tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70764714705852101402024-03-19T00:19:13.442-04:00How To Watch A Moviethe art of enjoying a motion pictureSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.comBlogger492125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-21006690559810017362023-12-20T03:10:00.000-05:002023-12-20T03:10:27.438-05:00Godzilla: Minus One<p>Horror as a genre originated from real fear—taking things we are afraid of in our real lives and turning them into something fantastic and unreal. I think all my favorite horror movies have that element to them. Some are like <i>Crimson Peak</i>; "The ghosts are a metaphor for the past," the characters say. And in the movie that's really all they are. Some are like <i>28 Days Later</i>; people grappling with loneliness and isolation in a world where everyone you meet is either a zombie, or could turn into one at any moment. </p><p>Metaphorical monster movies in particular stand out to me. Even if (or perhaps especially if) the metaphor is obvious or spelled out as in <i>Jurassic Park</i> or <i>The Babadook</i>, there's something about the combination of the unignorable presence of a literal monster wreaking havoc and more subtle things they represent (such as pushing the limits of science, or simple depression) that brings the fear to life. And Godzilla—the original Godzilla—is a classic example of that. A radioactive monster terrorizes Japan.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7YIdWNwcIrBvpjbdpejOZR0sOYS-FW1kwLbhtBRBktyM2wd80krnLO8y07sGvPB_ljBM4sHJqnsmU-66gLHFdpPFBPSzY8iClyHOmoR9s41udfBYNj0j55yzKrVB95Drc8if4lK8xZo16uYWZxOggzOk3mrLt_Dg1fRsxrREDS6bvu86Jkp3t59SR9i_/s1600/GodZillaMinusOne3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7YIdWNwcIrBvpjbdpejOZR0sOYS-FW1kwLbhtBRBktyM2wd80krnLO8y07sGvPB_ljBM4sHJqnsmU-66gLHFdpPFBPSzY8iClyHOmoR9s41udfBYNj0j55yzKrVB95Drc8if4lK8xZo16uYWZxOggzOk3mrLt_Dg1fRsxrREDS6bvu86Jkp3t59SR9i_/w541-h304/GodZillaMinusOne3.jpg" width="541" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've always understood the metaphor in my head. This movie made me understand it in my heart.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As the Godzilla character became Americanized, the metaphor shifted. It became a tool used to preach. A warning against war or the wielding of nuclear weapons perhaps, but not about the fear, and the powerlessness of being at the mercy of those things. Godzilla himself even turned into a benevolent being that represents peace, somehow. And lately, it's been nothing but a way to use CGI artists to numb audience minds for money. Godzilla go rawr, people buy ticket. </p><p>And that, most of all, is why I love <i>Godzilla: Minus One</i>. It's a return to metaphorical form. And it's done gloriously. It made me feel and understand on a palpable, gut-wrenching level, the fear that Godzilla represents. And it's not even marketed as a horror movie! It's not very scary, nor dark in tone (or in lighting). It's just an action/adventure monster movie, with drama. And characters. And writing. And I mean real, honest-to-goodness, there's-cohesion-and-a-story-here kind of writing, where everything fits together and serves to enhance and balance the next element, all surrounded by artistry and understanding of the purpose and value of stories as a whole... and I... I've missed this so SO much over the past few years. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOJUP-hMjFHRyXJvvC5OZU4xV2x8FTG1yf4IaB9wigtQ_UxDuHFL3MttCsg5nXHSIyWNnoASuHxXRBpewHPwNfegt-UflUhGvpMgTq6fePFvtBoeFHUa78H4Vf0ivZsBGV8wjOeuRtfqqCx7dzkZaMVPB7dvn-2ySRQe-dXSjTOMedzvR2hIoKWd6BsgH/s4240/GodZillaMinusOne2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="4240" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOJUP-hMjFHRyXJvvC5OZU4xV2x8FTG1yf4IaB9wigtQ_UxDuHFL3MttCsg5nXHSIyWNnoASuHxXRBpewHPwNfegt-UflUhGvpMgTq6fePFvtBoeFHUa78H4Vf0ivZsBGV8wjOeuRtfqqCx7dzkZaMVPB7dvn-2ySRQe-dXSjTOMedzvR2hIoKWd6BsgH/w514-h344/GodZillaMinusOne2.jpg" width="514" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cohesive story is great—but can still be clinical. This one possesses that spark of passion that brings a well-conceived story to life. Really, it's more than a spark. </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><i>Minus One</i> follows Koichi, a failed kamikaze pilot who goes home after the war in shame to a bombed out house and no family left alive. Survivor's guilt plagues him, as do memories of a dinosaur-like creature who appeared out of the sea and killed everyone on an island outpost where he was hiding. He cannot allow himself to truly live, but neither can he turn away from life completely. He stumbles into caring for a girl named Noriko, and the orphaned baby she's become a surrogate mother for. Together they build a life and scrape by until they've found their feet. He gets a job removing sea mines from the bay. The city and the people begin to heal. But then the monster returns. And with it, the dread and the shame.</p><p>Even though the topic is depressing and the people in the story are beat down, the movie's tonal feel is incredibly broad. One of my favorite things about Japanese entertainment. The sweet/pleasantly goofy humor sparked laughs, then it seamlessly falls into the quiet character moments, or to energetic scenes, anger and joy in turn. There is a prevailing sense of hope and perseverance present, and when the monster thrills come, they do not disappoint. The awesome, boyish, "that so cool!" element is as necessary as the underlying seriousness. And neither undercuts the other. Some of the monster moments were outright stunning. I never thought I could take Godzilla seriously enough to get a jolt of fear seeing him chase down a ship. Or the dread—a true sinking sensation—as his atomic breath builds through his spine.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoSRwmvbjsYDNn9uGP20nnpwtMKMOYIh4474kwGG3viSuNFdE1UjAHZLAKBTfKFTcPmRbyMAlOrr-etJMw2q2kFhKApaTbBIz96_BqYr7gQR1Z53-8hKsZc_mDjsqFhtY7wyP4ffrGZl9Z2PdKkkqOWuU1vo_m3JZtO1tCMWCgOgc4QWB92Rbm6p1OAD2/s1200/GodZillaMinusOne1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoSRwmvbjsYDNn9uGP20nnpwtMKMOYIh4474kwGG3viSuNFdE1UjAHZLAKBTfKFTcPmRbyMAlOrr-etJMw2q2kFhKApaTbBIz96_BqYr7gQR1Z53-8hKsZc_mDjsqFhtY7wyP4ffrGZl9Z2PdKkkqOWuU1vo_m3JZtO1tCMWCgOgc4QWB92Rbm6p1OAD2/w533-h300/GodZillaMinusOne1.jpg" width="533" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those monsterverse movies, with their oodles and oodles of cash, never came close to hitting like this.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>There were one or two times when I reflexively gasped, and I spent several minutes in debate with myself over who would survive and trying to figure out if a happy ending was earned, or would it be tragic, or bittersweet. I fell in love with Koichi almost instantly, understanding and sympathizing with him, hoping he'll find a way to beat both the monster and the metaphor. And all the side characters as well. They were all their own people, their personalities and arcs mattering every bit as much as their functional purpose within the plot. It feels so strange that an action flick about an atomic sea-dino could throw me so effectively and cleanly through a gauntlet of emotional ups and downs, but that is, after all, what stories are meant for—even if we've forgotten.</p><p>Monster movies at their best aren't monster movies. If the creature is a metaphor, or some fantastic extreme fictionalization of a real fear, then if it's done right, the monster can reveal a human heart even more clearly than a regular-sized movie that's only about the people. Done right, monster movies are more human than human movies. And <i>Minus One</i> knows that. It earns everything it reaches for (and it reaches far!) because it reaches for understanding and connection, using monster mayhem and spectacle as a means to achieve that end. There's plenty to be said for the spectacle this movie delivers, but the true beauty here—like a metaphor—isn't in what we can literally see, but in what that sight prompts us to feel and understand.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-52385715630426328852023-08-23T15:41:00.000-04:002023-08-23T15:41:18.270-04:00Sound of Freedom<p>It's always complicated when a work's value expected to be judged on more standards than entertainment and artistry. This movie is activism; made to shine a harsh light on the realities of child sex trafficking. I think that's a good goal, but good motivation doesn't ensure quality of the product, and I want to judge movies on artistic scales, not moral ones.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FPF57rAj6bQG01dvrbRmIlMepO9scqfKK8VsTVcSVsoDRcRdJg16HjNfAfBk0FWpKBI8HxQ2skhc71Xw-_6e0N9TFi6Z4wzPpXxrY8gXBmIQPpQ4RkZAmGZveCG7crOmtwT7cxMl9bng-pPopSC7Dnp-7FK4Z6tW3cBtZpw3YX2PImJNN1-Pda6iPiWc/s1920/SoundofFreedom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1920" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FPF57rAj6bQG01dvrbRmIlMepO9scqfKK8VsTVcSVsoDRcRdJg16HjNfAfBk0FWpKBI8HxQ2skhc71Xw-_6e0N9TFi6Z4wzPpXxrY8gXBmIQPpQ4RkZAmGZveCG7crOmtwT7cxMl9bng-pPopSC7Dnp-7FK4Z6tW3cBtZpw3YX2PImJNN1-Pda6iPiWc/w463-h310/SoundofFreedom1.jpg" width="463" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So I'm conflicted. Some was really good. And some felt more like a sermon than art.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And with that reservation, I went into this movie already closed off to it. Whether that's fair or not, that's the lens through which I write this. Aware that the goal was raised awareness and not entertainment, I found the opening scenes exploitative and uncomfortable in ways that made me angry at the movie itself, for showing young kids in sexualized situations. That's what the movie wanted; to make me angry, not to entertain. But the story, viewed outside of the movie's framing of it, isn't just about horrors and evil in the world, but about hope, and justice, and the good that fights that evil. </p><p>I'm not usually one for true stories but this ticks the right boxes to work for me. It features a regular guy, just doing his job to the best of his ability—but far beyond what's expected of him, or what others in his position would have done. The plot is self-contained enough that it has a clear point where the goal is accomplished, and all the right places for the ups and downs, tension and release that storytelling is—but the feeling the movie evokes conflicts with all that. It shows but doesn't embody what's on paper. It effectively made me feel sick. It effectively built tension. But then when the goal was accomplished, there was no emotional effectiveness. No release. No relief. Did they mean for those moments to carry catharsis? Or was the lack an intentional choice? </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpV_imdDhIe7SRYdLLFSLOnHZiW7D82cLC2_rOHm_pHB0mzTLOpC0A__lbowoNm9tZf_743SDZsnuwIhSX4Tp8WEp5FMfSvO0luzNAZCWWFK3d-4MOGWNkFssEjBqHVNnaAdOrqQLH_r5xPnvM67F8_vaXETWwBsW8j1a9-l6FjoJBwxNbpWf7RSE0pHm/s1500/SoundofFreedom3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpV_imdDhIe7SRYdLLFSLOnHZiW7D82cLC2_rOHm_pHB0mzTLOpC0A__lbowoNm9tZf_743SDZsnuwIhSX4Tp8WEp5FMfSvO0luzNAZCWWFK3d-4MOGWNkFssEjBqHVNnaAdOrqQLH_r5xPnvM67F8_vaXETWwBsW8j1a9-l6FjoJBwxNbpWf7RSE0pHm/w400-h266/SoundofFreedom3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed seeing Jim Caviezel again. I wish they'd found a more creative way of showing Tim's deeper emotions than having him monologue while misty-eyed, though.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Filmmaking 101 says that your opening shot and your closing shot are mirrors of one another. Viewing them side by side, you should be able to see what changed over the course of the story. So, <i>Sound of Freedom</i> opens with the little girl who is will be kidnapped, sitting on her bed, alone in a dim room, playing a drum. And in the ending, after she's rescued, she's in the same room, on the same bed, with the same lighting, playing the same drum. Except... what? There is only one change. And if you're paying attention maybe you're thinking, "she's not alone in the final shot. She's saved and restored to her family, so they're there, gathered around her and they're all happy and free." Nice idea. But no. She's alone at the end, too. The only change is that the camera pans inward at the opening, and outward at the end. And for some reason I can't move past that.</p><p>There's a lot of things I could spend time here going over. Things like writing, and performances, and production quality—but all that's sticking with me is this irresolvable question. Why? Why didn't they show her with her family at the end? Why did they make the ending just as bleak as the beginning if the story was supposed to be uplifting? And the only thing I can think of is that they thought if they made the conclusion too happy—if they released their audience and gave them their reward of catharsis—that wouldn't spark as much real-world change as they wanted, because the audience would have a sense of resolution as they left the theater. So they didn't. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZed2n-CESSQarhEn4dWKoclkhrX4bTXiOpp4Ek1NFTRqH5BazjuhnCL8O8mp2PNgEgqDzUrvpOWT1c4qP-ISbCl6jCvpt5-PKpYDKtBIlLffPx7cpmzxt5VCF3x1NyRq1R02nWp8zGQgnLMIQx13M-zWE-CyosgZJIJyzEsb3MIOmjOtuIjmbGmcbiGf7/s7952/SoundofFreedom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5304" data-original-width="7952" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZed2n-CESSQarhEn4dWKoclkhrX4bTXiOpp4Ek1NFTRqH5BazjuhnCL8O8mp2PNgEgqDzUrvpOWT1c4qP-ISbCl6jCvpt5-PKpYDKtBIlLffPx7cpmzxt5VCF3x1NyRq1R02nWp8zGQgnLMIQx13M-zWE-CyosgZJIJyzEsb3MIOmjOtuIjmbGmcbiGf7/w400-h266/SoundofFreedom2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the tender moments have this underlying ominous dread. It's just so relentlessly heavy.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>They left it focused on the darkness, even though hope was right there on the page, bleeding over from the true story in real life. The reward was there for the taking, but they sacrificed it on moral grounds. For a call to action. And no matter what good intentions they had behind that, I can't <i>like</i> it. It was good in a filmmaking sense. The cast was good. The characters were great. It forced me into the world it built, and it successfully accomplished its goal. But I hated watching it.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-79059241459803404332023-08-10T14:02:00.000-04:002023-08-10T14:02:09.528-04:00Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One<p>Fortunately, I can still say I don't hate any of the <i>Mission: Impossible</i> movies, and say that there's a certain amount of merit to all of them. Unfortunately, <i>Dead Reckoning</i>'s merit isn't as prominent as the series has achieved; and more unfortunately, it doesn't have the fallback that <i>Mission: Impossible 2</i> takes advantage of, where you can call the melodramatic silliness "fun" (if so inclined) and "different" (to point out that the movie certainly does try its own thing.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihR4xMTf7a9yx1utLYpdA6CmPsZ-fOyF-PYFOo9ov_fne0HJ1EY_gmZklgl4xRiFuXFLU6XdzXSsa9Q2EBDdwL4gRJaPZMevl3O4RmViFWRfFW5JdI5kdxcqvIolEKqpZnelz5kqGV_FHFPSyx95wYHfnT41vf4D2iBoUoEnJTGzeDE7fRKa4YJJuOFSDQ/s2560/MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="2560" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihR4xMTf7a9yx1utLYpdA6CmPsZ-fOyF-PYFOo9ov_fne0HJ1EY_gmZklgl4xRiFuXFLU6XdzXSsa9Q2EBDdwL4gRJaPZMevl3O4RmViFWRfFW5JdI5kdxcqvIolEKqpZnelz5kqGV_FHFPSyx95wYHfnT41vf4D2iBoUoEnJTGzeDE7fRKa4YJJuOFSDQ/w499-h257/MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning3.jpg" width="499" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's nice when a movie can slip and still be enjoyable. But right now, a movie that doesn't slip at all is worth its weight in gold.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Dead Reckoning</i>. Part one. One complement I can get out of the way is, even though it's a "Part One," it doesn't leave us hanging as far as feeling like we've seen a complete movie. We know there's more to see, but the movie does fulfill everything it sets out to accomplish. Director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise have now done three of these movies together, and it's unlikely they'd take an obvious misstep. No; instead, what they should have been worried about was that the groove they established in the series with <i>Rogue Nation</i> would too quickly become a rut. <i>Fallout</i> didn't pack the thematic/character punch that <i>Rogue Nation</i> did, but the stunts and visual entertainment was so stunning that I was willing to brush it off as a natural ebb and flow of quality. The next movie would right it.</p><p>But it didn't. And, I'm sorry to say, the action element has dropped off now, too. First, thematically, the movie is about the kind of honorable duty involved in taking a job in a secret agency that will disavow you the second you get into trouble—while sending you off to get in trouble as your job. Ethan and Co. meet up with and befriend Hayley Atwell as Grace, a highly skilled thief, and through friendship and loyalty, tempt her over to the good side. The idea is nice. "If you're going to risk your life for something, risk it for your friends and the good of the world." But while that's a simplistic enough idea, it still doesn't come through the plot so much as it is told to us (and Grace) outright through dialogue. And in so doing, it's implied that every MIF agent used to do high-skill illegal activities, got caught for it, and joined the MIF after a subsequent offer. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w6aM2vC1j3M0dGCuiZ1V-O_tYSc-yPx0F3i9OHJftRPWr21khXwD6VavR8oxEazR2rhHNeIElLL7Y84nLU_BxmC480O8OASShY08aRWLRzdp027PlA4iqNzp-E8hXvv89nqIlMB-M6pkJpqXfvHSmccz2QXiOZ9bwngKnC4dVoP9WB4hyZl-_Z_BIqfB/s888/MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="888" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w6aM2vC1j3M0dGCuiZ1V-O_tYSc-yPx0F3i9OHJftRPWr21khXwD6VavR8oxEazR2rhHNeIElLL7Y84nLU_BxmC480O8OASShY08aRWLRzdp027PlA4iqNzp-E8hXvv89nqIlMB-M6pkJpqXfvHSmccz2QXiOZ9bwngKnC4dVoP9WB4hyZl-_Z_BIqfB/w428-h241/MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning1.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little comedy is attempted in favor of drama—which fails to land, and yet is so benign that it neither moved nor irritated me.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>This series has undone the choices of past movies before, but this, I'd call ret-conning. And unnecessary. It's a small thing, maybe, and ignorable. But I like the characters here, and find the implications annoyingly simplistic, verging on outright stupidity. Anyone who's seen <i>M:I3</i> knows newbie Benji lacked the constitution for illegal activity! And from the start Ethan has always been the boy scout type. It's just doesn't ring true, and you don't need them all to be ex-criminals to make joining the IMF "the right choice." In fact, it lessens Grace's character, who was unique for being a lone wolf and amoral. If all of them made the switch, why should we wonder whether she will or not? So, if the plot had been constructed to better <i>show</i> Grace's conversion, they could've stayed away from that regrettable "backstory." </p><p>But the plot has its own issues to deal with in a less than ideal manner. It's crafted more to implement action set pieces and struggles to find a dynamic way toward the goal. It's a McGuffin plot, which, I admit, I don't mind at all. The action was my favorite parts, but there's no denying it's a step down from the feats this series has pulled off in the past. Tom Cruise does his thing and hurls himself off a cliff on a motorcycle, but what isn't in-camera looks faker than I've ever seen M:I look. The "ramp" he takes the motorcycle off for one; and the set piece of the falling train also has some digital elements that dampen the relentless thrill that scene is meant to impart. A few liberties with physics are taken (which must be bad if I notice it!) and a handful of other head-scratching choices. