tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69545890416900288442024-03-14T00:05:42.239-07:00Reviews From A BedVandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.comBlogger2840125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-20532436883043046972024-03-06T13:56:00.000-08:002024-03-07T08:07:23.208-08:002024 Oscar Predictions<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2024/03/2024-oscar-predictions.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoTaQtYO_dAcXqt5a6AtJvfXztAMAIJmXr3mMq_TK9E0xYoBb7tbVSShM4O__aq6RUIxkb8GIWMYtf5OVnDkNTD63tpT0iB4kLKhjlRPvSSZeQYYtzuTikyz4IKoWFCudnMSED2uNzVn5YfcmHIl8bwS3lPmARcRgZY2PSNTm_Iknx90eAkJT6h29Tugl/w640-h334/Oscars%202024.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />It feels like, for one reason or another, this has been the longest awards season I've ever experienced. Maybe it's because last year's biggest movie-related story was that of "Barbenheimer" and because both have ended up playing heavily into this awards season it seems we've simply been on this wave for eight months straight or maybe it is simply the deluge of precursors and other ceremonies I've paid attention to, but either way I think I'll be more relieved by the time this weekend is over than excited about any of the (mostly foregone) results. To put it simply, this is the year of <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/07/oppenheimer-review.html" target="_blank">Oppenheimer</a></i></b> and I don't really see things swaying in another direction even if the manifestation of Christopher Nolan's career doesn't win in every category it's expected to. <i>Oppenheimer</i> leads all nominees with thirteen nominations this year, one fewer than <i>Titanic</i>'s record and listen, this is all fine by me. As someone who saw <i>Batman Begins</i> twice opening day, a few days after graduating high school, and then stood in line for five hours to get a good seat at the midnight showing in the only IMAX theater in Arkansas as a 21 year-old (before assigned seating and early Thursday night previews were a thing) I have been on the Nolan fan train as long as his name has been relevant. Given I saw <i>Dark Knight</i> at such a formative and impressionable point in life I've been rooting for the auteur to win the big award ever since. With a historical biopic of one of the more complicated if not necessarily influential figures in American history, the worlds of Nolan's aesthetic and Academy prestige came together to give us this moment and I just can't imagine the likes of <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/12/poor-things-review.html" target="_blank">Poor Things</a></i></b> or <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/11/the-holdovers-review.html" target="_blank">The Holdovers</a></i></b> overtaking that. All of that to say, while <i>Oppenheimer</i> may appear as the predicted winner in many categories below 2023 was a strong year for movies all-around and a fair amount will still be celebrated as winners at this year's ceremony.<span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Picture</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VgqWmPRZZW2xapeVuQJDcZLJZ4N09RUD28HvpBC4QOGxA3aHzelSxN0UDI8K0RETA_7NMJMERo0fVcm3JbyIukXgr9BHrF9sMAPAcM3try4FzxZcNPdumY51_kyG1e4tNDGC_9Mvo4zbjTWM3Qyo2Y62GG7IVubLLCx1BMIDyRBP2t24PCzWPBHvQS_h/s1080/Best%20Pic.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VgqWmPRZZW2xapeVuQJDcZLJZ4N09RUD28HvpBC4QOGxA3aHzelSxN0UDI8K0RETA_7NMJMERo0fVcm3JbyIukXgr9BHrF9sMAPAcM3try4FzxZcNPdumY51_kyG1e4tNDGC_9Mvo4zbjTWM3Qyo2Y62GG7IVubLLCx1BMIDyRBP2t24PCzWPBHvQS_h/w400-h400/Best%20Pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As already mentioned, <i>Oppenheimer</i>, <i>Poor Things</i>, and <i>The Holdovers</i> all scored best picture nominations. In addition, the other half of "Barbenheimer" AKA <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/07/barbie-review.html" target="_blank">Barbie</a></i></b> also joined them along with <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/12/american-fiction-review.html" target="_blank">American Fiction</a></i></b>, <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>, <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/12/maestro-review.html" target="_blank">Maestro</a></i></b>, <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/07/past-lives-review.html" target="_blank">Past Lives</a></i></b>, and <i>The Zone of Interest</i>. This line-up includes - for the first time - three best picture contenders directed by women in <i>Barbie, Past Lives</i>, and <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i> with one of the bigger controversies around this year's nominations being that Greta Gerwig missed out on the directing category. Justine Triet did earn a best director nomination for <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>, but the lack of love for Gerwig in director and Margot Robbie in actress in a leading role certainly made waves. <i>Barbie</i> was last year’s biggest box office hit as it, along with <i>Oppenheimer</i>, earned more than $2 billion globally and put major emphasis back on the theater-going experience at a time when movie theaters were and still are struggling to rebound from the pandemic. That said, it's a testament to Gerwig's talent that her film based on a sixty-five year-old toy was nominated for Oscars at all. Having only directed three feature films thus far, Gerwig's writing has been nominated each time with her having earned a directing nod for her debut feature, <i>Lady Bird</i>. In regards to this year's best picture though, as I said in my introductory paragraph, it is <i>Oppenheimer</i> and Chris Nolan's to lose, but I don't think they will and am pleased to see the Academy awarding a filmmaker who deserves this award for a film that is also worthy of it rather than rectifying as much down the line for a lesser work. <i>Oppenheimer</i> is peak Nolan and thus he both deserves and will win for Best Picture this year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Directing</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbq5ye6O5PZvURbLnzs5hhoj5z5dqQxkEVkr0H-3F5UYda4XOn0Yu1-YSYiGmM57HyKPX4mKKD3UXVrGPtIKRLfnX6i-i1NHSgPOkZp_lC60BcNans5DzgribdM7K6zSpeBV0qABAsFPS_gJdyh00Kf6C6oKH9_3ZttzjmxlcpuJlGDUggmH47UrShWYBp/s1080/Best%20Direct.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbq5ye6O5PZvURbLnzs5hhoj5z5dqQxkEVkr0H-3F5UYda4XOn0Yu1-YSYiGmM57HyKPX4mKKD3UXVrGPtIKRLfnX6i-i1NHSgPOkZp_lC60BcNans5DzgribdM7K6zSpeBV0qABAsFPS_gJdyh00Kf6C6oKH9_3ZttzjmxlcpuJlGDUggmH47UrShWYBp/w400-h400/Best%20Direct.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As the previous two paragraphs have indicated, this will be Nolan's award to lose, but again - I don't think that will be the case. Nolan has won nearly every precursor award there is including the BAFTA, Golden Globe, DGA, and Critic's Choice among others. He is joined in this category by the aforementioned Justine Triet as well as Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Glazer, and Yorgos Lanthimos. At 81, Scorsese made history by becoming the oldest directing nominee with his tenth directing nomination whereas this marked the first nominations in the category for Glazer and Triet and the second for Lanthimos, Scorsese being the only previous winner nominated this year. There has seemingly been some momentum as of late for Glazer and <i>The Zone of Interest</i> in picture, but this would seem to be as a result of the elongated awards season and needing potential drama to discuss more than anything else, but with Glazer's film likely to take the internation category it's difficult to see the biggest award of the night going that way as well. Nolan's film, on the other hand, was nominated in almost every category for which it was eligible and will undoubtedly win in several of those categories (score, editing, cinematography) including the major ones including the next award on the docket to discuss...<div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Actor in a Leading Role</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaGHce0agNH3KYl685kRt0JMEIicDvNUFAP9RZ_bUUvsbsraFF_mDAqv7tGvTilfEbkeq3TN_Gc7ajDYG37JHz1XwZHRWfHTOPuTjFskwkx5GSzinK8Mxk5rZzVUgXS73rmKD1FaG4hYssTz_ccxZ3Bt82bNgXegSeqUMnHWDC5vsSkSxXqbDM40tlQ2M/s1080/Best%20Actor%20(1).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaGHce0agNH3KYl685kRt0JMEIicDvNUFAP9RZ_bUUvsbsraFF_mDAqv7tGvTilfEbkeq3TN_Gc7ajDYG37JHz1XwZHRWfHTOPuTjFskwkx5GSzinK8Mxk5rZzVUgXS73rmKD1FaG4hYssTz_ccxZ3Bt82bNgXegSeqUMnHWDC5vsSkSxXqbDM40tlQ2M/w400-h400/Best%20Actor%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The nominees in this category inlcude Paul Giamatti for playing the prickly boarding school teacher Paul Hunham in Alexander Payne's <i>The Holdovers</i>, Bradley Cooper, who also directed himself as composer Leonard Bernstein in <i>Maestro</i>, Colman Domingo as Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin in <i>Rustin</i>, Jeffrey Wright for his performance as underappreciated novelist Thelonious "Monk" Ellison who gets himself entangled in an elaborate ruse in <i>American Fiction</i>, and Cillian Murphy for his portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in <i>Oppenheimer</i>. It has seemingly come down to a race between Giamatti and Murphy, but I don't really think there is much of a race at all to be honest. Giamatti won the Globe in the Musical or Comedy category as well as the Critic's Choice, but other than that Murphy has swepteverything else as well as winning the Globe in the Motion Picture Drama category. Much like in picture and director, this is the <i>Oppenheimer</i> stars to lose. It is unfortunate Giamatti has never won an Oscar before (having only been nominated once prior in 2006 for supporting actor for <i>Cinderella Man</i>) and that he will lose out for what is a genuinely great performance in a really solid film, but Murphy absolutely carries the weight, the breadth of time, as well as supporting the huge ensemble of <i>Oppenheimer</i> which is simply more of a vital and timely piece than <i>The Holdovers</i>. I do fear what Cooper might do next in light of throwing so much of himself into Bernstein and <i>Maestro</i> and getting nothing in return, but this just didn't come together as he imagined in any conceivable way. I'm glad Wright was nominated and in a different year might have been a real contender whereas I almost believe Domingo should have been nominated for his turn as Mister in <i>The Color Purple</i> rather than the very average movie about a man who was anything but in <i>Rustin</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Actress in a Leading Role</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_oO8tWt9vdw2h18tMCrpolafRYigIyqprlew000gVw_mT8rqYHYOenAUQBlXxOUDYs-EIyZ6hcvgcJ2NHvXOHZFokAV13z-EwiuYKETH291Jsis9mDgNduYDMdn6N5LNbIEHeIHNlepMpj47dWopw2mLQb1h2ik7hqCcs-zSeJVKUJrgIYpNQ2ykMnnD/s1080/Best%20Actress%20.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_oO8tWt9vdw2h18tMCrpolafRYigIyqprlew000gVw_mT8rqYHYOenAUQBlXxOUDYs-EIyZ6hcvgcJ2NHvXOHZFokAV13z-EwiuYKETH291Jsis9mDgNduYDMdn6N5LNbIEHeIHNlepMpj47dWopw2mLQb1h2ik7hqCcs-zSeJVKUJrgIYpNQ2ykMnnD/w400-h400/Best%20Actress%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Best actress is a contest between <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i>’s Lily Gladstone, who would be the first Native American actress to win the prize, Emma Stone for her bold turn as the child-like Bella Baxter in <i>Poor Things</i>, as well as Annette Bening for her performance as the titular Diana Nyad, a competitive swimmer who defied the odds and time itself in order to achieve the 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida in <i>NYAD</i>. Sandra Hüller, who stard in both <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i> and <i>Zone of Interest</i> was nominated for her work in the former as a woman on trial for the murder of her husband and finally, Carey Mulligan was acknowledged for her turn as Felicia Montealegre, the loyal wife of Leonard Bernstein in Cooper's <i>Maestro</i>. Like actor, this has become something of a two horse race between Gladstone and Stone. Personally, while I adore Emma Stone as much as the next millenial caucasian and no matter how much I appreciate the direction in which she is choosing to take her career it both feels more important for Gladstone to win not only at this point in time, but for this role specifically given the significance that would come along with the win. <i>Killers of the Flower Moon </i>is a monumental achievement of a film that will essentially be shutout of the awards elsewhere despite garnering 10 total nominations. That is to say, I believe Gladstone wholeheartedly deserves the win for the acting chops she displays for, while she doesn't have the loudest performance in Killers of the Flower Moon, she is undoubtedly the center of it all. Furthermore, the opportunities and control a win would lend her career is something she is deserving of and unfortunately something she needs more than Emma Stone.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Actor in a Supporting Role </span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNdRYpEkWPm2z9Th4gj7IzHEZyDaOBO1GW3MegSmc28-xhsd0ZUxGLYbAXcYIZTGdz0je-UStTFrITA1b76yvPaaurevycrmMnzvC5R3tsOAKqlQ4dZYxIpzPsJQTQ3-0xKVR-ci_CaBoB3knOKfbKpLwnl32k2mS2BHIv_pGlErKv_-4qLOT7LlQvAZH/s1080/Best%20Supporting%20Actor%20(1).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNdRYpEkWPm2z9Th4gj7IzHEZyDaOBO1GW3MegSmc28-xhsd0ZUxGLYbAXcYIZTGdz0je-UStTFrITA1b76yvPaaurevycrmMnzvC5R3tsOAKqlQ4dZYxIpzPsJQTQ3-0xKVR-ci_CaBoB3knOKfbKpLwnl32k2mS2BHIv_pGlErKv_-4qLOT7LlQvAZH/w400-h400/Best%20Supporting%20Actor%20(1).png" width="400" /></a></div>In what might be my favorite category with an almost certain winner this Sunday, every performance in best supporting actor absolutely belongs there. The frontrunner is obviously Robert Downey Jr. for his turn as Lewis Strauss in <i>Oppenheimer</i> followed by Ryan Gosling's absolutely immaculate Ken in <i>Barbie</i>. I do appreciate that Downey Jr. will get an Oscar statue as his career certainly merits one and that he will receive it for a stellar performance and not as a make-up down the line, but man does it suck it had to happen the same year Gosling turned in one of the best performances of his career. Running in third is likely Mark Ruffalo who played largely against type as Duncan Wedderburn in <i>Poor Things</i>, but for as much as I enjoyed Ruffalo in the role (his line deliveries were a real highlight) it seems Robert De Niro has been severely overlooked for his genuinely menacing turn as William Hale in <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i>. In one of De Niro's final scenes as Hale he asolutely hammers home the pure evil of the character via a facade of humility and deserved to be nominated for said sequence alone if not win for sustaining such terror and intimidation throughout, but as is evidenced - this is one of the strongest categories of the year. In fifth place would likely be <i>American Fiction</i>’s Sterling K. Brown whose nomination was a bit unexpected, but wholly welcome as his performance as Clifford Ellison, brother to Jeffrey Wright's Monk, lent the family drama aspect of Cord Jefferson's debut both a weight and levity that was needed to ground the larger, more ridiculous and satirical piece of the film. It would in no way upset me if any one of these performances were announced as the winner come Sunday evening, but it is almost certain that thirty-one years after his first Oscar nomination for <i>Chaplin</i>, Downey Jr. will take home his first.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Actress in a Supporting Role</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt6UBzfM2RVb-tjZvysfEwfxnT7YE8xjAauwFqXKKmmAww5Tle_3s0rndm3BrALMQpki1lWgzt4M2PZE3OBC0dz5_c_PUu1dkk_rh5TSIoK2WMplAUI-s6Ye-nKwdUw9aewNlh88f63vD7tSFNj3PuSEFMlkrDf3MECT6wnepxQsGT2zMphxIID4nY-kZ/s1080/Best%20Supporting%20Actress.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt6UBzfM2RVb-tjZvysfEwfxnT7YE8xjAauwFqXKKmmAww5Tle_3s0rndm3BrALMQpki1lWgzt4M2PZE3OBC0dz5_c_PUu1dkk_rh5TSIoK2WMplAUI-s6Ye-nKwdUw9aewNlh88f63vD7tSFNj3PuSEFMlkrDf3MECT6wnepxQsGT2zMphxIID4nY-kZ/w400-h400/Best%20Supporting%20Actress.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Though the nominees from <i>Oppenheimer</i> will best those from <i>The Holdovers </i>in every other category where the two are nominated, this will not be the case in best supporting actress. In fact, best supporting actress is likely the biggest lock of the night. To verify why, Da'Vine Joy Randolph has won thirty-five supporting actress awards so far this season from both critics asssociations and awards shows and that isn't counting all the ensemble and breakthrough awards she has won as well. Admitttedly, this was one of the weaker categories of the year, but that shouldn't discount Randolph's work as Mary Lamb, a grieving mother who recently lost her son to war. Randolph plays the part with such humanity and realism that her abbreviated appearance and the transparency of her function in the script disappear. In addition to Randolph though, <i>Barbie</i>’s America Ferrera, whose monologue about the unfair expectations society places on women drew cheers in screenings, scored a surprise best supporting actress nod along with <i>Oppenheimer</i>'s Emily Blunt, <i>The Color Purple</i>'s Danielle Brooks, and <i>NYAD</i>'s Jodie Foster. This was also the category that maybe had the biggest snubs of the year with Penelope Cruz not getting in for <i>Ferrari</i>, Julianne Moore missing out for <i>May December</i>, and no Rachel McAdams for <i>Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret</i>. If any of those three performances had made it into the category it might have proved to be a more interesting race, but as it sits the odds Randolph doesn't walk away with a statue are astronomically low.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Original Screenplay</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWHygJOVYYbzyB-rXdyJJY-73wm9M4xHrApc49a_pGSnzEkPAsxDRgVV3jJCtesG15R1qYt9DOsbuQd3MImPGNQu_2QzqceNcwDcXaMcEstjFFw9OUbCY8VdEb7RhypOthYQVDm901GXZLoW7vDFbNQPjwjywOPv29EaXark0KJ-Sy6EYusfxmgEhGQ0e/s1080/Original%20Screenplay.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWHygJOVYYbzyB-rXdyJJY-73wm9M4xHrApc49a_pGSnzEkPAsxDRgVV3jJCtesG15R1qYt9DOsbuQd3MImPGNQu_2QzqceNcwDcXaMcEstjFFw9OUbCY8VdEb7RhypOthYQVDm901GXZLoW7vDFbNQPjwjywOPv29EaXark0KJ-Sy6EYusfxmgEhGQ0e/w400-h400/Original%20Screenplay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Both screenplay categories are fairly exciting this year with the original actually being the lesser of the two. It would seem from the outside that, with its five nominations, this is the category in which <i>Anatomy Fall</i> will take its win. Triet won by being nominated in the director category, Hüller is probably in third place behind Gladstone and Stone in leading actress, and <i>Oppenheimer </i>will likely take editing and definitely picture so without the international feature nod this is where the highly-touted courtroom drama will garner its recognition. I found <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i> intriguing, no doubt, and I would like to re-visit the film a second time before making any bold declarations, but I will also say I wouldn't be mad if David Hemingson snuck in for <i>The Holdovers</i> as a second viewing of that film was nothing if not a testament to how well the dialogue hummed and aided in the pacing. Of course, if I'm being honest with myself, <i>The Holdovers</i> is likely running in third as another female written and directed screenplay that doesn't have much of a shot at winning outside of this category is the only one that genuinely has potential to upset Triet and Arthur Harari's screenplay for <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>. I'm talking of course about Celine Song's <i>Past Lives</i>. With only two nominations (picure and original screenplay) the South Korean/U.S. production could certainly give its French competitor a run for its money, but if I were betting any actual money on this category I would still place most of it on <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>. It is notable this was the only category in which <i>May December</i> was nominated as Samy Burch was recognized for her screenplay, but the inclusion of Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer's <i>Maestro</i> is truly baffling as it story and structure elicited some of the more questionable and confounding choices in any movie last year.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Adapted Screenplay</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKqtMyuHXMVpOMgy8hiY_9Y6Ms3ilEbU7d04hQ-ftabW7AO7eDFvizntwa268l7EO6EJoC2c0rm-S5VzYRbYerIdwP2iwad2cUigWFBVbQxEDDXz5TN61tom3aRNr16-0hIATxw3g9HHHOVx64lIdIq0zL40HlJQv0RT0oLItgM8cfo5wA_nfYHZ9zuQp/s1080/Adapted%20Screenplay.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKqtMyuHXMVpOMgy8hiY_9Y6Ms3ilEbU7d04hQ-ftabW7AO7eDFvizntwa268l7EO6EJoC2c0rm-S5VzYRbYerIdwP2iwad2cUigWFBVbQxEDDXz5TN61tom3aRNr16-0hIATxw3g9HHHOVx64lIdIq0zL40HlJQv0RT0oLItgM8cfo5wA_nfYHZ9zuQp/w400-h400/Adapted%20Screenplay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>First things first: It is a travesty <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i> was not included in this line-up. That said, even if it were, I don't believe Scorsese and Eric Roth's adaptation of David Grann's novel would have wound up on top as I think this category - once again - firmly belongs to Christopher Nolan and <i>Oppenheimer</i>. That also said, outside of actress this may be the tightest race of the night. Ultimately, I tend to inherently believe Nolan's very Nolan yet very precise adaptation of Martin Sherwin and Kai Bird's sprawling biography, "American Prometheus", presents a level of skill and expertise the other nominees here simply do not possess, but I also understand that the writing categories are often the areas in which voters see fit to recognize talent who produced highly-respectable work, but will be shut out of every other major category. With that in mind, it is highly likely that this is either where <i>Barbie</i>, with its eight nominations, might take home an above the line award OR this is where <i>American Fiction</i> will finally land a win and Cord Jefferson will be recognized for his adaptation of Percival Everett's 2001 novel "Erasure".<i> Barbie</i> is likely to win production and costume design along with original song, but this is where Gerwig would be recognized for her achievement and aforded the opportunity to give a speech thus the reason Barbie is still ahead of Tony McNamara's Alasdair Gray adaptation and Jonathan Glazer's take on Martin Amis' 2014 work, but this could easily go one of three ways. I will continue to put my stock in <i>Oppenheimer</i> as I personally believe it to be the most accomplished writing of the five, but would not be shocked (or upset, necessarily) if we do in fact get a speech from Gerwig...or Jefferson. You know, it may very well be Jefferson...we shall see.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Animated Feature Film</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbI1M_lDXEaBJ5Ht3G5zqSIOjSBuEkE_9DIFO20dz-VxfEIm84Hattktq0LkeLdBSZiKnVc248ZYEdZ3MfNp6LZNm9_KbCV2oLU6tE3H0-BPLFGZAMfsoy13uksF42U1-Y8_zSZPXZ-EK47uCWxkgDGddF5F9t9_GQAnYWubslS-eC_n_S0JJaFBYY6q0j/s1080/Best%20Animated%20Feature.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbI1M_lDXEaBJ5Ht3G5zqSIOjSBuEkE_9DIFO20dz-VxfEIm84Hattktq0LkeLdBSZiKnVc248ZYEdZ3MfNp6LZNm9_KbCV2oLU6tE3H0-BPLFGZAMfsoy13uksF42U1-Y8_zSZPXZ-EK47uCWxkgDGddF5F9t9_GQAnYWubslS-eC_n_S0JJaFBYY6q0j/w400-h400/Best%20Animated%20Feature.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I don't have much to say or comment on here as I have only seen two of the five nominees (<i>Elemental</i> and <i>Spider-Verse</i>), but it very much feels like this will be a crowing achievement of a win for Hayao Miyazaki for his final film, <i>The Boy and the Heron</i>. I am admittedly not a fan of Japanese animation and have not seen any of the Studio Ghibli films. I understand the perspective of this being Miyazaki's final film and congragulating him on such a remarkable body of work by awarding his final film with a win here and almost agree with it - especially in the sense that <i><b><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/06/spider-man-across-spider-verse-review.html" target="_blank">Across the Spider-Verse</a></b></i> is the middle chapter of a trilogy and it is typically the finale of such critically acclaimed commerical franchises that earn them the awards love if there is awards love to receive, but we saw what happened with <i>The Dark Knight</i> - do we really need to retrace that whole scenario? <i>Across the Spider-Verse </i>was not only one of my favorite films of last year, but it is immensely rewatchable and impeccably crafted. I would like to believe the third and final chapter being just as good and just as innovative as the first two films is a foregone conclusion, but it's not and <i>Beyond the Spider-Verse</i> could certainly end up being more <i>Dark Knight Rises</i> than <i>Return of the Kin</i>g. It would also be cool to see each of the three <i>Spider-Verse</i> films take home the best animated feature trophy should<i> Beyond</i> deliver on expectations, but while I won't be surprised <i>Across the Spider-Verse </i>ends up winning on Sunday I will be rather stunned by the fact that Miyazaki's final film lost. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5Nn1FWocsJEqTLFjSR8xz01EtM_HPctpBPmIE7zZPoYiKlAT4onGyT4Gc8IMwBdhMC6EE2-eMCOCyqdGRWKU_qYPeaDZMzCFgC3loQxVH54so40tQP-O64qIoVGgcfIl6xFQ9mSwkIJm0XORjaA1JjLLj9rSIY39HwRlKXhjjGWZBd8Ag3Ba-Mb6Jmvf/s4096/IMG_2827.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="2860" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5Nn1FWocsJEqTLFjSR8xz01EtM_HPctpBPmIE7zZPoYiKlAT4onGyT4Gc8IMwBdhMC6EE2-eMCOCyqdGRWKU_qYPeaDZMzCFgC3loQxVH54so40tQP-O64qIoVGgcfIl6xFQ9mSwkIJm0XORjaA1JjLLj9rSIY39HwRlKXhjjGWZBd8Ag3Ba-Mb6Jmvf/w446-h640/IMG_2827.JPG" width="446" /></a></div><b>Documentary Feature:</b> 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL</div><div><br /></div><div><b>International Feature:</b> THE ZONE OF INTEREST</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Production Design: </b>BARBIE</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cinematography:</b> OPPENHEIMER </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Visual Effects:</b> THE CREATOR</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Costume Design: </b>BARBIE</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Makeup and Hairstyling:</b> POOR THINGS</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Editing:</b> OPPENHEIMER</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Original Score:</b> OPPENHEIMER</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Original Song:</b> "What Was I Made For?" BARBIE</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Sound:</b> THE ZONE OF INTEREST </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Documentary Short:</b> THE ABCS OF BOOK BANNING</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Live Action Short:</b> THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Animated Short:</b> LETTER TO A PIG</div><div><br /></div><div>You can also hear me talking Oscar predictions on The Word on Pop Culture podcast with Julian Spivey below:</div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3yUhi8Qfr1LTn5xMfh6bDT?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>The 96th Academy Awards air Sunday night, March 10, 2024, at 6:00 PM CT on ABC.</div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-10758906546564936292024-02-29T06:35:00.000-08:002024-03-01T07:43:55.275-08:00DUNE: PART TWO Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRfJEXMafpGrxau9LPbs1Vtvx2syRJKlyhEjwOKK5r2chrkj9ochXSnTj8HhQDbwy5HC9ugYLkt7FV6DeixBtZJyyciTCI-8HIDZakXLYjG9PqMity9O4djkFVZiKQVRp8t1DVZLZaOzrGJLmaqh4GxMQ4XsA5fCsXbhYS_WlOy7p4oOwGd2-RzMluq_3/s3000/dune_part_two_xxlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2025" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRfJEXMafpGrxau9LPbs1Vtvx2syRJKlyhEjwOKK5r2chrkj9ochXSnTj8HhQDbwy5HC9ugYLkt7FV6DeixBtZJyyciTCI-8HIDZakXLYjG9PqMity9O4djkFVZiKQVRp8t1DVZLZaOzrGJLmaqh4GxMQ4XsA5fCsXbhYS_WlOy7p4oOwGd2-RzMluq_3/w270-h400/dune_part_two_xxlg.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>We tend to like our space operas with well-defined heroes and villains. Whether it be <i>Star Wars</i> or the latest incarnation of <i>Power Rangers</i>, the line between nobility and corruption is made clear whether it be through direct action or the color scheme of the costumes. Hell, even in something as sophisticated as Denis Villeneuve's two <i>Dune</i> adaptations the heroes are largely surrounded by pure, white sands while the villains literally dip themselves in black goop (neither this review nor the <i>Dune</i> movies are sponsored by Gwyneth Paltrow -- as far as I know). What is immediately striking about <b><i>Dune: Part Two</i></b> is how it continuously questions its own mythology. While the whole of <i>Dune</i> is essentially a story of heroes and villains in a race for ultimate power and control through the ultimate commodity, what it is actually about (the films, anyway) are the power, control, influence, and questions the presence of a messiah manifest. In Villeneuve's first <i>Dune </i>film Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides was a boy born into a destiny beyond his understanding. What makes <i>Part Two</i> the more complex, interesting, and arguably more epic of the two films is both Paul's understanding of and ultimate embrace of this destiny that has been prescribed to him his entire life. </div><p></p><p>In the first film, Paul's father (Oscar Isaac) tells him, "A great man doesn't seek to lead; he is called to it." In <i>Part Two</i>, we see that calling play out as Paul is guided in his decisions - through both dream-like visions as well as his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) parlaying a prophecy into as much of a reality as she can - to the point there is hesitation in Paul's actions, a sincerity as Zendaya's Chani sees it, that makes him question whether seeing this prophecy through or putting a stop to it altogether is the better decision for the universe as a whole. There is of course, much more going on around Paul, the Fremen people, and the planet of Arrakis on which they reside that factor into Paul's deliberations, but for as much time as <i>Dune: Part One</i> spent on building the mythology of Frank Herbert's universe it only seemed natural that <i>Part Two</i> might then define what makes this mythology, these characters, and these worlds worth investing in. Rather, Villeneuve and screenwriter Jon Spaihts (<i>Prometheus</i>) spend much of the runtime of this continuation within the ethical questions Paul seeks to (re)solve - questions that could also be applied to the religion and politics of this universe that naturally mirror our own. The result being that by investigating these questions and conflicts the characterizations and significance of what could easily be perceived as pure nonsense do, in fact, become meaningful as if the attention and care paid to the depth allows for the breadth to sustain itself.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><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/AVvXsEghIN11o-hzFWOV53nH75nQMIcIakCSNvGnEr6FsP0jAuHwEfL1Hb-lhMGpe7zreTejboXX7oNMBFZpLQR-UIw2IfotRuD7X2Ub5y6EtBXPaxP1uU_QvYb6oiOJtQjaWdw4AmXq4YabKMlgAnn4YzDsy34RGhKlXnah4GRM58FC-trCpenlHqXFWmPbBkMw/s2040/Dune2_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="2040" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIN11o-hzFWOV53nH75nQMIcIakCSNvGnEr6FsP0jAuHwEfL1Hb-lhMGpe7zreTejboXX7oNMBFZpLQR-UIw2IfotRuD7X2Ub5y6EtBXPaxP1uU_QvYb6oiOJtQjaWdw4AmXq4YabKMlgAnn4YzDsy34RGhKlXnah4GRM58FC-trCpenlHqXFWmPbBkMw/w640-h400/Dune2_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chani (Zendaya) watches as Paul confronts more than just another foe in <i>Dune: Part Two</i>.<br />Photo by Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures - © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />In other words,<i> Part Two</i> takes the time to delve into these character conflicts against the backdrop of the turmoil within the Harkonnen House and the strategization of the Bene Gesserit while introducing the ultimate powers that be in the Emperor (Christopher Walken) and his daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh). Villeneuve accomplishes such while not just sustaining but expanding the visual scale and tone established in his first film. Hans Zimmer's score is as epically solemn as Villeneuve and cinematographer Greig Fraser's color palette, but that isn't a backhanded compliment as the stark contrasts in those aforementioned colors representing good versus evil are ultimately heightened to such extremes that the introduction of the film's big bad in Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), nephew of <i>Part One</i>'s big bad Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), becomes a full-on black and white sequence. Just as breathtaking as the sweeping sand dunes of Arrakis if not as tactile, this sequence brutally illustrates Butler's embodiment of - if not necessarily evil itself - at least that of Bill Skarsgård's vision of evil (in both voice and appearance, which isn't saying nothing) while arguably being the film's secret weapon. </p><p>The first, contemplative hour of the film remains with Paul and the Fremen as both he, his mother, and the audience are steeped in the ways of the natives lifestyle and traditions. Whether directly taken from Herbert's novels or not, the film isn't exactly subtle about its critiques and comments around the politics and beliefs taking place in this universe that (again) equate nicely to our own, but while the propelling of Paul's arc from that of discovering his prophecy to potentially fulfilling it is compelling for a multitude of reasons the idea he is only working against himself and a faceless army of goons the Fremen seemingly dispatch again and again with little effort thanks to their home court advantage inevitably grows a bit stale. The introduction and foreboding presence of Butler's Feyd-Rautha immediately implements a momentum this nearly three-hour epic required, pushing both the drama and the scope to substantially higher levels than the first film even aspired to.