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  • Every Best Animated Short Film nominee, reviewed — 2020 Oscars

    Every Best Animated Short Film nominee, reviewed — 2020 Oscars

    This year’s Oscar nominees for Best Animated Short Film offer a diverse selection of animation that share a commonality in the emotional bonds of relationships

    See the rest of Jane’s 2020 Oscar spotlight series here.

    Whether for their artistic style or emotional narrative, each contender for Best Animated Short provides a unique blend of creativity and heart. Here’s a quick rundown of each film and their chance of winning an Oscar.

    Daughter (dir by Daria Kashcheeva)

    • Studio: FAMU
    • Running time: 14 minutes
    • Quick Summary: A young woman and her terminally ill father reflect back on their problematic relationship. 

    What’s great: The film has no talking parts so the animation has to do a lot of the heavy work in portraying all the character emotions. The stop-motion animation here does this splendidly. Kashcheeva even invented a new film technology for the film. A hand-held camera movement that is able to capture intimate close-ups on the characters’ faces, capturing the pain and love between them throughout the years.

    Probability of winning the Oscar: Not likely. While there is a lot to admire in Kashcheeva’s animation, innovative technology and story on a daughter-father complex relationship; the camera movement sometimes moves too fast which can look jolty in particular scenes. It is also at a disadvantage with its darker tone since other films nominated this year to tackle similar themes in lighter, uplifting narratives. 

    Hair Love (dir by Matthew A. Cherry)

    • Studio: Sony Animation
    • Running time: 6 minutes
    • Quick Summary: A black father helps his toddler daughter fix her hair for a special occasion. 

    What’s great: You don’t have to wear your heart on your sleeve to be touched by this short film. It celebrates the beauty of natural hair, showcases a loving black family — which is an unfortunate rarity in animation — and debunks some common male gender tropes. It’s a potent film that represents a father-daughter relationship that barely gets attention in the media. Hopefully, this film inspires more stories like these.

    Probability of winning the Oscar: Strong. It’s a likable and heartwarming story that has mass appeal. If there’s any drawback, it’s one of the few nominees not to utilize its animation in order to illustrate its overall story and themes. That being said, it’s hard not to root behind such an affecting short conveying a lot of timely cultural topics in less than 7 minutes.

    Kitbull (dir by Rosana Sullivan)

    https://youtu.be/AZS5cgybKcI
    • Studio: Pixar Animation Studios
    • Running time: 9 minutes
    • Quick Summary: A black stray kitten and a neglected pitbull forge an unlikely friendship.

    What’s great: As brutal as it is rewarding, Kitbull sheds light on animal abuse while giving viewers a timeless tale of friendship and trust. It’s a simple but powerful short that enlightens viewers that connections come in all shapes and sizes.

    Probability of winning an Oscar: Strong. The Academy loves Pixar shorts. Plus, the short has been a viral sensation on Youtube (garnering 39 million views). However, its subject matter of animal welfare can be a hard sit through for some.

    Sister (dir by Siqi Song)

    • Studio: CalArts
    • Running time: 8 minutes
    • Quick Summary: A man reflects back on his childhood memories of his younger sister.

    What’s great: A film whose animation greatly elevates it to a higher level of storytelling. Song’s stop-motion piece creates a personal environment as the narrator contemplates growing up with a younger sibling. Its tragic twist is a poignant reminder of the wounds left behind from China’s one-child policy.

    Probability of winning an Oscar: Lukewarm. While the stop-motion is jaw-dropping, it’s one of the films that hasn’t gotten the kind of exposure as other contenders in the Animated Short category. It’s a shame as Sister is a great companion piece to the outstanding Amazon Studios documentary One Child Nation which also explores the trauma of Chinese citizens who were impacted by the policy. However, the Academy has a pattern of selecting winners that are critically and publicly seen.

    Memorable (dir by Bruno Collet and Jean-François Le Corre)

    • Studio: UniFrance
    • Running time: 12 minutes
    • Quick Summary: An aging artist begins to feel the sudden effects of dementia and starts to interpret the world from an abstract perspective.

    What’s great: In my opinion, this is the only film from the selection that truly takes advantage of its medium. The stop-motion illustrates the protagonist’s shaping mind throughout the progression of his disease by blending metaphor and animation quite strongly and beautifully. It also focuses on the challenges of keeping stable relationships with others through a mind deteriorating illness. However, it concludes on an uplifting note showing even though relationships might transform throughout a lifetime, the love that they share will always stay consistent.

    Probability of winning an Oscar: Lukewarm. Much like Sister it hasn’t gotten the awareness that other shorts have gotten. However, Memorable’s animation is a wonder to behold and greatly demonstrates how animation is a perfect platform for this kind of effective storytelling.

    All of these animated shorts dive deeper into all sorts of diverse relationships and use different styles of animation to present their narratives. They are all emotionally satisfying in their stories. Each film takes a complex look at the bonds that hold us together or the ones that bring us apart. They are all worth a look.

  • ‘Parasite’ and the changing Oscars

    ‘Parasite’ and the changing Oscars

    The final Oscars ceremony of the 2010s has wrapped up and it was one of the most, if not the most, exciting conclusions to an awards season ever.

    Parasite made Oscars history as the first film not in English to win Best Picture and the first South Korean film to win Best International Feature — it was also the first nominee. Not only that, Bong Joon-ho upset heavily favored frontrunner Sam Mendes for 1917 in Best Director and took home Best Original Screenplay‚ the first foreign-language film to win since Talk to Her seventeen years ago. 

    Reader, when I tell you I screamed. I might have scared my neighbors.

    However, you have to consider the biggest context for last night’s Oscars. It is perhaps the largest step forward for the Academy and possibly a glimpse at the next decade of awards. Parasite’s historic win was at the expense of a type of movie we’ve all come to know as an “Oscar movie.” 1917 had everything going for it on paper. It was a technically-stunning war epic from a major studio directed by an industry veteran and Oscar winner himself. However, in the weeks before the ceremony, you could feel the momentum shifting, beginning with the Parasite actors’ upset at the Screen Actors Guild awards. 

    Barely avoiding #OscarsSoWhite

    Bong Joon-ho's Parasite wins Best Picture at the Oscars
    Jane Fonda present Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite with the Oscar for Best Picture.

    However, that win also shows us that the Academy isn’t completely ready for change. Even though the film won Best Cast in a Motion Picture, none of the actors received individual nominations. Instead, save for Cynthia Ervio’s nomination in Best Actress for Harriet, all the acting nominees were white. This throws back to 2014 and 2015 when the #OscarsSoWhite controversy began. And while the Academy technically avoided that, Parasite was the only Best Picture nominee that showed any semblance of diversity. 

    Along with last year’s awards, it’s clear that as much as the Oscars are moving forward, there’s still a dying gasp of the old ways. Green Book, a regressive look at race in America, was last year’s Best Picture winner. On the other hand, Regina King won Best Supporting Actress for her sensitive portrayal of a black mother and Olivia Colman won Best Actress for a dark comedy playing the closeted queen of England. You could say we’re moving forward in fits and starts. 

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    How did Parasite pull it off?

    We were left for the final moments of the ceremony to actually have some excitement in terms of winners. Every category went to either the frontrunner or runner-up. And just like in 2017, all four acting winners swept every single award. However, this could have been a symptom of the shortened season — we had about a month less for voting this year. Less time means fewer movies seen which means more of the same winners. 

    Still, just like 2016 when Moonlight upset La La Land, which almost had the same configuration of precursor wins as 1917, Parasite began to surge at just the right time by building momentum throughout the season rather than starting big like 1917 — which nabbed two surprise Golden Globe wins — and fizzling out.

    Bong Joon-ho Oscars
    Bong Joon-ho won three Oscars for his film Parasite including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

    However, what’s more important to note is that Parasite likely would have won without the preferential ballot. The reason the Oscars switched to a ranked-choice voting system was an effort to award consensus rather than passion. Arguably, this is how Spotlight, Moonlight, The Shape of Water, and Green Book won their respective years. But with the all-out sweep that Parasite had, it feels more likely that it won in the first round with the most number one votes. 

