Le Pacte des Loups/Brotherhood of the Wolf

Movie Name: Le Pacte des Loups/Brotherhood of the Wolf
Year of Release: 2001
Director: Christophe Gans
Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Monica Bellucci, Jérémie Renier, Vincent Cassel, Émilie Dequenne, Jacques Perrin, Christian Marc, Philippe Nahon, Karin Kristrom, Virginie Darmon, Eric Prat, Pierre Lavit, Edith Scob
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Christophe Gans made a name for himself in the 1990s with his directorial debut, "Crying Freeman". Since then he hasn't had a very prolific output as a director, but "Le Pacte des Loups" which premiered in 2001 was a huge hit in France. The film focuses on the character of Grégoire de Fronsac, a knight and the royal naturalist of King Louis XV, who alongside his Iroquois companion, get involved in the investigation of a series of killings that are taking place in the area of Gévaudan. The population there seems to think the killings are being done by a wolf, but Fronsac disagrees as he collects evidence that indicates otherwise. A witness who escapes an attack also states that the beast that is doing the killings is controlled by someone. Fronsac eventually realizes that the creature is an instrument of a secret society who has sinister goals of their own. As he and his companion Mani and their local supporter, a young Marquis, decide to tackle the creature on their own terms, they manage to injure it, but are unsuccessful in its capture. Mani eventually sets off alone in its pursuit, but is ambushed, and eventually killed by the brotherhood. While Fronsac attempts to get his revenge, he is outnumbered, and is imprisoned. Help comes in the shape of the courtesan Sylvia, who as it turns out, is a lot more than she appears to be. With her own agenda in mind, she orchestrates something that not even Fronsac could have foreseen. 

"Le Pacte des Loups/Brotherhood of the Wolf" is an interesting mix of genres, one that could have benefitted from a tighter story editing. The film introduces an eclectic array of characters, all of whom have just enough detail to fit into recognizable archetypes, very much similar to the typical B-movie structure. However Christophe Gans, both as co-writer/director, manages to bring some additional nuance to this narrative, with some allusions to Jean Cocteau's "La Belle et La Bête", though he prefers to focus more on the inclusion of his action/b-movie stylings, namely through some nicely choreographed fighting scenes. This rather modern stance does seem to imply a rather brisk pacing to the storytelling, something that turns out not to be the case. The film has several issues in terms of pacing, as if the director knows where he wants to take the narrative, but makes the path in getting there tortuous and filled with superfluous set pieces that add nothing to the feature itself. All these elements end up making the film feel like a rather patch of different stylings that don't necessarily all fit together very coherently. And for all its blown up duration, the film never provides additional detail on the characters, even those who end being the most interesting ones, such as Sylvia, or even Mani. The cast is solid and brings these characters to life, particularly Jérémie Renier, Monica Bellucci, and Émilie Dequenne, whereas Vincent Cassel goes into overacting mode quite frequently. The production team is effective, particularly Dan Laustsen's cinematography, Guy-Claude François' production design, and Dominique Borg's costumes. It's a film that is ultimately undone by its lack of focus, but is still watchable (and forgettable). 

Timeline

Movie Name: Timeline
Year of Release: 2003
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Paul Walker, Gerard Butler, Frances O'Connor, Michael Sheen, Lambert Wilson, Billy Connolly, Ethan Embry, Anna Friel, David Thewlis, Matt Craven, Marton Csokas, Neal McDonough, Rossif Sutherland, Steve Kahan, David La Haye
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review

Director Richard Donner started the new millennium with "Timeline", following the successful fourth installment of his "Lethal Weapon" franchise. The film is an adaption of the novel with the same name by famed author/filmmaker Michael Crichton, with the script coming from Jeff Maguire (known for "In the Line of Fire" directed by Wolfgang Petersen) and George Nolfi (who went on to co-write "The Bourne Ultimatum" directed by Paul Greengrass). The film follows a series of characters who are involved in an archeological study in France. Those characters include Professor Edward Johnston, Scottish archeologist André Marek, Kate Erickson, Josh Sten, François Dontelle, and Johnston's son, Chris. When they unearth an unusual finding, Professor Johnston travels to the American headquarters of his sponsor in order to enquire if the site has been tampered. The remaining team also uncovers at the same site, bifocals lens belonging to the Professor, and a note asking for help, all this from centuries ago. They also go back to the headquarters of their financier where they're introduced to a project they've been working on regarding teleportation. Turns out they've managed to create a wormhole to 1357, and the Professor alongside a small group went through it to investigate the past. That group, including the Professor, did not return. The archeologists volunteer to go back in order to rescue the professor, alongside a few security professionals employed by the organization. However the minute they get there things quickly go awry, since they're in the middle of an hostilities field, with the French battling the British. One of the team members trying to escape an attack, goes back through the wormhole, and detonates a grenade, which shatters most of the teleportation device. The group that is stuck in the past has to quickly figure out where the Professor is located, and leave without disrupting the timeline any further.

