Winter Solstice

As the night encroaches

we are reminded

to slow down

to stop

to reflect

and take stock

to express gratitude

and give

to come together

with our fellows

to gather

around the light

to fend off

the long dark.

'Red One' A Review

Red One is a holiday fantasy action movie about the kidnapping of Santa.

The Rock as Santa's head of security Callum Drift is inoffensive and non-descript, The Rock phones it in which for him still means there some magnetism there. Chris Evans as Jack O'malley(the hacker who helped locate Santa for the villain inadvertently and is forced to help get him back) is doing something we've seen him do before(wisecracking jerk with a heart) but with less success. Lucy Liu and J.K. Simmons aren't in the movie enough to make much of an impression unfortunately. There's not much in the way of a supporting cast beyond that but they're all serviceable aside from the heavy Kiernan Shipka as Grýla who is miscast and Kristofer Hivju as Krampus who is excellently cast.

The action is all pretty generic, the CGI plentiful and cheap looking, the score forgettable, the story mostly sedentary and predictable(other than the inspired interlude in Krampus's domain). It's all tailor made to be a streaming success- big names, box office flop, critically panned, absurd premise- not enough to get a lot of folks to the theater but absolutely enough to get people to watch it when it shows up on a streaming service they already pay for. And as that implies it is just good enough to watch for free.

An odd, corporate, curiosity.

Currently streaming on Prime.

Stream It.

'The End' A Review

The End is a post-apocalyptic musical about the family of an oil tycoon that live in a bunker in a salt mine. After 20 years of isolation the group accepts a new comer into their group disrupting the status quo.

The ensemble is all incredibly talented and bring those considerable gifts to bear. It's always a joy to see Tilda Swinton and Michael Shannon and they don't disappoint, the supporting cast Bronagh Gallagher, Tim McInnerny, and with less screentime Lennie James all really deliver. The 'kids' George MacKay and Moses Ingram are also adept. All of them, and its very much an ensemble piece, are able to navigate the bizarre stilted tone, the breaking into song, and the scenes of massive emotion with grace and an honesty that really work.

This is co-writer/director Joshua Oppenheimer's first feature and his first work in a decade(following 2014's doc The Look of Silence) and you can tell so much thought and effort went into this. It looks great, presumably mostly on sets with no CGI, it really evokes an actual place and feeling. The musical numbers, if too similar in melody and tempo, are effective, particularly a prolonged Michael Shannon dance sequence and a little tap dance interlude by McInnerny. Overall the production is rich and evocative and bodes well for Oppenheimer's future efforts in narrative film.

The film falls short in the third act and in its overall messaging. First of all it is too long, this glut of "serious" movies that have a 2 1/2 - 3 hour run time is absurd. Not that long runtimes are inherently bad but they have to have a purpose and the pacing needs to be amended accordingly. Here, like in many overlong movies, the film ends multiple times. The pacing drags and as a result interest is lost. There is no real need for it to be this long. The wonderful Shannon dance sequence referenced above very much feels like the end of the movie but then there's another anemic half an hour. 

And then there's the messaging, similar to many of these end-of-year overlong serious movies, the message seems to be 'life is bleak' and 'the world is fucked', which 1. is boring, 2. is not entertaining, and 3. no shit. Not that movies with a depressing message can't be compelling but it seems like the industry says only these type of movies are cinema(just look at critics top 10 lists or awards nominations that are just now starting to percolate) and that is simply not true particularly in a time where these same industry people are saying 'movies are struggling'. Art(in this instance cinema) is about hope, it is about transformation, it is about inspiration. And The End is actually kind of on that track for 2/3 of its story, the characters contend with their pasts, their regrets, their culpability, and there seems to be some growth as a result. The work itself seems to be indicating this is the trajectory, this small enclave of what's left of society finally starts to be honest and, finally, begins to make some progress. But then they don't and you can clearly see Oppenheimer's will here, he goes against what the work itself wants to do and forces his embittered nihilistic worldview, a character dies, the rest of the characters compartmentalize and regress and its just feels very contrived dramatically and unsatisfying thematically. The film ultimately falls echoingly flat.

Ambitious, intriguing, haunting, but sour and in the end empty.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.

'Flow' A Review

Flow is an animated adventure about a cat and a flood. In a nameless jungle the cat prowls, tries to steal a fish from a pack of dogs, flees but is interrupted by a massive flood. The cat hops on a boat with a capybara and the two gather other animal friends as they travel towards a distant monolith.

The animation style is simple but rich and the characterization of the animals is complex. There's no dialogue and relatively minimal scoring, its more an experience than a narrative, which is fine although at 90 minutes the film drags, it feels like a short that was expanded into a feature. There's, seemingly, a lot of ideas here(is this a biblical fable? environmental?) but its all rendered in relatively vague, abstract terms in a way that we are meant to interpret.

This is clearly meant to be an adult piece of animation which is commendable although if the animals can sail ships and have sophisticated social interactions it feels kinda silly not to just have them talk. Nonetheless it looks great, is unique, if lacking some thematic oomph.

Interesting if not particularly engaging.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.

In the ecstasy of the present time

everything is new
the newness intoxicating

each moment discovered

unearthed, excavated, a surprise

ideas woven into precious immediacy

actualized then dispersed

hauling up and flinging

bucket after bucket

from that Great Well

potential

and it is Now

and can only be Now

and it is only ourselves here Now

in this place

Now!

'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story' A Review

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a documentary about the life, career, and activism of Christopher Reeve. Through talking head interviews, archival footage, and home movies his story is told.

Although visually conventional(other than an odd, not particularly effective, continued motif of a CGI nude Superman floating through space) the non-linear structure, crisp/smart editing, and stirring(but not overpowering or leading) score pair brilliantly with the subject matter delivering not only one of the best docs of the year but one of the best retrospective celeb portraits of this type ever.

