RAPID FIRE REVIEWS: April 28th - May 4th, 2019

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“Dragged Across Concrete” (2019)

“Dragged Across Concrete” comes as the anticipated follow-up of Director S. Craig Zahler’s 2017 feature “Brawl on Cell Block 99”, which served as not only one of the positively jaw-dropping surprises of that year, but also as arguably the finest performance of Vince Vaughn’s career. Vaughn has played some serious roles in the past, however nothing quite like Bradley Thomas - a stoic, no bullshit bringer of unimaginable pain and face-crushing so swiftly brilliant it would make Gallagher blush. Now, to see Vaughn return alongside Mel Gibson as a duo of cops with some racism issues whom turn to a life of crime after getting suspended without pay, it’s no wonder that fans of “Block 99”, myself included, were chomping at the bit to see what the almost three-hour “Concrete” had to offer.

I cannot speak for the rest, but from where I sit, I could only find the entire feature to be drastically underwhelming. For a lack of a better term, I was somewhat astonished at just how soft the whole thing turned out. To be clear, I do not have anything in the slightest against slow burning films, or even long slow burning films. In fact, I get quite a lot of enjoyment being able to get lost in an immersive plot that allows me to lose total track of real time. Where I believe “Concrete” misuses this opportunity and causes it to ultimately stumble is in its need to elongate procedural scenes. “Concrete” is a good, albeit familiar story in of itself; however, as an example, I did not need Vaughan chewing loudly in Gibson’s ear for several consecutive minutes, especially since it establishes nothing of value. There was another scenario where Zahler attempted to establish morbid gravity by giving a side character almost a full formal introduction as a bank teller just returning from maternity leave at a bank that’s about to be robbed; a scene that could have been easily been saved as an extra on the DVD. Cut to about three or four more of these types of situations, and I found myself far short of the ability to give half a damn.

Granted, “Concrete” isn’t just two grumpy cops exchanging dialogue in their car; Zahler does bring some of his signature brutality here and there, and it is executed with the type of finesse that has given him the audience’s eye the past few years. That being said, this is a film that should have been so many shades darker than it was that, even by the time the blood starts to spill, it’s too little too late and any sort of satisfying payoff was dead on arrival. Gibson does turn in a performance that keeps the film on life support as it slowly died, but as a clearly intended character-driven drama, all of them were too sorely underwritten for it to work.

It’s a shame, but I’d say skip it.

“Dragged Across Concrete”: 5/10

“Another Year” (2010)

Of all the ranges of emotion that films can submit unto me, it’s really quite rare that one could give me *anxiety* as thoroughly as “Another Year” accomplished.

Thank you, Mike Leigh.

*** 

No joke, Director Mike Leigh is so good at creating character drama that, in the case of “Another Year”, he reminded me why I am glad to have the size of social circle that I do. I suppose, in a way, that clarifies pretty simply how good of a filmmaker Leigh is, and this title is no exception.

Without getting into spoilers, the genius of this narrative is how it leads the viewer into thinking it is all about a year in the life of the happily married couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen), along with their family and closest friends; then, in the second half of the film, it pulls a “Gotcha! Now go feel sad and guilty for a while.” Most importantly, it’s the type of transition that is entirely earned through carefully constructed interactions that may initially feel random and awkwardly out of place, yet proves to be Leigh stacking the deck to dump just that much more emotional baggage the audience could very well see coming but may not be adequately prepared to handle.  The final shot alone is effectively lasting enough on its own that one will be tempted to quickly find some sunshine afterward in order to feel better.

There’s really not much more I can say about this one. Mike Leigh is a master at this type of drama, and while I haven’t seen nearly as much of his filmography as I would like to yet, this is easily my favorite one so far.

“Another Year”: 9/10

“The Kindergarten Teacher” (2018)

Speaking of feeling uncomfortable, what better film to see right after something like “Another Year” than “The Kindergarten Teacher”; a film that made me talk to the television, which is significant because I’m just not that kind of person. Much like the previous film review in this batch, that speaks to not only how good this film is, but continues to cement my opinion that Maggie Gyllenhaal is far too underrated as an actress. I truly admire how bold she has become over the years and her performance here only cements that transition.

