Film Review: “Get Out”

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams and Catherine Keener
Directed By: Jordan Peele
Rated: R
Running Time: 103 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 4 out 5 Stars

Something’s not right. It’s not just the subtle and blatant racism by Rose’s (Williams) family, but it’s the growing sense of dread that the audience experiences through the eyes of Chris (Kaluuya). Every other African-American that Chris encounters wears clothes straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting and speaks in uncomfortable pleasantries. Even worse is that when talking to these African-American’s Chris feels like he’s talking with every other white person he’s encountered at the family event.

Despite the blunt, and comedic, warnings of one of his friends, Chris is visiting the relatives of his five-month girlfriend. Rose tells him that she hasn’t mentioned she’s dating a black guy to her family, but she assures him it’s perfectly OK. She even tells him that her father (Bradley Whitford) would have voted for Obama for a third time if he could have. He later shoehorns that racially motivated banter into conversation as a way to get to know her daughter’s new boyfriend, as if her father assumes all black people voted for the 44th President. The awkward remarks and comments aren’t fooling Chris though. Something’s definitely not right.

For those familiar with Jordan Peele, who’s worked in television sketch comedy for over a decade, it might come as a surprise that his directorial debut is satirical horror, that’s a lot heavier on the tension than it is the jokes. The comedy is served up as a way to divide viewer apprehension, which there’s plenty of. Peele has a keen eye for unnerving the audience with numerous close-up shots, specific musical arrangements in even more specific spots, and performances that convey a sinister plot hidden deep in suburbia.

Peele, throughout his comedic career, has dropped muted and blunt horror movies references and “Get Out” is no different. For horror aficionados, there are plenty of nods, homages and stylistic choices reminiscent of Wes Craven, Stanley Kubrick and others. But for those in on the trick of the trade, you’ll find more to “Get Out” than its director’s love of scares as the film progresses. The social and racial commentary is sprinkled throughout and just not in Rose’s eerie, grinning family.

Chris, as well as his friend who keeps in constant contact with back home, seem to be the only ones that understand racism is still a thing. It’s seen early on with a policeman taking a statement after Rose hits a deer with her vehicle. Despite her being the driver, the officer still asks for Chris’ ID. That’s a more obvious statement by the film, but there are plenty of other moments shrouded behind smiling faces and looks, demeaning questions, and using undignified nicknames when talking with Chris.

The boogeyman in “Get Out” isn’t anything supernatural, but very real. As a white man who’s sat through plenty of horror movies, rarely do I ever get two distinct impressions. One, I am the boogeyman. Two, this is what the average black man deals with. The movie even begins with a nod to the Trayvon Martin incident as a black man walks through suburbia at night, thinking out loud about what George Zimmerman is lurking just around the corner.

As politically and socially carnivorous as “Get Out” is, it’s never victimizes black people or vilifies white people. The terror is real, projecting minority’s real world fears onto a plot revolving around body horror, brainwashing and 21st century slavery. It helps that Chris doesn’t find himself in the stereotypical backwoods, but in a picturesque homestead where everyone’s educated, nice and welcoming. But as I stated at the beginning, something’s not right. If “Get Out” is any indication, Peele is not only a refreshing voice for horror, but may have just steered the genre in a completely new direction that’s wildly exciting, scary and ferocious.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: allison williams, blumhouse, bradley whitford, catherine keener, Daniel Kaluuya, film review, ...

Film Review: “The Red Turtle”

Directed By: Michael Dudok de Wit
Rated: PG
Running Time: 80 minutes
Sony Pictures Classic

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Since 2013, Studio Ghibli has been without Hayao Miyazaki. The creatively diverse, ever-promising studio has seemingly been stuck in a holding pattern. When a found is no longer present, it’s understandable for a production studio to shuffle its feet while trying to find some new footing. Ghibli’s first theatrical step since Miyazaki’s departure may have come in the form of a multi-national collaboration.

“The Red Turtle” isn’t really a story, more than it’s a visual journey. In many ways, it’s a fable without dialogue, taking viewers on a curious excursion. The movie begins with an unnamed man, clinging to life in a furious sea storm. He awakens, stranded on an island that has the most basic of essentials; a small cluster of ponds to drink fresh water from, various fruits to quell his hunger, and bamboo to craft a getaway raft. The only thing preventing his escape is an expressionless red turtle.

Someone with rudimentary observational skills would view “The Red Turtle” as simplistic storytelling without purpose. But the removal of dialogue requires the viewer to take in more than they normally would. You pay more attention to the thinly drawn facial expression changes, the grunts, the various orchestral selections and the nameless man’s dreams that spill into reality. I can tell you what “The Red Turtle” means to me, but this is multi-layered movie that relays a different message for those willing to watch.

I viewed the “The Red Turtle” as a thoughtful reflection about mankind’s need to reconnect with nature in a meaningful way, less we want to wind up alone on this floating blue ball called Earth. It’s not necessarily an environmental message that I took away, but one of humanity’s casual disrespect. We merely take what we need and seem frustrated when nature responds, not with violence, but with curiosity about why we don’t stop in breathe it all in. Once the nameless man works with nature, instead of against it, he begins to be happy and see the island as a miniature slice of heaven.