    Does this mean that the preferential ballot is doing its job? 

    There’s been a lot of skepticism about how Best Picture is voted on, but the results from this decade are kind of undeniable. We’ve had some blips along the way — Green Book, Argo, and The King’s Speech most notably. However, it’s also led to some braver picks, as well. Only time will tell if this pattern holds.

    Laura Dern Oscars
    Laura Dern won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story.

    The slow to progress categories

    We’re still waiting to see just how much diversifying the Academy voter base can change the winners. After all, the four acting winners were all veterans largely giving Oscar-y performances. Even more, the nominees were also less than inspired with easy interesting picks like Jennifer Lopez for Hustlers, Awkwafina and Zhao Shuhzen for The Farewell, and Lupita Nyong’g for Us being left out.

    Even looking at the tech nominations, it’s clear that we’ve regressed slightly. Last year, Best Cinematography had three foreign language nominations, two of which were in black and white. This could be again caused by the shortened season. Only time will tell.

    Streaming remains taboo

    Netflix came into the night with two Best Picture nominations — Marriage Story and The Irishman with a combined 16 nominations, two Best Animated Feature nominations, two Best Documentary nominations and went home with just two.

    After Roma‘s surprise loss last year and The Irishman‘s complete shutout, it’s not premature to say that it seems like the Oscars, unlike the Emmys, are less inclined to accept streaming services into their circle.

    What does it all mean?

    So, what has this decade at the Oscars taught us? Change is hard. Change is slow. But change is coming. In the 92 year history of the Academy Awards a non-English language film has never won Best Picture. One just did. A few years ago a movie with a gay main character never won Best Picture. Then, Moonlight did.

    There is so much history to make. However, for one night, I was hopeful it could be.

  • 2020 Oscars Final Predictions

    2020 Oscars Final Predictions

    The 2020 Oscars are this Sunday, February 9th at 8pm on ABC. Here are predictions in every category.

    This year, the Oscars have a chance to make history by awarding Best Picture to a foreign language film. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite goes into the night with six nominations. However, Joker leads the night with eleven nominations while The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and 1917 all have ten.

    Here’s who we think will win in each category.

    Best Picture

    Parasite Oscars
    Parasite could make history as the first film not in English to win Best Picture. However, it faces strong competition from 1917.

    Like that past few years, Best Picture is easily the most competitive category thanks to the preferential ballot and the lack of a clear frontrunner. Every nominee has something for and against it, but I think we’ve really coalesced around three potential winners: 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Parasite. 

    1917 had the early momentum with wins at the Golden Globes, PGA, and DGA. Then momentum swung towards Parasite with an upset at the SAG awards and big wins at the WGA awards and BAFTA (for Best Original Screenplay) and ACE Eddie Awards (for Best Editing).

    This reminds me a lot of the La La Land vs. Moonlight race. La La Land felt preordained, but something told me that momentum was shifting towards Moonlight — I proudly called that race correctly. 

    Will win: Parasite
    Could win: 1917
    Should win: Parasite
    Should’ve been nominated: The Farewell

    Best Director

    One of the biggest locks of the night.

    Will win: Sam Mendes, 1917
    Could win: 1917
    Should win: Parasite
    Should’ve been nominated: Celine Sciama, Portrait of a Lady on Fire

    Best Actress

    While the four acting races seem set, usually we see at least one upset. Renée Zellweger (Judy) is probably the most vulnerable frontrunner. She’s won before and is up against three contenders from Best Picture nominees. Usually, that would be a bigger deal, however Best Actress is a category where someone from a movie with few nominations could still win.

    If she’s upset, Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) has the best chance. It’s her fourth nomination — she’s only 25! — and Little Women was clearly popular with the Academy. Still, I think Zellweger wins her second. 

    Will win: Renée Zellweger, Judy
    Could win: Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
    Should win: Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
    Should’ve been nominated: Lupita Nyong’o, Us

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    Best Actor

    Joker Oscars
    Joaquin Phoenix is on track to win his first Academy Awards. He’s been nominated for Oscars for Gladiator and The Master.

    After a disastrous Golden Globes speech, I thought Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) lost all momentum for the Oscars. However, after two stunning showings at the SAG Awards and BAFTAs, it’s all smooth sailing to his first Academy Award. 

    Will win: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
    Could win: Adam Driver, Marriage Story
    Should win: Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
    Should’ve been nominated: Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems

    Best Supporting Actress

    Marriage Story Oscars
    Laura Dern could finally win her first Oscar for Marriage Story, likely the only winner for the six time nominee.

    The two supporting races are often where industry veterans who haven’t won get their due — this year is no exception. Laura Dern (Marriage Story) has a clear path to her first Oscar. Plus, it’ll be a way to honor Marriage Story, which looks unlikely to win any other of its nominations. If there is an upset, Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit) could win one of her two nominations this year here.

    Will win: Laura Dern, Marriage Story
    Could win: Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
    Should win: Florence Pugh, Little Women
    Should’ve been nominated: Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers

    Best Supporting Actor

    See above.

    Will win: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    Could win: Joe Pesci, The Irishman
    Should win: Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
    Should’ve been nominated: Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse

    Best Original Screenplay

    Will win: Parasite
    Could win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    Should win: Knives Out
    Should’ve been nominated: The Farewell

    Best Adapted Screenplay

    Will win: Jojo Rabbit
    Could win: Little Women
    Should win: Little Women
    Should’ve been nominated: Avengers: Endgame

    Best Cinematography

    1917

    After waiting 14 nominations before finally winning, legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins is on track to win his second Oscar for 1917.

    Will win: 1917
    Could win: Joker
    Should win: The Lighthouse
    Should’ve been nominated: Portrait of a Lady on Fire

    Best Film Editing

    After a surprising upset at the ACE Eddie Awards, this is Parasite‘s award to lose. Ford v Ferrari could upset as it has the flashiest editing of them all, but this will be a key indicator of a Parasite Best Picture win.

    Will win: Parasite
    Could win: Ford v Ferrari
    Should win: Parasite
    Should’ve been nominated: Apollo 11

    Best Production Design

    Another category that Parasite might go through in its march to Best Picture. It’s rare that a contemporary movie wins here, though La La Land did it a few years ago. However, Neon has been putting a lot of marketing muscle behind this particular category. Still, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won the Art Directors Guild award for best Period Film, which most often lines up with this category. It has the edge here.

    Will win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    Could win: Parasite
    Should win: Parasite
    Should’ve been nominated: Rocketman

    Best Costume Design

    Will win: Little Women
    Could win: Jojo Rabbit
    Should win: Little Women
    Should’ve been nominated: Knives Out

    Best Makeup & Hairstyling

    Will win: Bombshell
    Could win: Joker
    Should win: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

    Best Visual Effects

    The Lion King
    James Earl Jones as Mufasa and JD McCrary as Young Simba in THE LION KING. Credit: Disney Studios

    A surprisingly light category this year, Best Visual Effects has oscillated between visual spectacles and subtler fare (Ex Machina and last year’s winner First Man, for example). However, more often than not, when there’s Best Picture nominee nominated, it wins. Which means 1917 has the best chance.

    Will win: 1917
    Could win: The Irishman
    Should win: The Lion King
    Should’ve been nominated: Ad Astra

    Best Sound Editing

    Will win: Ford v Ferrari
    Could win: 1917
    Should win: Ford v Ferrari
    Should’ve been nominated: The Lighthouse

    Best Sound Mixing

    Will win: Ford v Ferrari
    Could win: 1917
    Should win: Ad Astra
    Should’ve been nominated: Hustlers

    Best Original Score

    As much as it pains me that Thomas Newman loses another Oscars, the love for Hildur Guðnadóttir’s Joker score is too great. With a Golden Globe and BAFTA under her belt, it’s her’s to lose.

    Will win: Joker
    Could win: 1917
    Should win: 1917
    Should’ve been nominated: Uncut Gems

    Best Original Song

    Rocketman Movie
    Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman. Credit: Paramount Pictures.