Ironically, as much as I really enjoyed Maggie’s performance, I will use this part of the review to bring forth my one main grievance with “Teacher”, which is that I could not be sold on Lisa Spinelli’s story arc. Maggie sells the hell out of it for sure and Lisa as a person is certainly intriguing; however, and this isn’t really a spoiler because it’s in the Netflix synopsis, there is some clear mental illness at play here that doesn’t really work in the overall narrative that she’s only bored and intellectually unfulfilled. The film gives plenty of glimpses into her home life and how it came about being structured the way that it is – normal and healthy – that her quick dive into some really inappropriate behavior does not make a whole lot of sense. Again, Lisa is an interesting woman brimming with good intentions, but for me, the dots just didn’t connect on this one glaring thing.

Stranger yet, thanks to Gyllenhaal and the absolutely adorable Parker Sevak alongside her, the somewhat flimsy foundation still manages to get through its barely over ninety-minute runtime unscathed as a fully absorbing drama that plays out as a slow-motion car crash that doesn’t let the viewer look away. Truly, the fact that it does get to its destination in good time is likely the key component outside of the acting that keeps it from overstaying its welcome.

This is certainly one of the stronger films under the Netflix umbrella that deserves to be seen. Don’t let this one get away from you as the streaming service continues to pile newer titles on top of it.

“The Kindergarten Teacher”: 8.5/10

“Missing Link” (2019)

What is certainly their most kid-centric film to date, LAIKA still continues to prove that they are the masters of their craft, and yet somehow continues to be criminally underappreciated in the mainstream.

Look, for the sake of argument, LAIKA likely has the understanding that parents with young children are going to be timid about their releases after the (awesome) nightmare fuel that was “Coraline” and “Kubo and the Two-Strings”. Sure, the studio was pretty aggressive in the ad campaigns for “Missing Link” that it is an absolutely family-friendly adventure tale led by Zach Galifianakis (whom has never been an opposing figure). Then again, “Kubo” was equally advertised as a colorful adventure tale.

At least “Kubo” didn’t have black button eyes in it. What more do you want??

Personally, while the animation and storytelling would typically be plenty for me, what I love most about LAIKA is their variety. Since the comedy in “Missing Link” was not directly at those my age a majority of the time, it didn’t do a whole lot for me; however, the more dramatic and action-adventure type scenes were still engrossing. A large part of that success can be attributed to the antagonist, Willard Stenk (Timothy Olyphant), whom is pretty one-note, but thanks to Olyphant’s voice work, he’s the perfect dirty Old West archetype that takes full command of a scene every time he’s on screen. He provides the kind of counter-balance needed to keep Sir Lionel Frost’s (Hugh Jackman) nobility and Susan’s (Galifianakis) goofiness grounded.

For what is still a limited library for LAIKA, while “Missing Link” is likely the one film they have so far that I would reach out for the least, I have a feeling I’m still going to have a general fondness for it for all the positive aforementioned reasons. If you have any sort of respect for the craft that this studio continues to adhere to in a CGI-crowded space, I think you owe it to yourself to support them and check this one out.

“Missing Link”: 8/10

“Young and Beautiful” (2013)

Taking into consideration the bold performance of lead actress Marine Vacth, and the boldness of the story at play about a young woman turned sex worker, it is more than a little sad that “Young and Beautiful” (or “Jeune & Jolie”) played out as wooden as it did – no pun, I swear. Now, when I say Vacth’s performance was bold, that’s not to say that is synonymous with good. Without a doubt, I will beat the drum all day in support of any actor that takes the leap in their job – as difficult as it is already – and performs a bulk of said role in the nude for the sake of the art. Nevertheless, sex and nudity can never truly make up for poor writing and otherwise lackluster performances.

If that scenario is the type of thing being sought out, PornHub assuredly has an app for that.

Underneath all the risqué business, the main premise here has a heavier lean towards coming-of-age self-discovery after Isabelle (Vacth) loses her virginity and becomes increasingly enticed by the possibility of exploring these newfound sensations while getting paid really good money for it. Of course, this comes with some dangerous setbacks to the tune “What could possibly go wrong?”, i.e., asshole clients that treat her like a piece of meat, the fact that she’s technically underage and has lied to said clients about her age, and she still lives at home with parents that have no idea what she’s up to.

