'Sympathy For The Devil' A Review

Sympathy For The Devil is a thriller set in Las Vegas about an expectant father The Driver(Joel Kinnaman) who, on the way to the hospital while his wife is in labor, is accosted by a mysterious stranger The Passenger(Nicolas Cage) who takes him hostage and makes him drive off into the night.

Cage goes full cage and it's glorious really leaning into the bizarre look and ambiguity of the character to personify this otherworldly mystery man, is he a demon, the personification of vengeance or evil, is he some mob guy? Who knows! It's delicious. Kinnaman isn't as much of a presence and outside season 1 of The Killing he's never been great but he's decent here as the straight man and at the end is able to do some interesting stuff. The supporting cast are solid but small and ultimately this is a two-hander but with Cage going so all-out you could say its actually a one-hander which isn't a problem.

Visually the film is contained, by virtue of the script and presumably the budget, but this serves to create tension and build this sense of claustrophobia. The eerie, desolate, suburban Las Vegas they drive through is evocative and their various stops along the way serve to break up the car bits and gradually build to the climax, both in action and plot reveal, its simple and it works. Its a tight little film with a stupendous Cage and enough technical artistry to take it to the next level. It might be the latest in Cage's direct to VOD oeuvre but its a damn good one.

A good almost great version of  Collateral meets History of Violence which one has to assume was the pitch.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

'Barbie' A Review

Barbie is a fantasy comedy about Stereotypical Barbie(Margot Robbie) who lives in Barbieland with other Barbies and various Kens living an idyllic life of sameness. One day something is different and SB starts thinking about death and begins to physically change. This sets her on a journey to the real world.

Robbie is an excellent Barbie and is able to give body and emotion to what is, in essence, the personification of an idea rather than a character. She gets the laughs, the emotion, and the socio-political commentary with fluidity and anchors the film perfectly. If there is a detraction it is that she doesn't have the room to have as much fun as some of her cast mates as the straight person, the lead, who carries the film. Ryan Gosling as Ken almost steals the show as he's able to go bigger, broader, and has more wiggle room for oddness. He is, more so than some of the plotting or explicit dialogue, the most effective indictment of the patriarchy, going through various phases and transformations and discoveries, its a riot and conveys the film's messaging with an understated effectiveness. The supporting cast is stacked with talent and all are clearly having a ball, they too lock into the unique tone of fantasy, archetype, comedy, and commentary perfectly.

Visually the film is vibrant with incredible costuming, pitch perfect set design(especially in Barbieland and the Mattel headquarters) and much of it is actual sets with some cartoonish effective greenscreen work. It's evocative. The soundtrack is absolutely killer, and plays a crucial role in propelling the films momentum and energy. A real achievement for co-writer/director Greta Gerwig that she's able to translate her indie skill and creativity into a big budget blockbuster without losing much of anything in translation. The film is fun but also has a potent message, its really funny but has some real emotion.

An astonishing piece of entertainment in that it feels wholly unique even though its based on a 60 year old toy. A triumph in tonal tightrope walking.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't Miss It.

'The Beanie Bubble' A Review

The Beanie Bubble is a dramedy/biopic about Ty Warner(Zach Galifianakis), his two long term girlfirends Robbie(Elizabeth Banks) and Shelia(Sarah Snook), and long time entry level employee Maya(Geraldine Viswanathan) who made his company Ty Inc. a success and launched the Beanie Baby craze of the late 90's. The movie jumps around in time from the early 80's when the company was founded to the Beanie Bubble burst in '99.

Galifianakis gives a startlingly clear performance, navigating Warner's excitement, eccentricity, insecurity and actual innovation with a deftness we typically don't see from him. Not that he's not going big, the character has a flamboyant charm to him, but he's able to modulate it in an incredible way bringing believability and pathos but not at the cost of comedy. Banks and Snook are always excellent and they are so here but their storylines are more about their character's romantic tribulations with Warner so have some nice moments but overall take kind of a back seat to Warner. Viswanathan has a bit more room to play and a bit more meat to deal with and is tremendous. The supporting cast are mostly background actors but there all effective, in essence its about the core four in the poster.

Visually crisp, clean, if not terribly inspired it looks polished the non-linear structure helps to elevate what could have been a movie with low energy but the time jumps build tension, keep the pacing clipping along, and generally keep you hooked. It's a tight, well acted, funny, piece of 90's nostalgia.

A solid piece of entertainment that is troubling only because of the broader glut of this kind of product-biopic that has arisen this year.

Currently streaming on Apple+.

Rent It. 

Scooter's Custard

there are few things
more satisfying
more fitting

than going out after dinner

in the summer twilight

warm and humid

and procuring a cold treat

sitting on a bench or ledge

quietly eating a cool creamy dessert

listening to the seasonal inscetoid hum

and watching passers by argue with their kids

or fuss over their misbehaving dogs

on a lucky evening you can catch

a misguided owner splitting a cone

with their pet

always a confounding thing to observe.