    Elton John and Bernie Taupin will get to accept just their second award together *ever* when they easily win for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman.

    Will win: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman
    Could win: “Stand Up” from Harriet

    Best International Feature

    Will win: Parasite
    Could win: Pain and Glory
    Should win: Parasite
    Should’ve been nominated: Portrait of a Lady on Fire

    Best Documentary Feature

    Will win: For Sama
    Could win: Honeyland
    Should win: Honeyland
    Should’ve been nominated: Apollo 11

    Best Animated Feature

    This is one of the most competitive years for Best Animated Feature ever. Usually, there’s an easy pick — and usually, it’s the Pixar movie. However, every precursor has gone a different way. I’m still going to go with Toy Story 4, but don’t be surprised if it’s BAFTA winner Klaus.

    Will win: Toy Story 4
    Could win: Klaus
    Should win: I Lost My Body

  • 'Klaus' is one festive mess of holiday cheer — Oscars spotlight review

    'Klaus' is one festive mess of holiday cheer — Oscars spotlight review

    When Smeerensburg’s new postman, Jesper, befriends toymaker Klaus, their gifts melt an age-old feud and deliver a sleigh full of holiday traditions.

    Quick review: Even with its stellar hand-drawn animation, a clunky story followed by questionable morals makes Klaus a lump of coal rather than the holiday treat it so desperately wants to be.

    Where to watch Klaus: Available to stream on Netflix.

    See the rest of Jane’s 2020 Oscar spotlight series here.

    I wanted to like this. Truly I did. I appreciate any director who really wants to showcase hand-drawn animation. Director Sergio Pablos highlights color, character design and action so much that you remember what CGI can miss and what hand-drawn animation can elevate. That’s the only positive aspect of Netflix’s new holiday film Klaus. It is a run-of-the-mill Santa origin story that offers nothing new and fails to be anything but uninspiring. 

    The story begins with a voiceover telling the audience that no one actually remembers where the myth of Santa comes from. That’s not the case as people clearly remember as this film is in a long line of better Santa Claus origin tales (Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, The Santa Clause). The plot is about a spoiled, self-entitled brat named Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) who is sent to the Arctic Circle by his Father who owns The Postal Service? Sure. Jesper needs to make a quota of delivering mail or else be cut off from his family’s finances. Unfortunately for him, this town has two feuding clans who have come from a long line of hating each other and don’t have time to send letters.

    He finds a loophole in the form of an isolated Klaus (J.K. Simmons) who sends toys to children if they send him a letter. The two begin to forge a partnership and strangely the unlikeable postman begins to create all the traditions you love about Santa Klaus. To ask for more toys, the children seek the help of the local teacher in town, Alva (Rashida Jones in a thankless role) and begin to make their own destructive town a better place to be. This displeases both leaders of the town, Tammy Krum (Joan Cusack) and Mr. Ellingboe (Will Sasso) who then make an alliance to remove the yuletide distractions from their daily debauchery. Besides that, you get every cliche checked off in bland plotting. A throwaway love interest? Check. A dead wife to inspire your tragic backstory? You got it. A big reveal that shows what Jesper has been up to all along? You betcha.

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    That wouldn’t make Klaus bad just worn out territory (Seriously, did they just watch Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and switch some things around?). Here’s what makes it bad: All throughout the film, the moral message is that doing good for others inspires others to be good. However, the film doesn’t really separate doing good for the sake of doing good versus doing good for your own gain. The children turn the town around but only because they were promised a reward. They never actually learn anything that inspired the heart of Christmas: selfless acts of generosity. 

    Oddly enough, the film points this out several times and makes you believe that there would be some payoff by the film’s conclusion, but we never dive deep enough beyond the shallow writing to see a believable change in the town. To some degree, Jesper changes but by the time he does, you’re already so sick of his presence that you wish the film spent more time with the Saami tribe and little girl Márgu (the only time the film actually inspires heartfelt emotion). 

    This begs the question: How? How does this film get nominated for an Oscar? My bet is that the voters had this on mute in the background during the holiday season and were impressed by the visuals. I love the character designs. Big broad Klaus against thin stick Jesper is a ton of fun to watch. The villagers’ designs (if heavily borrowed from film *cough* Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town) come in many diverse shapes, sizes and colors. It’s arguably the most creative part of the film. So if you are a lover of holiday films and animation, put this on. Just make sure the sound is off.

    Random thoughts ?

    • The voice acting of the film is more or less good although I never got lost in any of the performances. One exception is Joan Cusack who is a blast to listen to and gets the only chuckles I had in the film. 
    • It’s funny, for a film that seems to want to sugarcoat you with sentiment, I thought it was odd that the film didn’t focus on Jesper and his Dad’s relationship at all. 
    • Probability of winning an Oscar: Not likely. The Academy rarely gives out accolades to seasonal themed films and with the holidays just recently over, I don’t see them handing out an award to a Christmas film. However, this film is very popular (93% on Rotten Tomatoes!) with critics and audiences. So maybe it’s just the cynic in me that can’t get behind this film.
    Missing Link poster

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  • ‘Toy Story 4’ is the sequel we never thought we needed but are happy to have — Oscars spotlight review

    ‘Toy Story 4’ is the sequel we never thought we needed but are happy to have — Oscars spotlight review

    Toy Story 4 follows Woody and friends journey to save a reluctant new toy called Forky where they learn how big the world can be for a toy

    Quick review: A sharply written story filled with new characters, tons of laughs and outstanding computer animation makes Toy Story 4 a joy to watch.

    Where to watch Toy Story 4:

    Buy or rent: Amazon Stream: DisneyPlus

    See the rest of Jane’s 2020 Oscar spotlight series here.

    Let’s get this out of the way. I’m not a big fan of Toy Story 3. I know that’s blasphemy for some but it’s true. The third film in the Toy Story franchise is beautifully animated and has great new characters (looking at you Ken), but it’s also unnecessarily dark and has a villain that feels just a shade or two away from Stinky Pete in Toy Story 2. However, it does succeed in having a strong conclusion to wrap up the supposed trilogy. We said goodbye to all our beloved toys as Andy leaves them in the hands of new toddler owner Bonnie. It’s a satisfying conclusion. So, what’s left to explore for Woody and the gang?

    Thankfully, Toy Story 4 has a new story to tell. The film opens up back in the days of Andy on one stormy evening where Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) has to say goodbye to his crush Bo Peep (Annie Potts) who is being given away to a new child. Bo Peep offers Woody a chance for them to be together but due to his prior duties to Andy, he cannot bring himself to leave his child. Fast forward to the present: Woody has to handle being a toy Bonnie doesn’t even want to play with.

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    Toy Story 4 poster

    He spends most of Bonnie’s play sessions in a closet while all his other friends enjoy bountiful amounts of playtime. It’s not something he’s dealt with before and in order to justify his need for her, he helps her create a new buddy out of a spork, Forky (a hilarious Tony Hale). Forky is still new to being a toy and doesn’t quite understand why he’s not allowed to be trash anymore. This proves to be a bigger challenge for Woody than previously anticipated when Forky runs away on a summer road trip. Woody, who entitles himself as Forky’s sole protector, goes after him and on the way meets some new and old friends. 

    If you’re wondering why I didn’t mention Buzz (Tim Allen), Jesse (Joan Cusack), or any of the other toys, that’s because they are not entirely relevant to the plot (and that’s a good thing). Toy Story 3 has so many characters and stories going on at the same time that it feels somewhat unfocused at times. Fortunately, for this film, we tend to focus mostly on Woody’s journey and figuring out where he belongs post-Andy. We’ve seen Woody deal with his insecurities of what will become of him with his time with Andy, now we get to see this come to fruition with Woody serving no meaningful existence in Bonnie’s life and having to question his purpose as a toy in general.

    If that feels heavy, don’t worry: the film is very light on its feet. It breezes through with great humor, new characters and exhilarating action scenes. The ending doesn’t feel contrived but earned. It offers the potential to finally conclude the Toy Story saga. However, if Pixar does decide to continue it, Toy Story 4 is a good reminder that sequels can be enjoyable if the people making them care as much about the characters as the audience does.