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsS9JjzzxXzABpB2_kNQ6PQvXOkyROjCvBPz-8DEqbRiGZWI8y5TGaxz2Ou7JdpGP9M07JyzVqJyd--oVRsoNuxOjWWOyhjs8Wt0JmtPm0LZz58Daas3pibfccLnAalOJL2qoq2fXBZ12UQiaq7wjMYMy64xs5h1n52MfVH8JKh962gEM6fiI651wdD54S/s2655/MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="2655" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsS9JjzzxXzABpB2_kNQ6PQvXOkyROjCvBPz-8DEqbRiGZWI8y5TGaxz2Ou7JdpGP9M07JyzVqJyd--oVRsoNuxOjWWOyhjs8Wt0JmtPm0LZz58Daas3pibfccLnAalOJL2qoq2fXBZ12UQiaq7wjMYMy64xs5h1n52MfVH8JKh962gEM6fiI651wdD54S/w495-h234/MissionImpossibleDeadReckoning2.jpg" width="495" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's like joining the M:I movies is the movie star version of going to summer camp or something. Try something new; get out of your comfort zone for a while. (I dunno, I never went to a summer camp.)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>At home, when senseless things happen in silly movies and people ask why, I like to jokingly point out that the movie needed them to so the next thing could happen. Unfortunately, that thought occurred to me a few too many times here, too. It's just not inspired; the creative juices didn't flow, and so now the story doesn't either. As a whole, it's a mess, but in small bites of compartmentalized sequences, it can be fun. Ethan and Grace's car chase sticks out as a highlight because it does what I've come to like uniquely about McQuarrie's installments: playing action and character interaction off each other. Atwell pairs well with Cruise and seems game with the stunts. And while the car chase they tag team in gets a little Buster Keaton, that's part of the charm for me. </p><p>I could happily see a movie every three years that is exactly that—fun, sometimes silly action performed in-camera by characters who are saving the world because their friends live in it. But that's not to say there isn't better and worse ways to do it. <i>Dead Reckoning</i> isn't the worst ever, but there's nothing better about it, either.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-316227780609805312023-08-09T19:11:00.000-04:002023-08-09T19:11:19.115-04:00Back to the Future<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77soRt37WSlfDTD_NEPb79g5s9SaSqnb1QTEvDeG3U8QDeiiPo38RMf6q-Yvt6Cjexy1jT4bYi7uYxCnrfEgkUdmEtx__Q96BvpR2f9mFfu7aC7BPyP8o5BfCeTGRWvPHircOnfcN9sjHX5HmUojaBGEfsl_NJ4CC3wlcxSjADSUFWZdC5RcbYiKKY_cl/s2048/BacktotheFuture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="2048" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77soRt37WSlfDTD_NEPb79g5s9SaSqnb1QTEvDeG3U8QDeiiPo38RMf6q-Yvt6Cjexy1jT4bYi7uYxCnrfEgkUdmEtx__Q96BvpR2f9mFfu7aC7BPyP8o5BfCeTGRWvPHircOnfcN9sjHX5HmUojaBGEfsl_NJ4CC3wlcxSjADSUFWZdC5RcbYiKKY_cl/w490-h323/BacktotheFuture1.jpg" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Marty! You gotta come back with me!" "Where?" <br />"BACK TO THE FUTURE!"</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The 80's were a great time for movies. But as far as 80's movies that fall solidly under the category of "Fun" and follow a teenaged lead, it's hard to find something truly remarkable. Movies like <i>The Last Starfighter</i> or <i>Adventures in Babysitting</i> may have a winning concept or teen appeal, but then the plots seem to spin their wheels for an hour or so without going anywhere, while the runtime is filled with character antics that grate on your nerves, fluffy, nonstarter side plots, and boring car chases. John Hughes had unique characters and romance, but what about adventure? Danger? High stakes? <i>Back to the Future</i> ticks every box. And it fulfills each category better than its competitors often can even fill one. </p><p></p><p>It's easy for me to take things about it for granted. Like Marty, to start. He was established in my brain as that archetype from childhood. 80's teen. Main character. Running around, getting in and out of trouble for our enjoyment. He's the standard I hold others of the kind up to—and yet I've barely considered that's what I'm doing because I knew who and what Marty was before I knew how to define it. He seems so simple and straightforward; but watching this movie and paying attention to his characterization, it's astonishing how many moments are made to serve him. It's a plot movie. Marty is made to have an every-kid feel on purpose. But he's still so <i>established</i>. His life, personal dreams, girlfriend, that almost have no relevance to the time-traveling adventure. And yet, if he were never in a band, we'd never have the show-stopping Johnny B. Goode performance. And that's the best dang scene in the whole movie!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZDkiB4n-JDJ2U5EwWuML9C5AmlqIayxDQXTr9hPFUL0QRCbKZo6Y1NTs6i0W43eqjvNYVJlcfMUKOBVFrRraQCgf5hRWeOurFssb5XgoqX38F_eXSdIj_isaZ3lGAQLO1Ns2Iv53N3DKXhjDQbyCpJYf2tdtpbtsD5IwQ4bnS7KVRqCqmDsPVZ_O7yTX/s2048/BacktotheFuture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1350" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZDkiB4n-JDJ2U5EwWuML9C5AmlqIayxDQXTr9hPFUL0QRCbKZo6Y1NTs6i0W43eqjvNYVJlcfMUKOBVFrRraQCgf5hRWeOurFssb5XgoqX38F_eXSdIj_isaZ3lGAQLO1Ns2Iv53N3DKXhjDQbyCpJYf2tdtpbtsD5IwQ4bnS7KVRqCqmDsPVZ_O7yTX/w277-h420/BacktotheFuture2.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>Then give it all to Michael J. Fox to play and I have to check my taking-things-for-granted tendency again. To me, they're one and the same person. And even if Fox is essentially playing himself, his balance of traits is calculated. He's goofy. But, pretty cool, actually. Charming, but with an accidental feel. He can win a beautiful girl, but he hangs out with an eccentric inventor. He's not the popular guy in school, but neither does he have to deal with bullies—unless you count the principal! We easily believe both his dumb, bumbling reactions to events, and his ability to jump into action with confident competence. The likes of Tom Holland have probably lost long hours of sleep over this characterization and how balanced and blended it all is. I think Fox has a lot to do with it. But also the writing can't be ignored. It gives him so much to work with for such a tonally light character. <p></p><p></p><p>And all that being said, my favorite character has long been Crispin Glover's George McFly. What's a transformation! What awful oily hair! What sincere, aching blue eyes! Watching Marty work to gift his parents with a happier, more fulfilled life has always been the highlight of the movie for me. The time travel is the fun part—that allows us to go through the extreme ups and downs of the family drama. George and Lorraine both seem hopeless losers, but all that can turn around in one immaculately set-up, powerful moment—and then seal it with a song, a kiss, and a song—as only a true 80's movie can. After how beautifully and satisfyingly that thread concludes, I often forget that Marty still has to, you know, get back to the future and all that.</p><p>The movie really has to go to work on the third act wrapping up because of how many threads it has going. And having each one conclude in ways you don't quite expect (but that make perfect sense because the set-up was there but not projected) really makes the whole last third of the movie feel like a rollercoaster of thrills and heartwarming victory—where the highs are high and the lows are high, too. Even when we're finally allowed to settle, after all the good news is out, it's not long before they're off again, promising more and more in the next movie. Even if you don't go right into the sequel (which I rarely do) the euphoric feeling sticks. How do they do it? How do they make every subplot feel vital—and each payoff feel inevitable and also like beating the odds?</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPY-nrhLOvjfWkGgA8wqzoVNXOE7lxWsduCXCstJXzu0J3u3E0GqCamxNUyCknKWx5Y9TSPnI2oAsEcPOS9lND8rWNkHVAeeOTQ1u7_vtmvivjXsM0lhUm7zFLewbyZrHBGLtrekYB9AZfYpAMXYDFL_6oxU12HqOyi-h-t_23rifEZX6Im7PUYfdZ0Oth/s1600/BacktotheFuture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPY-nrhLOvjfWkGgA8wqzoVNXOE7lxWsduCXCstJXzu0J3u3E0GqCamxNUyCknKWx5Y9TSPnI2oAsEcPOS9lND8rWNkHVAeeOTQ1u7_vtmvivjXsM0lhUm7zFLewbyZrHBGLtrekYB9AZfYpAMXYDFL_6oxU12HqOyi-h-t_23rifEZX6Im7PUYfdZ0Oth/w470-h264/BacktotheFuture3.jpg" width="470" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such an interesting love story because it's not about who loves who, will-they-won't-they, but it comes from a very honest perspective: "These two HAVE to end up together. Here's how." </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>All I can figure is that when every detail and facet of your story is important and useful and built upon each other, it hides which ones will be used for the next payoff. Or maybe it's all so extraordinarily entertaining that you look past the moments of set up. Because even if they weren't used to set something up, they were still good moments that elevate, deepen, and give momentum to the story. Not a second wasted. Not a moment falling short. All as a fun 80's scifi teen adventure, with all the life-or-death situations, romance, and chase sequences you could ask for. That, and Doc's wide-eyed crazy expressions, too. I love this movie; and that's one thing about it I could never take for granted.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-35432886085742781582023-01-01T13:25:00.003-05:002023-01-01T13:44:34.467-05:00The Banshees of Inisherin<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>Ireland, 1923. As a Civil War takes place on the mainland, a smaller Civil War begins on the secluded island of Inisherin—between two friends. Pádraic and Colm. Former friends now—Colm decides he doesn't want to be Pádraic's friend anymore, and though the squabble may sound like the petty whims of a five-year old, Colm takes his decision seriously. Very seriously. And Pádraic is left to wonder what went wrong.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1J_SWcV0I3pLpXkS7BCltiL8fH5hk6b7zDIuftZ-fLnMiJ2gPAFQ-qUbzzI4R1NK51gPsnrzeL73UIKO9aWVfuTv8yLcBRCP2R_o7j637Lp2t0XejGu5m5p-gtMLSKpYpjldJq15Wax5VmgjI9VGpf3LYlu9s5cXtRcCtLZKh29E_s53_eVq-Mo4TsQ/s1453/TheBansheesOfInisherin2jpg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="1453" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1J_SWcV0I3pLpXkS7BCltiL8fH5hk6b7zDIuftZ-fLnMiJ2gPAFQ-qUbzzI4R1NK51gPsnrzeL73UIKO9aWVfuTv8yLcBRCP2R_o7j637Lp2t0XejGu5m5p-gtMLSKpYpjldJq15Wax5VmgjI9VGpf3LYlu9s5cXtRcCtLZKh29E_s53_eVq-Mo4TsQ/w556-h313/TheBansheesOfInisherin2jpg.jpg" width="556" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh</td></tr></tbody></table><p>McDonagh is one of those directors with a small but incredibly rich filmography. He's made three other feature films besides this one, and each is brimming with a <i>je ne sais quoi </i>that I can only call his "style." All directors have a style, some easier to spot, and some easier to describe. McDonagh's is easy to spot—his movies are dark comedies and involve bizarrely bold plot and character choices—but almost impossible to describe when it comes to the sense he evokes. For me, anyway, which is probably why he interests me so much. I often find myself returning to movies where I <i>felt</i> like I understood it, but then can't prove it to myself in words. I keep coming back until I can. And if I continue this trend, I'll be revisiting <i>The Banshees of Inisherin</i> soon.</p><p>It's a more complicated case than McDonagh's previous films though. Putting aside my comprehension skills, I didn't enjoy <i>The Banshees of Inisherin</i> as much as I have his other work. There were sections of the movie that felt like a bad dream, or a horror movie that I wasn't expecting to be a horror movie. There was a terrifying feeling of dread—which I have to admit is a great compliment to the craft and creativity here—that I didn't know what would happen. That doesn't sound scary, typed out. But imagine the most extreme, unnerving feeling of the unknown. Walking through pitch black in your house, thinking you know where you are, but doubting. And then that doubt coming true. That's how parts of this movie felt. And I didn't like it. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLA2-tDbPJ1d2qLDi4WXeSmznnfHonLVPx_RB2gwyLxvqgCHxq0-IB0BOmAdGSq_v4y_L_zww6p6bvHESGeYZeS9dGg-ZSSDJscRxc_KCNJyuSkqAXziJn9n1Uq8k0yKGD4mZVvjlfFiAWomkzank0k7L2x0QWEQNup9FfnGGtdI9DihjhtHcpeV62bQ/s1200/TheBansheesOfInisherin3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLA2-tDbPJ1d2qLDi4WXeSmznnfHonLVPx_RB2gwyLxvqgCHxq0-IB0BOmAdGSq_v4y_L_zww6p6bvHESGeYZeS9dGg-ZSSDJscRxc_KCNJyuSkqAXziJn9n1Uq8k0yKGD4mZVvjlfFiAWomkzank0k7L2x0QWEQNup9FfnGGtdI9DihjhtHcpeV62bQ/w486-h304/TheBansheesOfInisherin3.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great location. Wild, beautiful, and haunting. Very appropriate.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>From an artistic standpoint, that can't really be anything but a compliment. But I can't judge movies on objective artistry alone, because how a story moves me is important to defining its quality. Yes, this story moved me; but often in a negative way. I felt a lot of emptiness, a lot of sadness, and hopelessness. And as I write this I think back and I think there was supposed to be hope. And certainly there was meaning. And maybe if I just watch it again knowing what is going to happen will allow me to feel those positive elements better, and understand the hope of the story in my heart, not just my head. Maybe, maybe, maybe. </p><p>What I know is objectively great, and what brought out the entertainment of the piece for me was the writing and the acting. There are individual scenes in this movie that achieve a sort of storytelling version of laminar flow—unbroken surface, everything in perfect alignment with everything else, everything working toward the same clear goal. McDonagh's writing skills are masterful, both in characterization, and in dialogue that is like eating an entire platter of a delicacy. Most good movies have one or two bites of such precise work; here they can occur one scene after the other, until it's rare to find a moment that isn't uniquely captivating. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhP73VdFu7JWw8cO4r84UzcOhio1srKcXZFriOAM9jZxd94zFSY8QNB2hkaEAPBHWAGITHNXWrWEClAEuPSQQsYo8q6wiKkNsNfi4GtWklsSIvKvQSPCpSjNAxCoH6eXnfudc1S7y5f2G3r5Tmxq0w_HpjQ1WZi5eZ2KPZ1wE6DYqHVH9KFo0RLSNQg/s1920/TheBansheesOfInisherin1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhP73VdFu7JWw8cO4r84UzcOhio1srKcXZFriOAM9jZxd94zFSY8QNB2hkaEAPBHWAGITHNXWrWEClAEuPSQQsYo8q6wiKkNsNfi4GtWklsSIvKvQSPCpSjNAxCoH6eXnfudc1S7y5f2G3r5Tmxq0w_HpjQ1WZi5eZ2KPZ1wE6DYqHVH9KFo0RLSNQg/w495-h278/TheBansheesOfInisherin1.jpg" width="495" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McDonagh is one of few directors who allow Farrell to be Irish, and it brings out wonderful facets of personality.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The cast falls into this aforementioned laminar flow without disrupting anything, and bring their characters to full, colorful life. Absolute masterclass performances for characterization and brilliant, unforgettable line delivery. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson's easy chemistry is good to watch, and both also give tight, complex performances. Farrell carries the film though, and makes the plot's strange twists and turns feel plausible, bringing out the dark comedy tone. Without him hitting the right notes, this story easily could have felt downright unredeemable. He holds the line between the sincere and the absurd. Smaller standouts are Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan in supporting roles. I especially loved Condon because her character reflected my feelings in witnessing the story unfold.</p><p>Of them all, I was rooting for her the most. And, I think that was intentional. I think Martin McDonagh made me think and feel everything that he intended to. And that deserves accolades. I respect it. And yet, I can't shake the feeling that there's something wrong here. Whether it be some misstep of reason which means the truth of the story is a mistake, or whether it's simply a distaste for the way the truth is exposed—either way, I think it's best if this review goes unresolved. </p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-69632392535070419202022-12-21T16:42:00.000-05:002022-12-21T16:42:03.056-05:00Avatar: The Way of Water<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>It's been years since the original <i>Avatar</i>, and same goes for Jake Sully, who's formed a family and a comfortable way of life with the Na'vi. But the sky people return (surprise surprise) and a few of them are out for revenge (dun dun duun). The <i>Avatar</i> sequels were announced once the novelty of the original had worn off, when it was cool to trash James Cameron's space fantasy world. But this "unasked for" sequel has value which only its creator could have dreamed up—which is why it's good that he's the one telling this story and not your average cynical nitpicking filmgoer... like me.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDFB2IL522ikgnZA1M4GewRCMXmBadWm2_xeDjP6QZFLHq3yDinJJ_GON45E_wN3jpZhLtDqlVD7h2tZFfPo-8QD2VucAmO6SSk_5bYjz0F90mOr9DwpIySTjTqDeu-gC0ETrcTT4EzOvGTpYYcijXw4hGDim8kR2NnMfnZ_21GTeYlRcSVyn2D8EjA/s1296/AvatarTheWayofWater1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1296" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDFB2IL522ikgnZA1M4GewRCMXmBadWm2_xeDjP6QZFLHq3yDinJJ_GON45E_wN3jpZhLtDqlVD7h2tZFfPo-8QD2VucAmO6SSk_5bYjz0F90mOr9DwpIySTjTqDeu-gC0ETrcTT4EzOvGTpYYcijXw4hGDim8kR2NnMfnZ_21GTeYlRcSVyn2D8EjA/w541-h304/AvatarTheWayofWater1.jpg" width="541" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's nothing quite like a filmmaker who's excited about his own work.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The word that first comes to mind as I think about <i>The Way of Water</i> as a whole is "romantic." That might give the wrong idea, but it's the only word I have. James Cameron jumps back into the world of his own making, gushing—like a kid with a crush—hurrying to catch us up of the Sully family's life so he can bring them into a new sandbox to explore. He dutifully exposits about the status quo and sets up new characters, but despite the movie's 3-hour runtime, we get into the plot fast. He doesn't want to tell us any more than necessary, he wants to show us. To dig into the clay and sculpt and create. He has a storyteller's sensibilities and gleeful care for his story, and that excitement rubs off into every inch of the work.</p><p>That's why it's the first half of the second act that shines so well. This is the part we're all here for—the exploring of the world and culture of Pandora. It's especially fun because it focuses on the Sully kids character-wise. We get to know the second oldest, Lo'ak, as he befriends an outcast whale-like creature, and the older girl, Kiri, who's the adopted offspring of Sigourney Weaver's Avatar from the first movie. They don't explain exactly what happened there, leaving a little mystery to reveal in later sequels. She's a young teen, played by Sigourney Weaver, sulky insecure childishness and all. It must have been great fun for her. The magic of motion capture. The other new character standout for me was Spider—one of few exclusively human characters in the movie. He's a kid who "went native" and is always interacting with mo-cap characters—who are designed to be bigger than him. Another logistical and performance challenge. