'The Thursday Murder Club' A Review

The Thursday Murder Club is a murder mystery, an adaptation of the Richard Osman novel. Four retiree true crime heads get to put their sleuthing skills to the test in this cozy British whodunit.

The core four- Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie- are, no surprise, pretty great, clearly having fun and committed. It's nice to see a movie with a septuagenarian ensemble, a sub-genre which has kinda ebbed and flowed over the years, as there's so much talent and experience that gets sidelined without stories that center them. The rest of the ensemble is a bit hit or miss- Naomi Ackie and David Tennant are great, Tom Ellis and Daniel Mays are bit confused. But overall it's solid if all within the comfortable confines of the genre.

Visually the film is uneven, the locations themselves are gorgeous, the actual cinematography pretty uninspired. The score is pleasantly forgettable, overall the production works but isn't particularly noticeable. Not much to it but delivers exactly what you'd expect.

For fans of cozy British mysteries, a bit thin otherwise.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

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Aldo's First Game

As I attempted
to explain to my nephew the rules
I am reminded
of the White Sox games
my dad took me to
and did the same
I am reminded

of a story my Aunt Anne likes to tell

about my Uncle John 

before he passed

explaining football to me

as a toddler

watching a Bears game

and telling her

"He gets it!"

I am reminded

of a story my dad likes to tell

about listening to a Black Hawks game

with his dad

driving home from a trip

weeks before my grandfather passed

I am reminded

that sport

and togetherness

can heal

or at least

offer respite

'East Of Wall' A Review

East Of Wall is an indie drama about South Dakota horse trainer Tabatha Zimiga(playing herself) as she struggles with finances, a group of wayward teens she fosters, as well as unresolved grief. With most of the cast playing versions of themselves the film blends documentary and fiction to create a potent and effecting mood.

Zimiga is a compelling lead, she's strong but vulnerable, harsh but sensitive, if she's a bit rough around the edges acting wise that's understandable as she(and pretty much everyone) is a non-professional. But she's able to communicate the essence of who she is and her situation, she's able to achieve what Herzog calls the Ecstatic Truth. The same is true of the rest of the cast notably Zimiga's daughter Porshia who serves as the co-lead and narrator who seems more comfortable in front of the camera than her mother. The two professional actors are Jennifer Ehle as Zimiga's mother Tracey who's great to see and feels relatively authentic but certainly in the tradition of lauded character actors playing questionable working-class roles(see Frances McDormand in Nomadland and Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy). The other is Scoot McNairy who struggles to make his character more than a caricature, partly because he's not really up for it and partly because his inclusion in the script is pretty rote. The times spent with the main cast, the ones playing themselves, simply living their lives is really truly wonderful and that's where the bread-and-butter of the film lies.

Visually the film is kinda glorious. Sweeping plains, long tracking shots of the girls riding horses, fly-on-the-wall slice-of-life vignettes- it's all really beautiful and evocative. The soundtrack is contemporary and feels authentic to this group of people we're spending time with. If there's a fault it is that, at times, the dialogue feels a bit clunky and the plot machinations with McNairy's character feel unnecessary or contrived. This is counterbalanced by the many many effective, moving, honest scenes that weave throughout, particularly a scene towards the end where Zimiga finally opens up in a circle of other women. 

A bold and inspiring debut from writer/director Kate Beecroft.

See It.

A Rejection Of The Inevitable Future

Fuck AI

'Nobody 2' A Review

Nobody 2 is an action movie, a sequel to 2021's Nobody. Hutch(Bob Odenkirk) is exhausted working overtime kicking ass and dropping bodies to pay off the mob debt he incurred in the first movie. But as a result he is neglecting his family. As a way to reconnect he takes the family to tourist town Plummerville(a quasi Wisconsin Dells). But Hutch can't stay outta trouble long!

Odenkirk is fun to watch here, he clearly does a fair amount of his own stunts and the fight scenes are great. But the emotional plotting is pretty thin and goofy, with some stabs at giving the character some depth and the family dynamic something beyond the superficial but it's not particularly successful or engaging. The supporting cast is solid, returners Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, and RZA and new additions John Ortiz and Sharon Stone all bring energy and presence(particularly Stone). The only off note is Colin Hanks as the evil Sheriff, not really in his wheelhouse. But overall there just isn't enough for all of them to do.

The action is shot legibly and has impact, the finale in the fair grounds is a blast, the fight choreography is crisp and exciting. Pretty much everything else though meanders or doesn't seem to have a clear intent. There just doesn't seem to be enough reason for this sequel to exist.

It's fine, diverting enough but not particularly original or unique it just kind of iterates.

Currently in theaters.

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Pride & Prejudice

Listen
I like Kiera Knightly

quite a bit

I saw Domino

opening night

but she ain't my Lizzy Bennet

she's no Jennifer Ehle

not by a mile

God Sized Hole

the house
the car
the job
will be the solution

a new phone

a smart watch

will be the solution

a change of scenery

will be the solution

except it won't

except what's missing

isn't outside

what's missing

is inside

it can't be filled with stuff

it must be given up

given over

only then

will the searching end

'Highest 2 Lowest' A Review

Highest 2 Lowest is a crime thriller, a remake of Kurosawa's High and Low, directed by Spike Lee. David King(Denzel Washington) is a high-powered music producer and on the eve of a large deal with his label his son is kidnapped and held for ransom.

