'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse' A Review

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is an animated superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics Miles Morals/Spider-Man story line. Miles(Shameik Moore), Brooklynite and graffiti artist, struggles to adjust to his new elite school and his parents expectations. He spends time with his low-key easy-going uncle Aaron(Mahershala Ali) to get away from his overwhelming school work and pressures. One night while the two are out in an abandoned subway tunnel, a canvas for Miles found by his uncle, Miles is bitten by a radioactive spider and develops superhuman abilities. His stumbles upon a confrontation between the existing Spider-Man(voiced by Chris Pine, the Peter Parker we know) and a number of villains as they battle over the machine. Spider-Man is killed but not before charging Miles with the destruction of the machine, he flees, but not before the accelerator opens a door between alternate dimensions which draws various versions of Spider-Man into Miles' world.

The voice performances are all unilaterally good especially Moore and Brian Tyree Henry and  Luna Lauren Velez as Miles' mother and father. For all the action and meta elements what sustains the story is its unflinching commitment and sincerity to its characters. The family dynamic and Miles' coming-of-age lie at the center of the story, the supporting cast is wide and there is a lot of self-referential, pop culture elements as well as an almost taken-for-granted understanding of the parallel worlds theory but despite all the busyness(which is very fun and frequently funny) there is a real emotional story at its center. All the celebrity cameos and supporting turns are part of the pleasure of the film so I won't spoil it here but almost every voice is recognizable and it is clear that all the actors enjoy their parts substantially.

What is so impressive about the film is that it pulls off a supremely complicated juggling act. The emotional tract of the narrative is never compromised and Miles couldn't be on a more real and compelling journey. The alternate worlds element allows for not only fun psychedelic visuals and various forms of Spider-Heroes to team up but allows for gags and bits as well as commentary that a like-our-world-but-not-our-world allows from the poignant to the absurd. And all the while an ongoing playfulness is balanced with the action and more "sincere" elements. The other thing the film gets exactly right is its source material ie comics. This is the first comic book movie that actually justly incorporates comic book elements with the occasional panels flashing on the screen to meta-voice over and talk and think bubbles. It feels like a comic book but not in a way that is hack or distracting but in a way that elevates that material in a surprising way.

A diverse action packed superhero film that despite its seemingly complicated plot manages to be  clear, entertaining, and almost exuberant. And behind all the jokes there is a soft but staying message- anyone can be a hero.

See It.

Ink 2

I do not mark
my body
for others
to see it marked
I mark it
to remember
where I was
and when
who I was
and am.

'Roma' A Review

Roma is a drama about a maid in Mexico City in the early 1970's. The film takes place, roughly, over a year following Cleo(Yalitza Aparicio) as she cares for the household and four children of Sofia(Marina de Tavira). Shot in a rich black and white with alternatively graceful and thrilling long lived-in takes typical to writer/director Alfonso Cuarón the film takes a small story and shows it in all the wonder and heartbreak, all the grandeur and pain, that humanity offers at its most pure. Although produced and released on Netflix this is a film that unequivocally deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Newcomer Aparicio gives a masterful performance. She is on screen almost the entire film and carrie that weigh with an effortlessness that is captivating. She is totally emotionally available and not only in times of joy or despair but in every little flicker in between. We are with her on this journey, find the pleasure and boredom and frustration in the mundane day-to-day chores and activities. And we are with her seeing and feeling with her as she struggles with bigger challenges. There are so many stand-out scenes in the film to list them would be to simply recount it but there is one moment when Cleo is celebrating New Years toasting with a friend where she is bumped and her drink spills that is so powerful and so true to describe it as stunning would be an understatement. The honesty of her performance is captivating and unique, its not totally rare that an unknown non-actor gives a star, but it is rare that one gives such an dynamic, emphatic, almost mythic but at the same time totally human performance. The supporting cast are filled with amazing performances capturing life with all its complexities and humor and occasional darkness but none of them would work without Aparicio at the center. She grounds the story in the real but at the same time(with the assistance of the stunning camera work) elevate it to the divine.

The cinematography, no surprise from Cuarón, is breathtaking. Paired expertly and homogeneously with the lead performance the visuals give us what would appear to be mundane things- cleaning, laundry, long tracking shots of two friends walking down the street, a couple kissing at a movie theater- but with such patience and detail the richness, the reality, and the beauty are undeniable. The score is more subtle but equally evocative with a couple well placed and poignant diegetic moments and with an layered and immersive soundscape, in the theater at least utilizing surround sound more expertly than any experience I can recall.

The story and themes are simple but run deep. The story is small, a year in the life of a maid in a particular time, but what its really about is the glory and tragedy of the human experience. The themes are far reaching- sexual politics, gender disparity, class, race- you name it. As with real life the narrative touches on many things but its investigation of these themes is gentle, almost reverent. The lead is a maid and that is not ignored- her indigenous background, her poverty or circumstance-but her position is not the focal point, the film doesn't bludgeon or burden us with preaching, pontification, or flagellation. We see a life, a beautiful, complicated, layered life. The hardships aren't ignored they are accepted as reality, and given that, how can one transcend is the question. And that, ultimately, is what the film is about- transcendence.

In our age of turmoil where despair and hate are close Roma trumpets hope and grace and celebrates that thing we all share- being human.

Don't Miss It.

Ink

My cousin Phil
was the first person
I saw, in the flesh,
with tattoos
he looked like a biker
but was quiet
and unassuming
at 7
it was my first lesson
in the dissonance
between media
and reality.

In college
my roommate Bob
had a patterned piece
on his back
with a bass cleft
at its center,
he was a musician
and the rightness of it
struck me
its emblematic portent
defining, complementing
who he was or perhaps
wanted to be.

