'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them' A Review

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is a fantasy film, a continuation of the Harry Potter universe, about British wizard Newt Scamander(Eddie Redmayne) who travels to NYC on his way to Arizona in 1926. Newt quickly encounters Mary Lou Barebone(Samantha Morton) the leader of the ominous anti-magic group New Salem Philanthropic Society, mistakenly exchanges briefcases with baker Jacob Kowalski(Dan Fogler), and runs afowl of Tina Goldstein(Katherine Waterston) a former Auror for the Magical Congress(MACUSA).

Redmayne give a good performance as the eccentric anti-social Newt who displays hidden depths as the film goes on. Waterston is decent as the co-lead but bears the burden of much of the exposition and plot forwarding. Fogler and Alison Sudol as Queenie, Tina's mind-reading sister, are the real stand outs. They give charm, emotion, playfulness, and much needed heart to the film. Morton is somewhat underutilized as the villainous cult leader and Colin Farrell as the suspect chief Auror is good although isn't given material enough to be great.

The real star of the film is the world building. Outside the constraints of the original series author and screenwriter J.K. Rowling and director David Yates have plied their considerable imaginations to bring to life the wizarding world at large with lots of interesting magical creatures and slowly creating the magical mythology of the US. The period setting, beasts, and magic practiced are all writ in sharp and pleasing detail. The magic especially is engaging as the characters are all adults and practice it with substantial more fluidity and grace than in the HP series. Although not exactly narratively tight the film is a fun and entertaining first installment that sets considerable groundwork for what promises to be a rich and interesting expansion of the Harry Potter Universe.

Fantastic magical action, engaging performances, a good start.

See It.

'Christine' A Review

Christine is a biographical drama about Sarasota television news reporter Christine Chubbuck(Rebecca Hall) as she struggles with job fulfillment, romance, and depression. The film opens on Christine doing a fake interview with Nixon ostensibly for her reel, we then follow her as she prepares a segment for that evenings news broadcast. She produces interesting pieces although not in the "if it bleeds, it leads" style the station manager Michael(Tracey Letts) has been asking for. She has stilted but still relatively warm interactions with all her co-workers, volunteers at a local children's hospital where she does puppet shows, and lives with her mother to varying degrees of normalcy. As the film progresses Christine falls short of the high romantic and professional goals she has set for herself which thrusts her into deeper and deeper despair.

Hall gives a tour de force performance, the most meaty and ecstatic of her career, she finds an incredible balance of the mental illness and anti-social nature of Christine with a lively sense of charm, wry humor, and empathy. You never question that her mother and co-workers like her but you understand clearly that they are challenging relationships. Letts gives a great turn as the harrowed boss, he and Hall share some entertaining combative scenes which are underscored by the clear affection and respect between the characters. Michael C. Hall, Timothy Simons, Kim Shaw, and most notably Maria Dizzia round out the news room and give dimension and emotion to the ensemble. Christine although not a success as she would see it is liked and respected by her co-workers, there is no cliched bullying or ill treatment. In reality we seemingly get an engaging look at how a local news room may have functioned during that time and are invited into their seemingly insular club with warmth.

Rich visuals, an eerie foreboding score, and the use of super 8 footage and repeated scenes of the news team manipulating film serve to elevate this already captivating tragedy to real artistry.

A stunning lead, a rich ensemble, sharp  engaging production design.

Don't Miss It.

Restless

We have a long history
of zoomorphizing
applying
fox cunning
dog loyalty
lion regality
housecat fastidiousness
to our fellow humans
but perhaps the most apt,
our most true kin
is the shark
with whom we share
the grave and incessant need
for movement
the only destination
forward
the only moment
the next
and the next
and the next
constantly reaching
never arriving.

'Nocturnal Animals' A Review

Nocturnal Animals is a story-within-a-story melodramatic thriller about the ennui of rich and stylish LA artist Susan Morrow(Amy Adams) as she grapples with the infidelity of her husband Hutton(Armie Hammer) and plunges into the manuscript of her ex-husband's novel also titled Nocturnal Animals. The narrative shifts from Susan dramatically supine on beautiful furniture reading the novel to the actual plot of the novel to flashbacks filling out Susan and her ex-husband Edward's(Jake Gyllenhaal) brief and overwrought marriage.