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRNIyQRHof2id0U0i1d6CNUbcahqh7DO0ZjsHgQIda6IhyC8GDLiVIDdejVcPvbl95WSlEiH2lo9pxfgkhrWyo1V-fwqQoVjzO-aGKfULlV58TtUTBGa-Ei6YMt0WmFiGexOcB5oN1dH63hS7WSX_xDTPynR1nFAmOfoWEsS_xLo4iIQKWlqyxYBOeg/s2048/AvatarTheWayofWater2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2048" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRNIyQRHof2id0U0i1d6CNUbcahqh7DO0ZjsHgQIda6IhyC8GDLiVIDdejVcPvbl95WSlEiH2lo9pxfgkhrWyo1V-fwqQoVjzO-aGKfULlV58TtUTBGa-Ei6YMt0WmFiGexOcB5oN1dH63hS7WSX_xDTPynR1nFAmOfoWEsS_xLo4iIQKWlqyxYBOeg/w542-h286/AvatarTheWayofWater2.jpg" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't care, I'll always enjoy the "making friends with animals" trope.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Despite the technology, the most impressive part for me is the worldbuilding. It reminds me of the little worlds I'd construct in my head as a child in a very specific way that I can't quite articulate. Contributing to the sense of romance? At any rate, the worldbuilding works so well because it's part of the story, not just the place in which the story takes place. Underwater exploration is accompanied with the Sully kids dipping their toes into the social hierarchy of their new peers and discovering their unique strengths. And Lo'ak's whale friend is not only vital to the plot, but serves as a character foil for him, and is introduced through a thrilling underwater attack sequence from what must be Pandora's only non-pacifist creature. At every turn, Cameron rewards our patience in sitting through 3 hours of his imagination brought to life, by using that imagination, and his skills as a filmmaker, to entertain us in return.</p><p>Even when the stakes rise and the third act rolls around, the imagination doesn't quell, and the inevitable sea battle had all the built-up character, stakes, and creative set-pieces in play to keep me from checking out as I so often do when a film's final battle starts up. Then things quiet and culminate in a more emotional, dramatic climax, which serves the theme over the movie's gleeful penchant for CGI explosions. I might say I'm surprised—that the movie won me over fast and never lost me to the end—but it's more that I'm relieved. More than relief even, it's rewarding my hope. I knew James Cameron was a filmmaker of the classic breed, but so many of his ilk have traded in their creative passion for an agenda. But no. He made a movie, and told a story. And he hits the beats of his medium with care and craftsmanship, not as a checklist around which to structure a pandering sermon.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVG_HU_Jyt0T_HWS4oTcFOIhxh0jxPEiYby23qkpyRlr6XL1efbjn5CjxTXk_EoRSlbrTcdBOps_MS60afr19P01CxryMGjumu7w7EwBCs2duDrAtAgyNvTVcYpTp8KBp1hew6LUbHYBLGxB7EweN9PRogpHEJRC2CGW-sGWBS7hbEfxiwuZz7dJYLA/s1200/AvatarTheWayofWater5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVG_HU_Jyt0T_HWS4oTcFOIhxh0jxPEiYby23qkpyRlr6XL1efbjn5CjxTXk_EoRSlbrTcdBOps_MS60afr19P01CxryMGjumu7w7EwBCs2duDrAtAgyNvTVcYpTp8KBp1hew6LUbHYBLGxB7EweN9PRogpHEJRC2CGW-sGWBS7hbEfxiwuZz7dJYLA/w543-h305/AvatarTheWayofWater5.jpg" width="543" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">This movie is proof then, that storytelling and movies aren't dead.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>As time passes, the refreshed novelty may fade again, and I may come to see more of the flaws—which do exist here. Some was too melodramatically silly even for me to take seriously. But for me, <i>Avatar</i> has never been about being flawless, or high art. That's not what's valuable about it. Take away the motion-capture, the CGI, the blue people on an alien planet, and you have a simple story. The first one was about a broken man finding his place in the world. This one's about a father trying to keep his family together. Jake's world shrinks, but becomes more personal, and so feels huge. This sequel is rare in that way—it doesn't retread old ground. It adds to what came before. Not ignoring it. Not retconning it. Genuinely building onto it. Complementing it, and growing deeper. The original <i>Avatar</i> increases in value because of it, rather than being thrown aside to make way for the new. And room for further expansion sits out there, waiting.</p><p>I don't know where on Pandora James Cameron will go and explore next, but as long as he's in love with his world, I will be too. I can't help it. His reliable craftmanship, high imagination, and creative romance sweeps me up into the fantasy every time.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-21885378199090776852022-11-06T16:26:00.000-05:002022-11-06T16:26:06.624-05:00Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris<p>It's always nice to see a good lead role come around for a talented character actor to take, but it's more than Lesley Manville's winning turn as the larger-than-life title character that makes this twee Paris adventure worth the admiration.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMl83LQbv4kYmRFHuKDTlmlFnUgCHybzb1e802rasjh9xuSqiN0-_p8ZBclilDYIqfodzMhnn1u12gNrrnPbyGlm01XbwUe7GA7EgtuE-iTQPowh4NeaItcAELkkYKXSyJu_v4R2vDW7iyga0ZW5oZLRJeAzZ7WoZPXtRZSajdcyrO1kIdEvYGM59SRQ/s4500/MrsHarrisGoesToParis1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="4500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMl83LQbv4kYmRFHuKDTlmlFnUgCHybzb1e802rasjh9xuSqiN0-_p8ZBclilDYIqfodzMhnn1u12gNrrnPbyGlm01XbwUe7GA7EgtuE-iTQPowh4NeaItcAELkkYKXSyJu_v4R2vDW7iyga0ZW5oZLRJeAzZ7WoZPXtRZSajdcyrO1kIdEvYGM59SRQ/w501-h300/MrsHarrisGoesToParis1.jpg" width="501" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adapted from the book by Paul Gallico.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Mrs. Harris is a war widow and cleaning lady. She has a slightly sad and woefully average existence, and sentimental, hopeful side that's too big for her circumstances. She decides she wants to go to Paris and buy a Christian Dior dress. She thinks it's meant to be. And maybe it is—her faith is rewarded with some good financial luck, and off she goes. Of course, it's not going to be so easy as to plop down some cash and grab a dress—but neither is it going to be so hard as to not be a fun and airy ride. </p><p>The balance between difficulties that arise and their sometimes magical solutions is what made this movie work as a whole for me. I'm not the biggest fan of twee entertainment simply because there never seems to be real stakes and all the conflict is simple misunderstandings. Pack on top of that characters who only exist to live out the wish fulfillment plot, and the affair turns boring fast. <i>Mrs. Harris</i> skips over that. First of all, she herself is an interesting and three-dimensional character. The people she meets are also more complex than "good guy" or "bad guy" and the movie takes turns in developing them, too. And while some conflict is resolved through luck or "magic" here, that does have a thematic reason, not just resolving things because they need to be resolved. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZZnTMEwklGv2-2yAB3hPLPIyWuJpOydyhL9DF_EDnRxpqfohnO3UlVD1-i4q3ZRY50hoMDP3KmTj59SdzxLp_xgLxGa1sgUh5CZAEGo5dS2Of91bzqXy2Y4M8KQtVMMk2C1du_ffoCVKNGgCCwZ9TVqhGs7RAMKce7PBvm0QkiNwYV6Xxcuk7CLX3Q/s1000/MrsHarrisGoesToParis2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZZnTMEwklGv2-2yAB3hPLPIyWuJpOydyhL9DF_EDnRxpqfohnO3UlVD1-i4q3ZRY50hoMDP3KmTj59SdzxLp_xgLxGa1sgUh5CZAEGo5dS2Of91bzqXy2Y4M8KQtVMMk2C1du_ffoCVKNGgCCwZ9TVqhGs7RAMKce7PBvm0QkiNwYV6Xxcuk7CLX3Q/w469-h312/MrsHarrisGoesToParis2.jpg" width="469" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great romantic subplot. But I'll get to that later...</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>I suppose it is very twee to say that things work out for Mrs. Harris because she's a kind and giving person who reaps as she sows. There is truth in that, but in real life perhaps not quite so overt. At any rate it satisfied both my taste for cozy entertainment, and my critical eye against lazy plotting. Lesley Manville shines in the role, big, warm, and delightful, and could have held my attention alone. She is joined, though, by a large and fleshed-out supporting cast. From her best friend, and her clients at home, to the Marquis in Paris who befriends her, to the dressmakers and models, right down to the politely nervous Air Force officer who brings her one of her bits of luck.</p><p>Every cozy adventure needs romance. And no, Mrs. Harris isn't too old for it herself, but a young couple in a movie like this will never be a waste, and in this case, they were my favorite aspect of all. Natasha, model, enormously pretty and face of Dior, who doesn't want the limelight or the job of entertaining top clients. And André, Dior's mild-mannered accountant. It is very much a side plot, but hits every note of the romantic arc with perfect ease simply by setting up the characters the right way. It is brief, and familiar, but full of strong moments that pushed all the right romantic buttons. And I rarely mention something like this, but it's vastly important here, and the best aspect along with Lesley Manville and the two adorable French lovebirds. Costumes. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfEVOuw7Qk4HXf3whbNfo9vIUQ-vLC60nxUpLdXbvYNlIIX9NI2D-_H8pNsn5VPeNGj5B79r5ylFTBhEL3pVU2ZnZ1940WH0aRQa-IwZB26k4KtXZNdxu4w-9Y4WpqaPMpNMs4YIY2O_OiPp7_aLJH1c46vTNfLJSH8x0QKOHRp-BkFrvHou_BAEzww/s4500/MrsHarrisGoesToParis3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4500" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfEVOuw7Qk4HXf3whbNfo9vIUQ-vLC60nxUpLdXbvYNlIIX9NI2D-_H8pNsn5VPeNGj5B79r5ylFTBhEL3pVU2ZnZ1940WH0aRQa-IwZB26k4KtXZNdxu4w-9Y4WpqaPMpNMs4YIY2O_OiPp7_aLJH1c46vTNfLJSH8x0QKOHRp-BkFrvHou_BAEzww/w474-h315/MrsHarrisGoesToParis3.jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel like such a girl, but it's true. The costumes were practically a character themselves.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>It's a movie about buying a Dior dress, after all. The scene that shows the collection is pivotal, and for more reason than that Mrs. Harris picks out the dress she wants. We get to see it all, as if we're invited to pick our favorites as well. As a girl, it worked on me. Even as a girl who likes story and character more than pretty costumes. The pretty costumes got to me. They were great. Vital. And extended beyond the Dior collection, too. Everyone is dressed with expert attention all the time, fitting and enhancing their character. It's the focus of the movie, which I might raise an eyebrow at in other circumstances, but here it bolsters the production quality, and doesn't get in the way of character or story either. An ideal balance.</p><p>So maybe it's not my typical kind of movie in theory—but it turns out that any story can be well-made, hit satisfying beats with well-developed characters, and make itself worth its existence as more than eye candy. <i>Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris</i> is an all-around treat. </p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-23845240381644091762022-09-07T22:55:00.004-04:002022-09-07T23:06:42.661-04:00The Black Phone<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>After dodging the bullet that was <i>Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness</i>, writer/director Scott Derrickson returned to doing his own thing his own way, and that's what <i>The Black Phone</i> is. A horror movie; with dark lighting and his signature uncomfortable tone. It plays out like a writing exercise for practicing setup and payoff, and I fully approve.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FIj9dkGELQKdJNQP-oApotVSa55EWBmunHpGaq7m8tMzt2Y9YeRjDoJfAJbfC7aaMJgGEwvX4to6MzA7SLQgekBtpOufYjX4-rXcTbasnGLpH5Kf0jK_X862S5NJzdWKPIUDzT4zlPQOmD1RZD0d2rv5SIM5XuPQQGmU6JgYX5cEe26yzsxQe75qHA/s1600/TheBlackPhone1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FIj9dkGELQKdJNQP-oApotVSa55EWBmunHpGaq7m8tMzt2Y9YeRjDoJfAJbfC7aaMJgGEwvX4to6MzA7SLQgekBtpOufYjX4-rXcTbasnGLpH5Kf0jK_X862S5NJzdWKPIUDzT4zlPQOmD1RZD0d2rv5SIM5XuPQQGmU6JgYX5cEe26yzsxQe75qHA/w519-h292/TheBlackPhone1.jpg" width="519" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adapted by Derrickson and Robert Cargill from a short story by Joe Hill.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The plot is set in the 70's, in an anywhere town with anybody families, where a pedophile serial killer is on the loose—Ethan Hawke, taking his usual charm and twisting it to creepy effect. 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames), and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) see the missing posters, hear the news, and see empty seats appear in the school classrooms, but no one really knows what to do about it. Gwen has dreams where she can see the kidnapped kids, and she thinks they may be clues sent to her from Jesus, but their dad (Jeremy Davies, a great role for him, though not heavily featured) doesn't want her turning out like their mom who thought she was psychic but was really just crazy. He forbids her from talking about the dreams.</p><p>But then, Finney gets taken. In the basement of the Grabber's house is a phone with the cord cut. Sometimes it still rings, though. And when Finney answers it, the disembodied spirits of the Grabber's victims give him advice on how to survive; and how to escape. Each time he tries a plan and it fails, another kid calls with another plan. On the outside, Gwen dreams clues as to his whereabouts, and a detective, believing in her abilities, helps her search. You can see where this is going. It builds, and builds, and builds, and we wait for the inevitable showdown. It's simple; basic, even. And I suppose that might be a criticism in some eyes, but not to me. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo7HrbvI0YPdpTArwauYdPslO7r7rjNNRnVKFokG7f0hBk-2SrrKee2W71dfZ_UoYAYPoZiMZJzTPyLtWd_pC_KjQ86VeGbSmkZZg-XsyYqkDzVBOmzb75JKIOxmk5KsTN9naDQdHNAECw5yo1i9rfS-dfn8N2TbP9rRVJWysd50se4R2RPhUtT81YA/s1478/TheBlackPhone2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1478" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo7HrbvI0YPdpTArwauYdPslO7r7rjNNRnVKFokG7f0hBk-2SrrKee2W71dfZ_UoYAYPoZiMZJzTPyLtWd_pC_KjQ86VeGbSmkZZg-XsyYqkDzVBOmzb75JKIOxmk5KsTN9naDQdHNAECw5yo1i9rfS-dfn8N2TbP9rRVJWysd50se4R2RPhUtT81YA/w466-h248/TheBlackPhone2.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think the best, most thrilling horror movies are the simple ones. Simple can be hard to pull off.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It impresses me when a movie shows me what it's doing and yet I'm still anxiously hoping I haven't been tricked when those last twists and turns come down the pike. We're made to think we are in the know about everything, but we aren't really—and once we're wrong once, then comes the thrill of worry that we're wrong about everything. Derrickson isn't making high art here, but he has respect for his craft and knows what's winning about his genre. So he packs his work full of horror thrills. Extreme situations, menacing villains, dread, suspense; the dark, twisted implications left just unsaid, weak protagonists who find strength, and even casual musings on spiritual elements.</p><p>The only thing that's "missing" is gore, or reveling in violence, and that makes me like it even more. It may not be high art but it's tasteful. And thoughtful. You get the sense that it spurs from the uncomfortable fears and nightmares of its creators, rather than a lazy penchant for jump-scares and splashing blood. The supernatural brings a handful of frightening moments, but unlike most supernatural horror, the supernatural here is a force for good. Gwen's down-to-earth faith in Jesus is mixed in and at home with the more typical supernatural horror elements of ghosts and psychicism. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1DqXPjVx7wIYKn2fJELLHIiWu916wgyFIqiCs9qN94kxEhUdqAX7zXIHb-WotEBH18KRTyWbaeKL_mDvEktvVFrDFxGBFlo3KehVkIW1RuJ-qyG2GVoCvIWNyQZ3cXYWaJh8o-d4tR-6DbvtU0c2cyQYOAqbULto__ZgHTOkl2ppDETmKDKHlxBrVw/s1920/TheBlackPhone3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1920" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1DqXPjVx7wIYKn2fJELLHIiWu916wgyFIqiCs9qN94kxEhUdqAX7zXIHb-WotEBH18KRTyWbaeKL_mDvEktvVFrDFxGBFlo3KehVkIW1RuJ-qyG2GVoCvIWNyQZ3cXYWaJh8o-d4tR-6DbvtU0c2cyQYOAqbULto__ZgHTOkl2ppDETmKDKHlxBrVw/w488-h203/TheBlackPhone3.jpg" width="488" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you like to mull over on movies, this one isn't lacking there either, though it doesn't demand it</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>What underlying beliefs or fears inspired the plot can be interesting, but the main appeal lies, simply, in the plot itself. It's sharp structure, classic themes, efficient pacing, and ever-patient planning. Plus characters to root for, be sad for, see change, or just plain despise—all packed together in a premise and tone that unnerves, unsettles, and thrills. The performances are roundly good, and the production quality high, but the strength of writing is what brings the winning concept home. <i>The Black Phone</i> is a simple, focused effort of pure entertainment.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-77489563510809484762022-09-06T21:44:00.000-04:002022-09-06T21:44:29.928-04:00Thirteen Lives<p>Ron Howard and true-life stories are a match made in heaven. Instead of reshaping the true and the real into fiction while adapting it to the innately fictional medium of film, Howard takes stories like this one—where a soccer team from Thailand gets trapped miles inside a cave when an unexpected rainstorm causes it to flood—and showcases what is already astonishing about the true story. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANe3YsG3yPBR2UD5NfdU9IY9xBAfD7zLV23mb5l5UX6T0DN2-9CdGb06tbMjF3KzkPFbEWjWj_I_Q0DFxTu6iGuD6hRQxAyFWQybVF4e_o53oUFUSG4bsMsQtMmlssVLcpO7-nirCeeL9aOB42smWi5oaJlmubn7-AGxjC9DE0xhiFGOnJd1ZGEMIhw/s1600/ThirteenLives1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANe3YsG3yPBR2UD5NfdU9IY9xBAfD7zLV23mb5l5UX6T0DN2-9CdGb06tbMjF3KzkPFbEWjWj_I_Q0DFxTu6iGuD6hRQxAyFWQybVF4e_o53oUFUSG4bsMsQtMmlssVLcpO7-nirCeeL9aOB42smWi5oaJlmubn7-AGxjC9DE0xhiFGOnJd1ZGEMIhw/w541-h304/ThirteenLives1.jpg" width="541" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As a rule, I don't care for movie based on true stories. Ron Howard overcomes that rule.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>He changes as little as he can. He doesn't push fake emotions. He doesn't add drama to the situation. He finds the subtle drama in the true moments and points a camera at it—highlighting the right moments in the right order to bring out the natural story arc and themes that are already there. And he hires actors who can show that nuance in a casual and honest way—like Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell, playing two British rescue divers who fly in to lend a hand. Later they recruit Joel Edgerton, and Tom Bateman, and together they make an unfathomable plan to swim the boys out before monsoon season floods the entire cave.</p><p>My memory of when this happened in real life is brief. I heard they were trapped, and that people were working to get them out. Then a few weeks later I heard they'd been rescued, and I wondered why it took so long. Now, to see exactly how impossible the situation really was, and how great a feat it was that they all survived, how hard everyone worked, even the entire concept of how they were rescued—it completely blew my mind. I was still reeling from the fact that each day of swimming to the boys and back was a 12-hour dive when they threw out the rescue plan as the only and best option, and I still can't quite wrap my mind around everything it entailed.