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  • ‘Birds of Prey’ is the best DCEU movie yet — movie review

    ‘Birds of Prey’ is the best DCEU movie yet — movie review

    After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl in Birds of Prey

    Quick review: Birds of Prey has all of the chaotic energy that a movie about Harley Quinn should have packaged in a frenetic action-filled romp that’s impossible to resist.

    Where to watch Birds of Prey: In theaters now

    Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) has all of the chaotic energy that a movie about Harley Quinn should have. It’s often messy, sometimes over-the-top, confusing, laugh out loud funny, cringy, endearing, and somewhere beneath it all is the best DC extended universe movie thus far.

    Harley Quinn (a pale, manic pixie dream girl Margot Robbie) was done largely wrong in the abysmal Suicide Squad where we were introduced to this universe’s version of the Joker. Not only was her character terribly one-note, but she also played nothing more than a second fiddle to other characters’ storylines — if you could even give the movie credit for having those. However, Birds of Prey is her movie. She even tells us that at the start.

    Mercifully, at the beginning of the film Mr. J and Harley break up — she’s not taking it well. Her debaucherous and boozy relationship mourning ends with a colorful decimation of the chemical plant where she first jumped into a vat of acid to prove her devotion to Mr. J and took on the persona of the excitable Harley Quinn — affected New York accent and all.

    And while she may find some closure in it, it also notifies all of Gotham City that she’s no longer under the Joker’s protection. That means everyone — and I mean everyone — is after her. That includes Roman Sionis (a deliciously camp Ewan McGregor), a crime lord whose trip for power went right through Helena Bertinelli’s (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) family — eventually, we learned she gave herself the name Huntress. She, trained as a master assassin, now seeks vengeance for her family’s deaths. But I, like the movie, am getting ahead of myself.

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    Birds of Prey poster

    Just like Harley, the movie’s plot, structure, and style is playful and erratic. We jump back and forth in time getting to know the women that will eventually form the eponymous Birds of Prey and how they’ll eventually come to work together. However, I’m reluctant to call this a team-up movie. There aren’t scenes where the women take a break to see that they’re not so different after all. The team-up is really a product of necessity, adding to this clever subversion of the superhero story.

    The other two members of the birds are Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), an underappreciated but talented detective in the Gotham City Police Department, and Dinah Laurel Lance or Black Canary (Jussie Smollett-Bell), a singer in Roman’s club who eventually is recruited as his driver. Through thoroughly entertaining sequences, we learn of each woman’s abilities and their reason’s for seeking emancipation from the men in their lives.

    The more comic book movies stop being comic movies and start being about something else the better. Birds of Prey locks in on a feminist thematic consistency where women are underappreciated and often taken advantage of by men. Without being completely overt — looking at you Joker — it allows its characters to break free of those confines and eventually find each of the women peace.

    Along the way, we are treated to a delightfully whacky performance by Robbie that keeps you locked in on the movie’s energetic pace and tone. Without her, it’s clear that Birds of Prey would not work. However, director Cathy Yan has to be credited with keeping the movie largely on the rails. It could have easily become unwieldy, instead, the plotting feels tight, even when the actual visuals on the screen go berzerk.

    Not only that, the movie has some of the best action in a superhero movie in years. Easy to follow, but brutally beautiful to watch. It feels reminiscent of John Wick or Atomic Blonde. It’s impossible to not feel filled with adrenaline after watching the birds fight. Of course, they need to be fighting for something. In this case, they’re fighting for a teenage girl’s emancipation too. Cassandra Cain (newcomer Ella Jay Basco) has a bounty on her head after she pickpockets a diamond from Roman. And while that diamond might be a McGuffin, the journey that it inspires is full of purpose.

    As crazy as Harley is, Robbie plays her with a shread of humanity that was once there. Birds of Prey is keenly aware that although it’s a superhero movie, it needs to be grounded in something. And because of that, it soars.

  • Thirty Seconds to Sell —Grading every Super Bowl movie trailer

    Thirty Seconds to Sell —Grading every Super Bowl movie trailer

    The Super Bowl is often a launching pad for trailers for some of the biggest movies of the year — here’s what we thought

    The NFL has produced some high-quality drama, and a few high-quality movies, over the 100 years of its existence. The league’s championship game, the Super Bowl, has warped into something that represents not just the greatest team in the league, but also the current cultural climate. Ads featuring appearances from Post Malone, Maisie Williams, and countless other celebrities were aired throughout the game. We also got our fair share of promotion for programming on Fox, the game’s broadcasting home for this year, and a few political ads that highlighted the tumult leading up to the 2020 election. 

    Most importantly, though, fans were able to tune in and catch a glimpse of a few upcoming blockbusters headed to movie theaters in the coming months. Super Bowl ads were going for a rate of about $5 million for a 30-second ad, so it’s fair to wonder if these studios spent their money wisely. Which trailers were a great tool in building hype for their respective films, and which left us with more lingering questions? Let’s run them all down and give out some grades! 

    Fast 9

    Grade: A

    In order to justify this grade, I’m going to rope in the “event” that the Fast Franchise set up for the trailer premiere as part of this promotion. The studio booked an entire freaking concert, and an hour-long live stream to boot, just to show an over-bloated 4-minute trailer. Then, they show a few more scenes in the Super Bowl ad, as if what the world really needs is Vin Diesel grumbling about family even more. This franchise is now on its tenth film (for reference, there were only 3 Godfather movies), and if they’re going to drive this thing into the ground, they need to pull off publicity stunts as big as the stunts performed by the stunt drivers–er, CGI– in the cars on screen. They did just that and earned the highest grade here.

     Black Widow

    Grade: C-

    Black Widow’s solo movie is coming out in May. That’s about all the trailer that aired Sunday wanted to reveal, but at this point, we need a little more to justify this entry into the MCU. The trailer starts off with Scarlett Johansson’s titular character saying “You don’t know everything about me.” I get that the line is supposed to add intrigue to the film’s plot, but when a character who’s played a pivotal role in nearly half of the 22 films in a franchise, the idea that we still don’t know everything there is to know about the character seems a little over-dramatic. I’m sure there will be some sort of Easter egg that will give us a peek into what the next phase of Marvel’s ever-evolving series will be like, I’m still left wondering why this movie is being made, and I was hoping that a trailer would fix that. 

    Mulan

    Mulan: A+ 

    If there’s a perfect way to do this, Mulan had it on Sunday. The Super Bowl trailer clued a great deal of people into what a live-action Mulan film is going to look like, and why it’s going to work. The ad was also used in conjuction with the film’s final trailer being released, which allowed fans who were hyped on the mini-clip to see a fully fleshed-out sizzle reel of what’s coming. With such craft and care is taken in the promotion of the film, I’m starting to hold the belief that Mulan has a chance to be the very best of this series of Disney remakes. 

    Spongebob: Sponge On the Run

    Grade: B+

    I mean, why not at this point, right? Despite the promise of a Keanu Reeves cameo, I have little to no interest in seeing this movie, and I’m decades older than its target demographic. But seeing it allowed my friends and I to reminisce on all the great Spongebob episodes, while the children who were watching got to beg their parents to go see the movie this summer. If a trailer is a win for the kids and the kids at heart, it’s a winner in my book. 

    Sonic the Hedgehog

    Grade: C

    I wanted to give this trailer my only failing grade for this exercise, but seeing Jim Carrey going full-tilt for his portrayal of Doctor Robotnik is probably going to be enough to see this movie. Sadly, the trailer spends most of its time on a joke set up by other “fast” athletes (like NFL stars Michael Thomas and Christian McCaffrey), but once the joke predictably falls flat, there’s about 10 seconds of movie footage to digest afterwards. Thankfully, Carrey’s final scene was somewhat interesting enough to make this somewhat memorable. 

