MAESTRO Review

There is a scene late in Maestro 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 A Star is Born than the one we ultimately got. A Star is Born 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 Maestro 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.

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Review

From the opening second of Emerald Fennell's feature directorial debut that sears itself into your eardrums with Charli XCX's "Boys" it's abundantly clear we're in for a hell of a treat that is as pop-fueled and brightly colored as that introductory music track. Even as the music conjures images of pristine bodies dancing around pool parties that feature the color palette of a highlighter collection, Fennell immediately emasculates and disarms every male viewer that might already be dismissing her film by displaying what hapless, awkward grunts the majority of us look like when trying to appeal to the opposite sex in an alluring fashion. After immediately establishing the style in which she will relay her message Fennell's camera next wades in slow motion through a sea of nine to fivers scavenging for drinks that might hand them enough courage to approach vulnerable girls as the writer/director next establishes the key to Promising Young Woman: tone. Drawn from the anger of double standards and the (large amount of) satire contained in the line of thought that men could ever be more mature than women in any sense Fennell's screenplay - aided by a tour de force (and I don't use that phrase lightly) performance from Carey Mulligan - is as scathing as it is smart and as wild as it can be funny. It's almost contradictory how much there is to smile about while taking in the film given the serious nature of the topics being addressed, but Fennell finds such a satisfying way of conveying the revenge fantasy elements that it's next to impossible to not want to stand up and cheer every time Mulligan's Cassie leaves the room after delivering a gut punch of a one-liner to the creep she just taught a lesson. Fennell has style for days, obviously, along with what were probably notebooks full of stories about encounters she and her friends have had with men who seemed decent enough, but would still try to take advantage if the opportunity presented itself yet it is the way in which she is able to distill the daily indignities women routinely endure that ultimately reconciles the message with the mode. Promising Young Woman may be constructed to feel like an epic revenge fantasy and a sometimes sweet romantic comedy, but the situations depicted are unfortunately not as far-fetched as the calculated aesthetic would lead one to believe. To this extent, Fennell isn't interested in making a genre film as much as she is courting how cunning, meticulous, and self-aware one must be in order to exact revenge in the ways Cassie does here; she isn't trying to wipe the slate clean, she's looking to re-configure the establishment of that slate one piece at a time. In the immortal words of Paris Hilton, "That's hot" has never been more sincerely stated (or accurate) than when applied to Promising Young Woman.

Recent Release Reviews

In the lead-up to the holidays and awards season there is always an onslaught of new releases as studios ready both their awards-contenders and their holiday hopeful blockbusters and 2018 has been no different if not worse in some ways. It may be due to the fact I was unable to make it to any film festivals this year or that there have been less than a handful of convenient press screenings in my market, but there has seemed to have been a wave of smaller releases showing up in theaters over the past two weeks not to mention the full-on deluge of wide releases and expansions this week that included the triple-header of blockbusters that is Aquaman, Bumblebee, and Mary Poppins Returns that have put me far off my admittedly optimistic initial schedule. Blockbusters weren't the only thing opening this past week though, as other releases included the Steve Carell-fronted Welcome to Marwen, the Jennifer Lopez comedy Second Act, as well as the expansion of the Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie period piece, Mary Queen of Scots. And that was just for this past weekend as it doesn't include the fact that tomorrow, Christmas Day, will see the release of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly's Holmes & Watson, Adam McKay's Vice, and the expansion of Barry Jenkins' follow-up to his best picture-winner (Moonlight) If Beale Street Could Talk as well as Nicole Kidman's Oscar-bid, Destroyer. And in this day and age it's impossible to ignore the impact streaming services, namely Netflix, have on the industry as awards contenders like Alfonso Cuarón's Roma and Sandra Bullock's Bird Box have both recently debuted on the subscription service and offer the enticing option of catching a certain standard of film from the comfort of your own home. This is all to say that while I try to see and write about as many films as possible it is nearly impossible with everything else going on at this time of year to devote the time needed to both seeing all of these films and writing about each on an individual basis and so, as these things go, I have truncated my reviews and/or thoughts for some of the smaller films that have been or will be released within the last couple of weeks and included them in this single post. Hit the jump for quick takes on the likes of The Favourite, Vox Lux, The Mule, Destroyer, Mary Queen of Scots, Wildlife, Shoplifters, The Front Runner, Welcome to Marwen and If Beale Street Could Talk.