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVreKz3dSnKLw5xw5mW9raay303aBFU1frE_Gn6wmbT_r9L9EAo1MxZ7_hna5Jz2MYgAcQIcO1P_BxyHNNT6UB7VLP1QNdmzuF8EdEXBYwSGSKCSepgtsuEqrWawtIZE8XEkjdX-lT56NG87X13Gc9JAcdppwKqqYxXmZfKF9kUxMMSH73RAIjc8H8Q/s4423/ThirteenLives2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2488" data-original-width="4423" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVreKz3dSnKLw5xw5mW9raay303aBFU1frE_Gn6wmbT_r9L9EAo1MxZ7_hna5Jz2MYgAcQIcO1P_BxyHNNT6UB7VLP1QNdmzuF8EdEXBYwSGSKCSepgtsuEqrWawtIZE8XEkjdX-lT56NG87X13Gc9JAcdppwKqqYxXmZfKF9kUxMMSH73RAIjc8H8Q/w451-h254/ThirteenLives2.jpg" width="451" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were many instances that made me protest aloud because of how crazy it all sounded.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>People who are capable and willing to do difficult things astonish me. And I guess that's a universal thing. We have stories with heroes in fiction who do the impossible for a noble cause all the time. Superheroes, though, have superpowers. The men who swam hours and hours through muddy water in narrow tunnels just to have a chance at saving a few people they never knew—they were normal human beings. They simply had the drive, the skills, and the will to put themselves at risk for a good result. They did a job, and they looked at it as a job. And the movie understands that. It doesn't make them out as superheroes. It shows their weakness, and the mundane aspects of their humanity, and then it shows them do heroic things—impossible things—and then (and this is what I loved most about the movie) it shows how their experience affects them. </p><p>The part that hit me the hardest was the first day they bring some of the boys out. The volunteers rush in and haul each kid away, leaving the diver alone and watching them go. Each actor they show do this has an incredible look on their face that tells of the physical and emotional gauntlet they had just come through, though they remained professional and stoic during the task. It absolutely broke my heart, and I love it because it wasn't shoved at me. Or slammed over my head. I just saw it. I know it was intentional, but the reservation of those moments is remarkable. Shown at a distance; not lingered on too long; or punctuated by overwrought music. You could almost think you're seeing something you're not meant to see. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQuliCgCf0ViwSmJpCePczeCpsRfRXKVTQ8w1uPy1njNRQ3-e6_1SQmLh9j1_7c30H4gQAYcKLylTDmUL8_rgcjtObPU6aBoo258JG5eFgbUg7jB8uQZqBCay2pKdbxrUiA_PDzgm10oflH5c6U1iKJhUYznz1QPe513C-letmOURkfdpHHcJ-pVilQ/s1200/ThirteenLives3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQuliCgCf0ViwSmJpCePczeCpsRfRXKVTQ8w1uPy1njNRQ3-e6_1SQmLh9j1_7c30H4gQAYcKLylTDmUL8_rgcjtObPU6aBoo258JG5eFgbUg7jB8uQZqBCay2pKdbxrUiA_PDzgm10oflH5c6U1iKJhUYznz1QPe513C-letmOURkfdpHHcJ-pVilQ/w459-h258/ThirteenLives3.jpg" width="459" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What must it be like, to volunteer your skills, your time, and your very person to become the difference between life and death for another human?</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Any director can have style and flair, but it takes a master to create art that leaves no fingerprints. Howard's hand is invisible in this film, yet we still see what he's pointing to. Through his deft and discreet craftmanship, and cast full of equally dedicated performances, we get a beautifully nuanced glimpse of real-life heroes, and from the comfort of our homes, experience the mountain of hardships they willingly faced down for the chance to achieve something good. I'm grateful for men like that, and for the artists who, through their invisibility, make them visible.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-2504303638197394152022-08-12T17:28:00.002-04:002022-08-17T13:49:47.232-04:00The Cursed<p>Not your grandad's werewolf story. Actually, it's more like your great-great grandad's werewolf story, and that's exactly what makes it stand out. Watching it, I could almost believe that it was adapted from some gothic horror story written in the late 1800's, when the story is set.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO99sYRP6V3yhDTYbfzHqLuMl2LkJYDg6bhUm666w8Hjtkjnu3r0JrfYnYXQO4kgFeMQkQRvftZ1FYdsodd3eutkLMeJjOjEQCuKs2fcRzv9BbVR1BhrJp7SwSNUXMNtS8fly5_SGpg0DZomFcgyoOECfptOhKNokuG6ao2SwjIZb_ALDWxfaAP2_sQ/s1400/TheCursed1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1400" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO99sYRP6V3yhDTYbfzHqLuMl2LkJYDg6bhUm666w8Hjtkjnu3r0JrfYnYXQO4kgFeMQkQRvftZ1FYdsodd3eutkLMeJjOjEQCuKs2fcRzv9BbVR1BhrJp7SwSNUXMNtS8fly5_SGpg0DZomFcgyoOECfptOhKNokuG6ao2SwjIZb_ALDWxfaAP2_sQ/w486-h273/TheCursed1.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean Ellis wrote, directed, and did his own cinematography work. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Originally titled <i>Eight for Silver</i>, referencing the old nursery rhyme, because silver naturally plays an important role. But changed to the more mundane <i>The Cursed</i> because the plot also heavily features a curse set on an old English estate by a band of gypsies who are murdered when they try to stake a claim on the land. The movie takes its time in getting started, establishing the Laurent family and showing the ill-advised murders in grisly detail, as well as the set of silver wolf's teeth a gypsy witch fashions for the curse. It's not until the children dig up the teeth and one of them gets bitten, subsequently disappearing, that the story's hero comes on scene—McBride, a pathologist, who has experience in these strange circumstances.</p><p>From there McBride drives the story, the setup so thorough and detailed that the plot glides along effortlessly on its strength. We know many beats of the story already; people will be attacked, the survivors changing too, until McBride closes in on the beast and discovers how to stop it. A classic in many ways. There's appeal in a classic story told well for me, but there's also a fresh appeal in this one's approach. Details of the creature design, origin and behavior which bring out the eerie and bleak style of horror. The character of the family involved. And most of all for me, the period setting, and location. The house, the village and the surrounding woods all make for a memorable, creepy, and gorgeous visual for the story to live in—a crucial element for gothic tales.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SoZLSJiHXYiwXPcbdK93bIf6h5jLqtiF45e96gJvlJpL6I6qhuF_BtJ6eCGqFrylQORWo9AohM6EDCAQ2l5TFy3_3uFpgt7ZvQ03xDaKEyIS6Hfs9mA-bFiEiDuh0XWjMOHq9J7Vx91DYTZmbd089DkkkrNKqbRSAaux6-xGmOoBnYilnhKnd4qtlA/s740/TheCursed2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="740" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SoZLSJiHXYiwXPcbdK93bIf6h5jLqtiF45e96gJvlJpL6I6qhuF_BtJ6eCGqFrylQORWo9AohM6EDCAQ2l5TFy3_3uFpgt7ZvQ03xDaKEyIS6Hfs9mA-bFiEiDuh0XWjMOHq9J7Vx91DYTZmbd089DkkkrNKqbRSAaux6-xGmOoBnYilnhKnd4qtlA/w452-h230/TheCursed2.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The imagery of the silver teeth was a great touch. There are many good details like that.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I have a soft spot for the sort of low-tech horror that happens here. Someone taking the time to load their muzzleloader rifle before firing an important shot brings the same sort of suspense as a modern-day scene wishes it could when it makes characters suddenly clumsy in their panic to load something that should take two seconds. The army takes days to arrive unlike modern cops, so there is no need to fabricate a reason why outside help doesn't come. Suddenly a single threat becomes so monstrous that you wonder how it will ever be dealt with. A great example of how less is more. Without having to overblow the horror element to get attention, the film has plenty of spare time to spend on character and lore development. </p><p>While it's not my new favorite movie or anything, I'm at a loss for any significant flaw here. The one thing that comes to mind is that Boyd Holbrook isn't British, and that is apparent when he speaks next to his British castmates. He errs on the subtle side mostly which is smart, but sometimes he'll say something that just plain sounds wrong. I enjoy watching Holbrook far too much to care though. And as far as performance goes, everyone hits the spot. Besides the spotty accent, Holbrook feels every bit the gothic horror hero, balancing that simple and able determination of old-fashioned leads with the undercurrent of past wounds that keeps audiences engaged. Kelly Reilly's soft strength is perfect for the mother, as is complex coldness Alistair Petrie brings to the father. The children are excellent, and the supporting cast a vital and winning addition.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiw19uKc4TL7GHNn55vxH5LPDUK7Iz2tWSzpmypu2gDCSXnyTL91MNf_fjl6sYtZBPc8XFCKx1L34TMY6zPOVK8RdZljV9d6Sj6OsuavNEotF4_-GM24ag5cIfJmLo63HPcadd5e0eGLPspynWzH7MgaNWtPRsnlmAEDI5IbUufcZvTzoGtqP3ihUQOw/s820/TheCursed3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="820" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiw19uKc4TL7GHNn55vxH5LPDUK7Iz2tWSzpmypu2gDCSXnyTL91MNf_fjl6sYtZBPc8XFCKx1L34TMY6zPOVK8RdZljV9d6Sj6OsuavNEotF4_-GM24ag5cIfJmLo63HPcadd5e0eGLPspynWzH7MgaNWtPRsnlmAEDI5IbUufcZvTzoGtqP3ihUQOw/w451-h254/TheCursed3.jpg" width="451" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The daughter's old timey accent was flawless.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The slow, depressed gothic approach to the horror element won't be for people looking for a more intense, action-heavy, or scream-inducing horror experience, but it gets the tone exactly right for my tastes. It's the sort of movie you can dig into—and one that digs into you right back. The ending seals it all into a neat and emotionally resonate package, leading me to the observation that this is a story of singular vision; written, directed, and even shot by the same man. And with minimal interference, his vision comes through with deft skill and purposeful heart. I would praise it for that even if I didn't find much personal worth in the story itself. <i>The Cursed</i> or<i> Eight for Silver</i>, whatever it is called, this monster movie of old-fashioned sensibilities is worth seeking out.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-9343445079254475632022-07-06T16:49:00.004-04:002022-07-06T16:54:12.351-04:00The Outfit<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p><i>The Outfit</i> is a movie set in the 1950's, inside a single tailor shop, where the bad guys are mobsters, and no one can be trusted, and it stars Mark Rylance, Johnny Flynn, Zoey Deutch, and Dylan O'Brien, which reads to me more like a fantasy football lineup for movie stars than a cast list that would ever actually happen. And yet—somehow—it misses the mark on feeling like a film that was made just for me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0L2SiDECV5tXae36WmhYMLgv7gkxhtf3BYEWehxFyk22tV-iCJuv4sRGmsOyM7c4JLKkErcrjsgqXrWQpqesSoiJxKyAC4aB2UMJoKVYz2AfCJtTGhA7HHN81XRMrzIYU_ofbC25tc3Qr_BgmH59IJqn4pFIGClw-FpZasuNHrskyTogGUEzLJ3Z2yQ/s3840/TheOutfit1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1897" data-original-width="3840" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0L2SiDECV5tXae36WmhYMLgv7gkxhtf3BYEWehxFyk22tV-iCJuv4sRGmsOyM7c4JLKkErcrjsgqXrWQpqesSoiJxKyAC4aB2UMJoKVYz2AfCJtTGhA7HHN81XRMrzIYU_ofbC25tc3Qr_BgmH59IJqn4pFIGClw-FpZasuNHrskyTogGUEzLJ3Z2yQ/w541-h268/TheOutfit1.jpg" width="541" /></a></div><p>I can't say that makes it a bad film at all though. Far from it. It has a concise and thought-out structure to it that gives it a very intentional feel. Much like the suit that Mark Rylance's character cuts and sews throughout the story. It treats filmmaking as a structured craft more than a freeform art, and the tone that sets goes well with a plot set inside a tailor's shop. It has strong bookends, gently interwoven themes, and conversations that are deliciously subtextual and often subtly intense. And despite its neat structure, it does many things that you won't expect, that turn the plot into new and interesting directions. The overall picture is as neat and trim as a new suit. </p><p>And yet... when you look closer, things begin to, shall we say, unravel. Some of the twists and turns may feel so completely unexpected because they couldn't reasonably happen in reality. In small things, only ever little details, the writing skirts by, making important plot changes happen on the flimsiest of foundations. Sometimes characters will tell lies that make no sense at all, yet the characters being lied to buy it without question. We the audience might notice at first but then be lulled back into the story by the character's belief, or another lie or another twist that makes us forget the last one. On and on it goes until it neatly wraps up the ending and hopes you won't remember the skimping that happened in the middle.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWJYFWon8QYpS7nCMaQKjArm2GJ59-uSvY_AjX_x1HU18EATcWQP_aFutfgCbIGoJ7Q2FhuwLj-Fxv-OxDsIctsCQrECsuX-jS5t8sxZYSO8U34Bs3VbAaSeCe19zuCBtpwoUkmMyGM6U96yiPvzAhCtFCKdRD-OvSkYt6HGg7ChHulTHqfgfHpYX7A/s1322/TheOutfit2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="1322" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWJYFWon8QYpS7nCMaQKjArm2GJ59-uSvY_AjX_x1HU18EATcWQP_aFutfgCbIGoJ7Q2FhuwLj-Fxv-OxDsIctsCQrECsuX-jS5t8sxZYSO8U34Bs3VbAaSeCe19zuCBtpwoUkmMyGM6U96yiPvzAhCtFCKdRD-OvSkYt6HGg7ChHulTHqfgfHpYX7A/w489-h263/TheOutfit2.jpg" width="489" /></a></div><p></p><p>And as much as I enjoyed the conversation-heavy thriller aspect, and as much as I generally go for single-location stories, those things here often felt to be a waste of the cast's talent. They do a lot—particularly Mark Rylance in the lead—but never reach a point where the roles seem to be a challenge. The learning and dedication required for Rylance to become a convincing "cutter" (as he calls himself) seems like a normal Tuesday for him. Same for Johnny Flynn's underperformed and cool villainy. Same for Zoey Deutch's sweet, but tough, but sweet, but tough receptionist. Same for Dylan O'Brien's tendency to lean into the physicality of his roles. I'm a fan of all four, particularly Rylance and O'Brien, so seeing a film that exists to highlight performance keep them to this "comfort zone" was a little disappointing. But maybe that's not fair of me.</p><p>I think at the bottom of this mystery, the disconnect I feel with it is in the plot itself. Perhaps a little in the skimping of plot turns, but mostly in the turns themselves, that took the story further and further from where I wanted it to go. Maybe it's not fair to claim this as a complaint either, or maybe the story really would have served itself better by taking more predictable but more manageable turns. Regardless, the craft is undeniable, often fascinating, and worth a look.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-4245164647590280202022-07-05T12:18:00.000-04:002022-07-05T12:18:40.739-04:00Top Gun: Maverick<p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The phenomenon of <i>Top Gun: Maverick</i> isn't that it's an exceptionally good high quality summer blockbuster—it's simply that high quality summer blockbusters haven't existed for about five years. (And even then they were a dying breed.) Likewise, the magic of <i>Top Gun: Maverick</i> isn't that it's the greatest gap-sequel ever made—it's more that no other sequel made so many years later has ever been able to boast of having a worthy reason to exist.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCz1LomehimHLbBDXAiJRyJ_xXj4ZkUJEmyXwfuH4dHLu2R_kIIfhuI9vGvRW24TShItv5cdNXmZghyf9oUsJ0cWMvqDEuMCVGsPERE_FmYmZwbh0k3FKN7o7lLtxX5daeWkROoDDCJLLpZEOhLOl5-liqRydGkx5UOzSgSmOuUFrDW0sJacMjpkbpRw/s4000/TopGunMaverick1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1676" data-original-width="4000" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCz1LomehimHLbBDXAiJRyJ_xXj4ZkUJEmyXwfuH4dHLu2R_kIIfhuI9vGvRW24TShItv5cdNXmZghyf9oUsJ0cWMvqDEuMCVGsPERE_FmYmZwbh0k3FKN7o7lLtxX5daeWkROoDDCJLLpZEOhLOl5-liqRydGkx5UOzSgSmOuUFrDW0sJacMjpkbpRw/w561-h235/TopGunMaverick1.jpg" width="561" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">And yet here we are, our socks knocked off by another one of Tom Cruise's filmmaking efforts. He may be the last person making movies who actually cares whether his products are entertaining or not. Here, he returns as his original character, Pete Mitchell, callsign Maverick, assigned back to Top Gun to train an elite batch of aviators for a specific, daring, and possibly deadly mission. One candidate, callsign Rooster (Miles Teller) is the son of Maverick's old co-pilot who died in the first movie, and tension rises between them as Maverick struggles between his job of picking the best team to risk their lives on the mission, and his own personal mission of protecting his friend's son.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's a pretty sweet set up, ripe for drama, but not so complex as to take away time from the entertainment of training exercises, which range from aerial dogfights to playing football on the beach. For a side plot, Maverick takes up a romance with a former flame, Jennifer Connelly, and before you know it, I was wishing Tom Cruise wasn't in the movie so much—because the one thing left unfulfilled is the dynamics between the candidates. The loose definition of their unique personalities made me wish for more. And then Hangman, the Iceman equivalent, and his antagonistic relationship with Rooster is rendered pointless by Rooster's more convincing antagonistic relationship to Maverick—but even that is put on hold for too long. When it comes due is when the movie starts to really shine.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIpN3bGF_9oyvw5XNg_KyBtAju6Bx8aJtvxya3Vckeq99u8sU7Rh7rsqGEBAm8uZKxRonhiKZz1Tp3ymhyaSASoeOWFJbDy5FjXilHjVzLYoon3JtYeFEjdDkMCL3QOSk-KfeDOcBthS03Sl7OxDgAUJrW8-JEEyf3nt_t_uTn8tXYu71UIRDZuDAuQ/s2560/TopGunMaverick2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="2560" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIpN3bGF_9oyvw5XNg_KyBtAju6Bx8aJtvxya3Vckeq99u8sU7Rh7rsqGEBAm8uZKxRonhiKZz1Tp3ymhyaSASoeOWFJbDy5FjXilHjVzLYoon3JtYeFEjdDkMCL3QOSk-KfeDOcBthS03Sl7OxDgAUJrW8-JEEyf3nt_t_uTn8tXYu71UIRDZuDAuQ/w542-h262/TopGunMaverick2.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I would have liked the movie to split time between Maverick's antics and what the candidates are up to when he's not around, but at the same time I get it. It's the Tom Cruise show because the film wouldn't exist without him. You can't begrudge him taking the spotlight, or deny that everything he does is entertaining. I just can't help but wonder if it would have been better had it been more balanced. Just a tad. In that light, it was the third act that sold the film for me. When everything comes to a head, and it starts to feel like an equal character match-up between Maverick and Rooster. This section also has most of the thrilling flying action (on which a Tom Cruise movie will never, ever skimp) and the most real stakes and tension as they take on the deadly mission.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The whole movie builds to this point, and it doesn't disappoint in any aspect. It has the realness that Cruise is known for to make you feel it—the thrill that can only come when there's also a notable lack of CGI. I got a big kick out of seeing the actors react while inside actual, actually flying fighter jets. And because everything was set up previously, the whole act is a neat series of payoff after payoff after payoff, each one more satisfying and rewarding than the last. Character drama and fun action mix together to splendid results, and an old-fashioned magic of storytelling comes to life. It's all so simple and won me over so easily that I wonder how the art was ever lost in the first place.