Reeve's story, and by extension his family, is a powerful one. Impactful, insightful, and unique. The telling here is pitch perfect and evokes the same inspiration that not only Reeve's portrayal of Superman did but also his activism later in life.

A portrait of a singular man with an incredible reach.

Currently streaming on Max.

Don't Miss It.

'The Last of the Sea Women' A Review

The Last of the Sea Women is a documentary about the haenyeo, a community of women seafood divers in Jeju Island, South Korea. It profiles the women and their current struggle with maintaining their culture/profession given environmental threats.

Beautifully shot with several diving scenes and great moments with the haenyeo themselves the film feels mildly intimate and breezy. The history of the haenyeo is summarized, the culture the haenyeo came from is abbreviated, the environmental issues at play lie mostly passive in the background until the end sequence which is not without its power but also feels somewhat contrived within the structure of the film. These women and their story is powerful and engaging and the film is a solid watch however in aggregate there is a NatGeo kind of sanitized feel about the whole endeavor. There is just clearly so much more here that the film does not get into. More nuance, more richness that the film doesn't have the time(or perhaps interest) to plumb. Even the haenyeo themselves clearly have more to say but their access to speak freely seems constrained.

This is director Sue Kim's first feature length doc and some of its lack of dimension could be a result of this being a freshman effort, she shows promise and knows what to shoot and how and seemingly developed a good relationship with her subjects but there is a kind of a glossy marketability feeling that isn't oppressive but is definitely noticeable, maybe that was out of necessity, Kim needed to sell it. But compare this to something like 2019's Honeyland and it's clear the haenyeo deserve something with more depth, more courage, more artistry.

Incredible subjects but only a decent film.

Currently streaming on Apple TV+.

See It.

Pepper

She wasn't well-behaved
but she had heart for days

she walked with me

through the darkness

protected me

from the shadow's grip

the only one

who didn't judge

as I sprawled

at the bottom

scraping

at the floor

when I despaired

she loved

simple and fearless.

A good dog.

A beagle.

May her teeth

ever be sharp

and her bark

Thunderous.

'Wicked: Part I' A Review

Wicked: Part I is an adaptation of the 2003 stage production based on the 1995 prequel novel of the The Wizard of Oz novel/film. Elphaba(Cynthia Erivo) is an outcast with unpredictable magical powers, she attends Shiz University in order to cultivate them. There she is at first antagonized by Galinda(Ariana Grande-Butera) and her castmates but is eventually befriended by them.

Erivo is stupendous, dominating the screen any time she is on it, able to convey emotional truth in every scene as well as fit in to the more ostentatious numbers and sequences. Grande-Butera by comparison is absolutely outshone and overly relies on slapstick and comedic business in place of emotion or character. Splitting the focus between the two is a mistake and anytime the film cuts away from Erivo you are simply waiting for her to return. Plain and simple Grande-Butera's is miscast, out of her depth. She certainly has the voice for the role but she doesn't have the acting ability to round it out. This is particularly apparent when she briefly shares the screen with Kristin Chenoweth(the originator of the role). The supporting cast is mostly decent but it is so crammed, the film so bloated, it is difficult at times to track the action or follow the plot and other than Erivo there is no one to invest in.

Visually the film is glossy, overly CGI'd, there are some amazing renderings and a couple dance numbers on actual sets, but overall it conveys an un-reality that works against the emotional journey at its core. The dance numbers and songs are all great but there is not enough of them, in extending the source material into two 2.5 hour chunks it upends the effective pacing of the stage production and there are long stretches between numbers that seem to serve little to no purpose. The sound mix is also off, the dialogue track and the musical tracks are seemingly at the same level, so when a musical number does kick in it is too muted and lacks the kind of jolt of inspiration and hair raising the soundtrack usually elicits.

Unfortunately, despite an incredible Erivo, kinda boring.

Currently in theaters.

Stream It.

'Gladiator II' A Review

Gladiator II is a historical action movie, a direct sequel to 2000's Gladiator, that follows a grown up Lucius(Paul Mescal) the grandson of Marcus Aurelius and son of Maximus as Rome invades his adopted home, his wife is killed, he's enslaved, and bought as a gladiator by the ambitious Macrinus(Denzel Washington).

Mescal is miscast, misdirected, and lost in his performance. He deploys his standard breezy charm which was relatively effective in emotional indies like All Of Us Strangers and Aftersun but here its a baffling and ineffective choice. To give him his due he looks the part, he got buff, but he doesn't have any electricity, he's too understated and in a sequel like this you cannot help but make direct comparisons to Russell Crowe and its not favorable. It's another case of Hollywood catapulting an actor to stardom before they really have the chops. Denzel is the only cast member who understands what movie he's in and gives a legitimate performance. He's having a ball, making a meal out of the(sub-par) dialogue, and absolutely having a field day with his costuming. It's a delight to watch but he's only a supporting character and the rest of the cast(like Mescal) are just adrift, hamstrung by references to the original movie and a wooden script.

Visually the movie is uneven, some of the action scenes are engaging but there's some choppy CGI particularly with some of the wider shots. The score is equally uneven, sometimes effective sometimes glaringly distracting, treacly. The costuming is superb and even if the production overall is a bit uneven it is serviceable. The main issue is the script and the direction, the script is too beholden to the original and recycles a lot of its themes and ideas verbatim, the characters(save for Denzel's) are all flat, the plot is overly convoluted and misunderstands what we liked about Gladiator. With due respect Ridley Scott at 87 is past his prime, he hasn't made a decent movie since 2015's The Martian and a really great movie since before that(I'd argue Matchstick Men but there are justly lots of fans of American Gangster). He either doesn't have the stuff any longer or he can't be bothered to put in the required effort. His last several movies are a kind of a case study in wasted budget, cast, and opportunity.