Unlike the H.G. Wells classic "The Time Machine", "Timeline" chooses to focus its attention on a very specific set of events taking place in the 14th century, particularly a battle between the French and the British. Also and unlike Mr. Wells' classic, it centers its narrative around a series of characters, all of whom are united by their love and devotion to the Professor/Father figure of the group. While the initial group dynamics is quickly set in motion to showcase the camaraderie that exists between the characters, it also becomes quite apparent that in terms of character motivation, the whole time travel aspect is going to be their sole purpose/goal in terms of the entire breadth of the feature. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, once the group goes into the past, that's when everything goes downhill. Both the French and British characters who are at the core of the conflict, have absolutely no dimension, being for all intended purposes, just clichés/poorly defined sketches, of what those characters are supposed to be. And all this without the sense of humor that the Monty Python performed when tackling similar medieval material. Some of the characters' accents are also a bit all over the place (Anna Friel's French accent is mediocre at best), while the production design is downright underwhelming, making the film look amateurish and poorly developed. The script simply doesn't know how to balance enough character substance with what's happening onscreen, rendering in the process the villainous characters as almost footnotes of this convoluted narrative. The cast tries their best to bring these characters to life, with Gerard Butler, Frances O'Connor, David Thewlis, Michael Sheen, and Billy Connolly, escaping relatively unscathed from it, while Anna Friel and Paul Walker feel miscast and out of place (and maybe that was the goal). The production team also under-delivers, including Caleb Deschanel's cinematography, with the day scenes looking washed out and overly lit (the daylight scenes reminded of John Woo's "Paycheck", also released in 2003, lensed by Jeffrey L. Kimball), and the mediocre production design from Daniel T. Torrance (in what was his first job as Production Designer). It was a big stumble for Mr. Donner, and it is a minor film for a director who was always a competent storyteller. 

Swan Song

Movie Name: Swan Song
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Todd Stephens
Starring: Udo Kier, Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie, Stephanie McVay, Tom Bloom, Justin Lonesome, Ira Hawkins, Thom Hilton, Shanessa Sweeney, Bryant Carroll, Shelby Garrett, Catherine L. Albers, Dave Sorboro
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Todd Stephens who made a name for himself with the films "Another Gay Movie" and its sequel "Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!", made a solid return to filmmaking with "Swan Song", which premiered in 2021 to fairly solid reviews. The film follows the story of Pat, a retired stylist/cosmetologist who is currently living in a retirement home. He is visited by the attorney of a former client, who has since passed away, and asked for Pat to do her hair one final time. Pat debates with himself doing so, since he and that client had a rather serious fall out. He decides to go for it, and on his way to the funeral home, he goes by a series of places that held some significance for him. He goes by the cemetery where his late partner is buried, he gets a makeover and a new suit, courtesy of a lady whom he helped and styled many years ago, and also visits the gay bar of the small town, where he also used to perform, and that is closing down its doors. Along the way he also reconnects with a former employee/protégé, with whom he has a love/disdainful relationship, and who took over most of his clients when his business started to die down. Pat gets to revisit a bit of his former life, as he nears the funeral home and has to reflect on his relationship with that client whom he feels wronged him. 

It's easy to attest that "Swan Song" had a very meager budget. However, that does not take away from the fact that Todd Stephens manages to create an ode to an actor who has been a film chameleon for decades, and who has worked with so many world renowned film makers (Udo Kier has worked with directors as Paul Morrissey, Dario Argento, Robert Van Ackeren, Werner Schroeter, Miklos Jancso, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lars Von Trier, Gus Van Sant, and the list goes on). Udo Kier manages to create a sensitive portrayal of a man who finds himself pushed out of a life he once had, and almost forgotten by everyone (and even himself). The Odyssey that he goes on, to battle the remnants of a client whom he thought was a friend, but who revealed herself to be flight and fearful, is also a way for him to say goodbye to a past and a life that no longer exists, and possibly bid farewell to the life he currently has. It's a tender look at someone's life choices, which eventually reveals more layers as to whom the character actually is, without ever being maudlin or overly manipulative. The film could have benefited from providing some more dimension to the supporting characters, particularly Jennifer Coolidge's Dee Dee, and even Linda Evans' Rita, but the central attention is without question Pat, and his opportunity to also witness how much the world has changed while he was secluded waiting for the death to come by. The cast supports the narrative solidly, with the wonderful Udo Kier getting good support from Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie and Stephanie McVay. The production team is not necessarily the most memorable, but the film is nonetheless fairly well executed. It is a solid character study for an actor who has been always widely underrated.  

Deadpool & Wolverine

Movie Name: Deadpool & Wolverine
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfayden, Dafne Keen, Jon Favreau, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Henry Cavill, Wunmi Mosaku, Aaron Stanford, Tyler Mane, Karan Soni
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds' collaboration path continues on this installment of the "Deadpool" franchise. They previously collaborated on "Free Guy" and "The Adam Project". The film once again focuses on Wade Wilson/Deadpool's adventures. After messing with time in the last feature, he finds himself retired from his Deadpool persona, selling cars with his friend Peter. However during his birthday celebration, the Time Variance Authority, captures him and brings him to Mr. Paradox, who explains his timeline is coming to an end due to the death of an "anchor being", namely Logan (or Wolverine). He also explains he plans on using a device called "Time Ripper" to speed up the process, while offering Wilson a role in what is called "The Sacred Timeline". Wilson however wanting to save his own timeline, steals Paradox's TempPad and tries to locate other versions of Logan that can replace the one that perished on his own. As it turns out, Paradox is acting outside the boundaries of his agency and when Wilson and Logan find out, he sends them to the Void, where everything gets consumed by a strange creature. What they find in the void is however much more than they could have anticipated. 

