Karl Delossantos

‘Columbus’ review — Romantic and charming, John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson are stellar

Columbus is a charming and romantic movie in the vein of Before Sunrise that features stellar performances by Haley Lu Richardson and John Cho

★★★★★

Quick review: Anchored by two Oscar-worthy performances, Columbus is perhaps one of the great romances of the decade.

Columbus, a small city located in southeastern Indiana, is a juxtaposition. Even though it’s located deep in the midwest, it has become a mecca for modern architecture and art.

It’s almost as far from the culture-rich liberal coasts as you can get, yet it still lays claim to some of the biggest advancements of postwar modernism in the United States. But what does that have to do with writer-director Kogonada’s debut film named after the city? Well, everything.

Columbus is about relationships. The relationship between modern architecture and the city. The relationship between a father and son, a mother and daughter. But, at the core, it’s about the relationship between Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), an 18 or 19-year-old young woman who works at the public library, and Jin (John Cho), a Korean-American man who returns to the US after working overseas when his father falls ill.

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Over a couple of Before Sunrise–esque days, Casey and Jin learn about each other’s pasts, where they are now in their lives, and where they think they should be in the future. And that’s really all there is to it.

Along the way, there are revelations that test this new friendship — or is it more? But what they have in common is a steadfast appreciation for modern architecture, which is what brings them together in the first place. Casey loves it from growing up in the town.

Jin simply absorbed the information through his father’s studies and his journal. And though their conversations pretty much only surround architecture, Kogonada infuses them rich subtext that makes the movie a beautiful character study at its core.

Cho, best known for Harold & Kumar and the Star Trek films, gives a remarkable performance that demands he be taken seriously as an actor. Asian men don’t often get the chance to be leading men, especially in romances. But Cho controls the screen with a steely conviction. More impressively, he is able to decide when to allow audiences to understand his thought process, which makes his emotional arc all the more impactful.

Haley Lu Richardson in COLUMBUS

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However, he gives room for his scene partners to shine — he often plays across Eleanor (Parker Posey) an old friend and his father’s assistant — particularly Richardson, whose performance is simply astounding and one of the best of the year.

What I found so refreshing about Columbus is that it captures a specific time in life. The time where you’re at a crossroads — in this case, post-high school — and have to decide what direction you want to take. However, as with many aspects of life, there is pressure from all sides. Even from people that don’t realize their applying pressure.

Casey feels pressure to pursue education from her co-worker Gabriel (Rory Culkin, a scene-stealer), but feels stuck looking after her mother Maria (Michelle Forbes, fantastic here),a recovering drug addict, Richardson portrays that desire to just push back on the pressure and scream so adeptly that it feels like a gut punch once you recognize the feeling. It’s remarkable considering this movie for most of its running time is quiet and meditative — though that doesn’t make it any less impactful.

Columbus is one of those gems that doesn’t seem like anything extraordinary until you’re sitting through the credits trying to absorb what you just watched. In terms of conversation movies, it approaches the level of Before Sunset, which I consider the best of the Before trilogy. Kogonada allows the conversation to flow naturally, but with purpose, and that purpose is for two completely different people, a juxtaposition in their own right, to understand each other and eventually help the other understand which road to take.

The beautiful thing is that we don’t know if it’s the right road, but the ending is still filled with hope. Something that we need more of in film.

Columbus is available to stream on Hulu or on Digital HD on Amazon!

December 18, 2017
2018 Oscar Predictions: Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress is probably the most competitive acting category at the Oscars, even though Allison Janney has emerged as the frontrunner.

Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars this year is a battle of the TV titans. Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird), an Emmy winner for Roseanne, and Allison Janney (I, Tonya), an Emmy winner for The West Wing and Mom, have been going head to head all season. Metcalf essentially swept the critics’ awards, but once the televised awards came, Janney started winning. However, I, Tonya has been a divisive movie. The fact that it couldn’t crack Best Picture or Best Orignal Screenplay is evidence of that. On the other hand, Lady Bird is a Best Picture frontrunner, and can even pull off a win.

However, Janney has the more traditional scene-stealing Oscar role in the vein of Mo’nique in Precious or Melissa Leo in The Fighter. Though, Metcalf certainly has winners who have had performances similar to hers — Patricia Arquette in Boyhood. While Janney’s performance is bigger, Metcalf has her moments and comes off more empathetic. I think it’s more of a tossup than people think.

There isn’t much room for an upset, but if there was one it could come from one of two contenders. Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) has been the most consistent nominee along with Janney and Metcalf. Though she hasn’t won anything, she would be a way to honor Mudbound, which was certainly popular based on nominations, and she was also nominated for Best Original Song, which gives her added visibility. However, that could also hurt her chances since voters have another category to honor her.

Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) was one of the most surprising nominations in any category. And Phantom Thread overperformed, including nominations in Best Director and Best Picture. She could pull a Marcia Gay Harden when she won Best Supporting Actress for Pollack without any major nominations.

At this point, I’d still give Janney the edge. She won all the right awards, is beloved in the industry, and is campaigning. However, I, Tonya is divisive and her character is truly an antagonist with no redeeming qualities. Even Mo’nique had a redemption scene. Plus, Lady Bird is going to be a popular movie at the Oscars. It’s going to be a lot closer than most people think.

Check out all our 2018 Oscar Predictions!

Current Predictions (2/1/18):
1. Allison Janney, I, Tonya
2. Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
3. Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
4. Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
5. Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water
December 13, 2017
2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations (Film) — Complete List

The nominations for the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced today!

The Screen Actors Guild Awards or SAG awards are a key Oscar precursor, especially for Best Picture since no winner of that category has won without at least being nominated for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. The SAG awards will air on January 21, 2018 on TNT and TBS at 8pm EST and will for the first time have a host, The Good Place‘s Kristen Bell.

Here are the nominations for the 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards!

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The Big Sick
Get Out
Lady Bird
Mudbound
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Judi Dench, Victoria and Abdul
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside, Ebbing Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Steve Carrell, Battle of the Sexes
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Hong Chau, Downsizing
Holly Hunter, The Big Sick
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Outstanding Performance by Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Baby Driver
Dunkirk
Logan
War of the Planet of the Apes
Wonder Woman

December 13, 2017
2018 Golden Globe Nominations (Film) — Complete List

The 2018 Golden Globe nominations are here!

The nominations for the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning. The Shape of Water led with 7 nominations including Best Motion Picture — Drama. Check out the complete list of 2018 Golden Globe nominations below (refresh this page as we update live)!

Then, check out our 2018 Oscar Predictions!

