Smash Cut

Category: Movies

  • ‘The Meg’ review — All shark, no bite

    ‘The Meg’ review — All shark, no bite

    The Meg doesn’t deliver on its summer B-movie promises, though Jason Statham does his best to hold the movie together. 

    Jason Statham fighting a giant prehistoric shark is a log line that promises a perfectly campy B-movie summer blockbuster. And that fact that it’s coming out in the heat of August only supports that theory. However, The Meg only delivers on part of that promise. It is certainly a summer blockbuster with its shallow thrills and classic action hero moments, but this John Turteltaub directed movie completely swims past the campy B-movie moments that would make this movie pure “so bad it’s good” gold. 

    That’s not to say that the movie doesn’t have its moments, Statham is a perennially solid leading man who would have absolutely shined had this movie given him more moments to flex his comedic chops like he did in 2015’s Spy. Still, he’s able to pull off a few good one-liners as Jonas Taylor, a deep-sea rescue diver who has come off a bender in Thailand to help rescue his ex-wife Lori (Jessica McNamee) from a recently uncovered section of the Marianas Trench. As Jonas was five years ago, her sub was attacked by an unseen enormous creature that is later revealed to be the titular Megalodon, a giant shark thought to be extinct for millions of years.

    The Meg

    Eventually, Jonas is able to rescue Lori, but a new problem presents itself: The Meg was set loose from its watery dungeon. With the help of the crew of the Mana One, a marine biology research facility funded by Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson) and run by Dr. Minway Zhang (Winston Chao) and his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), he tracks down the Meg and attempts to kill it. And, to Turteltaub’s credit, the action scenes are the kind of adrenaline popcorn action flick set pieces that belong in a movie like this. It’s the scenes in between that are the problem. When not dealing directly with the shark, The Meg takes itself way too seriously. Usually, that’d be fine. Mission: Impossible — Fallout, another blockbuster from this summer, balances its serious moments with its camp divinely. However, The Meg can’t find that balance. It can’t be both, so it does neither. 

    While some characters are certainly given more to do and play up the camp—DJ (Page Kennedy) and The Wall (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) have their momenets—most feel like flat cutouts that are there to up the body count. There are glimmers of what this movie could have been in Statham’s performance as well, but they are few and far between. Eventually, the finale, for the most part, delivers what we want—the PG-13 rating prevents it from going all the way, though—but it’s little too late for the movie. 

    The Meg is fine when you’re watching it, but you could easily keep one eye on the screen or bury your head in your popcorn and not miss much. It simply fades away from memory the instant the house lights come up. Truly, the movie is not bad enough to be good. It lacks the bite it needs to reach the gigantic size of shark movie classics like Jaws or even the more recent The Shallows. Hollywood needs to give Jason Statham a broad comedy stat. Anything to make up for this dead in the water movie.

    The Meg is available on Amazon ➤

    ★★ out of five

  • Spider-Man: Homecoming review — A funny and bright teen superhero romp

    Spider-Man: Homecoming review — A funny and bright teen superhero romp

    Funny, bright, and charming, this younger version the web-slinger in Spider-Man: Homecoming breathes new life into the character and superhero genre.

    The bright colors, catchy soundtrack, and witty dialogue make this incarnation of Spider-Man the most light-hearted. However, what makes Spider-Man: Homecoming the best movie in the many versions of the character so far is that it’s hyper-aware of what it is, who the character is, and has something completely different than both the 2002 and 2012 versions: Tom Holland. For all the genius direction and strong screenplay, the memorable supporting performances and top-notch character development, the best part of Spider-Man: Homecoming is the man — or should I say boy — himself.

    Holland, at 21, is closer in age to the original Peter Parker than Tobey McGuire or Andrew Garfield, which is already an asset to the film. It makes the character’s plights and personality more understandable. However, Holland brings even more. He gives Spider-Man a playful and endearing energy. He is truly a boy looking to live up to the name and the suit that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) gifts to him in Captain America: Civil War. But first and foremost, he’s a teenager. In this version of Spider-Man, Peter Parker is a 15-year old teen living in Queens with his Aunt May (a criminally underused Marisa Tomei), attending a science and technology high school, and is constantly drooling over the school’s it-girl Liz (Laura Harrier). It feels more like the set-up for a John Hughes movies or an episode of Freaks and Geeks. Except, this time the geek has superpowers.




    Luckily for us, we’re spared the retread of Peter’s all too familiar origin story. The movie even makes jokes at its expense. Instead, we’re thrown right into Peter’s quest to prove himself worthy of The Avengers, while also balancing school, friends, and the all too familiar teen urges. All the while, Stark acts like big brother, keeping a close eye on Peter with the help of Happy (Jon Favreau). Peter wants to do so much more than just be “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” as Tony puts it.

    However, as we see in the opening scene, there are bigger problems than a bike thief or giving a Dominican woman directions as we see in a hilarious sequence of Spider-Man performing good deeds. Immediately following the events of The Avengers, Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) wins a contract with the city scrapping the alien artifacts and debris from the damaged New York. But before he can get far in the cleanup, he is stopped by Tony Stark’s U.S. Department of Damage Control who take over. Toomes is enraged. But when he discovers he still has a truck full of alien artifacts leftover, he, along with his crew, start producing advanced weapons that he sells on the black market.

    Peter discovers the plot and wants to pursue it, but Stark won’t let him until he’s proven himself. At one point he says to his friend Ned (a delightful Jacob Batalon), “I’m sick of Mr. Stark treating me like a kid.” To which Ned replies, “But you are a kid.” However, like any teen told that they can’t do something, he does it. But still, he’s a teen in high school and must attend to his responsibilities like homework, the academic decathlon team, and ogle his crush.

    Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming

    Superhero movies are balancing acts. No good superhero movie is just a single genre. The Dark Knight is also a crime movie. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is also a conspiracy thriller. Spider-Man: Homecoming is also a high school movie. For every scene of high action is a scene in detention or gym class or a party. Peter builds a Lego Death Star in between his crime-fighting activities. He uses his decathlon field trip as a cover for his investigation of the advanced weapons. The two storylines intertwine seamlessly until a reveal that sends them careening towards each other. The screenwriters unearthed the full potential of having a teenaged Spider-Man by letting him act like a teenager. One of the funniest gags throughout the movie is Ned’s inability to get over the fact that Peter is Spider-Man. “Can you summon an army of spiders?” he asks at one point. It’s the reaction you’d expect from a geeky teen finding out his friend is a superhero.

    Batalon isn’t the only supporting player that does great work here. Keaton is a clear highlight in the supporting cast — he’s almost too perfectly made for the part. However, actors like Zendaya, who plays one of Peter’s Academic Decathlon teammate, makes the most of her short screen time. She steals scenes with single lines and even looks.

    “I like drawing people in crisis… it’s you.”

    Hannibal Burress and Martin Starr both have short, but memorable roles as the school’s gym teacher and decathlon coach, respectively. Bokeem Woodbine is deliciously campy as the shocker. Chris Evans has a hilarious cameo as Captain America delivering an “after school special” type lesson via video. And Tony Revolori — best known as Zero in The Grand Budapest Hotel — gives us an updated version of Eugene “Flash” Thompson that feels in and of his time. However, the success of the movie still all comes back to Tom Holland and his sensational performance as the web-slinger.




    The success of Spider-Man: Homecoming can be boiled down to one thing: this Spider-Man loves being Spider-Man. Who wouldn’t? If you were a geeky 15-year old finding out that you had superpowers, you would too. As he swings down the Manhattan streets, he cheers. Holland is having the time of his life the same way his character is. One of the movies greatest virtues is that it’s hyper-aware of what it is. It’s a bright, splashy superhero movie that knows how to have fun with itself. However, that doesn’t mean it loses perspective in the grand scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s still about what it means to be a hero and the consequences doing good may have on the world around you. But Jon Watts and the six screenwriters also have an incredible sense of the character and what it means to be a hero specifically to him. With great power comes great responsibility, but great responsibility requires great self-awareness of oneself.

    In the end, Spider-Man: Homecoming stands on its own apart from the rest of the MCU — though there are several fun references to other movies. It doesn’t feel beholden to the franchise or obligated to launch a sequel, like 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. It’s a scaled-down version of a superhero movie, which is one of its many assets. Even its final battle feels close to the ground compared to the ones in movies past. But still, it leaves you craving for more. Aunt May makes sure of it with her blistering final line that will drive audiences to their feet.

    ★★★★ out of 5



    Watch Spider-Man: Homecoming on Amazon!

  • The Conjuring Universe Films, Ranked

    The Conjuring Universe Films, Ranked

    The Conjuring Universe is the first horror cinematic universe. See how we rank each of the movies in the franchise from worst to best!

    With five movies and over one billion dollars at the box office—and counting—The Conjuring franchise of movies has become one of the most unlikely cinematic universes following in the model of Marvel’s. It all launched in 2013 with James Wan’s The Conjuring, which premiered to critical acclaim and a box office to match. It eventually spawned two spin-off series and shows no signs of stopping—The Nun recently posted a franchise-best opening weekend. However, as the franchise expands, the expectations for each installment rises. So, below we’ve ranked all The Conjuring Universe films from worst to best!