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLZbbJQ_DRcJ3ZbmGn3p1YabmCPcs1qut2lHSOnTGHWOvIil7TjQw1r5bIw7HO-xaI51pP8cVxu5ZmCEmCDnzmXrA1mQxIqcgXAxlJbUKKQuEb2gvxSRdL3ZJhB69aSFVTYKzIaotyNFbs_qY-UOBNJ7jVcdDpAVkBWXVu8apCa6Kfv95mTBvuST-Lg/s1847/TopGunMaverick3%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1847" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLZbbJQ_DRcJ3ZbmGn3p1YabmCPcs1qut2lHSOnTGHWOvIil7TjQw1r5bIw7HO-xaI51pP8cVxu5ZmCEmCDnzmXrA1mQxIqcgXAxlJbUKKQuEb2gvxSRdL3ZJhB69aSFVTYKzIaotyNFbs_qY-UOBNJ7jVcdDpAVkBWXVu8apCa6Kfv95mTBvuST-Lg/w487-h267/TopGunMaverick3%20(2).jpg" width="487" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">So, if </span><i style="text-align: left;">Top Gun: Maverick</i><span style="text-align: left;"> is great and a phenomenon just because every other modern film is bad and worthless, that doesn't change the fact. It has the magic, and it is a phenomenon. It's dastardly entertaining in ways I thought films had forgotten to be. Not exceptional in the big picture, but certainly exceptional for its time. My hope is this: that this rare blockbuster isn't a throwback to good and entertaining movies at all—but the instigator of a resurgence.</span></div><p></p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-55106935094405192582022-05-09T01:26:00.000-04:002022-05-09T01:26:21.802-04:00The King's Daughter<p><i>Some spoilers. </i></p><p>I swear there's a good movie in here somewhere. The question is, does the lack of it even matter? </p><p>It's about a French girl (Kaya Scodelario) in the 1600's who's taken from her monastery home to live in King Louis XIV's palace, unaware that she's his daughter. She loves music so when she hears a strange song at night, she follows it to an underground pool where a mermaid is being held captive, waiting on an eclipse so she can be sacrificed to give the King eternal life. The girl befriends the mermaid, as well as the handsome sailor (Benjamin Walker) who caught her, and a predictable series of romantic adventure ensues.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6BpP2rcBghwgfn95g1ykPz1nQ23Nh6kUtA69yLadOqplfOZ9WztKkrg1CCsLfKQf0pWSasJn9ii25wjxYj3dpQ1V9t8pD4wgSxRAX322RuMA4PjTHW7lAYY-uIZIHQ84egfs6OMFiY4Eto67jKekGoW8awvh33epqO7mOwj62WMvd9ezuTx3CotFJQ/s1600/TheKingsDaughter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6BpP2rcBghwgfn95g1ykPz1nQ23Nh6kUtA69yLadOqplfOZ9WztKkrg1CCsLfKQf0pWSasJn9ii25wjxYj3dpQ1V9t8pD4wgSxRAX322RuMA4PjTHW7lAYY-uIZIHQ84egfs6OMFiY4Eto67jKekGoW8awvh33epqO7mOwj62WMvd9ezuTx3CotFJQ/w552-h309/TheKingsDaughter1.jpg" width="552" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It certainly is... special.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Except the movie is quite a mess, and those appealing ideas of fairytale romance and adventure get a little buried in the jumble. The movie spends more time with the plotting King (Pierce Brosnan) his Priest (William Hurt) and the "scientist" who's going to kill the mermaid for him. They spend a lot of time bickering about God and science, or rambling about nothing much at all. Then there's the drama between the King and the girl as he doesn't tell her she's his daughter but hires her to play music for him outside his window every morning, and then once he tells her he immediately tries to merry her off to some simpering duke, which doesn't go over well of course but doesn't really go anywhere plot-wise either except to make her realize he's not so great a dad. </p><p>It's like the movie understood what kind of tropes would be appealing, but had no idea how to actually use them. I loved the idea of her being engaged to a bad guy while falling in love with the sailor, but we never get to see the tension and conflict that situation should raise. I don't think she even sees the duke while knowing their marriage is arranged. And the sailor only finds out about it a minute before it's not an issue anymore. The movie touches on so many tropes that I enjoy that I wasn't disappointed, but it seems to have cinematic ADHD, hoping to and fro whatever topic pops into its head in real time. Scenes end abruptly, or cut in and out without apparent reason, and don't have the stamina to find the compelling content they're obviously searching for.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwCzC2Nh7sQJwz30O4pwTricDb5nqpe9RvqayJm6h0rbvFQR2XTbdjCeIIrSIB13WkAJ_74Q5v338-UV5TfNrhyhF54hxZ4fkwXjEqJV4KIHk7qWYj3ZQFx73iwoLO4ohrr-p7CC3ShulbsC5gJhWU8Wko21bat9AUrLzG0v0S5EMMjSsgQHy3BBUHQ/s1916/TheKingsDaughter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1916" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwCzC2Nh7sQJwz30O4pwTricDb5nqpe9RvqayJm6h0rbvFQR2XTbdjCeIIrSIB13WkAJ_74Q5v338-UV5TfNrhyhF54hxZ4fkwXjEqJV4KIHk7qWYj3ZQFx73iwoLO4ohrr-p7CC3ShulbsC5gJhWU8Wko21bat9AUrLzG0v0S5EMMjSsgQHy3BBUHQ/w550-h275/TheKingsDaughter2.jpg" width="550" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun fact, these two are married irl, and they met filming this movie, in... *checks notes* 2014?? It was released this year, so that's 8 years on the shelf. Wild.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>If I were the actors involved, I'd probably wish it had stayed on the shelf. It's a bit embarrassing. But as a movie fan, I'm glad it was released, even with all the weirdness. Brosnan and Hurt phone in their stuff, but I'm not mad about it. There's nothing in the script that's worth getting worked up for and they're entertaining without trying. Scodelario tries, bless her, but her efforts only made me laugh when paired with the clunky lines she's trying to convey. Benjamin Walker's character is very much a K-Mart brand Will Turner but still somehow manages to be halfway dashing. The cheesy romance was probably the best aspect simply because cheesy romance increases in value the cheesier it gets. Still, I can't help but think there was a path here for something a step above—more real character development over empty platitudes to give the cheese a foundation on which to thrive.</p><p>The tropey appeal cannot overcome the mess. It's badly written, badly cobbled together with bad performances, laughably modern costumes, cheap CGI, and a smattering of sweeping wonder. I enjoyed it all, but only because swashbuckling fairytales like this barely exist at all—let alone in any better realm of quality.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-19163158472331871872022-05-03T21:05:00.001-04:002022-05-03T21:05:08.072-04:00Moonfall<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>The master of cinematic destruction is back with another epic world-in-peril film, and it may be my favorite of them all! </p><p>Though no one would accuse Roland Emmerich of making high art, what he does do is put a lot of effort and money into making big, entertaining blockbusters in his specific style. And that's what I love about this movie. It doesn't do anything by half measure. The Earth is under attack again—this time by the moon itself! Once its orbit begins to degrade it's only a matter of weeks before collision. Most of the world goes into panic mode, leaving it up to disgraced astronaut Patrick Wilson, his estranged work partner Halle Berry, and a crazy internet conspiracy theorist John Bradley (who turns out to be not-so-crazy, of course) to figure out how to save the day. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekrVy8cccBdaOXNb4XrctAPfPIWRSyeeENEa9fBPzsjyXBOMQn6WP4Ry_teyTgUxbmZh_QP6A3MngYV1bTdplT809CKOTg65jZymNxzoG57rwi1Ko4I545vKwVgDm6Fih23Ifre4BRKn8GgWnsXU72L2gYJUT8RZaf1yRUWNEyOElSi01Aw_CZCo2Ww/s1200/Moonfall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekrVy8cccBdaOXNb4XrctAPfPIWRSyeeENEa9fBPzsjyXBOMQn6WP4Ry_teyTgUxbmZh_QP6A3MngYV1bTdplT809CKOTg65jZymNxzoG57rwi1Ko4I545vKwVgDm6Fih23Ifre4BRKn8GgWnsXU72L2gYJUT8RZaf1yRUWNEyOElSi01Aw_CZCo2Ww/w558-h291/Moonfall1.jpg" width="558" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Moon gets really close to the Earth and it looks cool. What more could you ask for???</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Meanwhile they have family issues to keep the characters grounded in a sort of relatable reality, so the stakes aren't too big for us to bother to care about. Wilson has his delinquent son (Charlie Plummer), ex-wife, and her new husband (Michael Peña!), and Berry has her ex-husband and their daughter—all left behind on earth to witness the catastrophe as the leads go into space to confront the alien problem. We've seen it all before, but I've never seen it work better than under Emmerich's direction. He shows us what we want to see. Or, at least, me. The thing that tickled me the most was how he used real and strange facts about the Moon to build his plot around. Like how it "rang like a bell" when Apollo 12 launched their descent module into it. Though the movie finds fantastic and unlikely reasons for these things, there's a genuine sense of mystery and wonder there.</p><p>Visually it was good enough that I now wish I'd bothered to see it on a big screen. The Moon being so close to the Earth of course provides a stunning visual. Elsewhere green screens are incredibly obvious. But elsewhere again, the alien design and space scenes have an obvious budget and effort put in. The family drama is fairly scant and cliché, but that's not to say bad, and one or two scenes and some dedicated line delivery from solid actors is all it needs to stick. Patrick Wilson was great casting and really sells the whole story. Then there's the general destruction. My least favorite part of disaster movies, funnily enough. There are a few interesting situations for the characters to navigate, plus plenty of floods, crumbling buildings, and those scenes where someone's using a white board to illustrate what horrors will occur next. It's really classic stuff.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3KS5ZbTahx3cUnAB4mDsTxkIULKE78HwjQgCnYOesguCHhP1_QbbvteoUeZsIQM9iM71WutB5bnJIPyWA4T-csRnxAvZbH3AfuKXlyUFx3ZIdfuguyMuKnJFGi8cHT0l7xVmsg-ETr5koWOvpPTH3bGxnE5t8oWOs2aSuMH-TRaXxTmhD7A36R-rxg/s1920/Moonfall2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1920" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3KS5ZbTahx3cUnAB4mDsTxkIULKE78HwjQgCnYOesguCHhP1_QbbvteoUeZsIQM9iM71WutB5bnJIPyWA4T-csRnxAvZbH3AfuKXlyUFx3ZIdfuguyMuKnJFGi8cHT0l7xVmsg-ETr5koWOvpPTH3bGxnE5t8oWOs2aSuMH-TRaXxTmhD7A36R-rxg/w537-h221/Moonfall2.jpg" width="537" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm trying and failing to think of a way this movie could have been more enjoyable for me. </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>And I guess that's why I got such a big kick out of it. It's classic. Not highbrow, but doesn't talk down to its audience either. It doesn't even bother to preach on woke topics, it just gleefully focuses on all it's cool ideas, with a sweet if small family-oriented center, and in that vein, does its own thing, and does it well. I know a lot of people are down on it, but I for one am not ready for the fun to be sapped out of all our movies. Completely uncynical, involving space, and family, and sacrificial love, cool in concept and awesome to look at—MOONFALL hits the spot and checks all the boxes for what I've been craving. Maybe it was made for me alone, but either way I can't help but give it an enthusiastic recommendation!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-15400756268434745702022-04-19T16:17:00.001-04:002022-04-19T16:19:01.939-04:00Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022)<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>It may be hidden away on Britbox, unlikely to ever be seen by many potential fans, but Hugh Laurie's take on this Agatha Christie standalone mystery may also be my favorite Christie adaptation ever, so I must tell you about it.</p><p>It stars Will Poulter as Bobby Jones and Lucy Boynton as Lady Frances Derwent—and right there you have half the reason why it's so much fun. While out caddying one day, Bobby stumbles upon a man who's fallen over a cliff. Before the man dies, he asks a single question: "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Bobby soon reconnects with his childhood friend, Lady "Frankie" who has a penchant for sticking her nose into situations with the kind of charm and grace that makes it forgivable, and together they are pulled into a thrilling mystery plot as they try and work out who Evan is, and who didn't ask them what.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAdC34O3Ry55aW6xpbujM6sXc5z_8HMHd9h5Cafm6Oj283gyKa2bB46nWBDEYBpFyF9Ibw5xWIVTBnnz5I0tecfYXqQvYdZhhm-cZvF0kdZwxm5MUxPyPIEtY4HgAM7Q5PAOpanPN1qFwhequiTG19Z_o97M3KGVEk442K-jv6f3j6oggt8rgZwWcuQ/s700/WhyDidntTheyAskEvans1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="700" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAdC34O3Ry55aW6xpbujM6sXc5z_8HMHd9h5Cafm6Oj283gyKa2bB46nWBDEYBpFyF9Ibw5xWIVTBnnz5I0tecfYXqQvYdZhhm-cZvF0kdZwxm5MUxPyPIEtY4HgAM7Q5PAOpanPN1qFwhequiTG19Z_o97M3KGVEk442K-jv6f3j6oggt8rgZwWcuQ/w531-h319/WhyDidntTheyAskEvans1.jpg" width="531" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Frankie does most of the pulling, and Bobby most of the getting pulled. They make a great team.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Agatha Christie is known for weaving impressive and un-guessable mysteries, but the more I read and watch of her stories, the more I think it's her characters that are the most vital. <i>Why Didn't They Ask Evans?</i> isn't her most memorable work as far as mystery goes, but it still stands out, and is one of my favorites, even before this version came around. The simple intrigue of the central question and the duo of Frankie and Bobby are what make this story shine. Hugh Laurie understood that (he wrote and directed this, plus takes a small but key role), and he puts most of his focus on the two leads. Each of their scenes, even the ones that are just deducing and theorizing, are packed to the brim with wit and banter, great chemistry (thanks to the casting), and a grand sense of fun. </p><p>Laurie's adapting should have poor Kenneth Branagh turning green. For one, Laurie gets three hours to tell the story instead of a movie length, so he gets to indulge in the parts of the story that are the most fun. Mostly characters as previously mentioned, but also the cozy mystery tone. There's a beautiful balance of foreboding and building suspense mixed with light, airy, distinctly British wit and comedy. Every other scene has a line to laugh at, and there's obvious thought put into clever scene construction. The lost art of set-up and pay-off. Laurie also expands some parts of the book into more cinematic sequences that won me over easily despite my tendency to prefer direct adaptation. Laurie's writing and directing sensibilities complement Christie's work rather than conflict with it, and the result is, I daresay, enhancing.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyU8uLj2VG2tSL_aJwO6thGx5qQrSPZ-qDLQ_GdwGrFgjZhqjsvWDymXWVzptYy2VFaMtSGZ8D7FH8OLGNtNX9AxQgRf68gZg5z5tuO0BGu5zlR9kigqOOcadZ3un3_ST9tVlyFW511F-phd774kxieXbDT3NrEoGG9paGHTfOcB1aruD3c4yLSUUTA/s980/WhyDidntTheyAskEvans3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="980" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyU8uLj2VG2tSL_aJwO6thGx5qQrSPZ-qDLQ_GdwGrFgjZhqjsvWDymXWVzptYy2VFaMtSGZ8D7FH8OLGNtNX9AxQgRf68gZg5z5tuO0BGu5zlR9kigqOOcadZ3un3_ST9tVlyFW511F-phd774kxieXbDT3NrEoGG9paGHTfOcB1aruD3c4yLSUUTA/w492-h329/WhyDidntTheyAskEvans3.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish Christie had written more Bobby/Frankie stories so we could get more of Poulter and Boynton together. Totally adorable. </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The only hang-up here is that so much time is spent in fun, cozy sleuthing with the two adorable bantering leads that time runs out and the mystery plot seems rushed once it comes around to the dramatic ending. The dramatic ending doesn't culminate into a grand reveal like when Poirot gathers his suspects and explains everything succinctly. It's more given to us in bite-sized pieces that don't flow like the rest of the story does. Part of that is due to Christie's structure in the book, which isn't her best, but this adaptation deviates most toward the end and loses a little of the explanation she provided. A thread or two is left hanging, and the wrap up happens so fast I was left wishing for five more minutes to revel in the success. </p><p>I get the distinct feeling that the three-hour time limit came due, and Laurie had to choose between wrap up and explanation scenes, and some of those gloriously witty character scenes in the beginning and middle. He chose the character scenes. And as far as I'm concerned, he chose wisely. I'm completely in love with Will Poulter, Lucy Boynton, and this charming little mystery. </p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-37529301865505011032022-03-10T17:20:00.000-05:002022-03-10T17:20:30.979-05:00The Batman<p><i>Spoilers</i></p><p>Director Matt Reeves promised us a detective Batman in a 90's grunge style noir setting, and cast the master of brooding and angst, Robert Pattinson, as his caped crusader. Well. I'm happy to report that he delivered on his promises. Nary a sliver of sunlight is seen in this movie. Gotham is looming all around, grimy and shining in the rain and harsh night lights. And the movie begins with Pattinson's early years Bruce Wayne delivering a cynical and brooding narration as he chooses which of many, many crimes he should spend his efforts on one Halloween night. The sequence caps off with the pent-up drone of Nirvana, and by then I was hooked and ready for anything.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Bh63qOaF9FkgP9sR4-NaL2E8CpGY2TXEAqy70UqRPMoskMaEllagRj_5OZitEwfh0Z-FtQe3aUrzQzKJTUWjPOfEA4GZ0M196W_8RO9FpDEMQ1O6VhwMx6RIyKYBi6T9z2t_a2eBZYP29fBvsbkw38JCtHgzDBL5U0X_YOBKrxN_kHf_flthGU-GAg=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Bh63qOaF9FkgP9sR4-NaL2E8CpGY2TXEAqy70UqRPMoskMaEllagRj_5OZitEwfh0Z-FtQe3aUrzQzKJTUWjPOfEA4GZ0M196W_8RO9FpDEMQ1O6VhwMx6RIyKYBi6T9z2t_a2eBZYP29fBvsbkw38JCtHgzDBL5U0X_YOBKrxN_kHf_flthGU-GAg=w550-h365" width="550" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I have to turn off the lights in my den to see anything once I'm watching at home, it'll be worth it. This movie is dark and beautiful.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Two years into his crimefighting, this Bruce is still working out his place as a vigilante. He revels in the fact that even the idea or suggestion of his presence will repel even the pettiest of criminals. "They think I am hiding in the shadows," he says in his noir narration. "But I am the shadows." But a sense of futility is creeping in. No matter how much crime he stops, more evil is around the corner. Then—it's The Riddler's turn, played by Paul Dano with eager gusto. Appropriately, Riddler's goals are parallel with Bruce's. He begins to bring to light the corruption and scandal of wealthy and influential Gotham residents, but with the one significant difference from Batman, in that he kills them first. </p><p>He leaves letters and clues for "The Batman" at his crime scenes, which Bruce dutifully follows with help from Gordon, (played with quiet intensity by Jeffery Wright) and Selina Kyle, (Zoe Kravitz, and the film's character highlight.) I loved the sequence where Selina and Bruce team up and infiltrate the club for information—a perfect amalgamation of noir and Batman sensibilities. But elsewhere, scenes that seem to want to mimic the disturbing factor that <i>The Dark Knight</i> did so eerily well played on my nerves here. The writing of Riddler's plan, motivations, and even characterization felt uninspired, as if the acting alone could carry this villain. They spend too much time on him, and the veneer begins to fall.