Best Picture – Drama
Call Me by Your Name
Dunkirk
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Picture – Comedy or Musical
The Disaster Artist
Get Out
The Greatest Showman
I, Tonya
Lady Bird

Best Actor – Drama
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Tom Hanks, The Post
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Best Actress – Comedy or Musical
Judi Dench, Victoria & Abdul
Helen Mirren, The Leisure Seeker
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes

Best Actress – Drama
Jessica Chastain, Molly’s Game
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Meryl Streep, The Post
Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World

Best Actor – Comedy or Musical
Steve Carrel, Battle of the Sexes
Ansel Elgort, Baby Driver
James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Best Supporting Actor
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Armie Hammer, Call Me by Your Name
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Supporting Actress
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Hong Chau, Downsizing
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Best Director
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Ridley Scott, All the Money in the World
Steven Spielberg, The Post

Best Screenplay
Lady Bird
Molly’s Game
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Score
Dunkirk
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Song
“Home” from Ferdinand
“Mighty River” from Mudbound
“Remember Me” from Coco
“The Star” from The Star
“This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman

Best Animated Film
The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent

Best Foreign Film
A Fantastic Woman
First They Killed My Father
In the Fade
Loveless
The Square

December 11, 2017
Brigsby Bear review — SNL’s Kyle Mooney is the hero we need in this surprisingly sweet comedy

Brigsby Bear is an offbeat comedy with a large beating heart at its center in the form of Saturday Night Live’s Kyle Mooney

Kyle Mooney is arguably the most underrated repertory cast member on Saturday Night Live. Since joining the cast in 2013, many of his sketches written with frequent collaborator and long-time friend Beck Bennet have been relegated to the pre-shot ten to one spot or simply cut for time. However, his specific brand of awkward 80s infused humor has become a favorite among the fans watching the sketches online. And I am one of those fans. While his sketches don’t often have much of an undertone other than commenting specifically on 80s and 90s era pop culture, Brigsby Bear, which he co-wrote and stars in, has a huge amount of heart at the center of its oddball plot and humor.

James is a 25-year-old man-child who spends his days watching and carefully analyzing the 24 seasons of “Brigsby Bear,” a show only presented on VHS about a magical bear and his adventures across the universe battling the evil Sun Snatcher. The show is an odd blend of 80s children shows ranging from “Barney” to “Captain Planet.” Still, James worships the show. Partially because it’s the only show he’s ever seen. He spends his days putting together presentations about “Brigsby,” recording recaps for the online “Brigsby Bear” forums, and filling his room with memorabilia. However, the show’s origins are a lot more sinister than they seem. “Brigsby Bear” is the invention of his “parents” Ted (Mark Hamill) and April (Jane Adams), who are revealed to have kidnapped James when he was an infant. The couple used the show as a tool to keep James from asking questions about the world outside their underground bunker, which explains the strange lines like “curiosity is an unnatural emotion” and lessons like only masturbating twice a day. Simply put, “Brigsby Bear” is responsible for James’ development and is his only connection to the outside world.

One night, while James is sitting on the roof of the bunker (wearing an air mask since he was told the outside world was toxic), he sees a squad of police cars approach the compound where they arrest Ted and April and take James away. Usually, this would be a spoiler. But all this happens within the first ten minutes of the film. Detective Vogel (Greg Kinnear, great here) explains to James the circumstances of his captivity and returns him to his biological parents, Greg (Matt Walsh) and Louise (Michaela Watkins), and his sister Aubrey (Ryan Simpkins). From there, the film turns into a fish-out-of-water comedy akin to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. However, unlike that show, Brigsby Bear flirts with the darker side of the subject. James’ lack of understanding of the outside world is both hilarious and devastating, particularly his obsession with “Brigsby Bear,” which he finally finds out was a show only made for him to see.

What makes Brigsby Bear such a unique and original take on the subject, though, is that it toes the very thin line between making light of the dark subject and delivering some real perspective on it. Though James is overwhelmed by his situation, he’s more concerned with the fact that the show will never continue. So, he takes it upon himself to finish the story along with Aubrey’s friend Spencer (Jorge Lendeborg Jr., seen very briefly in Spider-Man Homecoming this year), who has become as interested in the show as James. His parents and psychiatrist Emily (Claire Danes) are concerned that James is holding on to a show that was essentially used as a mind control device by his captors. However, it becomes clear that in finishing the story, James is working through his transition the best way he knows how. In that respect, the movie becomes a remarkably thoughtful meditation on trauma and how we deal with it.

Mooney, though underrated on SNL, finally gets the chance to show that he is a comedic actor with force behind him. He brings his endearingly awkward persona that underlines so many of his characters to the movie but adds a sympathetic edge to it. Though he mostly shuts down when he first meets his new family, he does know how to do one thing: talk about Brigsby. It’s those two mental states that James flips between that make this movie so charming. His passion for the show is commendable. You end up rooting for him to complete it.

There is a surprising lack of conflict in the film that allows its sincerity to come through without veering into self-importance. Director Dave McCary tells the film with little cynicism. Like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the people behind the film love their main character and want him to succeed, which translates beautifully on screen. In the end, there is a striking amount of hope and friendship at the center of Brigsby Bear. Which makes sense considering the inspiration of the eponymous show ends with those lessons. Mooney’s James overcomes his adversity with creativity and teaches us a lesson about sympathy that for once feels genuine. Though he’s just a normal guy that wears t-shirts tucked into his pants, he’s the kind of hero we need today.

★★★★ out of 5

Watch Brigsby Bear on Amazon!

December 9, 2017
The Shape of Water review — Sally Hawkins gives the performance of a lifetime

The Shape of Water is a beautifully crafted story by master filmmaker Guierrmo Del Toro, but lacks the emotional depth to make it great.

Love is love, even if it’s between a human woman and an amphibian man. That’s the message that Guierrmo Del Toro seems to be trying to get across with his newest movie The Shape of Water, a modern fantasy romance during the height of the Cold War. Like his last film Crimson Peak, The Shape of Water is presented as a fairy tale and is stylistically told as such. There are even moments where it seems like the image on screen could be a page in a picture book. However, like a fairy tale, his delivery of this message is a bit on the nose. But that isn’t anything new for Del Toro.

In early 1960s Baltimore, Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) lives a routine life. When she wakes she changes over the calendar, puts eggs on the stove to boil, makes her lunch for the day, and of course masturbates in the bath. You know, routine. However, Elisa isn’t exactly a normal woman. She is mute. But she doesn’t let that fact crush her spirit. She’s a lively woman who enjoys conversation with her neighbor Giles, an advertisement artist who has let go from his company because of some type of addiction that we don’t quite learn of. Elisa is also special because she works nights cleaning at the Occam Aerospace Research Center, a top-secret government facility that recently acquired an asset that they believe may be the key to besting Russia at the space race.