Overlong and only mildly diverting solely as a result of Denzel's limited presence.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

The Persistence of Rage III

I would like to be rid of it
the roiling furnace

the impulse

I do not act

but I desire to act

like a wave, I ride

the crashing fantasies

the turmoil

the compulsion

to boil over

to spill

I do not act

but I desire to act

I would prefer

to be ever desireless

wrapped in coolness

and calm

'Between the Temples' A Review

Between the Temples is a cringe dramedy about Ben(Jason Schwartzman) a widowed cantor who, in his grief, can no longer sing. He reconnects with his grade school music teacher Carla(Carol Kane) when she wants to get a late-in-life bat mitzvah. The two develop a connection the walks the line between friendship and romance.

Schwartzman has always been an incredible if inconsistent talent, typically when directors don't know what to do with him which seems to be the case here, he struggles. The performance is a reflection of the overall film which is tonally inconsistent. Schwartzman careens from dark melancholy to farce with little fluidity. It's just too disjointed to make the kind of impact it seems its intended to. Kane fairs better and its a delight to see her in this meaty of a role in the third act of her career. The two have wonderful chemistry and its a shame because a lot of the conflict and the cringe impede on what's naturally happening between the two.

Visually the film is inappropriate, cinematographer Sean Price Williams deploys his patented style, hand-held, washed out, and grainy(which he's used to great affect in previous features notably Listen Up Philip another Schwartzman vehicle) it not only doesn't work here it's distracting and seems to work against the film itself. It feels forced, almost like an indie dramedy cliché. Co-writer/director Nathan Silver fails to manage the tone and seems unsure of what the film is, taking wildly big swings but maintaining no emotional continuity. The production, overall, is a mess held together primarily by the talents of its two leads.

Worth a watch for Kane, otherwise overly plotted and under developed.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Stream It.

'A Real Pain' A Review

A Real Pain is a travel dramedy about two cousins David(Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji(Kieran Culkin) who travel to Poland as part of a Holocaust tour group and to see the childhood home of their deceased grandmother who was a survivor. David is the more conventional, Benji the free spirit, Benji's recent personal struggles have prompted David to plan the trip.

Culkin is really the star, electric at times incandescent with his energy and characterization. He's magnetic and its nice to see him get this kind of showcase especially in the wake of Succession. Eisenberg is, no surprise, more understated. He's never had anything like range but he fits well here and has a scene or two of real pathos. The support cast, basically the tour group, are all fabulous- Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Will Sharpe, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes-  and there are a couple great ensemble scenes but the film is conflicted about its focus and ultimately the tour group isn't delved into as much as it could be.

The score is beautiful and pitch perfect classical piano, shot on location in NYC and Poland the production all around has an authenticity and elevation to it which speaks to Eisenberg's increasing skills(he is also writer/director based on a short story he wrote). Where the film stumbles is in its story and tone. As a short story this slice-of-life approach would be appropriate here it is clear there is a struggle about what the film wants to be. Is it about the cousins? Is it about the trip? Is it comedic or cathartic? These competing impulses muddle the delivery and ultimately it feels incomplete. It's a pleasant, diverting watch but it doesn't really hit you, either comedically or dramatically, with enough impact to leave much of an impression.

Interesting but mild.

Currently in theaters.

Rent It.

This Is How We Go On

wake up

make the bed
brush teeth

commute

eat breakfast

work

eat lunch

work

commute

work out

eat dinner

watch TV

repeat

repeat

repeat

see friends

see family

go to the movies

go for a walk

run errands

take a class

clean

repeat

repeat

repeat

this is not tedium

this is life

this is how we go on

Two Short Poems

The Unknown

You don't know
what you don't know
you never will

that's good.

Inner Child

You did good

you got to the edge

but didn't go over

you endured.

'Heretic' A Review

Heretic is a horror/thriller about two young LDS missionaries, Sister Barnes(Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton(Chloe East), who arrive at the home of Mr. Reed(Hugh Grant) to evangelize only to discover they are the ones in danger of conversion.

Grant continues his late career renaissance and gives an award worthy performance here, filled with his normal charm but corrupted, he's loquacious, petulant, frightening and absolutely captivating. He's able to really give some depth, nuance, and delight to this villain which in a normal genre piece doesn't necessarily get this kind of dimension. Both Thatcher and East also give great performances and have incredible chemistry primarily with each other but also as a unit in opposition to Grant. Thatcher brings a bit more edge and defiance, East brings more vulnerability and endurance together they just work great. Topher Grace pops up in a cameo but other than that the supporting cast is virtually nil.

Clearly shot on a budget(but not detracting from its effectiveness) almost exclusively in one location the film feels immersive, claustrophobic, and all the set dressing helps to evoke a kind of pan-religiousness as well as the house itself being labyrinthian furthering the themes. The sound design does in inordinate amount of work in ratcheting the tension(in a good way), its used a lot and in various subtle ways to elevate the mood, its nice to see this arm of the production which is usually under utilized get a fair amount of runway. There's also a focus on analogue tech(record and tape players, timers, keys etc.) which give this guy and this house texture.

The script is ambitious and complicated, thick with irony, metaphor, and commentary. The script and performances work in tandem for about the first half slowly and surely ratcheting up the tension and danger and tackling various ideas in a compelling way. It loses its footing in the back end, the script dipping below the quality of the performances, struggling to land the plane and kind of abandoning some of its richer ideas. Nevertheless its an ambitious, interesting piece of cinema.

