TOP 10 FIRST-TIME WATCHED FILMS in 2018

Greetings, Film Fanatics!

I thought it would be fun to do one more Top 10 list before putting 2018 in the rearview mirror. Granted, the title sucks, but the premise here is that these are the Top 10 movies I saw for the first time during 2018 that were released prior to 2018.

I won’t get too in depth with these. Some of them I have already done a short or full review on, but if you want to see a review on any of these, give me a shout!

Here are the Top 10 First-Time Watched Films in 2018:

#10: “THE VANISHING” (1988)

Before the FilmStruck streaming service met its (*sob*) untimely demise, I managed to squeeze in “The Vanishing” – a film I’ve had my eye on for a while. Being in the Criterion library, and knowing nothing about it, I was more or less expecting an exceptionally well-crafted “whodunit” type of caper. The craftsmanship part was definitely true, but what I did not see coming was the story being told mostly from the point of view of the kidnapper; a kidnapper that’s also a family man and possibly sociopathic. Despite that, story still manages to string the audience along in wondering exactly what happened to the kidnapped wife of the main protagonist.

What’s not to love?

#9: “THE DEVIL’S CANDY” (2017)

A horror film that contains demon possession, a Metallica soundtrack, and some really badass paintings?

It’s on Netflix. Go watch it. Chop chop!

#8: “THE FLORIDA PROJECT” (2017)

Not only is this film depressing, but it’s made all the more depressing by having disappointment lurking around every corner just waiting to crush all the kids’ child-like wonders while Willem Dafoe secretly tries to play the hero; however, knowing deep down that he’s completely powerless.

You’re welcome.

Hey, at least the ending is about as beautifully poetic as you could get given the circumstances. And there's quite a bit of humor, so there's that.

#7: “FERDINAND” (2017)

Score another one for Blue Sky. It’s kind of too bad that the studio is currently relying on an “Ice Age” sequel every two years to keep a decent income coming in, because after this and “The Peanuts Movie”, I’m ready to be a believer.

#6: “THE INTOUCHABLES” (2011)

I didn’t even know until about two weeks ago that this was getting a remake by the title of “The Upside”. That being the case, I’m really glad I saw this original first so I can happily avoid “The Upside”. Even if it ends up being good, Kevin Hart could not touch Omar Sy’s performance, and frankly, I’m not sure Bryan Cranston is the right guy to play Phillipe either.

Long story short, give this movie a chance even if you don’t like subtitles. It’s funny and charming in all the right ways.

#5: “THE FAULT IN OUR STARS” (2014)

Okay, fine, I’ll admit I was one of those people that immediately wrote this off back in 2014 as nothing more than Kleenex bait for the Hallmark crowd so they’d have an excuse to go home and guilt trip their significant others about whatever. Instead, I can now happily say that this is one of the best romantic dramedies I’ve seen in ages, and it makes me feel even worse for a decent actress like Shailene Woodley getting roped into that “Divergent” fiasco.

P.S., I may have gotten a little emotional during this film because I saw it after “Baby Driver”.

“If you can outrun Kevin Spacey, you can outrun cancer goddammit. You can’t die, Baby!”

#4: “LE SILENCE DE LA MER” (1949)

Never once did I consider the possibility that I could ever feel sympathy towards a Nazi – and now I have felt sympathy towards a Nazi.

What’s even more shocking is how the film managed this whilst only taking place 99% of the time in a single room where the Nazi is doing all the talking. Seriously, though, watching the transformation from braggadocious asshole to art-loving man that realizes he’s made one hell of a mistake, yet is still screwed because he’s sworn his allegiance to the Reich was quite the cinematic experience. It’s a slow burner, but wow, was it worthwhile.

#3: “BEFORE I WAKE” (2016)

Yes, I know it was released on Netflix in 2018, but after going through the shuffle and getting screened in 2016, that was the year I ultimately used. Either way, Netflix better release this on blu-ray, because it blew any and all expectations out of the sky. It’s scary, it’s touching, and I hope it finds the audience it deserves after the production hell it went through.

#2: “BIRD BOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN” (2015)

HO-LY SHIT.

There was neither sunshine nor rainbow to be found. It has violence, suicidal-like depression, drug-use, racism, and murder - most of these things involving teenagers – and I loved every damn second of it. Being an animation nerd, I loved that aspect too, but the story was so relentless and brutal; yet, somehow, it still lights a fire of hope in the audience that the protagonists might just succeed in their endeavors.

This film might be one of my new favorite things, ever.

#1: “GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES” (1988)

I know, I know – I just called myself an animation nerd, and yet it took me this long to see “Grave of the Fireflies”. Epic fail on my part.

Be that as it may, would it help to know that this film tore my heart out of my chest and curb-stomped it to death? No, really, this movie completely and utterly CRUSHED me. I’m talking a lump in my throat the size of a baseball. I guess I can partially thank parenthood for that, but even if I weren’t one in real life, “Fireflies” still probably would have killed me. To see this young boy try so hard to survive and fail, mainly due to his pride, is almost too much to swallow.

It may take a while before I can watch that one again. No matter how long that takes, I will never be able to forget this film. It is truly that powerful.

