The Inbetween

The cold descends
and the year ends

the door closes

another opens

a collective breath

is held

and released

as we continue

into the unknown future

'Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell' A Review

Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell is a transcendental drama about Thiện(Lê Phong Vũ) a spiritual searcher, who after the untimely death of his sister-in-law, takes his nephew Đạo(Nguyễn Thịnh) back to his home village for her funeral.

The film is almost purely a mood piece and Vũ is very understated letting the images and situations wash over him, the 'action' such as it is is minimal. From an acting stand point the best parts are with Vũ and Thịnh, the two have great chemistry and the familial connection comes through, but this isn't a film about a single, childless uncle stepping up to be a surrogate parent. After Đạo is placed at a school Thiện searches for his brother through a series of vignettes and these are more poetry than narrative.

The production design is immaculate, with rich patient visuals, a superb and meditative sound design, and an inspired sound mix. There's an impressive one-shot where Thiện and Đạo go to visit a Vietnam War vet who weaves burial shrouds that is up there for best scene of the year.

If there is a criticism it is simply that the film is too long. At three hours the impeccable and transportive lowkey tone simply loses steam in the third hour, its too precarious and understated to maintain for that duration. The film raises a lot of questions and does so in a subtle, evocative way, but it very deliberately has no answers so its not as if the extended run time is building to some crescendo or conclusion. As a result it feels like it sort of peters out.

A powerful and effective work of slow cinema, but perhaps a tad too slow.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

See It.

'The People's Joker' A Review

The People's Joker is a superhero parody/coming-of-age film about the journey of trans woman Joker the Harlequin(Vera Drew also director/co-writer/editor). Through a smorgasbord of visual styles and references Drew brings an irreverent, gonzo take on the Batman comics with a beating heart and surprising pathos. She achieves a precarious ADHD narrative alchemy that is utterly unique.

Visually sumptuous to the point of being at times overwhelming with performances which are effective but that are occasionally so exaggerated it shifts into performance art creating its own kind of mode. The soundtrack has some real bops, a handful performed by Drew herself which are the highlights. There's lots of green screen, tons of 2D and 3D animation in various styles, puppetry, prosthetic work, excellent make-up design, it's a more-is-more approach and it can feel cacophonous but it works.

A singular piece of cinema, galvanic, potent, a stunning debut from Vera Drew.

Currently streaming on MUBI and available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Don't Miss It.

A Birthday Poem

 for Katie

I'll always remember
May 2009
when we went
to Star Trek
because that
was the first time
I called you friend
in my secret heart

'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' A Review

Song The Hedgehog 3 is an action/comedy based on the video game series and the third in the Sonic series. Shadow The Hedgehog(Keanu Reeves) has been held in stasis for decades because of his incredible power, he breaks free and seeks revenge, Sonic and company must stop him.

The returning cast, voice and real, are all having fun and do what they need to do, in trend with the series the only really inspired performance is Jim Carrey this time in a double Robotnik role(grandson and grandpa) which is actually pretty impressive and exciting to watch, this culminates in a best-of-the-year scene dance. 

The visuals are serviceable the soundtrack pop-y, the plot convoluted but pleasingly pretty bizarre. Overall a solid piece of entertainment with no pretentions. Not much to it but there doesn't need to be.

An effective PG family flick.

Currently in theaters.

Rent It.

'Nosferatu' A Review

Nosferatu is a period horror movie, an adaptation of the 1922 silent film, itself an unauthorized take on Dracula.

Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter is uninspired, similar to his turn in Juror #2, he seems lost, adrift, and unable to really find the character or appropriately transmit the greater artistic intent. Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter is miscast and stands out in the cast as not up to the demand, the extended scenes of her moaning, rolling her eyes, and convulsing move quickly from terror to laughability. In both instances Hoult and Depp simply do not have the kind of movie star wattage this kind of tone piece with minimal character dimension requires to make work. Ana Taylor-Joy was originally slated for the Ellen role and Bill Skarsgård for Thomas, knowing this its impossible not to imagine how much better the movie would have been had that initial casting gone through. Skarsgård as Count Orlok the titular Nosferatu is decent but he's shown too much too soon which hamstrings what Skarsgård is able to do in the building of mystique and tension. Similar to Gladiator II the only actor who knows what movie their in and excels is the grizzled vet in this instance Willem Dafoe who's large wild-eyed performance compliments and accentuates the mood.

The production design- across the board- is impeccable. Intricate vibrant locations, pitch perfect beautiful costuming, an ominous creeping score. There is no doubt of writer/director Robert Eggers' skill or artistry when it comes to production(not a surprise given the first part of his career was as a production designer). But after his freshman effort The Witch his screenwriting, casting, and ability to work with actors has been not bad but certainly inconsistent. And that is certainly the case here with the ultimate result clearly being negatively influenced by a protracted development and production disruptions by COVID and the actors/writers strikes.

A rather hollow tone poem caught between conventional narrative and artistic ambition.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

Stream It.

Be Simple. Be Direct.

Life
doesn't need

to be exciting

to have purpose

a lesson

youth learns

only with age