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFCmFzOKMFnHL7bQRXHS4YaVii9ZVtAaCkgxnFNTDwuzB3XKGEaR2JUOwMhWOD4Nx94VpgRuGQWUQp8aNVBXoqfwHRuiunnGXJjtBkh8snEEVq0_et9aPKfzrpJr0nnBE7hsDiTjA3Cx6XR-dQTfqy7THCK9Fxg0sQLqINMDWy1_SIyBUcK7cQ4IcvbA=s1971" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1971" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFCmFzOKMFnHL7bQRXHS4YaVii9ZVtAaCkgxnFNTDwuzB3XKGEaR2JUOwMhWOD4Nx94VpgRuGQWUQp8aNVBXoqfwHRuiunnGXJjtBkh8snEEVq0_et9aPKfzrpJr0nnBE7hsDiTjA3Cx6XR-dQTfqy7THCK9Fxg0sQLqINMDWy1_SIyBUcK7cQ4IcvbA=w556-h238" width="556" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Besides Kravitz and Dano, (and the actor who claims to be Colin Farrell, which I'm still suspicious of) a general increase of facial emoting wouldn't have gone amiss. People feel things in noir stories, too.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Pattinson is the ideal choice for this iteration, but his performance feels restrained. Stoic Batman is fine, but I hope Bruce Wayne isn't left as a blank slate. They have a good start here. Grungy emo Bruce is different and fun in a dark way that fits the aesthetic, and I know Pattinson can dig into that—if the script and direction allows. Here, the writing keeps him one step behind the Riddler. Even when Riddler allows himself to be arrested, and even when his final plan is implemented, Batman seems there only to react, powerless to stop it. And that bothered me. I wanted Bruce's detective skills to matter to the plot. Or a satisfying moment of revelation where he "solves the case." But there isn't really, and for better or worse, it is done intentionally. </p><p>Through his inability to stop Riddler, Bruce is forced to confront this mirror villain and consider what the difference between them is. Why doesn't Batman kill, if he's the same as Riddler in every other way? So Bruce's moment of revelation turns introspective as he realizes that the point of stopping crime isn't only about the crime itself, but to protect those against whom is the crime is being committed. At the beginning, when Batman beats up the gang of thugs with skeleton paint on their faces, their victim is every bit as afraid of Batman as they are, and Batman does nothing to dissuade his fear. But once he fails to stop Riddler's plan, he realizes it's not over, because there are still innocent people he can help. So he does. And that's what's important, and what makes him the hero rather than the villain.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGYMURs1OFTmpDVoJQD-KdxOuLIqXmLhnJgF6GGBGGqjE98g3b0x6AZStJgviTGPTEevjRkhtW7I0Q0Igw5dDtGTBeaU1XGjVFD1eMy-_wNHcceiNkPwsQQbJuhx9bm8Hjuwiiawh9RHczfxHi5-YhWrQ1wN5Dcv0_uGCGlVvIpWZmXeRf9v9gsBC0pw=s1971" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1971" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGYMURs1OFTmpDVoJQD-KdxOuLIqXmLhnJgF6GGBGGqjE98g3b0x6AZStJgviTGPTEevjRkhtW7I0Q0Igw5dDtGTBeaU1XGjVFD1eMy-_wNHcceiNkPwsQQbJuhx9bm8Hjuwiiawh9RHczfxHi5-YhWrQ1wN5Dcv0_uGCGlVvIpWZmXeRf9v9gsBC0pw=w548-h230" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The style, with bookends of narration and grunge music made me happy, but it still all comes down to character.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>So even though I was hoping for a more satisfying mystery plot, and even though I tend to tune out emotionally when superhero movies resort to a city-level event for their final act, I do greatly appreciate this character arc which is beautifully minute. No massive, life-altering realization—just Bruce shifting his focus a little and seeing a ray of hope in the bleak and endless line of evil that's standing before him. I don't think this movie is perfect, but that's why I think I love it.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-85154256129523991482022-03-07T15:44:00.003-05:002022-03-20T01:09:28.418-04:00West Side Story (2021)<p><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Spoilers.</i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">Film adaptations of stage musicals always seem to be lesser. There's something about live performance that dazzles and sweeps you along in ways film simply cannot. But even in that light, Steven Spielberg's re-adaptation of <i>West Side Story</i> is still lesser, and can't manage to improve on the one put to screen 50 years ago.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnGwCQj-gEA9EoHJgBy16c9lX8enn4R6UMeqD1MeiU2PVuM-xV6E-aJ0MWL_X_gJgZJL80oVHw-Cawgu50hY-_kINTpxMrIrNnnfVeYS6CSSHA9M6MVHcOsZlOxYnKBE7uvu4p-N3gT46ddRI1yUxXvrYMVufFfDeD4IZA47G8tn1sT5aQwgLlqCuwtQ=s2000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnGwCQj-gEA9EoHJgBy16c9lX8enn4R6UMeqD1MeiU2PVuM-xV6E-aJ0MWL_X_gJgZJL80oVHw-Cawgu50hY-_kINTpxMrIrNnnfVeYS6CSSHA9M6MVHcOsZlOxYnKBE7uvu4p-N3gT46ddRI1yUxXvrYMVufFfDeD4IZA47G8tn1sT5aQwgLlqCuwtQ=w551-h310" width="551" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite all that money. Money, it turns out, is cold and inanimate and cannot emote to entertain an audience.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white;"></span><p></p><p>It's worth noting that if you're a fan of <i style="background-color: transparent;">West Side Story</i> there no reason why you won't get enjoyment out of this one. I know when I love something, I can see any number of adaptations or versions and be happy even if they're mostly not the greatest thing ever, just because I love the story that's being told and love to see the different casts and approaches. I feel that way, in fact, about <i style="background-color: transparent;">Romeo and Juliet</i>, and from that perspective, I did have fun watching this version as it was the first time I saw <i style="background-color: transparent;">West Side Story</i> since reading <i style="background-color: transparent;">Romeo and Juliet</i>. I never realized before exactly how closely this story follows the Shakespeare. But I'm not particularly a fan of<i> West Side Story</i> in itself. Nothing against it, and I've never not enjoyed it, but I never felt any personal attachment. </p><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">And that's why I needed this version to be actively good in order to impress me. Which is why I am far from impressed. Spielberg give it a good ol' Oscar-grab revamping, by spending lots of money and doing nothing creative. He casts stage veterans in bit parts (Brian D'Arcy James is there but doesn't sing???) and tones down the dancing so his Hollywood stars can keep up. Ariana DeBose as Anita was the only main casting that was actively good. She could dance, sing, and act with equal fervor, and stole the show as far as I'm concerned. Rachel Zegler had a nice voice and a good look for Maria, but her characterization felt too restrained to me. Chalk it up to inexperience behind a camera. I have no complaints about the rest—except one. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgOIhUhGjmaFgifY0kcEJDEdaOYXsLpN61HPK2Rni3zsQcNHuLF0h3OunzHUrOwmHnTtllTY7va6azuKmoZ3knScsdLRe068e0Gcwd1WXNypCJ4hEj8YcUMZ-gXlvPsnYLFqt7qraf0sOBZQkcr1USUl5BLHN0K2BiggzqzPbptuaaztpnBgLRSHPbwg=s2400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgOIhUhGjmaFgifY0kcEJDEdaOYXsLpN61HPK2Rni3zsQcNHuLF0h3OunzHUrOwmHnTtllTY7va6azuKmoZ3knScsdLRe068e0Gcwd1WXNypCJ4hEj8YcUMZ-gXlvPsnYLFqt7qraf0sOBZQkcr1USUl5BLHN0K2BiggzqzPbptuaaztpnBgLRSHPbwg=w452-h300" width="452" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ho hum, here we go...</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white;"></span><p></p><p>Ansel Elgort's Tony is every bit as bad as I feared it would be. And I don't dislike Elgort. He just needs the right role to work—and this isn't it. He doesn't have the look. He exudes dopiness rather than romance, and while that can be charming in the right setting (hello <i style="background-color: transparent;">Baby Driver</i>) it's a stretch here. I don't get why he was cast. His acting is nothing special either and while he can move well, Tony doesn't need to be a dancer. His singing voice sounded fine, except that there was never any power behind it. He doesn't belt or croon, he's just kind of... there. And the movie seems aware of all this, and attempts to prop him up by giving him more to do via songs that don't belong to him. Yes, they gave him Cool, the best piece in the show, and butchered it so he could have more screen time.</p><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">They also wrote in a change where Tony is freshly out of prison where he went after almost beating another kid to death in a rumble. I can see the good intention behind this addition, that it's trying to deepen Tony's character, but instead it undermines a few aspects of the story. It takes his agency, first, because he now no longer left the Jets by his own choice. Then it makes him seem too much a bad guy later—they have him fight Bernardo and beat him, but stop because he is afraid he may kill him... but then of course he does kill him a minute later and it comes across weirdly in this new light. Suddenly the focus is on Tony and his apparent personal disposition for violence rather than a general tragic look at how the gangs' cycle of violence and revenge destroys innocent lives. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0ClZolXlbxfxVuFBaDpiq07DyT-oQXCzm3hupBbc_4dSmkdI0dACP4TTyJRLA1ZpA8okF4tw5U55CFX1d706hBtUHoyvx5lfmmXXWjj67IcX2HN7MCCT3AZmttObnFwQqwE0Y6ixQlwPL7-sP1HrxRNUxWaM76MpGxuGje3xRRuyPnso2GLH0lgDniw=s1920" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0ClZolXlbxfxVuFBaDpiq07DyT-oQXCzm3hupBbc_4dSmkdI0dACP4TTyJRLA1ZpA8okF4tw5U55CFX1d706hBtUHoyvx5lfmmXXWjj67IcX2HN7MCCT3AZmttObnFwQqwE0Y6ixQlwPL7-sP1HrxRNUxWaM76MpGxuGje3xRRuyPnso2GLH0lgDniw=w479-h269" width="479" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dancing did have its moments, and I loved the costuming.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="background-color: white;">Spielberg's visual hand is where the movie finds most of its positives. It's nice to look at, expensive and often pleasantly gritty. Too much lens flare though. (J.J is supposed to copy you, Steve, not the other way round!) Some of it has that shiny CGI look to it—especially the atrocious Cool scene—but elsewhere there are real, and fun sets. I liked the balcony set up quite a lot. And there's one great shot when the gang's meet to rumble. The performance aspect of the dancing doesn't translate as well. The choreography</span><span style="background-color: white;"> is toned down and location hopping undercuts the songs' energy and momentum... which are usually dulled already due to the "</span><i>La La Land</i><span style="background-color: white;"> Syndrome" where the singing is more "realistic" read: not powerful or dynamic at all. It's Broadway style music telling a Shakespearian tragedy; it needs to be larger than life, not toned down.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">If there's one thing that sums up this movie's shortcoming, it's that. It sorely lacks dynamics. Both in the musical sense of fluctuating volume, and in the sense of the energy, tension, and passion that a well-assembled and performed piece can bestow on an audience. <i>West Side Story</i> demands dynamic storytelling, but Spielberg sacrificed the energy that a musical can bring through song and dance—cut it up and whittled it down—for the sake of realism. But so what if it's more historically accurate, if it can't make you feel? </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">As I sat watching I kept thinking about the high school stage production I saw, and how that show made me feel more than this hundred-million-dollar project. Granted it was a very good high school production, but that should be a low bar for one of the most celebrated film directors ever. Instead, he cranked out yet another expensive, nice-looking, unnecessary bore, and either forgot, or didn't bother to infuse it with passion or life.</span></p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-68071101319063694752022-01-02T22:33:00.000-05:002022-01-02T22:33:34.128-05:00Spider-Man: No Way Home<p><i>This review has SPOILERS concerning what characters appear in this movie. Plot-wise, it's spoiler-free. </i></p><p>When the whole world is told that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, that doesn't turn out so well for Peter. But it's not until his best friend Ned and girlfriend MJ are tainted by association—rejected by MIT for reasons of "controversy"—that he decides to act. What he does, with help from Dr. Strange, doesn't turn out so well either. They open a rift in the multiverse, and people start filtering in who know that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Strange, villainous people who Peter doesn't know. (But we do!)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQMtanJ0MrRcHugRas5enStoA1m9TuuaiCwbnwuN5EjZ_uS_gHrJ5QF2bnOx3tVdP8hgUqeiiLNv5y1q8oRtl4QHEzB602mlvFX1BD3RdelZBx2r5_wLvQIScrKZ86HZmDogRYA-3ryvnLWNOCCUhgQg_o2WqvCvKZufcM2IoNEbQ0klD6wpMFcsiYfg=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQMtanJ0MrRcHugRas5enStoA1m9TuuaiCwbnwuN5EjZ_uS_gHrJ5QF2bnOx3tVdP8hgUqeiiLNv5y1q8oRtl4QHEzB602mlvFX1BD3RdelZBx2r5_wLvQIScrKZ86HZmDogRYA-3ryvnLWNOCCUhgQg_o2WqvCvKZufcM2IoNEbQ0klD6wpMFcsiYfg=w506-h285" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time for Peter to make some choices and mistakes of his own.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I've long been on the outs with the MCU. But I have maintained a hope (a faint and fading hope, as Gandalf would say) that Tom Holland could make a great Spider-Man under the right circumstances. So even though I'm not interested in the interconnected Marvel universe anymore, I wanted to continue giving Spider-Man a chance—and I'm glad I did. My favorite aspect of <i>Homecoming</i> was that director Jon Watts seemed to be working hard to keep Peter grounded, even through the over-sized stakes and "bigger is better" and "connect everything" worldview that the MCU brings. In this third installment, Watts connects things, makes it bigger, and ups the stakes like he's supposed to, but he also has reason to. He uses the required method to give me what I want—a Spider-Man that isn't under the thumb of the MCU.</p><p>At least, not as much. This story asks the question, "what does it REALLY mean, to be Spider-Man?" and then it answers it, by using past Sony Spider-Man's (Spider-Men?) Spider-Men as the standard to be measured by. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield make real appearances, not just cameos, and they're treated with reverence and respect. Holland's Peter makes well-intentioned mistakes and tries his best and then learns from the Spider-Men that his good intentions and trying his best is the Spider-Man way. He learns that bad things happen despite his efforts but is encouraged by them to keep going, because "with great power comes great responsibility." And his efforts cease to be a joke or some fun side-gig where he gets his suits made by Iron-Man, his missions from Nick Fury, and team-mates from the famous Avengers roster. He grows into a full-fledged Spider-Man, and it's a little bit glorious. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwxSJlYi_DAm629XtGSdStkSZ3-L49YP2iFF6tqV4jPJ3RcjeSPA97UsmHhqfCtonvREwUmle00XB2aZfX_Ns_setnpUd4nfkiPJjXPN5dRbRz7A0HqpiJaq6CLr-DMGjJHJgPI8YSWXHmAZ1erTJ6A9WWOsNXbeQ50uAHnHa3ubxnr5tRV4JiTHtl9g=s1140" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1140" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwxSJlYi_DAm629XtGSdStkSZ3-L49YP2iFF6tqV4jPJ3RcjeSPA97UsmHhqfCtonvREwUmle00XB2aZfX_Ns_setnpUd4nfkiPJjXPN5dRbRz7A0HqpiJaq6CLr-DMGjJHJgPI8YSWXHmAZ1erTJ6A9WWOsNXbeQ50uAHnHa3ubxnr5tRV4JiTHtl9g=w461-h288" width="461" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland has always been the best thing about this iteration. This movie aspires to be worthy of him.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The path taken to get him there... is a little bit messy. One by one the past hang-ups are put to rest. No more Stark glasses. No more voices inside suits. No more adults making decisions for Peter. No more villains whose real beefs are with Iron Man. No more double life. And with every step taken, the movie feels more and more like a classic Spidey film, and less like a Marvel drone. The jokes are funny sometimes. The characters are like real people, not awkward or unfunny on purpose. There are dramatic moments that aren't undercut by humor. There are humorous moments that have underlying pathos. There is an end goal throughout besides "make money with CGI." Gosh, even the more blatant fanservice moments didn't make me angry, because they were calling back to the old classics with genuine glee. </p><p>It feels messy because the movie is about cleaning up a mess—in the storyline, and in real life! The process is not streamlined. There are moments when it's a chore, but the end result is satisfying in the same way all things are when they're clean and used to be messy. And as the mess dwindles, we get a look at how Holland's Spidey works unencumbered. And he's fantastic. Peter uses his fast thinking in creative ways during the fights, and Holland's physicality plus the magic of modern effects and choreography make the action land in real and entertaining ways. And the character dynamics between him and his friends and family take on a more serious edge as he weighs the consequences of his actions and relationships. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9kldme7zmPD5Hgv2PhJcBGPzGjVWH4Hq7UHCe1oIQEmQfgYhP3dlZvCGMGwxd-fru9c63dWjC5mpuTH1XbOjZEVRTVbr51EmvxErclrkyzAvtbJWSXG-t3fGbKDHxv1phHJsEA7U5qLYr_UJofVgmPStDlEvvt32XAjqu-e3rsr6dfbuOcQRyyJ8Yww=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9kldme7zmPD5Hgv2PhJcBGPzGjVWH4Hq7UHCe1oIQEmQfgYhP3dlZvCGMGwxd-fru9c63dWjC5mpuTH1XbOjZEVRTVbr51EmvxErclrkyzAvtbJWSXG-t3fGbKDHxv1phHJsEA7U5qLYr_UJofVgmPStDlEvvt32XAjqu-e3rsr6dfbuOcQRyyJ8Yww=w483-h266" width="483" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of few MCU films that actually needs most of its 2 & 1/2 hour runtime. It's a big mess to clean.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The returning villains weren't my favorite thing ever, but I appreciate that they were not turned into jokes (which was what my cynicism expected) and instead added real value to the story. Especially Alfred Molina's Doc Ock and Willem Dafoe's Goblin. Spider-Men Maguire and Garfield steal the show, so I'm glad they aren't in the whole thing. Most of the movie's best, most engaging emotion comes from them—maybe because of nostalgia, maybe not. All I know is they leave the current Spidey in a place I'd like to see more of. It feels like a set-up for a fresh start. One that already has a good cast in place, and has proved it understands the Spider-Man mantle better than past endeavors indicated, and is ready to take the character in some more conventional, classic, SPIDER-MAN directions. </p><p><i>No Way Home</i> is a messy, sprawling, fun, and ambitious film with a determined goal, real stakes, real consequences, and a real end result. It stops trying to reinvent the character and embraces what's always been this version's strengths, while bringing back some of the classic strengths of Spider-Man, as well. It has brought our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man back to his friendly neighborhood life.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-49796132359711766762022-01-01T02:51:00.002-05:002022-01-01T02:54:38.813-05:00Top 10 movies of 2021 Podcast!<p>HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022!!</p><p>A couple days ago my twitter friend Tyler (<a href="https://twitter.com/AntiSocialCriti">twitter</a>, <a href="https://geeksundergrace.com/author/tyler-hummel/">website</a>) hosted me and our mutual friends Trevor (<a href="https://twitter.com/BookstoreThor">twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.thebanner.org/bio/trevor-denning">website</a>) and Lindsey (<a href="https://twitter.com/1ofmystories">twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.1ofmystories.com/">website</a>) to talk about our favorite movies of 2021—check it out below!