RAPID FIRE REVIEWS: March 17 - March 24

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“Life Itself” (2018)

MILD SPOILERS:

Huh.

You know, I’m going to try to word this carefully enough as to not ruin the ending, but did this film seriously try to wrap things up so neatly that the traumatic event linking the two young would-be lovers together never ever came up between them? Not even in a conversation? Especially considering that the victim of that emotional trauma is, I don’t know, still very much impacted by it? Just complete wedded bliss, huh?

Well, okay, if you say so.

*** 

I guess “Life Itself” can be considered a semi-decent drama just as long as you do not think too deeply about it once it’s over. The journey itself is fairly harmless, sans a Second Act that is so goddamn mopey that an afternoon with Eeyore on the gloomiest day of the year sounds invigorating by comparison. It also carries substantial weight over the climax, which is why I don’t feel too badly about discussing it in brief. Unmistakably, the film tries to sell the ending as the biggest emotional knockout, when really it arrives as a rushed dud due to the overly long fleshing out of the film’s darker sequences.

“Everything---is---really---sad. Everybody---is---a---martyr. The---world---is---better---off---without---me. Heyeverythingworkedout. Happyhappyyayclichelifelessontheend.”

I know, that’s a terrible illustration, but the pacing of this thing is like a bad sugar rush in reverse. From where I sit, Dan Fogelman’s screenplay could have used a few more passes in order to really reign in some of the more deserving dramatic narratives that could have given “Life Itself” the balance that it needed. His direction of what did make the final cut isn’t all bad, though. Fogelman successfully extracted yet another solid performance from Oscar Isaac, whose character arc in the First Act is far and away the most gripping of the entire plot. I also really enjoyed Sergio Peris-Mencheta in the Second Act’s lead role and the quiet charisma he brought to it; which is why it was so frustrating to see him criminally underwritten. The entire time he was on screen I kept thinking a big, compelling truth was going to come out to take the film to the next level, and then it just didn’t so the storyline could continue its downhill tumble to the finish line.

Ultimately, Fogelman had a genuinely good idea that was perhaps too broad and ill-defined. He’s certainly not a hack behind the lens, and if granted the opportunity, I will give whatever he has planned next a fair shake. “Life Itself” is a near miss, but by miss, I mean instead of hitting the target, he hit an old lady standing next to said target in the face.

“Life Itself”: 5.5/10

“Mudbound” (2017)

While there is an endless amount of cinematic material that can be pulled from America’s biggest and most atrocious black eye (no pun intended), the need to keep things fresh and relatable never goes out of style. Sure, filling a film with an onslaught of “Passion of the Christ” levels of physical violence may not stray far from historical accuracy, and to be clear, “Mudbound” does dabble in this as one of its final uppercuts to the jawbone, but that’s not strictly what racial oppression was all about after the turn into the 1900s. Being a World War II era story, “Mudbound” places its narrative at a time where the country and the people in it are trying to start correcting their trajectory; yet, being in the Deep South, there is still a frustrating amount of hateful separation even with a younger generation trying to stand up to the ways of their elders.

I think what I liked most about “Mudbound” was its decision to tell the story from no one specific central character perspective. It is mostly male-centric, which is in a way too bad because I would have liked to have seen more from Carey Mulligan and Mary J. Blige; though this is not entirely surprising given the time period and the limits put on the common housewife’s daily routine. In total, there are members from three different generations “sharing” a plot of land – 2 white families and one black family – whom the film shows interactions amongst their own and with each other; some of which are ugly confrontations like the aforementioned climax of the feature, and others more compassionate like Jamie McAllen (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell) whom discover a common bond after their servitude in the war.

Be forewarned that “Mudbound” that does leap well over two hours in length, and none of it moves at a blistering pace. This is definitely a period character drama that takes deliberate steps in no particular hurry so it can really drive home a brutal, yet bittersweet conclusion. Yes, there is a sense of the “white savior” card being played here, although, if somebody has an ally in enemy territory, it kind of is what it is at that point. I realize that has been a cultural hot button for quite some time, and fair enough, but the context of it here makes decent sense without really anything in the way of narcissism.

The acting is also solid across the board. I cannot really choose one player that did better than another, and that’s a nice problem to have. The two young gentlemen, Hedlund and Mitchell, were an excellent backbone with the more screen time they had, and, not surprisingly, Jonathan Banks as the unflinching racist patriarch is about as good as you’d expect from him. Again, I wish Blige had gotten more chances to shine, but I can definitely see why she won the Oscar for Best Original Song. She hasn’t lost a step over the years.