Movies I Wanna See Most: Fall 2018

The fall/winter movie season is always one of those times of the year where it seems there's so much to do and so little time. I've always attempted to find a balance between big-budget and indie fare rather than dismiss the blockbusters and only adore the smaller, more intimate movies and vice versa. That doesn't mean I'm necessarily more excited for Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 than I am something like Suspiria, but rather that I'm interested in both for very different reasons. While neither of those titles will be on my list I would place each of them just outside my top fifteen along with the likes of the sure-to-be juggernaut of this holiday season, Marry Poppins Returns, and the likely to be overlooked The Hate U Give from director George Tillman Jr. Elsewhere, there is your typical festival fodder like Beautiful Boy, The Favourite, Boy Erased, and Mary Queen of Scots that I'm certainly interested in seeing, but not necessarily overly excited for as I feel as if I kind of know what I'll be getting myself into with each of these (except for maybe the Yorgos Lanthimos experience), but am more than happy to take a chance and spend some time with them as any given movie could come out of nowhere and blow you away; if attempting to watch as many new releases as I do each year has taught me anything it is this.

There are two movies in particular that I had a difficult time grappling with whether they should go on my list and furthermore, where they should go on my list if I were to include them, but ultimately they didn't make it and I'm still not sure if that was the right choice or not. First is Jonah Hill's directorial debut, mid90s, which tells the story of a thirteen-year-old in 90s-era LA who spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop. I think Hill will probably have a rather distinct voice and good handle on conveying his own screenplay given the sheer amount and vast variety of creative people he's worked with, but the subject matter isn't something so near and dear to my heart that I find myself aching to see it. And then there is the first film from writer/director Alfonso Cuarón since Gravity earned him a Best Director Oscar five years ago. Cuarón's two hour and fifteen-minute opus that chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s wuill have its festival run, but is set to largely premiere to a wide audience on Netflix in mid-December. This may be the smarter route financially, but the anticipation of such an event and/or return can't help but to feel a little undercut by the knowledge that in my region of the country it's unlikely I'll be able to experience Roma on the big screen. All of that said, you won't find the likes of Bumblebee, The Mortal Engines, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, or that new Robin Hood movie on my list, but like I said, I'm by no means opposed to unabashed blockbusters as is evidenced in my number ten pick...

Teaser Trailer for Dee Rees' MUDBOUND

The first trailer for writer/director Dee Rees' (Pariah) adaptation of Hillary Jordan's novel, Mudbound, has premiered after receiving rave reviews out of Sundance earlier this year and being acquired by Netflix soon after. While this was another film I was hoping to see at TIFF this year on the big screen given the impression it's already made on the festival circuit, but there is comfort in knowing that with the film being acquired by a streaming service that those of us in smaller markets, such as myself, will in fact actually have the chance to screen it within a relevant amount of time of its release date whereas were this being distributed through a smaller company such as Fox Searchlight or A24 I might not have the chance to see the film until later in December (when everything comes out) or possibly even January. While the idea of not being able to see what has been called a, "sweeping and thrillingly ambitious," piece of work on the biggest screen possible is certainly discouraging I will count my lucky stars that I'll be able to see it at all as the studios release so many films around awards season that, even if Mudbound received theatrical distribution, odds are it would have never opened in my neck of the woods. That's enough about where/when/how the movie will open, but more let us bask in this first glimpse of the film as it paints a harrowing picture around two men who return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after the war. Both Garrett Hedlund and Jason Mitchell have been hailed for their turns as these two former soldiers and while the trailer certainly plays up the bond that seems to inherently form between the two of them what is more breathtaking is the breadth of the scope Rees seems to have captured with her camera. There are certain shots that hint at terrible things, tense situations, and others that suggest where the narrative might go which isn't necessarily to places audiences would like to see it go. In short, this thing looks to be a profound experience and while I'm still hopeful the film may open in a select few theaters near me I'll continue to be thankful I get to see the film as soon as I'm able come its opening day. Mudbound also stars Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, and begins streaming on Netflix and playing in select theaters on November 17th, 2017.

