A WRINKLE IN TIME Review

This one is a hard nut to crack. Both for this reviewer and the filmmakers as Madeline L'Engle's 1962 novel that serves as the source material for this latest Disney live-action adaptation has been said to be unfilmmable. A Wrinkle in Time was always going to be different though, in that this wasn't a Disney live-action re-make in the vein of one of their treasured animated films from their golden age or renaissance period, but rather the Mouse House had enlisted Selma and 13th director Ava DuVernay to bring this much beloved material to the screen. On the other end of this review is myself who somehow made it through grade school without finding L'Engle's novel despite being an avid reader and fan of all things science-fiction/fantasy. A Wrinkle in Time is one of those cases where my intent was to in fact read the book prior to seeing the film, but that intent never led to any kind of fruition and so I walked into DuVernay's adaptation of this seemingly complex yet still kid-friendly source material last night with little to no expectation as to where the story might take me. What I did know was that the trailers hinted at some pretty spectacular imagery as well as some intriguing ideas that would be interesting to see worked out through a narrative. First things first though, A Wrinkle in Time misses a huge opportunity to inject a rather epic title card (which, if you've read my reviews before, is kind of a thing for me), but more so by the third or fourth scene it's clear there is a stiffness to the events that have unfolded thus far and that there is a certain flow most movies settle into that A Wrinkle in Time isn't finding. It's a weird kind of phenomenon that either happens or doesn't and most of the time, especially with movies such as this AKA big-budget spectacles produced by Disney, there is such a reliability factor that we as viewers automatically settle into the groove and/or movement of the environment the movie invites us into, but this speaks to what is the biggest weakness of DuVernay's adaptation in that it's never sure enough of itself. Where this apprehensiveness comes from in terms of movie language doesn't necessarily seem to come from DuVernay's filmmaking skills as anyone who saw Selma can attest to her talent, but there is a more deep-seated issue at the heart of this big-budget spectacle and I don't know whether it comes from the seeming compression of the original text or the inability to materialize the countless words L'Engle put on the page, but 2018's A Wrinkle in Time is essentially a concept that possesses these larger than life ideas as reduced to their simplest form.

New Trailer for A WRINKLE IN TIME

Walt Disney Pictures has released a new, full-length trailer for Selma director Ava DuVernay's adaptation of the Madeleine L’Engle's much beloved 1962 novel "A Wrinkle in Time". The story follows Meg Murry (Storm Reid), her brilliant brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), and their friend Calvin (Levi Miller) on an unexpected journey into alternate dimensions on a mission to bring their father (Chris Pine) home. The film has certainly assembled a strong cast as Oprah Winfrey (It feels so strange having to type her full name), Mindy Kailing, and Reese Witherspoon are highlighted both in the trailer and new poster (see below) as three chimerical celestial beings who help Meg “wrinkle” time and space. Though somewhat difficult to get a grasp on the meanings and impressive nature of what DuVernay has brought to life here given I have no frame of reference it is after seeing this new trailer that I look even more forward to establishing one. There is almost nothing I love more about the movies than walking into a film that is so boldly a science fiction/fantasy that builds its own world unabashedly as it seems DuVernay has done here. With A Wrinkle in Time it seems DuVernay was given the keys to a kingdom she's always desired to explore and so, to be able to witness this opportunity come to fruition will no doubt be something rather remarkable when the film is released next Spring. Selma was the best film I saw in 2014 (though it technically received a wide 2015 release) and so, without even knowing what type of film DuVernay would be tackling next there was anticipation to see where the filmmaker's career would go and to see it not only go in a direction that is rather unexpected, but also in such a potentially special direction is all the more assuring. Visually, this thing looks wonderful and the cast all look as if they're really tuned in to not only delivering a final product that is a fun experience and beautiful to look at, but meaningful as well. I'm in the bag and officially cannot wait. Definitely one of my most anticipated films for 2018. A Wrinkle in Time also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Mrs. Murry, Zach Galifianakis as The Happy Medium, André Holland as Principal Jenkins, as well as Bellamy Young, Rowan Blanchard, Will McCormack, and will open on March 17th, 2018.