Three great leads, a stupendous beginning leading to only a satisfactory end.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

Animal Companions

Fundamentally
they are simple

easy to read

-I'm hungry

-Let's play

-Pet me

but why we love them

why we need them

they say without saying

-I am here

they say

-I am here too

'Anora' A Review

Anora is a rom-dramedy about a NYC stripper Ani aka Anora(Mikey Madison) who meets Vanya(Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch, at her club. He initially pays her to be his 'girlfriend for a week' and the two develop a burgeoning romance culminating in a Vegas wedding. Once his family becomes aware of the marriage they intervene.

Madison is totally present, totally committed, and gives a textured, transcendent performance as the titular Anora. She conveys all kinds of layers and contradictions- strength, desire, vulnerability, joy, calculation- the whole gambit but above all what shines through is a beautiful and delicate humanity. It's truly stunning. Yura Borisov as Igor is the only one that's able to really push up to her level offering a character that's interesting and with dimension. The supporting cast are all competent but they are either as-written or as a result of the script just not as engaging. Eydelshteyn for example serves the role but the character is a petulant, immature, Peter Pan, there is simply no depth to him, that seems to be intentional but it doesn't make it any easier to watch and he's onscreen quite a lot.

As with all of Sean Baker's work it looks incredible, shot on location, with evocative lighting, an effective thrumming soundtrack the production all works, its transportive. Where it stumbles is simply in the run time, in the pacing, the middle section languishes and unintentionally highlights the shallowness of the supporting cast. It picks up at the end but by that time it feels the film has already ended two or three times. The film is still great but it does not reach the heights of Baker's earlier work Tangerine or The Florida Project. Maybe that's an unfair comparison it's just a shame the film as a whole doesn't quite meet Madison's performance.

A must-see for Madison alone.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

'Venom: The Last Dance' A Review

Venom: The Last Dance is a superhero/buddy comedy, the third and final installment in the Tom Hardy helmed series started with 2018's Venom. Eddie Brock(Hardy) is on the run from the law after the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage only to be attacked by multi-dimensional monsters at the behest of the symbiotes creator Knull. Eddie also crosses paths with the Imperium the alien-focused branch of the government/military.

Hardy is as compelling and funny as ever, taking his performance even further turning what has heretofore been a kind of a double act, he and Venom(who he also voices), into almost a straight up love story. Its gonzo and effective. The supporting cast don't have a ton to do but its great to see Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, and Rhys Ifans although Temple and Ifans have some pretty bizarre American accents. Overall a solid cast if a noticeable glut of Brits. The best of course is the return of Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen who makes a brief appearance for a wonderful dance sequence.

Filmed in Spain it doesn't really look like the American southwest but it looks good. There are a fair amount of needle drops which are cool but don't totally make sense tonally. The CGI is used sparingly until the final battle and it works well.

This has always been an odd series, not quite sure what it wants to be, conventional superhero fair or an inversion of it. At least tonally this hits closer to home, it is exceedingly odd, which it seems to have been trying to be all along. But its not really able to go fully off the leash and not only here but throughout the series has never been able to meet its potential.

Pleasingly bizarre and surprisingly heartfelt if constrained by convention.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.

Life On Life's Terms

It's work
every day

it can seem

endless

there's joy too

hope, contentment

all the goodies

but it always

requires effort

the small things

need to get done

the big things

need to be addressed

for every triumph

a new trial

for every moment of peace

a fresh irritant

that's the deal

we didn't ask for this

yet

here we are

'Conclave' A Review

Conclave is a drama/thriller about a papal conclave administered by Thomas(Ralph Fiennes) the Dean of the College of Cardinals. He navigates surprises, uncovers deceptions, and manages the personalities and ambitions of the various Cardinals.

Fiennes, as ever, is totally present, totally committed, and absolutely captivating. He elevates and centers what is at times a relatively formulaic mystery(although set not in law enforcement but the Catholic Church) into something that has some emotional dimension, addresses faith in an interesting way, and has a couple things to say. The supporting cast assist in this of course with stacked actors like Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, and Isabella Rossellini(among others) but the heavy lifting is done by Fiennes, it is his movie and he delivers.

Filmed in Rome but mostly at a studio the sets and locations give it authenticity, the simple recurring score is incredibly effective, the costuming pitch perfect. All the production elements work together in concert on a relatively modest budget. The story somewhat falters in the third act and there's a tension throughout as to what it wants to be, is it straight drama or is it pulpy mystery, the interplay between the two doesn't always result in a tonal marriage but throughout it remains engaging and entertaining.

A surprisingly potent piece of(increasingly rare) adult cinema. Seemingly destined to be underappreciated in theaters and a hit once streaming.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.

'Hold Your Breath' A Review

Hold Your Breath is a period horror/thriller set in 1930's rural Oklahoma about Margaret(Sarah Paulson) a mother of two who's husband is out of state for work. She struggles to keep her daughters safe as she contends with mental deterioration and/or the supernatural.

Paulson is a captivating actor and expertly ratchets up the tension and deploys raw emotion to give the story some oomph but she's unable to make sense of the derivative frequently boring script. Ebon Moss-Bachrach makes an appearance as a mysterious drifter, and he's great, but he's underused and is called upon essentially to be a MacGuffin. Amiah Miller and Alona Jane Robbins as Margaret's daughters are both good but are hamstrung by the necessities of the plot.

For a low budget indie the movie looks good, the ambiance is there, its evocative. The sound design with the wind and dust whirling, the creaking floor boards, its effective. But at the center is one of the worst and unfortunately most well trodden horror tropes - is the threat it in the characters head or is it supernatural- and the movie ultimately falls firmly in the less interesting of those two options rendering the story, character development, and good performances essentially meaningless. The ultimate 'reveal' deflates any real stakes or investment we the audience have. Ever since the, just, smash success of The Babadook there have been many copycats and this is one of those but without the nuance, depth, or genuine terror.

Written as part of Sundance Institute Writer's Lab it very much feels like an exercise in selling a screenplay not creating a compelling narrative.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

Don't See It.