</p><p>While much of the engagement with <i>Part Two</i> lies in the combination of Paul's smaller psychological drama being played against the visual grandeur of these worlds and cultures Villeneuve and his teams have built from Herbert's words (some of the specificity is insane), there are certainly also broad, straightforward plot points and characters the film doles out in order to maintain the facade of a huge, crowd-pleasing blockbuster. Again, like comparable space operas, <i>Dune: Part Two</i>, even more than its predecessor, is keen to feature this massive ensemble where the likes of Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Dave Baustista, and Léa Seydoux also show up as chess pieces, making the moves being made all the more appealing. Picking up right where <i>Part One</i> left off, Paul and his mother are stranded with the Fremen as the seemingly lone survivors of the House of Atreides. Elsewhere, Baron Harkonnen is fed up with Beast Rabban's (Bautista) inability to control the mining of the spice on Arrakis leading him to the decision to give control of the planet over to Feyd-Rautha. Though Baron is still assumed to be the master manipulator in this game the introduction of Walken's Emperor and possibly even more importantly - his daughter who, like Paul's mother Jessica, was raised by the Bene Gesserit - are the group truly deserving of questioning for why things have begun to unfold as they have.</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/AVvXsEg0k0zqp7F9QeZJDxdSiOrOo8Sut0BqCmblD1EquFafHlS3xtzZADT2PYNzwSTvFD95iYvhBvSj2Rtp9xmzML00Mnhyphenhyphen_cwUT8duO8ZCyaE1ToY6AAFTJqNZppqIV-K8cCec7qz2gde5dRmpy-53feu4Jqpqp77nlryeISjV0lslE0o5C8pyJIPs4_0JD4Zm/s2040/Dune2_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="2040" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k0zqp7F9QeZJDxdSiOrOo8Sut0BqCmblD1EquFafHlS3xtzZADT2PYNzwSTvFD95iYvhBvSj2Rtp9xmzML00Mnhyphenhyphen_cwUT8duO8ZCyaE1ToY6AAFTJqNZppqIV-K8cCec7qz2gde5dRmpy-53feu4Jqpqp77nlryeISjV0lslE0o5C8pyJIPs4_0JD4Zm/w640-h374/Dune2_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) squares off against Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) in director Denis Villeneuve's latest epic.<br />Photo by Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures - © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It would be easy to dismiss these characters purely as pawns on the Emperor's board though, even if they amount to that as well. In fact, it is the distinction the film makes in proving these characters are more than as much that makes all the spectacle and special effects that much more awe-inspiring. Specifically, Paul's growth and arc while directly dealing with being made to feel like a patsy make for what are the most captivating facets of the film. Paul comes to the Fremen with the inherent idea he is potentially the messiah in this prophecy many of the Fremen faithful believe. <i>Part One</i> more explicitly implied Paul as this "chosen one" figure to the point it seemed it is also what the movies wanted the audience to believe. It's not that this is walked back in <i>Part Two</i>, but more this second chapter adds context to and exposes the systems at play in a way we are made to question if these ancient beliefs are in fact genuine or if they were created more as a means to an end by the powers that be. Paul's internal struggle is also around whether he genuinely believes he can fulfill this prophecy (he seems to <i>want </i>to believe, but can't allow himself to fully buy in) and whether pretending to fulfill his role in said prophecy will at least afford him to conduct justice for his family and the Fremen against those with more selfish objectives or will squashing the belief in such nonsense as a whole be most beneficial; essentially exposing the Bene Gesserit, the Harkonnens, the Emperor, and any others in positions of power for who they truly are. </p><p>It is through the presence of Zendaya's Chani - a dissenter who is part of a larger group of nonconformists in the Fremen - and she and Paul's ever-evolving romantic relationship that Paul comes to see the choice he must make all the more clear until it perfectly crystallizes itself in the final, one-on-one showdown between Paul and Feyd for both control over the spice trade and Irulan's hand in marriage. As with most situations involving war, genocide, and the exploitation of resources the right decision always seems clear, yet it is often not chosen in favor of sacrifices and compromises that might lead to a clearer picture and a more promising tomorrow. Deep down, Paul knows which is the honest choice, but he also believes by selling this singular opportunity that he is doing what is best for most in the grand scheme of things. It's honorable, selfless, and in terms of the film - completely engaging - but there is still this lingering feeling that by overlooking the undervalued and seemingly unimportant that Paul will miss the aim he seeks to achieve. Needless to say, it will be fascinating to find out what exactly Paul has created and unleashed by committing to his choice, whether he remains a hero or becomes a villain, whether he continues to call the white sands of Arrakis home or begins to dip himself in evil goop, when <i>Part Three</i> rolls around in a few years. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpRjdqeworF4op9QXz2UwKHtgMSwt_99AG3DkOi2oTOX4WN2gnhsUKRNHHFB8baygPyOHN0qFbhGCR0ZzpVrz8GsSLCjKbmwJdbzwpsUV02qapb-I-Xv1_XSdRtkc02YHa2HHAZzUhUKc5QyGjH_rTflIhoVDugeOrX8jxzzd3DVHkt1BKcJdJMcKY2Jo/s607/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpRjdqeworF4op9QXz2UwKHtgMSwt_99AG3DkOi2oTOX4WN2gnhsUKRNHHFB8baygPyOHN0qFbhGCR0ZzpVrz8GsSLCjKbmwJdbzwpsUV02qapb-I-Xv1_XSdRtkc02YHa2HHAZzUhUKc5QyGjH_rTflIhoVDugeOrX8jxzzd3DVHkt1BKcJdJMcKY2Jo/w200-h39/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-64644520821033996742024-02-09T08:38:00.000-08:002024-02-22T08:16:02.394-08:00ARGYLLE Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXIuG6YL1HMs5Dl9Wlq0eQHTOs_Lm8osiw6mrFtUczcm4uhENYaJ_C3NRd49bnnUv-dk-s6jEe3TTTGuwO2fjRMH9MZSxBz84OBARMYLdeFZs2ma5eVAbarST9ZvyLHy5PSqQfNk9Y4HmqZRHOOpPyZ2nAJDwykw8Gc_2mu6Eud5ATPI8HM2myde_GmQp/s3000/argylle_ver2_xxlg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="1895" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXIuG6YL1HMs5Dl9Wlq0eQHTOs_Lm8osiw6mrFtUczcm4uhENYaJ_C3NRd49bnnUv-dk-s6jEe3TTTGuwO2fjRMH9MZSxBz84OBARMYLdeFZs2ma5eVAbarST9ZvyLHy5PSqQfNk9Y4HmqZRHOOpPyZ2nAJDwykw8Gc_2mu6Eud5ATPI8HM2myde_GmQp/w253-h400/argylle_ver2_xxlg.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>I could watch two Channing Tatum movies in <i>The Vow</i> and <i>The Lost City</i> and get this same movie while having a more rewarding viewing experience and I would absolutely rather watch two consecutive Channing Tatum movies than ever experience <b><i>Argylle</i></b> again. <div><br /></div><div>
That is to say, unfortunately Matthew Vaughn has officially become a director of diminishing returns. Out of the gate, Vaughn only continued to improve with each of his first five features. In his first (seemingly) original film since 2014 after making three films in the same universe and launching a third franchise with <i>Argylle</i> clearly intended to be a fourth (even though that definitely won't happen), it would seem Vaughn has finally hit a career low. While this would seem to indicate he can only go up from here, this winking hodgepodge of a meta-comedy, action caper lets us know early on what we're in for when it becomes clear just how little Vaughn is invested in the construction of the film by the placement of the title card. Why would you not at least save it until after the worst looking high speed car chase in history? <div><br /></div><div>
Written by Jason Fuchs (<i>Wonder Woman</i>) and including such classic dialogue as, “You and I, we’re not so different…” it is important to stay aware of the film's intent as <i>Argylle</i> unravels (pun fully intended). The point being, there is no intention or ideas outside of being "big" entertainment. Not even pure entertainment because if that were the case this would have been half an hour shorter, but in keeping with the "big" part of being entertaining this is nearly two and a half hours and absolutely doesn't need to be. Had they streamlined some of this overly convoluted nonsense it might have actually resonated simply as entertaining and fun, but it instead becomes a laughable (as in definitely laughing at and now with) slog. Even worse, a lot of the admittedly inventive action set pieces would be really clever and genuinely funny if they didn’t look like complete shit. I just can't understand how Vaughn's modern action sequences are so much uglier than the outright classics he was concocting ten and fifteen years ago?<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
Like, the Leona Lewis bit during the (first) climactic shootout is too much, but I kind of appreciated how big of a swing it was even if it plays more cringy than cheeky. Speaking of musical choices, the use of Patrick Cowley's "Do You Wanna Funk?" is the diamond in the rough here and a perfect backdrop to Sam Rockwell's introductory action scene; setting a promising tone that the rest of the movie is never able to fully deliver on. The Ariana DeBose (who is laughably in this for a cumulative 35 seconds), Boy George, and Nile Rodgers collaboration "Electric Energy" is another fun track utilized well as are the Barry White and aforementioned Lewis song even if the sequences they are set to go more and more belly up. None of this is as baffling as the choice to include that new, "thanks to A.I." Beatles track "Now and Then" which was only released this past November but serves as a key plot point in this movie, a movie that wrapped principal photography in January of 2022. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEgvx1VaguKZKmsjTRYBdqY9ag2H_sZvjpARfK__WX8H6j7QhbaLS0OF2YSmexehCZMYBdG5kaY8Z0hHNsGo_XRWyvitiFz-n5gJQr7WWmsEOhfQA36kxFUyed4M6xwa8KO5Q3B5nAcke1ZUAjXNMb8wlTic2tIuZV1Cx82kV2wuq5Hg4cQqAaQF6ku6SRBB/s3098/Argylle_Photo_0106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2065" data-original-width="3098" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx1VaguKZKmsjTRYBdqY9ag2H_sZvjpARfK__WX8H6j7QhbaLS0OF2YSmexehCZMYBdG5kaY8Z0hHNsGo_XRWyvitiFz-n5gJQr7WWmsEOhfQA36kxFUyed4M6xwa8KO5Q3B5nAcke1ZUAjXNMb8wlTic2tIuZV1Cx82kV2wuq5Hg4cQqAaQF6ku6SRBB/w640-h426/Argylle_Photo_0106.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secret Agent Aidan Wilde (Sam Rockwell) and author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) embark on a convoluted adventure in <i>Argylle</i>.<br />Photo by Courtesy of Universal Pictures - © Universal Pictures</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Vaughn is not a director who shys away from big swings though, and in the past this has worked out for him more than it hasn't, but <i>Argylle</i> is him losing his edge. He's getting older (he's currently 52) and it's clear what he thinks is cool simply can't keep up with the culture and his level of filmmaking has suffered as a result of the ease modern technology has brought to his doorstep. My guy loves an extreme close-up and is arguably the king of a good transition shot, but while there are a few notable ones here and his style is on full display through the cross-cutting of all the dialogue between Rockwell and Henry Cavill's character as Bryce Dallas Howard's brain plays tricks on her, it is completely undone by the fact we can tell Cavill shot every single one of his scenes for this movie in a single day on the same soundstage. Additionally, the fucking "whirlybird" is a stupid idea with laughably bad execution, but could have passed as a credible, self-aware joke if it was shot like that was the aim. <div><br /></div><div>
There are strong, quality elements in play within this film...don't get me wrong. Some of the writing is actually really clever to the point it's begging to be a better movie. For instance, I absolutely questioned why our author protagonist's mom (Catherine O'Hara) would have a framed cover of her daughter’s book hanging in her kitchen, but this is accounted for in the multiple reveals the movie plays out. The casting of the 55 year-old Rockwell also feels inspired as he not only plays against type in this actual movie, but against type in the world of the movie itself. In fact, <i>Argylle</i> almost feels like it gets on track and is full steam ahead when Rockwell eventually shows up yet despite it finding some groove in the latter half of the first act and through the middle it eventually folds in on itself so many times and goes on for so much longer than necessary that the fun this should and wants to inspire simply becomes exhaustion.<div> </div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHMPyYWeOjUOXskHLFuDQAPL9TsU5fSOY4PnnlXRbMrGEUAF_e_3B806thLOHRS985jCThWGtKB6tgz7i7ul9F2BUzQ8Y5USPLiWLdAqH53bqUSu5e4apKS-gQxfwcn8bs2zDrrbYDXzYYePT064EfYfZIE9eOm5ZwzxA-_a5bxnTlI574sEh1lJPjAj9/s607/2_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHMPyYWeOjUOXskHLFuDQAPL9TsU5fSOY4PnnlXRbMrGEUAF_e_3B806thLOHRS985jCThWGtKB6tgz7i7ul9F2BUzQ8Y5USPLiWLdAqH53bqUSu5e4apKS-gQxfwcn8bs2zDrrbYDXzYYePT064EfYfZIE9eOm5ZwzxA-_a5bxnTlI574sEh1lJPjAj9/w200-h39/2_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-63286355363108331202024-01-17T13:59:00.000-08:002024-01-25T08:54:57.452-08:00ORIGIN Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPO09cj9RgpmIMux88Xlo0fRZAWiTLPZI4ryX4c7ZxuD1CNE5Eih3n1WzA8Yx_l-_ttVQg5XaWZCnLQolOTe21kH777YRbNsBmDdL5onNSlO0eKv3bJTiyg83mIlxOX7rmMoIzNdX9eME99TJpqntLLGrZEArcTp9hDC54QKhnZFkUZeBwaphfgVVHhLXF/s1484/MV5BYmU2ZDk1MDgtMzhiMS00NTc0LThkYjItOTMwM2RiMjc5NzhkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPO09cj9RgpmIMux88Xlo0fRZAWiTLPZI4ryX4c7ZxuD1CNE5Eih3n1WzA8Yx_l-_ttVQg5XaWZCnLQolOTe21kH777YRbNsBmDdL5onNSlO0eKv3bJTiyg83mIlxOX7rmMoIzNdX9eME99TJpqntLLGrZEArcTp9hDC54QKhnZFkUZeBwaphfgVVHhLXF/w270-h400/MV5BYmU2ZDk1MDgtMzhiMS00NTc0LThkYjItOTMwM2RiMjc5NzhkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Why do we do the things we do to one another? Maybe it's because I'm a fairly new father, maybe because I see the faces of a 9 year-old, 4 year-old, and almost 2 year-old whom I am responsible for daily and they have softened me, but I can't see a movie that deals in even the tiniest infraction against an innocent child and not question not only why the collective "we" do the things "we" do, but how people can perpetrate such hatefulness and bigotry toward someone else, much less an innocent child who has not only done nothing wrong but also doesn't understand why there is a prejudice against them in the first place. Not to spoil anything about Ava DuVernay's latest, <b><i>Origin</i></b>, but while much of this fictional adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson's nonfiction book <i>Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents</i> is focused on Wilkerson herself (portrayed by the great Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) as we follow along on her journey to research and write the eventual book many of the ideas in this film are based on, where <i>Origin</i> really flourishes is when it detours into the past and recreates these stories from throughout different stages in history that inform the present story Wilkerson is desperately trying to shape and make sense of. Undoubtedly, these detours are what will cause some critics and viewers to hasten toward thoughts that the film is disjointed and tonally uneven, but the way in which DuVernay uses these reenactments to not only emphasize to the viewer the reality of these things Wilkerson is learning, but – for my money – beautifully weaves them throughout are what make both the film’s narrative and Wilkerson’s arc feel whole. To use a tired turn of phrase, they complement one another in such a way that by the time we reach the final moments where these two strands of storytelling coalesce, I was moved to tears – asking myself the basic question of, “Why do we do the things we do to one another?”.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEgDdpA4QhSOP1-kPQXccMQLCQ1hcChGmSkjNIwnfMfAgZJhH94rqbQ01i6ku21INZcdzHzW84bNiLSCw_SbjPA_zbCF_pv_vfN78yWJ1FpCgbzngf2h4q22II4IMyNVqv6yuh7Zlig4ZMv9wY_94d6TqfAokMGLGb1m6MXv4oypMQrT4btWkBQL5iYun_uK/s2000/Image%203-Photo%20credit-Atsushi%20Nishijima-Courtesy%20of%20NEON.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdpA4QhSOP1-kPQXccMQLCQ1hcChGmSkjNIwnfMfAgZJhH94rqbQ01i6ku21INZcdzHzW84bNiLSCw_SbjPA_zbCF_pv_vfN78yWJ1FpCgbzngf2h4q22II4IMyNVqv6yuh7Zlig4ZMv9wY_94d6TqfAokMGLGb1m6MXv4oypMQrT4btWkBQL5iYun_uK/w640-h426/Image%203-Photo%20credit-Atsushi%20Nishijima-Courtesy%20of%20NEON.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Married couple Brett Hamilton (Jon Bernthal) and Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) attend an event in Ava DuVernay's <i>Origin</i>.<br />Photo by Atsushi Nishijima - © Atsushi Nishijim</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Obviously, <i>Origin</i> is a rich text and is so largely because it is based around its protagonist venturing to many different places and interviewing many different people – often scholars – about the thesis of her work and testing whether her hypothesis holds up or not. This means there is a lot of dialogue-heavy sequences in which multitudes of ideas and opinions are voiced and thus there is nothing necessarily subtle about how DuVernay conveys Wilkerson's material, but it's clear she doesn't mean to be. All art is made with intent (whether the artist is aware of it or not) and DuVernay understands how to craft a piece that elicits her intended reaction in artful, intelligent ways but with <i>Origin</i> her intent was evident from the moment she decided to make this a non-fiction film rather than a documentary. In keeping with the lack of subtlety and very pointed discussions, DuVernay employs Niecy Nash as Marion - a close cousin and friend to Ellis-Taylor's Isabel - who acts as something of an audience surrogate. In a scene where Isabel and Marion discuss Isabel's central theory for her new book Marion asks her to put her ideas into layman's terms, "Make it plain." Marion tells her. In response to this request to essentially justify why "Racism as the primary language to understand everything is insufficient," Isabel introduces the idea of "caste" which is defined as a phenomenon of placing one group above another in terms of hierarchy with Wilkerson's novel specifically focusing on the consequences of its victims as well as who make up the presumed beneficiaries. <div><br /></div><div>
Isabel posits that considering oppression in such a way that doesn't centralize race is key to understanding the methodology of caste and how it has been used all over the world, in places where race was not a factor, but results in the same outcomes where we label racism the main cause in America. Caste is the result of building certain containers for certain kinds of people be it the Jews in Germany, the Dalits in India, or Blacks in America. Despite the perception of inferiority, those who implemented such systems and built such containers knew these weren't inherently inferior people yet they magnified the myths of as much and set these perceptions in stone through the systems they created a la the law, healthcare, neighborhoods, the kind of work predominantly done by these groups, even down to the food associated with each in order to impose a belief in what and who was inferior and what was not. <div><br /></div><div>
Through Dr. King writing about his trips to India and firsthand experience with caste in Ebony Magazine in 1959 after becoming familiar with former Dalit turned scholar and political leader, B. R. Ambedkar (Gaurav J. Pathania), who understood the correlation between himself and the African-American experience in America, Finn Wittrock and Victoria Pedretti acting out forbidden love between a German (the "dominant" class) who denounced the Nazi movement and a Jewish woman in 1936, or Isha Blaaker and Jasmine Cephas Jones who conducted largely unheard of social experiments that studied the American caste system and provided landmark material on interracial scholarship in Natchez, Mississippi in the fall of 1933, there is an interconnectedness to this line of thought around the world and throughout history where cultures parallel one another in their attempts to either exterminate or subjugate certain groups of people. The building of these vignettes to exemplify the utilization of caste throughout history serve as gateways to Isabel's epiphanies about not only what the content of her book will consist of, but how she will structure it while DuVernay weaves this all together in something of a non-linear, almost experimental fashion herself; genuinely ingraining us in Isabel's life, her struggles and her tragedies, illustrating how - like all of us - she comes to both experience and learn about these new ideas and/or realizations through those closest to her. Isabel says to her editor (Vera Farmiga) early in the film, "I wanna be in the story, really inside the story." DuVernay takes this line of thought and materializes it, lending <i>Origin</i> a sense of discovery that both develops these complicated ideas through different points of view but also – and this is important – through the repetition of Isabel's central premise via multiple lenses. DuVernay's screenplay and direction deepen our understanding and comprehension in haunting ways not just of why and how these systems develop, but why this continues to happen and why it's not impossible it could happen again on the grand scales we often relegate to the past. <div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEh2cA61fkuoyY7LebP5VtjMNiWEMolKUwfdJL4AkJCu4MaZz9GcEwVJKoHDxv8rCxlMXeB9GUMZO40dkYc6sVm94eTHAswFdksR70RDBqnpfouDVzmce-BVEFsHuEbszZh2d9FTozf6hR8Ec2D3siVb8hXWnzjkla4KWnAFAgIxg8kvPImY7l40G2zwKwKv/s2000/Image%204-Photo%20credit-Atsushi%20Nishijima-Courtesy%20of%20NEON.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cA61fkuoyY7LebP5VtjMNiWEMolKUwfdJL4AkJCu4MaZz9GcEwVJKoHDxv8rCxlMXeB9GUMZO40dkYc6sVm94eTHAswFdksR70RDBqnpfouDVzmce-BVEFsHuEbszZh2d9FTozf6hR8Ec2D3siVb8hXWnzjkla4KWnAFAgIxg8kvPImY7l40G2zwKwKv/w640-h426/Image%204-Photo%20credit-Atsushi%20Nishijima-Courtesy%20of%20NEON.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is forced to grapple with tremendous personal tragedy while embarking on a journey of global investigation and discovery.<br />Photo by Atsushi Nishijima - © Atsushi Nishijim</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The obvious factors such as the cast being universally fantastic (I especially enjoyed Jon Bernthal's contributions) along with DuVernay's choice to shoot on 16mm, evoking the timeless feel of the film's broad journey across the globe and through different periods in the past are exceptional surface-level facets. Those things are easy to praise, and the praise is easy to understand, but while not to diminish DuVernay's technical accomplishments or the achievements of her ensemble, what is most impressive about <i>Origin</i> is that it succeeds in making a behind-the-scenes story the heart of the story. It is clear DuVernay wants to educate more than she does entertain here, and she finds a way to do so while not necessarily sacrificing the elements that engage audiences. By making Isabel the central figure of the story we are given a center, a core in what otherwise could be chaotic, and through this we are able to bear the ugliness and dehumanizing history that we've been made to believe was developed casually over time rather than expertly orchestrated as it seemingly turns out to be. The editing and, as a result, the pacing almost take us through too much too quickly as Ellis-Taylor encounters the likes of Connie Nielsen, Audra McDonald, and (in the films weakest turn of curtness) a MAGA hat wearing Nick Offerman as a Trump-supporting plumber – among others – who each provide some insight or illuminate a new perspective that Wilkerson then challenges herself to include and understand just as the film does the same with its audience. In one of her first speeches in the film, Wilkerson concludes a public speaking engagement centered around Wittrock's August Landmesser who defied the Nazi "heil" that had been made mandatory for German citizens by asking why he was seemingly the only man in an old photograph of a large crowd to not participate...closing with the line, "Perhaps we can reflect on what it would mean to be him today." <div><br /></div><div>
We're not always aware of how the history we're participating in will be shaped by the scholars who look back on these moments for the purposes of analyzation and better understanding, but what <i>Origin</i> conceives of is this feeling, this inherent north star of a conscience that has told generations of people over centuries that one group of people deeming themselves as superior isn't permissible; the belief of a level playing field among us all being as innate as original sin - a contradiction for the ages. Choosing to see others for who they are and not for who we're told they are and ultimately undoing the routine and expectations of a society that has made the unnatural natural is DuVernay's primary objective. She calls out many lines of thought and many a people in the film, but she first and foremost holds all of us accountable for allowing "racism" to become the default. This is of course followed by two hours of displaying that it was never about race, but about hierarchy and inferiority fueled by any agenda powerful enough to convince humanity of such hate; she begs us to see through the bullshit (and sometimes literal shit). In the final example of this, DuVernay highlights Alfred "Al" Bright as he attempted to celebrate a win with his little league team with a swim at the community pool in 1949. In this final twenty-minute stretch DuVernay flexes her most poignant of muscles by explicitly showing what such hate is capable of, when it's not just through separation but superiority. When we remove the idea of degrading a whole group of people to make it easier to swallow and instead focus on the individual, the lack of humanity becomes concrete. As masterful, as revolutionary, and as agonizing as anything else American cinema has produced in recent memory, the final moments of <i>Origin</i> integrate every tool in its filmmaker's arsenal to crystallize the monsters born of these systems and the very tangible, repercussive nature of hate. There is something both new and old about <i>Origin</i>, something fresh yet steady, that delineates that while traditions and habits present themselves as two sides of the same coin in terms of established customs, it's never too late to begin breaking both.
</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgizUaZJk3PFkhtvRudmnkopMb0xQNCiCnYZkPOLIxmeftVkPNyNNoxFoyG_Jb3Chb65ElqibN4YTiDHAdv1LOMfwumgldR-rKvZBySjZFYP3ZHv_I-LKynmSNDGxMKtCpMQogKdH3M5CBSn-MiT1pcJJOyaFj7F9155LbAh0-3sIR51a8QcOrayide0Gr/s607/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgizUaZJk3PFkhtvRudmnkopMb0xQNCiCnYZkPOLIxmeftVkPNyNNoxFoyG_Jb3Chb65ElqibN4YTiDHAdv1LOMfwumgldR-rKvZBySjZFYP3ZHv_I-LKynmSNDGxMKtCpMQogKdH3M5CBSn-MiT1pcJJOyaFj7F9155LbAh0-3sIR51a8QcOrayide0Gr/w200-h39/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-19610402743909415562024-01-12T13:12:00.000-08:002024-01-18T13:46:19.397-08:00MEAN GIRLS Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbApWSPmtGxxtlETXIdNWzzeunEC32LvgjJdDeVth1V8TywNzuT5b2rOQYOnbnk9YLvlurT9wKsLep9w0oGiJd9wuz-KdZ9Jz-mctC9OVsEPyyTB9VJo_IaByxO16Lbj-VwaogTMTsNKVsdb0d4wF1EsnHiWzbCTdBrd3XiCdeSDCmmIXeL4HvLaaEJcyO/s1500/MV5BNDExMGMyN2QtYjRkZC00Yzk1LTkzMDktMTliZTI5NjQ0NTNkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1093" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbApWSPmtGxxtlETXIdNWzzeunEC32LvgjJdDeVth1V8TywNzuT5b2rOQYOnbnk9YLvlurT9wKsLep9w0oGiJd9wuz-KdZ9Jz-mctC9OVsEPyyTB9VJo_IaByxO16Lbj-VwaogTMTsNKVsdb0d4wF1EsnHiWzbCTdBrd3XiCdeSDCmmIXeL4HvLaaEJcyO/w291-h400/MV5BNDExMGMyN2QtYjRkZC00Yzk1LTkzMDktMTliZTI5NjQ0NTNkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_.jpg" width="291" /></a></div></div>Like so many movies these days, 2024's <b><i>Mean Girls</i></b> first had to prove its reasons for existing were valid. And like so many movies these days, I tend to appreciate them for where they succeed rather than condemning them for where they don't. In the broad scheme of things this new <i>Mean Girls</i> movie is perfectly fine, but when remaining within the stratosphere of this movie adaptation of a stage musical that itself was adapted from a twenty year-old feature film based on a 2002 non-fiction bestseller titled "Queen Bees & Wannabes" it becomes something bigger, something more; an investment in the material, the thought behind it, and how as much earned it the place it holds in our culture. <div><br /></div><div>
"Like all history, this is emotionally layered and culturally dense." I was seventeen in 2004 when the original Tina Fey adaptation was released, I remember writing about it for my school newspaper, and realizing Fey had officially made the leap while simultaneously cementing Lindsay Lohan as a figurehead of my generation. <i>Mean Girls</i> never didn't feel like a big deal and so it wasn't surprising so many of the jokes and bits from that original film endured, but because of the endurance factor I couldn't help but wonder what the translation to the modern high school experience might have to say about our less PC and, as a result, more merciless environment. Additionally, I’d never seen the stage play and was thus unfamiliar with the production and music (written by Fey's husband, Jeff Richmond with lyrics by Nell Benjamin). While <i>Mean Girls</i> '24 then had to really justify itself what was maybe most surprising about the addition of the not exactly memorable music was how quickly it helped move me past the nostalgia factor and into appreciating what this retelling had to offer.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
It's somewhat remarkable how much has changed and/or been updated from the original yet how much has remained the same. This film inherently <i>feels</i> the same as the 2004 iteration, hitting the same story beats, recycling many of the hallmark jokes, but while Richmond and Benjamin's music and lyrics don't necessarily stick in your head as you drive home after the movie what they do in the moment - when you're existing within the film's world - is further explore the complicated and anxiety-riddled moments that come with navigating the social scene of high school no matter the decade. To boot, directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. (making their feature debut) do well to stage enough of the musical numbers in creative fashions often finding ways to allow whoever is singing lead to spread their wings while simultaneously doing the same for each joke the lyrics drop-in. Moana AKA Auli'i Cravalho's rendition of "I'd Rather Be Me" and Avantika Vandanapu's "Sexy" are the highlights, but there are plenty of small moments sprinkled throughout each number to recognize the material is still sharp in its vacuousness. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEiV_b0CLpxwW5NTkveNeva8O5BZfpL2iPZJkP_gJlurbpkRDi_LG0tTd3vgtLc29zoVz7oAyK9kh2Vl8Lu7d71nI30eEuMJjeRsCUGvEPT-IkAj0yCPfoP2v6MmI1qeMGCJmckLmeSlRQR4TK2PRYbxiZNUbpgU0EafykMAKAyW2Qmo60tFq4T0xsyHuUXp/s2048/399621265_883606589787262_3290523777516860837_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_b0CLpxwW5NTkveNeva8O5BZfpL2iPZJkP_gJlurbpkRDi_LG0tTd3vgtLc29zoVz7oAyK9kh2Vl8Lu7d71nI30eEuMJjeRsCUGvEPT-IkAj0yCPfoP2v6MmI1qeMGCJmckLmeSlRQR4TK2PRYbxiZNUbpgU0EafykMAKAyW2Qmo60tFq4T0xsyHuUXp/w640-h426/399621265_883606589787262_3290523777516860837_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damian (Jaquel Spivey), Cady (Angourie Rice), and Janis (Auli'i Cravalho) form the core trio in the new movie adaptation of the <i>Mean Girls</i> musical.<br />Photo by JOJO WHILDEN/Jojo Whilden - © 2023 Paramount Pictures.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Apart from launching the next phase of Fey's career and establishing Lohan as a pillar of that time period and presence outside of her film roles the original <i>Mean Girls</i> also introduced my generation to Rachel McAdams (who would follow this with <i>The Notebook</i> the same year and then with <i>Wedding Crashers</i> the following summer, a true Jackson 5-esque level string of initial hits) who is arguably responsible for making so much of the mythos around Regina George as big as it has become. McAdams also has the undying love and appreciation of every male and female of a certain age, I can't stress that enough. All that to say, Reneé Rapp (who I had no prior awareness of, but did learn she played the role on stage) faced an uphill battle and while I didn't mind her take on the role - she is clearly a gifted singer and performer - the plastics as a whole failed to make the indention required despite Rapp's version taking on a more diva-like quality than McAdams due to the musical aspect. Furthermore, Angourie Rice and Christopher Briney are perfectly adequate in in their "meet cute" of a love story, but Cravalho and (Tony nominated) Jaquel Spivey are indisputably the stars and standouts of a film that didn't need to exist, sure, but I'm now glad does.
