La Jaula/The Chalk Line

Movie Name: La Jaula/The Chalk Line
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Ignacio Tatay
Starring: Elena Anaya, Pablo Molinero, Eva Tennear, Eva Llorach, Carlos Santos, Esther Acebo, Eloy Azorin, Mona Martinez, Sonia Almarcha, Pau Roca
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

"La Jaula" is Ignacio Tatay's feature directorial debut, following a few shorts he directed since 2007. The film focuses it's narrative on a Spanish couple who while coming home at night discover a young girl (around 8 years old), seemingly lost walking around on a dark road. They take her to the hospital, and the police gets involved, trying to identify who the young girl is. Paula and Simon keep visiting the young girl in the hospital, while her parents are being traced by the police. While the young girl's medical condition improves, she still does not talk, and refuses to go anywhere by herself. Paula and Simon take on the role of foster parents while more information is retrieved about Clara's origins. However the fostering ends up not going as well as expected, instead highlighting additional tension to Paula and Simon's relationship, who had been trying to get pregnant without much success. After Clara disappears, Paula starts researching cases of missing children, and finds a thread which leads her to the conclusion that Clara may not be who she thinks she is, and that she may be closer than even she anticipated. 

"La Jaula/The Chalk Line" has an interesting premise, in the sense that while the film initially appears to be a narrative about a child who has been abducted, it turns out as the narrative develops itself, it goes in a far more sinister direction than that. Sadly and where Ignacio Tatay fails to capture much attention is on the characters themselves. Paula and Simon have a limited bandwidth and arc in terms of showcasing who they are and what their motivations seem to be: they're presented as all consumed by the attempt of getting a child, and how taking care of the lost Carla seems to be a "poisoned" answer to their prayers. As additional characters come into the narrative, they also don't get much in terms of scope, aside from playing their roles through a very narrow funnel (meaning, the best friend who is just that, the same even going for the villainous figure who emerges). While the last chapter of this narrative tries to be an unexpected reveal (something that M. Night Shyamalan has trademarked), it fails to elicit much surprise or even shock since by then it has become quite obvious that this is all these characters are ever going to amount to. And implausibilities aside, the film fails to be consistent with its intentions alongside with the scenario and characters that has built all along. Elena Anaya's presence is a wonderful balm, since she's always consistently good in all her performances (please check Pedro Almodovar's "La Piel que Habito" just as an example), and once again tries her best with an underwritten role, but the supporting cast doesn't have much to do, and they all ultimately aren't able to sufficiently elevate this material. It's an interesting premise, but it needed a stronger directorial point of view, and better drawn characters. It's ultimately forgettable. 

You People

Movie Name: You People
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Kenya Barris
Starring: Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sam Jay, Nia Long, Travis Bennett, David Duchovny, Molly Gordon, Deon Cole, Andrea Savage, Elliott Gould, Rhea Perlman, Mike Epps, La La Anthony, Yung Miami
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Kenya Barris has made a name for himself as a writer of a series of TV shows and a few films, including "Black-ish" and also Tim Story's "Shaft", Robert Zemeckis' "The Witches" and Malcolm D. Lee's "Girl Trip". "You People" is his feature directorial debut, and it's a script of his own authorship, in partnership with Jonah Hill. The narrative focuses on the story of Ezra and Amira. They both live in Los Angeles. Ezra is a broker who also has a podcast that he does with his best friend Mo. Amira on the other hand is a Fashion/Costume Designer who has recently gone through a breakup and is looking to restart her life. They accidentally meet when Ezra mistakes her for an Uber driver, but they start a relationship nonetheless. Things go so well, that they eventually move in together. However, as Ezra meets Amira's parents, and Amira meets Ezra's parents, all sorts of friction start appearing, with religion and ethnic background playing a huge role in the cringeworthy situations that arise. Ezra decides to propose to Amira, who enthusiastically responds yes. However as they navigate the engagement period, which includes bachelor/bachelorette parties, the relationships with their families just keep getting worse and worse, causing the relationship between Ezra and Amira to also suffer considerably.