First Trailer for Ava DuVernay's A WRINKLE IN TIME

It looks as if I need to track down a copy and get to reading on Madeleine L’Engle's 1962 novel A Wrinkle in Time as Walt Disney Pictures has released the first trailer for Selma director Ava DuVernay's adaptation of the much beloved classic via their D23 Expo. The story, which follows Meg Murry (Storm Reid), her brilliant brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), and their friend Calvin (Levi Miller) on an unexpected journey into alternate dimensions on a mission to bring home their father (Chris Pine). The film has certainly assembled a strong cast as Oprah Winfrey (It feels so strange having to type her last name), Mindy Kailing, and Reese Witherspoon as the three chimerical celestial beings who help Meg “wrinkle” time and space. Though somewhat difficult to get a grasp on the meanings and impressive nature of what DuVernay has brought to life here given I have no frame of reference it is after seeing this trailer that I look forward to establishing one. There is almost nothing I love more about the movies than walking into a film that is so boldly a science fiction/fantasy and builds its own world from the ground up. With A Wrinkle in Time it looks as if DuVernay has been given the keys to a kingdom she's always desired to build and to be able to witness this opportunity come to fruition will no doubt be something rather remarkable when the film is released next Spring. Selma was the best film I saw in 2014 (though it technically received a wide 2015 release) and so, without even knowing what type of film DuVernay would be tackling next there was anticipation to see where the filmmaker's career would go and to see it not only go in a direction that is rather unexpected, but also in such a potentially special direction is all the more assuring. Visually, this thing looks wonderful and the cast all look as if they're really tuned in to not only delivering a final product that is fun to experience and beautiful to look at, but meaningful as well. I'm in the bag and officially cannot wait. Definitely one of my most anticipated films for 2018. A Wrinkle in Time also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Mrs. Murry, Zach Galifianakis as The Happy Medium, André Holland as Principal Jenkins, as well as Bellamy Young, Rowan Blanchard, Will McCormack, and will open on March 17th, 2018.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Review

When I was a little kid and would take in a particular Disney animated feature multiple times within a very short window I always wondered what it might be like to see such characters and such worlds come to life. Real life. I never thought it would happen after the live action versions of 101 Dalmatians and its money-grubbing sequel underwhelmed (at least they did in my adolescent mind), but then again I also desperately hoped that one day movie studios might wise-up and begin building a shared universe where my favorite super heroes interacted on the big screen as well. As I've grown up and become a parent myself it seems Disney has decided to make all of my dreams come true while also giving their most iconic of animated classics updates so that they might reach wider audiences and new generations-including my daughter's. Over the past seven years or so now we've seen an uptick in the number of live-action films based on classic Disney properties. Whether they be from the respective studio that originated the tale in popular culture or not it seems many have noticed this as a way to garner solid returns-despite the brand recognition formula not always working (I liked you, Tarzan, but you cost too much). Though Disney began this recent trend by attempting to re-work properties such as Alice in Wonderland and the Sleeping Beauty story in the form of the Angelina Jolie vehicle that is Maleficent, it has been the last two live action adaptations in Cinderella and The Jungle Book that have yielded the best results in terms of quality (with all doing rather well financially). The point being, when it comes to these re-imaginings the best bet for both pleasing audiences and critics alike seems to be sticking with the source material and simply adding flourishes where might be necessary. This is one of the highlights of this latest incarnation of Beauty and the Beast as more logic and depth are applied to the characters and their plights despite the film as a whole being little more than a pound for pound remake of the Oscar nominated 1991 animated version. One would be hard-pressed to even call what director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) has made here an interpretation, but while there isn't anything in particular that separates the film apart as being great in its own regard, it pays honorable enough homage to this reviewer's childhood memories that it would be difficult to argue with the thrills and excitement it delivered in selling such a fantastical story come to life.