</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7Dul8QSMLwIQ8DH2ILouTIaoU2_QaHUruZJXKkt5-aZxvov15Xk7q-wtyW0kuXxO_407R_BeQ29maLdFD1GlyMJGIIHH0tkDsYVO_4crIwistgo_QJ1gMbCRnnONSB1wAnWNFxzSGkKDlnxi0xSF5Gl-0SobCK78WJ7CUgdBn8I7vG6pDV1bAO0d_kI_/s607/3_and_a_half_stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7Dul8QSMLwIQ8DH2ILouTIaoU2_QaHUruZJXKkt5-aZxvov15Xk7q-wtyW0kuXxO_407R_BeQ29maLdFD1GlyMJGIIHH0tkDsYVO_4crIwistgo_QJ1gMbCRnnONSB1wAnWNFxzSGkKDlnxi0xSF5Gl-0SobCK78WJ7CUgdBn8I7vG6pDV1bAO0d_kI_/w200-h39/3_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-5511297882707307352024-01-12T10:36:00.000-08:002024-01-17T11:17:23.778-08:00THE BOOK OF CLARENCE Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVVPe6qWIZN2SsT8B3phRBamn_Lme9utoBRC5AqLs-KStffF8v4ngqZzGwgjTjZXCvYmFMDpDPTZUxMLWUIou2n7ejChBjS0xhxPqhB7Vuap9Nwm1bwQ1MYsAhYRyZ9HJMBt8x5q3hW__VU0lZoItOK81-dYAl-eTBS93RX6_IjCrTX8MagVaQ9sqZzUa/s1481/MV5BMzk2NTI2NmYtNDBkOC00MzJiLTg1MDgtMTgyNjAwNDg5YjgwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODE5NzE3OTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVVPe6qWIZN2SsT8B3phRBamn_Lme9utoBRC5AqLs-KStffF8v4ngqZzGwgjTjZXCvYmFMDpDPTZUxMLWUIou2n7ejChBjS0xhxPqhB7Vuap9Nwm1bwQ1MYsAhYRyZ9HJMBt8x5q3hW__VU0lZoItOK81-dYAl-eTBS93RX6_IjCrTX8MagVaQ9sqZzUa/w270-h400/MV5BMzk2NTI2NmYtNDBkOC00MzJiLTg1MDgtMTgyNjAwNDg5YjgwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODE5NzE3OTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>An ambitious (audacious?) yet disjointed film that seems to attempt more than it intends leaving little to latch onto, but much to consider. A conundrum of both a film and experience. Coming out of writer/director/composer Jeymes Samuel's 2021 feature debut, <i>The Harder They Fall</i>, it was more than evident the multi-hyphenate had a distinct mission, but almost more importantly: a distinct style to match it. With as much noted it was easy to walk into Samuel's follow-up, <b><i>The Book of Clarence</i></b>, with a certain expectation of what it might be. As <i>The Harder They Fall</i> made it clear white people were not alone in the westward expansion following the Civil War, <i>The Book of Clarence</i> would seem to run with the fact they were essentially non-existent in Nazareth in the time of Jesus (or the Messiah, as he was probably more often referred to during his life). The correcting of the consistent portrayal of Jesus as a white, European man throughout history would then seem to be the anchor of Samuel's religious satire especially given this depiction has come under scrutiny as of late with the legacy of racism in society being more critically discussed. While this is certainly on the itinerary though, so are about twenty other items that seem to have sprung from Samuel's original intent through the process of putting this initial idea to paper. We can see the bones of Samuel's original idea in renovating the Biblical epic, but as our titular Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) becomes swept up in and ultimately accepts the idea that Jesus may in fact be the real Messiah so too does the movie in becoming an actual Biblical epic. <div><br /></div><div>
At just over two hours it doesn't quite go all the way to fit that bill, but though there are moments of biting irreverence these are always directed more toward how the familiar events of the Bible have come to be perceived rather than toward the events themselves or so seems to be the case, I could certainly have misinterpreted. The cause for such uncertainty comes with how reverential Samuel ends up treating the cornerstones of his protagonist's journey. These tonal transformations make it difficult to identify a genuine response to the material, but the film doesn't leave you with nothing. In fact, more than anything <i>The Book of Clarence</i> will leave many confused as to what meaning we're meant to take from this double-edged parable which - I guess - could be seen as appropriate given the conflicting nature of faith for those who question it. There is a line in the film that states, "Any man who follows rules blindly is easily overcome," which is a direct challenge to one of if not <i>the</i> mainstays of what "faith" is meant to illustrate. This point of view is further emphasized when, in the final act of the film, Stanfield's false Messiah calls for enlightenment over punishment. Both sentiments would seem to move the thematic needle towards the challenging of ideas and the broadening of intelligence for the sake of insight and progress as favorable and more sensical than divine knowledge and irrational acceptance, yet the film still concludes with a message that remains largely pro-faith. Hence, the confusion and conflict.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEg1GVncnj2OfL28UHsKpG35FVLRGG55sDc1O9bwX5-6XHzmHqIaZsK1JF5KsmhGjIvg8nC9JHYiu4k63kfFaDCnd9Kg4RtrMwf4ARg85yCiewkvkpeNmhnfWoUN4cZn1wjD0x7axhREgYtjFmSxYOy8Uo2ASxZ3M8AxlMCBcAvkmTHOZ-OH25rllSKQDy4b/s2048/373634735_264000456471230_5912210442744917207_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GVncnj2OfL28UHsKpG35FVLRGG55sDc1O9bwX5-6XHzmHqIaZsK1JF5KsmhGjIvg8nC9JHYiu4k63kfFaDCnd9Kg4RtrMwf4ARg85yCiewkvkpeNmhnfWoUN4cZn1wjD0x7axhREgYtjFmSxYOy8Uo2ASxZ3M8AxlMCBcAvkmTHOZ-OH25rllSKQDy4b/w640-h426/373634735_264000456471230_5912210442744917207_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elijah (RJ Cyler) and Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) aren't brothers but may as well be in <i>The Book of Clarence</i>.<br />Photo by Moris Puccio - © 2023 Legendary Entertainment. All rights reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />In many ways it would seem Samuel is doing his best to reconcile the contradicting pillars of faith that he still finds comforting with the desire to justify and account for the actions of man much like how my biology professor at my Southern community college would try and reconcile the facts of his subject with the "facts" of religion. While undoubtedly challenging, that bio teacher made some convincing arguments not only for such philosophies co-existing but complimenting one another as well. Unfortunately, Samuel is unable to do the same. This is what makes discussing <i>The Book of Clarence</i> difficult as it isn't particularly successful in conveying its dissonances and the opposing ideologies never coalesce, but individual moments still resonate and there is something about the content that can't help but concern your conscience. Split into three chapters and evolving Clarence from a cynical atheist to a bona fide believer doesn't necessarily work with this structure given the turn is rather abrupt and held until the third act where, again, the tone shifts drastically. The climax is moving, but narratively - it's weak. Samuel's screenplay absolutely needed to be revised and re-written multiple times in order to hone in on and better develop a throughline theme given how he planned to execute, but in seeing (what I'm assuming is) such an early draft of these ideas rendered onscreen we can track the author working from a place of his own pessimism, searching for the center of his own faith, and hoping by the conclusion that he's convinced us - and himself - that he found it. <div><br /></div><div>
The execution though, is clearly where Samuel is the most inspired as the film - which was shot by Alex Garland's frequent collaborator Rob Hardy - both looks as incredible (locations!) and as epic as Samuel no doubt intended; the aesthetic eliciting thoughts of <i>Ben-Hur</i> and <i>The Ten Commandments</i>. Samuel's style also extends to him composing the score and frequently performing on the soundtrack while also bringing in high-caliber collaborators such as Jay-Z (who also produced the film), Lil Wayne, and Doja Cat but the highlight of these anachronistic music choices is when we get a dance sequence to The Jones Girls' "Nights Over Egypt". Inauspicious is the fact this is the only moment of levity at this level as the remaining moments of either subversion or that show sparks of satire are so few and far between the superior cast playing them often feel wasted. Chief among these offenses is having David Oyelowo's hilarious John the Baptist in only a single scene. Omar Sy's Barabbas, with less than half the screen time of Clarence, in many ways becomes the emotional anchor of the film despite it not depicting what that character is most famous for which, for the record, would have only added more depth to the drama and conflict. RJ Cyler continues to prove his energy and charisma are unmatched and, unfortunately, overlooked as he still hasn't landed that one role to launch him to the next level whereas both Anna Diop and Teyana Taylor - who have proven their charisma and energy in other projects - simply have nothing to do here. As for Stanfield, I enjoy his presence in the right role and even when he is bruised and battered here, he still looks cool as hell, but his performance either doesn't do the work the screenplay asked of him or the screenplay itself didn't give him enough to work with. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEheTrTuhvc0vYYmMoBWmlp4JHKJ2GfJNqy0O4UIU6spJPmVg4lO2VgGg5YeTSU73aPISI_eIlJLsUoYyGwq3Klvf6SMVhBAV4s8n_RV6R-47pUdZa3tvQPsLRwZU0fUaAUKPelP8SUljgCowDNfM99r3aIVviiEtznbW6poD-KLh9tLokII8KIrxNbMBOCb/s2048/373725970_264000453137897_8314854860272935840_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTrTuhvc0vYYmMoBWmlp4JHKJ2GfJNqy0O4UIU6spJPmVg4lO2VgGg5YeTSU73aPISI_eIlJLsUoYyGwq3Klvf6SMVhBAV4s8n_RV6R-47pUdZa3tvQPsLRwZU0fUaAUKPelP8SUljgCowDNfM99r3aIVviiEtznbW6poD-KLh9tLokII8KIrxNbMBOCb/w640-h426/373725970_264000453137897_8314854860272935840_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After trying to swindle his way into being a Messiah, Clarence finds himself at the mercy of Pontius Pilate (James McAvoy).<br />Photo by Moris Puccio - © 2023 Legendary Entertainment. All rights reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />What <i>The Book of Clarence</i> does succeed at communicating is the way in which a person, this man who would become the Messiah of the Christian faith, is not simply whatever single-faceted entity followers or non-believers alike choose to apply to him. The many iterations of this prophet we see represented in <i>The Book of Clarence</i> are the many different aspects of this man, who he was, who he felt he needed to be, and how he was perceived. Nicholas Pinnock is the humble, quiet leader, the actual Jesus whose actions speak louder than any speeches. Stanfield portrays what a prophet was believed to be at the time and lives out the experience someone treated as "special" or "important" might enjoy and then there is Benedict Cumberbatch who, in maybe the film's best bit, is a vagrant who is blessed by Pinnock's Jesus and transformed into the image of the savior that has become most familiar to people the world over. Samuel doesn't hit this theme enough throughout and doesn't carry it through in the most effective fashion thus the comment regarding revisions, but as far as revisionist history itself is concerned <i>The Book of Clarence</i> challenges orthodox views just enough to appreciate its strong moments despite a true lack of solidarity within its design.
</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX60zhM8y27-Hpl0pEQAyAcei2qJNBveQKGWVZrQjeENWCYmPwQ8tno6bmJbNrxd95-kgZxbdmoUSg_P3CTqKx5PQprhwLhQ6uEL2FKxtJS2Y0CEesjVbSfAxyJTmkQeORMHTpNbQkLe3yiZTfX0L0HS3fVt0CUOVWfGusqk6BYEJSb4Zxpg7FP20F4vXI/s607/3_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX60zhM8y27-Hpl0pEQAyAcei2qJNBveQKGWVZrQjeENWCYmPwQ8tno6bmJbNrxd95-kgZxbdmoUSg_P3CTqKx5PQprhwLhQ6uEL2FKxtJS2Y0CEesjVbSfAxyJTmkQeORMHTpNbQkLe3yiZTfX0L0HS3fVt0CUOVWfGusqk6BYEJSb4Zxpg7FP20F4vXI/w200-h39/3_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-54527340261884804172023-12-30T09:55:00.000-08:002023-12-30T09:55:43.119-08:00TOP 10 OF 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/12/top-10-of-2023.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRzL3bdKsJEGUms1DJxM-MV36ndMzbRfj-JcOKiVkEnqbHxbbEgAEWxvhG0Ct8Wv7jLreQ-Sa_ZUg209qKJ_1iL6p4AiOC0Kop3yZ4CxHg3maRXABucCT56_msA22sJuYyh9HGdkW5MnLFGy5GAlx_tL-a_AAQmbm4fwER4xb8ggx6QjjPX2jDdFknFS6/w640-h334/Header.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>This year has been a bit of a transition period to say the least. 2022 marked the first full calendar year in which I produced a weekly video review of the biggest release on my own. It was a lot of fun but a lot of work and producing those reviews at a level of quality with which I was satisfied in a consistent manner did end up hindering my viewing habits (I saw almost a hundred more movies this year than I did in 2022). While the video format of reviewing movies was an experience I largely enjoyed it’s one I had already planned to cut back on this year. And so, when the theater chain I partnered with to produce said movie reviews saw a change of management in early May and no longer wanted to accommodate our shooting in their locations it felt like something of a mixed blessing. I didn't know where exactly I'd go with my film criticism as I'd poured the entirety of my efforts into the YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@InitialReactionReviews" target="_blank">channel</a> and while I still don't plan to post as obsessively or consistently as I did six or seven years ago, my <a href="https://letterboxd.com/vandy_price/" target="_blank">Letterboxd</a> reviews were simply becoming too long and taking up too much bandwidth in my brain for me to leave them off of this site I originally started out of college. All of that to say, I have no idea where 2024 will take me, if I'll still be posting here in a year's time, or if some new opportunity or avenue will present itself. Whatever the case, I am sure of one thing though and that is the fact you can likely count on me to post my favorite films of the year here no matter what other plans or obstacles the year throws at me (just look at last year), but without further ado, here are my ten favorite films of 2023…</div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/vH5NAahf76s?si=X2SJf7SUsX1EDxlZ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAG7Eh0p5HeRbBdpheicGMyq2oFldmDSpibKghOeyQnVHBOb6rjY0v221HrOXCpAw_s9u82yEPhB6lYz2un5IeHiShfIh-TFXf3MHgBSA1yCmqIsvV4NN6NAx8h_DxycA5HsIZ1SIHIOL2SViRfwQPO_iJi8QCZb1uC614C9gUwWt1gIBEawfRQModI-m/w640-h268/10.%20Bottoms.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Bottoms -</span></b> It's easy for movies to come out of the gate strong, it's admittedly even more difficult for movies to stick the landing, but one of the most overlooked and undervalued skills in filmmaking as a beginning to end process is maintaining the tone and energy you come out of the gate with through to the end and <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/09/bottoms-review.html" target="_blank">Bottoms</a></i></b> comes out of the gate strong. Fortunately, writer/director Emma Seligman and star Rachel Sennott's (<i>Shiva Baby</i>) screenplay seemingly accomplishes everything it sets out to do, but more importantly: it excels in doing so. The way in which the dialogue feels so natural, the rate at which the jokes land, and the simple creativity involved in crafting and conveying this hyper-realized version of high school where no one is subtle about or offended by which clique they belong to or where they land in the pecking order is simultaneously so impressive and so wildly funny that those aforementioned 92-minutes feel like nothing, a tease, which means all you can and want to do when the film ends is to watch it again immediately. <i>Now streaming on Fubo and MGM+ as well as being available for rent or purchase through all major digital retailers.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/_QkEG96do9E?si=QGZWrjL2NvEKg_Oy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyd8ytbdBOo7WC79CJ1FMuXXiaQ5jzBpkb28PdZua95IlL2_GAAgFxdOHBy5vcUoOcRDPFkbQTj_iOBkdT5S09kaEXbTxqDceubpsAEYI37SL-HJe6K5aMBwds2TDqCnu7jawgfUCK2yLBm6HHIq3tlRH6UPa5pYUGopFCKq2ceWbsDsgpA7B57MV8ce1d/w640-h268/8.%20The%20Starling%20Girl.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">9. The Starling Girl -</span></b> One of the more major directorial debuts of the last several years not to mention of 2023 is Laurel Parmet's <i>The Starling Girl </i>and it simply is not being talked about enough. I have seen several responses to the film noting its adherence to the coming-of-age drama and how familiar such a story is, all of which is true, but what cuts so deep about Parmet's screenplay is the authenticity and lived detail of the religious aspect. Living in the "Bible Belt" it is difficult to ignore the impact of religion on the way people attempt to shape their lives and perceptions - or at least the perception people have of them - but more critically, how such expected "ways of life" cause people to both suppress natural wants and desires as well as harm people around them, often the ones they love the most. This is not true of all religion(s), of course, but Christianity in the South can sometimes feel a different brand of extreme. It is the specificities of these small moments of extremes that Parmet portrays a story I have seen play out time and time again in as delicate a fashion as can be expected while cutting to the soul of its characters for the sacrifices they make, feel pain for, and lose sleep over solely due to being told of the greatest sacrifice made for them. <i>Now streaming on all Showtime partner apps as well as being available for rent or purchase through all major digital retailers.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/AhKLpJmHhIg?si=6_g-Shtq-d789YYz" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7G6YCBhuUfS6TiNS_9Bj9lIvhcfDzKP96MZjNf4_nSkE6aEE8ItHjvT8nB6xWT3dTvxONWVwUxWxxtRwg-HL4Ke3JSYMCbmfMAh84S7ad1bze7dNzfIFmdO9l0-85-5101iYNSODlqUCyAEYWWPmTh38CIXzlc1GU-ZMB-5_sU7CVySkDCDwt2JTo1fyK/w640-h268/6a.%20The%20Holdovers.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">8. The Holdovers -</span></b> Director Alexander Payne (<i>Sideways, The Descendants</i>), who is now sixty-two, has made films in the vein of seventies movies before - movies that center on multi-faceted characters with relatively small and always personal problems - but he’s never made a movie so overtly mimicking so much of what he clearly draws inspiration from. I understand <i><b><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/11/the-holdovers-review.html" target="_blank">The Holdovers</a></b></i> might be more provoking of the look and feel than invoking of the actual spirit of seventies cinema, but as someone of my age and viewing history it left me feeling as if it had done both. I understand why those who might have a deeper pool of knowledge and sense of connection to movies of the seventies and their unshaven realism might find <i>The Holdovers</i> more of a copy than an authentic journey, but the fact of the matter is: I found this far more enjoyable than expected given my aforementioned disposition, but more than that - I found it deeply affecting and honest. While it might be aping certain seventies visual cues very intently, it also manages a perfect balance of melancholy and comedy that elicits heavy truths while equally highlighting the gleefully effervescent moments of life (and how they weave our days and time together). <i>Now streaming on Peacock as well as being available for rent or purchase through all major digital retailers.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/02PPMPArNEQ?si=T2NNkEQtPEMkMuyr" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ouVJSOFHtnEEnGKSVmTF6Py-fhJRotJXPJhJ2S5yvr8tFc6HNzlE4-W5-NXGCjquDSOGqdPOc9kwRyy87ODVEefpW1ha4TvSd6D-i_1x6Fb_aCgCyegEF-RNNLOL5uMuhZUsuZxZ_pWREYHAmihK-evwxu4qrcOxkex4tUGlSg9qY-955hIV3j6aTfq3/w640-h268/4.%20The%20Covenant.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">7. The Covenant -</span></b> Lately, director Guy Ritchie (<i>Snatch, Sherlock Holmes</i>) has more inserted himself into genres rather than placing the genre itself in a stylistic chokehold. With <i>The Covenant</i>, one can feel the looseness of the filmmaking and how it tends to emphasize the unpredictability of many of the scenarios we are thrown into but rather than reinventing the wheel, Ritchie simply uses his style to make the wheel turn more effectively. Separate from but intrinsically linked to Ritchie's contributions are the two rock solid lead performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and (especially) Dar Salim who bridge the gap between the two distinct parts of this film that might have felt more glaring were it not for their ability to communicate why one aspect is as vital as the other. As much about the kinds of actions Afghan interpreters were asked to take and the sacrifices they were asked to make as it is the system that props them up, <i>The Covenant</i> displays as much as it diagnoses what it's examining without ever feeling pontifical or exploitative and while it might always remain questionable if Ritchie was the right person to tell this story it would seem indisputable that he did in fact do it justice. <i>Now streaming on Prime Video as well as being available for rent or purchase through all major digital retailers.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/pAweg5PaMuw?si=x-AiHdRet0OMjRH8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIPW_D3jA5qQgFXL6ivv7WCHzV7vJr1qVDkpCYtzFEJOuxq_4GfjIDlg55kB6LiG2cp8sPTl_pyEIVnUburnngDiLtFLnSAVRRF6zqMqgx8kCtv4FTWahdlobFdTIKHITmQRqXq7JW2j2iSak9OVWw1MgSsWEiBSwm5Pln9WvsxeAxEHRQMiv58ohWb61/w640-h268/7b.%20Origin%202.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Origin -</span></b> Not to spoil anything about director Ava DuVernay's latest, <i>Origin</i>, but while much of this fictional adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson's nonfiction book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" is focused on Wilkerson herself (portrayed by the great Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) as we follow along on her journey to research and write the eventual book many of the ideas in this film are based on, where <i>Origin</i> really flourishes is when it detours into the past and recreates these stories from throughout different stages in history that inform the present story Wilkerson is desperately trying to shape and make sense of. Undoubtedly, these detours are what will cause some critics to hasten toward thoughts that the film is disjointed and tonally uneven, but the way in which DuVernay uses these reenactments to not only emphasize the reality of these things Wilkerson is learning, but – for my money – beautifully weaves them throughout make both the film’s narrative and Wilkerson’s arc feel whole. To use a tired turn of phrase, they compliment one another in such a way that by the time we reach the final moments where these two strands of storytelling coalesce, I was moved to tears – asking myself the basic question of, “Why do we do the things we do to one another?”. <i>Origin is now playing in limited release and goes wide on January 19th, 2024.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/shW9i6k8cB0?si=51VngcHRM9bipRuK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZEZOXtlsWrxq-ipiiTEaAF6SIgJABXHd6DK94E1ijMIrAa1-V8qYoc9PIsjQl6tTkC1vI99YZl2vX2GwzlXOsX6uqvTCXzXIZho9KS1vZcre8sYX6xg01-6M0f9u5lhMxiRCyx-XpWrdptFccrcsOKMnleG7rLazRFe5VDhtluxscOURr2-ncDzX3Ued/w640-h268/5.%20Across%20the%20Spider-Verse.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse -</span></b> What makes a spider-person the hero they are? Or the person they are? Just as Miles Morales feels like an anomaly among his own, <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/06/spider-man-across-spider-verse-review.html" target="_blank">Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse</a> </i></b>- the follow-up to 2018's wildly successful <i>Into the Spider-Verse -</i> is very much that in both today’s comic book movie and cinematic landscape. Utilizing every element at its disposal to convey character feelings and better distinguish each of the many universes it creates, every aspect feels organic despite being completely constructed out of oblivion. Themes resonate more than the sometimes confusing plot, but the care and love evident in every decision makes all the multiverse talk more semantics than linchpins. In a year that will likely go down as the beginning of the end for the most recent run of comic book films, <i>Across the Spider-Verse</i> is not only the best superhero movie of the year but something special even if it’s not completely clear what kind of "special" that is yet. That said, instead of considering it the anomaly it is we might simply recognize (appropriately) that it goes beyond anything we’ve seen before. It's also immensely rewatchable. <i>Now streaming on Netflix as well as being available for rent or purchase through all major digital retailers.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/8KVsaoveTbw?si=_KLa39jXZAKlJ82d" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhJCcL-9RxbgETxGdelBihJDMopMk2A_yFt0InUVLv31UBeFmapK7onPLS31BwZTlrKPamdWUq9wcCiCAymVx2AQiR5PJTHG7WUAXqBCVWRI46v2VgXsnIxTndiI3QztmZciNyPS8dkmCaYffRgsWXrxR3wS_dCkjd3XdKXQDKeE5yL0F3dh9oO_HTuPj/w640-h268/9.%20The%20Iron%20Claw.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. The Iron Claw -</span></b> The story of the Von Erichs has been presented as a cautionary tale about parental influence, sibling rivalry, and the various dangers of the professional wrestling business and while those broad categorizations certainly apply writer/director Sean Durkin (<i>Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Nest</i>) ultimately settles his film around something more abstract; more heavenly, if you will. That the setting for <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/12/the-iron-claw-review.html" target="_blank">The Iron Claw</a></i></b> and all of Fritz Von Erich's (the tyrannical patriarch of the story) discipline and disaster could be the warmth and mood of a southern summer night in the eighties feels like a contradiction and as Zac Efron's (in a career defining performance) arc as oldest brother Kevin suggests, the contradictions of life must be balanced by the ability to perceive and understand rather than leaving it up to destiny or even circumstance. We make our own luck or, as Ric Flair (portrayed here in an electric scene by Aaron Dean Eisenberg) would say, "In order to be the man, you have to beat the man." The ultimate tragedy being Kevin learned this lesson too late and that his brothers didn’t have time to learn it at all. <i>Now playing in theaters. </i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/qEVUtrk8_B4?si=FLXAR741exMb4BZ2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhMAkkphzFpUP1inP_r8p0TXrahPW2d1KhDI587mBZzJU0dCrxQCTFG3pFkilUeqJR-B8TVrYJOIihJbRVvv-AdQLtH40fIy1vB0Y8-u4tqBTFqzgGwOyEObAkgDRdYElA4fa2pkVaEiHhAyKjEtSe8lE6umBKtUcw0VkZLlx6U8G5Apgd1VIByABBbW0/w640-h268/3.%20John%20Wick%20Chapter%204.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. John Wick: Chapter 4 -</span></b> The fourth chapter in John Wick’s journey doesn’t work as hard in the story department because it counts on its audience already being bought in and therefore only leans into the expansion of the world even more - as it has done with each new installment. That said, the sheer amount of work, real locations, visceral action/combat, and new/memorable characters present in this latest (and possibly final) entry make it one of the most impressive (and gorgeous) cinematic accomplishments of the year; a true achievement. An epic with serious intent, <b><i><a href="https://youtu.be/dVV5ko6TbdQ?si=aOZeSd53q8emzL8Q" target="_blank">John Wick: Chapter 4</a></i></b> includes no less than a handful of action staples with the potential to go down as some of the best action filmmaking ever. Whether it be the overhead oner with the flame-throwing gun, the extended fight sequence on the 222 steps leading up to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Donnie Yen's kitchen sequence through to his hand to hand with Hiroyuki Sanada and of course the club sequence where Keanu Reeves as our titular hero faces off against Scott Adkins in a fat suit AKA Killa. Each equate to pure cinematic euphoria that, between the production design, the choreography, the stunts, the music, the extras, the prelude, easily make it one of the best of the year if not one of the all-timer greatest action films. <i>Now streaming on Starz as well as being available for rent or purchase through all major digital retailers.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/7cx9nCHsemc?si=c-ihgvO94NUSxed4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6sxpyw-M9ivuW_mX6kz6u2YZ1rS84zT1C2CwBzjeF1zSmHnLX3c6oC-ko1NX821Hvpi-cRwAODXngY9aOyLGuhAFWbCz9nTswk6G5215QKtOguNEvDVf2cfjUVziOkhTU5NJKxVDDuBDD61FQzxkB1YqvUnFc51KPyRcsM2oX1ymMJwMik07bbpI4gfC/w640-h268/2.%20Killers%20of%20the%20Flower%20Moon2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Killers of the Flower Moon -</span></b> In the late 19th century, the Osage Nation discovered a vast oil and mineral deposit on their reservation. Enterprising oilmen received drilling rights from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with the stipulation that the Osage received a ten percent royalty on all sales. Such abundance pushed droves of new inhabitants to Fairfax, Oklahoma leading to a string of murders that, as horrific as they are for the violence inflicted upon the Osage people, are made all the more so by the betrayals and gratuitousness woven into the nature of them.With the guidance but more the willingness of auteur Martin Scorsese to bring further illumination to this shameful chapter in American history, we are delivered what is both an overwhelming and abrading experience. With a (much discussed) runtime of three hours and twenty-six minutes it might seem deranged to feel like this film even flirts with the idea of shortchaning its audience and while it doesn't actually - it does leave you wanting more. In what is likely one of Scorsese's final contributions to cinema, these varying instances of betrayal featuring the same degree of outrage paint this sweeping portrait of atrocious audacities; the transparency of the presumed drama giving way to deeper readings of motivations as well as how much something means versus how much something is truly worth. Top tier work from a man who's been working close to sixty years is kind of a miracle, but <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i> exemplifies perfectly why Scorsese is still one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the world. A<i>vailable for rent or purchase through all major digital retailers.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/uYPbbksJxIg?si=VCk62m4kpyOTNMvA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNx5H1pVLaHOs_EcvWWLzN8bgQEqrWmvJLqIQc88qEU63fncC7hZag_DArGL2vS9gSs6yUW2in6KQWeggpAUyF47qY_p73nbhiicVhYzufELOF2g85dqylcpklNX1EmyDLwLRQC-VGA56Gt8kak2Jc3S0UmQSLcduK3Bv7tY25w_iATH_hE-L7wN6OqjYL/w640-h268/1%20Oppenheimer.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Oppenheimer -</span></b> Given writer/director Christopher Nolan accomplishes as much in-camera as possible there is very little left to the imagination in <b><i><a href="http://www.reviewsfromabed.com/2023/07/oppenheimer-review.html" target="_blank">Oppenheimer</a></i></b>. From the bomb to the billions of stars being contemplated and even boobs, Nolan gives us everything that made J. Robert Oppenheimer tick. Was he a neurotic loner who was also a womanizer? A cold-hearted physicist as well as a bleeding-heart liberal? That seems to be the case and maybe the best case for why Nolan’s historical biopic about the “father of the atomic bomb” is so successful: it seamlessly integrates these contradictions into the narrative surrounding the moment that set the course of humanity on a different trajectory. Nolan's trademarks are well-suited to this story of a(nother) tortured genius who faces the greatest moral dilemma - possibly in history - and must come to terms with both his ambition, understanding his actions, and eventually wrangling with his legacy as he sees it being maligned and he himself being exiled by those with real power. As a rule, Nolan typically leans on the science of his premises to provide the meat of his films and while we see visual interpretations of theory early on in <i>Oppenheimer</i> Nolan largely abandons both these cues and much talk of the scientific process around creating the weapon in favor of the politics and more specficically around his subject’s mounting contradictions through every aspect of his life: how both Oppenheimer’s work and thoughts ultimately consume him. It's devastatingly effective and, like Scorsese, sees a true auteur working at the peak of their powers. A<i>vailable for rent or purchase through all major digital retailers.</i></div></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-13454316724968826432023-12-27T07:39:00.000-08:002023-12-27T12:32:48.181-08:00THE IRON CLAW Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdEBpIZaeRadZXLgBSEQxaDhKBf3FokKzwzza1LIB08Kz90c77VjFIT6PKJtHWvD4uL70TievUtAOW4_kKtU5VguzLeN2ofeoSuycTgx_rAPWh1qpsIh0JXapvvkJmndL2QZACCfLKwgM1HKlZDPL2OxVfdYCP0YAcRCNdOU_RQzW6P0LdrA5ZYZ_VdrB/s1481/MV5BNTMyNmNlYjItNmM2Yi00YWViLTk5Y2MtNGI4YWEyOWU4N2U2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdEBpIZaeRadZXLgBSEQxaDhKBf3FokKzwzza1LIB08Kz90c77VjFIT6PKJtHWvD4uL70TievUtAOW4_kKtU5VguzLeN2ofeoSuycTgx_rAPWh1qpsIh0JXapvvkJmndL2QZACCfLKwgM1HKlZDPL2OxVfdYCP0YAcRCNdOU_RQzW6P0LdrA5ZYZ_VdrB/w270-h400/MV5BNTMyNmNlYjItNmM2Yi00YWViLTk5Y2MtNGI4YWEyOWU4N2U2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>After a single viewing I know that despite my disappointments with <b><i>The Iron Claw</i></b> they are not because of what the film delivers or how it delivers it, but simply because I wanted more of what it was already delivering. Familiar with the story of and myth surrounding the Von Erich family and always willing to be nostalgic for any kind of professional wrestling pre-1997 or so, I must admit to being rather anxious walking into the latest from Sean Durkin. Though the writer/director has only made two features prior to this (<i>Martha Marcy May Marlene</i> being one of my favorite films of 2011), his ability to capture tone and a sense of place is an exceptional quality when done with sincerity and those qualities serve him and this story tremendously. That said, it wasn’t Durkin, the cast, or anything glaring about this production that made me anxious - in fact, the more details that came out about the film the more excited I was to see what they might do with this epic story of tragedy and triumph - and therein lies the cause for such anxiety: could this story, this epic of the Von Erich’s, be both contained and done proper justice in this format? My fear was that this would be the rare case where the material would be better served by a ten-episode season of television than the two-hour feature we’ve been delivered and while that still may be true there is no denying the soul of this film and, appropriately so, the strength of it. <div><br /></div><div>