    007: No Time to Die

    Grade: B-

    We got pretty much the shortened version of the trailer here, save for a fun scene showing off the rivalry between Daniel Craig’s James Bond and Lashanna Lynch’s yet-to-be-named 00-agent, and a random line from Rami Malek’s scar-faced villain. A lot of the scenes were ripped right from the film’s first trailer, with a few quick cuts of the actors who appear to be major players in the film, but there’s not much to discuss that hasn’t been already. We’re moving on.

    Top Gun: Maverick

    Grade: B-

    I have no idea why this movie was made, or what it’s going to be about. I know that Tom Cruise is reprising his role as a rogue pilot, but beyond that, I can’t tell what this film is dealing with, besides cool plane stuff. At least we got a good chunk of that here. 

    A Quiet Place, Part II

    Grade: A-

    A Quiet Place was such a great movie, wasn’t it? While most blockbusters are focused on big loud explosions, this film thrived in silence and created such an affecting narrative. The sequel from Director John Krasinski is due out now, and so far, both trailers have shown both Krasinski’s and Emily Blunt’s characters, and how they experienced contact with the monsters on the first day of the invasion. This time, we saw things from Krasinki’s side, and his appearance in this movie is a welcomed surprise. It appears that from everything we’ve seen from this film so far that we’ll be getting a healthy dose of backstory as to how this world came to be, which creates a great sense of intrigue for this film. 

    The Invisible Man

    Grade: C+

    I mean, whatever, you know? There’s a new Invisible Man movie, it looks spooky, Elisabeth Moss looks like she’s acting her ass off in it, there’s not much left to do to sell me. We get a slight glimpse into the relationship that goes awry, kick-starting the plot of the film, at the beginning of the trailer, which ends up being the only new footage we see here.

    The Super Bowl ads seemed to be a little below-par this year, which I think highlights an underlying theme that there’s just not that many blockbusters that are going to have the billion-dollar box office impact that so many films did last year. If I had to bet money on it, I’d imagine that Minions would be my pick to lead 2020 in total gross at the box office, and I won’t comment on that any further. But in this state of uncertainty, it offered an opportunity for thoughtful horror films like A Quiet Place – Part II and The Invisible Man to step into the spotlight, a nice alternative from ther superhero-dominated Super Bowl we had last year.

    Donald Wagenblast isn’t fooling anyone; he’ll be seeing all of the movies mentioned above the week they come out in theaters, regardless of how effective their trailers were. He can be reached on Twitter @whysoserious.

  • ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’ is a satisfying conclusion — Oscar spotlight review

    ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’ is a satisfying conclusion — Oscar spotlight review

    In an emotional and heartfelt send-off, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World concludes its epic coming-of-age saga with one last final adventure

    Quick review: A fulfilling finale for all its characters combined with stellar animation makes How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World a fun-filled adventure for all to enjoy.

    Where to watch How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World:

    Stream: Hulu

    Buy or rent: Amazon

    See the rest of Jane’s 2020 Oscar spotlight series here.

    Trilogies are hard to get right. Most of the time sequels feel bloated and unnecessary. Studios set out to make a standalone film but if it becomes a hit, sequels are easy cash grabs almost guaranteed to make a profit — and that often leads to a drop in quality. There are exceptions, and thankfully, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is one of them. A trilogy that justifies its existence with an engrossing coming-of-age tale that ends its last chapter with a touching finale. 

    It’s crazy to think that the first How to Train Your Dragon came out 10 years ago and how much the characters have grown since. They’ve dealt with loss and grief but have also endured thanks to each other and their relationships with their dragons. We grow up and begin to take on more responsibility and friends naturally begin to grow apart. This is at the very core of the third and final film of the series. Five years have passed since the events of the second film. All things are well in the Viking village of Berk. Dragons and humans have assimilated nicely in everyday society. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless both lead their clans with confidence and it feels like nothing can ruin their dragon utopia.

    However, a dragon hunter named Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) has other plans. His main motivation is to make every dragon a piece of taxidermy on his wall. Grimmel acts like a generic replica of the main antagonist from the previous film. His actions don’t get more complex than hunting dragons for game. But the most engaging conflict comes in the form of a new female species of fury who catches the interest of Toothless and threatens a split between the two best friends. With Grimmel expanding his operation to Berk, the Vikings must find a new oasis for the dragons that might be found in a place called “the hidden world” which would seal the dragons off from humans permanently.

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    How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World poster

    It’s never easy to say goodbye and when The Hidden World focuses on that the film shines with heartbreaking realism. Growing up sometimes means growing apart. It’s something we never think about much as children but as we mature we see it’s unmistakably true. It’s a shame that wasn’t the main storyline in The Hidden World, which tends to tread on territory already covered in the previous movie. That doesn’t mean the feature isn’t enjoyable, just redundant.

    The animation in the series has always been top-notch — especially the flying scenes. The first How to Train Your Dragon was one of the original films to take full advantage of the 3D format in theaters. The Hidden World is no different, its animation fills every space with such luscious color and spectacular dragon flying. The world of Berk has always been captivating to visit and even though this is farewell, it’s a fitting conclusion that soars high in the sky. 

    Random thoughts ?

    • There’s no way that Dreamworks will let their only big franchise die forever. I wonder what spin-offs are in the works. I think I saw that Netflix has a new Dragons series out that looks like it’s directed toward the younger crowd. Anyone know anything about that?
    • I don’t think Jay Baruchel gets enough credit for his role as Hiccup. He’s basically had to play this character at milestone ages of his life and he truly captures him from awkward teen to stoic Viking.
    • Probability of winning an Oscar: Not counting on it. Poor How to Train Your Dragon. It’s been nominated for every film in its series and has no Oscars to show for it. I’m not really sure why the Academy looks over it. It definitely should have won in 2010. Who went home with the Oscar instead? Why, none other than Toy Story 3 — which we will get to. Stay tuned.

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  • 'The Lodge' twists itself into terrifying knots — movie review

    'The Lodge' twists itself into terrifying knots — movie review

    In The Lodge, Grace is tasked with taking care of future stepkids in a remote cabin where things slowly spiral into cold madness

    Quick review: Despite well-drawn tension and a sense of pure frigid dread, the twists of the plot almost undo The Lodge. However, Riley Keough’s devastating performance and the bleak atmosphere keep the movie interesting.

    Where to watch The Lodge: In theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday.

    The Lodge, which premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, feels similar to another horror that just premiered at this year’s Sundance, The Night House. Both movies rely on a dread-filled atmosphere that is relentlessly bleak and play thematically in the realm of grief and trauma. They also have the same issues. Despite a slow-burn plot that strikes just the right balance of mystery and horror, they eventually start getting a little too far into their own twists before becoming a little too incredulous to overlook.

    Richard (Richard Armitage) maybe too bluntly tells his wife Laura (Alicia Silverstone), who is separated from, that they need to finalize their divorce so her can marry Grace (Riley Keough) much to their kids Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and Mia’s (Lia McHugh) dismay. Laura doesn’t take the news well. Some time later in an effort for the kids to get to know her, Richard suggests they go to the family’s isolated cabin, which is tucked away in a snowy tundra, where Grace will watch over them while he goes to work in the city without a car and no civilization for miles. A little suspension of disbelief is needed. Trust me, this isn’t the most unbelievable plot point. 

    Aiden and Mia are obviously not happy with the arrangement. Not only are they stuck with their future stepmom and was involved in the demise of their mother, Grace is also a former patient of Richard’s — keep that disbelief suspended — who is the only survivor of a religious cult that committed mass suicide. The kids are petrified to be around her and often shut themselves away. 

    What the movie does incredibly well is give us both sides of the narrative almost simultaneously. While we can see and feel the kid’s reluctance to accept this new woman into their lives, we also see Grace’s struggle to connect with them in the face of her past trauma and the person she’s replacing — the house is covered in religious totems from Laura.

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    The Lodge poster

    The movie then takes a shift towards The Innocents or The Shining as Laura begins to see and hear flashes from her past urging her to repent and even more sinister things going on in the house. First the power and the heat go off, then her beloved dog goes missing, then the food and jackets go missing. The assault of extraordinary happenings starts to push Laura towards the edge. She starts to sleepwalk, sometimes with a gun in her hand. She starts to confuse the kids for the bodies of her cult members. However, it’s when she finally steps off the edge that the movie starts its uncontrollable descent.