"You People" is a film that tries to elicit comedy both from awkward situations caused by someone's deep rooted prejudices, and also simultaneously tries to capture comedy from clichés associated with families and how "different", "quirky" and "weird" they all are. Sadly during the entire duration of this film, and save for the Uber bit that appears pretty early on, I was unable to find anything particularly funny or insightful about this film. The film tries very hard to find the comedy in pre-conceived ideas of race and religion, but sadly seems to forget that in order for comedy to occur, the characters have to be fairly represented and described as more than just one single aspect that they're categorized as. Case in point, David Duchovny who is always a solid performer in all the projects he's in, in this film has a slight role as Jonah Hills father, and he's essentially asked to play the somewhat lovable and ditzy older gentleman. On the opposite side of the spectrum is of course Eddie Murphy, who for all his versatility and undeniable superlative talent, gets to play the persistently  angry version of what a father is, without ever changing his tune. While playing with clichés is a quick way to get laughs, most of the characters in this feature are a much worse version of what Stanley Kramer did with "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in the 1960s. It's a film that tries to make some epiphanies magically occur, in the spirit of the traditional rom-com, but it's difficult to care much for any of these realizations when all these characters are so poorly drawn. Jonah Hill sadly doesn't get to stretch much of his talent, the same going for the talented supporting cast (why is Rhea Perlman in this film if you don't give her anything to do?). It's a misconceived and unfunny film, and ultimately a waste of talent. 

Ideal Home

Movie Name: Ideal Home
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Andrew Fleming
Starring: Paul Rudd, Steve Coogan, Jack Gore, Alison Pill, Jake McDorman, Kate Walsh, Evan Bittencourt, Lora Martinez-Cunningham, Jesse Luken, Courtney Cunningham
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Director Andrew Fleming's "Ideal Home" was a comeback to features for him since his previous film "Barefoot" was met with a tepid response, and most of his career has since then flourished across a variety of TV shows where he has worked either as director or writer, or executive producer. "Ideal Home"'s narrative is focused on the lives of a gay couple currently living in New Mexico. The couple features Erasmus, a famous chef who has his own TV show, books and additional merchandise, and Paul, who is the supervising producer of his show. While Erasmus is a more high profile personality, Paul tends to be more authoritative and a bit quieter than his partner. Their lives are suddenly upended when a young boy by the name of Angel shows up at their door. He's in reality Erasmus's grandson. Erasmus has a son by the name of Beau who has had issues with drugs, and who finds himself once more behind bars. Angel, who wants to be named Bill, finds himself having to live with two strangers, with Paul in particular very reluctantly accepting the situation, since he suspects he will take on the brunt of the responsibility of caring for him. As the three of them get to learn to live with each other and eventually gel in their habits, the couple also starts discussing an opportunity to take Angel/Bill's care on a more permanent basis.

"Ideal Home" is a slight and filled with just the right dosage of sentiment comedy, which features two fantastically gifted performers, who truly manage to keep the focus on the characters, even if the narrative itself is somewhat barely there. It's a superficially observed narrative, but one that nonetheless focuses on the dynamics of a couple who has been together for a while, where one of the people in the relationship carries the emotional heft of it for the both parties. The strain the relationship between the charismatic and selfish Erasmus and the slightly dour and more emotional Paul is going through, is further amplified with the presence of Angel/Bill, but in the end, it forces both of them to come to grips with what is it they really want out of life and of each other. It's a film filled with humorous and sweet episodes, at times relying a bit too much on clichés, but entertaining nonetheless thanks to the performances of Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan, who perfectly embody those character with the right amount of flamboyance, humor and sentiment. The supporting cast sadly only gets a brief window to make themselves visible, but Jack Gore and Alison Pill manage to create interesting characters nonetheless. The production team features the solid cinematography from Alexander Gruszynski, and score from John Swihart. While not the most arresting narrative, it still makes for an enjoyable watching experience. 