</p><p>With how strange a year for movies 2021 was, we ended up having very different favorite lists, which I thought was awesome. It was a fun conversation, and a great way to send off the year!</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4CDNl6qpefA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-89923253648082311172021-12-29T22:53:00.002-05:002021-12-30T00:51:06.309-05:00Flashback<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>Saddled with the news that his mother no longer remembers him and will die in a few days, Fred (Dylan O'Brien) begins to fall away from his normal life, wife, and boring office job, going on a mental odyssey through his past to find out what happened to a girl he forgot he knew in high school, who vanished after they took a perception-altering drug the night before finals.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tVSgaUZ02_uvY4CmsalG1rURGOh92DpeL1LoT3_WABrRi1lsrewkn0aqfcRHvTgO78Mjph6nKLU_ZzRZisFhiGN88hl1S-iJ9zhAm-RjbpWLhWlbkiP57CjbPgMecPGf0pqHDAibEcv6iJ9o7gxBTSRMz9h0sG03OMgI4Qg4WsiInISeRz44QG2kLQ=s1700" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1700" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tVSgaUZ02_uvY4CmsalG1rURGOh92DpeL1LoT3_WABrRi1lsrewkn0aqfcRHvTgO78Mjph6nKLU_ZzRZisFhiGN88hl1S-iJ9zhAm-RjbpWLhWlbkiP57CjbPgMecPGf0pqHDAibEcv6iJ9o7gxBTSRMz9h0sG03OMgI4Qg4WsiInISeRz44QG2kLQ=w495-h279" width="495" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Written and directed by Christopher MacBride.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This unexpectedly wise and thoughtful film is a drug trip movie—and it GOES FOR IT. Its focus on mentality and non-linear structure reminded me of Charlie Kaufman's writing. (<i>I'm Thinking of Ending Things</i>, <i>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i>) But instead of Kaufman's fantasy-like quirkiness, here it feels like science fiction, and goes so far into the weird, the trippy, and the unreal, that it touches on horror. It genuinely frightened me in a way a horror movie never has. It plays like suspense and drama, with nothing explicitly scary happening, but because of how hard in leans into the creepy side—this semi-scifi underworld that's down the rabbit's hole—it becomes effectively terrifying and disturbing on a mental level. Watching it felt like entering a shifted state of reality, or a nightmare that you think is real.</p><p>There is this glorious, relentless use of match cutting that I absolutely love. The plot tends to stay with two main timelines, and with the constant use of matching as the movie cuts from one time to another, the plotlines of past and present are tied closely together, to the point where they become one plotline rather than two. The bleak, subdued tone helps the suspense get under your skin, and the muted colors brings out the subtle ethereal quality. There's a masterful balance of information reveal. Though the plot is complex and ungrounded in physicality, it's intentional about the information, clues, and details it's giving you. I always knew what was happening, yet was always confused enough to want to understand more. It never explained itself in so many words, yet I always felt in sync with what it was saying.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi72r3qmxOXXGGyA6FsRhf3Znb5g4KqeUmIN45gQNKlK2Ey5O5-071FTPp5jq0inauNYsElD1FE4yqp2uAX9WVRxgK-JXVWbLSiPxTNa4W52QvqIzcPoJO7pNRmeJ2xO6a2Zn9vwttJV8qxWp1uVWfEmmM_HRfmhPxoF2TEs9ZV4uAihKTZejUlnGDIYw=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi72r3qmxOXXGGyA6FsRhf3Znb5g4KqeUmIN45gQNKlK2Ey5O5-071FTPp5jq0inauNYsElD1FE4yqp2uAX9WVRxgK-JXVWbLSiPxTNa4W52QvqIzcPoJO7pNRmeJ2xO6a2Zn9vwttJV8qxWp1uVWfEmmM_HRfmhPxoF2TEs9ZV4uAihKTZejUlnGDIYw=w471-h265" width="471" /></a></div><p>Dylan O'Brien's acting skill continues to impress. I have this perception of him as an action lead, (which he cultivates, obviously) and certainly he's great at those, but that makes him an unusual choice for a movie about a mental journey. He brings his innate physically and high energy to this more subdued role, and it adds another whole layer to the project. His pressurized performance heightens what might become dry and flat under someone more low-key. Even though the movie is ethereal and bleak, there is an underlying sense of immediacy and urgency throughout, and O'Brien brings that out in a natural way while still being able to play into the dull discontentment of the character. </p><p>I got a lot out of it. Its themes and moral arguments, from my perspective, were brilliantly presented and never for one second preached. I felt like I was discovering it myself, as if I shared in Fred's revelation. Someone else may find the point or the main idea to be slightly different because of the subtlety, but whatever you may see, I think it is universally an encouraging conclusion—and emotionally rewarding to a degree few movies achieve. Even if you don't pick up exactly what I did, or exactly what it was laying down, there is clear intentionality behind the presentation. It was thoughtfully and indistinguishably woven into the story. The set-up hidden until the payoff, so we don't see where it's going until it gets there. And wise in choosing a destination. </p><p>Wise. It seems odd to use that word to describe a drug trip movie, but here we are—and I mean it. There is not only smarts and skill used in crafting this freaky, creepy, and heartfelt film, but wisdom, too.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-60671987857444100992021-12-22T15:25:00.000-05:002021-12-22T15:25:00.036-05:00Little Fish<p><i>Mild spoilers.</i></p><p>In this indie drama, there's a global pandemic (I know, I know, but bear with me) in which people lose their memories for no discernable reason. Pilots forget how to fly. Musicians forget how to play. And loved ones forget the people they love. Jude and Emma (Jack O'Connell and Olivia Cooke) are a married couple. And when Jude gets the disease and his memories begin to fade, they fight to figure out how to save their relationship. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCQioASaRCN037ly0NkH1-GG5U6zycdNJxZ6fUSKsxylnE9DAH4OsGSjIhDWhgCGVM_jq7FUlmolecGs5L8BvhbvljP244bRjiW_bjM2MpCzfxVwDq9MiSC1_y_WVfNt_xY4xjjQRB9iMBqIhgtcdNqVBYO6aeHBlynB7dKRkPPvAfdvu7dmIGlGPUGQ=s2561" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1633" data-original-width="2561" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCQioASaRCN037ly0NkH1-GG5U6zycdNJxZ6fUSKsxylnE9DAH4OsGSjIhDWhgCGVM_jq7FUlmolecGs5L8BvhbvljP244bRjiW_bjM2MpCzfxVwDq9MiSC1_y_WVfNt_xY4xjjQRB9iMBqIhgtcdNqVBYO6aeHBlynB7dKRkPPvAfdvu7dmIGlGPUGQ=w400-h255" width="400" /></a></div><p>I could tell how it would end from the beginning. And I wouldn't call that a flaw, but it did lead me to pay careful attention to the movie overall, and that led to noticing a few things that felt wrong or uncharacteristic. Firstly, there were some covid similarities that were so unnecessary I wonder if they were intentional. The disease isn't contagious from person to person, yet one scene inexplicably has characters wearing medical masks. Why? For that dramatic moment where he rips it off? Or just to annoy me?</p><p>But that's superficial. More seriously, there were characterization flaws that did more than irk me. One undermined the movie's thematic argument, it made so little sense. It was a good plot point to give Jude the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial, but not let him go through with it. When he decides not to on his own reasoning, it makes sense. When the trials are successful and he regrets it, it makes sense. It even makes sense to try it illegally later when he's getting desperate (though in real life I'd expect a lot of doctors would do it on the down-low and he wouldn't have had to ask Emma.) But it doesn't make sense at all when they reject him after he changes his mind because there are drugs in his system.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEV4xErNoEOgHH1wcviWGVtUa-UzLoluEzwGAWgcT2mZJDTmek01y_YR7-pnZ_AubS5OOI4tPM635qka6BIeVB7WI7JDbq97-OaMoZ55a-ytw5PSYd-CuXtWpG9urnO7Z9ZswXv_7eKLKKjv9HYD-zeV1XHLLmeIkH_wT6YDYxgvZvKRjAfM8nAJfoNQ=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEV4xErNoEOgHH1wcviWGVtUa-UzLoluEzwGAWgcT2mZJDTmek01y_YR7-pnZ_AubS5OOI4tPM635qka6BIeVB7WI7JDbq97-OaMoZ55a-ytw5PSYd-CuXtWpG9urnO7Z9ZswXv_7eKLKKjv9HYD-zeV1XHLLmeIkH_wT6YDYxgvZvKRjAfM8nAJfoNQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><p>Because the movie's thematic argument is that people aren't defined by what they can remember about themselves. Emma's worry is that their relationship is based on shared memories, but the movie definitively declares that that's not true by the end. Yet it asks us to believe that Jude would relapse after five years of sobriety just because he bumped into an old friend one time? The movie wants us buy that he did this unimaginably out-of-character thing, and declares it reasonable because he can't remember doing it. But no—whether he remembers it later or not, he was always the same person, who had stopped using for good. I feel like I'm missing something here too, because we're never told why he decided to quit, though Emma asks him. We're never told what might tempt him back. We're told he would never, ever, ever, and then we're told that he did. And it all could have been avoided by having the clinic fill his spot before he changes his mind. </p><p>Inconsistencies like that bother me even more in films like this, because for me, the appeal of films like this is to put realistic characters in a strange, heightened situation and watch how they react. The point is to push them to do things you might not expect them capable of, but the study is ruined if they act out of their established character for no reason.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTeSTjTTuq0oWcRo_OW_2tQ0jGpmGwIhBeSDoohzqfZ1azd50Txi0foSATJh6Y9P2h6BxwHz0NzqhrOdzQgLIBwN0CPfkE94IqQNCq3HZstGTnCzDDgBAHf-oKkDKgTDJFe77s4tX32tvbUzTAWZcFmw88MbtyhAPx8CA44Yrk1prjE9VLCAvx0NbBcQ=s1296" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1296" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTeSTjTTuq0oWcRo_OW_2tQ0jGpmGwIhBeSDoohzqfZ1azd50Txi0foSATJh6Y9P2h6BxwHz0NzqhrOdzQgLIBwN0CPfkE94IqQNCq3HZstGTnCzDDgBAHf-oKkDKgTDJFe77s4tX32tvbUzTAWZcFmw88MbtyhAPx8CA44Yrk1prjE9VLCAvx0NbBcQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><p>On to the good things. I love Olivia Cooke. She's a fantastic actor. She fits the movie perfectly. And Jack O'Connell matches her. They're a great centerpiece for the film, running through tons of emotional variety and generally being engaging and believable characters who I enjoyed following through their story. The cinematography was lovely. I loved the way scenes would alter as they remembered different or wrong things about the past. And it kept me on my toes to have the timeline not totally linear. It's tonally depressed, but not in a dark or bleak way. It's sweetly sad and relaxing, and ultimately positive and hopeful. And I love the message it brings, even if it doesn't stay on point and accidentally undermines itself in the middle. It wraps up nice and neat, and fortunately for it, if the beginning and end of a movie tie so closely together, that's what I'll remember best. </p><p>Not a perfect film, but a fascinating, thoughtful, and appealingly artistic one, great for people who are fans of using high-concept premises to tell introspective character stories.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-19474546453246293522021-10-24T10:20:00.001-04:002021-10-25T13:53:39.612-04:00Dune<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>The most immediate thought that springs to mind when I think of how to break down Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Dune into something that can qualify how I recommend it, is that it's a movie for fans. It doesn't gatekeep; anyone can be a fan. But you must be willing to invest, and to pay attention. If it does its job right, it will bring the uninitiated into the fold, and endow satisfied customers with a desire for more—whether that comes in book form or in eagerness for a sequel. But no matter if you came as a fan, or are made into one by the experience, casual viewing is the riskiest way of journeying into <i>Dune</i>'s vast, sandy landscape. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBjTPDhJPqtEwIjfZHa1n3ARMKF33xd4UUfDD_IimilAMGQPjpdDi4aerRF8RSAX3zyAuK85XGCYgnoAkSahgqPSWZXn7Rp6j4Ryx_px1iNe6TPG_tjkUlH_vuhHQyWXbEBnq1HjzaUiWleC0fhNWEzzgwWm_1BMAg-XV82vHy49Hx06Y3YYSf0EGXFQ=s1400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBjTPDhJPqtEwIjfZHa1n3ARMKF33xd4UUfDD_IimilAMGQPjpdDi4aerRF8RSAX3zyAuK85XGCYgnoAkSahgqPSWZXn7Rp6j4Ryx_px1iNe6TPG_tjkUlH_vuhHQyWXbEBnq1HjzaUiWleC0fhNWEzzgwWm_1BMAg-XV82vHy49Hx06Y3YYSf0EGXFQ=w530-h265" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I find it all a bit overwhelming even after reading the book and watching the '84 film (twice.) </td></tr></tbody></table><p>If you're not willing to invest the mental energy it takes to remember all the weird scifi names and terms, keep track of the medieval space politics, or care about characters who don't see their journey's end by the time the credits roll, then the only thing you're likely to get out of this film is a treat of big-budget visuals portraying the immense, looming and extreme fictional world. That alone is worth witnessing once, so I guess my recommendation is won. Still, with Villeneuve directing, great visuals were a shoo-in. My fear was that focus would be put on the wow-factor to the point where story and characters would suffer from boredom or pretentiousness. But no. Conversation drives the story, yet I wasn't bored for one second. And visual awe is turned up to the max, with dedication to relaying the character side of things keeping easily in stride.</p><p>My biggest worry of all was the casting of indie darling Timothée Chalamet as the film's lead. I know he's an actor who actually puts stock into acting but there's no predicting my reaction to his roles and performances. And a Paul who comes across wrong is a fatal flaw. I was skeptical. But he proves to be a good casting choice, portraying an accurate Paul who is neither bland nor annoying. He reminded me of the book version and gives a lot, even through Villeneuve's style of preferring to film his characters still and stoic. Once I wasn't worried about the lead anymore, I knew I was in for something good, but the movie doesn't stop there.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4BGAyLuLwmgjFSeKSk5b5_msB_ppEyU1WTKKPvml4jICnd2V33kCofea1Syz3KqJvk3UcY3CyGObnDttnZz3s2UC3PSQI-5A0Lks_GcAEE2M8OKsNyA4vqea6nwzjmrJuPrwikmYwnNbSnB8XXV35QXYPSXa9BwCFukb7eGP0MBIEflztuqesxbN5hQ=s2740" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="2740" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4BGAyLuLwmgjFSeKSk5b5_msB_ppEyU1WTKKPvml4jICnd2V33kCofea1Syz3KqJvk3UcY3CyGObnDttnZz3s2UC3PSQI-5A0Lks_GcAEE2M8OKsNyA4vqea6nwzjmrJuPrwikmYwnNbSnB8XXV35QXYPSXa9BwCFukb7eGP0MBIEflztuqesxbN5hQ=w474-h199" width="474" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though it's giant, it's dedicated down to the details.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Rebecca Ferguson is a force as Lady Jessica, as she should be; everything always bubbling just under her surface, always strong; always on the edge of breaking down. She walks a beautiful line. From the outset she was my favorite casting decision and that holds. Her elegant but worn looks are perfect for the part. She's captivating. Oscar Isaac works in a role that's probably difficult to correctly balance. Stellan Skarsgård's ominously droll voice and face pairs with the intimidating character design of the villain to great effect. Jason Momoa is a surprise standout for me, his charismatic energy a welcome highlight against his subdued surroundings. Josh Brolin biding his time in my favorite book character; Javier Bardem is in full character acting mode; Zendaya has the right amount of grounded girlishness. Characters I confused with others in the book have clear personalities and outstanding looks to help differentiate. The cast is near-perfect.</p><p>The only cast member who doesn't fit into the subtle but refined vibe is Dave Bautista, whose character can be summed up as "angry" and who passively yells his lines to convey that single dimension. This is a small negative, though there aren't many more that could be called bigger. Mostly, I wished for more, though I realize that's an unreasonable ask considering the film is two and a half hours long. I wish they could have included the whole of the first book without cutting out anything or increasing the epic, steady pace (which felt to me like watching a massive river or flood flowing from a high distance—beautiful and serene even with the obvious turmoil and force on display). I think Villeneuve chose the lesser of the evils and I hope it pays off.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjltBJnSu-ESPPi2evBYq4iPOFLrP0qEqQ07aO4OmL18NXAVa7vO0F_gJEFTyimHhzB7B6WOz8sFGeyWFMlN2OpJl0AzP42O_NdhtvdgbV0EefeyNxt1oSbuhIWBwDmcoBbDg5p5FRJ-MelFnmduw0TcLisppp6I2usyRPKihH_UeYFiNeegL36ZLJYNg=s1920" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1920" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjltBJnSu-ESPPi2evBYq4iPOFLrP0qEqQ07aO4OmL18NXAVa7vO0F_gJEFTyimHhzB7B6WOz8sFGeyWFMlN2OpJl0AzP42O_NdhtvdgbV0EefeyNxt1oSbuhIWBwDmcoBbDg5p5FRJ-MelFnmduw0TcLisppp6I2usyRPKihH_UeYFiNeegL36ZLJYNg=w499-h207" width="499" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scale conveyed is so enormous it's a little hard to grasp.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This is my personal favorite work from Villeneuve, though I have never considered myself a huge fan. Part of me knows his penchant for enormous scale, robust scifi worldbuilding, and calculated way of storytelling makes him ideal for trying such a difficult piece of adapting. At the same time, I've never been deeply moved by his work. And the same is true here. Seeing the scale of the world, and seeing the book transposed so cleanly to the screen, made me smile, but it didn't bring me to love the story or characters any more. The book didn't bring much emotional attachment either, so maybe it's simply not that kind of story. But a small part of me wonders if the neatness of the work, and the cool, stoic style, are holding me back from tipping from this pleased admiration into something more freely adoring.</p><p>How much more astounding would this movie be if it could be everything it is, plus be wild, visceral, and psychedelic? Still, I don't want to complain. <i>Dune</i> had me smiling, enraptured, and dreading it ending—which it did far too soon. It was clearly thoughtfully adapted, keeping everything from the book it could while expanding it in some details, such as the vibrating, liquefying sand under the sandworms' attacks. I loved that. I loved the way The Voice is portrayed, as well as the way the book's heavy inner dialogue is adapted without the characters having literal inner dialogues. The plot was clear. The characters were given room to breathe and grow and the actors given opportunities to break out of the stoicism to have a bit of fun or bring extra intensity. And the special effects are so good I can't differentiate in-camera effects from CGI.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSU8wjCJ57rj9hn7M9BOe_DXTym9qguKjWNT6FHKD6PhVeRK-rwGlO2rqYuBBWHk-hC1m3u4oK4vL8wy1zOIT0hDrLgFzXdK24Ar9ka_4Viv4tw7zTLQCoR8bNrck8K9_hLB8Wl9VZOLwF4473cO0ILKMhdfWWLvlMH3z8D6K2nD3493YQRmzarc8XiQ=s2740" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="2740" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSU8wjCJ57rj9hn7M9BOe_DXTym9qguKjWNT6FHKD6PhVeRK-rwGlO2rqYuBBWHk-hC1m3u4oK4vL8wy1zOIT0hDrLgFzXdK24Ar9ka_4Viv4tw7zTLQCoR8bNrck8K9_hLB8Wl9VZOLwF4473cO0ILKMhdfWWLvlMH3z8D6K2nD3493YQRmzarc8XiQ=w478-h201" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't care about fight or action scenes but there were several good ones of those, too.