MISS SLOANE Review

Miss Sloane comes from first time screenwriter Jonathan Perera and promotes the idea that to get ahead in the vicious game of D.C. lobbying one has to know their subject. Perera obviously knows his subject. How Perera, who was living in Asia at the time he wrote the screenplay and who only optioned his work to literary agents over the internet before securing a production deal knows so much about the inside dealings of those hired to persuade legislators to support particular businesses or causes is a mystery, but he seems to have done a fair amount of research. Either that or what he feeds us in Miss Sloane is a huge pile of eloquently written BS. Like an Aaron Sorkin script (I haven't seen The Newsroom, but I imagine this might feel very similar) where dialogue is almost more important than emotion Miss Sloane fast tracks the audience through a deluge of day to day activities that a lobbyist at the top of their game such as the titular Sloane played with vicious velocity by the one and only Jessica Chastain might engage in. We are given little time to keep up and even less to really gauge what Sloane and her team are working on as the focus is not meant to highlight what kind of case our titular lobbyist and her team are working on, but more how keenly they are framing it to their client's advantage. While the objective for a lobbyist is the end-game it is the getting there, the journey if you will, that requires the creativity of someone in Sloane's position and the more creative one is the better the reputation they garner in their professional circles despite undoubtedly garnering a worse one among friends. Of course, this is why it is also made clear Sloane has no family or friends to speak of or to. It is a vicious circle of sorts and Perera makes that evident by reiterating the importance of how information is framed by framing his own film with that aforementioned end-game. In Miss Sloane the end-game is a hearing on Capitol Hill in Caucus Room 4 of the U.S. Senate. What is she doing here? What has brought her to this point? What accusation is being thrown around and what does it have to do with her abilities and/or the moral ambiguities of her techniques? Each are questions begged as small increments of information are fed the viewer within the epilogue of the film, but once the main narrative takes over it is easy to forget that framing device and simply go along for the ride which is exactly what Perera would prefer you do as he finds trouble in both sticking the ending and making it credible enough that we don't question how well he really does know his subject.

Full Trailer for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Starring Emma Watson

After glimpsing the teaser trailer for Disney's live-action adaptation of one of if not their most celebrated animated films this past summer it wasn't hard to sense the amount of anticipation for this thing. It's going to be huge. If you thought The Jungle Book was big. Watch out. That said, just in time for the holidays the mouse house has finally released the full-length trailer for director Bill Condon's (Dreamgirls) Beauty and the Beast and based on what we see here I'm still fairly optimistic. Condon, despite his several serviceable credits, gives me caution as he has a few other credits that don't bode so well for this incarnation of the only animated movie to ever get a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, but taking into consideration that Perks of Being a Wallflower writer/director Stephen Chbosky assisted in penning the screenplay (along with Evan Spiliotopoulos who seems to fit the bill of generic Hollywood writer) I have something of a renewed faith. This fact, coupled with the rather unbelievable cast that look and sound great from what we see here is enough to hope that Disney can pull off with Beauty and the Beast what they were able to do with Cinderella and the aforementioned Jungle Book. The visuals are especially stunning here as Watson looks pitch-perfect in both her physical and mental approach to the titular beauty that is Belle. While I still harbor some concern for the amount of CGI that it seems Condon and his team are relying on to bring the other half of the title as well as the remaining inhabitants of the castle to life I can only hope that there is still work to be done and that the representations of the talented casts' voice work will come through as effortlessly as Jon Favreau and his animators were able to make it feel in their Disney adaptation. These live-action remakes of animated classics are certainly turning into big business for the studio, but given we've essentially seen these movies before these new versions have to be both faithful while at the same time bring something new to the table. Based on what we see here one really can't see through the nostalgia of it all to know how good or bad Condon's version might turn out, but darn it if I'm not rooting for this thing to work and for these re-imaginings to keep on comin'. Beauty and the Beast also stars Dan Stevens, Kevin Kline, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and opens on March 17th, 2017.

Teaser Trailer for MISS SLOANE Starring Jessica Chastain

With Telluride just finishing and Toronto in full swing at the moment the film community has begun to receive a better glimpse at what the major contenders might be come this awards season, but surprisingly there has been no mention of recent awards mainstay Jessica Chastain or her film that would seemingly be in contention, Miss Sloane. That is, of course, until now as Europa has released the first teaser for the John Madden (The Debt) directed film that tackles the United States gun debate. Get ready to hear plenty of opinions fly! In this particular evaluation of the debate Chastain plays ruthless and highly successful political strategist, Elizabeth Sloane, who exposes the cutthroat world of D.C lobbyists on both sides of the gun control debate. More specifically, the film follows a new legislation that would require more stringent background checks for gun ownership that is gaining traction in Congress. Sloane is approached to spearhead the campaign, pitting her against the formidable power of her political opponents. Deploying her notorious skills Sloane jeopardizes those closest to her while putting her career at risk-essentially doing whatever it takes to win. The short clip we've received certainly relays the intensity of what that synopsis suggests and what the final product will hopefully hold in store for audiences. Interestingly, the script (solely written by Jonathan Perera) was ranked in the Top five of Hollywood's Black List, an annual tally of the industry's favorite scripts of the year, just last year meaning it has been acquired, found a director, attracted the talent of someone like Chastain and was made in less than a year. In short, the excitement and promise around this one seems to be strong and I can't wait to see what that yields. Miss Sloane also stars Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alison Pill, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jake Lacy, Sam Waterston, John Lithgow, and opens on December 9th, 2016.