I hope you enjoyed this list! I may have a few random ones throughout the year, but for the most part, I'm looking forward to another great year of film!

TOP 10 FILMS of 2018 (#5-#1)

Here we go! My Top 5 films of 2018.

The only major film that I can think of at the moment that I did not see and would have maybe had a chance at this list was “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse”. I do hope to get around to it soon, but as for the end of the year, it just wasn’t in the cards.

Oh well.

Alright, without further ado, here are the Top 5 films:

#5: “FIRST REFORMED”

Question for you, Paul Schrader:

Where in the Hell did this come from??

Make no mistake, Schrader, as a screenwriter, has had his name attached to some excellent films in the past thirty years or so; however, his directing filmography has been a bit sketchy at best, including some of Nicolas Cage’s recent direct-to-video fare. I don’t know if Paul was saving this for a rainy day, or if a light turned on, but to go from a directing lull to making of the darkest and sobering dramas of the year, along with one of Ethan Hawke’s best performances since “Lord of War”, is nothing short of stunning.

Suicide, alcoholism, crisis of faith, and church motives beneath the veil only scratch the surface on what it is an otherwise smaller picture consisting mainly with only Hawke and Amanda Seyfried as Pastor Ernst Toller and Mary Mensana, respectively; one drinking his way right to the abyss, ironically, and the other as a pregnant and newly single mother that is the only beacon of light in his life.

It’s definitely one of those character dramas you might not want to save for a rainy day, but it is quietly engaging just the same. I loved it.

#4: “EIGHTH GRADE”

This might just be my formerly introverted middle school self that related to every damn beat of this movie talking – but wow, this film was really fucking good! Actually, I’d say it is the closest thing to perfection any film has been this last year, and the only film that I gave a perfect score.

There’s really nothing fancy or over-the-top about it, and maybe that’s why it works so well. It would seem that Bo Burnham wanted to tell an honest and earnest story about a bumbling and stumbling teenage girl with a heart as big as the Eighth Grade finding personal enlightenment through her awkward social struggles with classmates, and her struggles at home being raised by a single father whom is clearly unprepared to help her walk through this time despite his sincerest efforts.

Much like Krasinski with “A Quiet Place”, one would have thought that Burnham has been directing films for years with how clean he maintains the pace and doesn’t add a bunch of unnecessary fluff. Additionally, and far be it for me to predict the future, but if this is how Elsie Fisher is going to kick things off (voicing Agnes in “Despicable Me” does not really count), she’s going to have one hell of a career. Fingers crossed.

#3: “BLACKkKLANSMAN”

Whether good, great, or not-so-great, there’s no doubt that a Spike Lee film/’joint” is going to take audiences for a ride. One-part dark comedy and one-part gripping drama, “BlacKkKlansman” might now be one of my favorites in his impressive filmography. I mean, staunch racism in 1970s Colorado shouldn’t have made me smile as much as it did, and yet here I am.

Let’s be honest, only the courage and experience of Spike Lee could make a film like this work as much as it did; not to mention the fact that despite the near five decades of separation, it’s eerie how timely and on-the-nose the narrative compares to 2018’s socio-political landscape. Trust me, the final scenes alone will sober any open-minded person up like a steel-toed boot to the groin.

I also have to say how amused I was with how much some of John David Washington’s mannerisms are so dead-on like his father’s. He’s got some big shoes to fill as far as acting goes, yet he showed some decent chops here. Also, his chemistry with Adam Driver proved to be critical and seamless.

Speaking of Driver, the more I see him in films like this and “Logan Lucky”, despite having the same straight-faced style as, say, Ryan Gosling, the less I like his work as Kylo Ren. That may or may not be his fault; I just can’t help but think it.

But I digress. Go see this movie if you’ve yet to do so!

#2: “WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?”

I smile, for what a brilliant human being Fred Rogers was for multiple generations of children.

I weep, for since his departure from this world, the void he created still feels chillingly empty.

Ok, perhaps that’s a bit dramatic. I have no doubt that there are many individuals all over the world with similar saint-like pedigrees whom do not have the benefit of a television show to spread some positive light in this rotting cesspool. Hell, maybe that’s for the best since most major studios cannot help but screw things up any more; I mean, look no further than the Discovery and History channel for examples. Fucking Christ.

Anyway, I could have watched this as a ten-hour miniseries and been just as happy and nostalgic for one of my favorite programs as a kid. Nonetheless, this ninety-minute documentary does a fine job of spanning the entirety of Roger’s career, up to and including one of his final appearances after the 9/11 attacks. The film also made sure to hit most of the highest notes of his career, and some of the lower ones as well. For a man that appeared so confident in himself on screen, it was fascinating and a bit heartbreaking to see him be not always like that off the stage. Just like he was for many people, he too needed a strong support system to help get through some of the world’s negativity.

There’s bound to be a mixture of both sad and happy tears for a majority of the film’s viewers, and I imagine if Fred were here to see that, he’d tell us that both are okay.

And finally, MrMovieETC’s favorite film of 2018 is:

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#1: “SEARCHING”

There have been many films that I liked and some films that I loved this year, and sure, some that may be deeper, more significant, or artistic, but there is only one that entertained me at every turn so much that I wanted to watch it again the very next day – perhaps even again the day after that – and that film is “Searching”.