This asset is a mysterious creature that was found in the waters of South America. He is simply referred to as Amphibious Man (Doug Jones) in the credits, but that doesn’t quite cover what he is. What is clear is that Elisa is taken aback by him, especially when the head of the team researching the creature, Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), is injured by him. As time goes on, Elisa begins sneaking into the room that contains the creature to feed him hard-boiled eggs and play him music off her portable record player. Over time, the creature and Elisa begin to bond. She begins to see the humanity in him, as does Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg, he’s having a great year between this and Call Me By Your Name), who might have ulterior motives for the creature. As Strickland becomes more hostile towards the creature, Elisa decides to recruit the help of Giles and her friend and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer, as charming as ever) to help her break him out of the facility.

Del Toro is one of the finest visual filmmakers working today and The Shape of Water is a perfect example of that. The movie is carefully designed to take place within the period, but also have a surreal quality to it with its costumes and sets splashed in a sea-foam green color tone. Del Toro knows how to heighten reality to fit the story he’s trying to tell by having every department fully committed to his vision. Credit also has to be given to cinematographer Dan Laustsen, who shot the film like a cold war movie, with a storybook flare.

However, as engaging as the story is, I never felt truly immersed. Part of the problem with Crimson Peak was its general emotional coldness. None of the characters had strong arcs that you could become invested in. The same problem happens in The Shape of Water. There are glimpses of emotional undercurrents. Giles, a closeted gay man, has taken an interest in a waiter at a local diner and often drags Elisa along to see him. And while that storyline comes close to becoming an emotional arc, a pivotal scene is cut right before it really says anything and then the storyline is dropped.

Sally Hawkins, though, delivers a lot of heart to the movie. She’s an emotional powerhouse without speaking a single word. In one scene, she forces Giles to repeat everything he’s saying to ensure he’s understanding. And though Jenkins pretty much deadpans the translations, the pain in Hawkins’ face is enough to carry the emotional heft of the scene. Her relationship with the creature isn’t exactly built up or earned. It feels like it’s rushed for the sake of the plot. But again, Hawkins makes me believe that she truly has fallen for him. She’s sensational. The same goes for Jenkins. He portrays his character’s loneliness with incredible restraint and though the script doesn’t give him the chance to build much of an emotional arc, he adds a lot of depth.

And even though I was ultimately disappointed in my lack of emotional investment in the movie, Del Toro is a masterful storyteller. Elisa and Giles both bond over their love of old Hollywood musicals. And that imagery is often invoked with Giles and Elisa sitting on the couch mimicking the movie they’re watching on screen or when at one point Elisa imagines her and the creature performing a classic black-and-white musical number. Like all of his films, The Shape of Water has a quirky tone to everything, even when it drifts into the horrifying. That tone is also aided by Alexander Desplat’s playful score, which is certainly one of the most memorable elements of the film.

For a movie about a creature of the deep, The Shape of Water keeps everything surprisingly surface level. It feels like what you get on screen is all that you are given. Still, Guierrmo Del Toro is such a masterful filmmaker that he is able to make the story and visuals interesting enough to keep audiences in their seats. However, the movie left me cold with nothing to attach to. It is the visual feast that his past projects were, certainly. But the emotional heft is put on the shoulders of its cast. In particular, Sally Hawkins and Richard Jenkins, who both deserve Oscar nominations for their work. The Shape of Water is definitely worth a watch for its story and filmmaking prowess.

★★★½ out of 5

December 9, 2017
Thor: Ragnarok review — Funny, quirky, the best Thor movie yet

Thor: Ragnarok is a quirky and hilarious departure from the usual Marvel fare that feels fresh and possibly one of the best movies the studio has put out

The Thor sect of the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe needed a life saver change after two middling movies that are among the least critically successful movies that the franchise has produced. Well, that lifesaver came in the form of a disco-infused, neon colored shot delivered by director Taika Waititi. His last movie, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, was among my favorites last year and one of the most inspired comedies of the last decade or so. So it’s not surprising that Thor Ragnarok succeeds mainly as a comedy. However, this retro-fitted isn’t just a Guardians of the Galaxy rip-off like it might seem on the surface. Ragnarok succeeds because it has personality. It’s characters come off the screen and become more than just a few well-delivered one-liners. No offense to the Guardians of course.

The plot of Ragnarok sounds like typical Marvel fare, which usually involved some world-ending event that needs to be stopped. Following Age of Ultron, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) goes out to investigate the apocalyptic dreams he’s been having, which turns out to be the eponymous Nordic legend that foretells the destruction of Asgard. However, in the first scene, which starts with Thor, chained up in a cage, in voiceover saying: “You might be wondering how I got here…” It harkens back to the 80s films that Waititi clearly found inspiration in, but more importantly, it tells the audience this is not just going to be fun. It’s going to be silly fun. After seemingly stopping Ragnarok — refreshingly at the beginning of the movie rather than the end — Thor returns to Asgard to learn that Odin isn’t there and is instead on Earth, dying. With the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch in a hilarious cameo), he tracks his father to Norway where he learns that when Odin dies, Thor’s evil sister Hela (Cate Blanchett), goddess of death, will be freed from the prison she was locked away in. And she’s pissed.

Blanchett slips perfectly into the universe as this deliciously evil villain partially because she isn’t afraid to ham up her line deliveries, strut her way between brutal killings, and do everything but twirl a mustache. But it’s what this movie needs in its villain. It needs someone that the audience is going to hate, but love hating her. Hela quickly disposes of Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and makes her way to Asgard and begins her take over. Meanwhile, Thor wakes up in a garbage dump in the planet of Sakaar. This planet, which embraces every color of the rainbow, is what I had been hoping to see from the Thor franchise. Of all the Marvel superheroes, Thor is the only one, other than the Guardians, that has a world that could be built any way that the creators want. And instead, the first two movies opted for New Mexico and London. Here, Waititi fills the world with hilarious and quirky characters — Rachel House is hilarious as a bodyguard and Waititi lends his voice to the pebble-brained Korg — head by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum, wonderful in his usual Goldblum way).

From there, the movie follows Thor as he attempts to find a way to escape the crazed dictator and finds help from Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Bruce Banner aka the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Many of the scenes on the planet are served with Waititi’s usual offbeat humor that works so well and will have you laughing nearly nonstop. The jokes come as often as the action and give the movie a personality and rhythm that none of the others have had.

Hemsworth seems to have finally found the director that meshes with his natural comedic sensibilities that were hinted at in Ghostbusters. Thor, often seen as the most boring Avenger, is allowed to be the comedic force behind this movie and Hemsworth takes up the duty with flair. And that allows the supporting cast to truly have shining hero (and villain) moments. Most notably, Heimdall (Idris Elba), who has been stealthily sheltering the people of Asgard, finally has a storyline worthy of his actor. In watching the first two Thor movies in preparation for this film, one thought carried through to both: why doesn’t Elba have anything to do. Well, that is certainly rectified in this movie. While his screen time isn’t great, Elba has the kind of movie star quality that makes him magnetic on screen.