But like I said, others will take away a much different and distinct opinion from the subtext. This kind of opinion is true for most films, but “The Red Turtle” is crafted in such a way that if there is a true message to be consumed, it’s cleverly hidden beneath a lot of optical substance. Without giving too much away, there are deep themes about family dynamics, the destructive habits that nature and mankind reciprocally share, the mutual survivalism every creature on Earth is enduring, and that’s just a few.

While “The Red Turtle” is a metaphorical delight, it’s pace sometimes is slower than a casual stroll, seemingly padding it’s runtime so it could be considered a feature length film. This is a story that may have benefitted from a shorter runtime, but then again it may have lacked a lot of philosophical richness that viewers would be able to sink their teeth into. “The Red Turtle” is not only a stellar animation endeavor, but a soothing delight that reflects the human soul.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: film review, hayao miyazaki, jeremy werner, michael dudok de wit, studio ghibli, the red turtle, ...

Film Review: “A United Kingdom”

Starring: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike and Jack Davenport
Directed by: Amma Assante
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 1 hr 51 mins
Fox Searchlight

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

London. 1947. Finishing up his college education is Seretse Khama (Oyelowo), who will soon return to his African country of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and become King. But before he can board the boat home he meets Ruth (Pike) at a student mixer. The two fall in love but soon realize there may be a problem. You see Seretse is black. Ruth is white. And if “To Sir, With Love” taught me anything, it’s that this combination of people is not very popular in England. But any problems they face in Britain (Ruth’s father shuns her, idiots on the street call them names) are tame compared to when they travel to Africa.

Like last year’s film, “Loving,” which dealt with interracial marriage in the States, “A United Kingdom” rises above other films dealing with the same subject thanks to the performances of the film’s stars. Oyelowo and Pike are both excellent actors and the pair carry this film on their shoulders. Extra credit to Oyelowo who must be firm and tender, often at the same time. Ruth is shocked to learn that, even in a country ruled by a black man, that there are “white only” facilities, including the local hotel. Seretse explains that because he is King he has a special dispensation that allows him to use the front door.

Of course things do not go well in Africa, as Seretse’s uncle, currently in charge, does not agree with his choice of bride. Not so much because she is white, but because he has neglected to understand how important it is and would be for a local woman to ascend to Queen through marriage. Things are further complicated by the fact that Bechuanaland borders South Africa, where the ugly head of apartheid is beginning to rear itself, upsetting the good British government which relies on South Africa for things like gold.

As the film progresses it does begin to drag a little bit, but the cast, both main and supporting, manage to create a strong story flow as far as pacing. And I have to say, there is nothing like watching a film about Africa that eventually gives us a shot of the countryside from an air plane and you see one, single giraffe romping across the plains by itself. Like the giraffe, Oyelowo is both regal and strong and, as this is Oscar weekend, his is a performance likely to be recognized next year.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: a united kingdom, amma assante, david oyelowo, film review, jack davenport, mike smith, ...

Film Review: “The Girl with All the Gifts”

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close and Sennia Nanua
Directed By: Colm McCarthy
Rated: R
Running Time: 111 minutes
Saban Films

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

If it bites like a zombie, moves like a zombie, and growls like a zombie, it’s probably a zombie. That’s not the case though in “The Girl with All the Gifts.” Their zombies haven’t necessarily died and become reanimated monsters that crave human flesh and/or brains. Instead, a fungal infection is the culprit behind the mindless, violent masses stalking this post-apocalyptic world. The spores sprout and creep into the brain, like a vine weaving its way into a home’s foundation, causing a human to lose their mental prowess and become monotonous cannibals.

While the sight of a human would usually send a stereotypical film zombie into a tizzy, the zombies in “The Girl with All the Gifts” only react to scent and sound. Also in this dystopian future, where the last remaining humans have stowed away in heavily guarded forts, there’s a third, hybrid group that co-exists. It’s made up of second-generation children, born from a human turned zombie. They’re almost like a bridge between the two, exhibiting human emotions and intellect, but excited to sink their teeth into flesh and organs at a moment’s notice.

The elementary and middle-school aged children keep their inhibitions in check, but just the mere whiff of someone’s stench sends them chomping at flesh, snarling at people and attempting to escape their restraints. The most intelligent and articulate of the group is Melanie (Nanua). She’s also the best at keeping her animalistic urges in check while her entire class acts like starved sharks when a drop of blood hits the water.

Most everyone at the military base, whether its army men with assault rifles, apprehensive school teachers or scientists, is petrified of the children; except two people. Miss Helen (Arterton) sees humanity’s salvation in them. While Miss Helen may pine for the days before the apocalypse, she thinks that these kids are more than just a potential cure, but have true value in shaping the future of the world. Dr. Caldwell (Close) on the other hand picks the brains of the children, literally and intellectually.