American Gangster

Movie Name: American Gangster
Year of Release: 2007
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Ted Levine, John Hawkes, Joe Morton, Ruby Dee, Carla Gugino, Run Santiago-Hudson, John Ortiz, RZA, Cuba Gooding Jr., Armand Assante, Yul Vazquez, Lymari Nadal, Idris Elba, Common, T.I., Kevin Corrigan, Jon Polito, KaDee Strickland, Norman Reedus, Roger Bart, Roger Guenveur Smith
Genre: Drama, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

After a couple of commercial and critical misfires, which included "Kingdom of Heaven" and "A Good Year", director Ridley Scott reunited with Russell Crowe once more, to bring to the screen an adaptation of the article by Mark Jacobson, through the lens of screenwriter Steven Zaillian (who has made a name for himself as the author of high prestige scripts such as Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List", Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" and David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", to name but a few). The film which takes place in 1968 focus its narrative on the life of Frank Lucas, whom we first encounter as the right-hand man of Harlem mob boss Bumpy Johnson. When Johnson dies, Frank quickly enters the drug trafficking business, but starts doing so by bringing the drugs directly from Thailand. He then mixes and sells the product himself, under the brand "Blue Magic". The popularity of his product quickly makes him very rich, and he soon brings his whole family to live with him. In the meantime, in Newark detective and aspiring lawyer Richie Roberts is put in charge of a special task force with the intent of targeting local drug suppliers. As Frank product distribution and wealth increases, the same goes for local rivalries with some other crime bosses, alongside the local authorities buyouts he has to enact. As Richie continues his investigation, he becomes aware of Frank's rising momentum in the crime scene, and gets a chance to learn more about him and his dealings when one of Frank's cousins gets caught in the fallout of a shooting scene. From then on, Richie is on the trail of the origins of the drug movement and how it's eventually making its way to the streets. 

Ridley Scott's features are typically that much more arresting and interesting when the scripts he works with manage to not only illustrate the context in which the narrative will take place, but also when it populates it with fairly interesting and well rounded characters, that are more than simple clichés. His best features, namely "Alien", "Blade Runner", "Thelma and Louise" and "The Martian" are good examples of solid scripts which compliment his visual style, whereas "Legend", "Black Rain", "GI Jane", "Prometheus" and "The Counselor" are just a few examples of features where there isn't a good marriage of his point of view with the material he's working with. In the case of "American Gangster" he benefits from having a solid script, which while not being the most original, in a way latches on to the style Sydney Lumet and William Friedkin illustrated so well in the 1970s ("The French Connection", "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Serpico" being excellent examples). This film in particular, benefits from having two solid actors embodying these central roles, even if what they're given to work with isn't the most riveting perspective. Frank Lucas as a character is given just enough dimension which prevents him from being a typical cliché of a violent criminal, while Richie sadly is reduced to the archetype of the womanizing police officer with some scruples going through a divorce. The supporting cast, while considerable and populated with solid actors, including Josh Brolin and Chiwetel Ejiofor for instance, don't get to stretch much of their abilities (even Ruby Dee who got some attention around Awards season, has a very small role an impact in the narrative). Ultimately, the film while managing to capture New York and New Jersey in the late 60s and early 70s, from a somewhat stylized perspective, lacks at times the brutal and riveting perspective that Sidney Lumet, William Friedkin, and even later on Brian De Palma placed in their films (the unbalanced "Scarface" can be included in this genre as well). In the end, the film is polished and well done, with a solid production crew which includes the brilliant late cinematographer Harris Savides, production design by Arthur Max and costumes by Janty Yates, which makes it an entertaining and compelling view. 

We Have a Ghost

Movie Name: We Have a Ghost
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Christopher Landon
Starring: David Harbour, Jahi Winston, Anthony Mackie, Erica Ash, Niles Fitch, Isabella Russo, Tig Notaro, Tom Bower, Steve Coulter, Jennifer Coolidge, Faith Ford, Sean Boyd, Scott A. Martin, Sherri Eakin, Kyler Porche
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Director Christopher Landon is back, following the well received "Freaky". This time around he has adapted the short story "Ernest" from Geoff Manaugh, and has built a ghost comedy type of narrative, with sprinkles of R.L. Stine thrown in for good measure. The narrative follows the adventures of the Presley family, who move to Chicago and buy a fixer-upper in the hopes of having a fresh start for the somewhat fractured family life they have had thus far. While the older son Fulton is up for the challenge, the younger and shier one, Kevin, has a lot more resistance to this new dalliance of his father. While exploring the house and in particular the attic, Kevin comes across a ghost. The ghost doesn't manage to scare him off, but they actually become friends. Kevin starts naming the ghost Ernest, since that's the name on his shirt. Since the ghost doesn't talk, Kevin wants to understand what's keeping him attached to that house in particular. However, Ernest's presence is captured on video by his dad, who uploads that clip to youtube. This soon spirals out of control, in terms of popularity, but also in terms of other figures who want to seize and capture Ernest for research, and other unsavory goals. Kevin and his newfound friend and neighbor Joy, decide to take Ernest and track his origins, in the hopes of understanding why he can't move on.

