Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Movie Name: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, Corey Stoll, Bill Murray, Katy M. O'Bien, William Jackson Harper, Jamie Andrew Cutler, David Dastmalchian, Randall Park, 
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Peyton Reed has been focused on the adventures of Ant-Man since the character was firstly introduced on the big screen back in 2015. The previous feature, dated from 2018 gave more prominence to the Wasp, and this is the first film to focus yet again on these characters since their appearance in the "Avengers" films (of 2018 and 2019). Since that episodic cycle of narratives has finished, Marvel has had some trouble repositioning its characters, finding another cycle for them to go through, with their focus also going into a barrage of TV shows on Disney + which I've personally not watched. In this new chapter of the adventures of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scott Lang has settled into his life in San Francisco, where his relationship with Hope keeps solidifying itself. His grown up daughter Cassie in the meantime has gotten herself into trouble with some activism which lends her in jail. As Scott learns about the ongoings of Cassie, he soon also learns she's been working on some advanced research with Hank Pym, who in the meantime has been enjoying his time with Janet Van Dyne, whom everyone thought was lost in the Quantum world and has been successfully saved since. Cassie's device however functions as a beacon to the Quantum realm, which panics Janet, however it's too late to do anything about it, since they're all sucked into that reality. The group initially gets divided, with Hope, Janet and Hank falling into a city, where they investigate what is happening, whereas Scott and Cassie are found by natives, who are in the midst of rebelling against their ruler. As Hope and Hank learn more about Janet's life in the Quantum Realm, Scott and Cassie have to contend with the ruler of that space, who is looking for the particles that Scott and Cassie have in their suits. 

"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" bears a somewhat similar DNA to the previous installments, in the sense there's a sense of humor and levity taking place with Scott Lang/Paul Rudd's life, as he settles in San Francisco and suddenly has to deal with a newfound fame stemming from his heroic acts. However much of the underdog story that was part of the previous narratives is now largely absent, and the narrative quickly bypasses Scott's new reality in favor of what has taken place and is also about to take place in the Quantum Realm. And this is where things start getting shakier by the second, since this Realm is at times reminiscent of a rather generic episode of Star Trek, with alien creatures included, not to mention the whole concept of this realm never truly makes much sense (but at this point, sure why not). While most of the characters just want to get back to where they came from, the new main antagonist known as Kang, is apparently a monstrous creature who wants to destroy everything in his path. His prior history and relationship with Janet are explained, but his motivation to seek out the destruction of everything is never really completely understandable (the same going for who the character actually is, and what makes him so apparently invincible). The narrative and the juggling of all these characters lacks both depth and at times momentum. The film also oscillates between being reminiscent of a Star Trek episode, mixed with elements of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, with the director also failing to do much with the colorful supporting characters, including Bill Murray's Krylar (who quickly gets discarded) and even Corey Stoll's "M.O.D.O.K." (who gets grotesquely rendered). Visually the film is also a mix bag, with certain sequences failing to blend the overly CGI aspect of the feature with the actual set design. The cast certainly tries their best, with Paul Rudd, Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Douglas creating the most memorable performances, while Evangeline Lilly fails to register at all, the same going for Kathryn Newton. Jonathan Majors tries his best at creating a very underwritten villainous character, but ultimately it's just not particularly convincing. The production team is filled with talented professionals, including Bill Pope's pristine cinematography, Christophe Beck's score and costume design from Sammy Sheldon. In the end this film is once again formulaic, but also fails to register solidly from a character perspective and even a narrative building perspective. 

The Flash

Movie Name: The Flash
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Maribel Verdu, Sasha Calle, Ron Livingston, Michael Shannon, Jeremy Irons, Ben Affleck, Kiersey Clemons, Temuera Morrison, Antje Traue, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Rudy Mancuso, Sean Rogers, George Clooney, Nicolas Cage, Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review

After directing the successful two parter adaptation of Stephen King's "It", director Andy Muschietti has returned with the long gestating solo film focused on the Flash character, which has made appearances in the Batman and Justice League films directed by Zack Snyder. This time around the narrative focuses on Barry Allen's discovery that with his speed, he can actually travel back in time and change the outcome of events that took place. Barry is focused in particular in changing the outcome of his mother's death, and the wrong imprisonment of his father. Though Bruce Wayne warns him of the possible unexpected consequences that can stem from changing the past, Barry decides to do so, and effectively does change the outcome of what happened with his mom. However as he navigates through time, he gets derailed by another opposing force, which drops him in a reality and on the day where he is meant to have the accident which transforms him into the Flash. As he contends with a younger and enthusiastic version of himself, he has to take that version of him to the crime lab where he was interning, so the accident that turned him into the Flash can happen again. He does manage to do so, but in the process loses his powers. The Barries suddenly become aware that in that period in time General Zod has invaded Earth and is looking for a Krypton survivor who has the genetic code of that race. They seek out the help of Bruce Wayne/Batman, though the original Barry suddenly realizes this Batman is quite different than the one he knows. It's up to them to convince Batman to help them locate the Krypton survivor, and try to defeat Zod's forces.