“The Girl with All the Gifts” is based on a book of the same, where the writer most likely stole a few pages out of “The Walking Dead” playbook, incorporating emotion, character study, and morality into the zombie genre. Video gamers will get more of a Deja vu feeling as the fungal infection and foliage rich cities feel reminiscent of the PlayStation 3 game, “The Last of Us.” Despite some of the clear and possible influences, “The Girl with All the Gifts” avoids a lot of cliché pitfalls and is a solid addition to the zombie genre that’s been struggling to find anything fresh lately

Even with the star power of Glenn Close, the movie is led by the heartfelt, yet terrifying, performance of a 12-year-old actress. Sennia Nanua counterbalances the dire outlook in “The Girl With all the Gifts” with a curious coming-of-age story. If Melanie didn’t have dried blood on her lips and face half the time, she could be the Katniss of the zombie world. Melanie faces a lot of stark realizations about the real world as the movie progresses. Her adolescent transformation is quick, nuanced and captivating.

Melanie’s fresh grasp of the world, past, present and future, is integral, but it’s her relationships with Miss Helen and Dr. Caldwell that set-up a profound third act. It takes a while to get to the crux of it because the story meanders, but during that downtime, there are some solid moments. It’s there we find out about how the human mind and spirit can overcome carnal urges. It helps the audience better understand the painfully tragic choices we have to make when reality stares us down in the face.

The outcome will most likely be viewed as grim, but it’s important to keep in mind the lessons that Melanie picks up along the way. It’s interesting to watch a genre, generally rich with fear and cynicism, find a more impactful message about humanity’s selfish existence and fear of nature. “The Girl with All the Gifts” adds some intelligence to the brain dead genre by being more sensitive and curious about the human story developing on screen than it is with making the audience jump in their seats.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: colm mccarthy, film review, gemma arterton, glenn close, jeremy werner, sennia nanua, ...

Film Review: “Logan”

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen and Patrick Stewart
Directed by: James Mangold
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 15 mins
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thank you Deadpool. It was just a year ago when your film came out and you proved to Hollywood that a well-made “R” rated comic book movie CAN make money. Not sure if you planned on doing $135 million opening weekend but God bless you. After years of PG-13 films where there seemed to be no visual consequences from the damages done, filmmakers can now decide on whether to be as graphic as some of the source material they are using. The year’s first entry features everybody’s favorite X-man, the Wolverine, in “Logan.”

The year is 2029. When we first meet up with Logan (Jackman) he is a limo driver whose ride is about to be jacked by a gang of ruffians. Gray-haired and looking haggard, he implores the thieves to try their luck somewhere else, only to be answered with a shotgun blast to the chest. As the Waco kid said to Sheriff Bart in “Blazing Saddles” when talking about Mongo, “don’t shoot him…you’ll only make him mad!” And mad he becomes, springing his adamantium claws and making mincemeat of his attackers. Literally minced meat. Arms are severed, eyes gouged out, blood spurts. And this is only five minutes into the film! This isn’t your father’s Wolverine.

Packed with wall to wall action, “Logan” is a fitting ending to Hugh Jackman’s association with Wolverine. Counting cameos in other films, this is Jackman’s 10th appearance in the role that made him a star and he uses that history to his advantage. He not only knows the character he IS the character. And here he has a little help. Mutants are literally non-existent in the future and he earns his money driving a limo so that he can take care of Professor Xavier (Stewart) who he is hiding in an old junk yard and assisted by Caliban (Stephen Merchant) an Albino whose aversion to the sun is more real than Count Dracula. Logan finds himself constantly being bothered by a young woman asking for his help. He finally comes into contact with Laura (Keen), a precocious pre-teen who also has the ability to spring claws. Unfortunately, unlike Logan, Laura really has no filter on her powers so she might kill you for a can of Pringles. Laura was part of a medical experiment where a Dr. Rice (Richard E. Grant) supervised the creation of children but with the mutant powers he wished them to have. Ironically, the kids have been raised on X-men comics, so they think there is a place for them out in the world.

In a wise choice, this film is directed by James Mangold, who has given us some great personal drams like “Copland” and “Walk the Line” and his presence behind the camera (and with script duties) helps keep the film grounded. In between the violent encounters, and fans with younger children I do urge you to use caution before you bring them to this, is an emotional payoff that will stick with you. But it Jackman’s film and Jackman’s character that you will leave the theatre remembering.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: dafne keen, film review, hugh jackman, james mangold, logan, michael smith, ...

Film Review: “My Name is Emily”

Starring: Evanna Lynch, Michael Smiley and George Webster
Directed by: Simon Fitzmaurice
Rated: Not Rated
Running time: 1 hr 40 mins
Monument Releasing

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

“They name hurricanes after me.”

So we are told as we are introduced to Emily, who narrates the film bearing her name. We learn that her father spent a year after her birth reading multitudes of books, trying to understand the meaning of having a daughter. Finally he decided that the greatest teacher about his daughter IS his daughter and they form an unbreakable bond. When Emily (Lynch, who you may recognize from the Harry Potter films – she played Luna Lovegood) comes home upset from school – the kids call her “weirdo” for reading books – her father (Smiley) shows her in the dictionary that the term is not a bad one. Dad finds success as an author but, when he and his wife are involved in an automobile accident, killing her, he begins to withdraw into himself, finally being committed to a mental institution. This puts Emily into a foster home, where she is the new kid at school once again. But soon, like the hurricane, she is once again and on the move.