What has always been so successful about the "Deadpool" films, even when they fall prey to some of the superhero formula, has been both the irreverence Ryan Reynolds brings to the character, but also the B-movie aspect those films patently put on display (and I'm not referring to the extreme violence or even profanity, but the fact that the characters are briefly introduced, with their motivations and arc illustrated very evidently). This edginess is lost almost completely with a new array of writers, mixed with Shawn Levy's take on the material. All that made the prior films slightly off-kilter, has been almost sanitized into a tolerable and cartoon-based version of violence, in a way blurring all that made the prior films that much more enticing. Ryan Reynolds' energy is still there, but it now goes in so many different directions, trying to tie so many of the narrative threads that are on display, that at some point it loses all the freshness that was demonstrated on the prior films. Additional issues appear in the choice of antagonists, which ranges from the well cast Matthew Mcfayden as the corporate villain, to the not so well chosen Emma Corrin as Cassandra, the menacing mutant (whose motivation for doing anything is a bit dubious at most). Overall it's a visible change in tone, one that takes away from the irreverence the prior films displayed, in exchange for a more formulaic and almost reverential (and referential) to the Marvel cannon that has been construed throughout the years. The cast is solid, with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman having great chemistry and partnership, with solid support from Matthew Mcfayden, Jon Favreau, and Rob Delaney. The production team is solid, including George Richmond's cinematography, Ray Chan's retro inspired production design, and costume design by Graham Churchyard and Mayes C. Rubeo. It's watchable (and it's a huge hit from an audience perspective), but it's also somewhat forgettable.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Movie Name: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Gil Kenan
Starring: Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O'Connor, Logan Kim, Emily Alyn Lind, James Acaster, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton, Shelley Williams, Chris Tummings
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After successfully bringing back the "Ghostbusters" franchise to life with "Afterlife", writer/producer/director Jason Reitman has passed the baton to Gil Kenan, who also co-wrote that feature, and has made a name for himself in the past with the animated "Monster House". The narrative picks up three years after what occurred in "Afterlife", with the Spengler family now living in New York City, alongside Gary, and their friends Lucky and Podcast. They're operating from the prior Ghostbusters headquarters, and once again run into troubles with the authorities, specifically the mayor of the city, the original Ghostbusters archenemy, Walter Peck. The mayor takes issue with the fact that Phoebe who is still underage, is part of the team, upon which her mother and Gary decide to bench her for the time being. While outing her frustrations in the park Phoebe meets a friendly ghost, one by the name of Melody, who beats her at chess, and who is trying to reconnect with her long gone family. Simultaneously Ray and Podcast come across a strange brass orb, one that seems to be loaded with something supernatural, which discharges a cold wave that travels all the way to the Ghostbusters' firehouse headquarters and damages their containment unit. The orb is taken to Winston's new lab, where the team starts realizing there's more to it than they originally thought. Simultaneously the team realizes that the person who sold them the orb may have ties with whatever is contained in the orb. As they all try to connect the dots, Phoebe is trying to get closer to Melody, only to realize that she also has an agenda or her own, one that may not be as simple as it seems.

One of the biggest issues plaguing "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is the fact that it tries very hard to bring many plot threads together, and it eventually never truly satisfyingly solves many of them. What the original Ivan Reitman feature did so well, among many other things, was the simple aspect of this group of idiosyncratic scientists who specialized in studying ghosts, and how they collectively managed to save the city of New York. The key concept was: simplification of plot, married with interesting characters. "Frozen Empire" on the other hand, in a quest to stand its own ground, tries to mix a bit of teenage angst, the "not fitting in a new environment" angle, family dynamics that are still being sorted out, a buddying lesbian romance, all the while bringing the original Ghostbusters and their foes into the mix, a new supernatural entity and a "golden person" of sorts to battle it out, all the while hoping all these ingredients somehow make a coherent and engaging melange. And some indeed do work out, particularly the ones that involve the original team, since their chemistry and camaraderie is undeniable, however some of the family dynamics feel undernourished, particularly the interactions between Paul Rudd's character and the Spengler family. With so many plot points actually taking place, most of the characters feel under-developed, and with scarcely any screen time. Both Callie and Trevor Spengler barely make a mark on the film, whereas Phoebe's teenage angst and buddying lesbian romance both feel reheated and undercooked. While is commendable the creative team tried to tackle so many plot points, this is a film where story editing and focusing on a few threads would have allowed for the characters to have both more interaction and more depth (the relationship between Gary and Callie is also barely existent). The cast tries their best to bring the plot to life, but sadly even with their collective effort, they barely register much simply because their efforts get watered down (or frozen up). The production team is solid, including Dario Marianelli's score, Eric Steelberg's cinematography, and Eve Stewart's production design. It's not a dreadful film, but it's one that could have benefited from more attention to character detail. 

I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

Movie Name: I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
Year of Release: 2016
Director: Oz Perkins
Starring: Ruth Wilson, Paula Prentiss, Bob Balaban, Lucy Boynton, Brad Milne, Daniel Chichagov
Genre: Drama, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Neflix

Synopsis and Review

"I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives in the House" is writer/director Oz Perkins (or Osgood Perkins) sophomore directorial endeavor. It follows his well received "The Blackcoat's Daughter". The film follows the story of Lily Saylor, a nurse whom we first encounter on an assignment involving the care of an author with dementia, Iris Blum. The job is arranged by the author's estate, Waxcap, who mentions to Lily he will visit on occasion to check on how everything is going. Other than that, it will be just the two of them. Lily starts noticing some odd occurrences in the house, such as the telephone being yanked from her hands unexpectedly, and a dark spot of mold that appears on the wall and that steadily grows as the months pass by. Iris addresses Lily as Polly, whom Lily comes to find out, is the name of a character on Iris' books, but also the name of a woman who lived in the house in the early 19th century, and turns out was murdered by her husband. Lily suspects that Iris' book documents the murder that happened in the house. And she also suspects there's something else in the house, beyond just herself and Iris.