    Let us know in the comments if you agree with our list and your rankings!

    The Nun (2018)

    Taissa Farmiga in The Nun

    The Nun is incredibly well shot and designed—its the first move in the franchise to not take place in a house—but that’s really where the compliments end. This entry is the first to feel like a big horror blockbuster, and that’s not a good thing. As with The Conjuring 2 later in this list, the reliance on CGI to support the scares cheapens the movie as a whole. Also, the movie has no tension because it goes from 0 to 100, then stays there, which would be fine if every scare didn’t follow the exact same formula. Its visually striking and has a strong lead performance by Taissa Farmiga, but this is the first movie in the The Conjuring Universe that makes me nervous for its future. 

    The Nun is available for pre-order on Amazon!

    Annabelle (2014)

    Annabelle Creation the Conjuring Universe

    Annabelle is actually better than it’s been made out to be. Yes, it relies too much on jump scares, has a formulaic plot, and two wooden leads that don’t add much substance. However, its horror, while fleeting, is effective—the home invasion set piece is particularly effective. Had the plot broken away from a typical horror movie formula and given interesting supporting characters like Alfre Woodard more screentime, it had the potential to be a solid entry in the franchise. 

    Annabelle is available to rent and buy on Amazon!

    The Conjuring 2 (2016)

    The Conjuring 2 finds the Warren’s tackling yet another family being tormented by a demon. This time, however, the Warrens are also being tormented by their own demons. Beginning with a stellar cold open featuring the infamous Amityville haunting, The Conjuring 2 has its moments, but fails to live up to the original. Its issues can be traced back to the problems most sequels have—it’s too big of a movie. The scares, while sometimes effective, are too reliant on CGI and retracing the patterns of scares from the original. The plot also became to complicated for the deeper emotional arc of the Warrens to truly pay off. 

    The Conjuring 2 is available to rent and buy on Amazon!

    Annabelle: Creation (2017)

    For franchises like The Conjuring Universe to work, studios need to hire interesting directors to tackle the projects—like Taika Waititi for Thor: Ragnarok or Patty Jenkins for Wonder Woman. That’s exactly what happened with Annabelle: Creation. Director David F. Sandberg, who broke out with his debut feature Lights Out, tackles the second movie in the Annabelle series with old-fashioned scares and atmospheric tension that make it a tense experience from beginning to end. Instead of relying on sudden loud noises, the movie relishes in its imagery and the silences that add tension.

    Annabelle: Creation is available to rent and buy on Amazon!

    The Conjuring (2013)

    Even five movies in, James Wan’s original The Conjuring remains the best movie in this franchise and one of the tentpoles of this new golden age of horror. Truly, The Conjuring holds up as a nearly pitch-perfect ghost story that treats its scares as fully thought-out set pieces—something that the franchise has strayed away from. It even arguably has one of the best horror set pieces in recent memory with the “hide and clap” scene (pictured above). However, the scenes connecting the scares are just as impressive. Unlike a lot of horror movies, The Conjuring actually develops its characters, specifically the Warrens. Even the scares are often character driven. There’s yet to be another movie in this franchise that has risen to this level. Granted, it set quite a bar. 

    The Conjuring is available to rent and buy on Amazon!

    What do you think? How would you rank The Conjuring Universe films? Let us know in the comments!

  • ‘Split’ review — James McAvoy gives the performance of his career

    ‘Split’ review — James McAvoy gives the performance of his career

    Split is an incredibly tense and well-made thriller that features fantastic performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor Joy.

    M. Night Shyamalan is back, for better or worst. The last Shyamalan movie I watched was 2008’s The Happening, so you could understand my hesitance going into this movie. Although I heard mostly good things about his last movie The Visit, dissociative identity disorder or multiple personalities is a hard subject to pull off well. Of course, you get into the dilemma of portraying mental illness as a danger to society. However, Shyamalan toes the line gently with Split. 

    The movie opens with a slow dolly shot of Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) at a classmate’s birthday party in a suburban mall. She’s contemplative, uncomfortable, and obviously doesn’t belong. After her ride fails to show up, she hitches a ride with two of her classmates, Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula). However, their driver, Claire’s father, doesn’t show up in the driver’s seat. As the camera menacing approaches the father packing gifts in the trunk, we realize that we are watching from the perspective of a malevolent force. A strange man (James McAvoy) steps into the car instead of Claire’s father. After knocking out Claire and Marcia, he turns to Casey, then we cut to the main title sequence.




    This scene is a perfect study of the patience and grasp of tension Shyamalan has in this movie. He lets shots linger. Like when the mysterious stranger approaches the car or the opening shot of Casey. Coupled with the brilliant cinematography by Mike Gioulakis, who shot 2015’s It Follows to great success, the opening is an incredible practice in tension and visual storytelling, which is something that we haven’t seen from Shyamalan since 2002’s Signs.

    And it’s not just the opening scene that is filled with tension. All of Split has this impressive slow-burning dread that underlies every scene. It makes you want to turn away from the screen. It’s a combination of the creative elements that Shyamalan was able to pull together that pulls it off. Specifically, the simple production design of the bunker, which feels like an endless maze of tunnels, the heavy bass of the score, the cinematography, and the performances come together to create an ominous mood. When we start getting into the meat of the story some of that goes away, but generally, the movie keeps tightening and tightening until the last 20 minutes.

    The girls’ captor is revealed to have Dissociative Identity Disorder, which means 23 different personalities control this one body — a spirited nine-year-old, an obsessive-compulsive brute, a disciplined and proper English woman. The main alter, Barry is a fashion designer with a generally happy attitude and motivation to get past his condition. His scenes with his therapist Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) have nearly as much tension as the scenes with the three girls as they attempt to escape from the bunker he brought them to. It’s difficult to talk about why the use of DID as a plot device is justified without edging into spoilers. However, this is a movie that is recontextualized by its ending — for the better.

    James McAvoy is remarkable. Not only because he has to play a menagerie characters, but because the way he distinguishes between each is so specific. When he walks into a room you can tell just by his posture which alter he is. And when he becomes each alter, he inhabits them wholly in his speech, facial expressions, and even the way he moves his jaw. Though he’s certainly playing to the back of the theater, it works because of the recontextualization of the movie.

    That’s not to take away from the other performances. Betty Buckley is marvelous and sure-footed as Dr. Fletcher and Anya Taylor-Joy gives a complex, yet nuanced performance as Casey. But you just can’t help but be both drawn in and terrified by McAvoy.

    Split is built like a mystery that allows the audience to piece together the clues without tipping its ultimate hand.





    We know and fully expect a plot twist in an M. Night Shyamalan movie. However, the question becomes whether it enhances or destroys the plot. And honestly, it does both. For those who are confused or put off by the movie’s

    Up until the last 20 or so minutes, Split is a tense, tightly directed thriller that would probably have ended up among my favorite movies at the end of the year. It is still a really great movie, but the ending nearly takes all the momentum it had going. Does it make it a bad movie? No. It’s still a good movie. While Shyamalan is known for his self-indulgence – some low brow humor and of course an appearance in the movie – he shows restraint for most of the movie. However, nearly all of its success has to be put on James McAvoy who should hopefully finally get the roles and respect he deserves. If anything, watch Split for the masterclass in acting happening on the screen.

    ★★★ out of 5



    Split is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon!

  • Midnight Special Movie Review — A pitch-perfect 80’s sci-fi throwback

    Midnight Special Movie Review — A pitch-perfect 80’s sci-fi throwback

    Midnight Special proves that you don’t need huge explosions, action set pieces, or over-the-top special effects to make a great sci-fi movie

    The 80s are back in style. From Carly Rae Jepsen’s EMOTION to Stranger Things to Everybody Wants Some, it seems like Hollywood had a board meeting and decided that this is the decade we’re going to be homaging this year. However, unlike the clear homages that these were, Director Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special feels more influenced by the decade. And specifically by E.T., It’s influenced by its character-driven plot that overshadows the sci-fi one and it inherits the decade’s anxiety about the extent of the government’s control.

    However, the story is much small than that. Boiled down, it’s a story about a father and the lengths he will go to protect his son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher). However, Alton isn’t just any 8-year old kid. He possesses incredible powers that are not of this world (which seem to be influenced again by E.T.). This has made him a hugely sought after property by two groups in particular: The Ranch and the government. The Ranch is a cult that sees Alton as a Jesus figure while the government sees him as a weapon. Both groups will go to extraordinary lengths to retrieve him, which Roy (Michael Shannon), Lucas (Joel Edgerton), and Sarah (Kirsten Dunst), won’t let happen.




    The entire movie begins en media res. From there, Nichols builds a compelling narrative that doesn’t concern itself with huge ideas (though the ending betrays this, but I’ll leave that for you to decide). All we know at the beginning is that there is an amber alert for a 9-year old boy. The government is orchestrating a cross-country chase for Alton, Roy, Lucas, and Sarah which is being led by Paul Sevier (Adam Driver), a surprisingly amicable NSA agent. As the group makes a run for it, we learn what exactly they’re running to and why so many people are interested in a 9-year old that wears giant headphones and swimming goggles.