A sweetly written story about love and the bonds it forms, “My Name is Emily” succeeds in part thanks to a fine cast of young actors. While at school Emily catches the eye of classmate Arden (Webster) and, while their interaction is at first minimal, it’s easy to see that Arden is smitten. After a bad day at school, where Emily announces that it’s her birthday, Arden brings her a gift and tries to be a comforting shoulder. But Emily is too strong. Or so it seems. Soon she has convinced Arden to accompany her to the north of England to search for her father. Both Lynch, with her wide, blue eyes and Webster give strong performances in what could have easily been stereotypical teenage roles. Credit this to director Fitzmaurice, who also wrote the film, whose pacing keeps the film moving smoothly.

Technically the film is strongly helped by the beautiful Irish countryside that surrounds the two on their long road trip. The musical score by Stephen McKeon helps move the story along as well. “My Name is Emily” is playing in select theatres and is also available through Video on Demand.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: evanna lynch, film review, george webster, michael smiley, michael smith, simon fitzmuarice, ...

Film Review: “The Great Wall”

Starring: Matt Damon, Tian Jing and Willem Dafoe
Directed By: Yimou Zhang
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 103 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 2 out of 5 Stars

12th century China looks weird. And it’s not just because of Matt Damon’s scraggly face sticking out like a sore thumb. There’s been a lot of vocal concerns by the mainstream media that “The Great Wall” is whitewashing history, but don’t worry. The movie isn’t historical in any way shape or form. But it does manage to explain why Damon’s character is there. He’s a European merchant in search of gunpowder. He talks about how gunpowder is a rumor, fantasized about by Western powers. If someone were to find it, take it, and bring it back, they would receive untold fortunes.

That’s logical. In fact it’s the only logical thing in this illogical movie. Sure Damon has a bland accent that disappears half the time and it’s not quite clear what nationality his character is, but it’s not the explosive controversy that’s being portrayed on “Good Morning America” right now. This movie is about as historically accurate as Mel Brook’s “History of the World, Part I.” It solidifies that fact when we’re introduced to the CGI asteroid demon creatures that have been spent centuries attempting to invade China.

That’s not a glaring typo or a misplaced sentence fragment from another review. There are green monsters that come from a lemon lime radiating space rock populating the screen. These creatures are of a hive mind, following orders from an ominous queen. These green monsters apparently want to invade ancient China because…well…the movie never answers that. It’s frustrating because the writers couldn’t even bother to steal a page from the “Starship Troopers” playbook.

The queen alien, who’s very unimpressive compared to her underlings, isn’t just some animalistic creature without a shred of intellect. There’s a drive behind her as she meticulously plans out traps, devises battle plans, and evolves her army’s military tactics over decades. “The Great Wall” explain too much without ever explaining any of the basic groundwork. This should be stupid fun time at the movies, but it’s interjections of seemingly random alien rationale and ramshackle attempts at historical precedent are befuddling.

“The Great Wall” can never make up its mind on if it wants to be a serious attempt at a summer blockbuster or fantasy alternative history. It can’t be both and fails at being either one. I didn’t expect much walking in. I truly didn’t. I expected a 2017-style “Gods of Egypt” tax write off for Universal, but that’s not what I got. Even while my brain was on cruise control I managed to pick up on the poor plot pacing and subpar storytelling. That’s not a good thing.

The saving grace in “The Great Wall” is its half-hearted attempt at likable characters. It helps that Damon most likely knew they were filming hot garbage and played into its schlock. But I lacked beer and friends to appreciate the pricey travesty I was witnessing on screen. There’s no doubt that it’s visually intense and the set designs are meticulously detailed and gorgeous, but this is a rough movie to like or even recommend.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: film review, jeremy werner, matt damon, the great wall, tian jing, willem dafoe, ...

Film Review: Fist Fight

Starring: Ice Cube, Charlie Day and Tracy Morgan
Directed by: Richie Keen
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 31 mins
New Line Cinema

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Ah, the last day of the school year. A time to clean out your locker, turn in your books and get ready for the summer. Unless you’re a student at the high school featured in the new film “Fist Fight.” Then it’s a time to rebel.

Andy (Day) is an English teacher whose last day of school starts with a student parked in his parking spot. Andy is an expectant father and is worried that school budget cuts may affect his job. Andy is pretty easy going and it’s easy to root for him. Then there is Strickland (Cube – wait, is that right? Is “Ice Cube” all inclusive? Is “Ice” his first name and “Cube” his last?” How about if I call him O’Shea Jackson?). Strickland is a no-nonsense teacher who’s not afraid to challenge his students. Physically. When a classroom altercation gets reported to the principal, Andy inadvertently gets Strickland fired. Angered, the man challenges Andy to a fight after school. Place your bets.

I don’t know what it is about Hollywood and films set in high school. From “3 O’clock High” to “Big Bully,” it seems like kids (and teachers) can’t get along. And who would want to in this school. It’s one thing to pull a few pranks but what the students are doing here would normally result in criminal records. Especially in a world were bullying is prevalent. Have the principal followed around all day by a Mariachi band? Funny. Destroy his car? Jail.