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I have a growing list of favorite scenes, moments, and little details, and have as much a desire to see this again (which I will, probably before I post this) as I do to see what the sequels have to hold. <i>Dune</i> is expansive, grand, and epic filmmaking on an unreal scale. An alien behemoth that can be approached from many angles, but my recommendation is simply that you let it sweep you along in its vast currents of sand to see the mesmerizing world it proudly and boldly puts on display for our appreciation. At the very, very least, it's an impressive and skillful craft of filmmaking.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-89130604403279491942021-10-11T14:19:00.000-04:002021-10-11T14:19:30.573-04:00Free Guy<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>What do you get when you remake <i>The Truman Show</i> but update it for modern day by adding elements of <i>Ready Player One</i>, and a bit of the <i>Groundhog Day</i> concept, and make Ryan Reynolds the lead?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZ2Dcl7T8QtuSBjPA1jilGKeb3-3HwipxnTAyl25bH0w3WGcf_COej8o31dGcX7ndQ75mWqHuVI_O7m0tBkJhaJwcP9xewuQpRirJ9Ie0kQ_eRmBWQugZM-NJpHrYOAhWnuwWM1LGw_8A_dbHaNRwh0l6xrMyUzIG5nGsP9NRhrkH4xoat86wmBybBjA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZ2Dcl7T8QtuSBjPA1jilGKeb3-3HwipxnTAyl25bH0w3WGcf_COej8o31dGcX7ndQ75mWqHuVI_O7m0tBkJhaJwcP9xewuQpRirJ9Ie0kQ_eRmBWQugZM-NJpHrYOAhWnuwWM1LGw_8A_dbHaNRwh0l6xrMyUzIG5nGsP9NRhrkH4xoat86wmBybBjA=w429-h285" width="429" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You get a summer movie that actually feels like a summer movie.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Here's a shocker: this movie isn't two hours of<i> </i>Reynolds running around in a videogame world making quippy jokes. There's like, a story. And stakes. Remember those? There are characters who have goals, and an antagonist who's in their way. And they're the good guys because their goals are moral, and the antagonist is the bad guy because his goals are immoral, and the story is written so that we'll root for the good guys and have a satisfying sense of resolution if they succeed.</p><p>"No duh, Sarah, that's how movies work." Yep. It's weird. I wish I could say I wasn't starstruck by a mere coherent plotline, but here we are. And I know it's not only me. "It's deeper than I expected" is a popular comment on this film. Why? Because it has real-world characters too, with visible character arcs? Because there's an NPC in a videogame who gains self-awareness and freewill and that makes us consider what human value he has? Not exactly mind-blowing stuff here. And yet, it is. Because movies have been without basic things like moral standards, thought, or storytelling coherence for so long that we forgot how essential they are. There's a romantic subplot that's resolved for more reason than "the movie is ending now," and it felt earth-shatteringly original. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN0hsfMDFrG5TP-tDcothfygK4AKXPatFl-drjSSy8PcK0C6A-oOZ--p8VqnuerulSm_LDYsEQeC2HUdW2rAP45FBYsnROe2tE5ivpJS2qUTxU8x_8NBCHGlLyRmFHyMaiN120QROElYMf0UJM4r-sYT64uet63E76UHd6v6DJqYO2Nms4nsxOkOONZw=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN0hsfMDFrG5TP-tDcothfygK4AKXPatFl-drjSSy8PcK0C6A-oOZ--p8VqnuerulSm_LDYsEQeC2HUdW2rAP45FBYsnROe2tE5ivpJS2qUTxU8x_8NBCHGlLyRmFHyMaiN120QROElYMf0UJM4r-sYT64uet63E76UHd6v6DJqYO2Nms4nsxOkOONZw=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shawn Levy understands how to assemble a competent film. "Earth-shattering," he is not. Something else is up here.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>While I appreciate that this movie returns to a certain filmmaking standard, that's not to say that it's automatically great. The spell only lasted during the runtime, and now I'm left to mull over how exceptionally sad it is that so little could feel like so much. Because sure, the movie feeds us what I've been craving, but in bites, not meal-sized portions. To say <i>Free Guy</i> puts in more effort than recent action-comedy flicks isn't saying anything, really. They have funny guy Ryan Reynolds at their disposal, and they let him do his thing. But too much so. More often it's more like they <i>leave</i> him—to ad-lib quips on top of normal scenes, instead of writing set-up and pay-off jokes for him to elevate. Most of the comedic scenes are not only unnecessary but totally humorless. (Hello Channing Tatum.)</p><p>They let Taika Waititi have fun too, and I liked hating the character. But did they think we wouldn't notice he was the bad guy unless they had him spell it out for us? "I love money, I want more money, I don't care about anything but money." We get it. A little subtlety wouldn't kill you, and would ring truer, even for an over-the-top character. And of course, they can't help but wedge in some political talking points, some that clash with the actual intent of the movie. I'd have cut 10-20 minutes from the runtime, mostly in cameos and people watching events from the real world. That got in the way. There are also three separate sequences that feel like the "final battle." One was expensive, one "funny," and one had narrative relevance. Guess which one I'd keep?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ4_xMz0FaBJ9jgZ7acA4eD0zY30IUKAX7MbeBpmyG6OSuAM2FyxOvfrZFtxtSR9gt7TvzBD6caO-fU3y2pnduJaaWQlIR7QUomQTFJ3VJJ_HJEihuvUdM5cIEQbTfHLPuGto-2jGLUEXxYWfx-e0MhAbMSR9LWbK3N3NcNT2VFMVR4MFiWKN7t22qSw=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ4_xMz0FaBJ9jgZ7acA4eD0zY30IUKAX7MbeBpmyG6OSuAM2FyxOvfrZFtxtSR9gt7TvzBD6caO-fU3y2pnduJaaWQlIR7QUomQTFJ3VJJ_HJEihuvUdM5cIEQbTfHLPuGto-2jGLUEXxYWfx-e0MhAbMSR9LWbK3N3NcNT2VFMVR4MFiWKN7t22qSw=w422-h281" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even in action movies the last thing I care about is the action...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My favorite aspect was the real-people characters played by Jodie Comer and Joe Keery. They own the heart of the film, baby-sized as it is. Keery's relevance to the plot was especially a nice surprise. I was fully expecting him to be a side character meant for more jokes only. In fact, I wish there had been more real-life all around. Comer's character is even more essential on paper but doesn't feel it because we see her mostly in the game, where she lacks her real-world personality. We thought that Reynolds' star-power, the humor, and high concept actiony videogame fun was the point, but it's not, not really. It's dressing. <i>Free Guy</i> remembers that better than most, but not quite well enough.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-86561370654860186862021-09-26T20:37:00.000-04:002021-09-26T20:37:24.831-04:00A Quiet Place Part II<p><i>Some spoilers, for this and </i>A Quiet Place<i>.</i></p><p>If you call it a "Part 2" it's easier to make people swallow that it's not just another unnecessary sequel. Heck, even I got drawn in, and I despise the idea of sequels as a rule. What got me interested though, was adding Cillian Murphy to the cast to fill the hole John Krasinski's character leaves. Krasinski is still directing though, and this time he's also writing the whole thing. For the first movie he bought and tweaked an original script, and now he's trying his hand at expanding the story alone.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJfaqZWQxFyZJAZ6Q404kz8r9ggzA1_keUW630DTiODKSkBZ0IB6JTCMoZd6bB6MhUZj159IM9da0DfMeDbzOkXl6t9S4H-n3Sy47We8ObSbIjIZycN4E4O85B_CVpauODl_azW6UE74Y/s1200/AQuietPlacePartII1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1200" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJfaqZWQxFyZJAZ6Q404kz8r9ggzA1_keUW630DTiODKSkBZ0IB6JTCMoZd6bB6MhUZj159IM9da0DfMeDbzOkXl6t9S4H-n3Sy47We8ObSbIjIZycN4E4O85B_CVpauODl_azW6UE74Y/w513-h258/AQuietPlacePartII1.jpg" width="513" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's debatable whether the story wants expanding in the first place, let alone if the continuation settled on is any good.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We pick up exactly where we left off (after a flashback prologue). Emily Blunt and children leave their farmhouse to find one of their neighbors whose fire they would see from their water tower. This is Emmett (Cillian Murphy), but he's not as interested in playing father figure and man-of-the-house as the Abbott family wishes. He's already lost his family and is now a Joel from <i>The Last of Us</i>, lone wolf type character. However, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) has her hearing aid device that incapacitates the aliens and when she finds a radio station that is still broadcasting, she's determined to use it to help other survivors fight back. When she leaves alone, Emmett finds himself going after her, and then along with her, despite his protests.</p><p>The story splits then into two plotlines. The one with Regan and Emmett is interesting; straightforward in its goal, with ample opportunities for exploration. The one with Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and the baby, however, is small potatoes, with no goal at all other than to survive when the aliens inevitably find them (after a year and a half they're <i>still</i> terrible at living quietly.) It tries to give Marcus an opportunity to become a man, but must make him even more of a frightened useless child first to make the change clear. It smacks of fishing for story filler rather than letting the story push along at a natural pace. Because both plotlines were focused on equally despite unequal value, neither was developed fully.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdTnFS_yVqq1zd9XIVmzQzCnfNv5ewjRyAczXvgTHkIWI1VD2ti0iw5BO8vCKP0Sl1dOH2D0oiGUwThVbw7lPW02dVUYoY9OZ4jSaiRlGe0I7_iFRcFBI-M4FdvkdGbEm15j0rd6SYT7rL/s1620/AQuietPlacePartII3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1620" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdTnFS_yVqq1zd9XIVmzQzCnfNv5ewjRyAczXvgTHkIWI1VD2ti0iw5BO8vCKP0Sl1dOH2D0oiGUwThVbw7lPW02dVUYoY9OZ4jSaiRlGe0I7_iFRcFBI-M4FdvkdGbEm15j0rd6SYT7rL/w441-h231/AQuietPlacePartII3.jpg" width="441" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abandoning Emily Blunt's plotline altogether would've been a crazy, bold, and I think rewarding, move.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Emmett-Regan plotline could have been a movie all in itself, but it had corners cut to make room for the pointless other plotline. Everything happens too fast for them, and comes too easily. The two have a lot of potential together, and I liked their chemistry, but they slip too quickly into a father-daughter dynamic, especially after Regan's rough relationship with Lee, turned to deep loyalty. She initially rejects even the idea of Emmett becoming even a temporary protector. Then warms to him after one incident. They also have a language barrier, in that he cannot sign. This is got over easily and is never an issue in high-stakes situations. Then an evil tribe of cannibals is set up as a non-alien threat, but only amounts to one scene once they show up. </p><p>It's rush, rush, rush, and then it's over and I can list on one hand the important things that were accomplished. I don't even need all five fingers! If it needed to end at that point to allow <i>Part III</i> all the plot it needs to wrap things up, then why not let this story sit back more and develop relationships? Why not explore the themes of family further, instead of leaving themes out altogether? Did Krasinski not realize those were the things that made the first one good? Or is he simply incapable of creating on that level? He is a good director, but he needs a good script with clear purpose, else his movies lack direction, and those satisfying moments of resolution that made <i>A Quiet Place</i> stand out.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29mOPY2_-B3UOTnUfDCmsj9DIVZ7bwj2kR7miZJUKMTG39Vu68S3eBQ-ZRApgxu9fVREf3VSnZhKpyYk8TPMJ-Irfulm-KccUgCabIdD8EWWYkyPUclXK02mzPhQPA8allk76IgZ_ZuH9/s2048/AQuietPlacePartII2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29mOPY2_-B3UOTnUfDCmsj9DIVZ7bwj2kR7miZJUKMTG39Vu68S3eBQ-ZRApgxu9fVREf3VSnZhKpyYk8TPMJ-Irfulm-KccUgCabIdD8EWWYkyPUclXK02mzPhQPA8allk76IgZ_ZuH9/w400-h266/AQuietPlacePartII2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"More of the same," but only superficially, isn't really more of the same, is it?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I feel like <i>A Quiet Place Part II</i>'s only purpose was to set up the pieces for <i>A Quiet Place Part III</i>, so I guess I'll hang on and see how the payoff goes. Despite the definite downgrade in writing, this movie maintains its winning premise, with the same intense alien thriller feel to it, and tentatively expands the lore on its featured creatures. The mortal flaw is simply that it's lazier; messy next to the lovingly crafted original. Even with nothing to do Emily Blunt is good. Millicent Simmonds steps up her game to great results, and Cillian Murphy is a vital addition that makes the whole endeavor better than it has a right to be. If nothing else, I'll watch <i>Part III</i> to see more of him. </p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076471470585210140.post-50163138678190231982021-09-07T19:38:00.001-04:002021-09-07T19:38:57.481-04:00Chaos Walking<p><i>Spoiler-free!</i></p><p>After two years on the shelf, Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley's team up to adapt yet another dystopian YA novel has seen the light of day. It's about a planet that makes men's thoughts appear as visible and audible fogs of color around their heads, called The Noise. And what happens when the first girl (Ridley) in Todd's (Holland) lifetime shows up, throwing their futuristic wild west town into, uh, chaos.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPVYKMrqMf5GsihznzMZmBe2WhEG2HGnRyypVOqX5t_97xdRyNDpS5hxfzbNGtuvJVLm_5vDrWQ3LLpV2OVwGF6sWmQTzTxPyJY-TXouM4bkAcfAJHuglnELV_grVbnjNKm798v7utXO_/s1281/ChaosWalking2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1281" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPVYKMrqMf5GsihznzMZmBe2WhEG2HGnRyypVOqX5t_97xdRyNDpS5hxfzbNGtuvJVLm_5vDrWQ3LLpV2OVwGF6sWmQTzTxPyJY-TXouM4bkAcfAJHuglnELV_grVbnjNKm798v7utXO_/w455-h279/ChaosWalking2.jpg" width="455" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually, "Chaos Walking" is a pretty good description of the film itself. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The YA dystopia phase was deftly put into its grave by the last effort of the Maze Runner series, <i>The Death Cure</i>, limping across the finish line before the race, as it were, was shut down for good. This film's producers, and director Doug Liman, though, didn't get the memo. Although to be fair they started shooting before <i>The Death Cure</i> was released. And it was probably wise of them to shelve it for a while, so people could forget how tired they were of the genre. Now, it feels like a throwback. Remember when Tom Holland was on top of the world? Remember when people thought Daisy Ridley might actually have a career? Remember when making a movie based on a series of books meant that sequels might get made? </p><p>On one hand I feel like <i>Chaos Walking</i> would have been better off rotting on the shelf. On the other, I've always enjoyed these types of films, no matter how bad they get, and I was tickled by this flick every bit as much as I was annoyed. And boy, was I annoyed! You might be able to imagine how grating it'd be to constantly see and hear every thought of every person around you; if you watch this movie, you don't have to imagine anymore! I can't think of a better way to portray this gimmick myself, but I certainly wouldn't have tried to adapt it if this was my best solution. It's distracting. It's cluttering. It's rarely interesting, or useful. It just makes the thing a mess. I imagine it worked easily on page. I wish it had been considered more carefully in the planning stages of this film.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GWAdT_rJA9qFCSlKTq8BzkEstCJ18tASWqtVld9bh7sUgqqQpvkbaSfEbRjyWL3kYMTe0zjyNY9PpesTNSWOqSAciBeaH63VHOSGrSPjW1MWIDr8FNA21BI7RWwPnNrbt31zZJRMGgtS/s1422/ChaosWalking3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1422" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GWAdT_rJA9qFCSlKTq8BzkEstCJ18tASWqtVld9bh7sUgqqQpvkbaSfEbRjyWL3kYMTe0zjyNY9PpesTNSWOqSAciBeaH63VHOSGrSPjW1MWIDr8FNA21BI7RWwPnNrbt31zZJRMGgtS/w464-h261/ChaosWalking3.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel like the story could have worked without it except for one big detail, but it is the main memorable aspect at the same time. Mostly it gets in the way. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Besides that, the script reads a lot like you'd expect from a film banking on the success of the Maze Runner series. It's clearly a gutted version of its book counterpart, breezing over explanations and leaving confusion in its wake. All while never allowing scenes to breathe, settle, or be toned into something rich. It's action scenes and exposition scenes layered together. The action holds the most interest as they have a similar kinetic energy to <i>The Maze Runner</i>, and the world they take place in allows for a few creative set pieces. (I'm always on board for on-the-run adventures!) Often the exposition holds back too much, rendering itself unnecessary. Characters are cardboard-level quality, painted colorfully as a distraction. You can tell many of them served a purpose in the book—who can tell what that may have been from this.</p><p>It's the cast that does most of the leg work in selling the story. Tom Holland's try-hard attitude is admirable, but sheer willpower cannot make him become the character, Todd; he's always just Tom Holland, playing some kid in a movie. The action is his greater strength, and he sells that even harder. Daisy Ridley has literally nothing to work with in terms of character, but I don't imagine she'd have given it much more than a pretty face in an ugly wig making big eyes at everything anyway. <i>Star Wars</i> is over, and so is she. The supporting cast is a skilled bunch and though they don't try particularly hard, they bring out memorability in their characters. Mads Mikkelsen, Cynthia Erivo... Nick Jonas (Haha just kidding!) and particularly David Oyelowo, who's a wonderfully intimidating character that ends in underwhelming disappointment.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_EvhiUtp507fRhSCffHNK5Io2ide2u9u-dbRLuDwxXxam_fub7BJlf54lLaiT4Q9Vg65GdBbMp8MligIEcoMI2ogUnrB8ATAX3ptYXoU48buAMkmATxA9S7gyB2p3K2o6mp1yZwO0viU/s800/ChaosWalking1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_EvhiUtp507fRhSCffHNK5Io2ide2u9u-dbRLuDwxXxam_fub7BJlf54lLaiT4Q9Vg65GdBbMp8MligIEcoMI2ogUnrB8ATAX3ptYXoU48buAMkmATxA9S7gyB2p3K2o6mp1yZwO0viU/w471-h313/ChaosWalking1.jpg" width="471" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearly Tom's trying to prove himself as Nathan Drake here, but what's Daisy gunning for? Leeloo in some secret lumberjack remake of <i>The Fifth Element</i>?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And speaking of disappointment, that's what I was expecting from this movie, and little more. But the thing about disappointment is, you can't be disappointed unless there are hopes of good to be let down. <i>Chaos Walking</i> provides both the hope, and the potential, and then the disappointment in turn. I could easily dismiss it as a too-little-to-late addition to a dead genre and leave it at that, but the fact is I genuinely liked some of the bones beneath the chaos. And while that's a solid positive, it's sadly a positive that only results in deeper disappointment.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08901639281043602191noreply@blogger.com0