    One of the most amazing things about Midnight Special is its incredible trust in its audience. It is a true exercise in showing, not telling. The most obvious example (although the movie is strewn with subtle ones) comes from the character of Lucas. Nichols is so careful with his framing of Lucas. He never shares the frame with the full family, and when he does he’s relegated to the far background. To me, Lucas’ storyline is the most intriguing. He has no reason to help Roy and Alton. However, with smart cinematography and Edgerton’s career-high performance we are able to attain that he is looking to be a part of a family. Just some lingering looks he gives is all we need to know that he cares.




    Overall, the movie has wealth of phenomenal performances. There’s Michael Shannon whose struggle to be strong for his son is outlined by his clear fear of losing him. He tells him at one point: “I’ll always worry about you, Alton. That’s the deal.” Kirsten Dunst;s perpetually worried Sarah, who is Alton’s mother, offers more outward emotion compared to Shannon’s intrinsic approach and becomes the emotional center of the film. However, Joel Edgerton is the true standout for me. His understated performance is a pitch-perfect complement to the film’s naturalistic style.

    Midnight Special isn’t going to be a movie that everyone loves. While the pretty simple, linear narrative is the set-up for most crowd-pleasers the focus on the family unit and their motivations may cause some people to ask, “what’s the point?” Government conspiracies, cults, and even the sci-fi elements take a back seat to the family drama surrounding Alton Meyer. While the entire movie is exciting with incredibly realized set pieces, the love that the principle characters show for each other is what makes it a great movie.

    7/10

    Midnight Special is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital on Amazon!

  • Green Room Movie Review — A tense thriller that pits punks against Nazis

    Green Room Movie Review — A tense thriller that pits punks against Nazis

    Tense, grizzly, and incredibly well-made, Green Room is a unique and incredibly strong entry in the thriller genre.

    What can I say about Jeremy Saulnier’s dark and twisted Green Room that hasn’t already been said? It’s a movie that has never truly existed until now. Maybe the general premise has, but the way Saulnier tackles it is unique in almost every way. However, it’s this point-of-view of non-violent violence that I find the most interesting. He doesn’t linger on the violence or the gore of the film, which is impressive considering there’s a lot of it. Instead, he focuses on the characters and the story, which could easily fade into the background. This careful perspective makes Green Room one of the most successful genre films in the last few years.

    The reason Saulnier’s last film Blue Ruin, which first brought him into the public eye, was so successful was because of its protagonist. He was an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. The Ain’t Rights, a fictional punk band touring the Pacific Northwest, definitely fits the bill. The movie begins with them in a cornfield after the band’s singer Tiger (Callum Turner) falls asleep behind the wheel. They are out of gas, which forces Pat (Anton Yelchin), the bassist, and Sam (Alia Shawkat), the guitarist, to find cars to siphon gas from. This small detail is interesting because it immediately pulls their innocence as people away. But Saunier’s screenplay redeems them as people by subtly detailing their commitment to each other as friends and bandmates.




    The first 20 minutes or so is a phenomenal exercise in character building. Without any expositional dialogue, you learn the relationship between the bandmates and their personalities. Pat (Anton Yelchin) is the more reserved heart of the group, Reece (Joe Cole) is impulsive and aggressive, Tiger (Callum Turner) feels like the kid of the group, while Sam (Alia Shawkat) is devoted to all of them. Character details aren’t crammed down your throat. Instead, as the movie goes on we pick up on those character details as they’re needed.

    After a performance goes bad, they take a gig at a neo-Nazi punk bar. Yeah, they’re not the sharpest tools in the shed. However, after spending some intimate moments with them during the beginning of the film, you realize that they’re taking the gig out of necessity. Needless to say, things don’t go quite as planned. After their set, during which they hilariously play “Nazi Punks F*ck Off,” Pat stumbles on a crime committed by one of the guys in the club. They are locked in the green room and must figure out how to escape before the fearsome Nazi leader Darcy (Patrick Stewart) arrives with reinforcements. It’s punks vs. Nazis.

    Unsurprisingly, it gets ugly – blades, dogs, and all. But not in the way you’d think.

    Joe Cole and Callum Turner in Green RoomLet’s get back to this non-violent violence. The premise is inherently a violent one. However, playing against genre tropes, Green Room doesn’t focus on the violence or really show much of it. The same goes for the gore. While it is there and present, he doesn’t dwell on it. In one intense scene, a character’s arm gets injured. Most directors would be interested in that aspect of the scene. Instead, Saulnier takes a look at what is happening around this one violent act. It’s incredibly refreshing after a period of time where it seemed that every movie wanted to be the next Saw.

    That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some genre cliches. At one point a character even suggests they split up. However, it’s aware of its own “horror movie logic.” Another character immediately shuts down the idea of splitting up. I’m not going to put it lightly, these characters are dumb. But they feel real. The decision-making process is the same as yours or mine if we were in this situation. You’re not always going to make the smart decision under pressure. That’s what makes Green Room so unique. There aren’t any incredible acts of heroism or superhuman actions. It’s a movie that is as grounded in reality as possible. That goes for both sides. Even the neo-Nazis, who seem like fearsome villains, make mistakes and selfish decisions. There isn’t this horde mentality that often happens with the villains in these “escape” movies. Each one has their own distinct motivations and personalities. In particular, Gabe (Macon Blair) becomes the most interesting from the group.




    As the movie progresses, sides are crossed, lives are lost, and the situation becomes dire. There are small pieces of plot that play in, but this movie is about the characters. That’s partially thanks to the actors. Anton Yelchin, who moves to the forefront among the band, is a phenomenally grounded character. His body language and line delivery suggest his reluctance to be the leader and his desire for this situation to just be over. Imogen Poots is also a standout as on of the Nazis who becomes shuffled in with the band. It’s surprisingly layered. On the surface, she’s this potentially insane, creepy presence. But small details reveal that there’s more there. Even something on the edge of caring. Patrick Stewart plays refreshingly against type. And while it’s a good performance, I really wished he had more to do. There wasn’t much depth to him.

    Green Room is a movie that deserves to be rewatched. It’s really hard to articulate how well-made this movie is. I’ve watched it at least five times and still want to come back for more. There’s just so much in it to dissect and so many details to discover. Every time I watch it, I find something new or learn something different about a character. I see something happening in the background of a scene or a detail in the set. It’s a thoroughly realized piece of film that will hopefully retain the acclaim it has received. And, for the record, my desert island band would be…

    9/10

    Green Room is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital on Amazon!

  • Star Trek Beyond Movie Review — Focus on character revitalizes the reboot franchise

    Star Trek Beyond Movie Review — Focus on character revitalizes the reboot franchise

    Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond shows that a blockbuster can be in the same realm as a character drama and still be successful

    Going into Star Trek Beyond I wasn’t feeling the highest on Star Trek Into Darkness (check out my review here). I thought it was thisclose to being a great movie. But two things kept it from that. The first was the underutilization of the full cast. Second, the movie felt more concerned with having these epic action set pieces that it forgot to have a strong plot underneath connecting them. Since Justin Lin was directing it I was a bit nervous that it would actually be even more concerned with action set pieces. He proved me wrong. He proved me so wrong, in fact, that I think this is the strongest movie in the Star Trek reboot franchise.

    Now, I will precede this review with the fact that I saw the movie during an incredible birthday weekend orchestrated by Brian, but I really think that this movie will hold as one of the best blockbusters of the decade.

    I’m not too familiar with the Star Trek franchise outside the reboot films, but I imagine this is what the series felt like. Justin Lin has shown surprising restraint in character scenes throughout the movie. The movie begins with a simple, but resonant monologue that talked about what is like aboard the Enterprise when they aren’t being attacked or fighting. Lin said he was interested in those moments outside of work and how characters interacted with each other in a personal setting and this sequence was perfect in positioning the overall mood of the movie.



    In all, this movie was the most humanizing of the franchise so far. That brings me to the much talked about decision to make Sulu (John Cho) gay as a tribute to George Takei. As a gay Asian man it was so refreshing to see that particular culture portrayed on screen and the meaning behind it was even stronger. The way it was handled was so beautiful. It didn’t feel like an epic moment. It felt normal. As John Cho said, in ten years it’ll just fade into the background because his sexuality didn’t matter. But what was even more impressive was that this movie talked about the lives of these characters outside of the ship. There was Sulu’s family, but early in the movie, there was a scene between Bones (Karl Urban) and Kirk (Chris Pine) where they talked about his father’s death and talking to his mother. It’s so easy to forget that these characters have lives and that three years aboard a ship is going to take a toll.

    As for the main plot and action, I think that it is visually one of the most interesting and impressive of the series so far. The Enterprise is attacked just above an uninhabited and uncharted planet and as the crew gradually evacuates, they are separated and some are taken by the mysterious villain Krall (Idris Elba).

    The pairings make for incredibly funny moments, but also such great character moments. There are McCoy and Spock which makes for a hilarious pair, but also really touching moments when Spock begins to question his morality. They naturally seem like such opposites, but when they are faced with what seems like a hopeless situation they raise each other up in their own unique ways.