Beginning with an introduction to the patriarch and innovator of the titular move, Jack AKA Fritz Von Erich (an electric Holt McCallany) changed the family name from Adkisson to his mother's maiden, German name (who was also apparently “plagued with bad luck”) in Von Erich as a gimmick for his wrestling persona that aided him in portraying a Nazi-like heel in the ring. The monicker stuck as all five of Fritz's sons, four of which are portrayed in the film, entered the world of professional wrestling under the Von Erich name. While this opening sequence conveys a number of critical items most important is the contrast between how Fritz and his wife, Doris (an emotionally suppressed, but blisteringly conflicted Maura Tierney), approach life, Fritz through his appearance and reputation and Doris through her faith. It is this kind of contrasting system of ideas and ideals that create the policies by which their sons live and the theories they intellectually adhere to. It makes sense then that after setting the stage as such that the remainder of the first act sees Durkin (who also wrote the screenplay) introducing each of the four boys included in his version of these events while concurrently suggesting how the nurturing of a force like Fritz and a presence like Doris imbued upon and molded them into the men they became and the fate they met. Beginning with Kevin (Zac Efron) we immediately understand that this oldest, living Von Erich brother is also the most resolute and resilient of the bunch. Efron's first scene sees him waking up in the early morning hours and going for a run against the Denton, Texas sunrise. He invites his younger brother, David (Harris Dickinson), to join him, but David elects to remain in bed. Again, Durkin knows he has a limited amount of time to tell this gigantic story and doesn't sacrifice a second of screentime as every moment tells us something about a character that will shape their story. We see Kevin, already heavily embroiled in this world through events at the Dallas Sportatorium, become the Texas Heavyweight Champion early on; only elevating the family's local fame as well as their visibility to execs in the National Wrestling Association (NWA), which was the ultimate goal.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEhWV17f9Qw7wf7n5mEtgHX1hmN85N-lnFCxeEkeip8CFm2zZzV-sGRYF7xLnLgS2QsPziIW9VYcIW1otX4Bpp5zF1qA69SOrC4bdCiUm31dvrIsn8P3pJIuUynVQ95jPcE7yFc6xyXjhfV42lXnrt3laQQTIqzvxOfafg3VZhnxpSXYEeWlWg9-1U5yP5g0/s1200/1702379933593-gbftwgrx0aahro.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV17f9Qw7wf7n5mEtgHX1hmN85N-lnFCxeEkeip8CFm2zZzV-sGRYF7xLnLgS2QsPziIW9VYcIW1otX4Bpp5zF1qA69SOrC4bdCiUm31dvrIsn8P3pJIuUynVQ95jPcE7yFc6xyXjhfV42lXnrt3laQQTIqzvxOfafg3VZhnxpSXYEeWlWg9-1U5yP5g0/w640-h360/1702379933593-gbftwgrx0aahro.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left: Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson), Bill Mercer (Michael Harney), and Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron) in <i>The Iron Claw</i>.<br />© House Claw LLC.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />While Kevin possesses the drive along with the ability and talent to compete in the ring (Efron's physical appearance is another discussion entirely) he is not the talker David is. David has the charisma and the personality along with enough of a physical stature to surpass Kevin as the star of the family. Coming from a large family myself and having three brothers of my own, one of the more fascinating aspects of <i>The Iron Claw</i> are the dynamics between the brothers as each of them are interchangeable in their father's ranking of his favorites with much if not all of this having to do with the status of their wrestling personas. As the oldest, Kevin is inherently set up as the one to lead the charge, but as David begins to make headway and then circumstances beyond his control bring Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) back into the fold there is a passing of the torch so to speak. Kevin isn’t happy about it and David exhibits tinges of remorse and insecurity, but neither speak up on behalf of their feelings. Fritz moves his boys around like pieces on a chess board, positioning whoever has the best chance to make the biggest breakthrough at the front of the pack, but the love between the brothers is never lost no matter how much their father's strategic maneuvers might feel like betrayal. Naturally, Kevin feels the brunt of this as the expectations his father places upon his shoulders feel insurmountable anyway, but to make matters worse all of Kevin's opportunities and goals are consistently swept out from underneath him or given to someone else. In many ways, Fritz discards Kevin at every turn; hoisting his expectations from one son to the next and yet Kevin remains the most loyal and the only one ultimately able to withstand the pressure of those expectations. <div><br /></div><div>
At just over a half hour into the film Kerry is introduced for the first time. A victim of the 1980 Moscow Olympics boycott by the United States, he returns to Texas defeated with a chip on his shoulder and ready to fight back in whatever form afforded him. Of course, being a Von Erich, the opportunity afforded to counter the slights society has leveled against him is by taking them out on others inside the ring. Kerry's integration into this world leads to himself, Kevin, and David forming a tag team trio who, as they travel the circuit and perform night after night in different cities, only builds the aura and eminence around the Von Erichs further. As the three sons destined for this type of stage find their groove, Durkin is also developing younger brother Mike (Stanley Simons) as Fritz is doing the same. By the time The Von Erichs fight the The Freebirds for the six-man tag team championship in 1983, Mike's involvement has become more of an expectation from his father than the option Mike thought it was prior. Mike is the odd one out for, while his brothers are happy - even passionate about - playing into their father's ambitions, Mike has his own. Mike plays in a band, writes songs, and is more interested in the camera angles and production around wrestling than he is the matches themselves. Once again, Fritz discards these aspects of one of his son's identities, aspects that don’t fit into his vision, and casts aside what gives Mike purpose rather than cultivating it. As Durkin continues to weave the arcs of each of the brothers together with Fritz serving as this foreman of the family (business) the momentum builds to a montage just prior to the hour mark that is set to Rush's "Tom Sawyer" and it is quite possibly the most electrifying few minutes of filmmaking I've seen all year. Genuinely engaging due to the time, place, and relevance to anyone seeking this out, the film is a collection of moments that crystallizes all anyone could hope for from a film set in this world. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEgKH-6r8IrrP3t_nIFu8QrMXcoyRzcp2jGljtALnSQRy41KLD9Sqy__hAQhVGawJKwrFIyf2Sr1uINwSdYE3x3mw7GeaJQL6-QlVFm2OGv1hym-KV9TeZZ8Nzx1nuX4XcPBFCxeFt7P4LyhZvRx0N4TAt2ORaHo3R_awfRuyhq54f4jbMhlk06DaYB1Gm1r/s1000/IronClaw4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKH-6r8IrrP3t_nIFu8QrMXcoyRzcp2jGljtALnSQRy41KLD9Sqy__hAQhVGawJKwrFIyf2Sr1uINwSdYE3x3mw7GeaJQL6-QlVFm2OGv1hym-KV9TeZZ8Nzx1nuX4XcPBFCxeFt7P4LyhZvRx0N4TAt2ORaHo3R_awfRuyhq54f4jbMhlk06DaYB1Gm1r/w640-h426/IronClaw4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Von Erich family, including Doris (Maura Tierney) and Fritz (Holt McCallany), attend church; faith playing a large part in their lives and their story.<br />© House Claw LLC.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />This montage is also the turning point for the story Durkin is telling. While the writer/director certainly has something of an aesthetic all his own, what is more telling of Durkin's style is his way of conveying more with an image than simply composing a pretty picture; the image can still be striking, but the significance is even more so. There are several instances of this throughout The Iron Clow, but following the aforementioned montage Durkin crossfades and blends separate shots of Kevin, David, and Kerry's faces in the aftermath of the tag team championship - bruised, sweaty, and slightly disfigured - each telling of how there's still the same amount of pressure as there is pride within them. It tells us where each of them is mentally and how each of their individual arcs will always be intertwined. It is an incredible touch that gives an appropriate denouement to what we've just witnessed while hinting at the burdens set to bestow them. Durkin counters the musings of this pinnacle with an attempt to continue this high through Kevin's marriage to Pam (Lily James). Layered in among the introductions to each of the brothers and the establishing of the family dynamics, James brings a straightforward and assured presence to a character that would otherwise be easy to dismiss as little more than a tool to help the audience understand the world of wrestling and the inner-workings of the Von Erich clan. Like Tierney, James along with Durkin's direction elevate the character beyond set dressing and into a voice of reason among the chaos and suppressed emotions. <div><br /></div><div>
It is in this turn that Durkin also encounters the most challenging aspect of this story; that of organizing and effectively communicating just the volume of devastation that befalls the Von Erichs without allowing it to feel rushed or repetitive. The movie makes mention early on of the oldest Von Erich, Jack Jr., who died at the age of six after being accidentally shocked and drowning in a puddle. Durkin also makes the decision to not include the sixth Von Erich brother, Chris, who shot himself in the head with a 9mm handgun in 1991 at the age of twenty-one presumably because it mirrors the stories of both Kerry and Mike so closely. Yes, that's correct - three of Fritz's six sons died by suicide. Within the sequence at Kevin and Pam's wedding we are given our first signs of David's illness, the next scene delivering the news of David's death in Japan via a ruptured intestine, and it is here the seams begin to show. David's death feels abrupt - maybe intentionally so as one could at least get away with that justification - yet Durkin doesn't stop there because he can't. Kerry's motorcycle accident and onset of addiction is swiftly followed by Mike's injury and subsequent coma. The pain of as much sends Kevin into a spiral of depression and we see him withdrawing from the world, afraid to pass on this "family curse" to his own children. Though the pacing and structuring of this overwhelming series of events was always going to prove the biggest challenge of putting this story to film, what Durkin does to recourse the echoing effects of this so-called "curse" is again turn to his visual storytelling techniques. To signal Mike's death, Durkin cuts to a black dress lying on a bed. As we have already seen Doris wear this at David's funeral the implications are pronounced as Doris' tough exterior finally cracks. The inclusion of moments such as this do more for delivering the impact of these events than another scene of a priest praying over a casket ever could. <div><br /></div><div>
Speaking to the character of Doris, the choice to conduct herself as this type of mother who dispenses with the tools she believes her boys need but offers little by way of emotional support or comfort is one that begs to be understood. Was this simply standard practice for that time period? That region? Did she inherit her parenting techniques from her own parents or once married, did she automatically adhere to the same regiment as her husband? Her faith is a large part of her character as well, but as Fritz blames this “curse” for the misfortunes that befall his family Doris’ convictions begin to feel like they’re pulling much the same weight. This obviously isn't the Doris origin story, but despite her limited amount of screentime the influence of Tierny's performance and presence cannot be overstated. Doris is ruthless in a sense, but more she is a hardened soul who doesn't allow herself to give into her emotions. For the longest time, we never see any sign of weakness which makes the moment Doris finally does buckle one of the most heartbreaking scenes in a film filled with them. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEjp2vlXmjYHrOxglq7UCLsqIKpVjoySZIGu9Fgua-liUAtSQ7Y8JaUKut4m1pZ8DY3GpzFzJ45Ob9isdn5QLkT5GxUlWhN1XWHlCaI5-tHKjmRb1GQFE88m2m-CvCX8djKK_U7ow1GilCgkYDZNZNXEyn7juLi3iIrfKEXnquOkCdFkJFl_NlQg_76gLB91/s4096/MV5BOTZlZmJmN2MtODRlOS00YTNmLTg1NGEtYmI2MTQ0N2E1MzBmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTY0MDc5OA@@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2731" data-original-width="4096" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2vlXmjYHrOxglq7UCLsqIKpVjoySZIGu9Fgua-liUAtSQ7Y8JaUKut4m1pZ8DY3GpzFzJ45Ob9isdn5QLkT5GxUlWhN1XWHlCaI5-tHKjmRb1GQFE88m2m-CvCX8djKK_U7ow1GilCgkYDZNZNXEyn7juLi3iIrfKEXnquOkCdFkJFl_NlQg_76gLB91/w640-h426/MV5BOTZlZmJmN2MtODRlOS00YTNmLTg1NGEtYmI2MTQ0N2E1MzBmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTY0MDc5OA@@._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Efron's Kevin becomes the Texas Heavyweight Champion early on in Sean Durkin's tale of the Von Erichs.<br />© House Claw LLC.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It cannot be exaggerated what a whirlwind the final half-hour or so of <i>The Iron Claw</i> is as we finally begin to see Kevin, the only brother who was never able to fulfill his destiny as he saw it, begin to walk back from the edge after being pushed toward it his entire life. This is also why Efron's performance is the centerpiece and emotional core of the film. Being the same age as Efron and watching his career trajectory from <i>High School Musical</i> to now, it has been fascinating to see him evolve and recently begin to seemingly consider his legacy and the shape of his career. In Kevin, he finds the perfect conduit for all of his talents as he is able to channel a rawness and tangibility in his performance both physically and emotionally. I would be lying if I said I've never questioned Efron's acting ability as he clearly has a certain look about him that would lead you to believe certain things about his personality, but once he begins talking you realize he's a little manic, probably impulsive, but definitely obsessive about his work. Like, dude's body is insane - which isn't a given knowing what it takes to achieve that, but kind of is since we've seen Efron as the peak of physical fitness before - but beyond the bulk, when we're sitting with Kevin in the final frames of the film and the fact we can feel the aforementioned weight on his shoulders be, not lifted, but washed away by all of the agony and sorrow he has experienced solely through Efron's face is enough grounds for verification that this guy is, in fact, the real deal. That this title wave of grief subsides and becomes something akin to peace when Kevin's young sons embrace their weeping father is only further confirmation of such. <div><br /></div><div>
To be frank, I was surprised at how White's Kerry is the least defined of the brothers, his arc not really forming a definition until his accident after which we are to assume he becomes a shell of his former self anyway. The film somewhat glazes over his moving on to the WWF, but moreover, Kerry's death is played as the final straw that breaks the bind between Kevin and his father. For Kevin, this idea of the "Von Erich curse" was always something he nor his family actually had any say in, something they could not control and that they were plagued with; a very superstitious, unfounded way to lead your life - as well as a kind of irrational one. It is Pam who presents the counter idea of it being possible to make one's own luck and this is the backbone of Durkin's screenplay as he weaves Kevin's conflict of trying to remain true to his father's ideas and beliefs despite realizing what they’re doing to the rest of his family. The story of the Von Erichs has been presented as a cautionary tale about parental influence, sibling rivalry, and the various dangers of the professional wrestling business and while those broad categorizations certainly apply Durkin ultimately settles his film around something more abstract; more heavenly, if you will. That the setting for all of Fritz's discipline and disaster could be the warmth and mood of a southern summer night in the eighties feels like a contradiction and as Kevin's arc suggests, the contradictions of life must be balanced by the ability to perceive and understand rather than leaving it up to destiny or even circumstance. We make our own luck or, as Ric Flair (portrayed perfectly here by Aaron Dean Eisenberg) would say, "In order to be the man, you have to beat the man." The ultimate tragedy being Kevin learned this lesson too late and that his brothers didn’t have time to learn it at all.
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzxqGuO1cFqiaVZB3vS6h0_bcMExN-UIZc3rvA3pFtmWAMVc7JuTNFprK74SxMokTHfSTrvAI0hCEQOjp7pu13cerPw86L5LKMZz7upOTHz0pvyd2k0jJH3pUR-OMFc9NrgRhvn6Z09yeiWCaXdfaUOR4Wrg1tLhBf9rH-tyZkN7D8gclgtGZbtRJ04wQ/s607/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzxqGuO1cFqiaVZB3vS6h0_bcMExN-UIZc3rvA3pFtmWAMVc7JuTNFprK74SxMokTHfSTrvAI0hCEQOjp7pu13cerPw86L5LKMZz7upOTHz0pvyd2k0jJH3pUR-OMFc9NrgRhvn6Z09yeiWCaXdfaUOR4Wrg1tLhBf9rH-tyZkN7D8gclgtGZbtRJ04wQ/w200-h39/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-79249574575737466412023-12-22T08:08:00.000-08:002023-12-23T08:24:23.755-08:00AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Review <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYczgDiNlf1VISacub8U669eFoR93GoPu-w6T3GXjsmxLtpBpGnWoTcCvd-aRA9vtThffDVvKx9eA3w56c7bha0SfjaxKi-Q42AS4G7wwtnlUfHTDaal4kzMqnMLUdDsqoKLqOKTaFkDHCpyFIczdWj4lbGSYonL5HSZND6MFhg8QcWn0BtsmVdCpgf4U/s1482/MV5BMTkxM2FiYjctYjliYy00NjY2LWFmOTEtMWZiYWRjNjA4MGYxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYczgDiNlf1VISacub8U669eFoR93GoPu-w6T3GXjsmxLtpBpGnWoTcCvd-aRA9vtThffDVvKx9eA3w56c7bha0SfjaxKi-Q42AS4G7wwtnlUfHTDaal4kzMqnMLUdDsqoKLqOKTaFkDHCpyFIczdWj4lbGSYonL5HSZND6MFhg8QcWn0BtsmVdCpgf4U/w270-h400/MV5BMTkxM2FiYjctYjliYy00NjY2LWFmOTEtMWZiYWRjNjA4MGYxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>The irony of Zack Snyder's latest sci-fi epic releasing on Netflix essentially the same day as what will be the final relic of his orchestration at Warner Bros. with regards to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is undoubtedly significant in some somber, unfortunate way yet I can't quite put my finger on why this congregation of Snyder's new and old universes feels sad on both accounts. It's paradoxical, sure, but I guess in the broader sense it simply seems like despite the DCEU not going his way that he has recovered by making a two-part, $166 million <i>Star Wars</i> rip-off for the biggest streaming service in the world and yet, it doesn't feel like a recovery at all; somehow it feels like a failure on two fronts which is what makes <b><i>Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom</i></b> all the more depressing. <p></p><p>Remember when Willem Dafoe was in an <i>Aquaman</i> movie? Doesn't that feel like a lifetime ago and a universe away? Unfortunately, thanks to the pandemic and James Gunn both things are by and large true. <i>Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom</i> is the end of an era, the last of a dying breed, and though certainly not how Snyder saw things ending, the movie itself is not the worst note the current iteration of the DCEU could have gone out on (that would have been <i>The Flash</i>). It's not good, don't get me wrong, but there is a certain charm that director James Wan and, of course, star Jason Momoa bring to what are already absurd proceedings. Likely not the better movie of the two, but because I went into this much-delayed and much-maligned sequel five years after having been conditioned to certain expectations, this was a better overall experience because of the (much) lower anticipation level. All things considered, Wan is still very much a world-class filmmaker who knows how to mount a handsomely constructed action-adventure romp and when hung on the back of a comically over the top lead it couldn't be more perfect for feeding every Saturday morning desire of every nine-year-old out there.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><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/AVvXsEgqfGQ5qnRVz0SpYZH0bBUGXWsFEI76TL2e1vkkt5zIk3vkraCm7DdyQel-nawLbEn_73TWwenFVv9rj3HP_Mz96vtIcNSVf1Wgk7huoOm8qi90qx2LBQ93eZ-gfTgBoIKfYlIistQT0jjqrsdA0Ch1orDSkqLDfanKqIvZYDuDJyM5YXODlG15LV2Xm9vO/s2048/411458132_889193319876088_5146998582232929378_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfGQ5qnRVz0SpYZH0bBUGXWsFEI76TL2e1vkkt5zIk3vkraCm7DdyQel-nawLbEn_73TWwenFVv9rj3HP_Mz96vtIcNSVf1Wgk7huoOm8qi90qx2LBQ93eZ-gfTgBoIKfYlIistQT0jjqrsdA0Ch1orDSkqLDfanKqIvZYDuDJyM5YXODlG15LV2Xm9vO/w640-h360/411458132_889193319876088_5146998582232929378_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick Wilson and Jason Momoa star as the once and the present King of Atlantis in <i>Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom</i>.<br />Photo by Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture - © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (who co-wrote the first film) this thing has a handful of "story by" credits including Momoa himself. I would love to know what bits of the story Momoa contributed or if he simply got this credit for coming up with lines like, "C'mon Cast Away! Grab Wilson, let’s roll!" Either way, our hero drops more pop culture references than a <i>Shrek</i> film this time around and, while an undeniably fun presence, begins to beg the question of whether he's a "good actor" or not. I have no doubt much of this is simply due to Momoa's natural energy, but the opening montage of the film is all about establishing Arthur Curry as a new father and family man and the complications and stress that come along with this, being the King of Atlantis, and splitting his time between the land and the sea. The energy of the sequence and of the filmmaking is up to the task of matching what Momoa is bringing, but tonally it all feels rather kitschy - and this time, not ironically. The funniest thing about this choice being that it is seemingly done in earnest so as to make it that much more of a Momoa vehicle and giving his presence and personality an opportunity to be the true star of the movie. Typically, with superhero movies, it is the character and the brand that bring in audiences and not the person playing them yet the choice to lean into everything that makes Momoa so appealing as a celebrity would suggest they wanted to turn things around in this last hurrah. Fortunately, it isn't long before some plot chicanery reunites Momoa with Patrick Wilson who plays Arthur's half-brother, Orm, and the two get to bro it up in an adventurous caper together. </p><p>To not delay the point, Wilson is the MVP of this movie and despite having to play a kind of "stick in the mud" character, he very much balances the abundance of levity Momoa brings to the otherwise dire circumstances of the plot. Wilson is six years older than Momoa despite playing the younger brother and whether it be his choice of how to present Orm running on land for the first time or having to deliver dialogue like, “Something happened to me when I touched that black trident,” his interpretation hits that kitschy quality in an appreciated, knowing fashion more so than in the excessive garishness and/or overly-sentimental manner that Momoa can't help but to heave. I don't want to seem like I'm piling on what is an absolutely appropriate performance from Momoa given the material, but just as the first film indulged its audience in eye candy and overwhelmed them with silliness in order to make-up for uncertainty in their world-building the same is true of the sequel except they decided to settle on how they defined Atlantis in the first film (especially since it is a much less prominent location in <i>Lost Kingdom</i>) and instead had Momoa take up the mantle (or trident) of indulging and overwhelming. Fortunately, Wilson bearing half the weight of the movie evens things out tonally with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's return as Black Manta unfortunately (there's that word again) not being the stabilizing force to Momoa's Aquaman that the first film promised and that I was personally hoping he would be. It's not that Abdul-Mateen doesn't get plenty to do, he's the main antagonist and has just as much facetime if not more than Wilson does as Orm, but the "unfortunate" part comes when the script decides to do to him what Joss Whedon did to Jeremy Renner in <i><a href="https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/402910103_905874011107293_1294758627309281283_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3635dc&_nc_ohc=sMMEkLB5opcAX-YsTlA&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAw3oSJd2dZQ3OYCmPUMZHL7bRjHfRd5WwbERf3EqxJbQ&oe=658BA0F4" target="_blank">The Avengers</a></i>. </p><p>For all the charisma and power Abdul-Mateen possesses, he is in fact possessed himself for the majority of this film. The plot deals in Manta AKA David Kane continuing to seek revenge against Arthur for his father's death. Early in the film we are re-introduced to the true hero of both comic book worlds currently represented on the big screen, Randall Park, as marine biologist Stephen Shin who is assisting Kane is locating Atlantean artifacts in order to repair his suit and give him the strength to go toe to toe with our hero. Stumbling upon the titular lost kingdom and locating the aforementioned black trident, Kane becomes immediately crazed and plagued with visions from its creator, an evil ruler named Kordax (Hey! it's Pilou Asbæk!), who promises Kane the power to destroy Arthur should he resurrect Kordax's lost kingdom of Necrus. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately (stop it!), to do this Kane has to collect an ancient mineral known as "Orichalcum" that will essentially make a global climate meltdown more than imminent (see what happens when we do nothing about global warming?). That said, the script does ultimately provide some nice symmetry for Abdul-Mateen's character before taking something of an unexpected turn thematically that audiences will seemingly never see the resolution of. </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/AVvXsEhZehWZGFeO8L1EpqwEPIGgBLlzJBb3SZd8KMuP1aVd_glnrLEgU4jDX0Wj_4m6qEzpgsaYJgf_SxiRFblbi46BHhyphenhyphen_39dz8JS_dQPIc2V8UfZ05YYQb1XgamQg3nBfjFQ3QckwqA1OuYni8W-6aG0ltGyI8A8KIzOyYXOfC-3fHkgN9oVuo1Ap_FbvT91C/s2048/412539010_889193506542736_1751917917531602179_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZehWZGFeO8L1EpqwEPIGgBLlzJBb3SZd8KMuP1aVd_glnrLEgU4jDX0Wj_4m6qEzpgsaYJgf_SxiRFblbi46BHhyphenhyphen_39dz8JS_dQPIc2V8UfZ05YYQb1XgamQg3nBfjFQ3QckwqA1OuYni8W-6aG0ltGyI8A8KIzOyYXOfC-3fHkgN9oVuo1Ap_FbvT91C/w640-h360/412539010_889193506542736_1751917917531602179_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a possessed Black Manta in James Wan's sequel to 2018's <i>Aquaman</i>.<br />Photo by Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture - © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />One of the biggest advantages of <i>The Lost Kingdom</i> though, is that it is actually very much a contained story that offers enough fun touches and character growth to be a natural extension of where the first film left off. We don't get any drumming cephalopods this time around, but one does join Arthur on his journey to break Orm out of prison. Instead, we get Martin Short voicing a character named Kingfish, a crime lord who looks exactly as his name implies, Nicole Kidman riding on the back of an armored shark and somehow still delivering dialogue with conviction, and Hammerhead Shark security guards that are probably the closest thing 90s kids will ever get to a <i>Street Sharks</i> "live-action" movie. While Momoa's performance feels a little too baroque at times, even for this material, there is no denying the level of physicality he brings to the role and the believability his stature lends to the action sequences - especially those that are harder to sell like those that take place in the water as he performs acrobatics on the back of seahorse. The way Wan is able to emphasize scale and the physical construction of sets like Manta's ancient ship as well as the costume design of the creatures guarding Orm's prison in the desert each lend a more tactile feeling to this mystical world where these events take place. Some of these touches are so good, in fact, they almost make up for how bad the other half of the film looks when it's clear a kind of "murky water" filter was applied to hide some of the shoddier effects. </p><p>If nothing else, I’m glad something like <i>Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom</i> exists so that both the generations who will see Momoa as their defining Aquaman and harbor an appreciation for these movies because of the point in their youth in which they saw them (seriously though, like I know these movies are all for profit, but I wish the gatekeepers at major studios would take more seriously how much certain runs of certain heroes will mean to certain groups of people who see them at certain times in their lives) as well as grade schoolers who might discover these films once <i>The Lost Kingdom</i> hits Max in a month so that they know what high-level movie making in this genre looks like and that they deserve better than the half-baked, budget-friendly nonsense they’re likely fed ad nauseam on streamers (which I swear is not a slight at <i>Rebel Moon</i>). Even if the best parts of <i>The Lost Kingdom </i>are the ones that ape<i> Avatar, </i>even if there are multiple needle drops of "Spirit in the Sky" despite this being about an underwater king, and even if Arthur's son, Junior, looks way more like Patrick Wilson than he does Jason Momoa, I'm happy everyone here was able to see this through and deliver one last Saturday morning cartoon on steroids that a certain, large demographic will absolutely revel in and love to look back on.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIaiXPow1DwHAKs_nnBlJ08c6zYPZaPy1FA27pGO8hpeKVm3V6D1P5YiXkyVJCNyQRKX1LyfFYIfS7t1dX7eXfloje1JJFMJd1eIEsblh5ntSaHmFRtwjZvLaF_qgq1VNI2Hlce7V7mm8O04OnAiimFMVQU-8kfakyTZv0IKUGhKR82hcXGE9ab9fLBYy/s607/2_and_a_half_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIaiXPow1DwHAKs_nnBlJ08c6zYPZaPy1FA27pGO8hpeKVm3V6D1P5YiXkyVJCNyQRKX1LyfFYIfS7t1dX7eXfloje1JJFMJd1eIEsblh5ntSaHmFRtwjZvLaF_qgq1VNI2Hlce7V7mm8O04OnAiimFMVQU-8kfakyTZv0IKUGhKR82hcXGE9ab9fLBYy/w200-h39/2_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-61324230195394226062023-12-20T07:51:00.000-08:002023-12-22T07:38:09.112-08:00POOR THINGS Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDu6if6AVipclZSkIADByamPpbdWUi38_13B3rz-oi1THwvbE0vnF4SYkdQDhtsNknF2FqPUVjohbNBDR8avwLyO-VD1e-xZeGw89p-knVSaMhxLw0fXFipvpoeUA-DSfhhRIKubDDLqCVdO4IN3G5nNdrgS-EOhd_VYJ6xfzkYr_LnrqgRYVXL6SL9HEM/s755/poor_things_ver2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDu6if6AVipclZSkIADByamPpbdWUi38_13B3rz-oi1THwvbE0vnF4SYkdQDhtsNknF2FqPUVjohbNBDR8avwLyO-VD1e-xZeGw89p-knVSaMhxLw0fXFipvpoeUA-DSfhhRIKubDDLqCVdO4IN3G5nNdrgS-EOhd_VYJ6xfzkYr_LnrqgRYVXL6SL9HEM/w270-h400/poor_things_ver2.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>When I was in high school in the early aughts it was the peak of "emo" culture as the wave of pop-punk music and hairstyles had fully enveloped the youth. Punk rock had completely overtaken the music scene that had previously belonged to the pure pop acts at the turn of the millennium. A good portion of what would have previously been categorized as the "mainstream" crowd was now more than happy to sport t-shirts from Hot Topic toasting their favorite bands; the more undiscovered, the better. At seventeen and eighteen this was more than enough to pique my interest in the shifting allegiances and blurred lines of high school cliques in the real world yet the bigger revelation that came out of this was an examination of the "goth" community. Beyond their shared interests in (again) music, I began to question what it was that motivated them to dress so distinctly and so differently. Furthermore, why the need to take it to such an extreme? My initial thought was simply that: to be different. Maybe that's exactly what it was or maybe it served as a signal to those who also dressed that way that they were of like minds. While this was certainly a probable explanation the overarching intent of the intensity of their look was seemingly to stand out and stand apart. This naturally led to internal inquiries of what is exactly different about you if what you're doing to be different is solely for that reason. And then, if there is this whole group of people who dress the same solely to be different then aren't they just another clique themselves? Of course, these social circles are formed due to similar interests, participation in the same activities, churches, tax brackets, and so on but as someone who likes to think of themselves as moderate in every facet of life the difference in "goths" and every other clique went back to the question of intent. Was there meaning behind the mohawks and dark make-up? <p></p><p>While I never fleshed these questions and ideas out with anyone, this was the beginning seeds of understanding the rather broad (and simple) lesson that how you present yourself physically wasn't the aspect that would ultimately determine what makes you different from someone else. This isn't a slight against the goth crowd either, but more an observation and kind of affirmation that such exterior effort shouldn't be necessary in order to feel seen and valued. There's no shame in wanting to feel singular and validated - high school today must be a thousand times more complicated in these regards with what a mess social media has made in not only feeling the need to stand out in your bubble, but against the entirety of the internet - but if there is nothing beyond the desire to be different than simply being different that is when we enter the territory of someone's entire personality consisting only of being non-conforming because that's what they do. When considering all of this through the lens of high school circles, weird for the sake of weird began to feel as hollow as the goths no doubt assumed most of the jock's heads were. Weird for the sake of being weird is what brings me to <i style="font-weight: bold;">Poor Things </i>and whether or not the way it presents itself was simply to set itself apart or if the attempts to subvert and push the envelope were in fact to serve a bigger, more well-rounded series of ideas. That, or at least be in service of lampooning some very specific, but recognizable facet of the world in which viewers could relate to the point their opinion of the film might transcend the intentionally strange, possibly superficial surface.