Holy crap. Not only was this directed by yet another feature length first-timer and somebody young enough to still be considered a kid in the professional world (Aneesh Chaganty is only 27), but said kid at some point decided to himself that he is going take what other filmmakers have tried to do with social media and “found footage” and kick all their asses by writing one of the year’s best screenplays around the gimmick. Literally, there are only a tiny handful of scenes shot that are not either on a webcam, cell phone, security camera, or computer screen. It is really kind of absurd how, during the entirety of the film, the mind wants to keep objecting and think there’s no good reason this should work, but goddamn it, it’s working like a dream.

Outside of the excellent directing and editing, a lot of the film’s success needs to be credited to John Cho as the widowed father of the missing girl. The idea alone of Cho acting as panicked and suspenseful as he does knowing it is being seen through the lens mostly of handheld cameras is an accomplishment that should not go unnoticed. Well, when it comes to awards, that’s exactly what is going to happen, but what are ya gonna do?

I’m sure there are many people that feel other films easily should rank above this, but from a pure entertainment standpoint, I had to put “Searching” in the top spot. Hell, I loved this film so much and thought it to be so good, I have absolutely no doubt that a god awful sequel will be out in no more than two years. That’s how you know you’ve got a winner.

Thank you very much for reading! I have one more list to go through that I wanted to do for fun. I hope you check it out!

TOP 5 MOST DISAPPOINTING FILMS of 2018

Greetings, Film Fanatics!

Once again, that time of the year has come when all the Christmas claustrophobia has been put back in boxes for another season passed, and cinema geeks around the world burn through respective 2018 watch lists in order to find out which titles will be crowned the best of that year.

As for me, I like to start this annual project with the five films I had reasonably high hopes for that fell various degrees of short. These are not what I found to be the worst films of 2018, because those lists in my opinion are all too simple; whereas a list like this carries a certain negatively emotional weight.

Now, with that out of the way, let's dig in:

5. "SUPER TROOPERS 2"

Did I say "reasonably high hopes"? Oops. Honest mistake, right?

There was really no reason at all to believe that "Super Troopers 2" was going to come remotely close to the guilty pleasure greatness that is the now seventeen-year-old original. That being the case, my standards for this sequel were actually rather low, and it still didn't clear the bar. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed nearly all the Broken Lizard productions up until this point, but the characters, and the shtick they carry with them, are not deep enough to carry multiple stories. These guys have proven that they have a comedic prowess to be reckoned with, so to see rehashes of the same jokes from the first film be the only ones that stick in this sequel is really all the proof needed to show that this wasn't going to work. I can certainly understand the temptation with "Super Troopers" putting Broken Lizard on the map and all, but it might be in their best interest to keep moving forward with new material.

4. "YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE"

Oh yeah, this is going to be a fun one.

Yes, you read this correctly. Sacrifice me to the Dark Lord Cthulhu, because not only did I dislike this movie, it nearly pissed me off to "Killing of a Sacred Deer" levels. Sorry, not sorry - fuck this movie.

Look, there's a reason why this is on the "Disappointments" list. I absolutely agree that it has an attention-grabbing story with some gritty cinematography. I respect Joaquin's performance in it, even if it's a far cry from his best work. Unfortunately, outside of those few check boxes, I'm left with the same questions and grievances that "Sacred Deer" left me to choke on: What is the fascination with these mechanical characters and using some of the most god awful hipster scores in modern cinema?

"Alright, hear me out on this one. Joaquin Phoenix is driving alone down this sunny, isolated highway, right? What if, to give accent to this scene, we create an ambiance of what a breaking down dishwasher would sound like if it were getting fucked by a ride on lawn mower? No, trust me! They did the same thing for an hospital escalator scene in 'Sacred Deer'. It's going to be genius!"

I guess it worked. I clearly still remember it.

I tried, I really did. I tried to block out all the noise and get invested in borderline sociopath-esque character drama, but I failed. I don't know why A24 Productions is jerking off so hard to this stuff, and maybe I never will. I've seen this on a lot of Top 10 lists this year already, so at least it has its fans.

3. "THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS"

On the surface, this would look like a film that should fall in the same spectrum as "Super Troopers 2" as far as expectations go; however, the truth is that I held the two pretty far apart. "Happytime Murders" is a comedy that should have fucking worked, and I'm kind of upset that it did not. See, there's two forms of "Brainless comedy" - one is the good kind, such as "Super Troopers", that has really no good right to exist but it touches all the finer points of escapism; the other kind, contrarily, is the mindset that it requires no brain power to make effective comedy. Guess which one "Happytime" belongs in.

Puppets cursing like sailors is not in itself a joke, or at least a joke that can carry an entire film. There were a handful of moments in here that showed potential, but merely only showing it is not going to get the job done.

I ranted enough about this back in my original review. I don't need to do it again here.

Dammit, this should have been good.