SUFFRAGETTE Review

Suffragette is a movie that survives solely on the strength of it's true story. Beyond the compelling and often times unfathomable way that men treat women in this film, there isn't much to grab a hold of or really sink your teeth into. It's disheartening given all the film clearly has going for it, but thus is the way things seem to go when a writer makes interesting and even somewhat daring if not completely agreeable choices in their screenplay. For instance, our lead character is a fictional invention in order to convey a certain perspective on these historical events, but given the way the film comes to a swift and unexpected conclusion based on the actions of a different character whose actor didn't even make the poster the film as a whole can't help but feel slightly impromptu whereas the obvious, in my opinion, choice for the narrative direction would have been more straightforward. We are talking about an incident that concerned militant suffragette Emily Davison (played in the film by Natalie Press) that effectively serves as the climax of the film, but given we've seen Davison in less than a handful of scenes prior the impact of her actions is not nearly as gut-wrenching as they could've been. I realize that writer Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady, Shame) is giving audiences more of a relatable character arc by delivering the typically passive Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan) who is more or less pulled into her life of activism, but given that Davison was jailed on nine different occasions and had to be force fed no less than forty-nine times I'd say that not only does Davison deserve a movie about her life, but that it generally sounds more complimentary to the cinematic landscape than that of the everywoman Morgan has made with Maud. That isn't to say Mulligan or her character are ineffective as they work up to a certain point, but unfortunately that is as much as can be said about the film as well. With this subject matter and these events that clearly deserve to be recognized not to mention the talent on hand it's strange how uninspiring the film can sometimes feel. It has it's moments, sure, but for a fight that's unforgettable I likely won't remember much about the movie past next week.

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD Review

There were a lot of questions surrounding director Thomas Vinterberg's interpretation of Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd from me personally. Having never touched the source material I didn't have a clue what surface the story skimmed and given this was clearly a period piece intended for a specific audience with a specific purpose I wondered why it might be making its debut so early in the year. Would Fox Searchlight not even care to grab a costume design nomination or did they know this would likely get lost in the shuffle of awards season? In all respects, the right choices seem to have been made as questions of quality and profundity surround every turn in the film. Clearly, this is melodrama, but is it simply melodrama with pedigree because of its Victorian era-setting? It is easy to defend these older works, these definitive works as they made way for the conventions we see run rampart today, but the key for modern film adaptations, and maybe this is unfair, is that they find something new and fresh to bring to the table, a reason to tell this story again. Of course, many will testify that simply keeping these stories alive is reason enough to tell them again and while I'm almost positive Vinterberg and screenwriter David Nicholls have streamlined much of Hardy's novel in order to make it a two-hour love story modern audiences may understand without the hindrance of cultural differences it still feels very unmoving despite largely dealing with life-changing events that are clearly meant to appeal to our emotions. There are the usual good things to be said about the cast, Craig Armstrong's beautiful score and the gorgeous, natural cinematography of Charlotte Bruus Christensen, but when your last film was The Hunt, a movie that elicited a more visceral reaction than any other in recent memory, one would think your follow-up might evoke more than just a groan of complacency despite touching on some always relevant and interesting themes.

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Review

To be burdened with ambitions that outweigh what the average person looks for to find satisfaction in life is a burden that will weigh heavy your entire life. There is no escaping the thought that you need to keep trying, that you need to keep going or else you will miss the opportunity that will grant you access to a world and a life you have only dreamed of prior. There is seemingly no shame in this, but it can certainly make for an unpleasant existence. While in today's world it would seem easier to make one's self known for their musical ability it has become so crowded with so many people trying so many different avenues that those who do achieve a level of success that fully supports their livelihood are those whose names we know and hear rotated on top forty radio. They are deemed the successes, the ones who luck into or operate under the circumstances of being picked to have their song played over and over despite the fact music can be recorded, promoted and played on any social media and pretty much any device the average person carries around all day. It is more difficult than ever to make yourself stand out, but Llewyn Davis would argue to his point that no matter how hard he tries, being in the right place, playing the right music at the right time still doesn't guarantee success for despite the talent Davis possesses he doesn't seem to be able to catch a break. In the latest film from brothers Joel and Ethan Coen they bring their bleak, deadpan humor to the 1960's Greenwich Village folk scene and focus on a kind of day in the life of a struggling musician. Ultimately, the film becomes more than this and plays into the larger themes of disappointment and the difference in leading a fulfilling life and simply existing. It is, in many regards, a hard truth to swallow about human nature, our dreams and how we are conditioned to believe things must go a certain way in order to be regarded as a success which commonly translates to a satisfaction with ones self not too many people seem to ever fully reach. I have enjoyed Coen brothers films over the years and usually find their tone and sense of humor inviting and extremely in line with how my inner most thoughts work. Inside Llewyn Davis feels like something special though, something I'll cherish for a long time to come.