Her actions would suggest that she gets enjoyment out of this paid hobby for more than just the money; she also seems to like the sex and the quiet power trip that comes with it. Sadly, none of that, the ups or the downs, come through effectively enough by Vacth.  Even as she begins to perhaps develop romantic feeling towards one of her much older clients, it barely comes through as anything other than a dull, fleeting spark, and the film suffers because of it.

I’m not sure if that falls entirely on Vacth, or if the directing had a part to play as well. Francois Ozon has been known for his multiple accolades over the years, so it is all the more baffling how this film ended up being as flat as it turned out. It’s certainly not wholly incompetent by any stretch. I was in it enough to see it through until the end, but there was nothing that was incredibly moving, either.

It's tough on this one for me to place a preference one way or the other, though I can feel myself gravitating towards a “Skip it” recommendation.

“Young and Beautiful”: 5.5/10

RAPID FIRE REVIEWS: March 24 - March 30

 MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“The Paperboy” (2012)

Wait, hold on a second.

I just need to check something really quickly.

Matthew McConaughey

Zac Efron

Nicole Kidman

David Oyelowo

Scott Glenn

John Cusack

Macy Gray

Lee Daniels, Director

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Wow, with all of that talent, I should consider it impressive how much this movie sucks.

***

Pete Dexter, the author of the 1995 novel for which this film is based upon, is listed as a screenwriter credit alongside Director Lee Daniels. Part of me wants to immediately jump to the conclusion that Dexter must not have had a huge part in the process, aside a blessing or two, considering how non-cohesive and overcomplicated the final cut turned out.  Then again, this is the Hollywood Money Machine, so it is hard to be entirely sure until different cuts of a film come to the surface.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, I will say you can immediately strike McConaughey, Oyelowo, Glenn, and Gray, for all intents and purposes, off the list of anything that matters in this film, because their arcs or lack thereof, have little to no bearing on the outcome. Boiled down, “The Paperboy”, in its cinematic form, is really only about Efron being poorly written as a horny twenty-something that wants to get between the legs of Nicole Kidman’s character who’s poorly written as having a hard fetish for prison dick (no nicer way to put it), and she lands a particularly greasy-looking one in Cusack whom is so clearly psychotic to everybody except Kidman that Efron knows he must come to the rescue.

Fuck it – if that’s all “The Paperboy” was I would entertainment it. Granted, in this format and being told in the stale way that it is with a group of actors achingly too good for the paygrade, it would probably still suck even then. Nevertheless, at least it would cut to the chase better than this and avoid a half-ass murder mystery with no adequate conclusion. The sad part is, even if the screenplay was shredded to bits for whatever reason, there’s nothing of substance here. Instead, it’s pure shallowness trying to pass itself off as edgy art material, and it’s so nakedly fails at it.

Ugh, I don’t really know what else to say. I guess Kidman is really the one shining performance as she didn’t come off as mailing it in, and while I’m sure it was fake, we do get to see her urinate on Efron’s jellyfish stings, so there’s that?

Bottom-line is: Don’t waste your time.

“The Paperboy”: 3/10

“Aquaman” (2018)

Well, I’ll be damned; Wonder Woman is going to have to share some of her thunder.

To be clear, “Aquaman” doesn’t raise quite to the heights that “Wonder Woman” set back in 2017, but I would be remiss if I failed to recognize that perhaps the DCU is possibly starting to dig out of its self-imposed hole. Between “Wonder Woman”, “Aquaman”, “Shazam” looking so dumb it might just work, and James Gunn coming to help everybody forget about the first “Suicide Squad” - there may be some hope after all.

There were certainly a handful of things about “Aquaman” that I didn’t much care for, but the thing is so off-the-walls bonkers and assaulting to the senses most of the time that it was hard for me to care about them. For one, I am a little sad that nothing about this film felt like a James Wan picture that has so fueled my man-crush on him. I can tell that he probably had one Hell of a good time making the movie, and good for him, but a lot of me really wanted to see some of his signature suspense and I just couldn’t feel it anywhere. Secondly, DC seems to be suffering the same way as MARVEL in the villain department in which they are, shall we say, lacking intimidation and memorability. They did give Patrick Wilson a pretty cool costume for the final battle, though. Third, I’m still not entirely sold on Jason Mamoa. He’s a big, booming presence, and much like Dwayne Johnson, he has to be acknowledged solely for that fact. That’s not to say he doesn’t have his moments, because he mostly certainly does, but somebody will have to pinch me if he shows off anything in the way of range. Lastly, I could have done without the pirates. I know that Black Manta’s portion of the narrative gave him that *henchman with a bone to pick*, but seeing “Aquaman” as it stands is already rather lengthy, the battle sequences involving the pirates didn’t do much for me when compared to the underwater scenes with all the beasts.