2. "RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET"

Yeah, I'm really bummed to have this on the list at all, no less towards the top (or bottom). A lot of what I loved about "Wreck-It Ralph" was sadly not to be found in this sequel. I guess in some way that makes sense seeing as there was really nothing to build off of, so to create a second story, it's going to have to take some new directions - it's just that most of those directions weren't very good. To be painfully honest, the only areas of the film I outright enjoyed were the first half of the Second Act when Vanellope plays in Slaughter Race, and most of the Third Act when the conflicts of Ralph and Vanellope come to a head.

I spoke of this once already in the past, so I won't repeat it all, but the whole "Viral Video" aspect really turned me off, and no matter how many times I watch this in the future (I want to give it at least one or two more), I cannot picture that ever turning my perspective favorably. It felt much more like pandering to a young audience rather than something that would have made sense for Ralph as a character.

Well, at least "Mary Poppins Returns" was good. Would have sucked for Disney to end the year on a low note.

1. "THE NUN"

...

...

Yep.

It's boring. Oodles of wasted potential. Still a bit baffled by all of that seeing as this came from the same filmmaking team as "The Hallow" a few years ago. I don't particular want to talk about this any more than I have already.

So...

When does "Conjuring 3" come out again?



This has been my TOP 5 MOST DISAPPOINTING FILMS of 2018.

Thank you so much for reading! Looking forward to a great 2019!

RAPID FIRE REVIEWS!

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

"The Christmas Chronicles" (2018)

I honestly never thought I'd see a remake of "The Santa Clause" with a Santa character that is way more badass.

Sorry, Tim.

***  

In all honesty, the film isn't too bad. It's certainly a league ahead of anything that passes itself off as Christmas entertainment these days. Hell, with Netflix, the two biggest options this year were either this or "A Christmas Wedding: The Royal Bullshit Parade That Should Have Been on the Hallmark Channel", or whatever it was called; so Kurt Russell it shall be. Speaking of, Russell really is perfect for a sweet, yet more hard-nosed version of Ol' St. Nick. He knew how to breathe a lot of fun into a character that is usually reserved for actors "of a certain age", and he makes the performance the most memorable it has been probably since Tim Allen, truthfully told, unless we're counting Alec Baldwin's voice acting bit from "Rise of the Guardians".

However, I was only semi-joking about the whole remake thing, because I know I'm not the only one that noticed at least a couple of dead-on plot beats that "Chronicles", I guess, borrowed: Christmas almost gets ruined; Santa goes to jail; elves get called on to bail him out. Sounds familiar, right? Admittedly that was a bit disappointing as I was hoping to see something completely new, but other than a few clunky transitions from one scene to another, "The Christmas Chronicles" has laughs, it has heart where it matters, and just the right amount of cheese to prevent it from taking itself too seriously.

I'd say it's worth a look.

"The Christmas Chronicles": 7.5/10

"The Happytime Murders" (2018)

There's a possibly that I'm going to blow you away with what I am about to tell you, but, here goes . . .

Puppets replacing actual jokes with cursing and sexual innuendos non-stop is not funny enough to last ninety minutes. 

I'll give you a few moments to absorb that . . .

***  

Don't get me wrong, I'm not some snob hating on this material; in fact, it's the exact opposite. I grew up during the golden age of South Park, Family Guy, and other various adult-themed comedy shtick that was on Adult Swim at the time, so it should come as no surprise how much "Happytime" ticked me off from it letting such promising material go to waste because of terrible writing. Actually, sorry, I should clarify - terrible comedy writing. The plot is actually well-formulated and executed, spoof or not - sans humans being "racist" against puppets for no particular reason - that it remained intriguing enough for me to at least give Todd Berger credit for that much. 

What makes it worse is that there were a few genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, which exposed the film's potential. I would have preferred it sucked all the way through, but now I cannot ignore the fact that there could have been something there. I don't even want to talk about the fact about how criminally underused Melissa McCarthy was as well. I understand that she's a dorky character, so naturally she'll have dorky dialogue, but it's so over-the-top dorky that elementary school kids would cringe at it. 

Ugh, it's a dud.

"The Happytime Murders": 3.5/10

"The Nun" (2018)

While we're on the subject of duds and wasted potential, how the Hell did this one get screwed up??

There's very little chance that the Conjure-verse will ever sink lower than the first "Annabelle", but "The Nun" fits snugly a step or two above it. I mean, let's be honest, James Wan could not have made a prequel like this any easier after creating a legitimately creepy-ass nun character that was one of the highlights in "The Conjuring 2", and Warner Bros./New Line got Corin Hardy on board to direct, whose only previous work was "The Hallows" from 2015 - a damn good debut horror film - so I'll have to be forgiven when I say the math doesn't add up here as to how this movie was so damn BORING.  

Was there really nothing more that could have been done with Valak other than the occasional telegraphed-from-a-mile-away jumpscare or having the demon float down a dark hallway toward the camera half a dozen times as a crucifix on a wall inverts itself? Really??

With the 1950s era, gothic set pieces, and a worthy antagonist, there's really no excuse for a sub-par horror film that had everything laid out for it. Hopefully for Hardy, this was only a sophomore slump.

"The Nun": 4/10

"Dumplin'" (2018)

Yeah, it's fine. 