'Oppenheimer' A Review

Oppenheimer is a historical thriller about the titular physicist. The film opens on Oppenheimer(Cillian Murphy) in a security clearance meeting and then flashes back to his time as a student, jumping back and forth in time also including a confirmation hearing in the further future with Lewis Strauss(Robert Downey Jr.).

Murphy is a compelling performer and its nice to see him in the lead of his own film onscreen for close to the entirety of the runtime. But because of the script and how the film is put together he doesn't have much to do, we are given little insight into Oppenheimer's actual character or motivations or perspective. Murphy's Oppenheimer is mostly a cypher, a blank sheet, which the movie and we the audience project upon. For a film that has the formula of a biopic it seems oddly disinterested in anything beyond bland historical fact leaving little room for nuance. The supporting cast is a cavalcade of talent and stars but most show up only briefly in glorified cameos, why have Dennis Quaid's son in this if he doesn't do anything? It's odd and smacks of a Wes Anderson kind of twee obliviousness. Matt Damon as Leslie Groves is the only one that succeeds in portraying a believable human being. The two female characters played by Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh are astonishingly regressive and are so thinly drawn and function almost solely as furniture it is baffling why they were included at all.

Visually the film is crisp and has scope with a number of really evocative sequences, the Nolan typical droning score isn't oppressive but feels a bit unimaginative at this point. The film is overlong, lacks any kind of coherent focus or message, and has a quick and non-stop style of editing that becomes grating after the first 90 minutes(no shot lasts more than 10-15 seconds).

The film looks great, it feels like an event which is cool and extra points for being an original property. And yet this unfortunately tracks with Nolan's trajectory and displays bad habits he has gotten too big to have anyone involved call him out on. There is no real story to speak of, the scenes play out like flat narration, the non-linear construction serves little purpose, the portrayal of women is terrible, and the lack of POC(despite any pleas of 'historical accuracy') are concerning.

A lot of sizzle, little steak. A disappointment.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

'The Wrath Of Becky' A Review

 The Wrath of Becky is an action thriller a sequel to the excellent 2020 flick Becky. After the events of the first film Becky(Lulu Wilson) runs away from a series of foster homes eventually landing with Elena(Denise Burse) an older lady living alone. Becky works at a local diner and has an altercation with a group of men in town for a Noble Men's rally(an insurrectionist group). They follow her home and attack her. Big mistake.

Wilson brings the same wild energy and manic glee that she did to the first film and its a treat to see. Sean Williams Scott as the heavy is a delight, clearly relishing the opportunity to be the villain and he shines. The limited supporting cast have talent and all are clearly going for it, its a treat to see and for this kind of low budget straight-to-VOD type flick something that you have to have.

Similar to the first film it takes place almost exclusively in a single location. The beautiful Georgia countryside is highlighted as is the really nice AirBnB they got to shoot at. It's not anything fancy but it looks good. The effects are the star, there's a lot of fake blood, a lot of arty innovative shots used to evoke disgust and relish that are even more potent because the filmmakers clearly had to get creative given the limited resources. The score is simple, one or two repeating refrains that serve to really up the tension and evoke mood.

Not as good as the more ambitious, more edgy original but a bloody good time none the less.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms. The OG Becky available to stream on Showtime.

Rent It.

'The Deepest Breath' A Review

The Deepest Breath is a documentary about freediving champion Alessia Zechini but also kind of about Stephen Keenan a safety diver who was briefly Alessia's coach and maybe boyfriend before his accidental death(the movie foreshadows this and he is referred to in the past tense throughout however his death and the circumstances are gradually unspooled for manipulative effect by the filmmaker).

Gorgeously shot with one-of-a-kind footage of freediving and the depths. The visuals are absolutely breath taking. But like many of these kind of projects that document extreme athletes there is a lack of real objectivity. The idea that this is dangerous and, in almost every outing, life threatening is not really fully acknowledged or interrogated. Alessia and Stephen both in their interviews and in the way people talk about them never really come across as three dimensional humans and their involvement with the sport itself, and their achievements, have the blush of hero-worship rather than a more appropriate nuanced view given the risk and obsession required to even do the act.

Similar to Free Solo its a gorgeous movie that fails to truly engage with its subject. And perhaps Alessia given her drive and the extremity of what she does, that kind of personality, is antithetical to introspection/self-reflection and yet that is what this kind of movie needs either by her or the filmmaker. Yes, the footage is amazing, but ultimately this "sport" is pretty stupid where they routinely risk brain damage, lung damage, and death. Why? To what end? The movie is not interested in or not capable of asking those questions and as a result cannot ascend beyond the pleasing-to-look-at.

Beautiful if frustrating.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Stream It.

