ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER Review

Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio Team-Up for the First Time to Deliver a Thrilling, Timely and Ambitious Film that Delivers on Every Front One Might Hope.

THE CONJURING: LAST RITES Review

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga Return for One Final Paranormal Case as Ed and Lorraine Warren yet this Finale is Unfortunately more Dull than Devilish.

HIM Review

Jordan Peele's Latest Investment is Nothing More than a Collection of Metaphorical Imagery too Ornate to be Ignored yet Too Shallow to Explore its Full Implications.

THE LONG WALK Review

Director Francis Lawrence works from Stephen King Source Material to Craft an Intense Road Trip Film Unlike Any Other with Two Stand-Out Lead Performances.

A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY Review

Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie Star as Blank Canvases with Nothing to Lose and No Real Personality in this Dramedy from Kogonada that Romanticizes Romance.

852/
Showing posts with label Ivan Jacobo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ivan Jacobo. Show all posts

QUEEN OF KATWE Review

Disney has created something of a sub-genre for itself with the inspirational sports dramas. They've been doing this in their live action department for some time, but within the past fifteen years or so they have really capitalized on the curbside appeal of a marquee name starring in a "based on a true story" film that chronicles some rather exceptional events that lead to a stirring conclusion audiences can energetically cheer for. Fifteen years on and one might think the mouse house is running short on true life sports stories though as they've now resorted to a movie about chess (not exactly a game that translates to much excitement on film), but it is in these inherent doubts that Queen of Katwe rises above expectations to be a sports movie that not only inspires, but uses the familiar beats of its genre to its advantage rather than allowing them to become a detriment. In not only taking the seeming requirements of such a story in stride director Mira Nair's film becomes more than the sum of its parts by adding a level of maturity and, unfortunately, reality to its story elements that would once upon a time have been Disney-fied so as to gloss over the harsher aspects of the circumstances these real-life characters find themselves in. That Disney doesn't try to mess with The Namesake filmmakers interpretation of Phiona Mutesi's (played here by Madina Nalwanga) story serves it in ways that give it more shadings than something like Million Dollar Arm or Glory Road in which the more conventional approaches resulted in fairly average and conventional films. Don't get me wrong-Queen of Katwe isn't necessarily groundbreaking and certainly isn't life-changing, but it is able to use these tropes we've grown accustomed to in just the right ways meaning they are done in an effective manner. Couple this with the fact Nair has assembled a rather incredible cast that includes Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo supporting newcomer Nalwanga and the other inexperienced child actor's that make up the majority of this authentic cast and the result is not only that of your standard underdog tale in the form of an inspiring sports movie, but an inspiring sports drama that actually has the will and passion to inspire should one come at the movie with their cynicism in check.