    Though Ari Aster’s Hereditary hadn’t been released by the time The Lodge was in production, it’s hard not to compare the two. Both begin with a traumatic and mine similar imagery — a creepy dollhouse, vaguely comedic funeral. However, The Lodge feels a lot less elegant than the assured and rhythmic style of Hereditary, which stays in the domain of arthouse. 

    Directors and co-writers Veronika Franz and Severin Faila (Sergio Casci was also a writer), who previously co-directed the similarly unnerving Goodnight Mommy, have a clear style. And while I wish it felt more singular, it serves the core story. The probably is that the plot becomes unwieldy and unrealistic, which clashes with their style. It almost needed Aster’s hyper-stylized touch for it to work. 

    However, there’s no denying just how effective the tension-building is in The Lodge. Like any great single location movie — The Shining comes to mind — it makes you feel trapped and like you yourself are losing your sanity. Keogh’s subtly complex performance, one of her best, needs to be credited, as well. However, the movie is in a bit too much of a rush to show you its work and just how “clever” it is. Though, that might be part of the appeal. It’s incredibly bleak. So bleak that I don’t know if I could watch it again. As it slowly approaches the edge, you need to make the decision whether to hang on or jump off with it. Whether you love or hate it hangs on that decision.

  • 'Missing Link' evolves from the standard animation fare — Oscars spotlight review

    'Missing Link' evolves from the standard animation fare — Oscars spotlight review

    Missing Link tells the story of a lonely sasquatch who journeys far beyond the reaches of the world with his two companions to find a place he belongs.

    Quick review: An engaging and adventurous tale, Missing Link promises a good time for everyone, even if it’s not quite as memorable as other Lakia viewings.

    Where to watch Missing Link: Available to stream on Hulu.

    See the rest of Jane’s 2020 Oscar spotlight series here.

    It’s honestly a miracle that films like ‘Missing Link’ are still being made. Animation nowadays is over-saturated with sequels from highly profitable franchises — they’re so popular that two of the five Oscar contenders for Best Animated Feature are sequels to already beloved series (Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon). Even if those sequels are well done (and I agree they are), it does feel that the big animation studios have decided to forfeit original storytelling for the sake of easy box office numbers. 

    Enter Laika Studios whose newest feature Missing Link wholeheartedly believes in making things of the past very much a part of the future. Set in the late Victorian era, a charming (if somewhat self-indulgent) explorer Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by a charismatic Hugh Jackman) sets out to prove his worth to high society by proving the existence of the sasquatch and the theory of evolution.

    The sasquatch he eventually discovers in the new world of America turns out to be a friendly but bumbling creature that he decides to call Mr. Link (voiced by Zach Galifianakis). Mr. Link — he prefers the name Susan — fears he is the last of his kind and requests the help of Sir Lionel to take him to his distant cousins who live in the far reaches of the Himalayas. With the aid of the headstrong widower Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Salanda), they embark on a journey to reunite the last sasquatch with his abominable relatives while trying to evade the henchman of Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry) who will stop at nothing at preventing the discovery of what mankind descended from.

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    Missing Link poster

    It’s those complex ideas that make this buddy comedy story more than an adventurous romp. In a time where our political climate seems to want to revert to more outdated ideologies rather than progress forward, it’s great to see a family-friendly film tackle these intricate themes in a subtle yet entertaining way. However, if you’d rather just enjoy the film for its aesthetic value, I wouldn’t fault you for that either. Lakia’s always been a powerhouse when it comes to stop-motion animation, and this film is a wonder to behold knowing that every character and backdrop was created and puppeteered by an actual person. There are multiple scenes where my mouth was left in awe beauty of the animation.  

    So where does it come up short? Unfortunately, it’s just not nearly as memorable as some of the other Laika productions that come to mind (Coraline, Paranorman, Kubo and the Two Strings). It could be because the main protagonists in those films were children and it seems easier investing in their perils and conflicts. Those films also seem to be revolutionary in their genre by always offering a new perspective in their themes or story. Missing Link is a wonderful addition to Lakia’s canon, it does have many familiar beats of the buddy comedy flick. 

    That being said, it’s delightful to see another Laika film get nominated for an Oscar — I hope this gets more people to see it (it barely made $30 million in theaters on its $100 million dollar budget). It might not be the best production by the studio, but it’s still an original story created with a dying art form that wouldn’t exist in mainstream cinema if it wasn’t for Lakia. In an industry full of animated sequels, a film like “Missing Link” is a nice reminder that people are still creating for artistic value rather than a monetary one.

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  • ‘Sorry to Bother You’ review — A wild, terrifying, and brilliant social satire

    ‘Sorry to Bother You’ review — A wild, terrifying, and brilliant social satire

    Sorry to Bother You is uncategorizable as a movie because nothing has taken the same risks, but the outcome is stunning

    Sorry to Bother You is overwhelming, mesmerizing, confusing, terrifying, and perhaps, almost too smart for its own good. That being said, there’s never been a more stunning takedown of capitalism than this movie. Get Out changed cinema as a mainstream social satire that works effectively both on the level of a horror movie and comedy. And while Sorry to Bother You doesn’t quite reach that level — the pacing feels precisely too slow and too fast at the same time — it’s heartening to see something like it exist. Mostly because a movie like it has never existed. If any movie is postmodern, it’s this one.

    In the movie, which is Boots Riley’s debut feature, television is dominated by the news, a show called “I Got the S#*@ Kicked Out of Me!”—it’s exactly what it sounds like—and ads for Worry Free Living. Worry Free is a company that offers free housing (a tiny room filled with rows of two people to a single bed), free food (the worst cafeteria food), and no bills in exchange for free labor. It’s a heightened version of reality, but still, sadly, based in some reality. At one point, we cut to a newspaper headline that says that Senate declares Worry Free’s practices legal and not slavery, though it clearly is. It’s that kind of confrontational messaging that makes Sorry to Bother You soar.

    Lakeith Stanfield plays Cassius “Cash” Green, who we meet in the middle of a job interview for the telemarketing company RegalView. Hilariously, he comes in holding an employee of the month plaque and enormous trophy from high school. However, the interviewer notices that a job on his resume is a fake—since he was the manager of the bank that Cash allegedly worked at. Still, Cash is hired—mostly because the job takes almost no skills other than “sticking to the script.”

    Sorry to Bother You
    Tessa Thompson in Sorry to Bother You.

    Cash struggles with the job at first. He’s unable to get any customers to buy anything, which even drives him to consider working for Worry Free. His artist-activist girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson) vehemently opposes the concept of the company and often vandalizes their billboards as part of an activist group called “The Left Eye”. Eventually, Langston (Danny Glover), one of Cash’s coworkers, gives him the tip of using his “white voice” when talking to customers. It’s exactly what you think it’d sound like. Cash’s white voice is voiced by David Cross. Again, it’s a provocative, ridiculous, but incredibly effective way to portray the code-switching that black people often have to do depending on the setting. However, the tactic makes Cash one of the best telemarketers in the company and setting on a path to become a “power caller”.

    After the end of each shift Cash’s friend Salvador (an underutilized Jermaine Fowler), who also works at RegalView, and co-worker Squeeze (Steven Yeun) go to a local bar to decompress from the day. Squeeze mentions wanting to start a union to demand raises. Salvador, Cash, and Detroit, who has begun working at the telemarketing company, all join along with most of the staff. They stage a strike in the middle of the day that angers management, and though Cash is part of the strike, management still promotes him to “power caller” based on his performance. He is sent up in a golden elevator with a ridiculously long passcode—one of the best sequences of the film—and meets his manager, whose name is bleeped out, who explains that power callers sell everything from weaponry to workers for Worry Free.

    From there, Sorry to Bother You somehow gets even more bizarre for better and for worse. Riley leverages provocative imagery that we have seen—protests getting violent as they clash against authorities— and that I sure as hell hope we never see—something involving horses. However, it shows that he has a clear message, even if that message isn’t communicated as clearly as I would have hoped. Some aspects or threads are dropped, some for the better and some for worse. However, it’s just the mark of a first time director.