"I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives in the House" is a film that lives from the quiet and unsettling environment Oz Perkins builds throughout the duration of the narrative. It's a discrete film that resists the temptation of going with broad horror tropes, preferring instead to present subtle hints that something not entirely normal may be taking place. And while avoiding tropes and clichés is always a commendable aspect to any feature film, it also doesn't take away the fact that for all its good intentions, these characters have very little dimension or substance to them. Neither Lily, Iris, or for that matter Polly, are given much in terms of arc or backdrop, and whatever is indeed provided about them is very limited. What we're left with is what some people would call a slow burner, which in fact is just a synonym for a story that is ultimately undercooked, and that runs out of steam when all you have to live from is that unsettling environment that is created. For all the whispers, camera angles, and suggestions of menace that there can possibly be, without characters to properly anchor this narrative to some motivation or semblance of journey, there really isn't much left to watch or even admire. The cast tries their best with the material they have, with Ruth Wilson and Bob Balaban competently bringing whatever they can of these characters to life. The production team is also rather unremarkable. It's a film that for all its good intentions, is ultimately forgettable. 

Longlegs

Movie Name: Longlegs
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Oz Perkins
Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, Kiernan Shipka, Blair Underwood, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, Lauren Acala, Jason William Day, Lisa Chandler, Ava Kelders, Carmel Amit
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Oz Perkins is back, following the well received "Gretel & Hansel", released in 2020. "Longlegs" takes place in the early 1990s, and follows the story of Lee Harker, a newly recruited FBI agent who is possessed of a special intuition and ability to perceive details that many others don't focus on. In one of her first assignments she manages to detect where an assassin is, and eventually captures him, even if her partner fails to survive the ordeal. She then gets assigned a case that has been with the bureau for decades, one that has been designated "Longlegs", since each crime scene is left with a letter that is signed with that authorship. It's been a series of murder-suicides, and in each of those situations, the father murders the wife and children, before taking his own life. Those signed letters are found at the crime scenes, with Satanic coding, though the handwriting doesn't belong to any of the victims and there's no evidence of home invasion. Lee eventually understands the pattern surrounding all the victims, and the connection between all the dates in which the killings occur. She and her supervisor, Carter, uncover a doll buried in one of the crime scenes, and within the doll, a metal orb that emits high energy, despite being empty. Carter suspects that there's a connection between Longlegs, Lee and her mother Ruth, and encourages Lee to converse with her mother. Ruth, who seemingly lives like a hoarder, tells Lee she remembers nothing from her 9th birthday, but also tells her that she has kept everything in her room as it was since she was a child. While looking through polaroids she took when she was 9, she identifies a pale-faced looking man, and she realizes that it is Longlegs, and that he visited her when she was a child. After he is taken into custody, Lee finally speaks with him, and realizes there's more to his plan and that he hasn't been operating individually through his perfectly realized plan.

"Longlegs" is one of those rare features, that while displaying some of its filmic influences, it manages to create its own identity. In this particular case, there are obvious hints at the beginning of the narrative, that tie "Longlegs" with Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs", particularly in some of the similarities of the treatment of the characters Lee and Clarice Starling, but as "Longlegs" continues to reveal its narrative, the film goes in a different direction than what Thomas Harris' adaptation focused on. While Jonathan Demme's feature is both a procedural, but also the narrative of someone overcoming her fears and traumas, thanks to the relationship she establishes with a dangerous psychopath, in "Longlegs" the environment and the unsettling aspect of what is being depicted suggests a more horrifying scenario at hand, particularly for its central character. Another particularly arresting aspect about this feature, is the attention to detail and the styling Oz Perkins and his team bring to the narrative at hand (it situates the action in a specific time period, but it also hints at the 1970s and 1980s). The environment and atmosphere he manages to conjure is perpetually menacing, particularly for Lee, since no space seems safe or secure. While the level of detail for the characters is somewhat underdeveloped, the interactions that occur between them still resonate and feel authentically depicted. The cast is uniformly strong, with particular highlights going to Nicolas Cage who is truly unrecognizable, Alicia Witt who nearly walks away with the entire film, and Kiernan Shipka who has a small, but powerful part. The production team is impeccable, with highlights going to Andres Arochi's cinematography, Elvis Perkins' score, and Danny Vermette's production design. A very well crafted and worth watching film. 

Abigail

Movie Name: Abigail
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, William Catlett, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito, Matthew Goode
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The directing duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, keep their prolific output going, following their back to back features "Scream" and "Scream VI", which came out in 2022 and 2023. "Abigail" follows the story of a group of strangers who are brought together to kidnap a young girl, whom they know nothing about. These 6 individuals, all with specific skills, are led by someone named Lambert, who informs them that in 24 hours they'll have a collective stash of 50 million dollars to divide amongst themselves. They all use fake names to address each other, and the group is comprised of Joey, a former Army medic and recovering drug addict, Frank, who is a former detective, Sammy, a well-off thrill-seeking hacker, Rickles, a former Marine sniper, Peter, a slightly intellectually challenged mob enforcer, and Dean, a sociopathic driver. Joey is tasked with overseeing the care of Abigail, the young girl who has been kidnapped, and they soon realize she's the daughter of Kristof Lazaar, a powerful crime lord. That scares them all, as they've heard stories of the brutality of his crimes and enforcements. When Dean is killed they suspect that one of Lazaar's killers is in the house, but much to their surprise, they discover that the killer is in reality Abigail, who is a vampire, and has been toying with them all along. They all decide to battle her in the hopes they can make it till dawn, so they can get out of the house in which they secluded her. 