Andy Muschietti's films thus far have had a common thread where its central heroes find themselves in situations where they're not ready to tackle the challenges that are forced upon them, but have to come to terms with their own selfishness and fears, and overcome them in order to save themselves and what they cherish the most. That was the case with Jessica Chastain's character in "Mama" and the kids and their adult counterparts in "It": insurmountable odds that are vanquished by these unexpected heroes. The same happens once more with "The Flash", where Barry's good intentions are thwarted by unexpected consequences of his actions, which noble as they may be, don't account for the implications it has for everyone else in these multiple realities. The film smartly tackles the topic of time travel with humor and levity, bringing together the multiple versions of the Flash in a way that plays them both as the odd couple, with one brimming with enthusiasm and joy, versus the older version who is more dour and focused. The film also succeeds in the marriage of the nostalgia factor of bringing Michael Keaton's rendition of Batman with the notion of creating a time and space for what happened to that character since we last witnessed it onscreen. This part of the narrative of the film allows for that particular interpretation of the Batman character to continue in a way that feels like an organic continuation of what Michael Keaton did in the Tim Burton films of the late 80s and early 90s. The central characters are given enough bandwidth to exist beyond typical clichés, though the supporting ones, including Barry's parents and even Sasha Calle's Supergirl, aren't given that much to do. There's still quite a bit to enjoy in this film in the sense that it plays with multiple realities and versions of these well known characters, and though at times Andy Muschietti almost falls prey to the lingering effects of Zack Snyder and his third narrative arcs filled with empty visual and bombastic noise, he manages to restrain himself to allow for some of these characters to have a bit of some humanity to them. It's a film that does try to go in many directions, and though not all threads and characters are properly tackled, it still manages to create a fairly watchable and entertaining comic book film that does not fall prey to all the typical clichés and formulas. The cast manages to keep the film engagingly entertaining, with Ezra Miller doing a great job tackling multiple roles, with great support from the alway fantastic Michael Keaton, and additional great work from Maribel Verdu, Ron Livingston and Michael Shannon. The production team is a bit all over the place, with great cinematography from Henry Braham and score from Benjamin Wallfisch, though the visual effects are at times not very polished (the 3D renderings of certain characters in particular, reminded me of "Matrix Reloaded" which came out 20 years ago). Entertaining.

Die Hard

Movie Name: Die Hard
Year of Release: 1988
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Alexander Godunov, Reginald VelJohnson, Paul Gleason, De'voreaux White, William Atherton, Hart Bochner, James Shigeta, Andreas Wisniewski, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Al Leong, Dennis Hayden
Genre: Action, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After the success of "Predator" director John McTiernan directed what has since become one of the most iconic films of the 80s. Based on the book by Roderick Thorp ("Nothing Lasts Forever" novel) and with a script by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza (this was the first credited script by Jeb Stuart, while de Souza had already to his credit films such as Walter Hill's "48 Hours", Mark L. Lester's "Commando" and Paul Michael Glaser's "The Running Man"), the narrative focuses on the story of John McLane who is traveling to LA to visit his wife Holly and his two kids. The family is divided, as Holly has taken a rewarding job opportunity in LA and John decided to stay with the police department in NY. John is dropped at the impressive Nakatomi plaza building, where his wife's company corporate Christmas party is taking place. While initially friendly, their get together soon becomes rife with friction. However before they can resolve their issues, a group of individuals, claiming to be terrorists take over the party and want to have access to the vault that exists within the main office. As the workers of the Organization, including Holly, John's wife are rounded out and ordered to stay put, John manages to escape to an area of the building that is unfinished, and slowly starts sabotaging the plans of the so-called terrorist group. However and the more John battles them out, the more he discovers they're not exactly who they claim to be. The police is soon also brought in to the situation, as John wanting to catch their attention attacks Al Powell, a mild mannered Sergeant doing nightly rounds. 

The best features hailing from John McTiernan have always focused on central heroes who manage to overturn dire situations, even though they're typically sole survivors against forces that are invariably much more powerful than themselves (at least at first glance). His best features are also essentially polished and remarkably taut B-movies, where characters are briefly defined, all with the intent of letting the narrative comprised of action set pieces and exchanges between characters to occur, and propel what is being illustrated on the screen. And that is the case of "Die Hard", quite possibly one of McTiernan's best features, where John McLane the central character, is defined as a caring but rough NY detective, with a constant smirk and sense of humor about everything in his life, including the rough odds he finds himself in. What is also very intelligent about this film is the fact that it takes a scenario that is a bit reminiscent of a disaster film (danger in a Tower Building), and keeps adding different layers to it, additional challenges for the character to contend with, all with the sole intent of saving his wife and himself. The director is also very smart about creating a sense of claustrophobia to the action set pieces, by essentially making everything take place in a locked up environment (and this is something that many action films have since tried to replicate without this amount of charisma and success). The cast is uniformly great, with Bruce Willis bringing to life a character that became like a second skin for him during his entire career, with fantastic support from the iconic Alan Rickman as his ruthless nemesis, Bonnie Bedelia as his no-nonsense wife and Reginald VelJohnson as the lovable sergeant who is brought in to the nightmarish situation. The production team is equally solid, featuring the cinematography from Jan de Bont (who would turn into directing in just a few years), score by Michael Kamen and production design by Jackson De Govia. A modern classic always worth revisiting. 