    Then there’s Chekov (Anton Yelchin [RIP]) and Kirk. I think that Chekov felt like a boy in the first two movies, but he truly comes into himself here with Kirk as his fatherly figure. I wish there was more to their story, but the work the Yelchin and Pine put into it is some of the strongest acting of the series.

    Uhura (Zoe Saldana) remains the heart of the crew and that continues when she’s imprisoned by Krall. She is out insight into him. Plus, she gets to kick ass. I wish her role was more integral to the plot, but I’ll take what I can get. She matches with Sulu, who has also become this strong heart in the crew as well.

    Lastly, we have Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Jayla (Sofia Boutella). They become unlikely partners when she saves him from a group of bandits on the planet. Her ignorance to some of the human tendencies makes for hilarious exchanges between the two. But she also has a nice arc about what it is to be brave. Boutella is a breakout star. Her addition ups the female power in the series and shows what an action hero can truly be.



    But as much as I love the action set pieces like the Enterprise being attacked and crashing into the planet or the rescue plan for the imprisoned crew, I still go back to these character moments. However one sticks out to me in particular.

    MILD SPOILER ALERT AFTER THE JUMP

    Early in the film, we are shown the futuristic Federation base Yorktown. The same way our hearts swelled when we first saw dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and we heard the score swell, the visuals of this city were incredible. But it plays a part at the end of the movie too when Krall turns his attack towards it.

    We are introduced to Sulu’s family on the base, which adds an emotional element to the attack. We aren’t seeing faceless red shirt being killed. It is Sulu’s family who we care about because we care about Sulu. It was a smart simple touch that made the film all the better.

    END SPOILERS!

    Star Trek Beyond is about unity and why being together is better than being apart. With the Brexit and Donald Trump being in the news this year, that message holds, even more, truth. However, Star Trek doesn’t concern itself with politics. Yes it had the first interracial kiss on television, yes they have a gay Asian character, but these are born out of moments of character. It’s what made Mad Max: Fury Road so great and what makes this one of the best movies of the year so far.

    8.5/10

    Get Star Trek Beyond on DVD, Blu-Ray, or digital on Amazon!

  • Star Trek Into Darkness Movie Review — A solid but underwhelming follow up

    Star Trek Into Darkness Movie Review — A solid but underwhelming follow up

    It doesn’t live up to the first movie in the franchise, but Star Trek Into Darkness holds its own as an action thriller

    With Star Trek Beyond hitting theaters this week I thought it’d be the perfect time to go back and review its predecessor, Star Trek Into Darkness (the title gets a negative review).

    I need to explain my history with the Star Trek franchise before diving into this review. Three words: I. Have. None. Yes, my first experience with Star Trek was J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot and Patrick Stewart’s facepalm meme. That being said, it was nice going into this film with no prior conceived notions of even the tone of what came before. I didn’t know if it was going to be a crowd pleaser like Star Wars or a gritty action thriller like Alien. I quickly found that it essentially toed the line down the middle, though straying more a bit to the crowd-pleasing side.

    I loved the first movie. I thought it was an incredibly sleek and well-shot action thriller that had a surprising amount of depth in its characters. It was the chemistry among the cast and Abrams’ surprising grasp of the film’s mood that made it so successful. It’s surprising that it took me this long to finally get to the sequel. It’s simply one of those movies that just slipped through the cracks. But when I finally did I thought it was a mixed bag.

    Starting off with the cast. I think that the supporting cast was severely underutilized. Zoe Saldana‘s strong, take-what-I-want Uhura was relegated to a pissed off girlfriend role while Anton Yelchin‘s (RIP) endearing Chekov simply ran around saying what was going wrong. John Cho‘s Sulu, even though at one point becoming the acting captain of the Enterprise, didn’t get much more than some strong lines then fades into the background.

    “Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite.” – Spock

    Instead, a lot of time was devoted to the relationship between Chris Pine‘s Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto‘s Spock. I didn’t mind that per se, but much of that storyline didn’t need nearly as much time as it received. Another storyline that had a little too much time was Benedict Cumberbatch‘s villainous turn as Kahn. While I appreciated the attempt to create a multi-layered antagonist with motives that could be perceived as admirable, they gave him too much time to monologue and not enough to be a really cruel bad guy.

    We get a moment briefly when his cruelty is truly explored when Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and Dr. Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) are trapped on an enemy ship, but that moment is short lived. That’s the issue I think Abrams had this time around. He was too concerned with creating these epic set pieces like Kirk and Kahn space diving to another ship or a battle with a Klingon patrol and forgot that there was a story to tell.

    That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed these set pieces and the chemistry between the two lead actors. Plus, there were some moments that weren’t as epic but still showed great vision from Abrams, like an attack on a Star Fleet archive early in the movie. He showed some great restraint and focused more on this incredibly minor character’s motivations to the point that it very well might have been the most affecting part of the movie.

    If you enjoyed the first Star Trek, then you will probably enjoy Star Trek into Darkness for what it is: a summer blockbuster. It doesn’t have the charm or the heart of the first, but it gives enough fuel to the franchise to warrant its existence.

    7/10

    Get Star Trek into Darkness on DVD, Blu-Ray, or digital on Amazon!

  • Atomic Blonde review — Charlize Theron is the action hero we need

    Atomic Blonde review — Charlize Theron is the action hero we need

    Atomic Blonde is a fun, 80s romp of an action movie with a performance announcing Charlize Theron as our next great action heroine

    There’s a scene about two-thirds of the way through Atomic Blonde that can only be summed up as “that scene.” It’s the scene that will stick with you at the end movie. At the end of it, I sighed under my breath, “oh my god,” in awe. David Leitch, the stuntman turned director best known for John Wick, knows how to capture action the same way he knows how to choreograph it.




    Atomic Blonde is based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, which isn’t surprising watching the film. Every frame feels like it could be a comic panel. Tight close-ups on the characters are given equal weight as the epic wide shots. The opening text explains how the Berlin Wall would eventually come to fall before quickly clarifying that this is now that story. The movie is framed by a debriefing of Lorraine (Charlize Theron), an MI6 operative that went rogue in the days leading up to the fall of the wall. When we first see our protagonist, she rises out of a bathtub filled with ice badly bruised across her entire body. “What happened? ” you might ask. Well, that’s exactly what MI6’s Eric Gray (Toby Jones) and the CIA’s Emmett Kurzfeld (John Goodman) are trying to figure out.

    By framing the movie as a debriefing where Lorraine is telling us the story of the past ten days, the rest of the movie is essentially told by an unreliable narrator. One that is especially hostile towards her interrogators. It makes the twisting plot all the more interesting. She is tasked with going to Berlin to find a list containing secrets of the agents in Berlin. It’s the classic espionage movie setup, but Leitch has fun with it. Throughout the movie spies, assassins, and double agents are thrown at Lorraine. Secret messages are traded. It feels like a classic spy movie.

    David Leitch doesn’t hold back when it comes to action sequences. Though, he uses them sparingly. Unlike John Wick, Atomic Blonde isn’t non-stop action. It allows time to build relationships and character. Even if the story does get lost in the plot heavy second act, stylistically it’s beautiful to watch. It also helps that they’re undercut with 80s hits like “Father Figure,” “99 Luftballoons,” “Voices Carry” and “Under Pressure.” It’s bright, it’s efficient, and it has a musicality to it that makes it a pleasure to watch.

    The first and last thirds of the movie, though, are what makes Atomic Blonde great and a delight to watch. The first real action sequence of the movie shows Lorraine fighting her way out of a car, then fighting her way out of an upper floor apartment. So much of the movie’s action is her escaping. It’s almost as if she never intends to get into fights. It’s refreshing considering so many action movies today are focused on getting to something or getting revenge. The violence in this movie is necessary, but it’s never lingered on.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BhXj-wng8B8/?taken-by=cinemabunbaking




    However, for all the incredible action, well-curated soundtrack, and sleek directing choices, it’s the actors that elevate it past the page. Theron’s impressive action sequences — she did most of her own stunts — and icy demeanor make her an instantly likable action heroine. And though she definitely gives the movie its edge, other characters give it life. James McAvoy does great work as the eccentric Percival and makes every moment he’s on screen count. Even the smaller roles make a huge impact. Sofia Boutella’s role as a mysterious woman that encounters Lorraine — in more ways than one — is a strong emotional core that with a different actress could have made the end of the movie very different. The standout in the supporting cast, for me, is Bill Skarsgard as an MI6 agent supporting Lorraine in Berlin. He portrays so much with just looks. He’s a surprising highlight in the film.

    Atomic Blonde looks and feels different than any action movie before it. It takes every beat with a spring in its step. However, when it has to get down to business, it gets down to business. Whenever I think of the movie, I always go back to “that scene.” It’s tightly choreographed and shot to look like a 10-minute continuous take. You can’t do anything but hold your breath until it’s over. It’s that effective. Nearly every element of the film comes together to sell it. However, the film surrounding that film is pure fun. It’s the action romp that feels right at home in summer blockbuster season.

    ★★★★ out of 5



    Watch Atomic Blonde on Amazon!