The film doesn't color outside the box or do anything to bend the boundaries of any predecessors in the genre, however, it has good intentions and performs them without many hiccups. Being advertised as a musical of sorts, I would have liked to have had tracks that were a bit more memorable (no disrespect to the great Dolly Parton), but in the moment, the songs work out. 

The actors did a nice job in this one, too. I'm not at all familiar with Danielle Macdonald's previous works, though she did carry the lead role with plenty of moxie and sass to spare. Jennifer Aniston feels a little below her pay grade in this one, but she did fine as well.

Everything comes together in this film, and it does speak to the crowd with insecurities in a 2018 setting, I just wish it had more fresh ideas. 

Not much more to say about it. Check it out if it's your thing.

"Dumplin'": 7.5/10

"The Equalizer 2" (2018)

I sincerely did not expect "The Equalizer 2" to be as good as it turned out; in fact, I may have enjoyed it slightly more than the original. It's not a masterpiece or anything, and the Third Act is so absurd I found myself laughing at certain times -  kind of in a good way - if that makes sense? I'll explain in a second.

I think what I appreciated more about the sequel over the first installment is that while the first was fun in a way Director Antoine Fuqua only could with copious amounts of violence, that's really all the first one had going for it; whereas the sequel still has its violence, yet it is more about Denzel's Robert McCall character and his development since the tragedies of the first film. He's still a man of few words, but since we're talking about Denzel, his facial expressions and quiet demeanor make him engrossing in ways that words or bullets cannot. It's his movie and he turns in a solid performance like one would expect.

I do hear some grumblings about "Equalizer 2" having too many subplots, and I'm pretty sure there were only 2, maybe 3, and it still didn't come off as convoluted, so are we just settling for brainless cinema now?

I definitely recommend it; I had a great time!

"The Equalizer 2": 8/10

"Smallfoot" (2018)

Your kids will likely find a lot to laugh about during the movie. It's short enough and it will hold their attention. 

Adults won't have quite as much to grasp on to, but I will say for an off-the-Disney path animated movie that still tries to act somewhat like a Disney film, you can do worse. I will warn you and say it starts slow, but once the story gets going, it does hold its own long enough. Hey, I have to give it at least somewhat of a pass since I'm fairly certain it was taking some tongue-in-cheek jabs at the whole Religion vs. Pursuit of Knowledge thing that's always a hit at the dinner table. I don't care what the end result is - that alone takes guts. 

Outside of that, the animation looks good and the voice acting gets the job done. Channing Tatum as the lead has proven successful in the past when it comes to comedy, and that is really no different. 

"Smallfoot" has a good heart in the right place, and it's worth checking out with the family on a cold night.

"Smallfoot": 7/10

 THANKS FOR READING!

NEW REVIEW: "The Intouchables" (2011)

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“The Intouchables” (2011)

Wow, a film that cracks light-hearted jokes about a disabled person? How have all copies of this not been burned yet?

*** 

I don’t really have the patience or the temperament to answer those questions without going on a long-winded rant, so I’ll just skip all that. What I will talk about, though, is how “Intouchables” is witty, sometimes even hilarious, and you should absolutely watch it sometime as long as you do not mind the whole subtitles thing.

Although, besides the fact that it’s comical and smile-inducing throughout its entirety, that’s not really the most interesting thing about it; rather, it was the film’s approach to the subject material at hand that gives makes it enjoyable. What I mean by that is the fact that Directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano opted to make the film so straightforward and focused on the two main leads that, despite all the potential baggage both of them carry that could have easily come into play, they conversely decided to stay away from that temptation to the degree of making the movie feel like an introvert shying away from confrontation.

Forgive my going on a small side street here, but this is where I often struggle from a critiquing standpoint, because I cannot count how many times I have scored against a film’s decision to avoid those opportunities, from where I sat at least, was a failure to explore new areas of depth in the screenplay; sometimes to the degree of getting a little pissed off. In the case of “Intouchables”, however, I find myself giving all of that a pass since the formula works, with a big credit going to the two leads riffing beautifully off of each other, and the directors sticking to their guns and saying, “Hey, we want this to be a (dark-ish) comedy with a feel good vibe, so let’s just do that.” Alternatively, I would have been fine if it had taken a few of those darker avenues along the way, but like I said, it worked even if the screenplay isn’t that deep, so no necessary need to fix it.

Story-wise, Omar Sy plays Driss, an ex-con whom is fresh out of a six month stint in prison, and he needs to prove he’s been applying for employment so he can receive some benefits from the government. One of the places he stops at is a live-in caregiver position for a wealthy, middle-age hotel owner named Philippe (Francois Cluzet), who is wheelchair-bound due to being paralyzed from the neck down. Driss makes it clear throughout the interview process that he absolutely has no interest in working there and that he only wants Philippe’s signature on his parole document, and perhaps an intimate encounter with Philippe’s extremely attractive assistant, Magalie (Audrey Fleurot), whom he makes a few passes out before leaving. Much to his surprise, Philippe offers Driss the job on a probationary basis at first, because he sees Driss as somebody incapable of offering much in the way of empathy, which is exactly how he wants to be treated versus being coddled and spoken down to like a helpless child from formal caregivers.