An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn

Movie Name: An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Jim Hosking
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Emile Hirsch, Jemaine Clement, Matt Berry, Zach Cherry, Craig Robinson, Jacob Wysocki, Maria Bamford, Michael D. Cohen, Mellanie Hubert, Sky Elobar, John Kerry, Bettina Devin, Kirsten Krieg
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn" is director Jim Hosking's sophomore feature directorial effort, following his debut with "The Greasy Strangler". The film follows the story of Lulu Danger, who is a waitress in a coffee shop that is managed by her husband Shane. One evening while watching television she notices an advert for an upcoming live show to be held at the town's hotel fronted by Beverly Luff Linn, whom she has had prior history with. Her husband in the meantime is on a quest of his own, wanting to rob Lulu's brother who has more money than him. He uses his employees to go through with the heist, though his brother in law soon realizes he is the culprit. Adjay hires a drifter by the name of Colin to retrieve the stolen goods. Colin and Lulu somehow find themselves tangled up with each other, while Beverly who is checking in to the hotel, with his assistant Rodney who is clearly in love with him. As Beverly's performance nears, all these characters relationships become clearer, including Lulu's past with Beverly himself.

"An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn" is a film that has a distinct point of view, one that may be filed under the moniker of surrealistic type of humor. And while the humor does appear courtesy of some characters and situations, it truly never goes beyond some situational awkwardness since the characters themselves are barely sketched out during the entire narrative's duration. As the film adds more characters to the narrative, including Colin who suddenly becomes tangled in Lulu's goals, and ultimately becomes her romantic interest, nothing substantial is ever actually revealed about him, aside from some of the awkward situations he's in, the same going for the additional characters who populate this universe (including for instance Rodney, Beverly's interesting assistant). The actors bring a bit of their trademark style and charisma to these characters, which makes the film more watchable, but doesn't necessarily hide the fact that there isn't much substance to what is taking place (even if what is taking place is somewhat absurd). It's ultimately a film where the style and its quirkiness are meant to overcome its narrative shortcomings, but one that sadly lacks in both, impacting the both the humor of the narrative and the distinctiveness of its characters (essentially a bit like a Wes Anderson type of film without the Anderson). Aubrey Plaza, Jemaine Clement, Craig Robinson while compelling and watchable, perform variations of characters they've delivered best in the past, while Emile Hirsch has very little to do. The production team is competent, with highlight going to production designer Jason Kisvarday. It's watchable but forgettable.

To Leslie

Movie Name: To Leslie
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Michael Morris
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Marc Maron, Allison Janney, Owen Teague, Stephen Root, Andre Royo, Catfish Jean, James Landry Hebert, Matt Lauria
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"To Leslie" created a bit of a surprise at the Academy Awards of 2023 when Andrea Riseborough appeared as one of the nominees for Best Actress, for a film that very few had seen, also due to the unconventional way with which her performance and the film itself was publicized to the creative community in Hollywood (Mary McCormack, the director's wife leveraged her contacts to make a push for the film itself). Either way, the film which is based on a true story, follows the story of Leslie, a woman in her early 40s with a drinking addiction. She won a lottery a few years back, but ended up spending it all on alcohol, alienating in the process her young son, her parents and most of the community in the small town she's from. The film follows Leslie as she's evicted from the motel where she was living, and how her drinking causes problems with her son, who has distanced himself from her and yet tries to help her, the same going with Sweeney, a motel owner in the small town where she returns to, and where people still resent her. Leslie eventually realizes her chronic self destructive behavior is further isolating her from everyone, including the relationships she primarily wants to salvage.

"To Leslie" is an interesting feature, in the sense that it is Michael Morris' feature directorial debut, after a lengthy career directing episodes for prestige TV Shows, including "Political Animals", "Smash", "House of Cards", "Halt and Catch Fire" and the list goes on, and also because it's a character study focused on someone dealing with alcoholism, which isn't necessarily new ground (one only has to be reminded of Mike Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas" or classics such as Blake Edwards' "Days of Wine of Roses" and Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend"). Michael Morris wisely avoids falling into the traps of misery porn, though there are some instances where it borderlines on it, opting instead with capturing the unflinching portrayal that Andrea Riseborough creates of Leslie. It's a film that has some ties with what Patty Jenkins created with "Monster", in the sense that their central characters are not filtered through a sympathetic tone, but are instead viewed as deeply flawed individuals, in this case, someone who eventually comes to the realization that the consequences of every single action, only comes back to haunt her, and her line of actions will eventually leave her alone, uncared for and forgotten. It's a film that doesn't shy away from portraying its central character in an unflattering perspective, though it does fail to build up the supporting characters into fully dimensional ones, depicting them more as catalysts for the emotional catharsis that Leslie needs to go through in order to grow up, as opposed to individuals whose lives were also deeply affected by her behavior and actions. The cast really brings this feature to life, with the superb Andrea Riseborough bringing both authenticity, vulnerability and edge to what could have easily have become another self-indulgent and overacting type of performance. She has great support from the always solid Marc Maron and the fantastic Allison Janney, whose character is sadly underdeveloped. The production team is solid, including the cinematography from Larkin Seiple and score from Linda Perry. It's an uneven journey, but definitely a deftly acted one. Worth watching.

