 40's or 50's with some new blood to try their hand at some of the more physical, outrageous gimmicks but with the old crew absolutely getting in there. It's a successful way to keep the franchise alive without watering it down or trying to repackage it, the package is the same as it was in 2000 and that's kind of great.

Funny, occasionally shocking, and absurdly comforting. 

Currently in theaters coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.

Jackass

As teens
my friends and I
didn't parody it
because we were
wannabe stuntmen

or masochists

or even thought it

particularly funny

we did it

(and I think this is true

of many of my Gen Y fellows)

because it represented

however perversely

a reckless, rapturous, freedom

'Licorice Pizza' A Review

Licorice Pizza is a period coming-of-age dramedy set in 1973 about 15-year old Gary(Cooper Hoffman) a child actor and aspiring hustler and 25(or 28?)-year-old Alana(Alana Haim) who is searching for some purpose and direction in her life. The movie opens with the two of them meeting at Gary's high school, Gary harasses her for a date, she acquiesces but insists they be only friends. The two develop a partnership, part friends part business associates, which inevitably evolves into a romance.

Haim and Hoffman put in commendable effort but as unknowns/first time actors they are stiff, stilted, and awkward on screen. This is exacerbated by their characters, which as written, are both immature, inarticulate, selfish, and generally unlikable and uncompelling. The supporting cast is filled with tangential showbiz connections(Leo Dicap's dad, Spielberg's kid etc.) who are, like the leads, awkward and unconvincing. Bradley Cooper shows up with a ton of energy and steals his protracted scene, although he plays an absolute dirt bag psycho and it's even a relief to see undisputed real life dirt bag Sean Penn because at least he can actually act. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is not known for using non-professional actors, he is not the Safdie brothers, Andrea Arnold, Sean Baker, or Werner Herzog, it's not something he's ever done and he is unsuccessful in his first attempt.

Although there are some potent needle drops and effective costuming the camera work of the movie is pretty soft and bland, Anderson's typical aesthetic edge is not present making the overly long run time relatively boring visually. The script is regressive, sexist, lacks focus, and just generally leaves a "what  is the point" taste in the mouth- Gary sexually harasses Alana until she acquiesces, their ten year(plus?) age difference is never addressed or investigated, virtually every male-female interaction we see on screen is sexual harassment - and the intent, seemingly, is suppose to be funny and/or charming. Gary is an entitled asshole boy who doesn't learn anything, Alana is a confused angry woman who doesn't learn anything- roll credits. It's baffling.

After Roma a lot of white male directors were emboldened to make their own semi-autobiographical childhood/coming-of-age movies without first asking themselves what their experience had to offer culturally, artistically, or even from a baseline of entertainment because based on the results the answer is not much.

Inadvertent "good old days" patriarchal propaganda.

Currently in theaters coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

Top 5 Movies Of 2021

Top 5:
Bo Burnham: Inside

Candyman

The Dig

Nine Days

Zola

Honorable Mentions:
Bad Trip
Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar

Dune

Pig

Red Rocket

Documentaries: 

Procession

Red Dog (festival release 2019 but widely available 2021)

The Rescue

Some Kind Of Heaven

Tina

Disappointments:

The Green Knight

The Harder They Fall

Last Night In Soho

Roadrunner

The Tomorrow War

Most Overrated:

The Power Of The Dog

Most Underrated:

The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things

Worst Of The Year:
Annette

Performances Of The Year:

Tiffany Haddish, Bad Trip

Ralph Finnes & Carey Mulligan, The Dig

Jeffrey Wright, The French Dispatch

Noomi Rapace & Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Lamb

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

Winston Duke, Nine Days

Don Cheadle, No Sudden Move

Tessa Thompson & Ruth Negga, Passing

Nicolas Cage, Pig

Kathyrn Hunter, The Tragedy Of Macbeth

Taylour Paige & Riley Keough, Zola

Scenes Of The Year:

Talking to mom, Candyman

Maai's lectures, The Disciple

Samurai face off, Kate

Walt Whitman recitation, Nine Days

Lunch and Dinner, Pig

Spider-Men heart-to-heart, Spider-Man: No Way Home

Sex montage, Zola

A Fact

Addiction isn't a one size fits all malady
but its close
an alcoholic may not do heroin not because they wouldn't 
but because it's too much work to get
or they don't like needles

or they just, you know, never tried it
an opiate addict doesn't drink too much
not because they're not thirsty
but because tracking down oxy

maintaining their high and warding off withdrawal
takes up all of their time.

It's not about the substance

it's about the compulsion.

Even when sober, some folks simply displace

they throw the obsession at food, sex, money, working out

more acceptable forums with, perhaps, less repercussions

or even positive results.

But the craving is always there.

And the craving is always the same.

Control. Consume.