At first the relationship is awkward because Driss says pretty much everything that comes to his mind without filter, whilst Philippe still has that proper etiquette and his high society friends that cannot help but remind him how much of a mismatch Driss is to the environment and surely he must be making a mistake. As these things go, the two develop a strong bond and go on their share of one miscellaneous adventure after the next with humorous exchanges and results. More importantly, again, while the film often pretends that the pressures of the outside world do not exist in a way that they almost always would, it does do a pretty good job with the character development for both Driss and Philippe. For instance, Driss helps Philippe come to terms with the deeply-rooted insecurities and resentments of his disability, and Philippe helps Driss understand that he’s not a one-dimensional guy that has a serious knack for mentoring and the arts. Sure, this is something has been done in film countless times, but the cast’s buying in is what makes this one worth investing time. Besides, it’s always interesting to see the barriers of two good-nature individuals with cocky dispositions get worn down at the will of one another’s viewpoints or antics.

Speaking of which, both Omar Sy and Francois Cluzet are brilliant in this film. It’s one thing to be good, great, or award-notable, but it is a whole other thing entirely to appear effortless, and while that may not always equate in the same manner as, say, an Oscar nomination would, these kinds are genuinely my favorite. Watching these two on screen, you would think Sy and Cluzet have been best friends for years much like the two real life men the characters are based on. Hell, half of the movie could have been Driss and Philippe sitting in a room discussing politics and I would still be sucked into it.  I also talked about how Driss had a particular interest in Magalie, well, this continues off and on, and while it comes across as sleazy at first, Magalie starts playing the game, and they are some of the funniest scenes - at Driss’s expense.

Of course, I’m not going to lie to you and say the film is perfect. There’s some intermittent dialogue between Driss and Philippe, mainly by about sex, which is derivative compared to any you-name-it comedies and felt far below each’s threshold, and a few scenes of mini-conflicts, one involving suicide,

that were resolved rather easily. I mean, it’s one thing to not explore or shrug those to the side, but if addressed, there should be at least some effort and difficulty added to the equation. Just my two cents.

Overall, could “Intouchables” have tried to go a bit bolder with the material? Sure. Although, to do so, it would have created an entirely different film with an entirely different atmosphere. I can’t help but think my mind is going to ponder what could have happened in that scenario, but nonetheless, I cannot hardly complain seeing as “Intouchables” made me smile for nearly two hours. I certainly recommend it, especially if you’re needing a break from what passes as comedy these days or the onslaught of depression Hollywood is convinced the world needs.

“The Intouchables”: 8/10

NEW REVIEW: "Searching" (2018)

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

"Searching" (2018)

SHORT VERSION:

Believe the hype. 

LONG VERSION:

For as much as I love horror, drama, and comedy, I have a special place in my heart for a good mystery movie; in particular, the ones that can find that fleeting balance between making the gears turn in your head enough that you want to beat the story to its own conclusion, but at the same time knows how to be fun and allows you to sit back to enjoy the unfolding. The biggest challenge for the filmmakers is that this is probably one of the most formulaic genres in the gambit; where the First Act is going to have your disappearance, kidnapping, murder, etc., the Second Act will have the loved one or other interested party following the breadcrumbs, and the Third will have the plot come to a head in a conclusive or ambiguous way. 

I'm sure there a few miscellaneous choices in between, but the two main roads to really choose from here are either "Will the story build to an epic and satisfying climax?" or "Will this be more about the journey rather than the destination?" In a way, "Searching" is a little bit of both, though I guess it would lean toward the latter. Regardless, what Writer Sev Ohanian and Writer/Director Aneesh Chaganty have accomplished is easily one of the best, if not the best, in the genre since "Prisoners" back in 2013, and I would go as far as to say this not only tops that one, but should easily fit in many Top 10 lists at the end of this year. This is one hell of a good film.

As far as the story goes, "Searching" revolves a recently widowed father, David Kim (John Cho), and his teenage daughter, Margot (Michelle La), as both of them are trying to lead semi-normal lives a few years after David's wife, Pamela, succumbs to lymphoma after a lengthy battle. Despite the traumatic shake-up, David and Margot's relationship seems pretty level; that is until Margot leaves to go to a classmate's house for a study group late into the evening and never returns, leaving nothing but a few missed calls and Facetime notifications on David's phone that serve as a quick nod to the audience that "Yes, something definitely bad as gone down." After David is able to narrow down whom the other teenagers were at the study group, he soon finds out that Margot is not as social as he thought she was, and after attempting to look at her social media and discovering that they are all blocked from public view, he goes down the internet rabbit hole of twists, turns, red herrings, and secrets, along with the aid of local detective, Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing). 

That's really about as far as I can or am willing to go, but it covers the basic gist. 