"We Have a Ghost" comes across as a juvenile adventure film, but also sprinkles some dramatic elements in the relationship of the younger son with his father, and how their relationship has been rife with issues. It's a film that doesn't spend much time defining the lead characters, quickly shifting in the direction of the supernatural, which comes across as a catalyst to bring the family together, even if at first Ernest and his existence seems to take them all down a dangerous journey of selfishness. The narrative itself doesn't hold much novelty in the way the characters and relationships are illustrated. Same thing going for whatever comedic elements that occur, that are few and not that effective. The film's tone is definitely not as comedic/sarcastic in the same vein as Ivan Reitman or even Jason Reitman's "Ghostbusters" films were. It's more of bittersweet tale for family members who want to reconnect, namely Kevin and his father, and "Ernest" and his daughter. The production values are somewhat underwhelming, but the cast does manage to keep things watchable, with Jennifer Coolidge and Tig Notaro making noteworthy appearances, while David Harbour manages to convey this whole aspect of a gentle giant, much like he has done in "Stranger Things". It's a harmless and forgettable endeavor, featuring a diverse cast, but there isn't much else to highlight here. 

Orphan: First Kill

Movie Name: Orphan: First Kill
Year of Release: 2022
Director: William Brent Bell
Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, Hiro Kanagawa, Matthew Finlan, Samantha Walkes, David Lawrence Brown, Lauren Cochrane, Gwendolyn Collins, Jeff Strome
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

"Orphan" from Jaume Collet-Serra premiered in 2009 and while the reviews weren't particularly effusive, the film managed to have a solid box office showing, while at the same time launching the career of Isabelle Fuhrman. This prequel once again focuses on the character of Leena Klammer, who we first witness being held in a psychiatric facility in Russia. While she's 31 years old, she has a rate hormonal disorder that gives her the appearance of a 9 year old child. She manages to violently escape that institution, and furthermore hides in the car of an art therapist who was going to the institute. She looks up missing American girls, and discovers she bears a resemblance to Esther Albright who went missing in 2003. She poses as her and when she's located by the Russian police, she identifies herself as that girl. Esther's parents, which includes the father, Allen Albright a wealthy artist and his wife Tricia, spring to action, with Tricia coming to Russia to retrieve "Esther". Tricia starts suspecting that "Esther" is not who she claims to be, when she forgets important pieces of information on the family, and when she reveals talents she hadn't before (like painting). A detective who was helping the family locate the girl, also suspecting of the new Esther, retrieves an object from the Albright house, something she has touched, in order to see if the prints match. They obviously don't, but before he can do anything, "Esther" attacks him. However what she didn't anticipate was Tricia being there and witnessing it all.

"Orphan: First Kill" tosses aside much nuance in terms of progressively showcasing who Leena is, the same going for the family she finds herself with. The writers and the director, want to go straight for the sensationalistic aspect of the narrative, and showcase the monstrous and villainous aspect of Leena, who this time around, gets more than she bargained for when it comes to the family she ends up with. The whole metaphor of "not all monsters look like one", applies to more than one character here, sadly William Brent Bell removes any sense of progressive disclosure, or for that matter, suspense buildup or character development, going for a rather shlock type of approach. All the characters in this narrative adhere to rather clichéd archetypes, and sadly even when Julia Stiles amps up the tone of her performance, she still can't bring much impact (or life) to a film that is rather predictable and formulaic. In the end, this feels more like a "by the numbers" prequel, with the intent of scaring off some extra dollars from the audience (in reality there aren't many scares at all, if any), more so than the desire of telling a story of this particular character. It's ultimately a forgettable endeavor. 