    By the time Armie Hammer’s villainous Worry Free CEO Steve Lift comes into the mix to present Cash with an offer, the movie is off the rails in that the means of the plot becomes pure fantasy, but the message remains a troublingly realistic one. Riley targets our society today with dead-on aim from politicians being outraged without any follow through to the very concept of capitalism. And while cinematically the movie doesn’t always work, that aspect is there. Sorry to Bother You has so many ideas and delivers on a lot of them and falters on some, but the very idea of the movie is the protest. Yes, it’s weird. Yes, it’s shocking. But I am so glad this movie exists. Riley, Stanfield, and Thompson are stars on their way up. Sorry to Bother You is just another step in that ascension.

    Sorry to Bother You is available to buy or rent on Amazon!

    Karl’s rating:

  • 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' tackles our failure of women's healthcare — Sundance review

    'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' tackles our failure of women's healthcare — Sundance review

    Never Rarely Sometimes Always follows a teen girl from a small town as she journies to New York to get an abortion

    Quick review: Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a matter-of-factly told abortion drama that pulls no punches as it takes on the failings of our healthcare system — especially for women. In theaters March 13th.

    See all our reviews from the 2020 Sundance Film Festival here.

    Director Eliza Hittman’s filmography is just three films deep, but her matter-of-fact style is as assured as an auteur with decades under their belt. That isn’t more apparent than with her new movie Never Rarely Sometimes Always, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah this week.

    Hittman has a long history with Sundance going back to 2011 and her short Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight. Since then, all three of her films — It Felt Like Love and Beach Rats are the others — have premiered there — and it feels like the perfect setting. Though all of her movies have been set and filmed in New York City, they’re all connected by naturalistic acting, teen angst, and an unadorned presentation. All qualities that feel right for a festival cast against snowcapped mountains and far from the business 

    Like all her films, she follows a teen, this time a girl, undergoing a life-changing experience. Autumn (Sidney Flanigan), quiet but indignant, performs at her school’s talent show among singing trios and awkward musical theater numbers. The song she performs is about the pain and disappointments of love — we’ll soon learn that she’s pregnant and left to deal with it on her own, which makes the song all the more poignant.

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    Her tiny Pennsylvania town clearly is not the progressive environment a teen in this situation would want to be in. When she goes to the local women’s clinic, the doctor, despite the best of intentions, clearly cautions against abortion as an option when Autumn shows interest. It’s clear from the brochures that only layout options that involve bringing the pregnancy to full term and an old video — probably on VHS — comparing abortion to murder.

    Without many options in her small town, she and her cousin and best friend Skylar (Talia Ryder) make plans to travel to New York City to have the procedure despite their limited means. And this is when Never Rarely Sometimes Always really begins to come alive. 

    When the pair arrive in the city it’s clear they’re out of their depths as tasks as simple as buying a MetroCard seem impossible to them. Then again, isn’t it for everyone? They face several setbacks that are quietly thrown their way — Hittman isn’t one for melodramatics — that they get through using their strong and tender bond. Flanigan plays Autumn close to the chest with rarely a moment that she reveals her feelings. Ryder’s Skylar, on the other hand, is full of warmth and energy that often gets them through their situation. Their relationship is what keeps you invested in the film. 

    Hittman doesn’t preach. She simply lays out the facts of women’s access — or lack thereof — to healthcare in this country and sets juxtapositions to show just how ridiculous the process to get care is. It also shows the professionals following the law and those trying their best to work with it for the sake of the women affected. Along the way, toxic masculinity also sees its way around the pair with Autumn’s dad (Ryan Eggold) clearly having an unhealthy complex towards women and a young man (Théodore Pellerin), who offers to help the girls for a price. 

    However, nothing is as effective or impactful as the film’s title scene where a particularly helpful doctor runs through a series of required questions about Autumn’s past to which she has to answer never, rarely, sometimes, always. The scene plays out in a single fixed shot that never strays from Autumn’s face with Flanigan doing some incredible work. During the scene, we finally see Autumn show emotion while also explaining why she feels the need to always hide them.

    Never Rarely Sometimes Always is more than an overwrought drama about abortion. It’s more measured than that. It knows what it’s trying to say and know that it doesn’t need to do much work to say it. With two incredibly strong lead performances — and a quick cameo by Sharon Van Etten as Autumn’s mom — and a well-structured and tight screenplay, Eliza Hittman has pieced together an essential drama that further challenges the institutions that restrict the most vulnerable people in our society. More than that, it’s an empathetic look being a teenage girl.

  • 'Just Mercy' is a powerful legal drama — movie review

    'Just Mercy' is a powerful legal drama — movie review

    Just Mercy follows the true story of a civil rights attorney as he tries to prove the innocence of a man on death row

    One-sentence review: Just Mercy may hit a lot of the familiar beats of a based on a true story legal drama, but the performances by Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Rob Morgan more than make up for its flaws.

    As far as based on a true story legal dramas go, Just Mercy is on the better side. To be frank, there’s often a limitation to the quality of these kinds of movies because they’re made to be accessible by a wide audience — usually by credence from the studio. And while it doesn’t really break out of the mold, the two performances at the center of the film, by Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx, are enough to power through any of the typical moments.

    Adapted from his autobiography, Just Mercy follows attorney Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) who, fresh out of Havard Law School, chooses to go to rural Alabama to set up a non-profit focused on freeing wrongly convicted death row inmates. There, he’s joined by Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), a local advocate who helps him set up his operation that is of course met by local resistance.

    He takes up the cases of several inmates including Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan) and, in particular, Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx).

    Just Mercy Poster

    McMillian was accused of murdering an 18-year-old local girl despite having a tight alibi and a case against him that was built on the flimsy testimony of a witness — of course, he was white. Like any movie telling this similar story, Stevenson suffers many setbacks — and a few wins — along the way that director Destin Daniel Cretton portrays without patina. His main struggle is to have the court even rehear the case, a process that’s blocked more than once by our bigotted villains — the town’s district attorney (Rafe Spall) and sheriff. Their moments are maybe too on the nose — as is a scene where Stevenson is extraneously pulled over in the middle of the night. That doesn’t make them any less effective. It works to communicate the story but is frustratingly by the numbers.

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    However, there’s a moment midway through the movie where we focus in Herbert as his execution is brought forward. The movie slows its pace of hitting various plot points and spends time contemplating what it must be like to know you’re being put to death. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up during the well-directed sequence that Rob Morgan gives a devastating performance in. I wish there were more moments like it.

    Jordan’s performance as Stevenson and Foxx’s as McMillian are so human and empathetic of their characters that they just might be two of the best of the year. The screenplay, by Cretton and Andrew Lanham, gives them ample room to explore not only the personal journey but to talk about it in the context of our society and how the death penalty, but design, is flawed and rooted in racist institutions. It’s that exploration that elevates Just Mercy even slightly above its genre counterparts. 

    I can’t underplay just how good the performances in the film are and how integral they are to its success. It’s a reminder that Foxx, who has down fewer dramas in recent years, is a terrific screen presence and Jordan, who was egregiously snubbed for Black Panther at the Oscars last year, is a bonafide Hollywood leading man who can easily hold the frame.

    The movie, out of Christmas Day, is not an easy sit like other movies that sanitize stories about race. In particular, I’m thinking about Green Book. Just Mercy mercifully lacks a white savior narrative and also doesn’t deny that the issues still exist today and that Bryan Stevenson is still fighting for those on death row. Like Dark Waters, the quality of the film shouldn’t matter, even if it’s completely solid. This is a story well-told and a story worth hearing. 

  • What's next? Who should direct 'Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness'

    What's next? Who should direct 'Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness'

    With Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson out for the sequel, we throw out our suggestions for who should replace him

    Doctor Strange was one of the most visually stunning episodes in the decade-long run of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s also one of its most inessential. There’s nothing you learn about the titular character in his solo introduction to the series that can’t be learned in the character’s cameo in Thor: Ragnarok or the first fifteen minutes of Avengers: Infinity War, and unless you’re dying to see Chiwetel Ejiofor’s inevitable ally-turned-nemesis Baron Mordo, there’s not much to take away from the 2015 film aside from the aforementioned visuals.