On the surface, this may all sound like a run-of-the-mill flick that is trying to pander to both the social media-heavy younger demographic and to the paranoid phobias of their parents, which, in a way, is true; however, Chaganty shot "Searching" in such an intelligent way that it puts the audience in the shoes of David mostly from a First Person point-of-view as if everyone were to feel they were in on this search, and what they would do next when something David tried ended up failing. Yes, this is a tactic that's been attempted recently in horror to mixed results, although this has tackled it the best so far. Better yet, the film also had the wits about it to not put this perspective in overkill mode by having just the occasional scene here and there where it pans away from a laptop monitor or a phone screen to show the characters moving around in their environment. It's an extremely effective method across the board that helps create true feelings of dread as David digs up more and more secrets that Margot had been hiding, yet they were secrets mainly to him as the uncovered facts had been all over the internet for anybody to see should they be looking for it. 

After the film ends and everything starts to sink in, it becomes more impressive yet that the success of the whole story falls almost exclusively on Cho, La, and Messing to sell it. It was easy enough in the beginning to be on David and Margot's team after the tragedy that they had endured, although that alone often cannot carry a feature all the way to the finish line, so it's up to the actors to keep that connection alive. Michelle La has such an innocent and timid sweetness to her that it's impossible to not want the best for her, and John Cho turns in what is likely his best performance to date as a father that teeters back and forth from focus to near-implosion and back again. Not to mention the importance of his character's affiliation and banter with Messing (also a solid performance) that helped generate some of the key tensions as the case unravels. 

I could nit-pick a few minor issues that either nearly blew the lid of the whole thing just by trying to be a bit too clever, and an incident where David makes a poor judgment call that could be feasible for somebody under incredible emotional distress, but wasn't carried out with quite enough finesse to feel like anything more than a plot device that gets dismissed without any real ramifications. Come to think of it, if it had gone the way one would expect it to, that could have created a different angle that potentially made things intensify even further. Still, the writing had plenty more tricks up its sleeve that the film quickly recovers without any real damage done.

Overall, I think that's the most I can go into "Searching" without giving up the farm, so to speak. This is a solid and highly entertaining thriller that seems to have gone relatively unnoticed and criminally under-promoted. It's slick, perfectly paced, and to alleviate some possible concerns, I should also note that this is not some preachy bullshit about a dull or doomed generation. Sure, it illustrates some of the frightening possibilities that come with the technology at hand, but the goal here was not to condescend and instead treat people as smart enough to know the threat.

As I mentioned in the short version up top - Believe the hype. I cannot think of any reason why you would regret seeking out a copy of this and giving it a shot. I cannot recommend it enough.

"Searching": 9.5/10

NEW REVIEW: "Ralph Breaks the Internet"

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

"Ralph Breaks the Internet" (2018)

"Then I have to assume you made a deal with an underwater sea witch,
where she took your voice in exchange for a pair of human legs!"

"No! Good Lord, who would do that?"

You know, I guess I should be glad for the fact that it's only on rare occasion where legitimate concerns spawned from a film's initial couple of trailers end up coming true. Aside from the whole (pretty hilarious) "Bunny Pancake" thing that came out pre-release, all the others promotions for "Ralph Breaks the Internet" felt a little bit off, and that is not something I can say I have felt about a Disney Animation release since before "Tangled" back in 2010 when Disney was riding the Pixar wave hard due to their own solo releases prior to that being relatively uninspired. I wouldn't even say it was the plot progression that bothered me at the time because, while nothing outstandingly clever, if "Wreck-It Ralph" were to have a sequel, it makes decent enough sense to have the theme go from complete eye candy nostalgia to modern day relevant with the heavy movement of the gaming world transitioning to online platforms. In fact, as curious as I was to see how a character like Ralph would adapt to that type of change, and where I thought the whole "Breaks the Internet" was going to spin off from, something about the whole project just felt hollow to me that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

As it turns out, "Ralph" ended being a somewhat odd experience in that it was rich and playful in all the areas I wasn't expecting, and disappointingly flat in areas that seemed to me like easy wins the writers (Phil Johnston and Pamela Ribon, respectively) opted not to take for some reason. The end result is this rather mixed bag of hits and misses that serves as one of that last big Disney releases, sans "Mary Poppins Returns", before turning the page to 2019's enormous slate that could be either amazing or equally as mixed.

"Ralph Breaks the Internet" takes place six years after the original and finds Ralph and Vanellope basically where they left off - best friends that continue to do what they do in their respective Fix-It Felix Jr. and Sugar Rush arcade games, then after the doors are closed at night, they meet up and spend about every possible moment together shooting the breeze or goofing around in other games as part of their everyday routines. One day, when Ralph gets the impression that Vanellope has grown bored of Sugar Rush, he sneaks in during business hours to carve a new track for her to race on, which she loves, but the kids playing the game become baffled as to why they can no longer control her racer, and the custom steering wheel controller breaks. Normally this would not be a huge deal, except that the manufacturer of Sugar Rush has been a few years out-of-business now, and cost of the replacement part on eBay far exceeds what the game is worth and thus forces the arcade's owner, Litwak, to sell the game off for parts leaving all the characters within completely homeless.

By lucky chance, Litwak also so happens to be introducing wifi to the arcade for the first time, so Ralph and Vanellope capture the opportunity to infiltrate the internet and find that replace part for Sugar Rush. Unfortunately for them, what they thought was a game to win the steering wheel actually turns out to be a bidding war - a war that they win - for the small fee of $27,001 that the duo has twenty-four hours to claim or the bid is lost. 