THE GREAT GATSBY Review

Like almost every American who has been through high school I read The Great Gatsby and like most high schoolers likely didn't appreciate the novel that first time around. Though the more accurate word is probably that I didn't comprehend all of what it was trying to say I still have yet to re-visit the novel since my sophomore year, but as I sat down to experience the latest film adaptation of the novel by the often flamboyant and always stylish director Baz Luhrman the parts of the story that I vaguely recalled seemed to escape me completely and I was then able to completely embrace the extravagant world in which Luhrman and his team had created for the audience to dig into and become all the better acquainted with the specific time period, the social climate, and the characters that it is necessary to care about before we become entranced with their melodramatic lives. It is to be understood that through the glitz and the glamour of the roaring twenties that this is essentially what F. Scott Fitzgerald's great American novel was if not a high form of it wrapped in commentary for the societal issues of the changing culture during that time. Though it would be easy to dismiss the film as a case of style over substance I was completely on board from the very beginning as the caliber of the cast here was able to elevate what might have been an otherwise overlooked aspect of the production. The depth each actor brings to his or her character lend an emphasis to the themes Fitzgerald touched upon and they are only embellished by Luhrman's preference to have everything as big and excessive as possible. It is a film that entices by the fantasy of the world it exists in and it holds our attention by being consistently stylish and letting it's cast bring their A-game that in turn creates a combination that captures the essence of everything I expected and wanted this film to be.

SHAME Review

"Shame" is certainly not for the faint of heart. You knew this if you purchased a ticket and had any interest in it though and so if you are reading this review I anticipate that you understand the content of "Shame". All this means is that you might have the will to look past the reasons this received an NC-17 rating and into the human soul that British director Steve McQueen is trying to document here. This is a film almost agonizing to endure, yet the redeemable qualities outweigh the drag of a pace so much you find yourself not necessarily enjoying the film, but rather engaged by it. There is an immediate intrigue to the movie, a mysterious tone that paints the film in grays and deep blues. Rarely do we see the white soaked, up scale apartment of Brandon (Michael Fassbender) during the day as he tries to escape what he knows he is. If it were not for this strand of a character element Brandon might seem inexcusable to the audience yet it is clear his addiction is something that haunts him, something that if he could, he would leave behind, but it is nearly impossible for him not to give in to the temptation. Fassbender, in a much talked about performance, is in a single word fearless. Not only for bearing his family jewels but because he bears so much more in his moving insight of a man who allows a general audience to glimpse a cold, bleak world. A world that is sometimes mocked on our entertainment shows, but "Shame" is a serious film and begs that you take it this way. You'll have no problem doing so, but it will test your limits and your patients. The only warning is to be prepared.

Brandon (Michael Fassbender) stares down a woman as
if it is prey and he is on the hunt.

The film opens with a fantastic scene in which Brandon, who always uses public transportation, stares down a woman on the subway. The pretty red head returns his gaze for the first few minutes, Brandon unflinching in his desire to have her. She begins to get uncomfortable, the film now cutting back and forth between the train ride and Brandon in his apartment as he goes about a routine morning, ignoring a voicemail being left by his sister. From the first moments McQueen is attempting to pull us into this competing world of ideals, this battle Brandon has going on in his head. The red head steps up, the camera pans down to her hand that possesses a wedding ring. Brandon, again unflinching stands up behind her. A single breath is taken by him and she feels it. The idea of what she could do with him (or more rightly so, what he wants to do to her) flashes across her face, but it seems too overwhelming and she makes for the door. Brandon goes after her, unsure of what he'll do if this desire goes unfulfilled. He stops short almost in a state of shock at the lengths he has gone too, but you can't nearly tell if it is this that frustrates him or the fact he let her get away. "Shame" can be summed up in this early scene, as it portrays what Brandon is, how he operates and his desires that go past the carnal. You can bet the house that McQueen will return to this method as well as it brilliantly portrays in only images and backing symphonic sounds the process of a seduction. In many ways the entire film could be compared to this first scene. Slowly pulling us in, we are scared at first to glimpse a world that we might find truth in, that we may see our own reflection in. Attempting to resist what might feel like instinct, while understanding it is not acceptable.