The Storm

The tent amplifies the rain
at first a sprinkle
then a deluge
cacophonous
as the canvas strobes with lightening
and the atmosphere reverberates with thunder

the storm roars

and we burrow deeper into our sleeping bags

in awe of the display

hoping that the waterproofing holds up

eventually, too tired to worry, we sleep

in the loving cocoon of Nature's diminishing rage.

'Joy Ride' A Review

Joy Ride is a comedy about Audrey(Ashley Park) and Lolo(Sherry Cola), two childhood friends that bonded over being the only two Asian kids in their small suburban Seattle community. In the present Audrey is an ambitious lawyer and Lolo is a slacker artist. As part of a business deal Audrey goes to China and brings Lolo along. Lolo's tagalong cousin Deadeye(Sabrina Wu) comes too and when they get to China the foursome is completed by Audrey's college friend and actor Kat(Stephanie Hsu). As the friends attempt to help Audrey close the deal and make contact with her birth mother hijinks ensue.

Park is saddled with the least amount of comedy and the most plot and its a bit of a struggle. She's a fine actor and gives a compelling performance but some of the emotional beats feel forced and incongruous with the broad, live-wire comedic set pieces which seem to be where the film's heart really is. The rest of the cast is excellent and much more comfortable in their characters and given more space to play. Cola, Hsu, and Wu all carveout really fun, funny, interesting characters with laughs and heart. The supporting cast is really talented but outside the core four everyone else functions basically as cameos- a perfect Daniel Dae Kim makes a brief appearance, Ronny Chieng as the businessman Audrey's attempting to close with, the legendary Lori Tan Chinn as Lolo's grandma- which works.

Visually the film is proficient with a handful of really inspired, impactful sequences- the friends at the club with the businessmen, train drug sequence, hanging out with the basketball team, attempted K-Pop impersonation- those serve to break up what scene-to-scene is mostly a nuts-and-bolts comedy approach to the cinematography. The soundtrack absolutely slaps and really serves to propel the film forward, make it feel alive and fresh, and maintain momentum. 

It's a really fun, energetic piece of entertainment that takes full advantage of its R rating and packs a punch. If there is an issue here it is simply one of confusion of tone. There seems to be a push and pull as to what the film is about. Some of the story beats come across as rote, formulaic, and these elements are cast in higher relief given how bonkers and playful and go-for-broke some of the characters and comedic sequences are. It feels as if the filmmakers wanted to make their version of Girls Trip but reigned it in a bit to appeal to a larger audience. In total it's still a wonderful watch and refreshing to see this kind of adult raunchy comedy get a major release, this is what No Hard Feelings wishes it was.

Maybe not an instant classic but bursting with laughs, surprises, and heart that ends with impact even if that part of the journey meanders.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

See It.

'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1' A Review

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is an action movie, the 7th installment in the MI franchise. Ethan Hunt(Tom Cruise) is back and this time he has to take on a world conquering AI dubbed "The Entity" (aka Skynet). The movie opens on a Russian submarine sequence(aka Hunt For Red October). There's a great car chase with a small car(Italian Job). A train fight(Mission: Impossible the OG). A train collapsing sequence(Uncharted). A delightful high budget pastiche of things that have already been done!

Cruise is physically able to do a lot of the stunt work which is really cool but the script and the convoluted, saccharine, borderline incoherent plotting he can't do much with and frankly looks too old and tired to really be super spy Ethan Hunt anymore. The supporting cast are all talented actors but most seem to be showing up for a paycheck/because of a contract requirement and are mostly saddled with plodding exposition. Other than Hayley Atwell, the new face in this installment, who really gives it her all and is by far the most compelling character in the movie there is not much at all in the way of recognizable humanity.

The action sequences, many done fully or partially practically are really cool. But there are not enough of them in the bloated near 3 hour runtime. The McGuffin that the whole movie is in pursuit of and the world ending threat are transparent plot devices and don't actually translate to stakes or interest. Not to mention, as noted above, so so so much of the movie is derivative, pulling directly from other movies or even within the franchise itself. Christopher McQuarrie is a decent director but he has only rarely been a competent screenwriter and his screenwriting involvement in this franchise has been a classic demonstration of diminishing returns. Pass the torch Chris.

Great spectacle, terrible story.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

Tell Your Story

Its become a cliché at this point

the power of speaking one's truth

its become a soundbite, a meme, 

a tool of the self-help industrial complex

and yet the impact of the act is not diminished

in this time of trial (work related)

as I sit with this acquaintance

and relate the particulars of my past

my drinking, my struggles, my transformation

I am brought back to myself, solidified

I am reminded that I have survived.

'The Out-Laws' A Review

The Out-Laws is an action-comedy about a earnest enthusiastic bank manager Owen(Adam DeVine) who's finance's absentee in-laws come into town for their wedding and drag Owen into their criminal past.

