FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Review

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Fury being the key word here. We all crave revenge though, just as Chris Hemsworth’s wicked Dementus would say, but while we may not be able to balance the scales of our suffering with such revenge - seeking after such does have the capacity to make for one hell of a story. Such is the tale of the titular Furiosa in George Miller’s nine-year-later follow-up to his bombastic Fury Road. While that film - itself a thirty-six-year-later follow-up to Miller’s dystopian trilogy that began simply as a story of another vengeful Australian who set out to stop a violent motorcycle gang - is now something of a cultural milestone and turning point for action filmmaking in and of itself it didn't necessarily blow me out of the water in the way so many of its fans praise it for doing (more on that later). Why Miller, who will be eighty in less than a year, chose to enter this world once again through the prism of a prequel to flesh out the details of a fascinating yet not necessarily unambiguous character whose destiny we are well aware of might at first feel a little puzzling as the film unfolds the filmmakers justifications are made clear: re-entering this world and continuing to flesh out not only the character of Furiosa but all of the characters at play in these wasteland fortresses along with the wasteland itself is what makes it worth the trip. Such a task is an admittedly impossible line to walk in not only in having to deliver on the expectations set by Fury Road, but also in attempting to deliver something that is inherently cut from the same cloth yet stands on its own merits. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, for all the context, history, and set-up that would seem to inform its creation is ultimately still an origin story - the beginning of a saga if part of one at all - and needs none of the circumstances surrounding it to be known in order to flourish for what it is. Where Fury Road, for all its audacity and inspiration, felt more like an art installation of a movie - meaning I was floored by its visual achievements but not necessarily moved by or invested in its experiment - Furiosa is full-fledged epic where the storytelling is as front and center as the action - much to the chagrin of the majority of movie-goers, I'm sure.

First Trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's GLASS

The first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable/Split crossover, titled Glass, has hit the web and man is it a doozy. As a huge fan of Unbreakable and someone who more admired what the writer/director was doing in Split if not necessarily feeling like he fully capitalized on the premise or James McAvoy's terrific lead performance. Either way, what Shyamalan did with that last minute twist ending was fantastic and completely unexpected.Given this trailer, it looks as if Glass will not only expand on McAvoy's Kevin, but bring us up to date on what Bruce Willis' David Dunn and Samuel L. Jackson's Elijah Price have been up to in the nearly twenty years since that fateful train crash. The trailer begins by highlighting Sarah Paulson's new character, Dr. Ellie Staple, who states she is working in the ever-growing field of those real-life humans who actually believe that have supernatural abilities. It's certainly worth wondering if Shyamalan will incorporate the rising popularity of super heroes and comic book-based movies into the reasoning for Staple's consistently growing field. Whatever the case may be, it seems that there have certainly been some lines drawn as to those who think these people might actually have been blessed with powers and those who believe it to be based in psychological issues and tricks of the brain. Naturally, Jackson's titular character believes in the former and it seems his ever conspicuous Price AKA Mr. Glass will have a strong hand in driving the narrative dynamic between Kevin and Dunn's hero and villain. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how Shyamalan balances the two different tones of the two different films that each birthed these characters. Unbreakable being more of an ominous drama whereas Split was sold completely as a horror flick. Needless to say, it's hard not to be excited for what this crossover holds as McAvoy especially seems to have taken the opportunity and run with it, Willis looks like he's actually invested in working again, and you know Jackson loves the idea he gets to be the mastermind behind all of this. Glass also sees the return of Anya Taylor-Joy, as well as starring Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, Rob Yang, Luke Kirby, and opens on January 18, 2019.

SPLIT Review

It's hard to remember, but there was a time when a new M. Night Shyamalan film was an event in and of itself. In 2002, at the ripe old age of thirty-two, there might have been no more hotly anticipated film of the year than the director's fifth film, Signs, but what was only his third feature since defining himself as the auteur he seemed destined to be. Fifteen years later and we are in a very different time and space. After the success of Signs (over $400 million globally on a $72 million budget) the studio system continued to only throw more and more money at the writer/director and increasingly his films became examples of trying too hard to do what his first few features had seemingly done with such ease. After 2008's utterly confounding The Happening it seemed Shyamalan might have given up completely as he then resorted to being a director for hire on projects like The Last Airbender and After Earth, but even in these endeavors he experienced some of the more scathing reviews and certainly some of the worst box office returns of his career. Where was the director to go? What was there to do next that might reinvigorate his career? Did this once glorious storyteller that TIME magazine so famously labeled "The Next Spielberg" even care to continue to put forth effort and/or art into the world or was he done? In one way or another it feels like we haven't had the real Shyamalan with us for some time. That the person he was in his early thirties had been lost to the grueling system and there was no certainty as to whether he'd ever come back. In truth, Shyamalan hasn't taken a break longer than three years in between films since 1998 film Wide Awake and those three years came in between Airbender and After Earth. It was only two years after the nepotism on a spaceship tale that was Will Smith's After Earth that we caught a glimpse of who we thought Shyamalan was and might become again. I didn't write about The Visit, Shyamalan's 2015 feature that experimented with the found footage approach, but it was a deliciously pulpy little thriller that not only provided a signature Shyamalan twist that worked with the rest of the narrative, but melded the humor, the uncertainty, and the tension of the situation in ways that felt organic-as if the marriage of story and image were flowing out of the director like they hadn't in some time and this upward trend in quality only continues with Split. Like The Visit, Split is set in a single location and relays a rather simple story in both interesting and horrific ways. It is a portrait of a character and in being that it explores a subject with multiple personalities it might be something of a twisted self-portrait from a director who was labeled as one thing, attempted to remain that thing until he was told he wasn't good at that thing anymore and then tried something else only to fail thus forcing him to re-invent himself once more.