It wasn't the aesthetic
that attracted me
or the culture
I wanted to join
but the talismanic power
of image
burned into flesh
symbols
that provide meaning
and fortify identity
details of time
and place and purpose
a record of life lived.

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald'

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a fantasy adventure movie the first sequel to the 2016 franchise starter. Set in the Potterverse in the first half of the 20th century the dark wizard Grindelwald(Johnny Depp) escapes his captivity in New York and sets out to woo powerful unstable magical force Credence(Ezra Miller). Dumbledore(Jude Law) sets our friendly neighborhood creature charmer Newt(Eddie Redmayne) on the task to find Credence and thwart Grindelwald.

None of the performances are particularly notable because no individual character is given any time to do much of anything other than puppet-like jerk through the convoluted, incredulity inducing, ultimately banal plotting. The one clear and present eye sore is Johnny Depp who puts in a thin, lazy, fleshy turn and begs the question why his casting was maintained from the first movie to this. His domestic abuse, bad behavior, willful substance abuse problems are all well documented which is reason enough to recast but even if you are a die hard separatist of the art and the artist it is unarguable that Depp hasn't given a more than adequate(at best) performance in 15 years. Whatever charisma or ability he once had is faded to nothing. Johnny Depp's casting is the most egregious error in a movie filled with them.

The narrative suffers from the worst habits of modern franchise filmmaking. It is all filler, the characters are moved like chess pieces around a board but nothing actually happens. With a two hour plus running time the only thing of significance that happens comes at the very end and ultimately its a MacGuffin we weren't even aware of. The successful aspect of the first installment was the chemistry of the core four leads especially the charm and humor of Dan Fogler as Jacob and Allison Sudol as Queenie. Grindelwald and the machinations of his rise are not terribly interesting especially since the performance and the story are but a pale approximation of something we've already seen ie Voldemort. The filmmakers seem not to be aware of why Harry Potter was a success, why the first film was a moderate success, or how to tell(or have forgotten) a competent engaging story. It's the people. Interesting people and compelling relationships make for good stories. Full stop.

The characters we are familiar with are given little screen time, are underdeveloped, and are separated in a ham-fisted way that goes against what we know about them as characters. A myriad of new characters are introduced but there are so many, needlessly, they are given no real context, backstory or development. The result is a bunch of two dimensional cut outs wobbling through the motions of an unbelievable piece of glittering CGI artistry.

Reminiscent of the failed 21st century Narnia series this franchise will derail if some serious adjustments aren't made.

Don't See It.

'The Favourite' A Review

The Favourite is part historical drama, part dark comedy loosely based on the brief reign of English monarch Queen Anne in the early 18th century. The film opens on the frail, volatile queen(Olivia Coleman) and her closest adviser, friend, and defacto head of state Sarah Chruchill(Rachel Weisz). Enter an estranged cousin fallen on hard times Abigail Hill(Emma Stone) who seeks to insinuate herself between the two in order to survive. Struggles of political, sexual, and emotional power simmer and erupt as the three combat for position, prestige, and favor.

Coleman is a revelation, rapidly cycling through kaleidoscopic emotions with such elegance and sincerity this seemingly pathetic character is fascinating and easily the strongest and most complex of the three leads. Her Anne is so raw but also so guileless, a fascinating portrait of a tragic life paired with the singular royal burdens of state. Weisz is captivating as the capable and commanding Churchill, a consummate politician, proficient with horses and guns, as well as etiquette. She is physical solid, almost imposing, and she moves through the film with an unflinching certainty which elevates her already inherent magnetism. Stone is the lone false step in casting. She is serviceable but is simply out classed by Colman and Weisz and as the narrative progresses and Stone is given more and more screen time this becomes more and more apparent. She doesn't have the range, or at least doesn't display it here, to captivate to the level that the film requires as it rounds into its third act. Her low key charm and wide eyes only go so far especially in comparison to Coleman's contagious effervescence and Weisz's emphatic confidence. The supporting cast are mostly men and all well cast and well played but they are mostly, and deliberately, window dressing in heavy makeup, involved outfits, and foppish wigs.

Visually the film is lush and stark in equal measure. Almost exclusively shot with wide-angel and fisheye lenses and confined to the palace a cavernous yet claustrophobic mood is evoked. Trance like and despite the period trappings seemingly out of time. The costumes feel appropriate but not period beholden. They serve to elevate, and evoke the moods and themes of the piece rather than a specific time. The ominous and repetitious score also serves to extenuate the mercurial genres and relationships the film encapsulates. The narrative is tight, fluctuating from absurd comedy to brutal drama on a dime without losing its way, however it does slow down considerably towards the end and concludes with more of an ellipses rather than a thrilling baffling crescendo which fans of director Yorgos Lanthimos may be accustomed to given his two previous films The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

Lanthimos always delivers something different, something unexpected, and always gets singular performances from actors. The script and Stone however fail somewhat to live up to the potential of the film. Not a deal breaker more a disappointment for those who are familiar with Lanthimos work. However it is his most approachable and accessible film while still maintaining his singular eye and bizarre(gratifying) sensibilities.

See It.

Roads

As I travel
this thread of asphalt
I wonder
at its convenience
and simplistic beauty
in a pocket out of time
I traverse the distance
to my destination.

And beyond
this small track
between Chicago Illinois
and Madison Wisconsin
I think of all the miles and roads
that continue
stretching to other cities
and forgotten towns
and sleepy nooks,
of this continent
and the one below
all connected
by lines of pavement
carved out
by ingenuity and sweat.

The complaint of traffic
seems myopic
given the freedom
accorded by the Road.