Speaking of which, now that the bitching part of the session is done: The final battle with the giant kracken – BADASS. In fact, the entire climax is probably one of the most jaw-jarring spectacles DC has put on screen possibly ever. I haven’t read any reviews as to how the 3D version of “Aquaman” turned out, though I’d really like to take a peek at it just for the last twenty minutes alone. Truthfully, in the end, this was all “Aquaman” needed to be in the first place: a popcorn action flick with a CGI-onslaught and Jason Mamoa using his smolder to deliver a few one-liners and keep the audience trained on his charisma. While some of the hand-to-hand combat didn’t quite work in the CGI underwater, the film does deliver where it needs to.

Obviously nobody knows yet if DC can truly be saved from the WB’s countless errors in judgment, but if it can and Aquaman does come back for more (there’s one billion dollars’ worth of reasons that he will), I will definitely give it a look.

“Aquaman”: 7/10

“Stan & Ollie” (2018)

Growing up, I was never really exposed to the comic workings of Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, or The Three Stooges, and fair enough, I probably wouldn’t have understood much as a kid that was highly transfixed in the animation world. Truth be told, there were only two reasons why “Stan & Ollie” caught my attention to begin with, and those reasons were Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly; a couple of my favorite comedians whom effortlessly transition from comedy to drama and back again. Also, I was intrigued that the film was focusing more on the duo during their more tumultuous middle-age years when their popularity had long since dissipated, and they decide to do a big European tour in hopes to gain the funds to create a “Robin Hood” passion film project.

Not surprisingly, Coogan and Reilly were absolutely excellent together. They bring the laughs, and thanks to a well-constructed screenplay, the duo also brings a sufficient amount of heart to the screen that, being a virgin of sorts to the material, I did not see coming. I’m not sure exactly who the target audience was for “Stan & Ollie”, but if it was to open the eyes of people like myself, then the film was a total success. Due to the strength of the two leads, I started falling in love with the legend (and some of its baggage) that is these two men, and I truly did not want it to end.

I know this doesn’t constitute as much of a review, although “Stan & Ollie” is a simplistic biography without a lot of bells and whistles and does a great job at telling a story. I guess I could level one minor complaint in that it often tried to bring the wives of the two men front and center a few times out of necessity, but in the same breath, didn’t really know what to do with them. It’s not so much crippling as it is a minor distraction.

Regardless, I’d be lying if I said that, by the end, it was holding a couple of onions close to my face to make my tear ducts moist.

“Stan & Ollie”: 9/10

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

RAPID FIRE REVIEWS: February 3 - February 10, 2019

MRMOVIESETC REVIEWS:

“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” (2019)

SPOILER: The trailers for this film were a lie. The events that took place had nothing to do with Taco Tuesday.

0/10

***

Bring some caffeine. You’re going to need it.

“The LEGO Movie 2” is a lot, and by that, I mean stuffed and crammed with a pinch of sensory overload.

In my recent review of the latest “How To Train Your Dragon” film, I talked about how some animators really like to show off their prowess by going nearly batshit bonkers with every trick in the book that a film of this kind will allow. Seeing as, at its core, “LEGO 2” is a simple and warm story about growing up and all the changes that occur therein regarding social behavior and pop culture sensibility (without giving it all away), there’s a balance to be struck in order to reach a wide target audience. The younger crowds will likely appreciate the catchy music and breakneck pace with about as much colorful filler as one could ask for, whilst older kids and adults will be more tuned into the nostalgic toy references and tongue-in-cheek humor.