The premise for "Abigail" is rather straightforward: a kidnap story that goes awry when the group realizes the victim is actually a ruthless predator, and turns out the abductors are set to become victims to the one they were originally terrorizing. The twist here is the fact that the victim turns out to be a vampire, and the group is comprised of very different personalities, all of which have their own agendas, scruples (or lack of), and ambitions. The concept reads very much like a B-movie, where these characters are briefly described, with their motivations very clearly outlined from the beginning. The filmmakers smartly avoid pretension, and recognize the silliness of the premise, walking a rather tasteful fine line, never falling into the silly carnage of Robert Rodriguez's "From Dusk Till Dawn", but also not diving into the interesting and layered environment (and atmosphere) that Tomas Alfredson's "Let the Right One In" perfectly conveyed. It's a film that is polished in its execution, with a cast that is invested in bringing these characters to life, but where everyone is also clearly aware that this isn't the most memorable endeavor they've ever been on. As such, the surprises are few, but the filmmakers manage to keep the narrative compelling and the interactions between this group of characters minimally engaging. It would have been nice to devote some additional time to Abigail and her father, but that wasn't the case for this film, which is ultimately more interested in the blood fest that dominates the third act. Alisha Weir, Dan Stevens, and Kevin Durand are the highlights of the cast, alongside the scary cameo from Matthew Goode. The production team is solid, including Brian Tyler's score, Aaron Morton's score, and Susie Cullen's production design (the dilapidated mansion has great details to it). It's watchable, but ultimately forgettable.  

Glass

Movie Name: Glass
Year of Release: 2019
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, Luke Kirby, Adam David Thompson, M. Night Shyamalan, Shannon Destiny Ryan, Diana Silvers, Nina Wisner, Kyli Zion, Serge Didenko
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

M. Night Shyamalan has assuredly been carving the career for himself that is governed by his tastes and strategy, as opposed to fitting into what the cinematic/film media was at some point trying to box him into (the new Steven Spielberg paradigm at some point). Since going back to the roots of lower budget features with "The Visit", Mr. Shyamalan has been able to film the stories he wants, with "Glass" being the closure of a trilogy he started with the underrated "Unbreakable" in 2000, which he followed with "Split" in 2016. The narrative focuses on the convergence of three characters, the multi-personality Dennis/Patricia/Hedwig and all the others contained in that body (or The Horde), David Dunn (or The Overseer), and Elijah Price (or Mr. Glass). The all find themselves confined to Raven Hill Memorial, where Dr. Ellie Staple wants to prove that they're all delusional thinking they are possessed of super human powers. David's son, Joseph, alongside Elijah's mother, Mrs. Price, and Casey Cook, who survived The Horde's captivity, all try to convince Dr. Staple that they are indeed possessed of superhuman abilities, but the Dr. seemingly debunks all their scenarios/explanations. While Elijah seems to be apparently catatonic, he has secretly been conducting additional research on David and The Horde, and has plans to escape the institute. Not only that, he also has plans to reveal humans with extraordinary abilities, by making The Horde and David fight at the opening of the Osaka Tower, a new skyscraper in Philadelphia. However as his plans start to take shape, some things also happen that fall outside of what he had predicted, including Dr. Staple who isn't everything she's been leading them all to believe.  

After the well received "Split" where Mr. Shyamalan went back to the narrative he introduced with "Unbreakable", "Glass" is the film where all the plot-points converge, and where the writer/producer/director finally exposes his vision of what superheroes consist of, at least in his own universe. Of all three films "Unbreakable" continues to be the most interesting one, since the director creates a progressive disclosure of what is taking place, and of how these characters are finding out who they are, much like the audience is. In the first film we also get to understand much of the characters' family dynamics, and why they are the way they are, and why they've always felt slightly off-kilter in whatever environment they found themselves in. "Glass" piggybacks quite a bit on what the prior films have established, and introduces the catalyst for their convergence in the shape of Dr. Staple. Sadly she isn't give quite as much dimension, or for that matter, attention as the prior films did for their central characters. She's an under-developed catalyst, since the director continues to focus on the three superhuman individuals, but now does so more in a superficial manner, as they're collected types who exist with the purpose of fitting into a different scheme (which initially seems to be Elijah's, only to be revealed another more sinister one). That's possibly where the film feels most underbaked or undercooked. The sinister organization at play in the hospital where they're all gathered, gets very little attention, and feels shallow and inconsequential. The cast is uniformly fantastic, with James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, and Charlayne Woodard, all creating solid interpretations of their characters. The production team is equally solid, with highlights going to Mike Gioulakis' cinematography, West Dylan Thordson's score, and Chris Trujillo's production design. The film remains watchable thanks to the commitment of this remarkable cast, but could have benefited of a refined character perspective. 

Freaks

Movie Name: Freaks
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Lexy Kolker, Grace Park, Amanda Crew, Ava Telek, Michelle Harrison, Matty Finochio, Aleks Paunovic
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

The writing/directing team of Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein have made a career for themselves tackling a variety of genre material, including the fairly recent project of bringing "Kim Possible" to life in a TV movie. "Freaks" had its debut at the Toronto Film Festival of 2018, followed by a series of other film festivals, before premiering in the Fall of 2019. The narrative focuses on seven year old Chloe who has spent all her life in a somewhat decrepit house with her father Henry. Henry trains Chloe on how to deal with situations from the outside, including questions from strangers, but also keeps warning her of the dangers that lie outside their doors, with people who want to kill them both. Chloe in the meantime longs to go outside and misses her mom. She eventually learns of people on the outside who have superhuman abilities, who are named "abnormals", and also learns they're hunted by the government and sent to a containment facility under Madoc Mountain. Even though her father warns her not to go outside, while he's out Chloe ventures and explores, since she's wanting to get some ice cream from an ice cream truck that comes around. Turns out the ice cream truck driver, whose name is Alan, is in reality her grandfather, and her mother is still alive (something even her father does not know), but being held against her will at Madoc Mountain. Both Henry and Alan are revealed to be abnormals, as is the case for Chloe, who has the ability to control people's minds. As Henry discovers more about Chloe's adventures and the situation surrounding Mary, his partner and Chloe's mother (that he believed to be dead), they set out a plan to save her, however government agents are quickly catching up.

