The Next Right Thing

We are
in some small part
an expression

of the great creation

which connects all things

from the smallest microbe

to the behemoths of deep space

interlinked in our propulsion

our purpose

and yet 

we deviate from the current

rail against its curves

fixate upon self

and the impotent pursuit

of will

devested of this delusion

free from its bondage

we have the opportunity

to be a conduit

of pure intent

not the arbiter of the path's direction

but a facilitator of its endurance

not certain, not righteous

but member

in total equality

of the collective divinity.

'Thelma' A Review

Thelma is a comedy that plays with action tropes about a widow Thelma(June Squibb) who is the victim of a phone scam who sets out to get back what's hers.

Squibb in her first lead role is wonderful, bringing her robust humor and vulnerability to this fun, quirky, and sometimes poignant tale. Richard Roundtree in his last film role plays Ben her friend and accomplice, it is such a treat to see him here with a healthy amount of screentime. He brings some much needed grounding and pathos but is also able to play a bit more subtly with the humor. Thelma's grandson Danny played by Fred Hechinger is the big surprise, he is so present, so emotional, and has magnetic chemistry with Squibb. With Hollywood shoving the likes of Austin Butler and Timothée Chalamet down our throats its so refreshing to see a young actor with actual talent and screen presence. Parker Posey(always an absolute delight) and Clark Gregg round out the main cast as Danny's parents and use their more limited involvement to excellent effect. 

First time writer/director Josh Margolin comes out of the gates shockingly assured. Shot on location in LA the film looks great, the staging on locales serve to create a real world and to highlight the underseen lives of the elderly lead. The score though is the homerun, overlayed throughout is an exciting action/thriller/heist sound which serves to straightforwardly heighten the action as well as recontextualize the journey and perspective of the titular hero. It is so fun and so effective. And that is the real triumph here, this alchemy of theme and tone. Grief, aging, purpose, family, action, comedy, drama: all are included here, woven together gracefully like a delicate tapestry.

A feel-good, thoughtful, tightly focused film that entertains and inspires.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't Miss It.

'Inside Out 2' A Review

Inside Out 2 is an animated coming-of-age dramedy a sequel to the 2015 hit. Riley hits puberty and Joy/Sadness/Anger/Disgust/Fear welcome new emotions Anxiety/Ennui/Envy/Embarrassment. As Riley sets off for a weekend hockey camp the summer before high school the emotions jockey for control.

The vocal performances are all decent although the re-casting of Fear and Disgust conveys an odd audio uncanny valley, like Dan Castellaneta taking over the role of the Genie from Robin Williams. But the emotional impact of the original is not present, not a fault of the cast but of the script.

It is nice to revisit Riley and her emotions but there is an assembly line quality to the story that leaves something to be desired. The movie splits its time between Riley in the real world and the world in her head which results in a distracting lack of focus and much of the plotting feels perfunctory. With some of the action it also implies that Riley herself is more a robot to be controlled by the various emotions which is disconcerting and doesn't jive with the mechanics of the original in some ways undercutting the whole metaphor. The emotions don't really have a clear journey, Joy and company pretty much just tread water for the entire second act, and it is apparent Riley, on the precipice of puberty and high school, is the more interesting character and has the more engaging story. The two don't feel particularly integrated and in splitting the narrative down the middle neither are fully realized. Riley's anxiety attack towards the end of the movie is the only really inspired and effective sequence.

Mildly diverting but not particularly exciting, lacking the desired Pixar emotional punch.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

Cat Dreams

stalking in the tall grass
a tree perch for pouncing
pathetic prey plodding

meat, fresh or stinking
yummmmm

What's that!?

'The Watchers' A Review

The Watchers is a horror/thriller about American ex-pat Mina(Dakota Fanning) living in Ireland and working at a pet shop. On a delivery to a zoo she breaks down in a mysterious woods. She meets Ciara(Georgina Campbell), Madeline(Olwen Fouéré), and Daniel(Oliver Finnegan) all of whom have similarly been lost and spend their nights in a bunker on display for the unknown creatures who prevent them from leaving.

Its great to see Fanning once again as the lead, she's always had presence but in her age she's become more robust as an actor able to play more intricately with subtlety and emotion. She's a joy to watch and she works wonders against the poorly written, predictable script. Fouéré, a treasure, also gives a performance that elevates the material, she's always captivating to watch and her late career mainstream success is a benefit to us all. Campbell and Finnegan don't fair as well, they have talent, but are unable to really extricate or differentiate themselves from the awkward thudding nature of the dialogue.

The movie looks slick, the bunker set particularly is evocative, the creature design once they are reveled is cool, the soundtrack effective. Its just the script. The pacing and tone are off, the dialogue unnatural and exposition heavy. There's a great movie in here, no question, there is simply a confusion as to its purpose. There's too much fat, it meanders when it should thrust. Its unfocused. It takes too long at the beginning to set up the situation, it rushes through the middle where all of the tension and character development should be, and then it ends derivatively, twice. Writer/director Ishana Night Shyamalan has talent but, like her father, her screenwriting abilities are questionable.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

'Ghostlight' A Review

Ghostlight is a family drama about construction worker Dan(Keith Kupferer) who stumbles across a community theater production of Romeo & Juliet where he befriends one of the actors Rita(Dolly de Leon). Eventually he joins the cast and through the process is able to work through family troubles with his wife Sharon(Tara Mallen) and daughter Daisy(Katherine May Kupferer)

Keith Kupferer is a reserved but emotive lead, there's a clarity to all his internal ebbs and flows thats really impactful if not big. There's a naturalism to the performance, almost an everyman quality, that grounds the film but also clearly conveys its sincerity. Him and de Leon have great chemistry and she carves out her own beautifully rendered character with a limited supporting role. Katherine May Kupferer is more theatrical, more dramatic, which makes sense as a teen and as a drama kid and her arc because of this is probably the most clearly drawn. Mallen has the smallest of the family roles and is equally effective, just makes you wish she had a bit more space in the screenplay. Their chemistry is helped by the fact the family is a family in real life. The rest of the supporting cast are all lovely and real and build out this world and community with a grace and intention that seems to be almost passé in our current transitional era of cinema.

The film looks great, shot on location in the Chicago suburbs, as a result its sense of people and place furthers the films intentions. There's not a ton of flash in the production but there are some nice touches, distorted sound or shaky close ups to convey high emotion. It just works and serves to bolster the simple yet evocative realism. Where the film really soars is in the exploration of its themes, namely grief and the transformative nature of art. The way the film builds the story and characters to a relatively subtle but extremely potent catharsis. The narrative has a quality that, again, seems almost like a throwback in that the characters over the course of the film change. They learn and grow. The drama isn't bludgeoning or bleak, its quiet and authentic, there is plenty of humor, but its effect is deep. These are just people trying to figure it out and isn't that what all of us are?

Earnest, powerful, in keeping its scope intimate it soars.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Don't Miss It.

Hubris

I saw two ravens
a portent

I didn't heed

Frustrated

mosquito ridden

I plunged ahead

on a narrow log

across a creek

with a crack

and shudder

I fell

soaked, phone ruined

chastised

for my willfulness

another lesson

in hubris