Adams is stunningly misused as the vapid and emotionally uncomprehending lead. As one of the greatest actors currently working, not to mention her excellent turn in just last weeks Arrival, her terrible performance can be fully attributed to an obvious and spurious script and contrived directing. Gyllenhaal is not awful as Edward/Tony(the father in the novel) but this seems like his latest in a long list of tortured Oscar nomination grabs. Hammer, although given a thankless part, is bland to the point of irritation. As time goes on the promise he showed in The Social Network seems more and more to have been a fluke. Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the novel's villain lacks any menace or dimension, a wasted effort, another "handsome" actor whose early promise(Kick-Ass) has yet to bear fruit. Michael Shannon as the novel's detective is the one bright spot of the entire film, imbuing the character with his always constant immediacy, wry humor, danger, and emotional complexity.

The main problem with the film is that the story is uninteresting, trite, recycling. The Adam's character and its machinations are uncompelling, the character is rich, oblivious, and pretentious. The novel narrative is an overused and off putting plot device- hooligans assault a man's wife and child while he is rendered impotent then seeks revenge. In this day and age that kind of plot device is boring and offensive. The characters lack dimension and emotion and the story in which the navigate we've seen countless times. Everyone looks very good though.

All style, no substance. Worst of the year contender.

Don't See It.

'The Eagle Huntress' A Review

The Eagle Huntress is a documentary about young Mongolian girl Aisholpan who attempts to be the first female eagle hunter. The film opens on an eagle hunter in the mountains releasing his golden eagle after seven years of service. Accompanying this is narration describing the long patriarchal tradition of nomads hunting with golden eagles. For the remainder of the film we follow Aisholpan as she goes to school, is trained by her father to eagle hunt, competes in a eagle hunting competition, and ventures out on the winter ice to hunt for herself.

The landscape is beautiful but what has even more grace is Aisholpan herself who navigates her unprecedented passion with bravery and a quiet assurance, her uncompromising drive to be an eagle hunter pairs with her unwavering confidence that she has the right to do what she wants to do to make her, in a way, transcend the incredible boundary she is breaking. She is a unique and captivating young woman who happens to be doing this thing no one has ever done before. What also becomes clear is the devotion, love, pride, and support of her family which is unflinching in the face of some shockingly brazen sexist posturing.

Although the film focuses mostly on the actual fundamentals and nature of eagle hunting, which is fascinating and majestic in and of itself, the subtleties of the ancient male-only president being broken are what make it so powerful.

An inspiring and poignant true story that affirms the power of the individual.

See It.

Bundled Up

There is comfort
in being prepared-
the warmth
of a sensible jacket,
the snug fit
of a knit cap,
the security
of suitable gloves-
that wondrous equilibrium
when the outfit
both shields
and compliments
the chill breeze,
for a moment
impregnable
and perfect.

Proper packaging bears fruit.

'Tower' A Review

Tower is a documentary about the 1966 shootings at University of Texas at Austin. The film contains archival footage, animated reenactments, and interviews woven together with an artistry which elevates the film beyond the straight-forward PBS style documentary it may at first appear to be. It recounts the 96 minute shooting on 8/1/66 in almost real time from the perspectives of the victims, participants, and onlookers spending almost no time on the identity or possible motivations of the shooter.

What becomes abundantly clear is the confusion and the terror the event provoked and how long it took for what was happening to become clear. In this age of cell phones and instant communication the way not only the event unfolded on campus but throughout the world is fascinating. It creates a stark contrast to the bloated media landscape in which we live today. After the event has been set up the film turns away from the specific circumstances and delves into the numerous acts of human compassion and bravery the tragedy provoked.

The fluid cuts and transitions from animation to real footage create a more visceral recounting of the event than a more cut-and-dry recitation of the events would be. We certainly get substantial who was where when type of information but time and again the film turns away from the specific facts to what the individuals who experienced it were thinking and feeling in the moment. And that focus is what is engaging and heartbreaking and inspiring. It makes the film rise above the historical into something much more potent.

A visually complex and emotionally captivating memorial, emphasizing collective courage over individual cruelty.

Don't Miss It.