F.E.A.R.

the oldtimers say
it stands for
fuck everything and run

which can be

a seductive proposition

to flee from trial

to recede

from responsibility

to risk nothing

safety

at the cost of growth

'Woman Of The Hour' A Review

Woman Of The Hour is a period thriller about the The Dating Game appearance of serial killer Rodney Alcala(Daniel Zovatto). The movie follows Alcala in a series of flashbacks/flashforwards that depict his murders cut with struggling actor Cheryl Bradshaw(Anna Kendrick) the eventual Bachelorette on the show and the taping itself.

Zovatto is, quite frankly, boring. Kind of a recycle of his character from Station Eleven. Thirty years ago this might have been an acceptable performance but with the proliferation of thrillers and true crime his take just doesn't offer anything unique or as something we haven't seen a hundred times before. Silence of the Lambs and even the more recent Mindhunter exist ie this is a well already deeply plumbed, the psychology/depiction of serial killers is something thoroughly investigated in pop culture and his portrayal just doesn't even register in comparison. There is no nuance or interest in it, it is simply superficially scary because of the situations depicted. Which perhaps would be OK if the focus of the movie was more on Cheryl but its confusingly split. Kendrick is serviceable but this push-and-pull of focus doesn't really give her enough to do and her character as a result is rendered just as a potential victim.

Kendrick as director shows a lot of promise, the film looks good, there's a tightness to it, threat, commentary, but the script confines her to a flawed structure. Despite the title, despite whatever good intent Kendrick and her team had making the movie, the result comes across as about Alcala and simply showing a series of his awful crimes is not only not entertaining it lacks any kind of dimension. Its bleak and bludgeoning, not thrilling or interesting.

Well-made but lacking a pulse.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

'Smile 2' A Review

Smile 2 is a horror film, a sequel to 2022's Smile, that follows the path of the cursed entity this time to pop star Skye(Naomi Scott). She is in the middle of relaunching her career after a tragic accident and a year of recovery, with increasing pressure from her label and momager(Rosemarie DeWitt) she struggles to make sense of and survive her mental deterioration at the hands of the titular grin.

Scott is an absolute knockout, bringing raw and deep emotion that grounds the supernatural elements and give them stakes. She's also a thoroughly convincing pop star singing original songs with several full-on dance sequences, and this attention to making this Lady Gaga-esk pop star real again furthers the reality when things get weird. This aspect is more convincing and compelling than the similar device used in this year's Trap you would almost be satisfied if there were no genre element involved and the story was simply about Skye revitalizing her career. DeWitt furthers the texture playing the semi-supportive but clearly manipulative momager and the rest of the supporting cast all give great turns(particularly Ray Nicholson). Its a genre film clearly focused on not only the scares and the gore but equally the characters and they all feel full and real and lived in making all the horror that much more effective.

The film looks great with bold camera work, inventive horror sequences, attention to real and surprisingly good pop music with some solid diegetic performances, and a slowly ratcheting suspenseful score- the production across the board has a thrumming infectious energy. Where it falters is in the pacing, the film is too long, and the script in the final act drags and devolves unable to reach the ambition and talent on display elsewhere. Still. It's a surprisingly fun, effective, evocative, feisty piece of cinema.

A superb Scott helms an electric genre flick that doesn't quite stick the landing.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

Family

They know
better than anyone
having been there

having lived it

blood is thicker, sure

but more important

more true

is that shared experience

trumps all

commonality

and its power

begets understanding

begets belonging

makes transformation

a possibility.

'The Platform 2' A Review

The Platform 2 is a Spanish scifi/horror movie, a follow up to 2019's The Platform.  We follow Perempuan(Milena Smit) as she is put into The Pit and now there appears to be some self imposed rules in order to have the food shared out as it descends the vertical prison, its implied this is a result of the events of the first film. This soon breaks down and chaos ensues.

The cast doesn't really distinguish themselves because none of them have much of a character to do much with. The potency of the first film was a result of kind of a perfect marriage of metaphor and narrative, the characters were not immaterial but not a focus. The same is true here but the ideas and the set up are basically the exact same as the first film so it becomes clear quickly that this is just a recycle. As a result nothing is particularly interesting, neither the plot nor the characters within it.

Visually it looks like the first one, the score sounds like the first one, nothing really differentiates itself in any way which is a problem, if the movies had been released back-to-back maybe this wouldn't matter quite as much but five years later all it succeeds in is making you want to watch the original. There is a "reveal" about half way through which recontextualizes the when which feels cheap, unearned, and lazy.

A bland, unnecessary, retread.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

'Rez Ball' A Review

Rez Ball is a sports drama about the Chuska Warriors a Native American high school basketball team from New Mexico and their run for the state title.

The cast are all mostly great, Jessica Matten as former WNBA player and Warriors coach Heather Hobbs gives some nice dimension and emotion, nice to see her have an opportunity to play with a bit more range than her other(great but perhaps more confined role) big project Dark Winds. Julia Jones as the team's star's mom is also wonderful providing a relatively honest and straightforward look at addiction and recovery. Dallas Goldtooth is always exceptional and here as one of the team's announcers he injects some much needed energy and humor. The issue is the team, they're not bad, but they don't really fill out the film and they are constrained somewhat by the confines of the formula, couple that with the fact most of them seem to be either green or non-professionals. They're serviceable but not exactly inspiring. Somewhat oddly similar to last year's Saltburn in that the seasoned adult actors are better and more interesting than the younger cast which are the actual focus.

Filmed on location in the Navajo Nation it looks great, the soundtrack works, it hits all the beats it needs to and its pleasing and entertaining. But it isn't really able to push through to that next level, it perhaps follows the 'inspiring sports drama' beats to strictly, is not totally able to break out from the confines of the genre to really soar, seems too beholden to movies like Hoosiers and Remember The Titans to be really unique.