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></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/AVvXsEgS-ZhkCF07Z_U6OFGyfM4agmx4k4ErfhurEU3SMzlCvZ1wBBTnyFLL7-oLEiOOYxTWEpnPz32Y1AcK3n-PC4rXHOMGGL_z4rd_Y_hdH8q8Ujvh-PwbsfFxOnmW7_wrL-4GDHW-SZkwLHBj7HMzv1mkJ1lAsFwBt7j7zF13nxI-2HAynDClDNsguonMsTuD/s2560/02YLpt67-189-scaled.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2083" data-original-width="2560" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-ZhkCF07Z_U6OFGyfM4agmx4k4ErfhurEU3SMzlCvZ1wBBTnyFLL7-oLEiOOYxTWEpnPz32Y1AcK3n-PC4rXHOMGGL_z4rd_Y_hdH8q8Ujvh-PwbsfFxOnmW7_wrL-4GDHW-SZkwLHBj7HMzv1mkJ1lAsFwBt7j7zF13nxI-2HAynDClDNsguonMsTuD/w640-h520/02YLpt67-189-scaled.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Godwin Baxter AKA God (Willem Dafoe) is something of a mad scientist too caught up in fulfilling his nickname.<br />Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos</td></tr></tbody></table><br />To push the analogy just a bit further, Emma Stone is a thirty-five-year-old woman from Scottsdale, Arizona and Yorgos Lanthimos is a fifty-year-old man from Pangrati, Athens, Greece. Like <i>Poor Things,</i> their pairing also seems odd and if taken at face value, a little strained. Despite having worked together before, the opening section of this film sometimes feels like a competition between the two around who can push their boundaries the furthest. Lanthimos with his interpretations or Stone with her performance? Working from a screenplay by Tony McNamara (<i>Cruella, The Favourite</i>) that is based on Alasdair Gray's (who was Scottish, I might add) 1992 novel of the same name, the aesthetic choices paired with certain character quirks initially tend to skew toward the luxuriously self-indulgent as the decadence of the production and costume designs speak for themselves. That isn't to say they aren't grandiose - they are intentionally so - but to what point does this surrealist period setting play into the plot or story? To make the case of the film's intentions even more contentious concerning whether there is more going on than an elaborate diatribe on polite society brings us to the fact there is scarcely anything in the way of plotting for the first hour of the film. Moreover, this opening act is meant to introduce and contextualize Stone's Bella Baxter. Again, it is a fascinating kind of character and situational study that yields much intrigue and likely even more questions than viewers might care to know the answers to, but is unquestionably intriguing, nonetheless. Though the introduction to what Lanthimos is crafting can certainly feel more ostentatious than involving I would be lying if I said it doesn't eventually pull you into this world even if his style doesn't necessarily enhance his themes; the multitude of themes and the borderline gaudy style each being enough to warrant investigation in their own right much less the giant amalgamation that <i>Poor Things</i> is.<p></p><p>From this purgatory-like stage of the viewing experience it would be simple enough to default to a checklist of items critics typically note when discussing a film as ambitious as <i>Poor Things</i> even if the reality of the result never matches said ambition. Stone clearly trusts the shit out of Lanthimos regardless of whether they are trying to out-weird one another or not. Her performance here is so unhinged and her dedication, callow or not, cannot really be criticized as such for she is meant to embody an unsophisticated juvenile for much of that first hour. Given how the character develops I can only imagine the type of method it took for Stone to track that evolution from one take to the next, but as it plays it is legitimately stunning how natural it feels and how organically her intellect develops; a real accomplishment in creating and executing this character as well as in script supervision. We can mention how inspired it was to cast Mark Ruffalo to play against type as this kind of cad of a man, a rascal who is so immediately taken with Bella due to her seeming inexperience and unassailable desires, but who becomes less and less enchanted the more she becomes a woman of her own accord and less a doll he can mold to his own liking, but Ruffalo has always risen to the challenge. We still mention it because it's true, Ruffalo is fantastic and such a role couldn't have come along at a better time for the actor who seemed to have lost a sense of direction and urgency in his choices prior. The remainder of the performances, be it Willem Dafoe as the Victor Frankenstein-like mad scientist who himself was an experiment to his own father or Ramy Youssef as the Igor-adjacent assistant to Dafoe's "God" who falls in love with Bella and makes arrangements to marry her prior to the arrival of Ruffalo's Duncan Wedderburn, equally serve their purpose while making the most of the capacity they hold in Bella's journey. Though miles vary on how much or how little these extraneous elements reflect the core subject being dealt with, they are clearly all done with a certain amount of excitement as one can sense the actor's enthusiasm at having the opportunity to play in a world like this. </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/AVvXsEg_14CyJlc-owBPSdBJM48IwQax8a7cAIk0yqwgFPjgD-UB2xSi2iN_IrpOLJiEh67yTU4qj9IaCkjst3P2JhsVFXUVTgBd3wRw9ue43WaUF2NaNu7MWQ7izHHXF_ZX07tRCxaqPIc4PdjXRrW2DRUd1tqoIY3Bvlto4NmHnKGaMgDNXvgNdJvW1obTmtWt/s4767/MV5BZDZlOTZiMTMtMGM0OC00ODc3LThmY2QtMWZlMDUwMzUwZmIzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAxNzQ1NzI@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3902" data-original-width="4767" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_14CyJlc-owBPSdBJM48IwQax8a7cAIk0yqwgFPjgD-UB2xSi2iN_IrpOLJiEh67yTU4qj9IaCkjst3P2JhsVFXUVTgBd3wRw9ue43WaUF2NaNu7MWQ7izHHXF_ZX07tRCxaqPIc4PdjXRrW2DRUd1tqoIY3Bvlto4NmHnKGaMgDNXvgNdJvW1obTmtWt/w640-h524/MV5BZDZlOTZiMTMtMGM0OC00ODc3LThmY2QtMWZlMDUwMzUwZmIzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAxNzQ1NzI@._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) is a unique creation, a woman plotting her own destiny.<br />Photo by Yorgos Lanthimos</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It is shortly after the second section of the film aboard a ship that things began to turn though, for as Bella becomes more aware of the world around her and therefore more conflicted by the state of it she begins to explore the nature of humanity and question its ability to advance, improve, and grow or if such ideals are ignorant pursuits in an effort to ease ourselves into the fact this is a cruel world because humans ultimately have no other choice but to be in order to survive. Cruel, that is. The introduction of Jerrod Carmichael's cynic of a character named Harry Astley leverages Bella's lack of wisdom and judgement, but Harry recognizes the uniqueness of Bella in her approach to the world and understands that just because she is naive doesn't mean she is thoughtless, in fact, the truth is quite the contrary. Harry ushers Bella into her next stage of development introducing the idea of the many conundrums of life. How has she somehow been born into the privileged position of sleeping on feather beds each night while dead babies are buried in a ditch beneath her hotel in Alexandria? Bella begins to search within herself for what she can do in order to try and provide some sense of progress for the inequality she has witnessed, but realizes she has nothing to offer outside of Duncan's money whose scarcity is a sickness all its own with no remedy in sight or even considered. Stopping short of becoming a battle of wits, Lanthimos by way of McNamara's script (seriously, if this wins awards for anything it should be adapted screenplay) takes Bella's newfound perspective and tests her sympathies by reversing her fortunes in Paris. This is something of an unexpected turn given the initial bizarre nature and outlandish facade the film presents. That facade seemed only to suit a story analyzing how "polite society" has made us all unnecessarily dramatic and convoluted in our otherwise pointless existence and that there's no shame in enjoying our carnal desires proudly. Sure, there's truth to that too just as there is to the fact that's all some viewers will amount <i>Poor Things</i> to, but these second and third act progressions make it evident this is more than a shallow "goth" perched on their high school's stoop, blaring metal for nothing more than attention.<p></p><p>Even past the grappling with the demands of the world, <i>Poor Things</i> eventually becomes a film about and of discovery. I love and appreciate filmmaking touches such as holding shots for extended (extremely exaggerated) periods of time for comic effect, camera whip pans from Bella and Duncan "furious jumping" one another to a pigeon that has randomly flown in through the window, as well as the structural design of the film set to symbolic images of what it must feel like to be inside Bella's brain at different stages of her development, trust me, I do. What is most satisfying though, is how the film surprised in expanding past its obvious targets and dissecting the many meanings of discovery in this sense that we must experience everything, not just the good, in order to lead meaningful lives. This of course echoes my - for lack of a more original phrase - "style over substance" concerns regarding Lanthimos relying too heavily on his production design and fish eye lenses to convey some type of significance, but along with these admittedly pleasant and quite beautiful aspects, like in life, Lanthimos takes us through the degradation, horror, and sadness of it all as well; delivering those well-rounded and whole ideas I'd hoped for as Bella - and we - come to know this world. Whether <i>Poor Things</i> is arguing for its more cynical view that hope is smashable and realism is not or if it is vouching for something a little more optimistic even if it's only in the hope that life somehow remains bearable it is a complex piece of contemplation zeroing in on what it takes to get to know our worlds and taking from that enough to create the life we please. Oh, the film also includes two of the best line deliveries of the year in Ruffalo's "Fuck off before I break your teeth!" which is immediately followed by him expelling a fart noise from under his mustache as well as Christopher Abbott, who I haven't mentioned yet, being taken aback by Bella's explanation of what has happened to her with a subdued but genuine "ahh" that is so funny even a goth would be forced to crack a smile. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bmnVchphX_SRb79POyuGiQx53t2F3bgvKuxt21NA0qRIEuWidHlFlH_qLNIKEGo9BVoKitmRzVV6cGE_QvUruVgGoPf2TJF423Xzc9BTKLF3-h_W3N-W5c_1mzRbF3qCqlj7ncQXT9o_c96hMVoAA_nyiEoZR-HLmU6lOoT11c8Y6NjRVbebkZvZmrB5/s607/4_stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bmnVchphX_SRb79POyuGiQx53t2F3bgvKuxt21NA0qRIEuWidHlFlH_qLNIKEGo9BVoKitmRzVV6cGE_QvUruVgGoPf2TJF423Xzc9BTKLF3-h_W3N-W5c_1mzRbF3qCqlj7ncQXT9o_c96hMVoAA_nyiEoZR-HLmU6lOoT11c8Y6NjRVbebkZvZmrB5/w200-h39/4_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-49543871957823964662023-12-19T13:28:00.000-08:002023-12-19T13:28:59.989-08:00THE COLOR PURPLE Review <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg6Jlf98MEo4s4Ghe6zM6PmExTKFbtC5CR2CZyjPu6iIeRI9279h8LO8vRnzp4UdDgqJp5SoXbjxCsO1KAi0xnvLtuBUHcK2K05d4FFYrG-_0txI-zNND-zWVCaAF_ndo_QUK7fT5Met5G29TL49nj71cUMm2fnIT_3GWYCITXbTEm8HjGqhwQUxyrApF/s4096/MV5BYjBkNGE0NGYtYmU5Ny00NjRiLTk5MmYtMWU4NzYxMDE4YWY4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="2764" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg6Jlf98MEo4s4Ghe6zM6PmExTKFbtC5CR2CZyjPu6iIeRI9279h8LO8vRnzp4UdDgqJp5SoXbjxCsO1KAi0xnvLtuBUHcK2K05d4FFYrG-_0txI-zNND-zWVCaAF_ndo_QUK7fT5Met5G29TL49nj71cUMm2fnIT_3GWYCITXbTEm8HjGqhwQUxyrApF/w270-h400/MV5BYjBkNGE0NGYtYmU5Ny00NjRiLTk5MmYtMWU4NzYxMDE4YWY4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p>I wrestled with whether or not I should finally see Steven Spielberg's 1985 adaptation of <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Color Purple</i>, the 1982 novel written by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker in the form of letters between Celie - a poor African-American girl in the early 1900s - and God, as it has remained one of the bigger holes in my attempts at completing Spielberg's filmography. Given Blitz Bazawule's new film was based on the 2005 theatrical production that turned Walker's work into a full-fledged musical though, I decided I'd write about this new film from that perspective, which is to say, one's first encounter with the material in any form. To this extent, Bazawule's film is both what I expected it to be given the context clues around the story while also being rather surprising in who its targets are and where its objectives lie. I will be interested to see how this latest adaptation differs from Spielberg's not only due to the fact it is sprinkled with musical numbers and is generally of a lighter tone than is maybe suitable for the material, but largely (mostly) for the perspective from which it is presented and told. There has of course been much discussion over the last few years as to whether Spielberg, a Jewish white male, was the right person to best depict the lives of African American women in rural Georgia during this time period to which the answer is obviously no, but with the introduction of Bazawule's vision into the fold the ways in which these iterations compare and contrast will certainly make for an interesting case study.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>As for the quality of Bazawule's production, it is bursting with life at every turn. As a straight, white male myself who has lived in the South the majority of his life and been conditioned to expect a certain tone to accompany slave dramas or, in the case of <i>The Color Purple</i>, post-Civil War era stories it was both unexpected and kind of astonishing exactly how strong of a pulse coursed through the film's veins from the opening moments in which young Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) and her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) sing "Huckleberry Pie" while suspended above the Georgia Coast in a large oak tree dripping with moss. Then there is the arrival of the assertive Sofia (Danielle Brooks) in a true, star-making turn (at least for those who didn't already adore her) along with so many other facets that make Celie's journey of self-discovery continuously rewarding. And that is ultimately what this is, a journey through the life of this woman who was continuously taken advantage of and was never educated enough to know the degree to which others used her; like, uneducated to the point that when someone tells her, "I'll be back before you can spell Mississippi," she probably wasn't exaggerating. Whether it be Celie's father, Alfonso (Deon Cole), who took away her children just as soon as she'd given birth (and if what I've read of the original text is true, is responsible for those children as well, which this adaptation glazes over) who then promises her hand to a farmer simply referred to as Mister (Colman Domingo) who also abuses her physically, sexually, and verbally, there is no respite for Celie except for the company of Nettie, which Mister also takes away rather swiftly. Instead, Celie is expected to take care of Mister's house, his dinner, and his prior children cutting off her contact with any of her own family and by and large the outside world altogether. </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/AVvXsEhjP3qRzPWUJarohFG4w9h_BeHcdHu8UiYFFDjiVe1bn-7W1zGtoWgYdjY-KXGywIwSZjFQvXkHbDX4sN02Ahl3GmLztLOFIw-tcW7BM5iDqo9n8lr0TLemhqvoF4hzyHSKyRsSA9Fn4bVBTeFgS9iUdveyBmONWq525i7D9lzkK3hcEncLVGoS9JEQk-tx/s1920/thecolorpurple-blogroll-1703009114711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjP3qRzPWUJarohFG4w9h_BeHcdHu8UiYFFDjiVe1bn-7W1zGtoWgYdjY-KXGywIwSZjFQvXkHbDX4sN02Ahl3GmLztLOFIw-tcW7BM5iDqo9n8lr0TLemhqvoF4hzyHSKyRsSA9Fn4bVBTeFgS9iUdveyBmONWq525i7D9lzkK3hcEncLVGoS9JEQk-tx/w640-h360/thecolorpurple-blogroll-1703009114711.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) and her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) find some small joys in rural Georgia in 1909.<br />© Warner Bros</td></tr></tbody></table><br />At the half hour mark the film exchanges Mpasi for Fantasia Barrino in the Celie role as time jumps forward to 1917. Up to this point the film has largely centered around the unrelenting mistreatment of Celie and the relationship drama of Harpo (a wonderful Corey Hawkins), Mister's son, and Brooks' Sofia and their shaky status. Harpo first builds Sofia a house on the section of land his grandfather granted him on his father's farm, but when Sofia makes it clear she will not be as submissive as Celie has been to Mister, things begin to fall apart. They separate and Harpo contemplates turning their house into a juke joint. It is at this time that Taraji P. Henson's Shug Avery arrives on the scene. A blues singer and Mister's long-time mistress, Henson's arrival signals something of a turning point both thematically, but almost as importantly for the pacing of the film - tonally. Avery shakes things up as she stays true to Mister's expectations of her, but also begins a friendship and develops a genuine affection for Celie whose abuse and unawareness of the world is apparent after only a few exchanges. The character of Shug Avery as a character would be a stick of dynamite to throw into any narrative, but like Sofia she is a woman who fights and who is intent to not allow the expectations of the past to influence how she conducts herself in this new world. To that end, Henson's first big musical number in "Push Da Button" which is then swiftly followed by a duet with Fantasia in "What About Love?" appropriately feel like the crescendos of the first act as they properly propel the narrative forward. Henson's presence and these songs rearrange and re-engage audience's expectations and attentions before dropping the revelation that propels us into the last half of the film.</p><p>In short, Avery's presence creates a tension not just between the trio of she, Celie, and Mister, but through her actions and how they reverberate throughout the community. This speaks to another aspect of the film that both Bazawule and the cast cultivate; the community amongst one another and in the atmosphere they create. We become entrenched in this world and in the lives of the ensemble that populates it. The statements Walker was utilizing each character to make are somewhat evident in terms of the treatment of not only black people at this point in time, but more specifically black women both as they stood in relation to the white community and to certain men, but the story as a whole is so compelling and the characterizations are such that the messaging is more intrinsic than overbearing. Celie's story is a redemptive one but is so despite how she was treated not because of it which is the point - if this interpretation is true to the spirit of the novel - of what Walker was trying to say about our existence and survival in general. Furthermore, the title comes from a moment between Avery and Celie as they discuss the presence and intentions of God in their lives and in the world. Avery argues that God would be upset if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it which lends itself to this idea of the regularly unappreciated receiving their proper value. That is the story of Celie. While so much of these themes as well as the musical numbers fall on Celie's shoulders it is important that she be portrayed by someone who can convey the power necessary to convince us of her own convictions, but also be believable in her timid demeanor and simple perceptions. That all to say, Bazawule's film and the depth it possesses owe much to Fantasia for what is more often than not, a very restrained and measured performance that brings us her unimaginable pain as well as her sincere joy through more than just the songs but on every inch of her face. </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/AVvXsEh0J3J3pQ1ig7UOehXKxtjlOHEXlRTmRw6Q-qq6xAgKTye6kqogukFa2F87D5MkDOVVNn9GLYcWTv375WB724ZNobKOcdWAJmhj7THF2FO3XDMiI1BYqxiIQYEohwxvwgpPPe3c52_uO0cY2VHeu7-rLkkFE1k9SyCwyVU79nhN3aUrJd66pdFwXN_bMdfG/s1500/the-color-purple-101023-7-59b5977537a24a22856f4b165f88944a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J3J3pQ1ig7UOehXKxtjlOHEXlRTmRw6Q-qq6xAgKTye6kqogukFa2F87D5MkDOVVNn9GLYcWTv375WB724ZNobKOcdWAJmhj7THF2FO3XDMiI1BYqxiIQYEohwxvwgpPPe3c52_uO0cY2VHeu7-rLkkFE1k9SyCwyVU79nhN3aUrJd66pdFwXN_bMdfG/w640-h428/the-color-purple-101023-7-59b5977537a24a22856f4b165f88944a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A grown-up Celie (Fantasia) finds a friend and safe haven in blues singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson in <i>The Color Purple</i>.<br />© Warner Bros</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It was no surprise to learn then, that both Fantasia and Brooks were reprising their roles in this film after having played them on Broadway (not at the same time, though) as both seem to grasp the severity of their character's impact on the overall arc with the understanding that they - along with Henson's charismatic (and sympathetic) portrayal of Avery - are what form the pillars of the story and give life to the declarations - or more, the rebuttals - Walker was originally stating. As the narrative spans multiple decades and engulfs us in the journey of these characters the big question mark around this iteration seemed to be with the musical aspect. Though the theatrical production seemingly was well-received and won plenty of awards (at least that's what some quick googling tells me) there were questions from my (having never seen this story before) perspective that questioned the tonality of the song and dance numbers and how they might weave in and out of a story I could only venture to guess dealt in fairly heavy ideas. While a few of the songs certainly stood out ("Miss Celie's Pants" brought a smile to my face) the weakest part of this stage musical turned film was in fact some of the staging as it feels a little safe, especially in the musical numbers, which is somewhat surprising given Bazawule previously directed Beyonce's 2020 visual album <i>Black is King. </i>There are certain aspects of the film that seem to settle into a default mode in terms of conveying the story rather than creatively coming up with ways to integrate the film's themes into the visual cues which, again, is surprising given the opportunities the songs allow for in terms of creative storytelling as well as how much of a visual storytelling mechanism music videos are. That said, nearly every other element of the film really worked in bringing me into this world and along on this journey. I have no idea what the legacy of the film will be and I won't pretend I even have a guess, but if we are meant to judge films based on how they make us feel, <i>The Color Purple</i> absolutely earns every elated emotion and joyful tear it is sure to elicit with, if nothing else, the final climactic moments that capture the true heart and significance of this story in a single frame.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBy8xLWYR8voWwR4kNk4S4JRpoxUu19hKg7cQ7zFhpDScJlWy43AfbqEUQpPqDW-MAXDKjen45PTjkq5kJF_toAIXolFAxoKgTlRqAoFcUjgnSYQiNlIs7uV6_X_AiL1Ap8y1Rp0iCQWpPFGt7GE5gQzHRKdacma3X0SKgWLlEP7Jjf5sJ0y-VLF30vTf/s607/4_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBy8xLWYR8voWwR4kNk4S4JRpoxUu19hKg7cQ7zFhpDScJlWy43AfbqEUQpPqDW-MAXDKjen45PTjkq5kJF_toAIXolFAxoKgTlRqAoFcUjgnSYQiNlIs7uV6_X_AiL1Ap8y1Rp0iCQWpPFGt7GE5gQzHRKdacma3X0SKgWLlEP7Jjf5sJ0y-VLF30vTf/w200-h39/4_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-65505800136131428532023-12-18T08:47:00.000-08:002023-12-18T08:47:57.223-08:00MAESTRO Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQDaT7USO3yr4olPIV8rPcspS7p4305QEx8dWfJYTdVk1KHj4JEVGdrVBTjAamGnGrhaeOdqDbPKJubohagpXEPOWW3G0zBMYDuw_IVjBXPpNdghBj1I-n3jARlrPK4rEKPCMbJWW5UFFTX_AHGVW1uCvMDEUuwD1yLhlIC_2vxSi5QO-kcvD0TLu91e6/s2222/maestro_ver2_xxlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2222" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQDaT7USO3yr4olPIV8rPcspS7p4305QEx8dWfJYTdVk1KHj4JEVGdrVBTjAamGnGrhaeOdqDbPKJubohagpXEPOWW3G0zBMYDuw_IVjBXPpNdghBj1I-n3jARlrPK4rEKPCMbJWW5UFFTX_AHGVW1uCvMDEUuwD1yLhlIC_2vxSi5QO-kcvD0TLu91e6/w270-h400/maestro_ver2_xxlg.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>There is a scene late in <b><i>Maestro</i></b> where Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein is instructing a student on the instincts of conducting and in that moment, I realized this single portion was more the film I expected from Cooper given the precedent he’d set with <i>A Star is Born</i> than the one we ultimately got. <i>A Star is Born</i> was a movie that truly appreciated the process around crafting a song and/or piece of music and stood apart for its consideration of such. As much as a biopic about the late, great Bernstein felt like a natural next step in Cooper’s directing career <i>Maestro</i> simply never digs into its subject’s process and headspace in the way his previous film did; in a way that never allows the viewer to feel they really understand this man at his core – what exactly was it that made him so great? Is the film visually stunning and sonically overwhelming to the point it can't help but be impressive? Absolutely. And yet, even as I sat marveling at the ways in which Cooper had grown as a storyteller, an actor, and even an "artist" - as pompous as that may sound - I was still left with an empty, hollow feeling in that I could feel the intent and understand the meaning of as much, but never sensed the significance. Like a conductor on his podium who is supposed to be allowing the audience to experience the music, Cooper instead uses his filmmaking as a way of exerting his hard work and dedication over those who may not be as committed. Cooper is proud of himself (as he should be), but instead of allowing the text to do the talking as he did in his debut feature, we see this hubris show through the craft this time around. Not enlightening his audience to a notable figure's creative process through an exploration of the creative process, but instead shoving said intent down their throats.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEg2iHeDLLAu40sL1UPokcgdWW_PP0yuqUCOo0vls5j3p259v42p663GWWTV9iVugZRiWSZH2d_XX6hKMdEZa29ahP1-6_cHd5i3xHK5Z-2BKvCGk6LRhcGcF-FjaJ-zD6rI-yC15HR7giVb1N14vFJkJ0PTPl6WDY0kzIUiJdYZqqv3KiK61SQgEPgPDUih/s7680/Maestro_20220707_09977r.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5760" data-original-width="7680" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iHeDLLAu40sL1UPokcgdWW_PP0yuqUCOo0vls5j3p259v42p663GWWTV9iVugZRiWSZH2d_XX6hKMdEZa29ahP1-6_cHd5i3xHK5Z-2BKvCGk6LRhcGcF-FjaJ-zD6rI-yC15HR7giVb1N14vFJkJ0PTPl6WDY0kzIUiJdYZqqv3KiK61SQgEPgPDUih/w640-h480/Maestro_20220707_09977r.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bradley Cooper stars as composer Leonard Bernstein in a biopic he also co-wrote and directed.<br />Photo by Jason McDonald/Netflix - © 2023 Netflix, Inc.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Maybe that's too far, maybe I'm overreading, and maybe <i>Maestro</i> simply wasn't the movie I expected it to be, but I'm hesitant to believe as much even if I can't blame it for being such. This is a sometimes angry, but even more – a very conflicted film that never has the nerve to say what it would really like to say. Every time the film builds to a moment in which we are set to see Bernstein do what he does best, what he was known for, what he made a living from – whether that be in conduction or composing – Cooper cuts away to people talking or doing drugs or something else of the same, seemingly meaningless ilk; edits that have no purpose or point in the larger scheme of the storytelling, but more function only as a way to build to the hour and a half mark at which point Bernstein's leading of the London Symphony Orchestra in the conclusion of Mahler's 2nd at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England in 1973 comes out of nowhere in an effort to feel like the climax of the film before a long denouement of death featuring Carey Mulligan's Felicia Montealegre. What is it the film is angry about? What is it the film would like to say, but hardly scratches the surface of? They are not the same answer, but both dwell on the relationship between Bernstein and Montealegre who were married for twenty-seven years from 1951 up until Felicia's death in 1978. For those who don't know the specifics of Bernstein's life and preferences this development may come as something of a shock given the film opens with Cooper's titular maestro in bed with fellow musician David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer). Thus, much of Cooper's feature dwells on the couple traversing Bernstein's desires and reconciling them with the genuine love he and Felicia share and have built a life upon. <div><br /></div><div>
To this extent, <i>Maestro</i> is as much a film about Montealegre as it is about Bernstein. In fact, it may be more so Mulligan's movie even if it is Cooper’s production. Still, it is this facet within the character of Felicia that is almost a one for one with the film's central flaw: both find it difficult to be honest with themselves and even when they are, both eventually recess into how they'd like things to be rather than accepting them for what they are. Yes, it was a different time and as the film begins in the forties with the bulk of it taking place in the fifties and sixties there is an understanding to Bernstein not feeling safe in fully embracing who he so clearly was, but like Bernstein the film can't seem to accept itself for what it is and what it needs to be despite being poured into by people who clearly believe in and love it for all the potential it possesses. It would make sense then why the single take scene that occurs at the halfway point of the film and takes place on Thanksgiving Day where Felicia and Leonard finally hash out their feelings and issues with one another after a night apart is the best scene in the movie…it’s the most honest one. It's a given the performances are electric, but it is also the only time in the film where everything coalesces in a natural, honest manner; it's a moment the remainder of the film, behind or in front of it, is constantly chasing yet never comes close to again; both the true thesis and culmination of the film – it’s kind of breathtaking. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEhaiwRitvrSHGRarhLS7VxRku9NjIgpK_m71VlZSBzbdAAE3CJYIqQCqz4qzJF57D6y-FmZPYmnHtriqx3o5gMJqpOvgGiK88TcR7rv6KkMSXcOiUBcTGZYuikgOwx7uIIj2p-NqxvwA7uO3aZom9ycsYc-X-PUG-MOxtcH8beYQIqUu3AKIkdgi8nJPyQy/s3551/Maestro_185_ryb_r3_r709_4.17.1r3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2219" data-original-width="3551" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiwRitvrSHGRarhLS7VxRku9NjIgpK_m71VlZSBzbdAAE3CJYIqQCqz4qzJF57D6y-FmZPYmnHtriqx3o5gMJqpOvgGiK88TcR7rv6KkMSXcOiUBcTGZYuikgOwx7uIIj2p-NqxvwA7uO3aZom9ycsYc-X-PUG-MOxtcH8beYQIqUu3AKIkdgi8nJPyQy/w640-h400/Maestro_185_ryb_r3_r709_4.17.1r3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carey Mulligan is Bernstein's wife, Felicia, whose story is as much a part of <i>Maestro</i> as her husbands.<br />Photo by Jason McDonald/Netflix - © 2023 Netflix, Inc.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Despite the outward similarities and Cooper's clear determination to make this feel as different as possible from his first film, <i>Maestro</i> is still a film centered around music starring Cooper in a central role yet pushes the female character to the center of the narrative. Mulligan happily takes up the responsibility bestowed upon her as she not only lends the film a much needed balance to counter Bernstein’s egotistical and often smug presence (despite his children’s endorsement of Cooper and his film, this doesn't exactly paint the guy as a present or affectionate father), but also delivers what is both a measured and equally over-the-top performance that is by far the most complex aspect of the story the film is conveying. Cooper separates this film from his first by largely working within single take, single position camera set-ups with little to no movement in order to capture a screenplay (that Cooper co-wrote with Josh Singer) which essentially works as a string of conversations we're eavesdropping in on. It's an effective choice as it pulls us into both the world and dynamics of these people, but for all the set, make-up, and costume design that went into recreating time periods and establishing an aesthetic it feels undone by the pacing and editing. It's a film begging to be a half hour longer but has been condensed down as much as it possibly could resulting in that string of conversations feeling more disjointed than artfully done with a plan or a purpose. <div><br /></div><div>