The voice actors are clearly still game for what the series is selling, and the addition of always-charismatic Tiffany Haddish as Queen Watevra Wa-Nabe added some needed flair. Not all of it always works, per se, with the film getting too busy at times for its and the characters’ own good, but considering this is already the fourth one of these in fewer than six years, this LEGO film series continues to push ahead with enough creative, entertaining force to be a staple in the genre.  More importantly, even though it takes the silliness of the first film to a whole new level, it didn’t forgot how to keep things fun.

“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”: 8/10

“The Wife” (2018)

It makes my heart happy to see a talent as wonderful as Glenn Close continue to kill it on screen after decades in the business. Ironically, happy isn’t an emotion often projected in “The Wife” with a narrative rooted deeply in a lifetime’s worth of anger, resentment, and regret caused by the person her character devoted her life to, and society’s attitudes towards women being the lesser species in the literary world for no other reason than that – gender.

                                                                                                                                

To watch Close’s Joan Castleman expertly begin to slowly unravel from the inside during what is supposed to be a celebratory occasion for her husband, Joseph Castleman (the also great Johnathan Pryce), it is nothing short of dramatic excellence. Between her performance and Jane Anderson’s engaging screenplay, the audience cannot help but cheer when she finally becomes liberated from her ghosts.

If there are a few shortcomings, and it is truly only a few, one would be that the ending is rather cliché in an old school way, and I really didn’t buy into the couple’s son, David (Max Irons), whom is so whiny and entitled that he’s almost insufferably distracting.  Granted, he serves as more of a device to expose Joseph’s character flaws, but even those weren’t enough to be of any real significance compared to Joan’s memories.

Nonetheless, “The Wife” is an exceptional film that deserves to stand out as one of the best dramas from last year. One that certainly makes me want Glenn to never retire.

“The Wife”: 9/10

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” (2018)

Taking into consideration how many good, and even great, films that Disney puts out, I’d wager that there’s no other studio currently in existence that releases quite as much high budget meh as they do. True to form yet again, it’s the live-action holiday fare that has been CGI/green screened to death that gets the next spot on the dusty shelf. Sure, some of it looks good thanks to Disney money, but having so much of it sucks the life out of the film.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not terrible – if you’re in age group that falls below ten-ish. Should that be the case, by all means, knock yourself out; I’m sure the troop of legitimately freaky clowns will help you keep your grateful parents up all hours into the night. On the flipside of the coin, however, adults are going to see any little twist coming ages ahead of their delivery, which isn’t inherently a bad thing if done in a clever way, but bad news bears, clever is in short supply in the Four Realms. Some of the comedy isn’t too bad, but maybe it felt that way because it was rare and added some life to the plastic.

The best thing about the movie – creepy clowns aside – is the acting. Nothing less should be expected seeing that Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Kiera Knightley, and Mackenzie Foy are entirely too good for the material. Then again, Disney likely pays pretty well , so one can hardly blame them for agreeing to breeze through this while in some fun costumes. Speaking of Kiera, did anybody else who has seen this know her voice could do that? I sincerely took me a moment between that and the makeup to realize it was her, and for the life of me, I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not.

Eh, yet another cog that has been the amusingly uneven directing career of Joe Johnston. Try as he might, at least he can never go lower than “Jurassic Park III”, am I right?

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”: 4/10

“Widows” (2018)

Well, this was rather disappointing.

To expand on that, “Widows” is disappointing for a Steve McQueen film. After solid projects like 2011’s “Shame” and 2013’s “12 Years A Slave”, McQueen this time adopts a heist thriller with an intriguing twist that should have worked bar none, and I guess it kind of did work, but it didn’t leave much of an impression either. I suppose it could serve as a good problem to have if a drama/thriller like “Widows” would be considered a win for a filmmaker still cutting his or her teeth, but only so-so for an “A”-class director like McQueen.

The whole cast does a great job – Viola Davis is magnificent as always, even if she’s had better roles in which to shine; Daniel Kaluuya is quite the intimidating badass; Robert Duvall’s minor role was effective enough for anyone to want to punch in the face by design; and Elizabeth Debicki may have had the best the bunch as the portrayed “underestimated ditzy blonde”. All of these actors really riff well off of each other and make for a pretty solid First and Second Act.