Washington is captivating as always, just like in Gladiator II, he creates a compelling character by sheer talent and will from the uneven, confused script. Jeffrey Wright is underutilized as his friend/driver but still compelling. The rest of the cast struggles to make anything interesting from the script and come across as mostly wooden and melodramatic. 

The production is inconsistent. The movie opens with a repeated pedestrian drone shot, the first 2/3rd's are strangled by an incessant old-timey orchestral score, the shot set-ups and framing are frequently bizarre. All this together just makes for a profound confusion in tone. It kinda smooths out and gets interesting in the final third with some more of Spike Lee's patented inspired sequences and shots as well as a more appropriate and compelling soundtrack, unfortunately it's a case of too-little too-late. Perhaps the script or Lee wanted to stick too close to the original or perhaps the production was rushed, either way it just feels underbaked, erratic, and dated.

Lower tier Spike Lee but worth watching for Washington and the lively third act. 

Currently in theaters.

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Your Best Is Variable

During a difficult time

I was struggling to be present

struggling to stay calm

struggling

to do what I needed to do
I told a friend
"If this were graded I'd be getting a D."
he said
"It's not graded. It's pass/fail."

and that unlocked a lot for me

'Weapons' A Review

Weapons is a horror/mystery about the disappearance of a third-grade class. Told through nonlinear, overlapping chapters from different characters perspective the mystery and it's impact is explored. Tension slowly builds with scares and some laughs to a surprising crescendo.

The ensemble cast is all around stellar with some faces we haven't seen in awhile and some old school tried-and-true character actors. Julia Garner(alcoholic teacher), Josh Brolin(grieving father), Alden Ehrenreich(struggling cop), Austin Abrams(relentless junkie), Benedict Wong(PC principal) and child actor Cary Christopher(shockingly poised) each have their own chapter and each carve out an interesting character with nuance, some humor, and complexity. The structure allows them to give slightly different performances of the same interactions based on whose perspective the scene is from. The whole thing is just really rich and you can tell the cast is giving it everything they got and having a blast. And that extends beyond the main cast to pretty much anyone who even has a cameo- Toby Huss(old school police chief), June Diane Raphael(jilted lover), Justin Long(beta dad)- it all just weaves together intricately and works in harmony to present these rich characters and community while simultaneously ratcheting up the tension and unspooling the mystery. Out of this impressive cast the big surprise, the show stopper, is Amy Madigan who gives an absolutely magnetic, terrifying, layered performance. She goes for it and it pays off huge. She's always been an impressive(and working) character actor but it's so great to see her get this kind of spot light, this kind of scale, this late in her career which should(if there's any actual merit in these things) lead to awards recognition. She is sensational.

Visually the film is subtle but innovative, the horror sequences are inspired as are the camera angles and shot set up just in the "regular" scenes, there's two really thrilling dream sequences, and it all culminates in an edge-of-your-seat heart-pumping finale that is the most cathartic endings to a film since Winston Duke's recitation in Nine Days. The score is eerie and subtle, the costuming and set design evocative, all the production elements and the script and the cast all work together melodically to present this unified story. All elements are working towards this singular vision and purpose. It's clear the promise of Barbarian was not a fluke and this from writer/director Zach Cregger is even better. He shows here his ability to translate his vision and perfectly manage tone. It's impressive for a sophomore feature and easily one of the best films of the year.

Rich, dynamic, fun, scary, provocative, slippery, all of the above.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

True Crime

In grade school

Rashawn's sister

was shot and killed

Will's sister

died of leukemia

Mindy drowned

in the Kishwaukee

we never suffered

under the delusion

of suburban safety

or middle-class innocence

The thesis

of much True Crime

seems to be

bad things

inexplicable things

tragic things

can and do happen

well

no shit

'The Naked Gun' A Review

The Naked Gun is an action comedy, a reboot/sequel of the Leslie Nielsen franchise this time with Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. The movie opens on the heist of a literal P.L.O.T. device and the antics go from there. There's slapstick, visual gags, word play, some goof action, and a pretty stacked cast of fully committed actors having a blast.

Neeson is a delight, his gravely deadpan delivery and absolute commitment to the absurd not only makes the comedy work but it's infections and the tone he sets permeates the entire cast and the movie. Pamela Anderson as Beth Davenport is a great foil to Neeson, the two have wonderful chemistry, and it's just the right kind of tone for her, she's able to play and have fun. A wonderful follow up to her ambitious if somewhat underrealized turn in The Last Showgirl. Danny Huston as the heavy is having a ball and it's great to see him in not only a comedy but something this broad where he's able to let loose. CCH Pounder is not cast against type exactly but she plays the bizzarro absurd version of the various law enforcement and government officials she's played over her long career. Similarly Kevin Durand returns to the villainous henchman role he's played before but is able to be funny and kinda comment on it. Overall just solid casting and clearly director Akiva Schaffer set a fun, playful tone that trickled down.

In some ways the way it's shot its relatively conventional, as most comedies are, but every couple scenes there would be a real inspired physical comedy set piece culminating in a fight scene with Neeson set to 'Fergalicious'. The soundtrack/score is effective but most of the credit goes to a pretty air tight inspired script, a talented cast all-in, and an assured director in Schaffer who had a clear vision. It's refreshing that this exists and was released in theaters, an adult comedy(of which we get few-to-none), that doesn't try to hit every demo, there are many references people under 30 would not get. But even then I think there's appeal to a younger crowd just based the infectious exuberance of the whole thing.

A light-hearted, unserious blast. Guaranteed to make you lol.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.