Competent, engaging, if lacking electricity.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Rent It.

Fall

The arms of winter
slowly close

into a chill embrace

not with malice

but an icy

inevitable

indifference

'The Wild Robot' A Review

The Wild Robot is a scifi family adventure set in an unspecified future. A service robot Roz(Lupita Nyong'o) crashes into an unpeopled island and inadvertently becomes the caretaker of a gosling Bright Bill(Kit Connor). With the help of a fox, Fink(Pedro Pascal), Roz prepares Bright Bill for the annual migration.

The voice cast is stellar and are all able to build out pretty remarkably dimensional characters enabled by a stunning script. The story is richly emotional, funny, relatively straight forward but with vast worldbuilding and potent themes. Nyong'o both as the lead and with the most complicated part soars and is able to translate, ground, and make us empathize with this character, which on paper, is somewhat inscrutable(not to mention she's funny). This used to be the kind of film Pixar was known for making, engaging for both kids and adults a purely entertaining adventure with a compelling but subtle morality.

The animation style is a catching mix of CG with almost a pastoral watercolor overlay. The score is stirring, its paced perfectly, and it has something to say. It works great both as a genre film, investigating reoccurring SF themes like sentience and technology, as a coming-of-age adventure reminiscent of the Ugly Duckling as Bright Bill grows up, migrants, and finds his place, as well as a film with something to say about compassion, the environment, and community but it doesn't shout it.

A spectacularly potent surprise. One of the best of the year.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

'Megalopolis' A Review

Megalopolis is a scifi/drama set in 'New Rome' aka NYC about Cesar(Adam Driver) a rich, genius architect who has invented a miracle substance that he wants to use to recreate the city into what he believes will be a utopia, he's opposed by other rich, powerful individuals.

Other than Talia Shire in too brief a role, the entire cast is absolutely adrift, unable to make sense of the stilted, barely cogent dialogue, and schizophrenic tone. They all flounder and it is in turns boring and pitiful to watch. Most of the women characters only agency or purpose is through sex and the offensive virgin/whore archetype is pretty much expressly embodied by Aubrey Plaza and Nathalie Emmanuel. Writer/director Francis Ford Coppolla, because of some kind of Boomer petulance, also specifically cast "cancelled" actors Shia LaBeouf and Dustin Hoffman(who are profoundly boring in their roles) as well as Jon Voight(who at least imbues his stereotype of a character with some energy) but none are particularly compelling and their presence serves as a distraction, a hinderance, rather than the vindication of whatever point old, white, rich dude Coppolla thinks it is. All in all you simply feel bad for the actors, one assumes they signed up specifically and exclusively because it was Coppolla but whatever edge or artistry he had in the 70's/80's has abandoned him.

There are moments of visual flare, every 20 minutes or so there's a sequence that's really interesting and compelling. Unfortunately its not consistently so and with flat, awkward, inscrutable characters moving through them they lack much impact. The production as a whole is discordant, the movie claims to be set in "New Rome" but it very much looks like New York City, there are a couple interior scenes with lavish sets but then the following scene is just on a straight up unadorned NYC street. The costuming is also all over the place, the quality ranges from incredibly cheap to high end, the design ranges from "New Rome" to just regular street clothes. The score is numbing, somniferous. The sound mix is shoddy and there are multiple scenes where it is difficult to hear the dialogue. All in all a total mess.

What its "about" is equally baffling and offensive. There's a weird and dated kind of Ayn Rand vibe that underscores the whole picture, there's much pontificating about ideas but what it boils down to is the rich and powerful believing they know what's best for the people and taking action with no real knowledge or interest in what that effect will be(in the context of the movie hundreds if not thousands of people are displaced in the service of this 'utopia' with no real thought). Very libertarian bootstraps bullshit. Cesar is John Galt.

What your left with is a passion project that absolutely would not have been made had Coppolla not self funded it and because he self funded it he had no one to reign him in or offer him constructive feedback. And the reality is filmmaking is a collaborative process and the constraints of budget and/or a studio, more often than not, make for a better result particularly when you're dealing with these aging directors who, with all due respect, have lost much of their creative ability and insight being inoculated by wealth and success- Coppolla has nothing left to say or what he does have to say is standard Boomer bleating that the majority of movie goers have no interest in(nor should they).

An absolute and just flop.

Currently in theaters.

Don't See It.

The Bear

The tourists gawp
at the bear
and all I can feel
is pity
this creature
of power and hunger
subjected to this
indecent
oggling
and disgust
for my fellows
in their leering, slathering, avariciousness

I can see them drool
as they shutter away.

'Will & Harper' A Review

Will & Harper is a documentary that follows Will Farrell and Harper Steele, collaborators and friends, as they take a road trip from the east coast to the west.

Harper's recent transition is the focus of the film and how it relates to her new position in the world and how she relates to it as well as the effect on and perspective of her friends and loved ones namely Farrell(for the purposes of the film). They travel the country and go to small towns, dive bars, and truck stops(places Harper use to love to frequent but now is unsure of her safety in). And mostly its a success, she explores and revels in her new/true identity, her and Will remanence, have adventures, and grow. The trip is not without overt hate and the way the two confront, process, and move through it is inspiring if painfully real. Farrell is more human than perhaps he's ever been, its a doc so one would hope so, but he is actively trying to understand, be compassionate, and show up for his friend which is cool. In some ways it feels like Trans 101 for Cis folks but Harper is incredibly open, vulnerable, and game and her truth especially the more day-to-day struggles and issues- make up, clothes, calmly but reflexively correcting pronouns etc.- elevates it to something intimate and poignant. 