Lou

Movie Name: Lou
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Anna Foerster
Starring: Allison Janney, Jurnee Smollett, Logan Marshall-Green, Ridley Asha Bateman, Matt Craven, Greyston Holt, Daniel Bernhardt, Marci T. House, Toby Levins, Andres Collantes, RJ Fetherstonhaugh
Genre: Action, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Director Anna Foerster who made her feature directorial debut with "Underworld: Blood Wars", has since then gone on to direct various prestige TV shows, including "Westworld" and Netflix's "Jessica Jones". "Lou", which takes place in 1986, follows the story of Lou, a solitary woman living on Orcas Island in Washington. She has her dog Jax has her companion, but is also the landlady for a woman named Hannah, who lives in one of her homes with her young daughter Vee. When Vee is kidnapped, Hannah reaches out to Lou, just as she's about to commit suicide, wanting her help in locating her daughter. Hannah explains that the kidnapper is actually Vee's father Philip, a former Green Beret and war criminal she thought was dead. As the two women set on their way to track Philip and Vee, they have to portend with some challenges. For starters Lou has to deal with some of Philip's friends, whom she handles rather swiftly, implying that she's also more than she has led people to believe. She explains to Hannah she's in reality an ex-CIA agent. When Lou eventually catches up and confronts Philip, it's revealed she's in reality his mother, and that Philip has devised an elaborate plan to kill them all. It's up to Lou and Hannah to attempt all they can to derail his plans.

"Lou" had enormous potential from the get go. The somewhat isolated locale where the narrative takes place, partnered with the inclement weather, married with a character who feels she's at the end of her rope, could have made for a truly fascinating story of redemption tied with survival. And while some interesting traces of that does remain in the film, it sadly ends up lacking quite a bit in terms of grit, character development, or even originality. Allison Janney's take on Lou, as someone seasoned and as someone burdened by her past choices is inspired, since she is able to convey these multiple layers to a character who is not necessarily heart warming or even redeemable. She has done what needs to be done throughout her life, even if at times that has been at the cost of her own family. However and as is the case with this particular type of "mysterious loner narratives", the screenplay fails to give a bit more extra dimension to what has driven her to her current mindset. Whereas Ted Kotcheff's "First Blood" for instance introduced John Rambo as a solitary drifter who gets pushed too hard and then rebels against those who want to demonize him, in this case Lou is somewhat isolated of her own choice, and though not as lethal as Rambo, she is indeed resourceful, but is also trapped by the guilt associated with her own actions. The film doesn't really know if it wants to be an unbridled action survivalist narrative, or this narrative of a woman who wants to atone for her past actions. In the end, it limits what Allison Janney and even Jurnee Smollett can do with their characters, aside from some clichés, the same going for the villainous Logan Marshall-Green, whose motivations and ultimate plan are simply slight an nonsensical. Sadly this film doesn't entirely work, though Allison Janney is a compelling presence, with good support from Jurnee Smollet, while Logan Marshall-Green's talent is completely wasted in a rather thankless role (and he was so good in Leigh Whannell's "Upgrade"). The production team is solid, including the dark tinted cinematography from Michael McDonough, and the production design from Brent Thomas. Another Netflix release that falls under the chapter of watchable and forgettable. 

Fenomenas/Phenomena

Movie Name: Fenómenas/Phenomena
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Carlos Theron
Starring: Belén Rueda, Gracia Olayo, Toni Acosta, Emilio Gutierrez Caba, Miren Ibarguren, Ivan Massague, Oscar Ortuno, Antonio Pagudo, Lorena Lopez, Fran Cantos
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Yet another Spanish horror film released by Netflix, and one that features the well known Belén Rueda, who audiences may be familiar with from the film "The Orphanage" from J.A. Bayona. "Fenómenas/Phenomena", which is based on the real-life Spanish Paranormal investigation group "Grupo Hepta", follows the story of three women including Sagrario, Paz and Gloria, who alongside Father Pilon have been investigating paranormal occurrences for quite some time. The film, which takes place in 1998 in Madrid, starts with the group trying to solve whatever attacked Father Pilon and rendered him at the hospital. The more they investigate the more they all realize that not everything is what it seems. A woman and her daughter who live next to the locale where all the strange events are taking place, are actually involved in the situation, with the mother being seemingly possessed by a spirit. Gloria, who wants to move on from the group and find some comfort in her life beyond the paranormal and is actually the group's medium, senses something more nefarious in the locale. Whatever is in motion seizes her, forcing Sagrario and Paz to come to her aid, and solve the entire darkness that is seizing the place.