All-in-all, it’s a really good film, and I recommend checking it out.

“Mudbound”: 8.5/10

“A Long Way Down” (2014)

Everyone has likely come across a film at least once that was genuinely a big mess, yet had a few redeeming qualities that acted as a sort of glue that not only kept the whole project from falling apart, but by some miracle made it sort of work. For me, “A Long Way Down” is one of those – a messy, aimless black comedy surrounding the topic of suicide that can be legitimately funny at times thanks mostly to the performance of Imogen Poots.

Now, when I say “messy and aimless”, I don’t feel that to be an overreaching complaint. I can only assume that Writer Jack Thorne had a much more fleshed out plan for this story that ended up getting chopped to bits along the way and put back together haphazardly, because if not, there are probably not too many nice words I could come up with to defend whatever was happening here. Between a completely disposable Second Act with an irrelevant message that I am guessing was “Money cannot buy happiness” told in the slimiest sort of way from characters that the audience is supposed to be empathizing with, and the random interjections of ninety second character bios for each of the four leads that really did nothing to bring forward anything unknown, sans perhaps Toni Collette’s arc, all that truly remains is the interactions between the members of the group.

Frankly, the film would have been exceedingly better served had this been a character-focused dramedy, especially since Pierce Brosnan, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette, and Aaron Paul had some reasonable chemistry and interactions that were much more enjoyable than all the garbage in the background. Hell, despite all the narrative shortcomings, it does somehow manage to find itself in the closing minutes of the film and has some poignant things to say about depression. Yes, it’s true, one could read those same things in a pamphlet and saved time for a better movie, but again, Poots alone is often delightful enough for the price of time admission.

I’m really not sure how to rate this thing, since against all logic, I somehow managed to walk away from the movie feeling kind of good and wanting to spend more time with the characters.

Damn.

I guess I’ll leave it here and walk away, even though I know I’ll want to change it a least a dozen times.

“A Long Way Home”: 6/10

RAPID FIRE REVIEWS: March 10 - March 16, 2019

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“Instant Family” (2018)

Can we pause for a second and really absorb the fact that “Instant Family” comes to us from the same director as 2008’s “Sex Drive”?

This isn’t to be meant as a negative connotation – RUMSPRINGA for life! – but then have his biggest follow-up to that be 2012’s “That’s My Boy” and, holy shit, did that car veer off into the ditch in a hurry. The point is that these titles, and even the two “Daddy’s Home” films, are not the type of material one would expect a filmmaker like Sean Anders to have lead up to a dramedy that tackles the sensitive topic of child adoption. Then again, that’s not to say a subject that can cut deep for some should be devoid of comedy; in fact, the exact opposite is true. The entertainment industry has been made to fear handling potent issues with anything less than kid gloves when, truthfully, that’s not a fair representation of life.

At the very least, I commend the willingness of Anders to not only recognize this, but strike a fully pleasing balance in what has to be one of, if not the best, family films of 2018. Of course it is glittery as Hell with an ending suited to be found at the end of a rainbow, but it’s a film with a clear ambition to make the audience (god forbid) feel good about something. Additionally, the screenplay was given plenty of chances to address the not-so-cheerful side of the equation as well. At one point, the social cliche of a white couple adopting three Hispanic children was made as kind of an awkward joke that did land in its own right; more importantly, that same point was later revisited as not at all humorous, creating one of multiple examples of tonal balance “Instant Family” often successfully strikes.

Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne have some excellent chemistry in this film, and Byrne shines especially in her role. She has the perfect acting personality as that loving woman that will bend to a certain degree but nothing more after a breaking point. Olivia Spencer is absolutely hilarious in her role as the main case worker, and honestly, who better to deliver some of the biggest comedy lines than an actress whom can deliver them with such deadpan force? Saving the best for last, Isabela Moner as the oldest of the three children was equally excellent. I’m not at all familiar with her Broadway and singing ventures, but I hope she decides to continue including acting in her repertoire, because she’s got a lot of promise.

This is the type of film that could easily end up being the crowning achievement of Sean Anders and his particular set of sensibilities. It’s funny in the places it needs to be, and darker and real when it needs to be. Normally I try to not to bring up mainstream critiques very often simply because I could hardly give a shit, but in this case, don’t believe the negativity. This is a good one.