However, the actor that proves yet again that he’s an indispensable part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Loki. My one and biggest complaint about the movie is that it doesn’t have the strong emotional character arc that most of the Marvel movies have. Something that Spider-Man Homecoming nails. But the closest it comes is the relationship between Thor and Loki. Hiddleston is there largely for the laughs as he attempts to outwit nearly every character with little success. But his best scenes are those where he underplays the relationship that Loki and Thor have built, destroyed, and rebuilt over the entire franchise. This movie would have been the best Marvel movie ever made had it explored the characters on an emotional level, but based on pure entertainment, this is in the upper echelons.

Thor: Ragnarok takes the humor and world-building from Guardians and meshes it nearly seamlessly with the usual Marvel formula to stunning results. It just shows that Marvel needs to continue hiring interesting directors and give them the kind of control they need to bring their vision to life. Ragnarok is the perfect example of that formula succeeding. Waititi turned one of the franchises that seemed to be Marvel’s few failures into the one I’m most interested in seeing continue.

★★★★ out of 5

Watch Thor: Ragnarok on Amazon!

December 5, 2017
Coco review — Mexican culture shines bright in this great Pixar film

Coco is a beautifully designed and emotionally resonant Pixar film that is a step in the right direction for diversity at the studio

Death, murder, loss, and grief are just some of the topics and themes that Pixar’s 19th feature Coco tackles, which is surprising considering it’s a kids movie featuring talking skeletons and an incompetent dog. However, like all of Pixar’s best, Coco is a lively tale that tackles complex themes in a way that kids can understand and perhaps even learn from. And though it may not be the studio’s most inventive film, the emotional depths that it reaches are great. I was even shedding tears by the final number. Plus, whether it’s a direct response to our political climate or the studio’s less than diverse slate of characters thus far, Coco is a celebration of culture, Mexican and otherwise.

Like Moana did last year with Polynesian culture, Coco mines much of its mythology from Mexican culture and specifically El Dia De Los Muertos, The Day of the Dead. The fictional Mexican town of Santa Cecilia is in deep preparation for the day with food offerings, decorations, and orange petals adorning the graves of loved ones. The town even has a talent show to commemorate the day, something that 12-year-old aspiring musician Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) is hoping to participate in. However, his family, specifically his grandmother Elena (Renée Victor), shuns music from the household since Miguel’s great-great-grandfather left the family to pursue his dream of being a musician as a breezy intro explains at the beginning.

But Miguel is in love with music and worships the Ernesto De La Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), a music megastar who came from Miguel’s hometown. And though Ernesto has since died, Miguel continues to listen to his music and carefully watches his movies to learn how to play the guitar. Eventually, an incident leads Miguel to attempt and steal Ernesto’s guitar that his kept in his mausoleum. However, when he strums the guitar he is transported to the Land of the Dead. There, he meets his relatives that have passed on including Miguel’s great-great-grandmother Mamá Imelda Rivera (Alanna Ubach) — she’s the mother of the titular Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguía) who is Miguel’s dementia-suffering great-grandmother.

The Land of the Dead is among the most visually stunning worlds created for a Pixar film. Connected to the Land of the Living by a bridge made of orange flower petals, the other plane is a built-up world of warm golds and bronze and festive colors of the Day of the Dead. An entire world is built for the dead and it’s beautifully thought out and realized by the animators and director Lee Unkrich. Part of the delight of this movie is discovering more and more of the world as Miguel ventures deeper into a plot that becomes bigger than he could ever imagine. Along the way, he meets Hector (Gabriel García Bernal), a trickster in the Land of the Dead who’s looking for any way to cross over to the Land of the Living. Eventually, he becomes Miguel’s guide through his journey to find Ernesto, who is adored in death as he was in life.

The plotting of the film isn’t as inspired as the most recent Pixar films and most of the twists are predictable. However, most importantly, the emotions are there. The emotional climax of the film hits hard and is earned. That’s partially thanks to the incredible animation of Coco and the vocal performance by Gonzalez, who is a standout throughout the movie. The film builds on each of its themes — culture, dreams, loss — and comes to terms with all of them in what is one of the most emotional scenes in a Pixar film the ends the movie on the highest note possible.

Crafted impeccably, one of the standout elements is the score by Michael Giacchino (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and the central song “Remember Me” by Oscar-winners Robert and Kristen Lopez, who are surely going to be back in contention for this film. In the end, Coco is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s not the best the studio has put out, but it’s certainly the most emotionally wrought. It’s almost hard to believe this is a movie for children. But, as usual, they strike a perfect balance between making a movie that the kids will enjoy and the adults will appreciate. Coco is a delight that will not easily be forgotten.

★★★★ out of 5

Watch Coco on Amazon!

December 4, 2017
2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor typically goes to an overdue industry veteran, which in this case is looking to be Willem Dafoe for The Florida Project.

Best Supporting Actor is a packed category at the Oscars this year and filled with industry favorite actors that all have narratives to break into the race. However, it seems like Willam Dafoe (The Florida Project) is going to be the one to beat. His subtle but heartfelt performance has won over raves from critics that astonish over the fact that he’s only been nominated twice at the Oscars in this category — Platoon and Shadow of the Vampire. And he’s the perfect fit for a winner of this category, which usually goes to a hard-working veteran character actor. He’s the one to beat.

Another veteran character actor in the running is Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). Though Frances McDormand is getting a lot of praise for her steely performance, Rockwell has become a standout from the cast. His bigoted cop role is the kind of villain that is often nominated in Best Supporting Actor, but more importantly, his character has an arc. And that’s one of redemption — though, the controversy around that redemption may work against him. Rockwell is well-regarded in the industry and a nomination could be seen as a career achievement award. Plus, his surprise win at the Golden Globes will certainly help raise his profile.

There are two supporting actors from Call Me By Your Name in contention, which is always a difficult call to make. It’s rare to get more than one nomination in an acting category at the Oscars and it hasn’t happened in this category since 1991 when Bugsy got two noms. However, the more likely candidate from Call Me By Your Name is Armie Hammer. He nabbed a Golden Globe nomination and has more screen time than his co-star Michael Stuhlbarg, who has arguably received more acclaim — mostly for his ending monologue — but has less screen time. It is troublesome that neither actor was nominated at the Golden Globes — neither was the cast. I think Hammer has enough buzz to push him through to an Oscar nomination, but the prospects of having both actors nominated is pretty much gone.

Check out our 2018 Oscar Predictions!