It’s really in the Third Act that kind of strips the guts out and makes the film miss its landing. Sure, the plot can truly be more about the women facing down the odds in a situation where men are all in power and said men assume these women are utterly helpless lambs. Be that as it may, all the build-up to the climax promises are a stout finale; instead, it wraps up cleanly and quickly, and all I could really think was “That’s it?”

To be sure, McQueen’s fingerprint is still evidently all over this film, and he brings some adequately stylish shots and a few twists to the foreground. Perhaps the screenplay could have used a few more re-writes to have reached the caliber everybody knows he possesses.

“Widows”: 7/10

“The Girl in the Spider’s Web” (2018)

Alright, if Fede Alvarez can’t make this material worthwhile anymore, then it’s time to stop.

If we’re being honest with ourselves, the only thing that stands out about the original Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson is Lisbeth Salander. “Dragon Tattoo” – both the Swedish version and David Fincher’s American remake – is a fine, densely textured mystery-drama that Noomi Rapace and Rooney Mara bring compellingly to life in their respective renditions of Salander. “Played With Fire” and “Hornet’s Nest” began a steady decline in mystique, and ultimately lead to a lackluster conclusion of the trilogy.

Unsurprisingly, since the money factory has to keep chugging away, multiple Salander sequels have continued to be released in print well after Larsson’s death in 2004, and now we have America’s first crack at a sequel to “Dragon Tattoo” that, I think, stands outside the original trilogy? Eh, this is Hollywood, and clearly they don’t care about timelines, so why should we, right? Although, judging by the box office, it would appear American audiences gave even less of a shit about this than they did in blasphemous fashion with Fincher’s cut.

This time, at least, audience disinterest was well-founded as “Spider’s Web” is the hollowest dud of the lot so far. I’m not going to say there weren’t some cool scenes, especially towards the end, but other than that, this film has absolutely nothing of substance to add. It takes no new risks and it continues to lie on its rape-y laurels to make it gritty. In doing so, this feature manages to kill whatever Lisbeth had left to make her exciting. Not only that, sad to say, Claire Foy was a poor fit for this role. She’s a good actress and has proven that multiple times; however, she doesn’t have that natural hard persona that worked so well for Noomi and Rooney. Every time she was on screen, try as she might to hit Lisbeth’s mannerisms, the whole act felt forced.

Luckily of her, she wasn’t alone. Sverrir Gudnason brought nothing to the table for Mikael Blumkvist, though nobody can touch Michael Nyqvist’s original performance (may he rest in peace), and Lakeith Stanfield was dreadfully underused in a one-dimensional role that he couldn’t save no matter what he did.

Outside of that, the plot is basic with no decent payoff, and I don’t really need to ramble anymore because one should just simply skip this like most people apparently did.

“The Girl in the Spider’s Web”: 3/10

“A Private War” (2018)

Rosamund Pike is frustratingly underrated and underappreciated, is she not?

I thought for sure she was going to blow up after “Gone Girl”, and yet after more stellar performances in “A United Kingdom” and now in “A Private War”, nothing much has changed. I don’t know. Maybe she prefers it that way? Or studios are too dumb to promote her properly? Both are feasible, in my estimation.

Anyway, Pike stars in this biography about war freelance reporter, Marie Colvin, and her journeys into extremely violent and war-torn territories, such as, Sri Lanka, Libya, and Syria, in a passionate effort to show the world what is really going on to civilian lives. What makes her story both beautiful and tragic is that she never sees fit to back down from her job, despite being terribly injured in an explosion that leaves her blind in her left eye, and the devastating PTSD-like effects it’s leaving on her between missions that she can only calm through alcoholism. The film clocks in at less than two hours, so the time lapses between assignments move rather quickly and it shows how rapidly her body is deteriorating away from all the abuse. In a way, this serves as the film’s main weakness. There were multiple scenes that I wanted to get more out of before it moved on.

Specific kudos also needs to be given to Director Matthew Heineman, whom was a natural choice for the project given that this sort of subject matter has been his claim to fame from previous documentaries he has shot. His expertise in the field is clear during the more suspenseful scenes on the battlefield, and fortunately, he was able to transition over to the quieter moments with the same amount of grace.

I know war films are not everybody’s cup of tea, and even if that’s case, I’d still highly recommend checking this out solely for Pike’s performance. This is a drama that should not be allowed to float under the radar.

“A Private War”: 9.5/10