Carlos Therón who has started his career not that long ago, has managed to diversify his output across both TV and feature films (with a few shorts in between). "Fenómenas/Phenomena" follows "Operación Camarón" and tries to mix the horror genre with some lighthearted banter/comedy, which is mostly derived from the close relationship the three women have shared throughout the years. While this banter and this rapport between the central characters is nicely conveyed, not much is actually disclosed or substantiated about who these characters actually are, aside from some facts that are peppered in to provide some context. Sangrario for instance, the psychic, is still trying to come to terms with the passing of her husband, while Paz the videographer, has a family she at times feels she neglects a bit. While these small details humanize the characters a bit further, it doesn't necessarily make them that much more interesting. The film almost comes across as a TV pilot where these characters are introduced with the hopes that subsequent episodes (or sequels) will expand on the narrative of these characters (or for that matter, of the supporting ones). There are dashes of color in certain details that are provided to the supporting characters, but even then they're portrayed very much in a singular minded fashion, without much dimension to them. The paranormal aspect of the narrative is also never entirely convincingly illustrated, with the director failing to stylistically create an ominous environment for these characters to exist in. In the end the film is saved by the performances of the three leads, with Belén Rueda, Gracia Olayo and Toni Acosta bringing these ghostbusters to life with enough gusto, humor and drama which makes the film watchable (though not entirely memorable). The production values are not necessarily the best, which also doesn't make this feature that much more enticing. Ultimately it's a watchable, but not memorable feature.  

Ghost Ship

Movie Name: Ghost Ship
Year of Release: 2002
Director: Steve Beck
Starring: Julianna Margulies, Gabriel Byrne, Ron Eldard, Desmond Harrington, Isaiah Washington, Alex Dimitriades, Karl Urban, Emily Browning, Francesca Rettondini, Boris Brkic
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Ghost Ship" was the sophomore directorial effort for Steve Beck following his debut with "Thir13en Ghosts". The film focuses its attention on a salvage crew who is approached by a weather service pilot who mentions he has spotted a vessel adrift in the ocean. The vessel can be claimed by whomever brings it to port. Turns out the ship is the Antonia Graza, a ship that has gone missing since 1962. Once they reach their destination and board the ship, they quickly discover boxes containing gold bars. However as they explore the ship, strange occurrences start happening, which makes them quickly decide to abandon the ship with the gold. However their salvage boat explodes which leaves them with no option but to repair the Antonia Graza. The supernatural entities they encounter unveil what has happened to the boat, and the entity who has been precipitating all these events. As casualties pile on, Maureen Epps finally decides to sink the ship, since she has uncovered the sinister intentions of the entity behind what has been happening in the Antonia Graza. 

"Ghost Ship" is a rather straightforward film that wastes no time in setting up the demise of its central characters. The preamble to the narrative already sets up the context for something quite awful that took in place in the ship, and the minute the salvage crew reaches it, it's clearly visible that there won't be much subtlety to whatever action is about to occur there subsequently. All the characters are flimsy sketches, with the goal for the narrative ultimately being for the supernatural occurrences to start taking place, alongside the demise of each of the rescuers in some gratuitously violent way. Ultimately it's a film that doesn't offer much in terms of character or narrative development, trying to elicit a surprise gasp from the villainous entity who is uncovered towards the end, sadly that reveal isn't much of a surprise or much shock, since not much has been built in terms of creating a bridge from the audience towards the characters themselves. It's a film that tries very hard to be suspenseful, but one where the director doesn't really know how to build momentum. The cast which is populated with solid actors, doesn't get to do much with these characters, the same going for the production team which while competent, also can't avoid the film from falling into a generic look and feel. It's ultimately a forgettable endeavor. 

Event Horizon

Movie Name: Event Horizon
Year of Release: 1997
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Sean Pertwee, Richard T. Jones, Jack Noseworthy, Holley Chant
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After making his debut with the well received "Shopping", director Paul W. S. Anderson followed that feature with the adaptation of the video game "Mortal Kombat", which even though it was met with tepid reviews, it still managed to find an audience. His third feature was "Event Horizon", which focuses its narrative on the adventures of a group of astronauts in space, who are sent on a rescue mission. The small crew is joined by Dr. William Weir who designed the ship they're aiming to salvage. The ship was considered lost, but has re-emerged much to everyone's surprise, alongside with what seems to be a recording asking for help. Dr. Weir explains what is so special about the ship, essentially that it has figured out a way to bend space, creating a wormhole in order to travel faster across considerable distances. Upon reaching the Event Horizon, the rescuers quickly realize something wrong happened there, though they can locate any of the previous crew. They also start experiencing hallucinations. They eventually discover a video log of the previous crew, which hints at what actually happened. Weir eventually communicates that the ship opened a gateway to horrid dimension and that the ship itself has attained sentience. Captain Miller from the rescue crew decides to take his chances and blow up the ship, but Weir who at this time has been compromised by is transpiring on the ship has other plans.

"Event Horizon" benefits firstly and foremost from its very talented and diverse cast, led by the always reliable Laurence Fishburne, with great support from Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson and Jason Isaacs. The film clearly has noticeable influences from very iconic features such as Ridley Scott and James Cameron's "Alien" films. The director manages to set up the initial premise of what the characters are looking for with almost a shorthand type of precision, very much in line with a B-movie, in the process providing very little backdrop or insight into who these characters actually are, but nonetheless giving them just enough color to justify our attention. The storyline starts going off the rails once the crew hits their destination, and the film tries to be a mix of "The Haunting" with "Hellraiser". The problem lies with the fact that we know very little of these characters, and the device that is used to elicit horror from them (and for them) is predicated on us having some empathy with their journeys (which based on what has been illustrated thus far, doesn't really happen). As the gore mounts, so does the increasingly less interesting part of this narrative. All the chatter about this new dimension and how horrific it supposedly is, and this villainous entity or dimension that has taken hold of the ship itself, just never amount to something substantial, and in the end it feels rather lifeless and bloodless (which is something, considering all that is illustrated onscreen). There isn't much in terms of motivation for what this nefarious entity actually wants, and therefore the narrative itself feels inconsequential. The cast tries their best to bring these characters to life, with whatever little they can, with Sean Pertwee and Sam Neill in particular managing to bring some charisma to their performances. The cinematography from the late Adrian Biddle is solid, as is the production design from Joseph Bennett. It's a missed opportunity from a director who definitely has become a deft B-movie storyteller (of sorts). 