DeVine's affability somewhat works here but it's a bit to broad and forced to really click. The supporting cast, for the most part, are a bit more successful with the comedy and the actual emotion because it's played in a more grounded way. He's not bad but it's just a performance that doesn't match the movie he's in. Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin as the titular parents of the bride are wonderful but, with an exception here or there, they're not given enough to do. Nina Dobrev as Owen's fiancé Parker is unfortunately little more the set dressing. Thankfully the supporting cast is kind of shockingly dripping with talent- Lil Rel Howery, Lauren Lapkus, Richard Kind, Poorna Jagannathan, Michael Rooker- are all great and that depth on the dench as it were raises this mostly pedestrian/recycled idea a bit above the fray.

Visually it has the same kind of homogenized workman-like shot-in-Atlanta-suburbs feel that many Netflix movies do. The one thing that elevates the production design above the fray is some of the action sequences, particularly a bank-robbery-come-car-chase that peaks in a cemetery. Pretty incredible and, taken in context, odd given they most of blown a lot of their budget on it.

Shrug-inducing but not in a bad way.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Stream It.

'Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny' A Review

Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny is an adventure movie, the 5th installment in the Indiana Jones series. The movie opens in a flashback to 1944 Indy(Harrison Ford) and his buddy Basil Shaw(Toby Jones) are captured by Nazi's in their attempts to recover stolen antiquities. As they escape they encounter Nazi physicist Jürgen Voller who they relieve of half of the titular Dial. Flashfoward to 1969, Indy is retiring as a professor and estranged from his wife Marion. His goddaughter Helena Shaw(Phoebe Waller-Bridge) comes calling asking about the dial, they are then pursued by the CIA and Voller and his thugs. A global pursuit ensues.

Ford is comfortable and magnetic back in the role, he gives it the commitment and dignity needed to make this more than a simple nostalgia grab. Waller-Bridge is miscast, she plays the role like a deviation of Fleabag and the self-involved naturalism doesn't really play and the script doesn't help(aside from an effective emotional scene right at the end). The supporting cast all have pretty thinly drawn characters which isn't necessarily a problem but paired with a convoluted protracted plot, in total, other than Ford there's not much to latch into here.

Visually the movie is sufficient but there's an over-reliance on obvious green screen, the de-aging during the flashback is fine but still this technology isn't particularly convincing and certainly begs the question why bother. The action sequences aren't really inspired or impressive and the attempts at injecting stakes and emotion into the classic Indiana Jones mcguffin mostly fail.

Not Crystal Skull level but overlong, confused, and not particularly engaging.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

Panic Attack

We're all aware
of this notion

of being pushed to the limit

of having a breaking point

but it is rare 

when such a thing actually occurs

when, for whatever reason,

our body, mind, or spirit give out on us

when we are left, even for a moment,

shattered, weak, hopeless

it is in these moments are we tested

not in strength or courage or even will

but in acceptance, in indifference

situations cannot be controlled, we know this

what we can change, what we can decide

is our opinion, our perception

and endure.

'No Hard Feelings' A Review

No Hard Feelings is a comedy about Maddie(Jennifer Lawrence) a 32-year-old Uber driver/bartender who gets her car repossessed for failure to pay property tax. In an effort to save her house she answers a ad from two parents to "date" their 19-year-old son in exchange for a car.

Lawrence is miscast, she plays the role like its dramatic and although she has a reputation for being goofy and down-to-earth as a person in the media her career has been in dramatic roles(aside from the "satire" Don't Look Up). She doesn't have much comedic timing to speak of and the sequences of physical comedy she has play awkwardly and ineffectively. Andrew Feldman, Percy, is also miscast, this is a classic broadway actor not a comedian and he to plays it so straight tonally the movie makes little sense. The supporting cast, not a comedian among them, help to underscore this bizarre incongruous tone.

Incompetently shot with visible continuity errors in many scenes it is clear the production was on a budget and in a rush. Aside from tone there are so many plot incongruities that the heavily manufactured premise never gets off the ground not to mention that it is inherently questionable. The financial logic of Maddie's situation that drives her into this is non-existent. For a supposedly hard-R comedy there is very little fun or shock.

The industry has mostly veered away from major release comedies and R rated ones in particular. It is baffling that this is the type of movie that, given that, gets greenlite. Lawrence is a star but she's not a comedian and her star power alone can not make a hit. Not to mention attempting to cast and execute a comedy with Scott MacArthur as the sole actual comedian.

A trainwreck of a flick.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't See It.

Simulation Theory

Silo, West World, Matrix
these are all, in essence
Allegory of the Cave

and why do we like these

why is this millennia old concept

so eternal

because it speaks to

one of humanities

most enduring qualities

curiosity

the questioning of that

which we are presented

the insatiable drive

to discover that which is beyond us.