Growing more and more desperate, Ralph and Vanellope accept a shady task from a pop-up store that will pay them the funds that they need if they can steal a car from a violent racing game called Slaughter Race (think Twisted Metal) that belongs to the game's primary "boss", Shank (Gal Gadot). During their escape, Vanellope begins to fall in love with the game, as it is exceedingly more suited to her personality, to the degree that she begins not to care about the money or going back home. Ralph then starts to see the writing on the wall, and after becoming more clingy than before, their friendship experiences its first straining hardship.

I won't go too much further as it could cause some spoilers; however, I will say this was one big point of the movie that annoyed me and still continues to do so as I continue to reflect on it. See, it appeared as though Vanellope's crafty driving skills were to create an easy escape out of Slaughter Race until they get caught by Shank at the last minute, resulting in their surrender. Shank then tells them that there are better ways to make money online than stealing, and just like that, the whole thing gets dropped. I know this is Disney, and this is something that needs to be seen rather than attempting to adequately explain, but that came across to me like a cop out. Vanellope and Ralph were already risking their lives, why not let the danger and mischief continue a bit longer so the life lesson could be learned rather than simply told? I realize that Vanellope is in the midst of developing an admiration for Shank, yet this compromise was just too easy when it could have easily made for better material than what was to come next.

To make matters worse, the alternative that is offered to them is easily the biggest misstep of the entire movie - Ralph making dopey viral videos in the land of BuzzzTube (guess they couldn't get that YouTube logo check) because "Likes" translate to cash. Sure, Ralph's clumsy, ogre nature makes for an easy and comical target, and of course the whole gag is to poke fun at modern culture's need to be entertained by stupidity and cute cats all day long, but all that attempted subtext is NOT Wreck-It Ralph. The tonality and gesture is a transparently hollow beating of the square peg in a round hole in an effort, or lack thereof, to add twenty or thirty minutes on to a plot too thin to stretch to an almost two hour length and remain compelling. By the time that was over, a big chunk of the Second Act I should add, I wished things were back to the good old days of stealing cars since that had some entertainment value that kept things moving.

Thankfully, once the film gets back on track and focuses on the aforementioned friendship ripple in the once blissful pond, everything finally comes together in what is an enjoyable Third Act that I certainly didn't see coming and might scare the pants off some of the younger crowd; even if some of it felt like it was paying a bit too much homage to a certain "Matrix" sequel. Nevertheless, it is during this climax that a bulk of the heart the movie was hinting at the entire time is captured, and once it hits the heartstrings, it makes the swerving journey up to that crossroads point feel a little more worthwhile.

Now, I did just knock on some failed subtext that the filmmakers tried to pass off as naked opportunism to look hip, but that's not to say they failed at it across the board. Initially, I was kind of bothered by the fact that the animation in "Ralph 2" somehow didn't seem a vibrant and alive as a Disney film normally would, and then I started to notice how it came off as purposefully plastic with all the brand names and famous website logos plastered all over everything, thus making it feel so sterile that it was borderline gross. Maybe I'm way off the mark, but I'd say that sounds like fitting commentary, wouldn't you? C'mon, not everybody would admit it, but if the internet had a taste, it'd be salty roadkill. 

When it comes to the two main characters themselves, I was also pleased at how much arc each one still had to offer after the completion of the first film. Granted, the plot scales are tipped towards Vanellope in this one, and while I do believe Ralph was underutilized with some painfully lazy dialogue at times, he was still left with enough personal growth to really put some sting in that Final Act that I mentioned before. That being said, I am not sure there was enough on either side that made me jump and say, "Yes, goddamn it, we really needed this sequel!" I suppose that can be said for most sequels, but you know what I'm getting at.

Overall, "Ralph Breaks the Internet" isn't too bad. Decent - I'll call it decent. I know I harped on the negative probably more than I intended to, especially since there were plenty of shining moments to enjoy. For instance, I thought for sure the whole "Oh My Disney" bit where Vanellope meets all the Disney princesses was going to be certainly painful; turns out, Disney actually can make fun of themselves, and the results had me rolling. Easily one of the highlights of the entire feature. Fix-It Felix Jr., while barely in this film because he didn't need to be, had some golden moments as well that parents will for sure appreciate. Additionally, there's a nod to Fortnite in there that was apparently cool. I didn't get it, because I don't play the fucking thing, but there's also that.

There has also been some negative talk regarding how the First Act felt rushed, but personally, I don't really agree. The nice thing about a sequel like this is that the main characters, their relationship, and the world around them is already so well-built that the writing doesn't need to spin it wheels or go back in time to establish what everybody going to watch it is already going to know. Spend a little time getting reacquainted with them, and then move on. I felt it worked and moved at the right pace.

I do wish that "Ralph 2" would have stayed truer to itself and its roots than trying to appeal to all the major sensibilities of its target audience. This is a film that seems to suffer some from an identity crisis in what could have otherwise been a solid follow-up. I did like it enough that I will certainly give it another chance or two just in case I happened to miss something. Even then, it's unlikely that I will see it as anything other than inferior to its predecessor, though that isn't to say it's a bad time at the cinema.

"Ralph Breaks the Internet": 6.5/10