Don't Listen/Voces

Movie Name: Don't Listen/Voces
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Angel Gomez Hernandez
Starring: Rodolfo Sancho, Ana Fernandez, Ramon Barea, Belen Fabra, Lucas Blas, Nerea Barros, Beatriz Arjona, Jose Bermudez
Genre: Horror, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

After a career directing short features, "Voces" is the feature directorial debut for writer/director Angel Gomez Hernandez. The narrative is focused on a Spanish family who has recently bought a beautiful property in need of restoration. They typically buy properties such as that, renovate them and then sell them for a profit. While they're renovating the property however, they live in it since they invest the proceedings from the sale into the next property they purchase. However with this property in particular things start going slightly awry since Daniel and Sara's son, Eric starts listening to voices coming through the house all the time. Eric draws what the voices are telling him, but no one seems to pay much attention. He also gets in trouble at school because of those voices and eventually a therapist is brought in to see what's going on with him. The therapist sadly dies in a car accident, while a dramatic event occurs at the house when Eric is found lifeless in the pool. Daniel and Sara are inconsolable, and while Sara goes to visit her parents, Daniel stays in order to finish the house restoration so they can move on. However he starts noticing some strange occurrences and voices, including Eric's, and seeks out the help of an expert in order to assess if what he's listening is real or not. German and his daughter Ruth show up with the intent of uncovering what's going on. 

"Voces" is a film that has influences which range from Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others" to some of the work Leigh Whannell and James Wan have been doing with the series "Insidious" and also "The Conjuring". Angel Gomez Hernandez is successful in establishing a sentiment of unease in the house, however is less interested it seems in capturing the relationship between the members of the family. Those characters are all fairly superficially rendered, including the relationships between all of them. After the death of young Eric and as Sara leaves to stay with her family, there isn't much exchange between her and Daniel. Things warm up a bit more when German and Ruth enter the picture, but their stories and exchanges, while trying to illustrate their own trauma, not enough backdrop and context is provided about the both of them to make their contribution to the narrative more compelling. The director seems to be more focused on the supernatural element of the narrative, more so than establishing the live characters that ultimately anchor it. While there is an element of tension that is effectively built out, this narrative needs more lived-in characters to really bring a sense of doom, fear and loss to life. As it is it seems rather lifeless. The cast tries their best to bring these characters to life, with Rodolfo Sancho, Ana Fernandez and Ramon Barea being the highlights. The production team is competent, but the rather paltry budget is noticeable. Filled with good intentions, but it's ultimately a forgettable endeavor. 

Rumble in the Bronx/Hung fan kui

Movie Name: Rumble in the Bronx/Hung fan kui
Year of Release: 1995
Director: Stanley Tong
Starring: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Françoise Yip, Bill Tung, Marc Akerstream, Garvin Cross, Morgan Lam, Lauro David Chartrand-Del Valle, Kris Lord, David Fredericks, Guyle Fraizer, Harold Gillespie
Genre: Action, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Stanley Tong had already shaped a successful working relationship with the iconic Jackie Chan before "Rumble in the Bronx" premiered, courtesy of their successful series "Supercop", which premiered in 1992, quickly followed by a sequel in 1993 (also featuring the always fantastic Michelle Yeoh). "Rumble in the Bronx" follows the story of Keong, who is visiting the US with a double of purpose of checking on his family, but also helping his uncle who is getting married and is off to celebrate and enjoy his honeymoon. The helpful and humble Keong quickly makes friends with a neighborhood kid (Danny), but also gets in trouble with a local gang who just thrives on creating mayhem wherever they go. Keong soon becomes romantically interested in Danny's older sister, who unbeknownst to him is part of the gang who has been trailing him. Both Keong and the gang however soon find themselves in a dicier situation when a dramatic heist takes place and some serious criminals come to their neighborhood with stolen items, that coincidentally find themselves under the unknown guise of Danny. Keong has to rely on his resourcefulness to solve this tangled mess.