  • Why ‘Closet Monster’ is a Modern Gay Masterpiece of Accepting Yourself

    Why ‘Closet Monster’ is a Modern Gay Masterpiece of Accepting Yourself

    While there has been a resurgence of great gay coming-of-age stories, Closet Monster has been pushed to the side. However, it deserves to get its due as a queer masterpiece.

    I have watched this movie 4 times before being able to put into words what this movie makes me feel. Closet Monster revolves around Oscar Madly as a 9-year-old (Jack Fulton) but, for the majority of the movie, an 18-year-old (Connor Jessup), who is told by his mother Brin (Joanne Kelly) and father Peter (Aaron Abrams) that they are separating. Harboring negative sentiments towards his mother, Oscar lives with his dad and hamster Buffy (voiced by Isabella Rossellini) and sees his mother sparingly. Later on, Oscar, at the ripe age of 9, becomes the sole eye witness to a gay hate crime committed in a cemetery where multiple teenagers insert a metal rod into a young gay man’s anus who becomes paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Okay, so he is not the sole eye witness if we are counting Buffy.

    After a pretty cool transition shot of Oscar falling from a tree house as a 9-year-old and hitting the ground as his 18-year-old self, Oscar, along with his best friend Gemma (Sofia Banzhaf), are planning a move to New York City after graduation. Oscar is a burgeoning special effects makeup artist who is putting all his hope into his dream school. As Oscar eagerly awaits an acceptance letter, he spends his time working a retail job where he meets Wilder (Aliocha Schneider), who apparently has a jawline that can’t be found in Canada. After a less-than-exciting kiss with Gemma and a brush with Wilder, it becomes apparent to Gemma and Oscar that he is gay. The movie spans Oscar’s daily life as he butts heads with his immature father who wreaks of toxic masculinity.

    Upon first viewing, I was far too stuck in the literal to understand the movie well. With a talking hamster, throwing up screws, and recurring stomach pains, I was just a bit confused, but then I watched it again. I was able to appreciate the blended figurative with the literal. While I am a big fan of movies, I rarely find myself on screen. I mean, that is not that odd in general, especially because I am gay. While gay characters are certainly on the rise and getting their stories told (finally), I never related to a character… until Oscar.

    This is a movie that was not just entertaining but it helped me reflect on my life, my difficulties with my own sexualities, and how I came to terms with it. In the beginning of the movie, Oscar’s father gives him a dream one night, which is their routine where his father describes a scenario for Oscar to dream of, blows it into a balloon, and lets the air out on Oscar’s forehead. In this dream, he tells 9-year-old Oscar that he will be surrounded by sexy ladies. This was the first thing that resonated with me because I remember how I would squirm internally when someone would say something that would imply that I was attracted to women. From family to doctors and friends to even strangers, the world assumes you are heterosexual, and when you are not, little things like that can be extremely anxiety-inducing. Oscar’s father also regularly used the term queer as an insult towards Brin’s new husband. Peter is a prime example of toxic masculinity, presumed heterosexuality, and homophobia.

    As the movie progresses, Oscar’s feelings for Wilder grow, which is made abundantly clear as Oscar masturbates to a shirt that was worn by Wilder. While masturbating, Oscar, to his horror, looks down and, instead of his penis, sees the very bloody rod that was used years ago during a hate crime. In an inversely proportional relationship, Oscar’s relationship with his father deteriorates rapidly. Their relationship comes to a head one night when Oscar dresses in some of his mother’s old clothing for a costume party at Wilder’s. His father, disgusted at the thought of his son wearing any clothing or partaking in any event that may be construed as gay, tells him he can’t go. To which, Oscar ironically kicks him into his closet and leaves the house. During the night, Oscar is offered a pill, which he takes.

    In a drug-induced daze, Oscar is pursued by a handsome stranger. As they dance, this stranger attempts to grope Oscar, which makes Oscar quickly leave and attempt to collect himself in a bathroom. The stranger quickly follows him and, while never actually kissing him, begins to have sex with Oscar that seems to be less than fully consensual. This ends shortly as Oscar becomes sick and throws up bloody bolts. The recurring rod and bolts are a beautiful metaphor that periodically returns every time Oscar attempts to address or process any thought or action that may be seen as gay.

    What I love about this movie is his relationship with Buffy the hamster and the fact that Oscar always carried a wooden stake as a child for a form of protection, which he dropped at the scene of the hate crime. It may seem like a less significant storyline, but Buffy is truly an important reflection of Oscar. Upon first viewing, I took Buffy’s words as her own dialogue, but the movie took on such a deeper meaning for me when I viewed everything Buffy said as if Oscar was saying it himself. Buffy always responded with what he needed to hear. When his parents fought as a kid, Buffy would confide in Oscar that she was afraid, which was his only coping mechanism for the shattering of his family. When he witnesses a hate crime, Oscar is rightfully frozen in fear. It is Buffy who utters “do something,” which makes Oscar step forward and help scare away the attackers. Buffy is able to convey some of Oscar’s deepest fears or feelings to him without Oscar feeling like he is approaching them head on alone.

    On top of that, any gay thought or feeling Oscar has is always encumbered by the hate crime he witnessed. Whenever Oscar fantasizes about Wilder, Wilder is always pictured in the exact graveyard that the hate crime took place in. Throughout the movie, Oscar realizes Wilder is predominately straight. Although Oscar realizes there will not be a relationship between them, Wilder does help Oscar accept that he is gay after they share a kiss. I think it is important that Wilder has the obvious faults that he does. I like that Wilder quietly exits the movie with no real goodbye because it is indicative of what growing up gay is like for many people. At least for me, I grew up developing crushes on anybody that I thought may like me back. I mean, I felt like a complete outsider, so the thought of any boy maybe liking me back was honestly enough to have my interest; I think this is why Oscar gravitated towards Wilder so much.

    As Oscar wakes up the next day, he goes to his mother’s house and has a heart-to-heart with her about the divorce and how he felt abandoned. During this talk, his mother tells Oscar that when he was born, he came out with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck like a noose. What I thought was amazing was that much earlier in the film, Oscar is flipping through his photoshoots, and the camera briefly shows a photoshopped image of Oscar with a noose around his image. I really enjoyed the subtle full circle moment this conversation brought to the table. After this conversation, Oscar returns to his father’s house to find that his room has been torn apart by Peter. As he faces his father, Oscar admonishes his father for his actions.

    Oscar leaves the house to find his mother urgently telling him to get in the car. She fails to protect Oscar from the scene of all of his belongings on the front lawn. Unfortunately, he discovers Buffy’s dead buddy and, along with it, his old stake, which was left at the scene of the hate crime many years ago. As a beautiful score begins, which I am currently listening to on repeat as I write this review, one of the most powerful cinematic moments plays out. All audio fades out as Julian Brewer’s Trance plays. Oscar doubles over in pain from a protrusion in his stomach. At last, he pulls the bloody rod from his stomach–a beautiful portrayal of his finally accepting his sexuality and pain as being valid.

    Oscar steps toward his mother and father, who are arguing. As Oscar approaches his father, he raises the metal bar. Happy memories of his father from his childhood flash across the screen. Obscure images of Buffy and Wilder are intermingled with these memories. The music takes a powerful crescendo as Oscar yields the bar and is set to strike as his terrified father and petrified mother look on. As Oscar brings the rod down on the mailbox, the music ends. His father scurries into the house, and Oscar uses the very bar that has hurt him for so long to lock away the man who has hurt him for his whole life inside the home where he felt so much pain.

    As the movie ends, Oscar goes to live in an artist’s residency. As he lays in bed, he hears his father’s voice utter loving thoughts. His father’s disembodied voice tells him he loves him and is so proud… And then the balloon pops. The dream is broken. It is just that. A dream.

  • Tower review — Bravely reconstructs the first American school shooting

    Tower review — Bravely reconstructs the first American school shooting

    Tower is one of the most innovative documentaries in recent memory by blending rotoscope animation with live-action footage to emotional results.

    Many times with documentaries, especially those covering historical events, it feels like you are being taught a piece of the past that stays in the past and belongs in the past. However, with Tower, Keith Maitland, instead reconstructs the day using rotoscope animation and drops us into the world that consumes you before crashing you back into reality with a single, incredible cut. It’s not until that “big reveal” that Tower truly comes to life. The reveal is a punch in the gut that brings all the emotions flooding in all at once. It sets the tragedy in a time and a place. It’s simply one of the most incredible moments of cinema in 2016 and Tower is simply one of the best movies of the year.

    On August 1, 1966, a sniper climbed to the top of the University of Texas tower and terrorized the campus for 96 minutes. Unfolding in what is essentially real time, Tower follows the victims, the bystanders, and the community during and after what would become the first mass shooting at a school. Director Keith Maitland made the decision early on to use rotoscoping rather than live reenactments — this is the act of animating over live footage. While the style is off-putting at first, it’s an important decision and one that gives life to Tower. In particular, the decision allows the “talking head” interviews to be told in present tense and in the way that the victims and bystanders looked in 1966. The immersive design and incredible editing by Austin Reedy — he beautifully intercuts the interviews with archival footage and the animation — grabs your attention and senses and never lets you go for the entire running.