Current Predictions:
1. Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
2. Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
3. Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
4. Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name
5. Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Other Contenders (in alphabetical order):
- Mark Rylance, Dunkirk
- Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Michael Stuhlberg, Call Me By Your Name
- Ben Mendohlson, Darkest Hour
- Jason Mitchell, Mudbound
- Ray Romano, The Big Sick
December 4, 2017
Call Me By Your Name review — A masterpiece about first love

Call Me By Your Name is a sensitive and beautiful portrait of a first love set against the summery backdrop of Italy’s countryside.

Drenched in the warm tones of summer and set against the backdrop of 1983 “somewhere in Northern Italy” as an opening title card says, Call Me By Your Name tells the story of Elio (Timothée Chalamet), an intelligent and contemplative 17 year-old who spends his days reading books, transcribing music, swimming at the river, and going out at night. That is until his routine is interrupted by Oliver (Armie Hammer), an American student who is receiving help with his academic paperwork from Elio’s father Lyle (Michael Stuhlbarg), a professor of archeology. The 2007 book of the same name that the movie is based on is told in what is essentially an internal monologue from Elio’s perspective thirty years after that summer. With the film, director Luca Guadagnino adapts that monologue by moving it into the present day and visually representing Elio’s emotional journey without clunky dialogue or distracting narration. It’s the ultimate use of visual filmmaking and one of the reasons Call Me By Your Name is the best film of the year.

There’s not much to add in terms of plot summary when it comes to the film since it is so character based. Elio and his parents — his mother Annella is played by Amira Casar — are intellectuals who enjoy conversations around the various academics each excel at and are bored by those who cannot entertain that kind of discussion. And when Oliver arrives, they’re all smitten with his ability to keep up with them. However, Elio is put off by his seemingly cocky attitude. Something that he becomes attracted to as the movie moves along.

Elio’s infatuation with Oliver is confusing for him, of course, since, unlike the book, this is seems to be his first time feeling attracted to a man. However, even though he is dating his childhood friend Marzia (Esther Garrel), this is the first time he’s truly falling for someone. It’s his first real crush.

The first half of the movie takes place completely in subtext. The focus of the movie seems to be more on the beautiful landscapes and carefree attitude of the Italian summer rather than the potential romance blossoming before us. However, if you pay attention, the real story is in the details. Looks, touches, movements tell the story of what Elio is feeling and what he is feeling is confused. Anyone did feeling those emotions for the first time. Like any teen, he starts off by resenting Oliver. In particular, he takes issue with the blasé way he says “later” whenever saying bye.

However, as Elio begins to realize that these aren’t feelings of jealousy or resentment, but attraction, he becomes obsessed with Oliver the way that anyone becomes obsessed with a crush. But it’s something more. Elio is too much of an introspective person to not know exactly the game he is playing. He leaves signs for Oliver — questioning his whereabouts, leaving the door to his room from their shared bathroom opened — hoping that he picks up on them. Guadagnino is masterful at portraying Elio’s inner thought process with the camera. However, Chalamet (Lady Bird, Interstellar) must be credited with giving one of the most humanistic and expressive performances of the year. Elio is a masterwork of a character. Complex in more ways than one and constantly changing and adapting to his situation. Chalamet keeps up with those changes and always allows the audience into his head with just his facial expressions. It’s a real powerhouse performance by a promising young actor.

Eventually, Elio decides to take the plunge and become more direct with his feelings for Oliver. And from there, it becomes a struggle internal struggle for both characters to fight their urges despite knowing what’s right. Hammer tackles Oliver with the perfect amount of self-confidence that leaves room for mystery, which leaves the audience wanting to unravel his true persona. And his work with Chalamet makes them one of the most successful onscreen pairings in years.

However, Elio and Oliver’s story has to be places within the context of their surroundings. Elio’s parents have some idea that his relationship with Oliver is anything but ordinary. And their subtle cues to both Elio and Oliver have impact on the story’s forward momentum. And that’s the real virtue of Call Me By Your Name. It lives in the silent moments.

For such a simple story, the thematic depths that Call Me By Your Name covers is incredibly impressive. Elio’s struggle with his sexuality is confusing and aggressive. But it isn’t new ground to be covered, especially in queer cinema. What makes the movie different is it taps into our innate desires. It taps into our desire to be touched. To be held. To be understood. To be loved. Not only that, it taps into that guttural feeling you experience when those things are gone. Most importantly, it expresses those things without words. Though, there is powerful dialogue to be heard.

The final two scenes of the film, which features the now famous speech performed by Stuhlbarg, who deserves an Oscar for his quiet power, and a nearly seven-minute single take of Elio are perhaps the most powerful of the year. And in those last few moments before the film cut to black, the audience sat in silence before applauding, then falling silent again. And though the projector cut out quickly through the screening and we had to switch theaters, the audience was with the film from beginning to end. We laughed, we cried. Simply put, it’s one of the best cinematic experiences I’ve had all year. And that’s including Dunkirk. Call Me By Your Name is a masterpiece. A film filled with life and one that any one can empathize with. But the mark that it’s a great film is that as the credits are rolling over that magnificent seven-minute single take, you are hoping it never ends.

★★★★★ out of 5

November 29, 2017
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri review — Hilarious, but problematic black comedy

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a bleak black comedy that boasts some of the best performances and writing of any movie this year.

“Raped while dying.”

“Still no arrests?”

“How come, Chief Willoughby?”

That is what is written on the titular billboards in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. And while it seems like a simple targeted message, the entire small town of Ebbing is sure going to know about it. The reason Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) puts up these billboards — she pays the head of Ebbing Advertising Red (Caleb Landry Jones, wonderful here and earlier this year in Get Out) $5000 a month to erect her message — is because her teenage daughter Angela was raped, murdered, and burned seven months earlier. However, the case went cold and police stopped updating Mildred. It’s not for lack of trying, though. Police Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) reassures Mildred in one scene that they tried finding a DNA match to no avail and eventually reveals he has cancer. However, she continues her crusade saying, “they won’t be as effective after you croak.”

What Mildred is mad at isn’t the fact that the cops haven’t found the killer, but their complacency in the matter. She even goes as far as saying that they’re “too busy torturing black folks” to solve her daughter’s murder, a fact that is proven true when racist cop Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) mistakenly admits that he did torture a black citizen — he’s borderline incompetent. As other members of the town become involved including Mildred’s son Robbie (Lucas Hedges, who also did great work in Lady Bird), local James (Peter Dinklage), and her friend Denise (Amanda Warren).

Though Three Billboards starts off as a David versus Goliath story with Mildred pitted against Willoughby and the police department, it quickly becomes clear that there’s no good and bad in this story as morals are tested on all sides. Each scene feels like a scene of a play where two or three characters are simply talking through their situation. At one point a priest comes to visit Mildred to try and convince her to take the billboards down. She launches into an incredible monologue comparing the church to the gangs in L.A. before delivering one of the greatest mic drop lines of the year. Three Billboards gives an outlet for actors to play with these characters and they are performing to the cheap seats.