The story is the result of a script by two first-time feature writers and it shows. Jokes, or what are supposed to be jokes, flow quickly and some hit their mark. But many more miss it. When Charlie Day can’t make you laugh you have a serious problem with your material. Day tries hard, as does Mr. Cube (how’s that?) but they needed better dialogue. The fact that Cube is named Strickland makes me wonder if he’s named after the bald teacher that terrorized Marty McFly in “Back to the Future.” Though I wonder if the writers were that clever.

On the plus side, Charlie Day does well in a comedy he’s there to carry and it’s nice to see Tracy Morgan back on the big screen.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: charlie day, film review, fist fight, ice cube, jillian bell, mike smith, ...

Film Review: “In Dubious Battle”

Starring: James Franco, Vincent D’Onofrio and Robert Duvall
Directed by: James Franco
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 50 mins
Momentum Pictures

Our Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Among the many great novels by John Steinbeck are a couple detailing with life during the depression. Most people are aware of “The Grapes of Wrath,” which won a Pulitzer Prize and was made into a film starring Henry Fonda. The lesser known novel, written in between “Tortilla Flat” and “Of Mice and Men” (Jesus, this guy had some talent) was titled “In Dubious Battle.”

The year is 1934. We find ourselves in the Bolton Apple Orchards of California. Many people have picked up back east and headed west with the promise of available work and great wages. However, the influx of laborers has driven wages down, much to the chagrin of the apple pickers. A burly man named London (D’Onofrio) confronts old man Bolton (Duvall). Having been promised three dollars a day for their work, the workers have only received one dollar a day and are, justifiably, unhappy. They want to fight for what they have owed them. They only need a little nudge.

Some of you reading this may be saying to yourself, “I didn’t know James Franco directed.” I am a fan of his film “SAL,” but I was shocked to learn that, if the Internet Movie Data Base is to be believed, he has no less than SEVEN films coming out this year that he directed. He really is a renaissance man! Franco also stars here as Mac, an organizer for a group that is trying to unionize the apple pickers. He had taken under his wing a young man named Jim (Nat Wolff). His eyes not truly open, Jim is drawn to the movement by the fiery rhetoric of Mac. Together they apply for work at Bolton’s orchards and try to blend in. They begin to make small talk with the other workers, trying to feel out who can be a leader and discover London. They discover that most of the workers have had their spirits crushed. When Jim makes an optimistic comment he is met with a frown. “That sounds like hope,” he’s told. But hope may be all these people need.

Perfectly paced and skillfully cast, “In Dubious Battle” is one of those small films that occasionally see the light of day. With a perfect period background and an accompanying musical score by Volker Bertelmann, whose score for this year’s “Lion” has been nominated for an Academy Award, the film takes you back in time to a period when life seemed easier but surely wasn’t. And Franco seems to be the new Woody Allen in that everyone wants to work with him. He has filled his cast with some of the best (and in my case, favorite) character actors, including Ed Harris, Bryan Cranston and John Savage. As London, D’Onofrio adds another great character to his resume. Wolff begins the film clad in innocence, growing more defiant as the story progresses. Franco’s Mac is almost a step-brother to “The Grapes of Wrath”s Tom Joad, pushing forward and giving the occasional inspirational speech.

I’ll admit here that I am a member of a labor union. My current home-state, Missouri, recently voted to be a “Right to Work” state. I found this film inspirational, both in content and in the commemoration of those that came before us.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: film review, in dubious battle, james franco, john steinbeck, nat wolff, robert duvall, ...

Film Review: “Trespass Against Us”

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson, Sean Harris, Lyndsey Marshall, Rory Kinnear
Directed By: Adam Smith
Rated: R
Running Time: 99 minutes
Film4

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

For a man seeking a quiet life, Chad Cutler drums up an awful lot of trouble in Adam Smith’s rural family drama, Trespass Against Us. Set deep in the English countryside, the feature debut from Smith can be tonally uneven but boasts enough solid performances and pops of quality car chases to recommend it.

Michael Fassbender stars as Chad Cutler, the heir apparent to a family of thieves in a caravan park. His father is the blustery Colby Cutler (Brendan Gleeson) who preaches only what his father taught him. In between sending his son and their gang out on robberies, Colby interferes with Chad’s young son Tyson (Georgie Smith) getting an actual school education. It’s a life Chad wishes to escape as he sets his eyes on moving into an actual house with Tyson and his wife Kelly (Lyndsey Marshal). Unfortunately Colby’s infamy looms large over the local population, often stifling Chad’s ambitions. Also impeding his progress? Chad himself. Chad is a caring father, but his whole world has been crime and he’s great at it. Despite his illiteracy, he’s the most intelligent of his crew as well as the best driver–crucial for their hit and run robbery jobs in the neighboring towns. The entire trailer crew becomes endangered when Colby sends them unknowingly to invade a local judge’s mansion.