    Some of the people that we follow include Claire James (then Claire Wilson), who is one of the first people shot. A lot of Tower‘s emotional moments come from her experience lying on the ground in 100-degree heat while people watch on in horror. We also follow two police officers. The first we’re introduced to is Houston McCoy. While his story may not seem as remarkable as the others in the movie, it comes together in an incredibly emotional revelation towards the end of the movie. In fact, the way Maitland and Reedy were able to shape the movie into being true human journeys is remarkable.

    As the minutes tick by and more and more people are injured and killed, the difference between the animation and the archival footage slip away. You are simply watching this terrifying act of violence. Throughout the entire film, we hear gun shots both in the distance and as if they were whizzing past our heads. Each shot sends a chill down your spine. You feel like you are on the campus.

    Tower

    The big reveal that I mentioned earlier comes at the halfway point of the movie. Up until this point, we are immersed in the animation and archival footage of the film. Maitland adamantly sets our point of view in the present as if the event is unfolding before our eyes. However, in a quick cut, he brings us into reality. While we hear Claire talking about what it felt like to be lying there and thinking that this was the end of her life, Maitland cuts to Claire today. Obviously, she has aged in the 50 years since the shooting. She looks straight into the camera and says, “I guess this is the end.” The emotional weight of that statement juxtaposed against this sudden switch from animation to live action is palpable but so necessary for the film to work.

    With all documentaries, the most important part is the commentary that the film makes. Tower isn’t an intentionally political film. Maitland didn’t use it as a call for gun control, overtly. But what it does is remind us how all too common school shootings have become and how desensitized we, as a society, have become to their occurrence. One of the subjects Neal Spelce, a newsman covering the shooting live, at one point says “what in the world has happened to my world.” Before August 1, 1966, the term “school shooting” wasn’t in the collective vocabulary we share. As Brian put after we watched the film, “the one thing people take away from tragedy is a relationship forged out of trauma and pain. In those moments, having such a raw connection to someone means so much. Like Claire and Rita or McCoy and Martinez.”




    Tower is an incredibly important film that doesn’t feel self-important despite its extremely stylized take on the shooting. Its style is integral to its emotional core. It will surprise you in a way that no film in years has been able to surprise. The film’s humanity is palpable. It’s something that we don’t get to say about documentaries as often. Maitland is able to take a horrible event and find the moments that make us human. He finds the moments of courage and cowardice, of compassion and cruelty. More than anything, he stresses that trauma isn’t something to internalize. And while the name of the killer is mentioned only a few times in the film, I’m going to leave you with a word on him from the great Walter Cronkite: “the crimes of Charles Joseph Whitman are society’s crimes.”

    ★★★★½ out of 5



    Tower is available for digital rental on Amazon!

  • Krisha review — Bold and emotionally breathtaking

    Krisha review — Bold and emotionally breathtaking

    Krisha is an incredible debut film by Trey Edwards Schultz with an emotional powerhouse performance by Krisha Fairchild

    As I’m sitting here trying to write this review for Krisha, I’m finding that I don’t even know where to start. The experience of the film is, for lack of a better term, emotionally devastating. Simply put, it’s one of the most honest and brutal portrayals of addiction and the toll it takes on the ones around you since Requiem for A Dream and possibly of all time. However, what makes Trey Edward Shultz’s debut picture truly effective is the central performance by Krisha Fairchild in the title role. In a single, crushing scene, she makes the audience understand her character, brings you onto her side, then ravages your emotions with an incredible monologue performed with grace and passion. It’s one of the best scenes from a 2016 film and the single best performance in years.

    Made on a microbudget and using his friends and family as actors — including his aunt Krisha Fairchild — Trey Edwards Schultz tells the story of the homecoming of Krisha, a recovering drug and alcohol abuser whose son was raised by her sister Robyn (Robyn Fairchild). Her return to the family, which takes place during Thanksgiving, is met with both trepidation and hope that Krisha has finally made a recovery after alienating herself from her relatives. However, as she realizes the time she has lost and the relationships she has broken, Krisha slowly loses her grip on her sanity.

    The opening shot of Krisha is an extreme close-up — the movie is filmed in a 4:3 aspect ratio, which allows the actors’ faces to fill the entire screen — it begins with an image of the title character as she stares intensely into the camera. It is accompanied by a crescendoing piece of score that feels like it’s pulled out of a horror movie. It’s a jarring way to open a movie about a family dinner, but so appropriate. The discombobulated score, which continues throughout the movie, and harsh smash cuts add tension to the movie. It turns a typical family gathering filled with food, football, and cooking into an anxious affair. Even the cinematography uses horror movie tropes like a long take down a dark hallway or framing characters from behind a corner. In fact, Krisha made me feel more anxious than some thrillers have made me feel. This is because we watch the movie squarely in Krisha’s point of view. We feel what she feels. And what she feels is terrified and alienated.




    Krisha Fairchild and Robyn Fairchild in Krisha

    As the night trudges on and Krisha feels increasingly paranoid, the movie tightens the tension until it finally all comes to a head in an intense final act that would make any genre film lover come to their knees. However, as played out as the premise is, Schultz wrote and directed the movie with a flair that is so rare. For a movie so beholden to the past, it’s completely devoid of messy exposition. Instead, we have to infer and build the events before the movie. Because of this, it’s difficult to determine the good people from the bad. The result is one of the most compelling character studies ever committed to film. It’s brave and breathtaking.

    The vision that Shultz had for the film is so abundantly clear and it feels as if what we see on screen is exactly what he intended. Whether he accessed some deep personal emotion to create this film or simply thought it up, I’m both ecstatic and disturbed that a movie of such boldly human destruction was conjured up by him. It’s a story of destruction and redemption and the lengths to which we will forgive the ones we love and the energy we put into forgetting them. Krisha is purely visual and cinematic poetry that will cut to your core and deliver you an emotional blow. But in the end, it’s one that you will feel glad you experienced because it will make you want to be a better person to the people closest to you. It will make you reevaluate the number of chances that people are willing to give and that you are willing to give. Most importantly, Krisha is a chilling reminder that old wounds don’t easily heal. It’s a dark truth of being a human, but its one that is bravely depicted here.

    ★★★★½ out of 5



    Krisha is available for free streaming with Amazon Prime!

  • Lion review — A remarkable true story beautifully told

    Lion review — A remarkable true story beautifully told

    Lion is one of the few inspirational true stories that translates beautifully on screen thanks to director Garth Davis and a strong performance by Dev Patel

    A Long Way Home, the book that the movie Lion is based on, is essentially devoid of emotion. That’s not to fault the book’s author and subject Saroo Brierley. He simply wasn’t equipped with the talent to translate his too-good-to-be-true story onto the page. Director Garth Davis certainly did. Lion could have easily fallen into the idealistic cookie cutter crowdpleaser category. However, Davis’ vision of Saroo’s journey is simultaneously devastating, yet filled with beauty, both human and cinematic.

    Lion tells the true story of Saroo Brierley (Sunny Pawar), a boy who grew up as poor as one could in India — begging for scraps of food, caring for his young sister while his mother does hard labor. While following his older brother to a neighboring town, he becomes trapped in a train carriage. After two days on the train, being carried away from his mother, two brothers, and sister, he finds himself in Calcutta (modern-day Kolkatta). For months he must fend for himself by eating scraps of food and taking shelter under bridges. Eventually, he is taken into an orphanage and is adopted by an Australian family, Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John (David Wenham). Twenty years later as an adult (Dev Patel), Saroo decides to use Google Earth to find his long-lost family.

    While the story has the plot of a Lifetime movie, it is true, yet improbable as it sounds. The journey Saroo takes is an incredible one. However, it’s also one that could easily be exploited for its emotional beats. The issue with a lot of movies based on incredible true stories is that the focus of the emotion is on plot, rather than character. And while Lion certainly toes that line, writer Luke Davies keeps the focus on the character’s emotional journey rather than the physical one. In particular, the character of Sue Brierley is given new life in the movie. In Saroo’s memoir, he protects his mother from his attempts to find his birth mother in fear that he is going to hurt her. While that is stated, it is never seen. In the movie, we see Sue being affected, not by Saroo’s search, but by the fact that he chose to hide it from her and that he was distant from her. It culminates in an incredible scene that reminds us of Nicole Kidman’s talents. I suspect that it will be her Oscar scene.




    Abhishek Bharate and Sunny Pawar in Lion

    However, this is a story about Saroo and the movie does a lot to portray his emotional journey. Most of that falls on the shoulders of Dev Patel, who drives much of the story with his physicality and facial expressions. The shift from book to screen infused the story with an element of the mental toll that the story would take on a four-year-old boy and how it shapes the man he becomes. Sunny Pawar puts in some really great work as the young Saroo in a nearly wordless performance. Patel, on the other hand, depicts the psychological journey. While much of it is suggested with the editing — they cut in scenes from his past similarly to the way that a war movie would portray PTSD — Patel’s reactions to the memories are even more important.