“Instant Family”: 9/10

“Back Roads” (2018)

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, a film about physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, sociopathy, and crippling depression to sober you up from any good feelings you were possibly having that day. I suppose the first half of that statement renders the second half redundant. No joke, though – “Back Roads” has not a single ray of metaphorical sunshine and there’s a good chance you’re going to feel that by the time it is over.

While clearly low budget and rough around the edges, particularly in the acting department, “Back Roads” is an effective and ultimately devastating story about a rural family that is cracked and dysfunctional – to put it lightly – all the way down and through its foundation. What at first is played as a dark drama about an oldest sibling, Harley, in his early twenties taking care of his three younger sisters after their mother is sent to prison for murdering their father - presumably because of his consistent violence towards his wife and children - the plot digs significantly deeper to show the impact on all four siblings whom are all going through different modes of trauma; most of which are thinly veiled until put on full display in the climax that could possibly test some gag reflexes.

There are some hints early on that may give away the farm when noticed, though Harley’s love affair (not exactly in a romantic way) with next door neighbor, Callie (Jennifer Morrison), keeps things distracting enough that it’s tempting to question what’s real and what is not. It can also be said that the ending is going to make the audience feel like are some significant loose ends that go unanswered, but that’s really the point of it all. How that is taken is, well, up to each viewer to process.

It’s not a perfect film, but it works, and I would be down to watch it again someday.

“Back Roads”: 8/10

“Hold the Dark” (2018)

Go read the book instead. I have yet to read it and I’m still going to recommend that you do that, because it just has to be better.

After viewing “Hold the Dark”, I did some digging into interviews that Director Jeremy Saulnier had done promoting the film in order to get an inside look to what drove his decision-making. I can have a certain appreciation for wanting to shroud major aspects of a dark mystery-thriller that deals out copious amounts of murder in mystery as opposed to having a face tell right to the screen the past/present/future of events therein, but not at the cost of adequate character development – the film’s fatal flaw.

At first, I was completely into it. Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) served as a worthy, stoic lead getting tangled further and further in a pseudo-spiritual spider web of death in rural Alaska, and even after it turned away from the initial guise of a grieving mother whom claims to have lost her child to wolves to the full on mystery that was the central plot, I continued to feel decently engaged. It wasn’t until the film went into full-on grisly mode that it begun to devolve into meandering static, as strange as that sounds. Russell slowly fades into the background of his narrative as the justification of his presence begins to make less and less sense, and the focus goes more towards the antagonist whom never was that interesting from the beginning.

Again, not every “Why?” needs to be answered in a film, but to make the central characters and their respective prerogatives as one-dimensional as humanly possible doesn’t initiate mind-bending intrigue as much as genuine disinterest.  The scene locations and cinematography are rich, and there’s one cool shootout worth mentioning; although, none of those things are enough to save this disappointment.

“Hold the Dark”: 5/10

“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013)

For a film that’s about as simple as it gets at its roots, “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” has an interesting blend of themes for a modern day drama. The southern U.S. landscape gives it a warm and almost wholesome backdrop to match the true nature of the central characters, and the only main antagonist, per se, is the hauntings of past poor decisions made during times of desperation that slowly culminate into a quiet suspense regarding the safety and livelihood of a young girl. It’s surprisingly effective for a slow-burner, and some thanks for that should go a tight editing job that keeps this running just over ninety minutes.

Rooney Mara, whom I’ve mostly only known up until this point for her more intense and unhinged roles, was admirably good as the tender yet tough Ruth Guthrie, whom wants nothing more than to see her husband (Casey Affleck) again after his stint in prison – from which he has evacuated illegally – but also grapples with the fear that his past carries entirely too much baggage to keep their daughter safe. Ruth soon realizes that this dark cloud is going to force her into some of the most difficult decisions of her life.

Usually I’m not a big fan of the cliché side romances that films like these tend to push because the mother surviving on her own simply cannot resist the caring hand of another man, in this case, Ben Foster, and while the film kind of playfully toys with that, it wisely keeps it at arms-length so as to not invalidate the strength of Mara’s central figure. It also doesn’t hurt that Mara and Foster have a good chemistry to keep the audience chomping at the bit.

Overall, “Saints” is a solid little movie. It doesn’t bring anything particularly eye-opening to the table, yet it seems perfectly content with that approach. As it turns out, I walked away feeling on the same wavelength.