Though Three Billboards is steeped in a dry wit that will certainly earn laughs, the comedy is as pitch black as they come. Don’t be mistaken, this is a brutal movie at times, both physically and emotionally for the characters. Though it at times becomes whimsical in its storytelling, it’s rooted in a very real portrait of grief. Mildred is angry and she lets that inform her decisions for better or worse. However, Three Billboards is also a portrait, or microcosm, of a very specific sect of red state America where people say what’s on their minds even though they know word in a small town spreads like a wildfire. It’s an asset to McDonough, who writes dialogue that has to be spoken at a rapid-fire pace. It’s also evident that he has something to say about police and power and violence, specifically how one violent act leads to another before it spirals out of control. However, that message becomes muddled through the movie, which eventually knocks the final act off track.

The movie’s core, though, is Frances McDormand. No actor is better at letting you in a character’s head but also keeping you out than McDormand. Mildred is unpredictable and brash and McDormand tackles her scenes at a level of intensity that pushes you to the edge of your seat whenever she is on screen. But what makes this a truly great performance is the moments that Mildred is contemplative. It may be a tilt of the head to the ground or the pursing of her lips, but either way, you’re hit with a wave of emotion. You understand what she’s thinking. You can almost read her mind. McDormand is astonishing. It is her best performance since Fargo, perhaps of her career.

That’s not to take away from the rest of the cast. This movie is an ensemble film and every actor gets their moment. Jones, Harrelson, and Hedges all do fantastic work, but the clear standout supporting player is Sam Rockwell. While Mildred stays fiery but broken throughout, Dixon goes on a full arc beginning in one place and ending up nowhere you’d expect. However, it tracks. McDonough is calculating where he takes Dixon and Rockwell is there to hit every single beat. He plays him as a one-note comic relief character that you truly despise. Not only for his actions but for the way that he carries himself. He’s the last character you’d expect to undergo a real solid development, but Rockwell convinces you that there is depth to Dixon, even when he seems hopeless.

However, therein lies the problem with the film. Rockwell’s character is given room to redeem himself, but there are some truly despicable things he does that aren’t addressed. On top of that, the black characters in the film are completely pushed to the periphery — the black man that Dixon tortured is never seen, Mildred’s friend and a good samaritan are given no development. Even Mildred’s daughter, who is the victim of the heinous crime, is a plot device. There never really is a commentary on race or sexual assault. It’s almost apolitical. Still, the film is well-made enough to be a perfectly good character study, but it is certainly problematic.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri isn’t an indictment of the complacency of police or anger-driven revenge. It doesn’t judge any of its characters, even though some of them do truly despicable things. McDonough mixes on-the-ground realism with a stinging black humor that makes the characters seem larger than life. But thanks to some incredible performances, no character seems outlandish. By the end, you understand them. Beneath the hilarity of it all or the bleakness of the situation, there’s real humanity in watching people navigate a hard time in life. The crime that the billboards are meant to bring attention to is not the center of the movie. Instead, it’s the people surrounding the crime that it is interested in. And I’d take a bleak character study over a crime thriller any day.

★★★½ out of 5

Watch Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri on Amazon!

November 21, 2017
Wonder review — Get ready to laugh and cry during this feel-good movie

Wonder will win over audience’s affection with its charming take on R.J. Palacio’s novel of the same name.

Wonder is an inspirational poster of a movie, which I say in the least cynical way possible. Like director Stephen Chomsky’s last movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wonder knows how to emotionally invest its audience in its characters and story. You cheer when it wants you to cheer, laugh when it wants you to laugh, and cry when it wants you to cry. In a lesser movie, it might have felt like manipulation or washed with sentimentally. But Wonder earns the emotions it makes you feel, even if it has to push you just a tad.

Based on J.C. Palacio’s novel of the same name, Wonder follows 10-year-old August “Auggie” Pullman (Room’s Jacob Tremblay) as he navigates his first year of middle school after being homeschooled by his mother, Isabel (Julia Roberts). That in itself already sounds like the plot of a movie. But there’s one thing complicating Auggie’s transition into a “real school.” Auggie was born with a facial deformity that required 27 corrective surgeries. Still, he looks anything but ordinary. But Auggie is just a normal kid, a fact that he tries to emphasize in his narration — he loves Star Wars and video games and wants to be an astronaut. The other kids just don’t know it yet. Up until now, Auggie has worn a space helmet whenever he was in public. So, the jump from near isolation to school is anything but easy for him. However, it’s a decision that Isabel and Auggie’s father Nate (Owen Wilson) had to make sooner or later.

When starting school, Auggie has some allies — affable school principal Mr. Tushman, Daveed Diggs’ supportive and insightful Mr. Browne, and Jack Will (Noah Jupe), who becomes the first student to truly befriend Auggie — and some enemies — mainly the school bully Julian (Bryce Gheisar). Wonder makes you incredibly sympathetic to Auggie’s plights. Not just because of what is happening to him on screen, but because of the Tremblay’s incredible effective performance. His quiet, downturned expression and high, quiet voice make it incredibly easy to sympathize with him. But more importantly his defeatist attitude towards the cruelty from kids, which he is hurt by, but fully expected, makes you empathize with his loneliness. Even if the movie is an amplified version of it.

And while the movie starts off solidly in Auggie’s point of view, it shifts to his sister Via’s (Izabela Vidovic) point-of-view. Similarly to Lady Bird, we quickly realize that this movie is not only about Auggie, but the people surrounding him. Via knows that Auggie is the center of her parents’ universe, but she’s okay with that. She’s learned to deal with her own struggles on her own, but as she approaches this new year of school, it becomes harder for her, especially since her best friend Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell) has suddenly stopped talking to her.

Wonder, the book and the movie, is targeted at kids. And this shifting point-of-view — we eventually get stories from the perspective of Via, Miranda, and Jack Will — is a clearly a way to help kids learn the lesson of empathy. Chomsky’s The Perks of Being A Wallflower is so effective because he has an understanding of the way that young people think and feel. Particularly the feeling of loneliness. In Perks, the main character’s aching longing for connection is palpable and so is Auggie’s. And like Perks, the way that the people around the main character interact is almost as important as the main character’s journey.

I don’t want to say that if you didn’t like Wonder, then you don’t have a heart. But this is really one of those movies that can cheer anyone’s day up. It’s really the feel-good movie of the year. That’s not to take away its cinematic achievement. Chomsky is a good director with an ability to imbue emotion on his audience. And just when you think it couldn’t get any better, the movie ends with a Passion Pit song.