Fassbender isn’t often cast as the family man (Steve Jobs was hardly the best example) and here it works well. Him and Smith share some touching scenes and I also got a kick out of Chad’s chastising of Tyson at a chip stand. More importantly Fassbender skillfully conveys the simmering conflicts within Cutler. His shark-like grin when dealing with his cohorts is equal parts charming and threatening, belying his frustration with his continued position in this dim gang. Conversely Chad clearly enjoys the thrill of the car chases when he is persuaded to work. Most of the persuasion here carried out by Gleeson’s formidable Colby who growls his way through some good scenes.

The English countryside makes for an unconventional crime story background and Smith does quite a lot with it. The car chases through the village then out into the woods are well shot and thrilling despite their relatively small scale. I’d never seen cows incorporated into a manhunt quite like they are here! At times, the local population can skew too quirky (Sean Harris as a perpetually filthy yokel is a bit much) but the familial drama central to the story keeps things grounded thanks to the strong performances of Fassbender, Gleeson, Marshal and newcomer Smith.

Trespass Against Us is now out in theaters as well as on DirecTV

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Headlines, Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: Adam Smith, brendan gleeson, film review, Michael Fassbender, review, Trespass Against Us, ...

Film Review: “The Founder”

Starring: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Laura Dern and Linda Cardellini
Directed By: John Lee Hancock
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 115 minutes
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

A hyper charismatic Michael Keaton drags a pair of wholesome Americans into a deal that they soon regret. No, it’s not Beetlejuice, but rather John Lee Hancock’s The Founder, the true story of the man responsible for making McDonalds the global franchise it is today. Director Hancock is no stranger to selling shrewd businessman stories having previously helmed the Disney-pursues-Mary Poppins pic Saving Mr. Banks. Like Mr Banks, The Founder relies on how charmingly its entrepreneur can overtake a profitable concept from its hesitant creators. In this respect, The Founder zips along on the boundless energy that Keaton infuses into Ray Kroc.

It’s hard to imagine America without the golden arches of McDonald’s. It’s a vision that not even the franchise’s namesake brothers had foreseen when the wily  Mr.Kroc rolled up to their booming San Bernadino burger stand in 1955 to sell his milk shake mixers. Here the brothers, Dick and Mac (played by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) devised the fast food kitchen as we know it, breaking away from the slower drive-ins of the day. Traveling salesman Kroc has had more than his fair share of drive in frustrations–slow carhops, wrong orders, cumbersome trays–and knows an opportunity when he sees one. “Franchises!” he enthuses to stoney faces of Offerman and Lynch. They prefer quality over quantity. What the McDonalds don’t know about Kroc is he falls asleep to the recorded mantra “nothing is as powerful as persistence.” Which he has in spades.

Despite Kroc’s triumph Hancock does not give Ray a pass on his swindling ways. Played by Michael Keaton (accompanied by his thematically appropriate arched eyebrows), Kroc is a magnetic presence to be sure and like many cinematic villains, fun as hell to watch work. However, the perfectly cast Offerman and Lynch are infinitely more sympathetic. Aesthetically they’re the stoic hound dogs to the fox in the henhouse that is Keaton. John Carroll Lynch specifically tugs on the heart strings multiple times as he watches his family’s vision slip out from under them. A trauma great enough to hospitalize him at one point. And if that weren’t enough, a sulking supporting turn by Laura Dern as Kroc’s first wife, Ethel, goes a long way to showing what an exhaustive personality her husband has always been without the film needing to delve much into his backstory.

Viewing this film from 2016 makes Kroc’s success in his endeavors a foregone conclusion but to Hancock’s credit, he keeps the burger flipping and legal gymnastics interesting. He manages to condense the McDonalds’s “overnight success thirty years in the making” in one balletic montage that really showcases the ingenuity of the brothers in designing their “speedee service model”. In a world where the fast food assembly line is omnipresent, it is somewhat heartening to see the genuine human element and efforts that went into its inception. That the fruits of said efforts were ultimately swiped by a ‘founder’ who hadn’t founded anything luckily let me get right back to regretting the dubious influence the fast food trend had on the dietary habits of millions…but hey, did I mention how much fun it is to watch Michael Keaton?

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Headlines, Film Reviews Tagged With: biopic, film review, John Carroll Lynch, John Lee Hancock, Laura Dern, McDonalds, ...

Film Review “Bleed for This”

Starring: Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart and Katey Sagal
Directed by: Ben Younger
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 56 mins
Open Road
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

You have to really have followed boxing in the late 1980s – early 1990s to remember Vinny Pazienza. Billed as “the Pazmanian Devil,” he was a hard fighter who could take a punch and almost always got up off of the mat. “Bleed for This” tells the story of Vinny’s ultimate comeback.

1988. We meet Vinny Pazienza (Teller, in excellent form – and shape) trying hard to make weight. Eventually he makes it to the required 140 lbs but his body is no match for the beating he endures. After losing he collapses from dehydration. Unable to get a decent fight offer, Vinny goes to train with Kevin Rooney (Eckhart), who at one time trained Mike Tyson. However, since Tyson left him for Don King, Rooney has been struggling. He and Vinny connect and, after Rooney suggests that Vinny fight at a weight he is more comfortable with, things begin to roll. But as he reaches the top of the mountain Vinny soon finds himself flat on his back one more time.