MORGAN Review

It's beginning to feel like a trend. This thing where the first hour or so of a film is really promising before deciding to devolve into a predictable and ultimately disappointing piece of genre filmmaking. Directed by Luke Scott (son of Ridley Scott) Morgan is familiar and yet for at least the first forty minutes or so is a nicely paced and well-executed look at a premise we've seen many times before, especially in the last few years with the likes of Ex Machina, Lucy, and even this past summer's Stranger Things to a degree. Each of those pieces of entertainment analyze cautionary situations of man attempting to play God and in Morgan we find another group of scientists hoping to craft a certain genetic code in order to build a specific type of life form that will fit their specific needs. There are numerous amounts of ideological and ethical questions that can spring from such situations and thus what made the aforementioned Ex Machina so engaging last year, but while Morgan seems intent on following a similar pattern if not setting its titular experiment in a different set of circumstances it quickly dissolves into little more than a ridiculous action romp that would rather spill blood than explore ideas. It is always easier to revert to a formula rather than continue on a prompt into territory where ideas might become revealing or genuinely insightful. Naturally, this requires more thought and investment on the part of the writer and though Morgan is the product of a singular screenwriter in Seth W. Owen it feels, especially in the hurried second half, as if the film was put together by a committee who found the first half to be too boring and trying for modern audiences and thus forced Owen and Scott to infuse their contemplations on artificial intelligence and the difference in demonstrating and actually feeling real emotions with a high body count. This isn't even necessarily an issue were the film to still give due diligence to the larger ideas it clearly has on its mind, but at a slight ninety minutes it feels as if Morgan is forced to choose between being a thinking person's film and a strict action movie and by splitting those categorizations right down the middle it isn't enough of either to excel as one or the other.

First Trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's SPLIT

Unfortunately, a new trailer for an M. Night Shyamalan movie doesn't carry as much excitement as most thought it might in the early years of the new millennium. Fortunately, Shyamalan seems to be finding his footing more recently as last years fairly underrated The Visit was a pleasant surprise from a director who'd taken a detour from what his predetermined course seemed to be. The Visit, which I didn't get the opportunity to review last year, was a clever little play on the handheld camera horror genre where it was still up to the characters to capture the necessary elements of the story, but at the same time retaining the elements and mystique of a classic Shyamalan script. That the writer/director has again come to operate in something of a larger genre while seemingly still applying his own twisted mentality to the situation is promising. As I watched the trailer I couldn't help but be reminded of this years 10 Cloverfield Lane, but with the added element of knowing what was wrong with our captor from the get-go rather than that mystery remaining the backbone of the movie. This hopefully indicates the film has more to it and can deliver in its third act. Besides the engaging premise that sees a man with twenty-three personalities living inside of him kidnapping three young girls and holding them hostage in his cellar the film looks to feature a show-stopping performance from James McAvoy. McAvoy, beyond his most prominent role as Charles Xavier in the new wave of X-Men films, is an interesting performer that chooses some diverse projects to participate in and it seems that the actor has found a formidable collaborator in Shyamalan who supports pushing the envelope. The film also stars The Witch star Anya Taylor-Joy, The Edge of Seventeen's Haley Lu Richardson, and Jessica Sula as the three young girls McAvoy's Kevin kidnaps with Jason Blum again producing and the director teaming up with cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (It Follows) for the first time. Split opens on January 20th, 2017.