★★★½ out of 5

Wonder is available on Amazon!

November 17, 2017
The Florida Project review — A heart filled look at childhood

The Florida Project is a warm, sun-drenched look at the magic and darkness of childhood in America’s poverty stricken areas

At the end of The Florida Project, Sean Baker’s follow-up to his acclaimed 2015 film Tangerine, I just sat in the dark theater watching the silent end credits roll by. So did most of the people in the theater. It’s the kind of ending that hits you like a ton of bricks. It’s surprising considering the movie’s opening credits play against a pastel pink wall and scored with Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration.” The first half of the movie as a whole is splashed with colorful pastels, bright blue skies, and whimsical cinematography that would make Wes Anderson blush. However, as the story progresses around our young protagonist, those colors seem a little less bright, the skies give way to rain, and we begin to tighten in with hyper focus on our characters.

Taking place in the Kissimmee, FL, which is basically the underbelly of the tourist and theme park areas of Orlando, Baker, similarly to Tangerine, explores the people that the rest of America has forgotten. In this case, it’s the residents of a strip of seedy motels that stand in the shadow of the mega resorts. Though an occasional tourist passes through, the motel is mostly inhabited by poor families including Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her mother chronically unemployed mother Halley (Bria Vinaite — a great debut performance). Moonee runs through the overgrown landscape with her friends tormenting the residents and tourists, yet are blissfully unaware of how truly devastating the area and people are. To them the motel — named “Magic Castle” no relation to the Magic Kingdom — is truly magical.

However, Moonee’s life of getting food from Halley’s friend Ashley’s diner job or churches and helping her mom sell perfume to tourists outside upscale resorts is anything but magical. Though we’re completely aware of the life the Moonee is living, Baker does an incredible job portraying the kind of ignorance only a child experiences. One that shields them from the hardships around them, even when they’re so close to home. The first half of the film is largely episodic. We watch Moonee and her friend Scooty (Christopher Rivera) and later Jancey (Valeria Cotto) as they beg for money outside an ice cream shop, run through abandoned condos, and torment the motel’s manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe — a solid performance by the veteran actor).

But like all good things, it has to come to an end. However, the brilliance of The Florida Project is that Moonee, like most kids, is so unaware of how bad things are that nothing ever seems different. Of course, for Halley, desperation sets in as money runs dry and each passing day reveals a new challenge to get through. Moments of joy like watching fireworks in a field or flipping of helicopters full of tourists are unsecured with dread. That partially has to be credited to Baker, but also to Vinaite, who makes Halley more than a one-note incapable young mother.

For that reason, Bobby takes a particular interest in helping Halley and Moonee. Especially since his relationship with his son (Caleb Landry Jones — who was seen earlier this year in Get Out) is strained at best. He works hard to bring some relief to the pair’s plights. Though, they run deeper than he even imagines. Baker proved that he was a director that understands characters and their growth with Tangerine, but with The Florida Project he shows that he’s a subtly innovative filmmaker. In one heartbreaking sequence we watch as Moonee takes a bath on three separate occasions. The first seems joyful and innocent enough. The second feels more empty. And the third is gut-wrenching. But he’s not obvious with the progression. In many instances you don’t realize the path he’s going down until you’re at the end. But then it all seems more brilliant for it. An extended sequence where Moonee eats breakfast at one of the upscale resorts — they sneak in of course — focuses completely on the joy that she’s feeling. But in a single cut, we realize that the joy is only in Moonee’s point of view. And that there’s real darkness behind it.

Prince gives one of the best performances by a young actor in recent memory. Like Jacob Tremblay in Room, she is able to tap into the well of emotions that kids feel, but don’t completely understand. But outside of that, she also shows the wonder in the simplest things without feeling like she’s performing. She’s remarkable. She also makes the movie a complete joy to watch. Even though with each passing scene you know that things aren’t as bright as they seem, your adventures with the kids are a sun-drenched romp through their kingdom.

The Florida Project isn’t a critique on the poor or an indictment of the system that makes it rampant in this country. Instead, it’s a portrait of one slice of poverty in the United States and the difficulties that come along with it. More specifically, it explores adolescence in one of those situations. But the way that Sean Baker explores it is so innovative and exciting that it has to be one of the best directorial efforts of the year. Kids are blissfully ignorant — until they’re not. The final minutes of The Florida Project so beautifully show that in one of the best movie endings I’ve seen this year. It’s one filled with hope and warmth, as is the rest of the movie. If you take anything away from The Florida Project, it’s that there is magic in childhood and it’s one of the most important things to happen to you in life.

★★★★½ out of 5

Watch The Florida Project on Amazon!

November 15, 2017
Lady Bird review — A quintessential coming-of-age dramedy

Hilarious and poignant, Lady Bird announces Greta Gerwig as one of the most exciting new filmmakers and solidifies Soarsie Ronan as a major star

The vast number of themes Greta Gerwig tackles in her directorial debut Lady Bird would lead you to believe that it’s an overstuffed, melodramatic dramedy that tries to say something without making a point. However, it’s far from that. Actually, it hits every point it’s trying to make with a stinging poignancy that it’s almost impossible not to relate in some degree to each one. Parenting, love, hate, socioeconomic relations are just a few themes that the movie tackles. But what would most easily sum this up is that Lady Bird is the definitive teen movie of the post 9/11 era.

Christine McPherson (Soarsie Ronan) — she goes by the name Lady Bird because “it’s given to me, by me,” as she says — is a senior at a girls’ Catholic high school in Sacremento, California. Lady Bird’s indictment of her hometown is summed up in the movie’s opening quote: “Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento.” However, she’s not your typical pink haired teen rebel. Unlike most teen movie leads, Lady Bird isn’t handicapped by her quirkiness nor taken down by her high opinion of herself compared to her hometown. She is simply a girl with dreams bigger than where she lives. More specifically of New York City.

However, for the next year, she’s stuck at home dealing with boys, college applications, school plays, and her family as she navigates the murky waters of her relationship with her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf). We view the movie through Lady Bird’s limited perspective, which makes our view of other characters extremely narrow. But that seems to be Gerwig’s intention. At one point, Lady Bird is cast as an ensemble member in the school musical. Her friend Julie tries to reassure her by saying that she still got cast in the play. However, Lady Bird feels like it’s not being cast at all. For her, it’s the starring role or nothing. We all remember the feeling of our own problems being the biggest in the world. Lady Bird understands that and portrays it subtly, but effectively.

Gerwig captures the feeling of being a high schooler so perfectly that it’s nearly impossible to not identify with one of the characters in some way. You have Lady Bird as an ambitious misfit, her friend Julia (Beanie Feldstein — a breakthrough performance) is an endearing nerd, Lucas Hedges’ Danny is an overachieving prodigal son, Timothee Chalamet‘s (Call Me By Your Name) Kyle is a “fight the system” rebel. However, none of them turn into archetypes. They’re lived in characters that have their own backstories that inform their decisions. Even if we don’t get to explore those, they’re present.