Well-paced and well-acted, “Bleed for This” could have gone the way of most sport biographies, which is to introduce the protagonist, watch him win a little than put some horrible event in front of him. Following his greatest victory to date, Vinny suffers a broken neck in a car accident, an injury that pretty much insures that he may never fight again, let alone walk. But fate has different ideas.

This is another in a list of fine performances by Miles Teller, who was so good in last year’s “Whiplash.” Here he captures the ego of Pazienza perfectly, making a man whose boasting should make him unlikable actually become someone to care about. Eckhart, his hairline shaved back, is also strong as Mooney, with both Sagal and Ciarin Hinds excelling as Vinny’s mom and dad. If you’re a fan of a great comeback story, I highly recommend you give “Bleed for This” a try.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Headlines, Film Reviews Tagged With: aaron eckhart, ben younger, bleed for this, ciaran hinds, film review, katey sagal, ...

Film Review: “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”

Starring: Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rachel House
Directed By: Taika Waititi
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 101 minutes
Orchard

Our Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Last year New Zealand director Taika Waititi breathed life into the vampire genre with his brilliant What We Do in the Shadows, my favorite comedy of 2015. The director this week turns again to his home turf to even more success for the quirky tale of Ricky Baker in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Wilderpeople is an unconventional spin on the tried-and-true old mentor meeting his younger match that manages to be action packed, unpredictable and heartfelt without veering into the saccharine territory oft trod by coming of age stories. Not only has Waititi matched my expectations based on his Shadows and “Flight of the Conchords” work but he’s significantly upped my excitement for his next project–Thor: Ragnarok (as if that was even possible!)

Julian Dennison stars as a ‘real bad egg’ called Ricky Baker, an orphan from the city who’s been to his share of foster homes. Child services drops him at a remote farm in the New Zealand bush kept by the sweet Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and bearded grump Hec (Sam Neill). Bella invites Ricky to dub them Auntie and Uncle, though Ricky and Hec are less than keen. When the welcoming Bella passes away leaving Ricky under Hec’s care, his new country life looks about to be ripped from under him again by child services. Naturally Ricky flees to the wilderness with Hec following along. They quickly become a pair of outlaws–everyone believing Hec a kidnapper–and infamous for evading a country-wide manhunt.

As Ricky Baker, newcomer Julian Dennison delivers a star-making performance. He is the perfect age for this little adventure of Waititi’s. A foster child who’s been passed around with a long list of ‘offenses’ (which child service agents will rattle off at the drop of a hat to hilarious effect), Baker is on the verge of puberty and of actually buying into his own bad reputation but is still very much malleable. There’s glimpses of Ricky posturing his ”gangsta” image between his wardrobe or his Scarface references but the brilliance of Dennison is watching the child that he actually is come to the surface. Dennison’s vulnerability is exposed when faced with the prospect of being separated from his most stable home to date. Meanwhile, his curiosity and eagerness to learn the bush life chip away at his city-kid exterior and the fact that he’s wont to spout haikus only makes him all the more endearing. There are a million layers to Ricky Baker and Dennison plays them all with great heart.

This isn’t at all to belittle the terrific support Dennison receives from his adult cast. It’s been 23 since Sam Neill begrudgingly led some kids through Jurassic Park and the years and the beard have only hardened his ornery exterior to perfection. His soft center is tougher to wear down to, but Ricky is game for the challenge. And there aren’t any dinosaurs that Neill needs to evade, but as the formidable Paula from Child services, Rachel House is an absolute scene stealer with dreams of being the Terminator. Rounding out these guys is an appearance from frequent Waititi collaborator Rhys Darby used to wacky effect as Psycho Sam.

Despite some real live threats in the bush and some choice language from kids and adults alike (“Like hell!” abounds), I can’t help but feel that Hunt for the Wilderpeople might be a perfect family film. Shot in beautiful locations, it’s hilarious without being malicious, populated with quirky characters forming genuine human bonds and I can’t stress enough the joy I derived from Dennison’s honest performance. Add to all that an action packed finale and you’ve got A Summer Movie to compete with the biggest of blockbusters. As Uncle Hec says, truly “Majestical.”

June 24 – I screened Hunt for the Wilderpeople at TFF 2016, it is now in limited US release. Visit Wilderpeople.film for trailer and local release dates. 

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Headlines, Film Reviews Tagged With: film, film review, five stars, hunt, hunt for the wilderpeople, Julian Dennison, ...

Film Review “The Nice Guys”

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling and Kim Bassinger
Directed by: Shane Black
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 56 mins
Warner Bros
Our Score: 4 out of 5

Film review by Mike Smith

1977. A young man sneaks into his father’s bedroom and removes a magazine from underneath the bed. He takes it to his room and begins studying the curves of a young lady named Misty Mountains. Suddenly a car screeches outside. The boy hears the crash and goes out to investigate. Who is the driver? Old MM herself.