“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”: 8.5/10

RAPID FIRE REVIEWS: March 3 - March 9, 2019

Fuck colds.

Personally, I’d rather have the flu, because at least then you’re down for the count; whereas, with colds, there’s not a legitimate excuse to do nothing and shy away from societal duties. After that, though, you’re too tired to do anything other than watch some movies, but the cold medicine makes the brain too mushy to get reviews written.

Thanks to that – another round of Rapid Fire.

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“Gringo” (2018)

You know, if this didn’t have its head up its ass the first two Acts attempting to establish some side plots that a film like this could easily live without, it’d be a pretty decent thriller.

No offense to Director Nash Edgerton (yes, brother to Joel) as this was his first bigger budget vehicle at the helm with a background based almost solely in stunt work – an art of its own that I have a huge amount of respect for – but until the narrative evolved into its inevitable action sequences in the Third Act that Nash would undoubtedly have a strong familiarity with, “Gringo” is tone-confused and messy.  David Oyelowo did quite well in the lead as a clueless Average Joe dropped into a ridiculous drug dealing situation, and Edgerton guided him through that with relative grace. Truth be told, he’s really all the star power “Gringo” needed to get by seeing as the lackluster and goofy screenplay could not elevate the likes of Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron, and Amanda Seyfried. Ugh, Theron got the especially raw end of the deal with a completely useless, yet over-the-top obnoxious antagonist that her talent couldn’t possibly make appealing. I could not help but feel embarrassed for her.

Don’t get me wrong, if this is a direction that Nash Edgerton was to pursue further into his career, much like Joel has started to do, I hope he will be given the opportunity to grow. Like I said, when the action started ramping up, I found myself getting more sucked into the film; whether that was out of relief or not, who can say for sure. This certainly isn’t the worst foot he could have started on; it just won’t be a memorable one either.

“Gringo”: 5.5/10

“Our Souls at Night” (2017)

I understand that Jane Fonda doesn’t have the most popular reputation as a human being for various reasons, and I do know of a few that make me grimace; however, I still cannot and will not deny her the due credit of being a solid actress. The fact of the matter is, as far as anybody knows, her sins do not hold a candle to some of the recently unearthed shit that Hollywood has had to answer for in the past few years, and if I can be shown a perfect human being that is still kicking ass at their craft over the age of eighty, I will gladly get off my soapbox for a minute or two.

If it wasn’t obvious, Fonda, coupled with Robert Redford, make me fear their respective retirements after turning in a sweet film about aging, loneliness, self-reflection, and friendship, that I would argue is one of the best films I’ve yet to see so far under the Netflix umbrella. Hell, if I were in the directing business, I would almost be jealous of Ritesh Batra, because after seeing the acting lineup, he probably thought “Shit, do you thing. You don’t need me telling you what to do.” Of course I say this in jest as Batra deserves full kudos for a well-paced film packed with just enough heart and drama to be relatable to any adult age group. It’s the kind of wholesomeness that I can easily get behind and recommend, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, I strongly urge you to do so.

“Our Souls at Night”: 9/10

“The Vanishing” (2019)

I’m always glad to see Gerard Butler continuing to stay busy. Sure, more often than not, his films these days are less than stellar, but he’s always struck me as a likeable and hardworking dude that I wouldn’t mind throwing back a few beers with in an old pub somewhere.

He could also be a complete asshole in person, I don’t know, so I’ll stick with the first stance.

Back to the topic of his films, 2019 has been pretty smooth sailing for Gerard from where I sit: “Hunter Killer” was tasty in its goofy 1990s cheesiness; he had a small reprisal of his Stoick role in the third “Dragons” movie; and now with “The Vanishing”, Butler turns in a slightly edgier performance of a lighthouse keeper that bends to psychologically damaging whims of guilt and paranoia after he and his crew discover a chest of gold on a secluded Scottish isle.

Based on the real life disappearance mystery of three men back in 1900, coined “The Flannan Isle Mystery”, “The Vanishing” doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the Psychological Drama/Thriller department, nor is it the best of its kind; nevertheless, it is rather sly in how it gets its cold, suspenseful hands around your neck by the time the Third Act arrives, and Butler’s performance as James Ducat gets uncomfortably scary for a stretch. Additionally, Peter Mullan is damn effective in his role as the tormented leader of the pack, even if his arc fell a little flat with ultimately nowhere to land its feet.