Jackie Chan is an undisputed icon and someone who has made a name for himself with a lengthy career, where he has always managed to created these hybrid adventures that are a mix of martial arts/action caper and comedic entanglements. While Jackie Chan has been a titan in the Hong Kong movie industry for decades, "Rumble in the Bronx" was one of the first big attempts to bring his brand to the US. And for the most part his trademark remains consistent in this film: he is typically the central hero who is someone humble, somewhat unaware of the machinations of the world, always pure of heart, but who is lethal and possessed of both fighting and a moral fiber that is undisputedly unique. In this case, he finds himself at odds firstly with an urban gang, which eventually turns out are people mostly looking for purpose in life, and secondly with a nefarious group of criminals, who will stop at nothing to get what they want. And while these types of narrative elements feel at times very much like part of a recipe common to most of Jackie Chan's films, there's an undeniable freshness and lack of pretentiousness to these films, which allow him to both showcase his comedic timing, but also his fantastic acrobatic skills. And his films have long become great showcases for expertly choreographed fight scenes and at times perilous stunts, which is also the case for "Rumble in the Bronx". This is essentially a slickly crafted B-movie where everything works, from the stunts to the comedic tones. And while the characters are indeed instantly forgettable, Jackie Chan and his group manage to set up a flurry of events that is always compellingly watchable. Worth revisiting. 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Movie Name: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Year of Release: 2008
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Liz Cackowski, Jack McBrayer, Maria Thayer, Taylor Wily, Paul Rudd, Branscombe Richmond, Da'Vone McDonald, Steve Landesberg
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Writer/producer/director Nicholas Stoller started his directorial career and collaboration with writer/actor Jason Segel with this feature. The film focuses on the story of Peter Bretter, a music composer who is in a relationship with the famous Sarah Marshall, an actress currently with a hit tv-show. Much to his surprise Sarah decides to break up and Peter has a hard time dealing with the sudden implosion of the relationship. His stepbrother Brian intervenes, giving him solace and some advice on how to move on. Peter tries to go on several dates, but his depression doesn't seem to get any better. He eventually decides to take a vacation to Hawaii, and decides to check in on a hotel that he has not previously booked. Much to his surprise, the hotel is fully booked, but Sarah is also there enjoying some time off with her new fling, rock star Aldous Snow. Peter gets a break when Rachel, one of the hotels employees handling the check in, commiserates with his situation and finds a suite to stay on. As Peter navigates the awkwardness of being once again close to Sarah and her new love interest, he and Rachel also become friendly and in the process something sparks between the two of them. 

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is derived from the authorship of Jason Segel, who has since written "The Muppets", "The Five Year Engagement", "Sex Tape" and more recently the TV Show "Shrinking", to name but a few. He typically tries to find humor in awkward moments that people go through in life, moments that can be even painfully embarrassing but that he eventually manages to convert to heartfelt and even endearing ones. What is particularly successful about "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is the fact that these characters are actually given enough time to be more than your typical cliché, namely Peter who may seemingly be just the rejected klutz, but who turns out to be someone with his fair share of problems, and who in the process of this breakup has to figure out a way to grow up and be an adult. The same happens with the supporting characters, including Sarah Marshall, Rachel and even Aldous Snow (who does get his time to shine in the follow up film, "Get Him to the Greek"). It's a film that pushes some of its funnier moments to some interactions with characters who have less screen time, such as Paul Rudd's Chuck or Jonah Hill's Matthew, but it's still a film filled with heart for all these characters. And its disarmingly raw approach to some of the events that take place is both tender and funny. The cast is uniformly solid, with Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd all creating a solid ensemble who brings all these characters to life. The production team is competent, with highlight going to production artist Jackson De Govia. Worth watching. 

Get Him to the Greek

Movie Name: Get Him to the Greek
Year of Release: 2010
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elizabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Colm Meaney, Sean Combs, Aziz Ansari, Nick Kroll, Ellie Kemper, Jake Johnson, Kristen Schaal, Dinah Stabb, T.J. Miller, Stephanie Faracy, Carla Gallo
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the well received "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", writer/director Nicholas Stoller reunited once again with actor/writer Jason Segel and devised "Get Him to the Greek", focused on the story of Aaron Green, another every day man who works for a record company in LA (he is a talent scout), who is going through a series of substantial challenges. Aaron suggests creating a unique concert experience with rocker Aldous Snow, celebrating the 10 year release of one of his records. Aldous has fallen out of grace with audiences due to a lackluster performance and tone deaf release of a record named "African Child", which also precipitated the demise of his romantic relationship with the mother of his child, fellow pop star sensation, Jackie Q. Aaron is assigned the task of bringing Aldous to LA for the concert, at the same time his partner Daphne informs him that she has gotten a residency job offer in a Seattle hospital. They don't seem to align on where they stand and put their relationship on a break, while Aaron goes to London, on what seems to be a straightforward job. That turns out to be anything but the case, with Aldous making matters complicated for Aaron, by partying excessively, forcing them to constantly almost miss their flights, not to mention the flurry of awkward situations they find themselves in.

Nicholas Stoller has made a name for himself by finding the humor in awkward yet relatable situations. That was the case with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and is also the case with "Get Him to the Greek" and has also transpired in subsequent films which has included "The Five Year Engagement", "Neighbors", and even the more recently "Bros". What makes "Greek" so interesting is the journey that both central characters go through, and how even though they're at such different places in their lives, they both eventually realize that they have to grow up, and that life isn't solely a selfish pursuit of hedonistic pleasures. However and until they get to that realization, we get to witness all sorts of debauchery typically associated with the high life of the clichéd rock star, with sex shenanigans mixed with drugs, in ways that are at times surprising. What makes this film work so well is the fact that these characters are given an opportunity to be more than simple clichés, and we get to witness a bit of the sadness, anxiety, lunacy and even shallowness that lies within each one of them. Most of these characters get to go on a journey, even if some of them have a more robust journey than others. The film is impeccably cast, with Jonah Hill and Russell Brand making for a great comic duo, with fantastic support from Elizabeth Moss, the hilarious Rose Byrne and the always reliable Colm Meaney. The production team is fantastic, featuring the great cinematography from Robert D. Yeoman (who is Wes Anderson's usual collaborator) and production design from Jan Roelfs (who is the formidable talent who worked on Sally Potter's "Orlando", to name but one illustrious film from a fantastic career). Worth watching and savoring. 