    It was director Scott Derrickson who was able to take those visuals from concept to screen, and many had shown excitement about the director’s return for the sequel, which was announced at Kevin Feige’s mic-drop moment at 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con. Feige outlined the next 4-5 years of films and shows on Disney+, and the newly-minted Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was one of the most-discussed announcements in the recap videos released throughout the YouTube community in the following days.

    With the multiverse teased — and eventually revealed as a red herring — in Spider-Man: Far From Home, fans had already begun their rampant theorizing about what effects a multiverse could have on the MCU. Dr. Strange seemed to be the perfect bridge between the two, and with the announcement that Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch (okay, fine, Wanda Maximoff) will be appearing alongside Benedict Cumberbatch’s protagonist, it was clear that Marvel is pushing its chips to the center of the table, hoping Multiverse of Madness will do for Dr. Strange what The Winter Soldier and Ragnarok did for Captain America and Thor, respectively. 

    Derrickson joined Feige, Olsen, and Cumberbatch on stage in San Diego last summer, where the creators and actors showed their shared enthusiasm for what was dubbed the “first horror film” in the MCU’s history. Given the director’s pedigree and experience in the genre, it seemed like this was going to be another slam-dunk entry in the MCU, with the promise of the multiverse providing limitless potential for where the film could go. 

    https://twitter.com/scottderrickson/status/1215428331450953728?s=20

    Well, it seems like a few limits have been reached, or at least set forth by the powers that be within Marvel, as Derrickson took to Twitter this past week to announce he’d no longer be directing the film, slated for release in 2021. Citing creative differences, Derrickson will still be involved as an executive producer, though the extent of his influence will remain to be seen. With so much invested in the film, both in star power and in potential, the obvious question needs to be asked: what now? Below, you’ll find a few suggestions for directors who may be able to take this setback as an opportunity to advance the MCU in a new, exciting direction. 

    Ari Aster

    If there’s anyone who’s more interesting in horror right now than Ari Aster, I’d love to see how their last two films match up to Aster’s debut couplet of Hereditary and Midsommar. Aster has been able to create real terror in both films, the kind that will benefit a skilled acting group like the one Multiverse has assembled.

    Aster has also directed Toni Colette and Florence Pugh to Oscar nomination-worthy portrayals of the lead actress in crisis, which would greatly benefit Olsen. Olsen will have completed her character’s Disney+ show WandaVision, which has been heavily implied to lead directly into the second installment of the Dr. Strange series, so if that show ends with something happening to Vision (again), Aster would have a lot of trauma to sort through with Wanda, setting Olsen up for a potential behemoth of a performance. 

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    Robert Eggers

    Perhaps just a step below Aster in terms of buzz right now, Robert Eggers has established himself as another creative force in horror, thanks to the spectacularly eerie The Witch and absolutely bonkers The Lighthouse. Eggers’s flair for the supernatural would make him an asset for Marvel in Multiverse, and he’s proven that he can take several creative risks in his storytelling and still pull great performances out of his actors in the process. Seeing Chiwetel Ejiofor reprise his role as Mordo and take on the full-blown-psycho role like Willem Dafoe did in The Lighthouse would be a jolt to the MCU, who’ve always struggled in creating interesting villains. 

    Jordan Peele

    While Aster and Eggers are the indie darlings of horror right now, the genre is operating within Jordan Peele’s grasp. I’d give this about a 1% chance of actually happening, seeing as Peele’s passion for telling stories in his way will likely veer from Marvel’s path too much, but Peele’s involvement with CBS All Access’s The Twilight Zone could provide a spark of hope to get him involved in this big-budget playground. If Marvel lets Jordan Peele’s imagination run wild a little, he could tread a new path for the entire franshise moving forward. 

    Ava DuVernay

    There are concerns with bringing in DuVernay on this film, sure, but she’s absolutely worth considering. Yes, A Wrinkle in Time underwhelmed, but the visuals were never the issue, and with Derrickson exiting, it would do Marvel some good to bring in a director who has shown their own talent for creating visually stunning effects. DuVernay is currently tapped to direct New Gods for the DC Universe, but given the lack of knowledge and even deeper lack of interest for the project, I’d expect getting out of that deal wouldn’t be that difficult at this point. 

    Melina Mantzoukas

    You know what’s really scary? Actual stakes of life and death. The argument can be made that no director handled that better than Mantzoukas did in Queen and Slim last year, as she followed two outlaws trying to outrun their own building legend. From the time we start our journey on the run with the couple until the film’s tension-filled ending, Mantzoukas builds the stakes wonderfully, and keeps the focus on the individuals at the film’s center. With so many different visual possibilities likely to be present in Multiverse, adding Mantzoukas to keep the focus on Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff will help the film keep some semblance of reality in the madness. 

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  • 'Underwater' rips off 'Alien' – and that's fine — movie review

    'Underwater' rips off 'Alien' – and that's fine — movie review

    Underwater follows the crew members of a deep-sea drilling rig as their vessel begins to fail. However, the real danger is lurking in the darkness of the sea.

    Quick review: Underwater is like if you took all the character development, world-building, and plot out of the original Alien and just left the horror bits — somehow it works.

    We’ve seen Alien copycats before to varying degrees of success. From the great (The Descent) to the fine (Life) to the insulting (Inseminoid, anyone?). But at the very least, Underwater is keenly aware of its position. It’s an economical, mindless, Hollywood thrill ride. Exactly what you’d expect from a mid-January horror. 

    Just the shallow idea of a plot

    From the very beginning of the movie, you know that they aren’t fooling around. Without any exposition or pretense, we hop straight into a deep-sea drilling operation in the Marianas Trench — aka the deepest part of the Earth’s oceans. Norah Price (a short-haired platinum blonde Kristen Stewart) is preparing for bed when the entire rig begins to fail and cave in around her. Narrowly escaping a painful death by crushing, she and Rodrigo (Mamoudou Athie) another crew member make their way to the escape pod bay discovering another crew member (played by someone that doesn’t deserve to be mentioned) and the captain of the vessel (Vincent Cassel). They meet up with Emily (Jessica Henwick) and Liam (John Gallagher Jr.) in the bridge to form a plan of escape. 

    Not much of the plan makes sense and neither does the environment, but the movie doesn’t dwell on it. At just 95 minutes, it doesn’t have time to spend on needless things like a plot. The crew descends further down to the ocean floor to find another escape pod bay. However, before they can make it there they encounter something (or somethings) otherworldly that make their journey even more dangerous than it already is. 

    What you see is what you get with Underwater. Honestly, it’s refreshing. The scares are cheap but effective. The tension is derived solely from the environment — setting something under the sea or space is an easy way to build suspense. And the characters are really only made charming by the cast. But it’s so satisfying. It’s an elevated B-movie if such a thing even exists.

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    There really isn’t a moment to relax and take in the environment or get used to any space. However, the surprisingly effective production design is essential to the movie’s success. The tight dank corridors are endless and imperfect — filled with pipes and grates and wires like Alien. It’s the perfect setting for the story.

    The same goes for the bulky pressurized suits that are the only barrier between the crew and agonizing death at the hands of the depths of the ocean. The unreliability adds to the stakes.

    Stewart, even when phoning it in, has just the right level of movie star appeal to lock you into the screen. Cassel and Henwick also do great work with their limited screentime. However, you can’t read too far into anything with Underwater. By design, it’s shallow. It’s a theme park of a movie, as Martin Scorsese would put it, and it works for that very reason.

    Random thoughts ?

    • John Gallagher Jr. is incredibly underrated and should be a huge star by now. This movie wastes him.
    • The creature design is terrific, but the twist is jawdropping. Plus, the movie uses them sparingly enough to keep them interesting.
    • The first and last shots of Stewart are pure Hollywood hero shots.