"Freaks" which bears the same title as Tod Browning's 1932 classic, has a tone that reminds Jeff Nichols' "Midnight Special", in the sense that it opts to minimize the whole aspect of the supernatural traits the lead characters possess. The writer/directors opt to progressively disclose what is prompting for this nuclear family to hide from the outside world, initially positioning the father character as someone whom we don't really know if he is telling the entire truth or not about how truly life threatening their situation is. As the narrative evolves, the more we understand about the context in which these characters live, though the characters themselves sadly remain very briefly illustrated, including some backdrop on how their supernatural abilities came about. Character details aside, the film manages to illustrate the fear/terror in which Henry, the father figure, lives that himself and his daughter are chased, persecuted and killed, solely for the fact that they are who they are (there's also many parallels to WWII and the extermination of minorities during that War). While the film also has traces of Stephen King's "Firestarter", it definitely goes in a different direction, as it becomes a quest to bring a family unit together. The leading cast is solid, featuring good performances from Emile Hirsch and Bruce Dern, with Lexy Kolker also creating a solid central performance as Chloe. The production team also performs solidly, including Stirling Bancroft's cinematography, and Moe Curtin's production design (even as one can clearly tell the modest budget that was involved in the creation of this feature). It's an inventive take on the super hero genre that is worth watching.

Awake

Movie Name: Awake
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Mark Raso
Starring: Gina Rodriguez, Ariana Greenblatt, Lucius Hoyos, Shamier Anderson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Frances Fisher, Finn Jones, Gil Bellows, Barry Pepper
Genre: Drama, Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Neflix

Synopsis and Review

Mark Raso made a name for himself with his first two features, "Copenhagen" and "Kodachrome", before tackling "Awake", which is definitely more genre specific than his prior features. The film focuses its narrative on Jill Adams, a former US Army medic, who is also a recovering addict. She currently works as a security guard at a local college where she steals drugs from the research lab and sells around the area. She has two kids, teenarger Noah and the younger Matilda, both of whom live with their grandmother. On the day of their pickup to stay with her for the day, Jill's car loses power and is hit by another car, which sends them into the bottom of a nearby lake. While Jill and Noah manage to get themselves out, the young Matilda drowns, but is revived by a police officer which saw what had happened and came to their rescue. He informs them that something has happened which has made all electricity stop working. At the hospital they realize a lot of accidents seemed to have occurred, and people are no longer able to sleep, and even those who were in a coma, suddenly reawaken. The psychiatrist Dr. Murphy, whom Jill works with, tells her that people seem to have lost the ability to fall asleep, and they will soon start dying from sleep deprivation. The only person who still seems to be able to sleep is a woman who is being studied at a compound by the name of The Hub. As it turns out, Matilda is also able to sleep, and her and Noah upon learning about The Hub want to go there for safety. Things start getting out of control very quickly, which forces Jill and her kids to find a way to get to The Hub. 

Another Netflix original film, Mark Raso's "Awake" is a quasi post-apocalyptic type of film, that plays in the tropes of that genre, but doesn't go fully overboard with the whole end of the planet and massive paranoia that some films tend to tackle and illustrate. The director smartly focuses the narrative on a nuclear family that is somewhat fractured, and how this unexpected and massively traumatic occurrence in a way becomes the catalyst for this family to have a new opportunity to reshape their relationships. For the most part this angle is successful, since Jill's attempts to redeem herself feel heartfelt and sincere, though the issue becomes the lack of information that is provided about any of the characters who have some focus in the narrative. Their introductory cue cards are very succinct, almost too succinct, leaving very little room to better understand some of their motivations and why some of the actions they perform take place. As much as the B-movie angle is welcomed, once again there isn't enough detail on central characters to fully make them more palpably realized, even if the actors themselves try their best in bringing them to life. As a result, the film flows rather straightforwardly but not entirely unexpected, including the final chapter where we finally understand a bit more about what has happened, and what may be the solution for the problem they're all tackling. The cast is solid, led by Gina Rodriguez who has great support from Ariana Greenblatt, Frances Fisher, Jennifer Jason Leigh (who is sorely underused), Gil Bellows and Barry Pepper. The production team is competent, but also unremarkable. It's a watchable but also quickly forgettable endeavor. 

Problemista

Movie Name: Problemista
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Julio Torres
Starring: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, Isabella Rossellini, Catalina Saavedra, James Scully, Laith Nakli, Greta Lee, Larry Owens, Kelly McCormack, Eudora Peterson, Greta Titelman, Shakina
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Problemista" is Julio Torres' feature directorial debut, following a considerable lengthy experience as a writer for "Saturday Night Live", alongside other tv-shows he's also written throughout his career. The film focuses its narrative on Alejandro, a young man from El Salvador who dreams of becoming a toy designer for Hasbro. His mom is herself an artist who has always supported Alejandro's dreams, and he currently shares a small apartment in Bushwick, while applying for the Hasbro intern program with various ideas/concepts, which aren't really going anywhere. He perseveres nonetheless, and keeps a journal with him at all times, where he documents all sorts of toy concepts that cross his mind. He works at a company that cryogenically freezes people, in order to reawaken them in the future, but is fired, and as a result his status in the US is in jeopardy as he needs a work sponsor in order to stay in the country. Alejandro is told by his immigration attorney he needs someone who can sponsor him immediately, and also needs to get some money coming, even if he can't be taking any money unless he has a sponsor. An unexpected and possible solution comes in the shape of Elizabeth, the wife of a cryogenically frozen artist by the name of Bobby, who is having issues paying for his continued frozen maintenance. Elizabeth hires Alejandro as a freelance, with the promise of a sponsorship, if they can get Bobby's work collected and properly curated, and eventually have an exhibit around his work. Since Alejandro needs some additional cash, he starts taking random Craigslist jobs, which prove more challenging than he expected, the same going for Elizabeth herself.