Dumb and Dumber To

Movie Name: Dumb and Dumber To
Year of Release: 2014
Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Starring: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Kathleen Turner, Rob Riggle, Laurie Holden, Rachel Melvin, Steve Tom, Don Lake, Elizabeth Cooper
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

20 years after the original and very successful "Dumb and Dumber", the Farrelly siblings have reunited with their lead stars to bring back more adventures of Lloyd and Harry. The story finds Lloyd initially committed to a mental institution, with Harry visiting him frequently. Turns out Lloyd was just pranking him and has been doing so for 20 years. Harry reveals he needs a kidney transplant, but sadly his parents can't be of assistance since he's been adopted. While visiting his parents, Harry finds out that his ex-girlfriend Fraida Felcher has given birth to daughter by the name of Fanny, whom she had to give out for adoption, and that he is quite possibly the father. Happy at the thought of having a potential donor, they both set out to meet her, only to discover she's headed to El Paso, to give a speech on her adoptive father's work. They set out to connect with her, but hot on their trail is Travis, who has been working with Adele, to kill Fanny's adoptive father (Adele being married to Fanny's adoptive father). Once they arrive at the convention however, all sorts of shenanigans ensue. 

What was always so interesting about the original "Dumb and Dumber", aside from the obvious chemistry and camaraderie between Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, was the anarchic tone the film had, twisting conventions on their head. And while some jokes and set ups were indeed juvenile and in poor taste, the energy the film managed to capture was somewhat an interesting legacy of what Frank Tashlin and Jerry Lewis did with their films (for instance "Cinderfella"). This sequel tries to recapture that unique energy that transpired in 1994, and while instances and moments can never be truly recaptured, the film does manage to have some really solid moments of humor. The relationship and rapport between Harry and Lloyd persist and it's one of the highlights of the film, and while some attempts at tying the narrative to what happened in the first feature are not quite so successful, there's still plenty to enjoy in the interactions that occur with Rob Riggle (who in this case plays the spiritual legacy character played in the original by the late Mike Starr). If there are indeed some unnecessary plot points (the plot to kill Fanny's adoptive father), the addition of some scenes with Kathleen Turner's Fraida Felcher are hilarious. While both "Dumb and Dumber" features never had at their core a substantial character development, their situational humor and anarchic tone does make for an interesting watch, if nothing for the sheer opportunity to witness Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels be unhinged. While not as successful as the original, this sequel is still worth watching. 

Love Sarah

Movie Name: Love Sarah
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Eliza Schroeder
Starring: Celia Imrie, Shelley Conn, Shannon Tarbet, Rupert Penry-Jones, Bill Patterson, Andrew David, Max Parker, Lucy Fleming
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Love Sarah" is Eliza Schroeder's feature directorial debut, following a series of TV movies and shorts. The film focuses on the story of three women who come together due to a tragic circumstance. Isabella who is planning on opening a bakery with her best friend Sarah, suddenly finds herself in a precarious situation when she dies. Mimi, Sarah's mother, who was trying to reconnect with her after a fallout, also finds herself anguishing over what could have happened and what she should have done. And Clarissa, Sarah's daughter, finds herself lost, unable to continue her dance studies, and crumbling apart when her relationship also ends. Clarissa reconnects with Isabella and decides to bring the bakery idea back to life, something she soon understands will need quite a bit of an investment. Needing a place to live, she asks for her grandmother's help, and soon convinces her to invest and run the bakery, as an homage to Sarah's memory. While all three women are ready to get things going, they still need a cook. That manifests itself in the presence of Matthew, a well known chef and former colleague and love interest of Sarah, who was also friends with Isabella. After some initial reticence, they all start working together and try to bring the bakery which they name Love Sarah to life.

"Love Sarah" is a breezy film that is filled with good intentions, ultimately reinstating the fact that earth shattering events can bring people together, and that mutual assistance and support can uplift and provide meaning for people. All these are commendable intentions, and the film illustrates fairly well how all these characters come together, however it also does so in a fairly idealized reality, where these characters don't have much substance, and where financial hurdles can easily be surpassed by a well off family member who is available. It's a fairly straightforward narrative, one where all the characters are eventually healed by the bakery, who is indeed an ode to a lost loved one, but that also seemingly becomes a hub for all the multicultural groups of London, looking for a culinary connection to their homeland. So much more could have been probed with the materials that underly this narrative, namely Sarah's connection to all these characters, or even Felix's presence, but the film shies away from illustrating these, providing instead a lighthearted and breezy view of their interactions. The cast is solid in bringing these sketches to life, particularly the always reliable Celia Imrie and Bill Patterson, with good support from Rupert Penry-Jones. The production team is competent, but the film doesn't necessarily have a distinctive and stylistic point of view. It's a watchable but also easily forgotten endeavor.