FREE STATE OF JONES Review

It is difficult to know where to begin when discussing the new Matthew McConaughey film, Free State of Jones. The film encompasses such a large canvas spanning nearly fifteen years from the heart of the Civil War in 1862 up until 1876 illustrating how, despite the war being over, many people-especially freed black men and women-were still fighting battles every day. If Free State of Jones is anything it is an admirable piece of work, a beautiful disaster in some ways, but more than anything Free State of Jones doesn't seem to know what to do with or how best to convey all that it so strongly desires to say. Writer/director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit, and the first Hunger Games film) has created a two and a half hour epic of sorts, but in the end it still feels as if the movie has more to say. This isn't a good thing and it certainly doesn't do the audience, who have already sat through that extensive run time, much consolation if not some satisfaction. In many ways, Free State of Jones should have been an HBO or FX miniseries that simultaneously chronicled the life of Newton Knight and how he seemingly lived for others as well as his family tree that came about after having children with Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), an African-American who was once a slave. That the feature film version of this story even attempts to go back and forth between the actions of Knight himself as well as eighty-five years into the future where one of his great grandchildren stands trial for being a small percentage African-American and is thus charged with breaking the law for marrying a Caucasian woman is nuts. Sure, the parallels between what Knight was fighting for in 1875 and what his descendants were still dealing with in the 1950's is effective and certainly makes a strong statement about how little has changed despite a considerable amount of time passing-making the main idea of the movie more relevant than ever today-there just isn't room for it here. Going from the midst of the Civil War to our protagonist hiding out in a swamp, to him building a community that forms the basis of his rebellion and eventual secession from the Confederacy, and then going even further into the continued struggles during the Reconstruction period Free State of Jones leaves itself no room to breathe. That said, because there is so much there is a lot of stuff to find interesting as well. It is almost the opposite of that mantra that goes, "It's not what's being said, but how it's said," as Free State of Jones is more focused on what's being said given how it's being said is something of a mess.

First Trailer for FREE STATE OF JONES Starring Matthew McConaughey

In my most anticipated of 2016 article posted last week I placed writer/director Gary Ross's Free State of Jones at number eleven and so one can imagine how pleased I am to finally see some footage from the upcoming civil war drama. The film stars Matthew McConaughey as Newt Knight, a Southern farmer who led a rebellion against the Confederacy during the war. Knight's opposition to both slavery and secession, led the farmer and soldier to launch an uprising of poor white farmers that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a "Free State of Jones." Knight's relationship and post-war marriage to a former slave, Rachel Knight (Consussion's Gugu Mbatha-Raw), effectively established the region's first mixed-race community. While the nearly three minute trailer more or less seems to give away large portions of the films story that same story is so compelling it is difficult to deter my anticipation for the full film. McConaughey looks to be in full McConaissance mode as he leads the film with the charisma and layers of depth that crafted his resurgence a few years ago. Visually, the film looks stirring and I have enough faith in Ross alone (whose directing credits outside the initial Hunger Games film include Seabiscuit and Pleasantville while he also penned the screenplay for Big) that both his screenplay and his final product will be worthy of attention no matter how much the promotional material tends to give away. That said, I'm more than eager to see how the final product turns out and can't wait to see what drew Ross to this material. Free State of Jones also stars Keri Russell, Mud's Jacob Lofland, Mahershala Ali, Room's Sean Bridgers, great character actor Gary Grubbs and opens on March 11, 2016.