Outrageously funny from start to finish, The Nice Guys is a period piece co-written and directed by Shane Black, creator of the Lethal Weapon series. Like those films, the story rests on the shoulders of two incredibly gifted dramatic actors given a chance to be funny; Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Their chemistry comes across from their first scene together and the film is much richer for it.

Jackson Healy (Crowe) is a leg-breaker. If someone is bothering you and you want them to stop he’s the man you call. Currently he has accepted the task of protecting a young woman named Amelia (Margaret Qualley). Holland March (Gosling) is a private investigator and single father whose latest case has him searching for a young woman named Amelia. Things go progressively from bad to worse for both men before they realize that they need to team up to get to the bottom of things. As they say in the funny papers: hilarity ensues.

I’ve always loved Shane Black as a writer. He has written some of the funniest scenes in some of my favorite films, including Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and The Last Action Hero. He also wrote and directed the very highly underrated Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Here he creates two more indelible characters. With his ever present cigar and rumpled clothing, Jackson Healy (sounds more like an insurance company) is the tough guy with a heart whereas Holland March, who ensures a negative outlook on life by sporting a tattoo that reads “You Will Never Be Happy,” is the wise-ass who loves his precocious teenage daughter Holly (a very well-cast and wise beyond her years, Angourie Rice). You never question why Holland takes Holly with him on dangerous cases. You just realize that she is his partner in everything. The two leads play off each other perfectly. Crowe is ruff and gruff while Gosling sometimes comes off as an air-headed fool. In fact, once scene has him sputtering and mumbling so much that you would have thought he had channeled the spirit of Lou Costello.

Period wise, the film gets high marks for highlighting the fashion and art of the era, even if some of the items featured are a year or two off in context. A great billboard advertising Jaws 2 would have been out in 1978 while Rupert Holmes’ hit “Escape (the Pina Colada Song) didn’t hit the charts until 1979. That being said, these are minor quibbles with one fantastically funny film.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Headlines, Film Reviews Tagged With: film, film review, guys, nice, review, russell crowe, ...

Film Review: “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”

Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne
Directed By: Nicholas Stoller
Rated: R
Running Time:   1 hour 35 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Rating 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Did “Neighbors” need a sequel? Absolutely not. It didn’t even end with a cliffhanger or any storyline that would necessitate the need for a second. But in today’s theater age, profit=sequel. Of course I may further incite the need for a “Neighors 3” with the following statement. Despite the same plot, and a gender swap out, “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” is funnier and even more charming than the first.

A couple of years after the events of “Neighbors”, Mac (Rogen) and Kelly (Byrne) are expecting their second child and looking to move into a more spacious home. With the fraternity no longer hosting raging keggers, they find a buyer with no problem. The only problem is escrow. Since I’m not a homeowner, nor have I attempted to buy one yet in my life, I was unsure as to what escrow means. Apparently Mac and Kelly don’t either. It means that the buyers can change their mind in 30 days if there’s something they don’t see fit about the home. Of course this could easily just be a plotline convenience created by the movie.

Coincidentally, the old fraternity house is about to become alive with again with a sorority. Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz), Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein) are sick of the generic sororities, at least the typical Greek life tropes the movie portrays. Instead of conformity, forced cheeriness and male degradation, the trio creates their own sorority meant to empower their inner-lioness. Obviously a bunch of screaming girls, hosting their own raging keggers, doesn’t sit well with Mac and Kelly. The rest of “Neighbors 2” is the various hijinks and escalating pranks that happen between the two warring neighbors.

The first “Neighbors”, which I didn’t like, was about the bond of men in college as well as learning to grow up. “Neighbors 2” has the girls at an age of 18, so we can’t really expect them to “grow up”. Instead we get a more meaningful theme of acceptance and empowerment. Even the grossest scene of the movie, the sorority sisters throwing used tampons at Mac and Kelly’s home, is a lesson. Albeit a blood soaked, gross lesson. I know that might be hard to believe, but trust me.

There are the typical cheap laughs that we’ve come to expect from a Rogen comedy. I guess we’re supposed to laugh at Rogen being fat, people getting high, vomit on the face during sex, and other tired jokes. It actually makes the tampon scene feel a lot cleverer in retrospect. It’s socially aware enough to make us feel guilty about laughing or make us actually develop a thought while laughing.

It’s just unfortunate that such an enlightening movie has to hammer home its theme at nearly every chance it can get. It’s nice to see that the five male writers were willing to flip the script and poke fun at the overtly sexual nature of college men who see women as objects. But I think at least a sixth writer, preferably female, could have helped these guys guide their justified moral outrage in funnier, more unique, and in less, obvious ways.

Teddy (Efron) is back as a man-child who still can’t grow up. He serves as the mentor for the sorority at the beginning and switches sides when he’s disowned by the sisterhood. Watching Teddy grow as a person during the movie is most character development an Efron character has ever seen. In that sense, and others, “Neighbors 2” surprised me a lot. I was expecting a lazy rehash, but I have to give credit where credit is due; the six-man writing team realizes that a little empathy for all their characters can go a long way.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: chloe grace moretz, film review, neighbors 2, rose byrne, Seth Rogen, sorority rising, ...
« sdf
Previous
Page 16 of 17
Next
Next Page »