    While the performances give an emotional center for the movie, the cinematography and score do all they can to support them. Cinematographer Greig Fraser, who has done some fantastic work including Zero Dark Thirty and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, finally received an overdue Oscar nomination for his work. And while his work in Zero Dark Thirty is truly phenomenal — the raid scene ranks among the best shot scenes in the decade — his work on Lion certainly deserves its recognition. The way he lights the movie, which in this case was manipulating natural light, does justice to the skin tones of the Indian actors, which, unfortunately, is something that is quite rare. Though, the lighting does more than that. In addition to mixing stabilized and choreographed shots with uncontrolled ones, he used the natural lighting to give the movie a cinema verite realism that feels so grounded. However, as evidenced by the opening shot in the movie which finds Saroo between two hills surrounded by butterflies, Fraser also found the natural beauty of the landscapes he was shooting in.




    Lion does have one fault, and that is in its editing. I find it hard to talk about the transition from book to the movie because you are awarding a certain dramatic license to the filmmaker. I can’t fault them in the changes they made for the sake of simplicity and dramatic tension. My bigger issue is the way that they cut the story. Although the movie comes in at just under two hours, this is one of the few occasions that I wished the movie had been a bit longer. Or, I wish the movie had been distributed differently. I think one of the most affecting parts of the book is Saroo’s portrayal of his life before “getting lost.” In particular, the focus on hunger as a motivation and how common and easy it is for a child in India to be lost and never found. While the second half of the movie, which focuses on the older Saroo, is strong in its own right, the movie would have been more dramatically satisfying if we got to spend more time with the young Saroo in India.

    All in all, Lion is simply a remarkable story that is told well. After reading the book and being less than impressed, it shows what strong filmmaking can do for a story. I imagine that a lot of people are going to skip this movie because it seems like the typical uplifting Hollywood fare. More than anything, though, it’s a movie that is going to tear you down and build you back up again as a different person. That’s something so rare, yet beautiful to experience. It is far from being a perfect movie. However, it is a completely delightful watch that will stay with you past the last frames. Even the most cynical won’t be able to resist the charm of Lion.

    ★★★ out of 5



    Lion is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital rental on Amazon!

  • I Am Not A Serial Killer review — The dark, funny journey of a sociopath

    I Am Not A Serial Killer review — The dark, funny journey of a sociopath

    Max Records gives one of the best performances of the year in the creepy and darkly funny I Am Not A Serial Killer.

    Animal cruelty, calling living things “it”, stalking, and wetting the bed. These are the four predictors of a serial killer. John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records) has them all. However, as the title suggests, he is not a serial killer. There’s just a serial killer in his town that is stealing the citizens’ organs. This is not exactly the making for what someone might call “good cinema.” However, I Am Not A Serial Killer is perhaps one of my favorite discoveries from 2016. It’s a movie that seemingly comes out of nowhere. It’s based on a book (which Brian reviewed here) that found mild success, with actors that aren’t exactly box office drivers, and has a premise that can easily turn off a mainstream audience. So, what makes I Am Not A Serial Killer such an effective movie? It completely embraces its quirks and completely delivers on its genre promises.

    John Wayne Cleaver is an interesting protagonist. He shouldn’t be so charismatic. I mean, he’s a clinically diagnosed sociopath. However, the movie is told solidly in his perspective. Every shot is of him or from his point of view. This gives you a link into his mind that is both disturbing and hopeful. I Am Not A Serial Killer is essentially two movies. The first is a character study focused on John. We see his day to day to life. We see him at school, helping his mother (Laura Fraser) in their funeral home – yes, it’s completely ironic – and chasing down his town’s serial killer. Casual stuff. However, when he starts getting a bit too close to the mystery, he has to find a way to save himself.




    Max Records is tasked with carrying the movie on his shoulders. Not only does he do that, he elevates the material. His performance is surprisingly nuanced. He invokes so much with his face. In one of the best scenes of the movie, he is being taunted by the school bully at a school dance. However, per his rules, he simply smiles and says something nice. When the bully persists, he shoots into a monologue about his sociopathy:

    He manages to be charming, yet absolutely terrifying without so much of a vocal inflection or aggressive gestures. His performance is so subtle, without feeling withdrawn. He gets you on his side and then gets your sympathy. He is the foundation of the movie.

    Throughout, we find snippets of humanity in John’s struggle with his condition. He may be the first self-aware sociopath committed to film. Because of his understanding of his condition, John has an internal conflict to both fight and give into his urges. At one point John says emotionally, “People are afraid of things, but they’re never afraid of their own actions.” He fears that he is fated to hurt someone. It’s a usual point of conversation with his therapist who points out that his tendencies are predictors, not destiny.

    About a third of the way through the movie, it shifts from a character study into a mystery that has elements of 80s television and invokes more recent shows like Stranger Things and The X-Files. It is revealed that the serial killer may not be so human at all. The killer is animalistic in its attacks and leaves behind a thick black goo as its only clue. John becomes fascinated with the killer. In my view, it’s because the killer is the Mr. Hyde to John’s Dr. Jekyll. He becomes obsessed with knowing who this killer is, what makes them tick, and why they’re doing this. Hey, better than murdering people, right? However, the deeper John gets into the mystery, the more intense his sociopathic tendencies become.

    Christopher Lloyd and Max Records in I Am Not A Serial Killer




    From there, the movie emulates shows like Dexter and Six Feet Under, but it doesn’t mimic them. Thanks to the effective cinematography by Robbie Ryan, the movie is actually quite cinematic for such an intimate subject. He uses a lot of natural light, which gives the midwest town a faded look that feels more realistic than the latest trend of desaturating the picture. Director Billy O’Brien adds a film grain to give it an even stronger 80s feel. Finally, composer Adrian Johnston’s creepy, synth-heavy score adds an underlying dread to the entire piece, especially with its sharp cues. For such a small movie, it’s expertly made.

    I Am Not A Serial Killer will creep people out before they even watch it because of its premise. However, when you sit down and watch it you realize that the creepiness is exactly what it wants you to feel. I cannot say it enough, but Max Records delivers the performance of the year in this movie. If anything, watch it for that. I can’t wait to see what he does in the future. Overall, some will think the movie is a slog. It’s a slow burner by design. Plus, the final act payoff may not make up for that pace. But expertly built tension is effective storytelling. Whether or not this leads to a franchise, I Am Not A Serial Killer will stay with you from its final rock and roll beats.

    ★★★★ out of 5



    I Am Not A Serial Killer is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital download on Amazon!

  • The 10 Best Movies of 2017

    The 10 Best Movies of 2017

    This year has been one of the best movie years in recent memories with films that pushed the boundaries of filmmaking. Here are the best movies of 2017!

    2017 is a year that started strong and ended even stronger, which is refreshing considering the end of the year always has an influx of awards-friendly prestige movies. But what is even more refreshing is the variety of movies this year that were successful commercially and critically. Horror had a huge year, as did comedy. Action made a comeback and romance became original again. But these genres don’t totally cover the movies on this list. If movies in 2017 could be summed up, you could say it was a genre-bending year. More and more movies have escaped classification, which is the right direction for the industry. However, more importantly. It seems that movies that had something real to say about our current political and societal moment are being seen.

    The more movies that stray away from the typical movie formula and become successful, the more original movies we will start seeing. This list, I believe, is a testament to those new original directions and voices. Here are what I consider the best movies of 2017.

    Note: See every 2017 movie I watched ranked on Letterboxd!




    Brigsby Bear

    Kyle Mooney in Brigsby Bear

    When I heard that Saturday Night Live’s Kyle Mooney — one of my favorite repertory players — was co-writing and starring in a movie I was expecting something hilarious, awkward, and downright weird. Brigsby Bear was all those things, but what surprised me is that it had a surprising amount of heart. Mooney brings his usual endearingly awkward persona to his character, but the story makes it both charming and a bit devastating. It’s actually a rational exploration of trauma and how we deal with it. That doesn’t stop it from being a hilarious “fish out of water” comedy with the sensibilities as Mooney’s sketches on SNL. Still, its weird exterior is just a way to take the audience off guard and hit them with the kind of warmth and hope we need today.

    Brigsby Bear is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

    Get Out

    2017 was a great year for first-time filmmakers. However, no first film quite made an impact as large as Jordan Peele’s Get Out. Not only did it make an impact critically and commercially, it sparked a national conversation about race while also being eminently entertaining. It has the sharp wit that Peele has become known for along with his collaborator Keegan Michael Key (who didn’t work on him for this film) that drive big laughs, but also a really smart take on racism, particular that of the liberal elites. However, what makes Get Out one of the best movies of 2017 is the incredible attention to detail. It’s the type of movie that is more rewarding on multiple viewings. Every line and image serves a purpose in the grand scheme of the movie. Not only that, it makes a star out of Daniel Kaluuya. To which, I say, it’s about time.