"Problemista" is an interesting feature, one that mixes just enough dosage of realism with dashes of surrealistic metaphors, that keep it always interesting and unexpected. It's a combination of Michel Gondry/Charlie Kaufman's universe with a bit of Terry Gilliam tossed in for good measure. It is also very ostensibly queer sensitive, which makes it that much more diverse and closer to the lead actor/writer/director himself. The narrative itself has traces of Martin Scorsese's "After Hours", particularly as the situations in which Alejandro finds himself get progressively more complicated, only "Problemista" doesn't revolve around one single night, but more around a timeline in which Alejandro has to solve his immigration issues, and also address his dream job situation. It's a film that smartly plays with the archetypes of certain characters, namely Elizabeth's "difficult" personality which can to a certain extent be associated with the typical cliché of the New Yorker embodiment, and the supporting characters, all of whom fit the poseur/artsy vibe, and are just sufficiently flakey, self centered, and likable, even if they're teetering towards the obnoxious. Julio Torres smartly makes the situations a hybrid flow of realism and his surrealistic impressions/interpretations, which makes the film that much more interesting visually (and stylistically). The cast, largely dominated by Torres and the stupendous Tilda Swinton, with the additional narration of Isabella Rossellini are on point, with Swinton in particular creating a character unlike any of the ones she has previously embodied. She's in equal measures chaotic, neurotic, forceful, and also almost endearing in a rather warped way. The production team is solid, in particular the cinematography from Fredrik Wenzel, production design from Katie Byron, and costumes by Catherine George. It's a really interesting feature worth watching. 

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Movie Name: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Tom Gormican
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Tiffany Haddish, Paco Leon, Neil Patrick Harris, Ike Barinholtz, Lily Mo Sheen, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Katrin Vankova, David Gordon Green
Genre: Action, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" is Tom Gormican's sophomore directorial feature, following his poorly received "That Awkward Moment", which featured Zac Effron, Miles Teller, and Michael B. Jordan in the cast. The narrative focuses on Nicolas Cage who is the midst of attempting a restart of his career, though he keeps telling everyone he never went anywhere, and has continued to work very steadily. A promising conversation with director David Gordon Green seems to lift his hopes that a big role is coming his way, but that turns out not to be the case. His agent Richard mentions to him that there's a well paid booking just awaiting his decision: a 1 million dollars to meet one of his biggest fans in Mallorca, the playboy Javi Gutierrez, who is celebrating his birthday. As Cage is in the middle of an emotional turmoil with his daughter and his ex-wife, he agrees to the meeting, after being reassured that nothing creepy or awkward is being prepared by Javi. The two men eventually bond over a mutual love of a few films, but Cage is soon approached by two CIA agents who inform him that Javi is a crime lord, and has in fact kidnapped the daughter of a Catalan anti-crime politician. They ask Cage for help, in the hopes he can indeed confirm that the young woman is in the compound. However Cage soon realizes not everyone on Javi's entourage is who they claim to be. 

This whole aspect of poking fun at himself and the path his career has taken, is actually the most compelling aspect to this film that is for all intended purposes a celebration of the talent and charisma of Nicolas Cage. And while he does indeed have plenty of both, this film while at times funny and entertaining, fails to capitalize on his whole persona, and also fails to take the narrative to another level. This film isn't as layered as Spike Jonze's "Being John Malkovich", it doesn't really deconstructs the ego of the actor, or surface the insecurities or fears Nicolas Cage actually has. It's a bit of a celebration with the mix of an actual action plot that by the epilogue seems to spark his energy once again. A slight variation on the unjustly maligned "The Last Action Hero" from John McTiernan, only in this case, the supposed real life is being rendered just like a Nicolas Cage action film. The film benefits from the exchanges and interactions between Cage and the always great Pedro Pascal, the same going for the underrated Sharon Horgan, however as the action set piece comes into play, the film also moves into more generic territory, and it becomes a bit of a less exciting parody, undermining all the winks at the films that have already been mentioned from Nicolas Cage's filmography. It ultimately lives from the persona of Nicolas Cage the actor/character, leaving very little room for anything else, though the supporting cast does add some solid work, including Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, and Neil Patrick Harris. The score from Mark Isham is solid, the same going for Nigel Buck's cinematography. It's a fairly watchable film, but once again one that could have gone so much further. 

Gozilla X Kong: The New Empire

Movie Name: Gozilla X Kong: The New Empire
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen, Rachel House, Ron Smyck, Chantelle Jamieson, Greg Hatton, Kevin Copeland
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Warner Brothers' Monsterverse continues, with another sequel to Godzilla versus Kong, this time around with the two titans coming together to vanquish another foe. This is the fifth film in the series, which started with Gareth Edwards' "Godzilla" in 2014, followed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts' "Kong: Skull Island" in 2017, Michael Dougherty's "Godzilla: King of Monsters" in 2019, and the more recent "Godzilla Vs. Kong" also from Adam Wingard (from 2021). The plot picks up three years after the battle between Kong and the Mechagodzilla. Kong is now living in a territory known as Hollow Earth, where he seeks for others of his species, while still staying friendly with his human partners. On the Earth's surface, Godzilla keeps an eye for other Titans which may attack the planet. A signal is sent from Hollow Earth, which sets Godzilla in motion, as he senses an impending threat. Close to the gateway to Hollow Earth, Dr. Ilene Andrews realizes that her adoptive daughter Jia is also sensing something, as she is in fact that last known survivor of the Iwi tribe from Skull Island. Kong unexpectedly uncovers another one of his species, a little cub, and follows him to where others are living. He realizes they're living under the rulings of the Skar King, who controls a Titan by leveraging an ancient crystal. As Dr. Andrews and her team go to Hollow Earth to figure out where that signal is coming from, Godzilla is packing on more and more energy to battle the treat that is coming. Andrews realizes that there are more Iwi living in the Hollow Earth area, and that the Skar King wants to conquer the surface world leveraging its Titan. She also uncovers that Jia has a part to play in reawakening Mothra, and that Morthra will be essential to defeat that enormous threat. 