First Trailer for Ridley Scott-Produced MORGAN

When your dad is the director of Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, and The Martian it probably isn't hard to get a movie made and thus is likely the reason we now have a trailer for what is Luke Scott's, son of Ridley Scott, first feature film. Luke has so far made one episode of a television as well as a short, but he did work on the second unit for his father's sprawling biblical epic, Exodus. From a script by Seth W. Owen, who has an equally impressive list of credits (which isn't much if you're not keen to the sarcasm), the younger Scott has made his feature film debut with a movie that follows Kate Mara as a corporate risk-management consultant who has to decide whether or not to terminate an artificial being's life that was made in a laboratory. While this central conflict is certainly interesting the trailer can't help but to inspire thoughts of the recent onslaught of A.I. inspired material we've received. With the likes of Ex Machina and Lucy turning out to be rather fantastic or at least interesting there is certainly room for Morgan to further explore this territory in fascinating ways. The story also has shades of Mary Shelley's most classic of monster stories in Frankenstein as the titular character is created in a lab with her creators subsequently coming to question whether or not they've made the right choices. While the film looks consistent in style and tone what makes it stand out more than anything is its rather exceptional cast. Hot off her turn in the terrifically reviewed The Witch Anya Taylor-Joy takes the title role and seems to be channeling Saoirse Ronan via Hanna while she gains support from the likes of not only Mara, but Rose Leslie, Boyd Holbrook, Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Giamatti. While I may be somewhat pessimistic given the film comes from a case of nepotism Morgan looks to be a solid enough September film that I'm curious to see if it might rise above the archetypes of its genre. Hit the jump to check out the full trailer.

THE WITCH Review

Note: This is a reprint of my review for The Witch, which originally ran on September 12, 2015 after seeing it at the Toronto Film Festival. I am publishing it again today as it hits theaters this weekend.

Maybe it was the expectations, maybe it was the promise of something fresh in a genre we only get one or two exceptional pieces in each year, but whichever way you cut it The Witch is something of a letdown. Still, as I walked out of the theater I couldn't help but to feel I'd just witnessed something I wasn't supposed to see. Writer/director Robert Eggers has adapted his story from old folklore and stories of supposed witchcraft in the New England region circa 1630 that have been passed down over generations and has even used a fair amount of dialogue from journals and other written accounts that still exist. While this is nothing short of fascinating and makes for an authentic-feeling atmosphere that unfortunately ends up being the films single greatest strength. The lurking woods that lay just outside the house of William, his wife Katherine and their five children including newborn Samuel stand as something of a no-man's land that is a constant reminder of just how little wiggle room there is for our characters. This is not only true of their physical space, but of their mindset as William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life and teach their children to do the same. We never look at the characters as ignorant or naive, but more in the light of them having a very narrow view of how to explain things and thus the film itself feels trapped in this little box just waiting to burst out with the supernatural sorcery that seems to lie just on the other side of those woods. Of course, some would argue that is what is so beautiful about the story as well-that it is restrained enough throughout thus making its final minute all the more haunting. The thing is, for that final minute to be something of a payoff the previous eighty-eight have to be enthralling enough for that final one to make a serious impact and in that regard, The Witch simply isn't consistent enough to warrant the gasp it so desperately yearns for.

New Trailer for THE WITCH

I caught director Robert Eggers debut feature at TIFF back in September and even then the hype for the film had remained at something of a fever pitch since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year. While my expectations might have played a role, I came out of the film somewhat disappointed in the product as it was certainly an interesting experience, but ultimately hadn't lived up to what the hype promised. This is no fault of the films, but on a basic level of film criticism The Witch is essentially a well crafted horror film with an aesthetic and mood that is undeniable, but a story that doesn't connect on the creepy levels as consistently as it should. Given the many promising factors of the film this was a let down, but even I will give the film credit for really going for it when it does indeed decide to go for it. I am interested to see the film again, but this time with leveled expectations. After all, it was my fourth and final film of the day when I saw it originally and I was more than a little exhausted, so there certainly stands a chance I will like it much more upon repeat viewings. As for this new trailer, studio A24 certainly knows how to sell its product for despite knowing what happens in the film this minute and a half clip still gave me chills. I am anxious to see the general audience response to the film and if they come out pleased as so many scary movies are nothing short of crap this time of year. Despite the fact I didn't outright love the film I'm still rooting for it and hope that Eggers is given prime opportunities in its wake as he certainly knows how to put together an effective atmosphere and will only get better at executing story through that atmosphere as he garners more experience. The Witch stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Ellie Grainger, Harvey Scrimshaw, Katie Dickie, Lucas Dawson, Ralph Ineson, and opens nationwide on February 19, 2016.

TIFF 2015: THE WITCH Review

Maybe it was the expectations, maybe it was the promise of something fresh in a genre we only get one or two exceptional pieces in each year, but whichever way you cut it The Witch is something of a let down. As I walked out of the theater I couldn't help but to feel I'd just witnessed something I wasn't supposed to. Writer/director Robert Eggers has adapted his story from old folklore and stories of supposed withcraft in the New England region circa 1630 that have been passed down over generations and has even used a fair amount of dialogue from journals and other written accounts that still exist. While this is nothing short of fascinating and makes for an authentic-feeling atmosphere that unfortunately ends up being the films single greatest strength. The lurking woods that lay just outside the house of William, his wife Katherine and their five children including newborn Samuel stand as something of a no-mans land that is a constant reminder of just how little wiggle room there is for our characters. This is not only true of their physical space, but of their mindset as William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life and teach their children to do the same. We never look at the characters as ignorant or naive, but more in the light of them having a very narrow view of how to explain things and thus the film itself feels trapped in this little box just waiting to burst out with the supernatural sorcery that seems to lie just on the other side of those woods.