If there is a critique it is simply in form. The film feels a bit truncated, by the third act it rushes to wrap things up and provide some kind of conclusionary pathos(which is absolutely earned) and yet the best parts are the various stops along their journey across the country and the challenges they face and fun they have. In the end credits its clear that there is a lot of extra footage and you wish you could see it, it may have been better as a multi-installment show a la Long Way Round. 

A funny, moving, powerful portrait of an evolving friendship.

Currently in theaters and streaming on Netflix.

See It.

'His Three Daughters' A Review

His Three Daughters is a drama about three sisters Christina(Elizabeth Olsen), Katie(Carrie Coon), and Rachel(Natasha Lyonne) who are attending the death bed of their father in his NYC apartment.

All three actors are at the top of their craft and give absolutely captivating performances. Coon is icy, anxious, and controlling, of the three the most grating to watch at the beginning which makes her transformation into a more relatable human that much more impactful. Olsen, after being underutilized for years in the MCU, kind of emotionally explodes in this, not explicitly, but you can just see her talent bursting forth and the gratification she has in tackling this challenging role. Her character is in some ways the most mysterious and idiosyncratic and she takes full advantage. Lyonne doesn't really have the same approach as the other two actors, she's a movie star, but she tamps down and subverts her charisma, channels it into vulnerability and a kind of listless perseverance that is captivating. It cannot be understated how impactful it is to see these three share the screen. The supporting cast is solid but mostly they come and go and the focus is, justly, on the sisters.

The production is minimal, taking place primarily in one location, the apartment, with limited scoring and restrained camera work focused more on capturing the dramatic action rather than visual artistry. As a result it feels intimate and serves the themes and aims of the film and almost surprisingly feels more impressive due to that discipline. Writer/director trusts his story and more importantly trusts his actors, the production fluidly, organically flows around that and all serves to deliver this meditation on family and death that has humor, pathos, and insight.

Three of the years best performances within a moving even inspiring story about grief and connection.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't Miss It.

Sight Unseen 10th Anniverary

Jimmy and I started Sight Unseen ten years back, he had been teaching at the Annoyance for awhile and wanted to do improv more regularly and to have a place students could see him as we had both had various bad experiences with teachers over the years who didn't actually perform just taught. He also thought students get better faster playing with more experienced players so that's where the Fishbowl portion of the show came from. We pitched a couple people each and put the team together and we've had a weekly show ever since. We never performed together before the first show, never rehearsed, hence the name.

This week we celebrated 10 years and did some shows with Jimmy, Mark, MB, and Meaghan coming in from out of town. Really nice to be together and perform and see the similarities and differences in the cast and how the style has both morphed and maintained with members leaving and new folks coming aboard.

I've been a part of a lot of different improv teams and various shows but this is one of the only things I helped originate and over the years have helped perpetuate. Its been so much fun and so inspiring and I'm really proud of it.

Thanks to those that came out and that have supported us over the years.

The Jumping Off Place

Having been to the threshold
the precipice
and returning

comes the understanding

this is all extra

this life a gift

a generosity

unearned

a cosmic opportunity

writ small

the trick

is seeing this

without stumbling

into the abyss

'My Old Ass' A Review

My Old Ass is a coming-of-age dramedy about Elliott(Maisy Stella) a teen living in rural Canada on her parents cranberry farm the summer before she heads off to college in Toronto. During a mushroom trip her older self played by Aubrey Plaza manifests to give her advise.

Stella is blithely charming as the lead with an age appropriate streak of obliviousness and self centeredness which at times grates although part of the story is her evolution. Plaza is fun and mysterious and the two have great chemistry. Percy Hynes White as Elliott's love interest Chad is awkward if mildly compelling and the two have a connection that doesn't really feel genuine until the end. The supporting cast are all solid, Elliott's two friends, her parents and brothers, but they don't have much screen time to do much with.

Visually competent if relatively nuts-and-bolts for a low budget indie, the soundtrack is effective and catchy, but overall the production elements are more serviceable than creative aside from one fantastic Justin Bieber dream sequence. Its a great idea, has ambition, and the cast is talented but it doesn't fully come together or deliver on its full potential.

Pleasant, breezy, occasionally a bit on-the-nose, but mostly fun. Low impact.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Rent It.

'The Substance' A Review

The Substance is a body horror satire about Elisabeth Sparkle(Demi Moore) an actor and aerobics TV show host who is fired on her 50th birthday. Desperate to reclaim her relevance she injects a mysterious drug, the titular substance, that promises youth, beauty, and "perfection". As a result she's put into opposition with Sue(Margaret Qualley) who has replaced her. 

Moore gives a thrumming brave performance, at points powering through some of the repetitive body horror tedium through sheer power of presence. Qualley has the less interesting character but is serviceable enough albeit unable to really meet the kind of energy Moore brings. The supporting cast is minimal the only one with any real part of substance is Dennis Quaid as Harvey, the slobbering, lecherous, despicable TV exec, and he's deliciously gross in it. It is mostly a showcase for Moore which she takes full advantage of, its wonderful to see her back in a lead performance, bringing her unique blend of poise, passion, and unpredictability.

The film is visually rich, like the script, there are tons of ideas and influences, its bursting with them. The score is a relentless melodic droning that sets the mood. Its ambitious, its provocative, it maybe lingers on the body horror images too long and returns to them too often. Ultimately the film is simply too long, the impact minimized by the uneven pacing. The script careens wildly in tone from scene-to-scene and sequence-to-sequence, veering from dramatic intensity to absurdist black comedy. Its fun but the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts. For those that can stomach it, its worth a watch, although not a film most people would watch twice.