That goes for the older characters too. Everyone from Lady Bird’s father, Larry (Tracey Letts), to her adopted brother Miguel (Jordan Rodrigues) and his girlfriend Shelley (Marielle Scott) have lived experiences that have affected who they are when we meet them in the movie.

Because of the way the movie is set up, every character gets their moment to shine. However, among the male supporting cast, Letts and Hedges are clear standouts. Letts’ quite and supportive father character is a character that we’ve seen before, but he injects a lingering dourness that makes the outcome of certain scenes all the more profound. And Hedges, who received his first Oscar nomination last year for Manchester by the Sea, makes Danny sweet and filled with a natural teenage awkwardness that is masked by a confidence that only theater kids could understand.

However, the centerpiece of the film is Lady Bird’s relationship with Marion. Like most mother/daughter relationships, it’s one that can completely turn around at just a wrong word. No scene better portrays this than when Lady Bird and Marion, on a road trip visiting colleges, cry together after completing an audio version of The Grapes of Wrath, which is then followed by just a few lines of dialogue that cause Lady Bird to jump out of the moving car. While the relationship is played for laughs during their first couple scenes together, later scenes give way to a heartbreaking dynamic that is too familiar for any teen that grew up during the 2000s. Ronan and Metcalf give Oscar worthy performances that are sure to become iconic in the near future.

The true thematic depth of Lady Bird is only rewarded after repeat viewings. When I say it runs the gauntlet of teenage problems, it truly covers a multitude of them. But the reason for it is justified. Lady Bird is an extraordinary character who is so firmly the lead her own movie that every supporting plot falls to the wayside — until they don’t. In a telling scene, Lady Bird encounters one character who she finds crying. We don’t know why. We don’t know how long she’s been crying. It feels like there was a completely different scene or movie preceding this one that we didn’t see since we’re so stuck in a Lady Bird’s point of view. When she asks the person why they are crying, they simply reply, “some people aren’t built happy, you know?”

★★★★½ out of 5

Watch Lady Bird on Amazon!

November 14, 2017
Blade Runner 2049 review — An instant classic worthy of the original

Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 is a visually stunning and emotionally rich sequel that stands equally with the 1982 original

Blade Runner 2049 is an all-out assault on your senses. Famed cinematographer Roger Deakins does some of his best work to date in the film — a statement that could be applied to each one of his films. He douses the familiar grey landscapes of the 1982 original with sweeping amber tones and bright neons that contrast the movie’s darker tone. More importantly, the dazzling visuals coupled with stunning CGI help totally immerse you in the Blade Runner universe. It’s almost overwhelming but also begs to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

With the world already set up beautifully in the 1982 original, Director Denis Villeneuve doesn’t have to do anything but apply a new story to explore the existential themes that Ridley Scott started. However, refreshingly, the movie doesn’t lean on the original. The nods to the original will be enough to stave the appetite of the Blade Runner-purists. But it surely stands on its own similar to the way Aliens and Terminator II build on the original rather than become bogged down by it.

The last four films by Villeneuve have made my best-of-the-year list for their respective years and more likely than not, he’ll be making a return this year as well. As a filmmaker, he’s refined, stylish, and cerebral much like Christopher Nolan. However, unlike early Nolan films, Villeneuve has always been a humanist. So, a story about the meaning of humanity — similar to the story about parenthood and morality in Arrival — is a perfect canvas for him to paint with.

Taking place 30 years after the original, Blade Runner 2049 portrays the world as one that has progressed from the point we last saw it — or better or worse. The oceans have risen, Los Angeles has somehow become even more overpopulated, and San Diego has turned into a literal garbage dump. More importantly, though, Androids have made a return to the planet. The new Nexus 9 model replicants, which are designed by the Wallace Corporation to obey like never before, are legal on the planet due to a limited-lifespan determined by their owner. Some are used to retire older models. They’re still called blade runners. K (Ryan Gosling) is a replicant blade runner — this is not a spoiler, it’s revealed almost immediately — who works for the LAPD under Luitenent Joshi (Robin Wright — perfectly cast here).

Though much of K’s storyline has to do with a plot point that I won’t discuss — the spoiler prevention on this movie was marvelous — a huge interest is placed on his relationship with Joi (Ana de Armas), his holographic girlfriend. Through her, the movie explores a lot of the character motivations that drove the replicants in the original: the desire to be human. As real as she may seem and intimate as their interactions become, there’s always that slight transparency — literally and figuratively — that reminds K that it isn’t all real. But what if it is? That’s the question that this film — and the original — always pondered: do android dream of electric sheep?

That question — it’s also the title of the Phillip K. Dick novel the original was based on — is what makes Blade Runner 2049 a great movie. All great sci-fi ponders some existential question. However, Blade Runner 2049 is hypnotic in its exploration. Some scenes — like one where K has sex with Joi via a hired prostitute similarly to the scene in Her. That Spike Jonze movie is actually an adept comparison to some parts of the movie. Specifically with the scenes between Joi and K. de Armas, like Scarlett Johansson in Her, gives her non-human character the most humanity out anyone else in the movie, mostly with her voice. There is warmth and depth that emulates genuine care for K. It’s a breakout performance.

Like the original, Blade Runner 2049 explores the company that creates the replicants. Niander Wallace (Jared Leto — he gives quite an impressive performance), though, unlike Eldon Tyrell, his aspirations are terrifying. He functions almost like a Frankenstein-like mad scientist with a God-complex that has never been put in check. In two pivotal scenes, Leto essentially gives an extended “evil plan monologue” that would give any Bond villain a run for his money. More terrifying is his replicant assistant Luv (Sylvia Hoeks — her performance harkens back to Rutger Hauer’s in the original) who is tasked with carrying out that plan. But even though the Wallace Corporation is the big villain of the story, the more emotional and human elements are the real foundation of success for the film.

Every year, more and more sequels and reboots have popped up with aspirations for easy money with huge opening weekends. So, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a sequel that is actually trying to challenge its audience. With a nearly three-hour running time, it certainly puts up a fight. However, leaving the theater following the final shots is a euphoric experience. To call Blade Runner 2049 a satisfying experience would be an understatement. It’s the reason we go to movies, to feel something — whether its the rumble of Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch’s score or the soaring emotions when we finally see Harrison Ford‘s Decker back on the screen. It’s an experience from beginning to end. And the end feels like a beginning in the best way possible.

★★★★½ out of 5

Watch Blade Runner 2049 on Amazon!

October 10, 2017