I had to make peace with these conclusions as I didn't want this to be the case given my love and adoration for both Cooper and <i>A Star is Born</i>, but working through these feelings around what I wanted this to be, what I wanted this to achieve in terms of the impact it had on me and how I actually felt as I took the film in and realized in real time what this was and, more importantly, what it wasn't made me realize the film's greatest sin was that of letting its work show. <i>A Star is Born</i> felt both inherently and effortlessly cool, but with <i>Maestro</i> it's as if you can see how hard Cooper is striving to be what he hopes it will achieve. To quote the eternal wisdom of Channing Tatum's character from <i>21 Jump Street</i>, "Look at him, he's trying."</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRqoaAu571j0npxcu3Hnb1M_GHT8ziIBqMCGjdI7YjVGOHsDWbGbvwEgzMFvGDUjqSjV-p9J9hNnSdl7IOwBydjM5UZXyJLc4oNNHimA7_S-EgAzI_YBlQT3ztW82wS5G5OBorZTKzD5872uRlmgaNl31jFY6FtW33Vmkpck-HU9ZODEKzIB4hM4oIccA/s607/3_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRqoaAu571j0npxcu3Hnb1M_GHT8ziIBqMCGjdI7YjVGOHsDWbGbvwEgzMFvGDUjqSjV-p9J9hNnSdl7IOwBydjM5UZXyJLc4oNNHimA7_S-EgAzI_YBlQT3ztW82wS5G5OBorZTKzD5872uRlmgaNl31jFY6FtW33Vmkpck-HU9ZODEKzIB4hM4oIccA/w200-h39/3_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-23703827758719157772023-12-14T09:47:00.000-08:002023-12-14T09:47:33.264-08:00AMERICAN FICTION Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LGU8yV70heGUcdKtsX4u_pBc9Hva5JlkMTwkTJm042SPvei_6HqlAHqDL5vVb4GNcRzvszXApPIB5BbkkWfSqYguGtzyitM42lZ1Y711Eckp2tOeMmh-TL9li75xZFEEadjhX7L4bMtKEtT1idrsABALyKlXfmHr1LViKRVJH8wA4kZN6umXnirVFkkE/s1481/MV5BM2FiN2RiOWItOGEwMS00ZGYxLWJkMDUtM2Q4YjU4ZmI0YjBhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMzNDE5NDM2._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LGU8yV70heGUcdKtsX4u_pBc9Hva5JlkMTwkTJm042SPvei_6HqlAHqDL5vVb4GNcRzvszXApPIB5BbkkWfSqYguGtzyitM42lZ1Y711Eckp2tOeMmh-TL9li75xZFEEadjhX7L4bMtKEtT1idrsABALyKlXfmHr1LViKRVJH8wA4kZN6umXnirVFkkE/w270-h400/MV5BM2FiN2RiOWItOGEwMS00ZGYxLWJkMDUtM2Q4YjU4ZmI0YjBhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMzNDE5NDM2._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>What is immediately striking about Cord Jefferson's directorial debut, based on Percival Everett’s 2001 award-winning novel <i>Erasure</i>, is how it balances the two different movies that it is and how these two movies work together to re-enforce the overall point of the film rather than competing against one another for more prominence or importance. The truth is, both could exist on their own and still be engaging, but the ways in which they lean on and feed in and out of one another elevate the heart and intelligence of both. From one angle, <b><i>American Fiction</i></b> is a burning satire, a total takedown of every stereotype the entertainment industry and by association, our culture at large, has ascribed to the African American individual and experience. From the opposite angle, Jefferson's film tells the story of a Black family in America that upends every single one of those stereotypes; painting not a perfect picture of a family to prove a point, but rather what is still a flawed yet funny and successful yet sad portrait of a life not typically seen embodied by people with pigment. <div><br /></div><div>Whether you see <i>American Fiction</i> as a conventional story told unconventionally or vice versa will depend on what walk of life you're approaching the film from, but the point is that by the time the credits roll the interpretation of the film's melding objectives are all on the same page. Jeffrey Wright's Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison is a writer who faces the challenge all introverted writers do in that he purports to understand and possess insight around the human condition without having spent any actual time in the wild, among people outside his academic circles in some time. Monk is distrusting of the individual student or person he encounters who does not think on the same wavelength as he while optimistic to the point he believes those same people that make up a culture of book readers will appreciate his high-brow literature enough to allow him to make a living off it. As a white male, this idea of knowing the truth deep down but still masking it in hopes that everything will be okay in the grander scheme of things leads to an interesting facet of the film, at least to viewers who look/think like me. It would seem there is a collective/unspoken desire for things to remain uninterrupted in the ways of the world even if we outwardly express a desire for truth and innovation; in other words, progress is fine as long as it is guided by the same kind of structure we’ve always adhered to. I’m not saying I agree with this, but I am saying I recognize the truth of the statement as suggested in the film. Of course, change is scary for most, but this is how <i>American Fiction</i> challenges a viewer of my persuasion as it asks the question, “what has shaped my perspective of black individuals and culture?” Do I take what I have been fed at face value or do I know my own truth via the work I have put into growing real relationships?<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEhYFJQTrtVZKE9Eeq2mcvYMS25ThzwLoiSKkT7mq7_wCq7AVj4NZO6ta6v5rAc43e32orLn0WFyzUv9h1_wJjDsJWgaSjPpvx8kQvES-rSVR52oirKYHbb3Jr5TGMlIT3b1qFHs4k2PhP2uoWOJpZFHij-j9F_6zpogz_fE1LJg7M0b63RZ2qy_4Z__6i0v/s4500/MV5BZjQyZmU3ZGItZDRlMC00YmI0LWEzYTctOTFmZmY0ZTVmYjRlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMzNDE5NDM2._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFJQTrtVZKE9Eeq2mcvYMS25ThzwLoiSKkT7mq7_wCq7AVj4NZO6ta6v5rAc43e32orLn0WFyzUv9h1_wJjDsJWgaSjPpvx8kQvES-rSVR52oirKYHbb3Jr5TGMlIT3b1qFHs4k2PhP2uoWOJpZFHij-j9F_6zpogz_fE1LJg7M0b63RZ2qy_4Z__6i0v/w640-h426/MV5BZjQyZmU3ZGItZDRlMC00YmI0LWEzYTctOTFmZmY0ZTVmYjRlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMzNDE5NDM2._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright form something of a natural, but surprising bond at an unexpected time in both of their lives. <br />© Photo credit: Claire Folger © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Monk likes to think he understands people well enough to know how to lie to them convincingly – or at least avoid them in the case of his family, but through his actions under the pseudonym of Stagg R. Leigh he comes to realize he doesn't have to try and convince people of anything as they are more than happy to buy whatever bullshit he comes up with and more, treat it as exceptional simply because it reflects badly on them if they don’t and therefore their endorsement of such absolves them from the sins of their ancestors. We don't want to be lied to, not really, but we'll sit in it forever if it's a comfier chair. The way in which Jefferson exposes this ugly truth through the power and prominence a reductive, flat picture of black people's lives in America gains versus the kind of inherent rejection of the idea a black person’s life can be hard for reasons outside of gangs, drugs, single parenting, and/or slave trauma is both an indictment of the systems that set-up the linking of fear and criminals with race as well as asking the audience why it was set-up that way in the first place? To who’s ultimate benefit, is it? <div><br /></div><div>
In a scene featuring Monk and his literary agent (John Ortiz) discussing the release strategy of his joke of a book via conference call, Monk tests just how far he can push the publishers (with what is one of the funniest line deliveries of the year, I might add) before they attempt to exert some kind of restraint or power over him. He’s more looking for someone to call him out on the bullshit he believes he’s pedaling, but once the lightbulb of realization goes off that what is so terrifying to these white people he’s speaking with is not the change or progress that they once feared (at least not these kind of white people), but more as being seen as gatekeepers for such things is when Monk realizes the extent of the power he has because he is now perceived as a man owed something rather than simply being deserving of it. Power is the root of all racial conflict and tension since the beginning of slavery after all, so while this probably pisses Monk off further, he doesn’t have any real interest in flexing his own muscle for the sake of it. Rather, this scene and the provocation of this idea that an inherent hierarchy still exists despite how far we’ve come only for that hierarchy to now almost exclusively push a specific kind of black story and the ramifications of as much are key to understanding the root of the many ideas at the center of <i>American Fiction</i>. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEgqAA_nCe7zCyLcRE6BKCL2VKSQuOb6gWPcwChZJZXvBxsQwjEX9KcObC16AUTGi78-Ztq26HYdyGA6uc6eqaCDZjnYuoxBFE1UupP0UqxhRSkF2R4zZFZ4v89YkKpU_jXrMJDAJzF8ANfAJdtqj3PCLXogOOgF2n_2ZQ0VFrjjMG8e0AV3afgsRdz5bZz0/s4500/MV5BMjNmNWJkMzUtZDEwZi00ODJmLWE0YzQtZmMzNTBjYjIyNTBmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMzNDE5NDM2._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAA_nCe7zCyLcRE6BKCL2VKSQuOb6gWPcwChZJZXvBxsQwjEX9KcObC16AUTGi78-Ztq26HYdyGA6uc6eqaCDZjnYuoxBFE1UupP0UqxhRSkF2R4zZFZ4v89YkKpU_jXrMJDAJzF8ANfAJdtqj3PCLXogOOgF2n_2ZQ0VFrjjMG8e0AV3afgsRdz5bZz0/w640-h426/MV5BMjNmNWJkMzUtZDEwZi00ODJmLWE0YzQtZmMzNTBjYjIyNTBmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMzNDE5NDM2._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Uggams star in Cord Jefferson's <i>American Fiction</i>.<br />© Photo credit: Claire Folger © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />In another scene, earlier in the film, where Monk begins writing his derivative, shallow parody of a “black” book we see iterations of his characters appear in front of Monk’s desk (including Keith David!) as they act out what is being typed on Monk’s laptop – revisions and all. It’s a fun piece of filmmaking flair that unfortunately the rest of the film is lacking. This being Jefferson’s debut feature it’s easy to understand why the clarity with which the big ideas are expressed is of the utmost importance justifying why he doesn’t push things too much in terms of execution, but a little more energy to try and match the vigor of the sharpness through which the ideas are written would seem to only elevate them further. Still, beyond the big topics and biting satire there is plenty to enjoy here from both an aesthetic and entertainment perspective. Seeing Wright in this mode couldn’t feel like a better pairing of actor and role. Erika Alexander as Monk’s new love interest gives the film a spark outside all of its heady conversations while Sterling K. Brown absolutely crushes every time he enters the frame. The score by Laura Karpman plays nicely into both the personal narrative as well as the more comedic moments of the script while the tranquil setting of Monk’s family’s beach house, the many conversations on the porch, and the investment in so many of these characters that transcend the genre only work in Jefferson’s favor to prove that people are oftentimes much more than the stereotype they’ve been reduced to. That said, it <i>is</i> rather upsetting they landed on “Philip” as what is apparently the douchiest white guy name they could come up; I’ll try not to take it personally though.</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjak54jOwqeSDWqdUVx7S20EfXUriI_uDZJNsYBoq82bcI8J-0bp6ANuSGyi17uVugFTt0JexvB3oP_-P-jQ0qaRfQdrG-Su_jzBt6CQUN6JghDTn1fnlXAQbmrcAs_gPwHYAOZZbLQlWMIFeIk0WfvPHnqUyzvq0Z1RYccyAd6TQJ26CLSmy8Ahb9OJB/s607/4_stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjak54jOwqeSDWqdUVx7S20EfXUriI_uDZJNsYBoq82bcI8J-0bp6ANuSGyi17uVugFTt0JexvB3oP_-P-jQ0qaRfQdrG-Su_jzBt6CQUN6JghDTn1fnlXAQbmrcAs_gPwHYAOZZbLQlWMIFeIk0WfvPHnqUyzvq0Z1RYccyAd6TQJ26CLSmy8Ahb9OJB/w200-h39/4_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-58147887960598770332023-12-01T14:01:00.000-08:002023-12-14T14:21:53.317-08:00DREAM SCENARIO Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwc0WxK67UaAZseAmC8CmfoVDJGSsaW1UWx5j5xRExLrJlgHegLrrEhmGZX9U7votT5n12cTvVJ7zStKAGRY4s75BdcvYVqsDI3uOuNhSqUZC0snk_XhSGbvZlthPU5DKiqAf_MjKo3M-hcv-oQrCgIrDNTXwfT1qqC2jFmLJFKZ1NycSQQ732K-YqI6W/s4096/ems.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="2765" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwc0WxK67UaAZseAmC8CmfoVDJGSsaW1UWx5j5xRExLrJlgHegLrrEhmGZX9U7votT5n12cTvVJ7zStKAGRY4s75BdcvYVqsDI3uOuNhSqUZC0snk_XhSGbvZlthPU5DKiqAf_MjKo3M-hcv-oQrCgIrDNTXwfT1qqC2jFmLJFKZ1NycSQQ732K-YqI6W/w270-h400/ems.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>When going into a movie with a premise as interesting as <b><i>Dream Scenario</i></b> there is always a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Anticipation in seeing what story the screenwriter chooses to tell through this unique premise while the anxiety centers around whether the film is able to see the full potential of said premise through to fruition. In terms of this very aesthetically indie third feature from writer/director Kristoffer Borgli the hook is that an average, everyday family man in the form of Nicolas Cage suddenly begins to show up in the dreams of both strangers and acquaintances. With no explanation as to why this is happening Cage's Paul Matthews comes to something of a fork in the road around how to deal with and/or take advantage of his newfound fame that naturally descends into notoriety. Another layer to Borgli's script in particular is that, given the premise, literally any moment in the film could either be a dream or reality leaving the audience guessing as to if what we're seeing is truly happening to our protagonist or not. <div><br /></div><div>Borgli unfortunately doesn't take as much advantage of this second layer as is available to him, but what is maybe more interesting is where the filmmaker ultimately decides to take the premise for the sake of the story he is telling. Much of the film frames Paul as a man or person searching for other people to impress and who are impressed by him, yet he constantly finds himself surrounded by those who have no interest in appeasing this desire. Whether it be his students, his children (Lily Bird and Jessica Clement), former colleagues (Dylan Baker) and girlfriends (Marnie McPhail) or even his current wife (Julianne Nicholson) in certain, critical moments – they all seem rather unbothered and unimpressed by Paul. Because of this, Paul is always searching for the insult whenever speaking with someone about himself and even when this phenomenon of him showing up in other people's dreams begins his instinct is not to wonder why this happening in the first place, but rather why his presence is only as a bystander. Still, as someone described as a "remarkable nobody" he enjoys the sudden shift in attention and isn't great at hiding it or remaining humble about it even if he remains average within this exceptional occurrence. Even when repercussions of this newfound fame begin to impact his real, personal life Paul has no sense of how to actually deal with things he otherwise imagines he would tackle head on; he’s helpless. <span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
As Paul's fame grows so do his ambitions and as these ambitions become more self-serving Paul's presence in people's dreams becomes more sinister. This turn in public perception unavoidably bleeds over into Paul's reality forcing him to essentially ex communicate himself from his societal circle. At this point, the film might seemingly lend itself to many readings (and there are no doubt even more to pick through by the end of the film), but at this juncture it seemed the most prevalent idea was that fame and a pre-conceived notion of who you are as a person by the public at large only inevitably leads to a certain state of isolation. This opens both an interesting avenue and can of worms I didn’t initially see the film exploring. Michael Cera, Kate Berlant, and Dylan Gelula show up as founders/employees of an upstart branding company who aspire to take advantage of Paul’s celebrity by connecting him with brands like Sprite whereas Paul means to use this unexpected turn in his life as a way to achieve his goal of being a published author in his field of evolutionary biology. This simple idea not of using this “dream scenario” to his own advantage for personal goals – one kind of expects this – but rather that it grants Paul access to the biggest audience anyone could ask for is the unforeseen aspect as an audience seems to be what everyone craves, but no one wants to be these days. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEge1Ez4X-KRKnXfQrf9FRhZsjU70hiRUTrwMHPQl7YRv7LkEwCWGH5ryErGxhKh1vKzRRM4CLCdFEAou96stfQQg_jJ-gF5TN55WYeflYho160t3vp6l3eZx7BU0E1XWmTjiwvGN60hUqTfAurnWPFffHNTcAzowrREISamgrJyGIm2oefOkwCOdrA_-k9z/s6000/71726799007-ds-12088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1Ez4X-KRKnXfQrf9FRhZsjU70hiRUTrwMHPQl7YRv7LkEwCWGH5ryErGxhKh1vKzRRM4CLCdFEAou96stfQQg_jJ-gF5TN55WYeflYho160t3vp6l3eZx7BU0E1XWmTjiwvGN60hUqTfAurnWPFffHNTcAzowrREISamgrJyGIm2oefOkwCOdrA_-k9z/w640-h426/71726799007-ds-12088.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicolas Cage is the man of many people's dreams in <i>Dream Scenario</i>.<br />Photo by Courtesy of A24 - © A24</td></tr></tbody></table>Paul only wanted someone – anyone – to notice him or, if he were really lucky, to consider him interesting. The turn this takes once he becomes an insidious presence in people’s lives and the lack of sympathy he receives from the outside world despite not having actually done anything wrong in reality is genuinely upsetting. That Borgli decides to go this route and elicit these feelings from his own audience could easily be thought of as little more than a parody of social media and influencer culture, but while that’s certainly a strand – and more so, the presentation of ourselves and how we shift who we are depending on the audience – the interpretation I landed on as the final sequence of the film played out was how this was the story of a man who never really had the confidence to be who he wanted or who he imagined or saw himself as in his own mind. While this idea is emphasized early in the film through how most of Paul’s interactions play it is the final scene featuring Cage and Nicholson and the way it alternates between what is clearly an expectation versus reality scenario in Paul’s mind that hammers home how he has failed time and time again to turn these idyllic “dream scenarios” into tangible lived experiences. <div><br /></div><div>
What Borgli means by this, if it is what he intended at all, is only something that could disperse into another hundred interpretations, but in terms of utilizing this unique, engaging premise to good effect this conclusion is kind of notable in that it doesn’t feel more major. That said, the execution and how it uses Paul’s experiences to come to this place of better understanding himself – however depressing – doesn’t really disappoint. In terms of execution, the score from Owen Pallett and the costume work by Kaysie Bergens and Natalie Bronfman shouldn’t go unmentioned as both lend themselves to this idea of a “remarkable nobody” meaning they were confronted with creating something to be hung on an uninteresting focal point and manage to succeed by making them fitting but still evident. The idea of expectation and reality is baked into Borgli’s film though and while it doesn’t work in our protagonist’s favor the fact the expectations were that this film could seemingly go in any number of directions and that the reality it decides to make finite is an achingly painful, but unavoidably true portrait of failed dreams is a sweet, aggravating, profound, and disheartening surprise.</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wbSiSGdBG3z_D8K8Q2iFhJIWeH9oFmHAZHD2t7ebvXE93qbCHha1nRbr3rjtYaobwjhOPWPE1u0wHP4t4IZlXyGspjla2kzY1HSXi7FnIY1_Uu9AjerTNpR7RqvU5ZpLcCdUjny6PdxIoPnRUNZJIJ1pEX_zOhxTdKOspFK6tXF5rDNmwhIS2IQLem_C/s607/4_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wbSiSGdBG3z_D8K8Q2iFhJIWeH9oFmHAZHD2t7ebvXE93qbCHha1nRbr3rjtYaobwjhOPWPE1u0wHP4t4IZlXyGspjla2kzY1HSXi7FnIY1_Uu9AjerTNpR7RqvU5ZpLcCdUjny6PdxIoPnRUNZJIJ1pEX_zOhxTdKOspFK6tXF5rDNmwhIS2IQLem_C/w200-h39/4_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-80750607952417819422023-11-22T14:34:00.000-08:002023-12-14T14:42:07.918-08:00WISH Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJJj6sOdJZy_easjKVKi8LhzmQzL5sLmUoIw1-_lVp_FwjNe8WgWms4DhAFOpRTohHiCNArxUnb3AvXE8jJELsKFMV7CqE1oq2OPqE-ZHNFbor0EcjJP_T1rJwZM2iBPYm5dzIr__jpKaHC5y7BREK9XSuVoL7NTYvUkt_bJnwErXcnNOpTwJRYvbKHJ4/s1500/wish_ver5_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1013" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJJj6sOdJZy_easjKVKi8LhzmQzL5sLmUoIw1-_lVp_FwjNe8WgWms4DhAFOpRTohHiCNArxUnb3AvXE8jJELsKFMV7CqE1oq2OPqE-ZHNFbor0EcjJP_T1rJwZM2iBPYm5dzIr__jpKaHC5y7BREK9XSuVoL7NTYvUkt_bJnwErXcnNOpTwJRYvbKHJ4/w270-h400/wish_ver5_xlg.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>This is the one you guys decided to have it out with, huh? The completely inoffensive, abundantly charming homage to Disney Animation Studios’ one-hundred-year history that also means to continue to push the boundaries of what constitutes a Disney princess further? I'm convinced there is a small (yet loud) and clearly influential sect of the internet whose entire purpose is to get as ahead of the narrative as possible and establish whatever direction they'd like to sway public opinion toward just to see if it sticks. For some reason, <b><i>Wish</i></b> was immediately dubbed lazy and unoriginal by hordes of people on TikTok (a format for micro shorts and ads) who picked apart the first clips of songs released from the film for no other reason than to say they supposedly weren't as good as songs from two years ago made for movies with different tones and objectives than this one. <div><br /></div><div>
So, first, in the context of the film each and every song here works as intended which is to say, really well, with "Knowing What I Know Now" being a certified banger in the vein of classics such as "I'll Make a Man Out of You" and "I've Got a Dream". Further, the titular track of "This Wish" would be a standard Disney classic circa any other time in history. It, along with the whole of the story that doesn't stray far from your standard fairy tale pillars (young girl experiences longing and/or ambition and, in a manner of speaking, absolves the kingdom in which she lives from an evil sorcerer), are majestically rendered through a combination of the animation style and the style of that aforementioned music. The animation is in and of itself a combination of 2D watercolor background paintings (a homage to classic films dating all the way back to <i>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</i>) and cutting-edge CG that emphasizes the hand drawn look that ultimately creates both a very modern and very retro aesthetic simultaneously.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEj5h2vaJFgPkABIf5EEj8vRYGlx__WiJZP5aF5j80y23P8goE8eeRF0vXViumZEvxwh4aCIFsNdcgMdcwMKmPJETOqbHW57TOeXo1TO52CDn2SaFSbDil_HYcy-Id0SlpuoUIeweyviG6THNmyUpRlmhMY81D-a_5MT_qqUFXnjlzE-no9Cmwv63WoFxdkG/s1024/IMG_8903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5h2vaJFgPkABIf5EEj8vRYGlx__WiJZP5aF5j80y23P8goE8eeRF0vXViumZEvxwh4aCIFsNdcgMdcwMKmPJETOqbHW57TOeXo1TO52CDn2SaFSbDil_HYcy-Id0SlpuoUIeweyviG6THNmyUpRlmhMY81D-a_5MT_qqUFXnjlzE-no9Cmwv63WoFxdkG/w640-h360/IMG_8903.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asha (voice of Ariana DeBose) is taken aback by her goat Valentino's new skill.<br />© 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.</td></tr></tbody></table>I guess if you didn't know going in that this was intended to be a self-conscious kind of reflection on the Disney legacy with easter eggs abounding referencing where we've been while looking forward to where things can go, this might feel a little regressive, but the level at which the homage is executed is so masterful and core idea still solid enough that absolutely none of the vitriol this thing has encountered is actually, at any level, warranted. Beyond the standard Disney princess archetypes, the film is clever in its phrasing of how we - especially the intended audience for the film - shouldn't allow people to control our hopes and ambitions. Ariana DeBose's Asha immediately recognizes the insidious nature of Chris Pine's Magnifico and how he is using suppression through the guise of protection to serve his own purposes. She's young and inexperienced and self-aware enough to know as much, but she also knows in her gut that the way in which Magnifico has secretly been running his kingdom is inherently wrong and that she must do something about it. Compelling! <div><br /></div><div>
A perfectly respectable, even honorable message as conveyed through a pastel-tinged palette and committed performances from both DeBose and Pine plus Alan Tudyk as a scene-stealing talking goat named Valentino? Like, what more do you want from a Disney holiday treat? I don't even know that I necessarily loved the film and this reaction is no doubt exactly that as I allowed the bad word of mouth and poor box office performance to taint my expectations yet found myself completely wrapped up in the story, enjoying the songs, and appreciating the smiles, laughs, and covered eyes of my children as they encountered all the sweet, funny, and tense moments the movie had to offer. No, it's not top of the line Disney, but it certainly isn't the burning pile of trash so many have implied. Find some fucking nuance, you bike handles.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFHMUfQSqPRctn7EhK0SWB1jwryccJcX53wpoMXvLp3y3HId8hNZJL2Du1-uovQ6N4Gs47Gze2YjuJoLqh1LVG3WuNa9_a17EMUiyCu9DetTOT26vn_5elKlCg8LRgmcK4qDBHm1aR-lRFbmUz1OdZWBLIZNO7vhXdnSdcQD62iNeIFhH9ORGmQlQUjDo/s607/3_and_a_half_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFHMUfQSqPRctn7EhK0SWB1jwryccJcX53wpoMXvLp3y3HId8hNZJL2Du1-uovQ6N4Gs47Gze2YjuJoLqh1LVG3WuNa9_a17EMUiyCu9DetTOT26vn_5elKlCg8LRgmcK4qDBHm1aR-lRFbmUz1OdZWBLIZNO7vhXdnSdcQD62iNeIFhH9ORGmQlQUjDo/w200-h39/3_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-60441693954634014882023-11-21T14:44:00.000-08:002023-12-15T12:05:44.599-08:00NAPOLEON Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pAI0HOZwx9OMi3CpRW6sUcauj_KAikmU4pBcNBPrKLuRJsEizwUFIojcJKjGwAzKVVaQDUiSr21m7fszcqDVBgjiSYJAm2-0H8iVGNW2MCSCfsL9AxwLUkLcDyz8YOZ8RjUyTaMHXyElwlWmjFHbd-81gtbqY1KabNvQRA0dFYEf1y5Rvx0gqGbQUGB3/s755/napoleon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pAI0HOZwx9OMi3CpRW6sUcauj_KAikmU4pBcNBPrKLuRJsEizwUFIojcJKjGwAzKVVaQDUiSr21m7fszcqDVBgjiSYJAm2-0H8iVGNW2MCSCfsL9AxwLUkLcDyz8YOZ8RjUyTaMHXyElwlWmjFHbd-81gtbqY1KabNvQRA0dFYEf1y5Rvx0gqGbQUGB3/w270-h400/napoleon.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>There is something very 2004 about Ridley Scott's <b><i>Napoleon</i></b> in that it is first and foremost a large historical epic that one might have expected Scott to cash in his <i>Gladiator</i> chips on (it's also he and Joaquin Phoenix's first collaboration since), but more so because it shows no obvious signs of CGI saturation (aside from a few extras in a single battle sequence and a horse carcass) and when combined with Scott's wiggle room to get a little weird here and there it felt at times as if I were back in high school seeing a movie my dad would have been excited for on Thanksgiving break rather than the Apple Studios produced, long in gestation project it became that at times seemed unattainable and unfortunately sometimes still feels as much throughout its execution. The context with which one views <i>Napoleon</i> might be more critical to its reception (as is true with most expectations) than in most cases; the point in this instance being that there are multiple options for which to go into this. Knowing a little or a lot are always available, but knowing Scott has already discussed a lengthier version of the film immediately implies this is something of a CliffsNotes version of what he intended to make. Granted, the life of Napoleon Bonaparte is something one either takes at wholesale or investigates individually given the breadth of history the man was directly involved in and responsible for shaping, but Scott tries to have his cake and eat it too resulting in what is currently a nearly three-hour experience that still feels abbreviated.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
There is a quote from David Fincher from when he was making <i>Gone Girl</i> that I go back to often. Fincher said, “The book is many things. You have to choose which aspect you want to make a movie from." With <i>Napoleon</i> and David Scarpa's screenplay in particular, Scott's instinct seems to have latched onto Bonaparte's relationship with Vanessa Kirby's Empress Joséphine. This is the aspect he truly wants to make a film about, but of course if a movie about this grand historical figure doesn't feature the grand historical battles of Waterloo and Austerlitz the movie doesn't exist at all. Scott understands this probably more than anyone else working in Hollywood today and thus is the reason that aspect he was so keen to latch onto would seemingly have a stronger correlation to these battles than is presented in the movie. This is a movie that features a scene in which Kirby's Joséphine warns Bonaparte that should he glance upon her unmentionables he will find a surprise and that once he sees it, he will always want it. It has a kinky little attitude for sure, but the point is whatever control and/or influence Joséphine held over her husband Scott and Scarpa's thesis around how this impotence in their marriage translated to one of the more feared megalomaniacs in the history and strategy of warfare is never made clear. There is certainly something more to this dynamic if not for Joséphine's own words, but for the ways in which we see the titular character return to her time and time again despite her unfaithfulness and despite her inability to bear him an heir (as well as the added caveat that she seems genuinely repulsed by him). There are naturally moments throughout the film that suggest the type of fulfillment a woman like Joséphine might bring to a man with Napoleon's need for reassurance and praise (the “most important thing in the world” bit is a great character moment though), but the psychology of how this symbiotic relationship works is so clearly what is intended that its almost complete absence from the proceedings leaves the film with a hollow center. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEgN9lrpAR1eoMw15V6FHG0axC8jOoKGOjY7INa7ie2q6eACV2GSwD1refki_NjU8LHtx1bMoUy9zQrvawlmMcw-brokEvudoGl9cpAGlY2AAYJo2EoSvFs6Ve6dOcsrINlYdWPfSLmOVi0b8AuM4IrH5yTClhNRORTahhjSopf8_Wkh_YrimNp7-dTHLwV5/s1280/img5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9lrpAR1eoMw15V6FHG0axC8jOoKGOjY7INa7ie2q6eACV2GSwD1refki_NjU8LHtx1bMoUy9zQrvawlmMcw-brokEvudoGl9cpAGlY2AAYJo2EoSvFs6Ve6dOcsrINlYdWPfSLmOVi0b8AuM4IrH5yTClhNRORTahhjSopf8_Wkh_YrimNp7-dTHLwV5/w640-h360/img5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) likes a good battle, but not too much noise.<br />Photo by Courtesy of Sony - © Sony</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Of course, at the center of the film is Phoenix who doesn't even attempt a French accent and who could seemingly give as much of a shit about not attempting one as Scott does the historical accuracy of his picture. That said, the film overall tends to fail its protagonist in terms of getting inside his head and rationalizing the decisions he made because the film itself feels so preoccupied with simply making sure it hits all the events and notable moments it can cram into a theatrically releasable runtime. There is no driving narrative force, no adversary with whom Napoleon has a longstanding rivalry that builds to a crescendo, or even a goal that rests idly inside him that is out of reach during his rise to power that we are made aware of early on and that we know must be accomplished in order for him to feel some type of satisfaction. Thus, the movie feels like a series of strung together – albeit beautifully rendered - action sequences with interstitials featuring this guy's rolodex of weird arousals. This is the long way of expressing that for a film with an initial runtime of two hours and thirty-eight minutes with a reported four-hour version in the kitchen, I don't know that length is as much the issue as it is the editing or rather the lack of harmony in what was shot to effectively shape a stronger, more compelling narrative. Should the extended cut be able to equate his ruthlessness on the battlefield to his feebleness in the bedroom or more so, why it would seem Joséphine is nothing without him yet – at least in Napoleon’s mind – it is truly the other way around then more power to editors Sam Restivo and Claire Simpson as they are clearly doing their best to whittle down a multitude of movies into a single conversation. </div><div><br /></div><div>What Phoenix’s performance does relay is a kind of restrained, stoic façade that doesn’t tend to break for many. At the beginning of this film Napoleon is in his mid-twenties and Phoenix plays him every step of the way up until his death in 1861 at the age of fifty-three. Throughout all Napoleon’s experiences though, the most telling moments are the smallest; whether that be in Napoleon taking away a man’s dessert for informing him of his wife’s infidelities or placing his hat upon the top of an Egyptian sarcophagus there is a depth the performance hints at that the movie never fulfills. While Scarpa’s script knows it’s too broad to get into too much detail about all the people surrounding Napoleon and propping up his rise (despite plastering many a names on screen) we are also kept at a distance by Phoenix himself, that is, until Kirby shows up. That the movie makes no excuses for and more or less supports Joséphine’s willingness and ability to do whatever (and whoever) it takes to survive at a certain status level is appreciated, but somehow it never feels there is enough scenery for Kirby to chew. While Phoenix’s choice to play this more internally keeps us guessing at his motivations and reasonings (the same way the film in general does around its larger conflicts due to its brisk tour through history) there is an inherent connection and understanding in Kirby’s depiction of this woman who lost her first husband during the Reign of Terror and was imprisoned until five days after his execution. Her motivations and reasonings couldn’t be clearer and we all know Kirby has true screen presence, but it is again the inability of the piece to draw out the provocateur of these actions and how it relates to the larger imprint on history that make it all feel a little empty. <div><br /></div><div>