Sissy (Carey Mulligan) performs a version of the Frank
Sinatra staple "New York, New York".

This certain feeling of abnormality is tested for Brandon when his sister comes to stay with him. It is clear from their relationship why Brandon disengages any type of intimate relationship. His sister, as he points out, is a burden on him. Who, as played by Carey Mulligan, comes and goes as she wishes jumping from one guy to another and then calling them in desperation just as she had done with her brother. The introduction of Mulligan's Sissy reveals little about their childhood together though it is consistently hinted that there is a painful past there. More than anything Sissy's arrival forces Brandon to adjust his casual life of hiding from the world and finding solace in his computer or other sources that feed his addiction. I found it interesting that McQueen and writing partner Abi Morgan chose to document the only relationship Brandon must feel a slight bit of need to keep strong. The fact is, when we first meet him he could care less if he saw or spoke to Sissy again. In trying to illustrate why Brandon feels the need for his solitude they have given Sissy an attitude that is just the right amount of nag and entitlement. There are moments, such as when Mulligan performs a rendition of "New York, New York" that resonate with Brandon, making him understand why the world and society has been constructed as it has and why people follow what he no doubt sees as conventions. His sisters voice brings a tear to his eye. It gives Brandon a glimpse into what he probably feels is real humanity because the fact of the matter is he doesn't like the person he has become. He knows that he is twisted, that how he craves the need to fulfill his sexual desires isn't normal, but he can't help himself. In that moment we see him wonder if Sissy can. In that small moment we see the film's only real glimpse of light.

Brandon and Sissy discuss their difficult brother/sister
relationship in "Shame".

"Shame" evokes a certain sad world, a cold place where our main character walks among everyone and goes throughout his day with the smallest hint there is something off about him. The addiction does not compromise Brandon's life to the point that it takes over his entire being. He is able to keep his job, and is successful at it, but every woman he sees that elicits his wounds reminds him of what a monster he feels like on the inside. Fassbender gives a performance that will no doubt be showered with nominations as he finds a truth to a man who is never satisfied. a man who is looking for more where nothing else seems to exist. What I find interesting though is that as sexually charged a man Brandon is, he pales in comparison to another man Fassbender portrayed this year. In David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method" Fassbender plays Dr. Carl Jung who goes from trying to analyze the mind of a sex addict and what motivates this behavior to a man of lust himself. While Brandon could have easily been a patient of Jung's it would have almost been more engaging to watch Fassbender portray Brandon in a way that elicits Jung's realizations about the world around him rather than already believing he has it all figured out. In the end, "Shame" is a piece of work that some will call art, others will call trash. For me, it is not an experience I plan on re-living again, it is simply too much of a drag, a downer to watch again, but in the moment it commands your attention and despite the vulgarity of what you might see on screen it is nearly impossible to look anywhere else.

SHAME Review

"Shame" is certainly not for the faint of heart. You knew this if you purchased a ticket and had any interest in it though and so if you are reading this review I anticipate that you understand the content of "Shame". All this means is that you might have the will to look past the reasons this received an NC-17 rating and into the human soul that British director Steve McQueen is trying to document here. This is a film almost agonizing to endure, yet the redeemable qualities outweigh the drag of a pace so much you find yourself not necessarily enjoying the film, but rather engaged by it. There is an immediate intrigue to the movie, a mysterious tone that paints the film in grays and deep blues. Rarely do we see the white soaked, up scale apartment of Brandon (Michael Fassbender) during the day as he tries to escape what he knows he is. If it were not for this strand of a character element Brandon might seem inexcusable to the audience yet it is clear his addiction is something that haunts him, something that if he could, he would leave behind, but it is nearly impossible for him not to give in to the temptation. Fassbender, in a much talked about performance, is in a single word fearless. Not only for bearing his family jewels but because he bears so much more in his moving insight of a man who allows a general audience to glimpse a cold, bleak world. A world that is sometimes mocked on our entertainment shows, but "Shame" is a serious film and begs that you take it this way. You'll have no problem doing so, but it will test your limits and your patients. The only warning is to be prepared.