Go figure a film more deserving of a wider audience is the one that gets buried for nobody to see. It’s available at Redbox now, and I suspect it will be hitting the streaming circuit on one venue or another soon enough. Give this one a look; it’s worth it.

“The Vanishing”: 8/10

“The Favourite” (2018)

Well, after setting basement-level expectations after the god awful hemorrhoid that was “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”, I’m pleased to announce that Director Yorgos Lanthimos can manage to pull something significantly better out of the void. Despite the fact that “The Favourite” did leave a lingering question over my head to the tune of “What was the point of this?”, I will nonetheless concede that I had a good time while it lasted.

The comedy at play is rather effective, even if at a magnified glance, it’s entirely one-note. “Oh! Modern club-dancing and potty humor, but retrofitted to more historic European times – that’s funny!”

The best news of all is that they managed to ruin only two scenes this time with a repetitive and dialogue-drowning score that sounded something like an old, out-of-tune piano with a flatulence issue. If you haven’t guessed, as long as these cursed decisions exist, I will never stop making obnoxious off-beat comparisons to better illustrate how annoyed they make me.

The plot isn’t much to write home about either, though for something like this, it doesn’t really need to be. Truly, all the summary you need is whom can kiss the hand of Queen Anna with more fervor and give her proper orgasms. Yep, the real politics of the time period are just window dressing for historical relevance to remind everybody that this was loosely a thing that actually happened. That being said, what makes “The Favourite” click within its strengths are the three excellent performances from Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone. I wouldn’t say any of them were Oscar-worthy, per se, but the banter between them was really all I needed to stay engaged.

If this turns out to be the height of Lanthimos’s material, I can humor it. I’ve yet to really see anything that makes me believe he’s going to be the next big thing in cinema, but at least here he proved that he’s not fully trapped in the current indie garbage trends of soullessness passing itself off as edge.

“The Favourite”: 7.5/10

“Ben Is Back” (2018)

  

Say what you want about Hollywood and its numerous shortcomings, but if there’s one thing its consistently on target with, it’s timing.

Is the U.S. experiencing a bit of a drug abuse crisis? Say no more! Enter “Ben Is Back” and “Beautiful Boy” – two films that appear similar on the surface, and while they do share some narrative parallels, they do take their own path eventually. More importantly, you can hardly go wrong either way; both are solid films!

While “Beautiful Boy” deals more with a father’s witness of his son’s decline into addiction as the snowball begins its destructive tumble down the mountain, “Ben Is Back” picks up a little after that where the damages have already been done and shows the victim of habit (Lucas Hedges) exposing his mother (Julia Roberts) to the dangerous side of drug dealing where a debt hasn’t been settled. I believe what makes this plot so effective and heartbreaking is the twenty-four hour time frame for which it is confined. To go from a surprise, tearful reunion on Christmas Eve to a white-knuckle suspense where death for more than one person is a looming possibility really shows the traumatic trainwreck these families can go through behind the curtains.

There are some young actors that show promise and then somehow end up disappearing sadly into obscurity; I don’t believe Lucas Hedges is going to be one of those. I’ve become more and more sold on his abilities with each passing role, and with “Boy Erased” and “Ben Is Back” this year already, Hedges is going to find himself to be a big star above what has already been an impressive young career. Also, yes, I am very happy to say that Julia Roberts has made a nice comeback in this film after somewhat of a standout drought. Her character was loving but also brutal when she had to be, and that made her the true backbone of the film.

Like I said, you cannot really go wrong with either film, so if you’re in the mood to cry twice over, give them both a look.

“Ben Is Back”: 9/10

 

“Vox Lux” (2018)

“E” for Effort?

“Vox Lux” doesn’t really try to hide the card its playing under any kind of subliminal messaging about what a young child star turned young adult may be like in a world as politically hostile as ours currently stands. Much akin to the whole “Hollywood timing” commentary in the previous review, “Vox Lux” is clearly trying to strike a nerve on gun violence, except in this plot, how it affects an A-list celebrity on a singular level rather than a greater populace. It’s an interesting take to be sure, and Natalie Portman sells the hell out of a woman that has already been through the bullshit grind enough that the threat of backlash from continuing on her singing tour despite killers posing as her dancing crew just causing havoc on a public beach.

In the end, however, the whole thing comes off a little bit plastic, and while the mini-concert finale is fun on its own, it doesn’t really bring the journey home. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t really hit its target, either.

“Vox Lux”: 5/10