<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/AVvXsEg4skUmDHkmvnep5pMSNBJVhFgLFlbzUQM78ZbSe3m71L-_UNrf18bAjcdalyw9hMQCwc4b11twH-K_860XMO32j08buXMAhTPluE2fd_htCIKaTPETCanW5aAgqtzwBn2HSebMD3hf0D3PyI7PF8oaa5I4dbf4iYWADLK3pNENMcr9maCYMpX6JvyAFBiL/s6000/MV5BODQ2YzZjYzQtYjYzYi00YWZjLWE3NTQtNDYxOTBlMGUzM2NiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3376" data-original-width="6000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4skUmDHkmvnep5pMSNBJVhFgLFlbzUQM78ZbSe3m71L-_UNrf18bAjcdalyw9hMQCwc4b11twH-K_860XMO32j08buXMAhTPluE2fd_htCIKaTPETCanW5aAgqtzwBn2HSebMD3hf0D3PyI7PF8oaa5I4dbf4iYWADLK3pNENMcr9maCYMpX6JvyAFBiL/w640-h360/MV5BODQ2YzZjYzQtYjYzYi00YWZjLWE3NTQtNDYxOTBlMGUzM2NiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napoleon crowns his wife Josephine (Vanessa Kirby) whom he both loves and detests.<br />Photo by Courtesy of Sony - © Sony</td></tr></tbody></table><br />That isn’t to say what Scott has put on screen isn’t effective as many of the individual shots in many of the battle sequences are as gorgeous as they are grotesque, context or not. The amount of work and preparation that goes into shooting something like the battle of Waterloo for the limited amount of screentime it ultimately takes up would likely be unbearable to hear and no one’s effort in that regard should be discredited; it’s truly impressive, grand-scale stuff. Touches such as frequent fades to a blistering white and the inclusion of certain lines of dialogue and those smaller moments lend an intentionality to the piece. The slightly farcical nature of how the film handles the formalities of the time period paired with the edge the movie is lent by Joséphine’s infidelities and Napoleon’s insecurities that give way to the inner workings of their relationship is oftentimes fascinating. The film frequently feels more like more of a burden, an endeavor to trudge through than it does an adventure to experience. While this is due largely to the pacing, Scott clearly doesn’t care what people think about his storytelling these days and while this can be a disservice in many regards it is also undoubtedly what leads to some of ><i>Napoleon</i>’s greatest strengths. So, here’s hoping that extended version we’ve been promised isn’t simply an extension of scenes, but Scott leaning further into the themes of the story that attracted him to it in the first place: destiny…and probably lamb chops as well.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtYv9KFz9jLmUvkX2lkAakCnjn5Pq6I2sJhyphenhyphenpWfimFettQran9uEwSo6ybPSLz9dizELsdA8Kv6ytMbV6pX_r8asW5OZEe1wtWlJcKnHjpbJ7p4ueoMI-l5oUtNIehTb7mA9UdLGMjFGxWLri1wqfBazy7tbZnUhDC8_n2W16pLTq_GZUqHUuqeZhzKhz/s607/3_stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtYv9KFz9jLmUvkX2lkAakCnjn5Pq6I2sJhyphenhyphenpWfimFettQran9uEwSo6ybPSLz9dizELsdA8Kv6ytMbV6pX_r8asW5OZEe1wtWlJcKnHjpbJ7p4ueoMI-l5oUtNIehTb7mA9UdLGMjFGxWLri1wqfBazy7tbZnUhDC8_n2W16pLTq_GZUqHUuqeZhzKhz/w200-h39/3_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-87307538648945299072023-11-10T13:31:00.000-08:002023-11-19T13:59:09.145-08:00THE HOLDOVERS Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMLifH3817Tf_oKIKsxTD-c99oJHfUqAs0ZrX9tsXpD_wjpgzOtvvuXVO9yle0_YaoO4EJ72Q2m__nZZJ4k01xsyrhj9J7DHgR8OOXo_q5VHrBUIPtNvKQ9wdBLa5UTN69eftTAVAmtzOvomdGWztoUJFzwh7d1In4p-CFL9eZbZJt9i7XbdBb6ARtidN/s2304/holdovers_cropped_poster_KlxmZsE.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="1551" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMLifH3817Tf_oKIKsxTD-c99oJHfUqAs0ZrX9tsXpD_wjpgzOtvvuXVO9yle0_YaoO4EJ72Q2m__nZZJ4k01xsyrhj9J7DHgR8OOXo_q5VHrBUIPtNvKQ9wdBLa5UTN69eftTAVAmtzOvomdGWztoUJFzwh7d1In4p-CFL9eZbZJt9i7XbdBb6ARtidN/w269-h400/holdovers_cropped_poster_KlxmZsE.png" width="269" /></a></div>As someone born in the late eighties and raised as a pure product of the nineties, I didn’t expect a seventies throwback piece to hit me as hard as Alexander Payne’s latest. What’s interesting is, as a millennial and someone who relates more to the first two decades above and who hasn’t seen enough “New American Cinema” born of the seventies to really recognize the qualifiers, it’s hard to know whether or not <b><i>The Holdovers</i></b> is in fact a movie akin to those made in the seventies or if it is simply a homage to what we now think of when we say “a seventies movie”. Payne, who is now sixty-two, has made films in the vein of seventies movies before - movies that center on multi-faceted characters with relatively small and always personal problems - but he’s never seemingly made a movie so overtly mimicking so much of what he clearly draws inspiration from. <div><br /></div><div>I say all of this as something of a qualifier in and of itself for, while I understand <i>The Holdovers</i> might be more provoking of the look and feel than invoking of the actual spirit of seventies cinema, as someone of my age and viewing history it left me feeling as if it had done both. Furthermore, I understand why those who might have a deeper pool of knowledge and sense of connection to movies of the seventies and their unshaven realism might find <i>The Holdovers</i> more of a copy of what once was rather than the authentic journey I experienced while watching the film, but the fact of the matter is: I found this far more enjoyable than expected given my aforementioned disposition, but more than that - I found this deeply affecting and honest. While it might be aping certain seventies visual cues very intently, it also manages a perfect balance of melancholy and comedy that elicits heavy truths while equally highlighting the gleefully effervescent moments of life (and how they weave our days and time together).<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>To this extent, <i>The Holdovers</i> has a lot going on in it and just as much on its mind, but we never feel pushed to be persuaded by anything. Instead, while the film purports to be heavily focused on entitlement, honor, and the upholding of certain standards and traditions that make someone who they are and of a certain class, it is naturally, actually about Paul Giamatti's Paul Hunham coming to an epiphany after so many years of trying to hold himself to these standards and present such a specific version of himself that none of it is worth it if you're still making kids suffer for your own enjoyment. Hunham, a history teacher at an all-boys prep school, finds joy in the condescension and criticism he is able to dole out towards his students who he knows are inferior (at least intellectually) as well as with his co-workers who we can assume he also feels superior to if not also because of his IQ but because he has "foregone sensual pleasures for spiritual endeavors," meaning he is single and socially awkward and has fully dedicated himself to this institution for which he attended and now works. This mentality is also what gets Hunham holed up on campus over the holidays with Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), a smart if not troubled student, who also has no place to go. </div><div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEgs9oVma5x1_mwmSZ2DvU5cjeamDPjdc8rvsIL4cUG0CfTllmCGJI30w4yEPRcPjvXRJvQM0bXK71H0mRnVe0Hm491L97AsCrkExcRdNjkQ569KVp172t33Ev1lGMcSP9mSeAriSXRI1W6MofSgxTu1P_VtmfeZL5nCW8c_smFwG3Y8iKHwNKWvqZDPKVnb/s1798/approved_images_-_giamatti_&_sessa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1798" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9oVma5x1_mwmSZ2DvU5cjeamDPjdc8rvsIL4cUG0CfTllmCGJI30w4yEPRcPjvXRJvQM0bXK71H0mRnVe0Hm491L97AsCrkExcRdNjkQ569KVp172t33Ev1lGMcSP9mSeAriSXRI1W6MofSgxTu1P_VtmfeZL5nCW8c_smFwG3Y8iKHwNKWvqZDPKVnb/w640-h384/approved_images_-_giamatti_&_sessa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Seacia Pavao/Seacia Pavao - © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The film plays the card of these two at first vehemently opposed people teaching each other a few things about life in the process of beginning to like one another, but while this is kind of the structure upon which it hangs its hat what is most interesting is how it compounds its many ideas via this method into a rather breezy execution. Hunham assumed Tully was another in a long line of the entitled pricks he's accustomed to teaching - and to a certain extent is - but it's clear Tully actually has an intelligence behind his quips and whining which is possibly why Hunham feels slightly threatened by him even if it's not enough for him to let it show. Both are a couple of neurotic messes, but the addition of Da'Vine Joy Randolph's Mary Lamb, a cook at the school who has also elected to stay on campus over the holidays, brings a levity to this group of people who were all left behind in one way or another. Though Hunham and Tully each have their histories that have led them to this point in life, Mary has the most apparent and valid reasons for behaving the way these men do (wounded) even if she doesn't, really. </div><div><br /></div><div>Randolph's Mary being a black woman in 1969/1970 is not lost on the audience either as she must harbor her pain and regret rather than air it out freely in order to feel some type of affirmation. The volumes this speaks does a fair amount of narrative work for Payne and screenwriter David Hemingson, but Randolph plays the part with such humanity and realism that her abbreviated appearance and transparency of her function disappear. Hunham is at least understanding and sympathetic to Mary's plight as well, befriending her, standing up for her, and never making her feel excluded, but were the starting gates of life aligned equally it is clear Mary would have never needed Hunham's sympathies. There is a small, rather short scene featuring Randolph though that absolutely broke me and was also the moment the movie transcended its invoking nature and became a genuinely provoking piece of storytelling. </div><div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEhvslRsUKhjZe8_U8NhpQjBKCpLDcetC76oPCr_WDMoDObmjTLEBIS4sKDZTxb1gaSu_djwAVqVLhMnkE0mBLN_xJtOApMYXDppHt1XNFgJ8VaJxZP13ynFZnvqI7rZAvXxHen7bl1DNXpOB2e9ILaq83CQvklVByMi4PsmdgdRtqROgtR5I6WkKvKUn19P/s4500/MV5BMTIzYTE0NDYtMzBiOS00NjJhLWJkYjItN2MyM2E0ZDBlMWU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvslRsUKhjZe8_U8NhpQjBKCpLDcetC76oPCr_WDMoDObmjTLEBIS4sKDZTxb1gaSu_djwAVqVLhMnkE0mBLN_xJtOApMYXDppHt1XNFgJ8VaJxZP13ynFZnvqI7rZAvXxHen7bl1DNXpOB2e9ILaq83CQvklVByMi4PsmdgdRtqROgtR5I6WkKvKUn19P/w640-h426/MV5BMTIzYTE0NDYtMzBiOS00NjJhLWJkYjItN2MyM2E0ZDBlMWU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Seacia Pavao/Seacia Pavao - © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Much like its themes and ideas, there are multiple things at play in <i>The Holdovers</i> that make it endearing and indelible, whether it be Giamatti's run, Giamatti trying to throw a football, or Giamatti having to crawl through the passenger side of his car; each of which are (hilariously) entertaining. Joking aside, what stands to make this film actually lasting and unforgettable is how it captures the nature of this journey, this trip with these characters from one point in their lives to the next. Giamatti utilizes just enough of what he did with Payne previously in <i>Sideways</i> while deviating from the character just enough to make Hunham maybe not as unhinged, but more sorrowful (he also just looks like complete shit, which is appreciated as well) whereas Sessa (who I had not seen in anything previously) really does well to show Tully's anger over his vulnerabilities in an understandable rather than cloying fashion. I also just loved the set and production design throughout, how all the floors at the prep school would creak, how all the rooms were filled with smoke all the time, and such details as the cars and the interior of the Chateau in Boston gave no false notes. Also, some pitch-perfect casting in Tully's mom and stepdad. Really special stuff all-around. I mean, "penis cancer in human form," has to be one of the greatest insults ever put to film.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3PebV_8efH4ryh_DMZCt0RHHyjb38dKt4LEi7JqCfPoQRgWZi-UibAOPsB0zbxrZpfMgQUyhSu4WCO7K0lZ7Tnrk2wN-eSzQOZf7v-fKTC5InQWpk_C5xf4eXEf1hroa8UE65ahaAefGvP9oMzHoEXSx8xNbZ7zySE9YHTzJUTZwRq58H14NfCmqHZGn/s607/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3PebV_8efH4ryh_DMZCt0RHHyjb38dKt4LEi7JqCfPoQRgWZi-UibAOPsB0zbxrZpfMgQUyhSu4WCO7K0lZ7Tnrk2wN-eSzQOZf7v-fKTC5InQWpk_C5xf4eXEf1hroa8UE65ahaAefGvP9oMzHoEXSx8xNbZ7zySE9YHTzJUTZwRq58H14NfCmqHZGn/w200-h39/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-29192048949412419122023-11-10T12:49:00.000-08:002023-11-19T13:28:05.931-08:00THE MARVELS Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl3WhP49KCvhqvZab-RQ2KL0GayggxcC9_7QzFyLdKpz_a-WGJxU7mZJVRKlO9FQ3WinSnZiuD_FyY5mE8ELxRHn8i2c4H93GPy2J1ANx0p-fIqafzOAzXVg0-eIKmy6sk_xdRup71x3vXVZdh56GagaQ7zFF9QNYdcdBkTXc5y5gNiufCiW288RUHcUA/s810/p_disney_themarvels_1571_v2_4526812e.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl3WhP49KCvhqvZab-RQ2KL0GayggxcC9_7QzFyLdKpz_a-WGJxU7mZJVRKlO9FQ3WinSnZiuD_FyY5mE8ELxRHn8i2c4H93GPy2J1ANx0p-fIqafzOAzXVg0-eIKmy6sk_xdRup71x3vXVZdh56GagaQ7zFF9QNYdcdBkTXc5y5gNiufCiW288RUHcUA/w266-h400/p_disney_themarvels_1571_v2_4526812e.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div>It’s been at least three years since Nia DaCosta (<i>Little Woods</i>, <i>Candyman</i>) was announced as the director of <b><i>The Marvels</i></b> and as a writer/director that means she has been thinking about this story for <i>at least</i> that long as well. I say this 1) because I doubt what is portrayed on screen here is all she had in mind (more on that later) and 2) because it’s important to remember the context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into which films are released is not often the same context in which they were written or shot. DaCosta came on in the immediate aftermath of <i>Endgame</i> - prior to the release of either <i>WandaVision</i> or <i>Ms. Marvel</i> and most importantly - prior to COVID, likely eager to continue the story of this newly minted Avenger and the prospect of the first ever MCU lady league. Taking that into consideration, <i>The Marvels</i> obviously arrives at a very different point in the MCU trajectory than DaCosta likely expected as steam has been lost and arguably a fair amount of quality as well. I hate to be a doomsdayer, but the one-two punch of COVID’s impact on the release schedule and the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman threw a wrench into the MCU’s plans and as a result the whole operation into recovery mode in more ways than one. Prior to <i>Endgame</i>, <i>The Marvels</i> would have nestled snuggly between <i>Homecoming</i> and <i>Ant-Man</i> in terms of quality and stakes and no one would have batted an eye as it is both a smaller scale team-up movie and a fun comic caper, but when the fate of the MCU is riding on something more equivalent to <i>Ant-Man and the Wasp</i> than <i>Civil War</i>, folks will both be disappointed and continue to declare the end of this once bulletproof franchise.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEgS4cw2AJZOCl8R-LXmZW3tog6K5my8apqFaaRHvNqHXvtun5H6bwbh_cWFbj5Hvq8VsXQRwkLvPWEoldSkTtOuUsVbaHchtLzDhft2PyfAPiXrG1DA_UP2ILVg5tpl97g9785-Ydo0aokoKXL2C4oZ7H_Jwv7Ndo1DMPdU1ndXZxghlrO1JJk7RyjfBJzF/s2000/400029058_858897612905659_1914013028277974849_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4cw2AJZOCl8R-LXmZW3tog6K5my8apqFaaRHvNqHXvtun5H6bwbh_cWFbj5Hvq8VsXQRwkLvPWEoldSkTtOuUsVbaHchtLzDhft2PyfAPiXrG1DA_UP2ILVg5tpl97g9785-Ydo0aokoKXL2C4oZ7H_Jwv7Ndo1DMPdU1ndXZxghlrO1JJk7RyjfBJzF/w640-h426/400029058_858897612905659_1914013028277974849_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) is still dreaming of meeting her Avenger idols at the beginning of <i>The Marvels</i>.<br />Photo by Laura Radford/Laura Radford - © MARVEL 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Now, I will admit that something is missing. Even if time and distance end up proving the cultural reaction to Phase 5 of the MCU was more determined by our tiredness of the franchise than the quality of the film’s themes, it still feels as if something is missing. That isn’t to say the magic is completely gone, but whether the direct fault of the individual movie of the moment or not the collective feeling is this is obviously not what it once was. So, all things considered: is <i>The Marvels</i> any good? It’s impossible to say how much of what we’re seeing on the screen this weekend comes from what DaCosta - along with co-writers Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik - originally envisioned those few years ago, but while DaCosta doesn’t really get to put her “spin” on a Marvel movie a la James Gunn or Taika Waititi, she does manage some memorable character interactions - immediately striking a winning balance of awkwardness and humor between our three leads - as well as some of the better, more creative action sequences in MCU history. The orchestration of the three leads, how their switching of places and the advantages of as much is illustrated via the action sequences is more than enough to commend DaCosta as a whole and more than makes up for the lack of delineation between the three different power sets. The more important part is that Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani almost immediately find a chemistry and rhythm that works for the different character dynamics at play. The soundtrack selections are pretty sick as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Parris’ Monica Rambeau (who is working closely with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury on that space station from the post-credit scene in <i>Far From Home</i>) is forced to take on the role of the holdout due to her lack of trust in/communication with Larson’s Carol Danvers whereas Larson sticks with, kind of surprisingly so, the simple and straightforward approach; a no-nonsense attitude if you will, both of which are thankfully relieved by the presence of Vellani’s wonderstruck Kamala Khan. I enjoyed the <i>Ms. Marvel</i> series not only for the inclusion of this world and perspective it cultivated but largely for the sense of energy in tone and the thrill even a non-MCU fan could pick up on in Vellani’s performance and thankfully, Vellani brings all of that over from her series to this foray into the cosmos. In a film that goes for a tone that can handle and make credible an entire planet where the main mode of communication is musical numbers and a rescue mission that is executed by having kitty cats eat crew members, tone is absolutely key and Vellani’s performance is the only one that really locks in on this and not only makes her the highlight of the film, but elevates everyone else around her. To this extent, between that tone, the costume designs, and even the production design on a few of the planets our heroes visit, this does sometimes veer into <i>Power Rangers</i> territory. That is to say it has a whole Saturday morning cartoon vibe to it - which, as a child of the 90s who grew up watching <i>Power Rangers</i> along with the animated <i>X-Men</i> and <i>Spider-Man</i> series on Saturday mornings, is not a derogatory comment - but whether or not that is what DaCosta or the MCU as a whole was going for here? Hard to say. </div><div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEgg6Dws5RSPTxTCdb5xe08AqpMvFvZRfJTd8HXTyprzhNbY0wb3G0AdG4ZtHT9zbYd4l-woywvk6rcK8cNtkMGEJVj7kCgx3EuGcra1tskoiuC9E61bAPKzzWltRZJfENQ0k8G885obyH8AewaatZq8uXHDyRvCRtN-O0WJvmDHnvdWrFXgZGh91BD3sR8I/s2000/369874685_858895666239187_3689429793064168326_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6Dws5RSPTxTCdb5xe08AqpMvFvZRfJTd8HXTyprzhNbY0wb3G0AdG4ZtHT9zbYd4l-woywvk6rcK8cNtkMGEJVj7kCgx3EuGcra1tskoiuC9E61bAPKzzWltRZJfENQ0k8G885obyH8AewaatZq8uXHDyRvCRtN-O0WJvmDHnvdWrFXgZGh91BD3sR8I/w640-h426/369874685_858895666239187_3689429793064168326_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) shows Ms. Marvel around the universe.<br />Photo by Laura Radford/Laura Radford - © MARVEL 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Hard to say because DaCosta or maybe Kevin Feige brought in Sean Bobbit AKA Steve McQueen’s regular cinematographer AKA the guy who shot <i>12 Years a Slave</i>, <i>Shame</i>, and <i>Widows</i> (and <i>The Place Beyond the Pines</i>) to shoot this film yet you wouldn’t know it until you saw his name in the credits. Not to say the film doesn’t have its moments aesthetically, but the aforementioned odes (intentional or not) combined with the still shabby visual effects in certain spots don’t make this something Bobbit would likely want featured on his IMDb page. Besides not taking advantage of having Bobbit as your cinematographer though, the biggest L <i>The Marvels</i> takes is with its villain. Zawe Ashton (Loki’s real-life partner) is Dar-Benn (a name I had to look up in order to cite here), a Kree general who is after the same bangle that gave Kamala her powers in order to restore her planet of Hala to the once prosperous place it was as it has sat deprived and dying since Captain Marvel sought revenge on the Kree for taking her life from them. The thing is, as the plot - which deals with Dar-Benn harvesting other planets resources to reinvigorate Hala - unfolds it’s hard not to think this whole ordeal could have been handled more diplomatically. Like, I get that there needs to be heated conflict and more importantly, fight sequences, but it is kind of funny we’ve made this big deal about this being a female-centric super hero movie and given women as a sex have largely always championed resolution through discussion rather than fists it seems ill-fitting that the crux of this movie specifically is one that could have been resolved with some better trade discussions and an apology from Captain Marvel as she’s well-aware and even understands why the Kree harbor such hate toward her. Not wrong by any means, the constructs of the genre still have to exist no matter the sex of the hero and it’s not necessarily that it feels ironic, but more <i>The Marvels</i> feels like a missed opportunity to truly take a female-centric superhero movie to another, different, unexpected level. Instead, it sticks to the yuks rather than exploring any of the deeper emotions each of these characters - Monica, Carol, Dar-Benn, and even Kamala - are clearly dealing with. But hey, Fury’s interactions with the Khan family are hilarious so what do I know??
</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UnPopkKFkoKV27-6VxlmivEWplzjnhBAUpO7Mi0itGv2zghROoyTgU860ATOTy_lu33sbnp8Y3fm47aWyONBdYWX8E7TYTTKXASAVQuydYD2J1ppaDXpNd7SQWLC_rjJuleeNBSck_GHwAqESPMf8uxBgXzB5Rqi_NqBUcQFjZXBlAMaEq-Vd16I1RwZ/s607/3_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UnPopkKFkoKV27-6VxlmivEWplzjnhBAUpO7Mi0itGv2zghROoyTgU860ATOTy_lu33sbnp8Y3fm47aWyONBdYWX8E7TYTTKXASAVQuydYD2J1ppaDXpNd7SQWLC_rjJuleeNBSck_GHwAqESPMf8uxBgXzB5Rqi_NqBUcQFjZXBlAMaEq-Vd16I1RwZ/w200-h39/3_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-66505508336361809202023-11-05T14:21:00.000-08:002023-11-05T14:21:13.480-08:00PRISCILLA Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP8tSmvGumdjUlZf_R513mLkwdZzrXiEiIrwdzKbTwPE5rdUjqGeDD8k2DpRmMkXEreajDRoh8MvqUJsWJqXo4fte6HBK4xPHVHsvi0ZRosNLBeDQI5-6h3I6QOslC2RGGUt_o2FsXYvESwZmQX279ajBvvubHKrEVDqj8dnrOnBYuOESuNQOISqthaF5/s1477/MV5BOTQyZTBiMjAtZTNjZi00ZjU0LWFkMTQtMDE3Nzc1MjVmMTM4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTM1NjM2ODg1._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1477" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP8tSmvGumdjUlZf_R513mLkwdZzrXiEiIrwdzKbTwPE5rdUjqGeDD8k2DpRmMkXEreajDRoh8MvqUJsWJqXo4fte6HBK4xPHVHsvi0ZRosNLBeDQI5-6h3I6QOslC2RGGUt_o2FsXYvESwZmQX279ajBvvubHKrEVDqj8dnrOnBYuOESuNQOISqthaF5/w271-h400/MV5BOTQyZTBiMjAtZTNjZi00ZjU0LWFkMTQtMDE3Nzc1MjVmMTM4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTM1NjM2ODg1._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>Counting <b><i>Priscilla</i></b>, I've seen five of Sofia Coppola's eight narrative feature films (<i>Virgin Suicides</i>, <i>Marie Antoinette</i>, and <i>Somewhere</i> are my blind spots) and the trapped, isolated, lonely woman is an obvious recurring theme in her work. This is no doubt what attracted the writer/director to Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir Elvis and Me on which <i>Priscilla</i> is based. Telling the story of Priscilla's courtship with Elvis, beginning in 1959 when she was only fourteen and Elvis was twenty-four, Coppola's film very much feels like a collection of very specific instances and memories Presley recalls during the thirteen years their lives crossed paths. These moments clearly left an indelible mark on what was otherwise a smitten teenager, but that would seemingly shape Presley into the woman she became; in many ways showing her a life she didn't necessarily want to lead. What makes Coppola's film so engaging are the conflicted feelings Presley experiences throughout her relationship with Elvis while the lack of any real momentum combined with a general knowledge of the events and timeline the film covers lend the film no real urgency regardless of the importance of this perspective. <div><br /></div><div>In last year's Baz Luhrman-directed, Austin Butler-starring <i>Elvis</i>, the scene in which Elvis meets Priscilla for the first time occurs just over an hour into the film after which it manages to distill this courtship down into a five minute scene making Priscilla much more brash in the process which is notable given Cailee Spaeny's portrayal is far more reserved. Priscilla herself seemed thrilled with Luhrman's biopic, but is also an executive producer on this film making the gray area all the more fuzzy. I wouldn't say <i>Priscilla</i> necessarily paints Elvis in a bad light as much as it does very much a man of his own time who handled his fame in the only way that seemed reasonable given the circumstances. Coppola's interpretation certainly makes it clear Elvis could be controlling (telling his young bride what to wear and how to style her hair), quick to lose his temper at the slightest sense of resistence, and would straight-up flirt with other women right in front of Priscilla's face, but the adapted screenplay also recognizes she is this man's safe haven and as much as she desired to do things for herself, she desired to serve that purpose for him as well. Now, I know what you're thinking, and it's a strong, "Hell no!" which is completely understandable and as a parent of a nine year-old girl who couldn't stop considering how fourteen is only five years off at several points during this viewing experience, I wholeheartedly agree. That said, and as previously stated, this is the crux of the arc we're meant to invest in and in that regard, the film does its job. <span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Where it lost me was the lack of presenting any real core to the relationship, highlighting no real evidence of a connection so exceptional that Priscilla's presence rose above every other girl who fawned over Elvis along with the episodic nature of the pacing. We go from Germany in 1959 and the quiet, first encounters of these two strangers - one with a vast knowledge of and admiration for the other whereas Elvis had no inclination as to who Priscilla was. In fact, it kind of feels like Elvis initially only finds that aforementioned solace in Priscilla's presence because he's homesick, his mother has recently passed, and she is not only from back home, but the same region as him which proves to be what he needed at that moment in his life. On the other hand, such an experience must have been completely surreal for a fourteen-year-old fan who probably shouldn't have been put in this position in the first place. Priscilla's parents (Ari Cohen and Dagmara Dominczyk) find themselves in a tough spot trying to give their daughter some clemency for taking her away from her home and her friends, but despite the appeal and overwhelming charm Elvis no doubt displayed there is a part of them that had to know the kind of life they were submitting their daughter for no matter how much blowback they might receive initially. I get it, it’s the kind of once in a lifetime scenario you kind of have to see play out, but the fact of the matter is she was still far too young for them to even consider Elvis’ requests. This obviously is no fault of the films though how Priscilla herself chooses to defend/view Elvis' advances at her young age is one of the more fascinating aspects of this telling.</div><div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEicbhyiSLgwtkopoZEE1FKX6x1aI3MeN6NRFUOomjRcVnRDgS-ig19k1zsxve-ZlglEWjoNfG6LZnUxyJ_LT1lUUpp82KpKhG61643W-taNHWKXQLc7y6gXzsGLkm1CZS5Yyhu-qPkGJ40g6Yf5P6Ko87pzHDui8vtR8jbaIHR9ZLKHzcSA0h6g8Lj5GCfD/s4800/71049431007-a-24-priscilla-d-13017-rt.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="4800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbhyiSLgwtkopoZEE1FKX6x1aI3MeN6NRFUOomjRcVnRDgS-ig19k1zsxve-ZlglEWjoNfG6LZnUxyJ_LT1lUUpp82KpKhG61643W-taNHWKXQLc7y6gXzsGLkm1CZS5Yyhu-qPkGJ40g6Yf5P6Ko87pzHDui8vtR8jbaIHR9ZLKHzcSA0h6g8Lj5GCfD/w640-h426/71049431007-a-24-priscilla-d-13017-rt.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis (Jacob Elordi) seems taken with Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) immediately in Sofia Coppola's <i>Priscilla</i>. <br />© 2023 - A24</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The second and third acts of the film essentially break down into the second and third phases of their relationship meaning Priscilla moves to Memphis while still in high school so Elvis can see her more frequently in between movie shoots and eventually their marriage which only actually lasted six years (a fact I was admittedly surprised by). Though I haven’t read Priscilla’s book I’m interested to hear how Coppola’s film compares to the line Presley walked regarding what she revealed and what she kept to herself. The film never explicitly states the first time Elvis and Priscilla had sex only that he was keen to “wait for the right time”. There are two, maybe three insert shots of Priscilla with karate instructor Mike Stone which was a known affair, but again, the film doesn’t disclose this information as much as it does suggest it. While I understand the intent of this style given Coppola feels like the type of filmmaker who might take dailies to Presley and ask her if this is what a certain event <i>feels</i> like in her memory it also suggests she sacrifices some of the further confliction in Priscilla’s genuine love for Elvis that is challenged by her desire to lead a life of her own, something she would never have as long as they were together. It is this lack of emphasis on the relationship itself and more the commitment in tone to memory being more of a poet than a historian that makes what we’re seeing feel if not unfair, certainly biased. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this choice (it’s arguably more ambitious), but by the final shot of the film I couldn’t help but feel we’d learned about as much as the film had earned…not a whole lot. All of that said, having never seen Jacob Elordi in anything prior, he is very good here.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eU2lKWTFe9-XNvqzj3KiJspXY635_oqEASwM-YcGGNuXZCZbEnR7U8VUkobMe8F6U7WNmOXCtW-fOribJscqZ5UsGusC1mPc76Msr1cgocMPDt6lxiPWoAxgBW3hpZnhbdq63dIfn311Fevi2xr-sBYQRM-F9MvpByVdb79Dl8XgJXrTGBAlPehPiejW/s607/3_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eU2lKWTFe9-XNvqzj3KiJspXY635_oqEASwM-YcGGNuXZCZbEnR7U8VUkobMe8F6U7WNmOXCtW-fOribJscqZ5UsGusC1mPc76Msr1cgocMPDt6lxiPWoAxgBW3hpZnhbdq63dIfn311Fevi2xr-sBYQRM-F9MvpByVdb79Dl8XgJXrTGBAlPehPiejW/w200-h39/3_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-36203717394437715522023-11-03T13:10:00.002-07:002023-11-03T13:10:19.486-07:00THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWYp5MG0E4p4Mp9oZ5dH2BZmmDRZZGur71Y9bykIEdqgWKjg6lsOHCG13vLyo2piLVO9wyG2BLQa1Tk8IR3aK2AHVP8Qdk1N70HsGKoIPsQsTc4zCp_bzVgRAnOM71JeAxung0rEog6bNu9-NXfJlw6_j29mjHp_7-amn0LHTb1FokUzNDDHRrxycA_V5/s1600/poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWYp5MG0E4p4Mp9oZ5dH2BZmmDRZZGur71Y9bykIEdqgWKjg6lsOHCG13vLyo2piLVO9wyG2BLQa1Tk8IR3aK2AHVP8Qdk1N70HsGKoIPsQsTc4zCp_bzVgRAnOM71JeAxung0rEog6bNu9-NXfJlw6_j29mjHp_7-amn0LHTb1FokUzNDDHRrxycA_V5/w270-h400/poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Neil Burger (<i>Limitless</i>, <i>The Illusionist</i>, <i>Divergent</i>) is a reliable set of hands to place your stock adaptation of a popular airport thriller in and if nothing else, <b><i>The Marsh King’s Daughter</i></b> demonstrates just how dependable Burger is at executing on if not elevating what could easily be dismissed as a Lifetime movie. Ironically, this is the kind of psychological drama audiences would flock to theaters to see in decades past when such material was placed in the hands of filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Alan Pakula. Though it's highly doubtful this adaptation of Karen Dionne's 2017 bestseller will shape any future box office trends it is nice to see something like <i>The Marsh King’s Daughter</i> - a movie with good bones, a strong premise, and something of a movie star in Daisy Ridley's roundabout franchise way - getting a wide release as any option for a sequel or opportunity to franchise are seemingly completely off the table. <div><br /></div><div>As refreshing as all this might feel in our current cinematic landscape, there is unfortunately still something rather rote about the experience of <i>The Marsh King’s Daughter</i> for, while those bones are solid, Burger's film doesn't really stand to support much depth or a stand-out performance that takes it beyond the genre stratosphere. There is potential for such, whether that be in exploring the current state of Ridley's Helena Pelletier who is in a constant state of trying to convince herself that the life she's leading is the right one after finding out the one person she believed in the most was really a monster; the movie naturally taking place when this person, this father figure, comes back into her life after twenty years. Or, one of these actors might have taken the opportunity to really infuse the material with some electricity (ahem, Mendelsohn), but instead things are played fairly safe and straightforward leaving the movie feeling predictable and uninspired.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>It's easy to miss some of the directorial choices Burger makes that add some subtlety and nuance to the father/daughter relationship between Ben Mendelsohn's titular character AKA Jacob Holbrook and Ridley, but while the film and the performance do a good job of allowing Mendelsohn's presence to loom over much of the proceedings we never truly feel we understand the guys motivations even when he states them plainly. We don't buy it. Furthermore, it almost feels as if Mendelsohn should have leaned more in one direction or the other to either emphasize how much of a loose cannon Holbrook could be or make him more of an enigma; showing remorse for his actions despite his inability to control his impulses. Either choice might have then amplified the profundity of the ramifications his actions had on his daughter who has spent the majority of her life figuring out what pieces of her father, if any, she should keep and how she exists outside of his influence, if at all.</div><div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEhoD_ZIJLEPzTtY5nB5aDd3AQJKs8C5bWBteDwxguduv3mNpVECw52ae4oaHZuat426KsbpMG8D67KzN66H_3m5Nwzoa7TqeyBa71uBj8gyv3OH48LnVLyYD1RdK5lZ1F6ky_ksV5MdYdrnEdQxrgIRwU7G5X_MzPSCG4K6ezwvh46c3mWPFko9kPSn4fCY/s3600/MKD_04898RC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoD_ZIJLEPzTtY5nB5aDd3AQJKs8C5bWBteDwxguduv3mNpVECw52ae4oaHZuat426KsbpMG8D67KzN66H_3m5Nwzoa7TqeyBa71uBj8gyv3OH48LnVLyYD1RdK5lZ1F6ky_ksV5MdYdrnEdQxrgIRwU7G5X_MzPSCG4K6ezwvh46c3mWPFko9kPSn4fCY/w640-h426/MKD_04898RC.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clark (Gil Birmingham) and Helena Pelletier (Daisy Ridly) have a complicated history in <i>The Marsh King's Daughter</i>. <br />© 2023 - Liongate</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The film has something of a prologue showing us the appeal of Holbrook to his daughter (played in flashback by <i>The Florida Project</i>'s Brooklynn Prince) which also serves as a blueprint for where/how the story will unfold as well as outlining the character's inclinations and conditioning so that we understand and believe their choices later. We see the instillation of Helena's pessimism, the ruthlessness of Holbrook and his lack of pity or sympathy in any situation. I mention this prologue specifically because it includes some of the best moments in the film in terms of tension and character work. Convincingly painting a portrait of how someone, especially an impressionable child, can come to have positive feelings toward a captor and sympathy for their causes while developing negative feelings toward outside authority figures. The first twenty or so minutes of the film highlight this turn while the remaining hour and a half feels as if it never finds its footing in trying to dissect how one undoes that damage and indoctrination. A special shoutout to Caren Pistorius though, who plays Helena's mother and whose eyes and expressions in certain scenarios say more than any dialogue could. </div><div><br /></div><div>The final climactic sequence carries some impressive stunt work and thrilling action, but if you're coming to the film because you believe it to be an action thriller, I'm afraid you'll leave pretty disappointed as most of the action is contained to the third act. While a lack of chase sequences or shootouts might prove disappointing for some, I doubt they would be as disappointed in the film as a whole as I was in the lack of attention paid to Daisy Ridley and Garrett Hedlund's marriage in the film. Nothing about the relationship makes sense. Like, we get that Helena is supposed to be permanently distant from everyone in her life outside of her own daughter - which, is another can of worms this doesn't really dive into - but there are certain, specific shots that would seemingly be included for very specific reasons that are never addressed otherwise. It's as if a whole subplot was cut that deals with Helena's inability to function in a normal, loving relationship and all that's left are these remnants that make her as a person as well as Ridley's performance feel unnatural. Which, I guess is what I was asking for when I said something needed to rise above the routine here, but these oddities don't so much elevate <i>The Marsh King’s Daughter</i> as they do signal a lack of investment in this kind of storytelling.