Grotesquely gripping, gleefully over-the-top, more concerned with eliciting a reaction than with conveying a coherent message.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

Limits

the boundaries of the body
are soft, elastic
so too the mind

where the two intersect

there lives

the application of will

those situations

one might call

a test or a tempering

a point of leverage

an opportunity

to see how deep

the well goes

'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' A Review

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a horror/comedy, a sequel to the to the 1988 cult hit. Thirty six years after the events of the first film Lydia(Winona Ryder) is a television medium with a sycophantic boyfriend Rory(Justin Theroux) also her producer. When her father passes they return to Winter River, her hometown, along with her estranged daughter Astrid(Jenna Ortega) and stepmother Delia(Catherine O'Hara). When Astrid is put in danger Lydia must enlist Beetlejuice(Michael Keaton) for help.

On paper, a fabulous cast, but there's just not much apparent gas in the tank. Ryder is seemingly unmoored, unable to really connect to her cult favorite character, and the script doesn't do her any favors making adult Lydia mostly a confused doormat. Theroux is insufferable both as a character(which is intentional) and as a plot device(which is not), his whole presence is so profoundly contrived and grating it unilaterally takes the movie down a notch. Ortega is OK but her storyline is set on top too many others and the movie is unsure who's it is, is this Lydia's story or Astrid's? It can't decide. Its wonderful to see Keaton again but there's only a scene or two where he's able to really recapture the magic, the problem is one- he's not in the movie enough and two- hate to say it but he's too old. You can just see he's slower off the blocks and for a character as iconic and manic as BJ it just doesn't have the same impact. O'Hara is the only one able to just slide perfectly back into the role but that ease almost sets her apart like she's acting in a different movie. Much of this incongruity though is a result of the direction but more so the bafflingly over plotted script, not the fault of the actors.

Burton returns to form a bit here with practical effects which are wonderful. The Elfman score isn't fresh but it is effective. The problem is the script, the focus is split to many directions, there are too many plot lines criss-crossing that none are fully realized. The screenwriting displays a clear lack of confidence in its ideas and seems intimidated by the IP as a result the overall feeling is tepid. There is one really phenomenal sequence when Lydia, as a result of Beetlejuice's magic, rapidly gives birth to a baby Beetlejuice. It is grotesque, funny, and provocative. But that singular scene is the only one where any of the real original magic is recaptured.

Not terrible but not particularly good. Something that seems tailor made for streaming.

Currently in theaters.

Stream It.

'Rebel Ridge' A Review

Rebel Ridge is an action/thriller about a well-meaning veteran who is antagonized by small town police a la First Blood. Terry(Aaron Pierre) is riding his bike into a small southern town in order to post bail for his cousin but is run off the road by a cop and has the bail money seized via civil forfeiture. He befriends local county employee Summer(AnnaSophia Robb) who attempts to help him but is further antagonized by the police chief Burnne(Don Johnson). The situation escalates.

Pierre gives a memorable, assured, star-making performance. Constantly cool, almost serene, he kind of plays against the action with a calmness which just serves to draw the situations in further relief as well as punctuates the actions when it does erupt. Robb brings some needed emotional depth and has good chemistry with Pierre, Johnson is delicious as the small town despot even if its something we've seen him do before. The supporting cast is all solid, James Cromwell shows up for a couple minutes, overall just a some good casting all around, a testament that no huge stars are needed to make a good marketable film.

Visually sharp, tightly paced, a thrumming/droning score all serve to set the scene and ratchet up the tension. The action, when it comes, feels real and visceral and has a messiness to it. The danger Terry is in and skirts for much of the film we feel. It is a impeccably, deliciously made film. From a craft stand point writer/director Jeremy Saulnier is totally in control. His screenwriting maybe not as taut. There are some big ideas presented- racism, policing, cash bail, civil forfeiture, addiction- and they certainly solicit discussion after but none are totally followed through on within the film, there are themes but no message. And that's mostly A-O-K as this is a very fun action film. Even if it is somewhat derivative in some ways it is refreshing how original it feels given the glut of IP. 

The biggest issue is, of course, the fact this was released straight to streaming. This would have made $75 million at the box office if not more and still seen great streaming numbers when it came to it, the fact Netflix still has no real theatrical distribution model or deal is increasingly dumb even from the most base capitalist perspective.

An intense, rhythmic, adult action thriller that makes you think but not too much.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.

Alaska

Perhaps its fitting
it was so difficult
'The Last Frontier'
and all that
we saw beautiful sights
even if their access was constrained
we experienced the wilderness
even if it was extreme
we navigated hordes of tourists
the tourist prices, the tourist traps
the exclusive tours
the prevailing and seemingly inevitable plague of unsalted food
the ever-present Boomer niggling
we endured it all
and had our adventure.

Denali II

Last day in Denali. Its been challenging, highs and lows, but an adventure. Can't say I'd recommend the trip honestly just because of the cost/benefit. There are similar places in the continental 48 that you can experience for 1/2 the price with more accessibility and without Alaska's libertarian culture/infrastructure. Not a bad experience, Nicole and I had a great time and saw some amazing things, but certainly a more complicated one than we were expecting. For visitors Alaska seems most appropriate for either backpackers looking to spend multiple days/weeks camping or rich people who can afford various guided tours and to charter planes.

Ended our time with a visit to the sled dogs, cool and cute!

The Walk

When the first bus was full
I knew we were in trouble
when the second bus was full
I saw my wife transform
already depleted she retreated
to survey the reservoirs of her strength
what appeared empty was in fact only a single chamber
she opened a door to the next, a basement
and took energy from there
we continued to walk

Denali

In Denali the rest of our time here. There's only a single road access to the park and not a ton of established trails. A big thing here is just hiking out into the bush, there's a bus system that takes you farther than you can drive and you hop-on/hop-off to explore. An interesting idea but the bulk of the guests here are retirees or international visitors both groups seemingly ill prepared for the conditions and terrain. Beautiful but logistically a bit complicated and relatively difficult to get away from crowds and experience the park in some solitude.