One of the biggest challenges in making monster films lies in telling a story that doesn't solely focus on the mayhem and destruction brought on by these immense creatures, but that somehow also has an interesting human element to it. Peter Jackson's "King Kong" was admirable since it did manage to create both an epic action feature, but one that was also about the connection between this creature and the woman he cared for. There was enough of these characters for that film in particular not to fall into the trappings of supporting characters simply being crushed by monsters. Adam Wingard's "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire" isn't quite as nuanced as Peter Jackson's opus. The human characters in this film do fall into the embodiment of your regular chichés, including the intellectual, slightly affected beautiful lead doctor, the romantic rebellious love interest who is also a genius, the comic relief who is also a genius, but can't totally function in the real world (and therefore is "quirky" and "funny"), and the young daughter/precocious child who is possessed of a special sense or vibe, which enables her to connect with the monsters. None of these characters in reality make this film particularly memorable or that compellingly watchable, even if Dan Stevens is indeed a chameleon. This film manages to make itself watchable by relying on superbly crafted visual effects, which render these monstrous characters with a realism and detail that is quite stunning to behold. Part of the challenge for this type of film as well, is how the writing never truly addresses the fact that while these creatures wreak havoc on these cities, one would assume millions of people would die in the wake of their carnage, but that is a topic that is always left out. This film in particular manages to have some successful aspects in the definition of the different worlds in which these characters navigate, at times going back even to Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but the characters and their relationships are never particularly convincing  and they're ultimately not an anchor for this storytelling. And as lovely as good special effects are, bits and bytes can't really replace the adventurous aspect of say, Indiana Jones, or even Ellen Ripley, as they battle some epic foes. The cast is competent, but doesn't have much to do, though Dan Stevens is always great in anything he does, the same going for Brian Tyree Henry. The production team is excellent, with highlights going to Ben Seresin's cinematography, Tom Hammock's production design, Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di Iorio's score, and the special effects teams. It's watchable, but also quickly forgettable. 

The Beekeeper

Movie Name: The Beekeeper
Year of Release: 2024
Director: David Ayer
Starring: Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad, David Witts, Michael Epp, Taylor James, Don Gilet, Megan Le, Dan Li, Georgia Goodman, Derek Siow
Genre: Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Director David Ayer is back, after back to back poorly received films, namely the Netflix original "Bright" (which was a big hit for the streamer, bad reviews aside) and the barely seen "The Tax Collector". "The Beekeeper" is based on an original script by Kurt Wimmer, who has made a name for himself both as a writer and director with films that have not fared particularly well, namely "Equilibrium" and "Ultraviolet", though he has written a variety of high profile features, including Phillip Noyce's "Salt", John McTiernan's "The Thomas Crown Affair" and also Len Wiseman's "Total Recall" remake. "The Beekeeper" follows the story of Adam Clay who lives a quiet life as a beekeeper in rural MA. He rents a barn from a retired school teacher by the name of Eloise Parker. Eloise falls for a cyber scam, that strips her from all her savings, and from a charity whose bank account she also managed. Desperate, she commits suicide, which leaves her daughter Verona shocked and enraged. Verona is an FBI agent, and while she initially suspects Adam, he is soon released, as he had nothing to do with Eloise's death. Turns out Adam is also more than anyone anticipated, he is in reality a Beekeeper, part of a specialized and highly trained program of operatives. Though he retired, Eloise's shocking death brings him back from his self-imposed retirement, and he goes on a vengeance journey, one that puts him on a track towards Derek Danforth, who has direct ties with the President of the country. And no one is able to stop him. 

While watching "The Beekeeper" I couldn't help but think of some of Michael Winner's films with Charles Bronson, including "The Mechanic" (which Jason Statham also starred in a remake dated 2011), and of course the "Death Wish" series. That is to say, "The Beekeeper" works best when it assumes the mantle and legacy of a slick B-movie, where characters are swiftly described, and most of them also swiftly dispatched by the unstoppable Adam Clay/Jason Statham. While succinct/limited character definition can be at times a big issue when it comes to understanding the exchanges/relationships between characters, David Ayer manages to bypass these issues by making the film keep a steady momentum, where the lead character doesn't really exist beyond its intent to seek revenge. There isn't much that is known about his background, or what he has been through, he's an instinctual character who is reacting to an extreme situation. This of course has its own limitations in terms of making these characters more than just paper thin clichés, but thankfully the film doesn't take itself very seriously, though it does make some interesting political insinuations/allusions. Alongside some character dimension, the film could also have benefited from some additional humor, but overall, it's a film that moves at a good pace, never filling itself with fluff, even if some of the "Wolf of Wall Street" inspired sequences don't necessarily add much uniqueness to what is being staged onscreen. The cast is uniformly solid, with Jason Statham having great support from the always excellent Jeremy Irons, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad, and even Josh Hutcherson, who is playing against type. The production team is solid, including Gabriel Beristain's cinematography and Ben Munro's production design. It's a fairly watchable film, even if it is ultimately a forgettable endeavor.