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKulc4khADc440HeHEHe-hEn28DS3f0w1HQnan5JLm_7Qdn-GOUxwa4gZtNWR2vporXERctTGmxHajEd1CZnpHD8BEa3E3DnkAwq05OHggT4V0WO9Zt9qMdOt_DFi6K2S169UUdL1oymeiE-qK9JqauGeFcH7WLR1SOuW_GPcxjAeCqYewvVxZtOUzIsDZ/s607/3_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKulc4khADc440HeHEHe-hEn28DS3f0w1HQnan5JLm_7Qdn-GOUxwa4gZtNWR2vporXERctTGmxHajEd1CZnpHD8BEa3E3DnkAwq05OHggT4V0WO9Zt9qMdOt_DFi6K2S169UUdL1oymeiE-qK9JqauGeFcH7WLR1SOuW_GPcxjAeCqYewvVxZtOUzIsDZ/w200-h39/3_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-46048338096839204732023-10-20T06:12:00.001-07:002023-10-20T06:27:28.386-07:00PAIN HUSTLERS Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lBZA71GlW55LgK0f0L0w-QpM-w_jpDcuLArcKP-ZpZJIyV6AbjnIBDg-erstYEcFoth0tE8yWDsv35Rld1acfTOcyP_wV6GTys7tEy2NhNwkPdEgJggFAWVHbQOsaAHqMV7ANRcJ973iWD0oFLwLb973Yo1Ej96WE_0oo1FWwe0LdCVGGghRxCX_o_vP/s1481/MV5BNzg0Y2IyOGEtNmQ4OS00ODUyLWFmOWItMmY0N2UxYThmYTQ5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lBZA71GlW55LgK0f0L0w-QpM-w_jpDcuLArcKP-ZpZJIyV6AbjnIBDg-erstYEcFoth0tE8yWDsv35Rld1acfTOcyP_wV6GTys7tEy2NhNwkPdEgJggFAWVHbQOsaAHqMV7ANRcJ973iWD0oFLwLb973Yo1Ej96WE_0oo1FWwe0LdCVGGghRxCX_o_vP/s320/MV5BNzg0Y2IyOGEtNmQ4OS00ODUyLWFmOWItMmY0N2UxYThmYTQ5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Between dramatized series' like <i>Dopesick</i> and <i>Painkiller</i> to last year's unanimously praised documentary <i>All The Beauty And The Bloodshed</i> the whole world of the pharmaceutical scam and opioid crisis in America has been well-documented over the last few years. Director David Yates seemed to be in luck despite this barrage of similarly-themed content though, as I've only seen the Nan Goldin doc meaning this fictionalized telling of Evan Hughes' 2018 investigative feature of the same name was essentially fresh territory for me. That said, it's unfortunate <b><i>Pain Hustlers</i></b> or the first feature from Yates that has not been authored by J.K. Rowling since 2014's <i>Tarzan</i> and the first non-IP film he's made since 2005 is something he only seems tangentially connected to. That is to say that Yates, a Brit through and through, might have had a vision for how to tell this story when he read Hughes' piece, but more he likely found this distinctly American story just that therefore implying the type of vision he then defaulted to.<div><br /></div><div>That default is naturally Scorsese-light as <i>Pain Hustlers</i> echoes recent output like <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> and similar films that came along in its wake a la <i>The Big Short</i>, <i>War Dogs</i>, and most recently <i>Dumb Money</i>. Each of these films center around unqualified individuals stumbling into incredible (if not always legal) situations that garner them untold amounts of money who then have to balance their greed with their inexperience before getting caught. As a piece of entertainment this moves quickly and offers enough broad insight coupled with reaches for genuine emotion to track as something worthy of your time while being informative either as a whole or about certain aspects of this crisis not yet exposed. As a novice on the subject, I found the idea at its core - the exploitation of helping people for profit rather than the greater good - naturally compelling and the details of it fascinating which made me wonder why, by the close of the film, I had no real reaction to what I'd just experienced.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEge5tJhCoePQXzAFifDlovlcA3O7GEtPKpQgsT0VBpWSKZxTW7yM4cG2j_vZ7hyKl1YM7_qGaCUaL6OvGM4QwHIKQjPLCXnUvYHNACXhx-Og1UXDmlYYDPkBAmHvb_CLyALobcEOszNWpmaXsjyTAi6_fcLDqExu1DehSJETC-8V0gmA2Dxz1-tonWy7pSk/s5999/TPH_20220912_07487_R2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3999" data-original-width="5999" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5tJhCoePQXzAFifDlovlcA3O7GEtPKpQgsT0VBpWSKZxTW7yM4cG2j_vZ7hyKl1YM7_qGaCUaL6OvGM4QwHIKQjPLCXnUvYHNACXhx-Og1UXDmlYYDPkBAmHvb_CLyALobcEOszNWpmaXsjyTAi6_fcLDqExu1DehSJETC-8V0gmA2Dxz1-tonWy7pSk/w640-h426/TPH_20220912_07487_R2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(From left) Chris Evans, Andy Garcia, and Emily Blunt in <i>Pain Hustlers</i>.<br />© Netflix - 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Given the "outrageous" elements of the story and the long list of endearing talent on screen it would seem this was a winner, and that Yates should stick to making more grounded material rather than return to the Wizarding World, right? Maybe so, but what is ultimately so underwhelming about <i>Pain Hustlers</i> is that despite having all the right pieces in play, that default vision results in something more rote than revolutionary. I'm not even saying this needed to be revolutionary (the movie is middle-of-the-road fine) and I'm not even saying it couldn't feel familiar (<i>Dumb Money</i> was absolutely derivative yet I bought into the protagonist as a real person), but while I know it wasn't his intent, it looks and feels as if Yates processed what he shot through a filter of snappy editing, funky soundtracks, and pretty people doing despicable things that mimics more than it makes it its own meaning it doesn't feel much like it matters. A kind of perfect illustration of all bark, no bite.</div><div><br /></div>
It's a difficult thing to explain. The timing isn't the best, the execution is uninspired, and while I have always adored Emily Blunt as a performer I don't know that I buy her as Liza Drake - a former stripper who lies her way into a pharma rep position only to have her work ethic and ingenuity take her farther than anyone else in the company - or more worrisome, I don't know that either myself or the movie buys Drake as someone with the ability to grow a conscience. The movie is framed with these talking head interviews with different members of the cast (which is all Chris Evans does here: provide context and exposition) and they set-up Drake as this ruthless, conniving business woman who takes no prisoners and would die before donating a dollar to charity, but by the end of the film we're led to believe the resolution of the film rests on her being the complete opposite. Honestly, Andy Garcia as this eccentric John Kapoor-type figurehead comes out best (every time it showed his real dog standing next to an identical plush I lost it), but at least <i>Pain Hustlers</i> gifts us the present of Brian d'Arcy James singing "Closing Time" making this not the calamity its characters find themselves in, but still...not good...and not nearly as savage as it should have been. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSTycJpRPav-l7yBLXWwundgzF3siiX53R4R43uObLfq9TzraTuTAqqU2u_qb0aWRihoPSekIAkwKf7oRrd-SW0Qu97QnPy4TVbrt63_wKI905I1Vihxpo0I0Oak56XvZXF2t-pGRckTulfx0G8inMJ75Ab7uNJdT3J62EN-08Sa6zak2l0JkPAboSfB0/s607/2_and_a_half_stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSTycJpRPav-l7yBLXWwundgzF3siiX53R4R43uObLfq9TzraTuTAqqU2u_qb0aWRihoPSekIAkwKf7oRrd-SW0Qu97QnPy4TVbrt63_wKI905I1Vihxpo0I0Oak56XvZXF2t-pGRckTulfx0G8inMJ75Ab7uNJdT3J62EN-08Sa6zak2l0JkPAboSfB0/w200-h39/2_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-20626455367889437872023-10-17T06:29:00.020-07:002023-10-22T06:43:01.209-07:00INFLUENCER Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjd0vfN2iSoGmYh1VqlqGAD3vtm84LJE7UwFKOKJsCSdASWsGfqaA99MW2NixczJ2pnGRh2deWjCHCbOl6Ti27Lho3NAb9r3l_ykm8sMcEB11OY1NVYunMbe7x4H0l4V1MWreDlYFU8c-LlUAOS1PaDXUek0hksCrv3ydML4CBmiBkiKQXSTaHUwYqYeG/s1483/Influencer%20poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1483" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjd0vfN2iSoGmYh1VqlqGAD3vtm84LJE7UwFKOKJsCSdASWsGfqaA99MW2NixczJ2pnGRh2deWjCHCbOl6Ti27Lho3NAb9r3l_ykm8sMcEB11OY1NVYunMbe7x4H0l4V1MWreDlYFU8c-LlUAOS1PaDXUek0hksCrv3ydML4CBmiBkiKQXSTaHUwYqYeG/w270-h400/Influencer%20poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>As vapid as the title might suggest this is, <b><i>Influencer</i></b> is actually one of the better (if not the best) horror/thriller I've seen this year. Like so many films these days this isn't necessarily presenting us anything new, but what it's doing it's doing at a really high level. I love a movie that's smarter than it knows you're going to assume it is based on exterior factors and <i>Influencer</i> almost certainly takes advantage of its Shudder distribution, no marquee cast, and derisive title as each contribute to a certain kind of trashy B-movie perception that makes the fact this is actually a smart, twisty take on the role of social media not just in our lives but in the world at large all the better as said commentary is much more astute than it is mocking; never losing itself in its sermon, but instead letting the character choices and tone speak for themselves.<div><br /></div><div>Not only does director Kurtis David Harder (who also co-wrote the movie with Tesh Guttikonda) take advantage of the preconceived notions around his film though, but he then steps it up further to convince us we're watching something made with real intent and awareness of style (as well as some vast knowledge of the genre) by managing to have his film aesthetically look like the staged, phony world presented via Instagram while also coming off as a credible feature film with purpose. Further, (and this is when I really knew we were in good hands) Harder drops the title card for his film thirty minutes into the runtime. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but the placement within the story and the way it combines with the soundtrack to kind of deftly say to the audience, "Okay, let's really get going now..." not only enhances the pacing, but revives interest in where the narrative could possibly go given the end of the first act feels rather finite. The fact the very next scene follows the character I didn't expect us to stick with told me all I needed to know about what might happen over the next hour and that was that I didn't know anything at all.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div>
And while the second act of the film is saddled with a lot of explaining this execution is also cleverly handled as it works both in harmony as well as in contrast with the events of the first act. Employing tricks of the trade to manipulate the tone of a procedure we've already seen work successfully to then feel more menacing is not a new trick of the trade in and of itself, but it is especially effective in this instance given the flexibility of Cassandra Naud's CW who seems to only know how to interact with people by scanning them upon meeting them and figuring out what type of person they want in their life and then immediately becoming that person. This of course makes Naud's performance a barn burner as she alternates between identities depending on her audience, but more so it serves as the - if not exactly subtle - very savvy commentary concerning how social media has enhanced and distorted the tendencies already inherent in human interaction.<div><br /></div><div><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/AVvXsEhdoo_rivu0hAfFbt5brQFn_u4l2OFO0nap9CdVKufhK1C-GAzDsNzIDI2jkUecThOQ2g4YoAI8xv51ztMceVGay_dCWxP3W52-KV4ZEQfxOJjXplIsiJfM52srstbKjcteHzGLlv7WXA9b2lrdoIyoCJmEq8pxEBMO9dIHfVGBrhRgH1wH6cQ2GiNHTUEB/s1920/MV5BOTE4NjUxNzctNTAwMy00OGI0LTljMjYtMWY3NjAxNTY3ODg3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjg2ODI0Nzg@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1920" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoo_rivu0hAfFbt5brQFn_u4l2OFO0nap9CdVKufhK1C-GAzDsNzIDI2jkUecThOQ2g4YoAI8xv51ztMceVGay_dCWxP3W52-KV4ZEQfxOJjXplIsiJfM52srstbKjcteHzGLlv7WXA9b2lrdoIyoCJmEq8pxEBMO9dIHfVGBrhRgH1wH6cQ2GiNHTUEB/w640-h268/MV5BOTE4NjUxNzctNTAwMy00OGI0LTljMjYtMWY3NjAxNTY3ODg3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjg2ODI0Nzg@._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cassandra Naud has a penchant for people with an online presence in<i> Influencer</i>.<br />© Shudder</td></tr></tbody></table>By the final half hour of the film things have gone so awry for each character in such unexpected fashions that it's genuinely hard to say where the film might land regarding each of the arcs in play which (naturally) continues to make it exciting. The boyfriend role (Rory J Saper) is the weak link of the movie in terms of both performance and subtext though, which is tough considering he factors into the final act quite heavily, but there is an interesting transformation taking place even if Saper isn't compelling enough to fully land the plane on why. Moreover, the underlying yet most distinct theme in <i>Influencer</i> is that of loneliness. The film doesn't revolve around this idea meaning it doesn't have long, lingering shots of characters sitting alone staring at their screens so as to inspire contemplations of what they present to the world versus how they truly feel, but it does investigate how easy it is to become the person your acquaintances would like in their life and therefore how easy it is to become lost without someone to guide you; to base your personality off of.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOpCXmIBJb4HVRq9M1EzO8WZPmouobxunMtX5fxSMd34yFkhN2f0dTqih2DgG91h-n6W44_e9ZyteoFcjH6fbDUXjNIqqDjkzSvhkfL52_ETA-pET1MVcZY9Ljgts1n5Mb8RkMbThHsaqART_xs3XIKHTNwGx44H_cZF3AT8j0P-05cwjm9J9Z9enwpFL/s607/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOpCXmIBJb4HVRq9M1EzO8WZPmouobxunMtX5fxSMd34yFkhN2f0dTqih2DgG91h-n6W44_e9ZyteoFcjH6fbDUXjNIqqDjkzSvhkfL52_ETA-pET1MVcZY9Ljgts1n5Mb8RkMbThHsaqART_xs3XIKHTNwGx44H_cZF3AT8j0P-05cwjm9J9Z9enwpFL/w200-h39/4_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-65263985510962997212023-10-06T07:42:00.045-07:002023-10-20T08:04:49.790-07:00THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ja9nVd19tMt5iMT7eKHe-UC06em6b6Ntplv6QBUTHTDkbDD8I3GDYC_8J_RmOtNJ1zR-gNgTLqSStggLrsiXmJCIhYO_Sxf_-MZiqIsLTWRHbHij2WoGqjbuqG3VN9SWT73TVjz8Oo5mrA1FjfoJlmjj-ByldChFNDvhCj_w_nVIAyHbQQxnzl_epIeg/s800/MV5BN2M3ODhmOTItMmZmMS00ZGE4LTkzMDQtMWIwNzhiODBkODA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY3ODkyNDkz._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="505" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ja9nVd19tMt5iMT7eKHe-UC06em6b6Ntplv6QBUTHTDkbDD8I3GDYC_8J_RmOtNJ1zR-gNgTLqSStggLrsiXmJCIhYO_Sxf_-MZiqIsLTWRHbHij2WoGqjbuqG3VN9SWT73TVjz8Oo5mrA1FjfoJlmjj-ByldChFNDvhCj_w_nVIAyHbQQxnzl_epIeg/w253-h400/MV5BN2M3ODhmOTItMmZmMS00ZGE4LTkzMDQtMWIwNzhiODBkODA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY3ODkyNDkz._V1_.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>On the surface it would seem this latest incarnation of a familiar property was made both only for financial gain (or so they thought) and with the old-fashioned mindset that sequels must be bigger in order to be better. What is more frightening than one possessed girl? Two, right? Fortunately, this isn't exactly the line of thought eclectic (to say the least) writer/director David Gordon Green was following when making this decision. Rather, this decision is all about choice as choice is what informs the whole of this first in an intended trilogy of new <i>Exorcist</i> films.<div><br /></div><div>Opening with an earthquake in Haiti that forces Leslie Odom Jr.'s character to choose between the survival of his wife and the life of his daughter, the film is keen to emphasize the role of our moral agency in this life and how seriously we take responsibility for our choices is just as important as the choices themselves. The way Green and co-writers Danny McBride, Scott Teems, and largely Peter Sattler weave this weight of responsibility and the constant questioning Odom's Victor Fielding has regarding the choices he's made and is confronted with making throughout the course of the film lend the otherwise familiar template of the exorcism movie some necessary weight, especially considering the lineage of William Friedkin's original.</div><div><br /></div>
While that original film saw both Jason Miller's Father Karras and Ellen Burstyn's Chris MacNeil grappling with their faith in the face of this possession, Green and co. have smartly updated not only the location of the film from Washington, D.C. to Georgia, but also the role of church and faith in what I feel I can safely assume is presently a more secular America than in 1973. In doing so, we have Fielding who is or has become an absolute non-believer in the wake of his wife dying. Fielding's daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett), who is now thirteen and friends with Katherine (Olivia O'Neill) has a mother and father (Jennifer Nettles and Norbert Leo Butz) who are very much ingrained in a community church and seem genuinely convicted in their beliefs (I lowkey kind of loved Nettles' performance in this as she lends a certain credibility to the southern protestant persona that is often easy to dismiss). When the girls disappear after school one day to secretly attempt to contact Angela's dead mother, they naturally conjure the unwanted spirits/demons that then begin to possess their bodies.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>As a result, the first half hour to forty minutes of the film not only establishes these elements but establishes the opposition of these two families from the standpoint of faith, what they believe to be happening with their daughters, and how to best help their daughters. I do wish they’d dug deeper into these opposing viewpoints especially considering the latter half of the film is essentially about dispelling the divisions that separates religions or at least not being afraid of those differences, but more appreciating them for what they can bring to the table given everyone’s ultimate goal and principles are largely the same. That said, I don't believe Green's main idea here is unity among religious sects, but more it would seem this was a way in which they might interestingly explore the universality of how exposed and vulnerable one has to be in order to take responsibility for another life; not to mention trying to usher that life successfully through the world until they're mature enough to do it themselves. Does exposing them to faith and God cause more good than harm in the long run? Convincing cases can certainly be made for either side of the coin. This does not strictly pertain to parents, but in the context of the film Odom’s single father, Katherine’s nuclear family, MacNeil’s strained relationship with Regan, as well as the inclusion of Ann Dowd’s character’s backstory all influence how they handle the situation at hand and how the *choices* each makes come to mean the difference in life and death.</div><div><br /></div>
<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/AVvXsEhxvq6krFNWpfKfW3ECm02zdcaE9Y1Nnx66Py5XrWgVzLVf-FQkasi0nTt-wKpcDzzDPN9Ieb3a2FY4Khk03PaVZS-YS_XSBvEDgdK07KOXl4VVmxYhDUcY3xly4q-Pj1Z5Qx7pw9pZ8AF96aoQkiSjpAUu3-5UjtMPhMJi8O_GDzcRDVSmjbfwz2sN4BtD/s2048/IMG_4269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="2048" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvq6krFNWpfKfW3ECm02zdcaE9Y1Nnx66Py5XrWgVzLVf-FQkasi0nTt-wKpcDzzDPN9Ieb3a2FY4Khk03PaVZS-YS_XSBvEDgdK07KOXl4VVmxYhDUcY3xly4q-Pj1Z5Qx7pw9pZ8AF96aoQkiSjpAUu3-5UjtMPhMJi8O_GDzcRDVSmjbfwz2sN4BtD/w640-h342/IMG_4269.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lidya Jewett and Olivia O'Neill get some exorcise in director David Gordon Green's latest.<br />© Universal Pictures</td></tr></tbody></table>While the aforementioned template is certainly in place and Green and team must adhere to the final half hour of the film featuring the actual exorcism, the fervor of these main ideas is still present throughout. And to the point of two girls being possessed as opposed to one for more reasons that simply upping the ante, there was a fair amount of uncertainty as to where the film might land given the ultimatum the religious folk and parents are dealt in this final sequence. While I obviously hate to see what happens in the film actually happen, I was glad they committed to the decision to end on this dark, bittersweet note that amplifies that idea of responsibility in your choices and how ones made out of genuine love and care mean more than those made for selfish reasons. Obviously, given the circumstances, things do not feel that rudimentary but the way in which Green executes the denouement of the film suggests not only what these choices reveal about the characters in question, but how they will deal with them going forward.<div><br /></div><div>Admittedly, not every theme or thread is tied up or seen through by the conclusion of the film and they are not always executed in the most effective of fashions – there are far too many participants in the final exorcism for it to successfully engross us in the idea or reality of how troubling and frightening actual possession might be – but as with all Green films his execution is at least attempting to be as ambitious as the ideas he’s hoping to communicate. <b><i>The Exorcist: Believer</i></b> is no different as Green operates within a very lived-in world that is obviously present day or somewhat recent, but there is no specific time stamp and minimal technology is featured. Supporting players and/or extras still tend to have their own quirks about them – an early scene where Odom’s character is taking family portraits of locals is especially noteworthy (as well as being pretty disturbing) – and frankly the idea of going so bold with as much is endearing. The make-up and prosthetics are genuinely impressive whilst not leaning too much on callbacks to the original to elicit reactions. Speaking of callbacks, David Wingo and Amman Abbasi integrate their new score nicely with the classic “Tubular Bells” and I guess I should mention that Burstyn does in fact return as Chris MacNeil and whether her appearance here has been abbreviated or not from whatever was originally intended, the scene that relegates her to a hospital bed a la Laurie Strode in <i>Halloween Kills</i> is extremely jarring and maybe one of the more provocative moves the film makes. That said, let’s hope that if Green does indeed end up making <i>The Exorcist: Deceiver</i> that Burstyn (or possibly Linda Blair?) doesn’t remain relegated to a hospital bed while others proclaim that “Evil Dies Tonight” because we’ve seen how that went once before…</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1qrm-HnK49vmZMqfpLGKfYoTWHDlUBR9YGPOlc2VZNoGP0xPvJd6Cu30Rqqd2oxjQwNqsmGCORIpisCEIVKB_sVMX1DqFE-JpxTf63JDs9MMa24IJWjV8PiC6lBS9IY0HrhxyDoICS2rWQLVYdoyGMDiBCyxYLXRpzr95l_A4BhXFUbeCYvPE5J95tyn/s607/3_and_a_half_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1qrm-HnK49vmZMqfpLGKfYoTWHDlUBR9YGPOlc2VZNoGP0xPvJd6Cu30Rqqd2oxjQwNqsmGCORIpisCEIVKB_sVMX1DqFE-JpxTf63JDs9MMa24IJWjV8PiC6lBS9IY0HrhxyDoICS2rWQLVYdoyGMDiBCyxYLXRpzr95l_A4BhXFUbeCYvPE5J95tyn/w200-h39/3_and_a_half_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-48813569778870589392023-09-29T06:04:00.001-07:002023-10-23T09:16:25.963-07:00THE CREATOR Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RXR5efH-edwazdw6S8wGoC8R2CuFj8tTlhfVELY1d1Z11CotqRY4LM2A7060wQQgwsxiRveIueE5Kge8Rf26JN9B_OuqBtjxs9U9AnE-gwQAgbqYNGeSqppkIXi_yuqKTgDccNFSoxFbvJ-E7OeW44JLJ7xf1nR3MDBwN7JNj4Vg_FACVC9YDC9S4s4m/s2048/MV5BNDUyNTIzNDQtYTZmMi00M2FlLTgyZjUtYWViZWNhMDYzMjE4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1382" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RXR5efH-edwazdw6S8wGoC8R2CuFj8tTlhfVELY1d1Z11CotqRY4LM2A7060wQQgwsxiRveIueE5Kge8Rf26JN9B_OuqBtjxs9U9AnE-gwQAgbqYNGeSqppkIXi_yuqKTgDccNFSoxFbvJ-E7OeW44JLJ7xf1nR3MDBwN7JNj4Vg_FACVC9YDC9S4s4m/w270-h400/MV5BNDUyNTIzNDQtYTZmMi00M2FlLTgyZjUtYWViZWNhMDYzMjE4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Visually absorbing if not thematically so. Though the ideas it's playing with and tropes it's utilizing may not be as shallow as they initially appear they tend to feel cursory due to the fact writer/director Gareth Edwards (<i>Monsters, Rogue One</i>) never finds the right groove for his film to slide into. <b><i>The Creator</i></b> is ultimately a movie of fits and starts in which each new promise of something exciting and/or interesting never fully delivers on as much. <div><br /></div><div>It's an odd feeling, really, given mere minutes into the film I was bowled over by the authenticity imbued on an image of a massive spacecraft hovering over a more natural (and clearly real) location. I'm a sucker for when films can integrate futuristic or not yet realized elements into a more common and recognizable environment and Edwards has a great eye for such combinations that really allow both components to pop, but while I was immediately in on the aesthetic I kept wondering when I was going to be made to care or even be wowed by anything other than the framing.</div><div><br /></div>
Aside from a few in-world inventions, performance moments (largely from Madeleine Yuna Voyles in a really wonderful and really complicated role for a child to play), along with some questionable story turns there wasn't anything that made me sit up in a way that I was inclined to lean forward. Rather, I kind of shifted my weight to the other armrest to consider why the film didn't seem interested in leaning into its ideas either. The mission is fairly straightforward, but the intentions are not...always. Weirdly, and despite admitting it was beings operating on artificial intelligence who nuked Los Angeles, The Creator is determined to convince us the only thing left of our souls are the fingerprints we left on the programming within the robots we're now at war with.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <div><br /></div><div>Joshua's (John David Washington) entire arc is that of going from the former soldier who harbors hate for robots coming around on them because of an emotional connection meant to be a revelatory moment in the third act yet we know that he knows this child is not real, that it is just programming, and that despite what feelings may have developed, underneath we are not all the same. Many a parallels could be drawn around the analogous nature of the story and I certainly understand the validity of what feels real sometimes holding more merit and importance than what may be factual, but strictly in terms of the debate around A.I. - this feels like an odd time to make this argument.</div><div><br /></div>
<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/AVvXsEjcnM5-IHuvuk4I47emSgrucPLRCz3t2Z9ZKMwupn6TbKZKAxzMjTtSt3R_FLSYkZaMoK2lNFjGCgtlBOsrYSze_Ns8__kM5BSihHEWJCTFuI_T13N_B6S-KINKFBA87MS8Nf1loxgEWzUzg5CamSWUUD7rznSxkqmj1VvojPwZi432JHhO6imBGtzOG3LM/s1152/creator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="1152" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnM5-IHuvuk4I47emSgrucPLRCz3t2Z9ZKMwupn6TbKZKAxzMjTtSt3R_FLSYkZaMoK2lNFjGCgtlBOsrYSze_Ns8__kM5BSihHEWJCTFuI_T13N_B6S-KINKFBA87MS8Nf1loxgEWzUzg5CamSWUUD7rznSxkqmj1VvojPwZi432JHhO6imBGtzOG3LM/w640-h230/creator.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) is the key to either saving or destroying humanity in <i>The Creator</i>.<br />© 20th Century Studios</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Whether future viewings occur or not, I'd like to believe there is more going on underneath the surface than my intial screening would indicate as I haven't yet worked out the potential meaning for having Joshua and Alphie's desires be so aligned and greater than that of the semantics taking place around them that they're unwillingly caught up in. I do know that the concept of transferring someone's last moments of consciousness to a robot via flash drive so that others may share in them or gain information from them was pretty sick, that Ralph Ineson's voice is just insane, and that I didn't really clock Hans Zimmer's score at all despite this being right square in the middle of his wheelhouse which was...disappointing...to say the least; much like the experience overall.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan3Jvtnf646kVZhaFDtd7BwHpyBHSaO7S_numVGeHq-Ms1EzGjkO77_2fvtUq5jm1RS4ZW2rDI7pB9l-Q_Oe8lk_WrUfvzblThSdzpdEbJKPpXy2cnlEye7KZnhQ3gF53u3I_yPexWA__cN5WYLmZBgRJpUffZ2QfnoAKS-D0CTMbSGXFmr1_AL7OXdvw/s607/3_stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan3Jvtnf646kVZhaFDtd7BwHpyBHSaO7S_numVGeHq-Ms1EzGjkO77_2fvtUq5jm1RS4ZW2rDI7pB9l-Q_Oe8lk_WrUfvzblThSdzpdEbJKPpXy2cnlEye7KZnhQ3gF53u3I_yPexWA__cN5WYLmZBgRJpUffZ2QfnoAKS-D0CTMbSGXFmr1_AL7OXdvw/w200-h39/3_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954589041690028844.post-48634671300966099382023-09-22T09:23:00.010-07:002023-10-23T11:18:53.793-07:00DUMB MONEY Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrgqDKR1ZLfJAOtMirlBjL36FGDjtyDGRryA3f6bZBODKHhQHQGZ5rlZN46Aja83BCMBGUl4oHoH8cH1-IGKqQpo-309gxJZ0iVCLdXBM7QnwVtM9ca47e45KuLz58ZyaQXjMbqZP3HmP5zlqLznBn2PkyE2WuWri0uhVjaL1z4SsYPd_ROnvxWEhaN2e/s999/MV5BNWNiOWRmMzgtN2ZiOS00MmNjLThmODItZDhmYzIxZTNlZDYzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY3ODkyNDkz._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="666" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrgqDKR1ZLfJAOtMirlBjL36FGDjtyDGRryA3f6bZBODKHhQHQGZ5rlZN46Aja83BCMBGUl4oHoH8cH1-IGKqQpo-309gxJZ0iVCLdXBM7QnwVtM9ca47e45KuLz58ZyaQXjMbqZP3HmP5zlqLznBn2PkyE2WuWri0uhVjaL1z4SsYPd_ROnvxWEhaN2e/w266-h400/MV5BNWNiOWRmMzgtN2ZiOS00MmNjLThmODItZDhmYzIxZTNlZDYzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY3ODkyNDkz._V1_.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>A loud and frenetic character piece that doesn’t always give its large ensemble enough for viewers to really invest in (get it), but also delivers stock talk succinctly enough for the casual viewer to understand while kind of inherently hammering home its ideas around power, exclusivity, and the frustration that comes with not having access to the biggest motivating factor of human behavior. <div><br /></div><div>Eclectic director Craig Gillespie (<i>I, Tonya</i>, <i>Cruella</i>) knows the script from Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo has a lot going on (maybe too much at times) but he and editor Kirk Baxter (a frequent Fincher collaborator) seem to have understood the assignment from the get-go as there is a certain tempo to the film’s tone that allows for the transitions from one set of characters to the next and from one scenario to another to all feel like part of the same conversation. Whether it’s Pete Davidson, a DoorDash driver, scolding his brother immaturely for not selling at $11 million or Seth Rogen, portraying billionaire Gabe Plotkin, yelling at someone about his tennis courts there is a keen sense of forward motion in the construction of the film that keeps things moving as well as entertaining to the point you don’t question what is lacking or consider what could have been; you’re too busy trying to keep up with all that is going on to catch your breath, but most importantly…you’re having a good time.</div><div><br /></div><div>A true time stamp of a film, <b><i>Dumb Money</i></b> is a thing of such recent history it may feel almost irrelevant in this moment but will undoubtedly serve as a fascinating encapsulation of this very specific snapshot in time years down the road. Presently, the casting makes this a lot of fun - especially in regard to the big wigs taking big shots – but this is Dano’s show and while, as someone from the South, I can’t tell whether he’s doing a good Boston accent or not, the performance itself is super charming and wholly endearing. We’re meant to come out of this rooting for Keith Gill and you absolutely do (I haven’t been able to stop asking for “tendies” since I saw the film).<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div>
<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/AVvXsEgaTP61WVbUxpOWwVBnO-FZXPy5HQEneWQMow4zus-a9r1u9mvsh6EyYNHj7do3RXCsWEilXLhe2bK26JJrMO1llNboYWMvKxW5aQ-H_heHojz3nPPxRpL5ym5oPiJkX2k6LxHH2yQMyG-ASfbXMG_FDQf4w-mIVRzf9QihxCGpCx9nXYEUpD_J274gsljQ/s2048/356238490_228301726746246_5671685718740956931_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTP61WVbUxpOWwVBnO-FZXPy5HQEneWQMow4zus-a9r1u9mvsh6EyYNHj7do3RXCsWEilXLhe2bK26JJrMO1llNboYWMvKxW5aQ-H_heHojz3nPPxRpL5ym5oPiJkX2k6LxHH2yQMyG-ASfbXMG_FDQf4w-mIVRzf9QihxCGpCx9nXYEUpD_J274gsljQ/w640-h426/356238490_228301726746246_5671685718740956931_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Dano is Keith Gill in Craig Gillespie's <i>Dumb Money</i>.<br />©Sony Pictures </td></tr></tbody></table>Moreover, what ends up making this movie version of recent history feel relevant and what will undoubtedly cause it to still feel timely in the future is how it is more about the main ideas than it is the details of this particular instance. Yes, there is plenty of dialogue in and around how the financial world and short squeezes actually work, especially in the ever-changing technological landscape of this occasion, but the film isn’t as interested in the inner-workings of as much as it is in reminding us of the plight of the little guy. <div><br /></div><div>This will forever remain an endearing theme no matter how many systems fall or how many initiatives take place because money and power will always protect money and power. This is maybe the most valuable thing <i>Dumb Money</i> reminds us of by cinematically realizing the contrast between what money can buy and how it impacts those who don’t have it to spend. That isn’t to say Gillespie has made a sincere and pure piece of cinema advocating for said little guy (this was still produced by the Winklevoss twins after all, children of a self-made tycoon), but he has made a film with a clear intent and killer needledrops that, while only appearing average upon initial viewing, already feels like it’s growing in estimation the longer it is considered.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AtcWiqOPrd-q8Lro0h-c1JVE2evvKahgn0Y0nI151k5Bf5eHef55tXsb8csdmd4Fucs1H9e5suqYoW_OmRVpx864AXnsxqjkLIf3_hna1NClFpdBTLQjTggHLGr3O2Ld-fPkq-JI65mv0VoqnefEWgCPhaXI4GVuk1CR7ONrUKK6CAiGd4S2lzLiHhbQ/s607/4_stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="607" height="39" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AtcWiqOPrd-q8Lro0h-c1JVE2evvKahgn0Y0nI151k5Bf5eHef55tXsb8csdmd4Fucs1H9e5suqYoW_OmRVpx864AXnsxqjkLIf3_hna1NClFpdBTLQjTggHLGr3O2Ld-fPkq-JI65mv0VoqnefEWgCPhaXI4GVuk1CR7ONrUKK6CAiGd4S2lzLiHhbQ/w200-h39/4_stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Vandy Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17687676999871014345noreply@blogger.com0