CONCUSSION Review

Concussion is a really solid movie that wants to be as important as the topic it’s discussing. The problem with approaching a film in this manner though, is that it immediately sets a precedent for the film to be as weighty and influential in its cultural impact as the topic it's discussing and Concussion simply isn't that. It will start conversations, sure, and if it does its job well enough it may even convert a few football fans to the belief there are serious long-run repercussions to playing the game, but as a piece of art or simply infotainment, is it as effective as it sets out to be? Sometimes. Through writer/director Peter Landesman (Parkland) the film has some really inspiring moments as it attempts to not simply irritate those who are huge fans of the sport, but attempts to logically explain why we need to step back and take a serious look at if the type of lifestyle these men experience down the road is worth a few hours of entertainment on Sunday. Other times, in between the scenes of Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) drawing some kind of scientific conclusion or making his case with an NFL board member, the film tends to have lull's that concern itself with a romantic subplot that doesn't connect or one too many time lapses that aren't clearly illustrated. Where the film does tend to stand out is in the scenes that feature Smith's protagonist pushing back against any force that comes between him and his research. If you've seen the trailer you've heard Omalu's speech about how America is the next best thing to heaven and that he was the wrong man to discover such a disease as his entire life he's dreamed of being an American. That, to have discovered a disease that more or less states human beings were never made to play football, makes him public enemy number one and it is in the face of this adversity that Smith and the film shine most.

First Trailer for CONCUSSION Starring Will Smith

With less than two weeks until the start of the official NFL season Will Smith's latest movie is making the gutsy move of going up against it. It seems a strange thing to state given Smith is typically a media-friendly star, but with his latest role as Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-born neuropathologist who discovered Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) or “post-concussion syndrome” and unwittingly took on the NFL who used their power to discredit him, it seems things could get a little messy. Head trauma football players sustain has been something of a hot button issue for a while now and while the National Football League is a multi-billion dollar industry that would hate nothing more than it's cash flow to be hindered there is serious issue to be taken with the real price this money is being made at. As for the trailer itself, it will no doubt be difficult for some to look past that aforementioned persona that Smith carries so well to see his actual performance as Omalu, but the trailer makes it seem as if Smith might be putting his hat in the ring for a Best Actor nomination. Personally, I couldn't be happier Smith was able to squeeze this film in between the somewhat lukewarm reception Focus received earlier this year and the almost guaranteed hit that is Suicide Squad next year. This is exactly what his struggling career needed at the moment and if the final product is as engaging and complex as the true story it's based on we could potentially have something great here. Concussion also stars Alec Baldwin, Luke Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard, Paul Reiser, David Morse, Albert Brooks and opens on Christmas Day.

JUPITER ASCENDING Review

There is something oddly charming to the outright oddity that Jupiter Ascending is trying so hard to be. It is in this pushing, this trying to separate itself that the Wachowksi siblings, Andy and Lana, perpetuate their inherent "weirdness" while what they are actually trying to do is paint a mind of possibilities in a way that feels illogical when first introduced, but makes greater sense as a greater understanding and deeper contemplation are taken into account. As written by The Wachowski's it would seem likely that Jupiter Ascending once had a greater amount of substance to it than what the final product delivers. As the credits began to roll what I was left with was the incessant nagging of my brain questioning what exactly the directing duo were trying to say with this film. There is always a stream of consciousness to The Wachowski's films hinting at an overarching theme, but it seemed all I was left with here were a few cool ideas, some exceptional visuals and a solid piece of entertainment value, but little to actually ponder. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with making an outright spectacle that delivers large scale thrills in spades with little to no substance, but what makes Jupiter Ascending not that type of movie is that it's clear that wasn't the original intent of its creators. Throughout, there are consistent hints of a much larger, much stronger narrative existing within this well-developed universe The Wachowski's have created, but unfortunately much of it is lost in the barrage of frequent action scenes that take us from point A to point B. It's also true that the plot becomes a little too convoluted and tiresome by the time it reaches the third act yet I was never bored either with what I saw unfolding in front of me or what might be staged next. In this regard, while Jupiter Ascending is certainly strange to the point it will immediately off-put some and may be The Wachowski's most outright weird production to date for others familiar with their work it is also their most commercially accessible given the style over substance mentality it has seemed to take on in its delay. Despite it not living up to what I'd hoped it be, there is still plenty of fun to be had here and more than enough to marvel at.