    Get Out is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

    The Florida Project

    Willem Dafoe and Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project

    Director Sean Baker specializes in making films about people on the fringes of society. In The Florida Project, he tells a story about the invisible homeless on the outskirts of the family resorts of Orlando. But what makes this movie truly great and one of the best movies of 2017 is that he tells it firmly in a child’s perspective. To the protagonist Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), everything is magical. However, she doesn’t understand that some of the things her young mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) are less than normal and sometimes even illegal. But Baker never judges his characters. He has sympathy for their experiences, much like Willem Dafoe‘s character, who manages the hotel where Moonee and Halley live. In the end, audiences will view it with the same childlike wonder that Moonee has. It’s heartfelt, a bit dark, but also a delight to watch.

    The Florida Project is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤




    Phantom Thread

    Daniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread

    To say that Paul Thomas Anderson created a romantic comedy with Phantom Thread might be overreaching, but he came close. In what is apparently his last performance, Daniel Day-Lewis continues his streak of playing complicated and difficult men. However, this time he has a complicated woman (Vicky Krieps) to go up against. And that battle of the Titans is one of the most thrilling relationships to see play out on screen. Reynolds Woodcock is a character for the ages and is certainly fitting to be Day-Lewis’ march into movie history, but more importantly, we have been introduced to an exciting new star in the making in Vicky Krieps. While this is a movie about a tortured artist, it’s also very much about the women — the other being his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) behind that tortured artist who have to find new ways to both support him and keep him grounded. Phantom Thread is a meditation on marriage. And if I was Maya Rudolph, Anderson’s wife, then I might be a bit worried.

    Blade Runner 2049

    Creating a follow-up to a film as technically dazzling and thematically rich as Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic Blade Runner seemed like a fool’s errand. That is until Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) stepped into the director’s chair. Along with Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, who composed the score, and Roger Deakins, who shot the film, Villeneuve created one of the dazzling worlds seen on film this year. Splashed with neon tones that contrast to the industrial infrastructure that has befallen Earth, Blade Runner 2049 is a visual feast. But what made the film one of the best movies of 2017 is it continued to explore the themes of humanity, while also delving into new directions, most interestingly involving Ryan Gosling‘s K. Though it has a nearly 3-hour running time, it’s endlessly engrossing as its mysterious plot reveals itself. What differentiates it from the original, though, is it has a strong emotional center that catches you off guard and brings warmth to an otherwise cold world.

    Blade Runner 2049 is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

    Next Page: The Top Five

    My top five favorite movies of the year are an eclectic group of films that I believe balanced beautiful filmmaking with profound storytelling. These filmmakers have certainly earned their place as the best movies of 2017!

    Columbus

    Haley Lu Richardson and John Cho in Columbus

    What made Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy such an amazing achievement is its ability to make conversation so compelling. The same could be said for Kogonada’s film debut Columbus. Although this conversation isn’t as contained as Jess and Celine’s in terms of time, Casey (Haley Lu Richardson, who gives one of the best performances of the year) and Jin (John Cho) help each other come to terms with their pasts and plan for the future. All of this happens in the shadow of the modern architecture of Columbus, Indiana, which is captured beautifully by Elisha Christian. However, what makes this film great and one of the best movies of 2017 is that Columbus is the third lead of this film. Its existence is a juxtaposition much like Casey and Jin are to each other, and it’s exactly what they need.

    Columbus is available on Digital HD on Amazon ➤

    Personal Shopper

    Kristen Stewart in Personal Shopper

    I’ve tried to describe Personal Shopper to people and it always comes out sounding like an overzealous student film. But masterful director Olivier Assayas takes the seemingly disparate elements and competing genres to create a profound meditation on grief — with a detour towards the supernatural. The ghostly elements of the film are legitimately terrifying mostly because there is so much mystery behind them. Assayas doesn’t give audiences the answers, which makes the film into a puzzle that we have to solve. And that’s thrilling enough, but he then instills Hitchcockian tension that turns it into a psychological thriller. While all these genre elements are happening, Maureen, played by a masterful Kristen Stewart, has to come to terms with her own mortality and her grief. It’s an emotional powerhouse of a movie disguised as a psychological thriller, which makes it one of the best movies of 2017.

    Personal Shopper is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤




    Lady Bird

    Saoirse Ronan Lady Bird Review

    The same way movies like Clueless and Never Been Kissed so accurately portrayed the painful awkwardness of growing up in the 90s, Lady Bird is almost a near perfect coming-of-age dramedy about adolescence in the post-9/11 era. Though the movie is based on writer and director Greta Gerwig‘s teenage years growing up in Sacramento, California, Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is the kind of character that nearly anyone can see themselves in. In particular, she’s a teen that is trying out different versions of herself, and Gerwig captures that in a quick-paced, hilarious romp that hits emotional beats that will make you want to give your parents a call and tell them that you love them. Lady Bird reminds us that even though we may see ourselves as the star of our own story, we may be a supporting character in someone else’s.

    Lady Bird is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

     

    Dunkirk

    Dunkirk Best Picture

    No studio filmmaker is pushing the boundaries of cinema quite like Christopher Nolan. But he may have launched us into a new frontier with his World War II movie Dunkirk. I so often use the word epic when describing Nolan’s films. Interstellar was a nearly 3-hour journey through space and time. Epic is really the only word you can use to describe it. However, Dunkirk is almost the antithesis of that. It deconstructs the war movie and only leaves the action, which makes it an unrelenting and tense experience that makes a fantastic argument as to why movies have to be seen in the theater. With the sweeping cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema and dissonant score by Hans Zimmer, Nolan was able to achieve full immersion into the world. By the end, you’ll feel like you went through war. It’s a cinematic experience of the highest caliber. Read by

    Dunkirk is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

    Call Me By Your Name

    Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer in Call Me By Your Name

    For all the movies giving commentary on our current political moment, commenting on the injustices of our society, or simply bringing stories forward that are no often told, the one that stands out and tops this list as the best movie of 2017 is largely unpolitical. Call Me By Your Name is at its heart a romance. Specifically, a first love. And it captures that feeling brilliantly under the direction of Luca Guadagnino who, along with cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, present the movie with the feeling of a fleeting summer’s glow. And like Moonlight, my number one film last year, Call Me By Your Name recalls feelings that nearly everyone has felt — love, hate, jealousy, fear, hope, helplessness — without doing much to force those feelings on you. Movies are emotionally manipulative. However, the best movies are the ones that are getting you to feel something without you even noticing. And Call Me By Your Name achieves this flawlessly.

    James Ivory’s screenplay and Guadagnino’s sensitive direction gave the cast the room to play with their characters, which gives every conversation an authentic quality. But, much credit must be given to the cast. Michael Stuhlbarg‘s intellectual father character is bubbling with excitement over the prospect of discovered artifacts or sparring over the origin of words. But by the time we get to his closing speech, we understand that his character is more sensitive than we’re initially led to believe and the love for his son knows no bounds. With the enigmatic Oliver, Armie Hammer constantly keeps us guessing about his motives, his thoughts, and his feelings. However, at the center of it all is Timothée Chalamet. He’s effortless in his portrayal of youthful energy, but when the emotions that come with the exploration of sexuality hit him, it’s like a floodgate is opened.

    Call Me By Your Name is the rare film where really nothing is happening on screen, yet everything is at the same time. It’s beautiful and bold and sexy and sensitive. It’s a film about love that is impossible not to love.



    Honorable Mentions

    Looking back, it has been an incredible year for movies. So, parring this list down to a top ten was nearly impossible, and I’m still not completely confident in my rankings or inclusions. Although, that’s just a testament to the quality of films this year. So before I get to the “best movies” — if there’s really such a thing in this crop — I want to take a moment to highlight some of the high points of cinema this year.

    It’s safe to say that this year included some of the most original and best superheroes movies in the past few year. Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, in addition to being the highest-grossing film to be directed by a woman, did something that no film in the DC universe of films has done. Be good. Not only that, though, the film has some of the best action scenes of the year and a strong heart at its center with Gal Gadot. Marvel also had a great year with Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok, both of which felt like departures from the usual Marvel formula with the former being a John Hughes-inspired high school movie and the latter being a broad comedy.

    However, action also had other great entries. In particular, David Leitch (co-director of John Wick) brought us one of the greatest female action heroes with Atomic Blonde. Even though the Cold War plot gets convoluted, it boasts the single best action scene even made with the now famous stairwell scene.

    There were two fantastic ghost stories this year. One of them made this list, the other, A Ghost Story, just missed out. However, its melancholic journey through time is beautifully captured in a way that feels wholly unique. Another ghostly film with a more family-friendly approach also proved to be one of the emotionally satisfying experiences of the year. Pixar hits it out of the park again with Coco, an entertaining, funny, and sentimental take on processing loss.

    Two real-life stories also made a strong impression this year. The first was one of the most surprising revelations of the year. Stronger on the surface looked like another “based on a true story” movie about a man overcoming incredible odds. But with sensational performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany and a smart directorial style, it turns into a real story of triumph in the face of adversity. The other, The Big Sick, tells a story that seems too crazy to be true. But Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon adapted their real-life love story with enough of a witty realistic punch to make it a charming reinvention of the romantic comedy genre.

    Lastly, the film that just barely misses out on my top ten best movies of the year is Bong Joon-Ho’s Okja. More than any film this year, it takes creative swings that test both genre and filmmaking conventions and ends up being a sweet and profound tale of friendship and without a doubt the best original Netflix film to date.