Smile

Movie Name: Smile
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Parker Finn
Starring: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher, Robin Weigert, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn, Rob Morgan, Gillian Zinser, Judy Reyes, Jack Sochet, Dora Kiss, Nick Arapoglou, Perry Strong
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

"Smile" is the feature directorial debut from writer/director Parker Finn, after a few prior shorts (including one by the title of "Laura Hasn't Slept", which was the inspiration for "Smile" itself). The film focuses its narrative on the story of Rose Cotter, who is a therapist working in a State Institution, much to the dismay of her sister. Rose herself has a traumatic past, as a result of the brutal death of her mother when she was a child, due to an overdose. Rose is confronted with a traumatized patient who is brought in, a woman by the name of Laura Weaver, who witnessed her art history professor die by suicide. Laura claims that an entity has been haunting her, forcing her to witness random people smiling at her all the time. Laura eventually commits suicide in front of Rose, who suddenly sees another one of her patients persistently smiling at her. Rose's hallucinations start becoming more persistent, making her seem dangerous to others around her. A traumatic event at her nephew's birthday party alienates her from her sister, and she soon is isolated from her fiancée as well. She eventually seeks out the help of her former boyfriend Joel, a policeman, in order to know more about Laura and her professor. They soon uncover what seems to be a long string of suicides, where the witness to the suicide soon becomes the next one to die. Rose quickly realizes she's the next victim, and desperately tries to understand how she can save herself.

Unlike "M3GAN", who had a rather straightforward approach to its villainous central character, "Smile" has some eerie similarities with Gore Verbinski's "The Ring", where one entity feeds off the chain of victims it collects, instigating that continuous chain. The film's director, Parker Finn, manages to create a progressively more suspenseful and uneasy environment, particularly as Rose's close relationships quickly deteriorate, leaving her isolated, and even more exposed to the haunting of the entity. Again, and similarly to Rachel Keller/Naomi Watts in "The Ring", Rose has to trace the source of the deathly chain, since she is indeed the next one on the line. The film manages to introduce the character of her ex-boyfriend to help with this discovery process, bringing this aspect of procedural storyline to the narrative. All these aspects, though not the freshest perspective on this genre, are effectively done. However, when it comes to understanding the characters, both the lead ones and the main supporting ones, they all could have benefited from having some additional nuance and information to better contextualize who they are, and how their relationships have been established. As it is, Rose's romantic relationship quickly dissipates, as does her relationship with her sister, both being quickly brushed aside, leaving her only with her ex-boyfriend, whom we only know is a policeman who still harbors feelings for her. All this to say: the characters are sketches, who are eventually vessels for this entity to wreak havoc. While the film does have some genuine scares, mostly courtesy of the strong performance from Sosie Bacon who goes all in, the supporting characters themselves are quickly tossed aside, and somewhat unresolved, which may be one of the biggest issues with the film (Robin Weigert and Kyle Gallner provide good support to Sosie Bacon in their roles). The production team is solid, featuring the cinematography from Charlie Sarroff and musical score from Cristobal Tapia de Veer. Worth watching.  

My Fake Boyfriend

Movie Name: My Fake Boyfriend
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Rose Troche
Starring: Keiynan Lonsdale, Dylan Sprouse, Sarah Hyland, Samer Salem, Marcus Rosner, Karen Robinson, Dean McDermott, Simon Sinn, Matthew Finlan, Matt Willis, Rachel Risen
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Rose Troche who made a name for herself in the 90s as one of the main names in the New Queer Film Movement (which also included Todd Haynes, Gregg Araki and Tom Kalin), has since become a prolific director, working across both features and TV driven products. She's directed episodes for iconic shows, which have included "Six Feet Under", "The L Word", "Law and Order" and more recently, "On Becoming a God in Central Florida", "Shameless" and "FBI". "My Fake Boyfriend" is her more recent feature, in a year where she worked on a variety of projects. The narrative focuses on Andrew, a gay stuntman, who is currently romantically involved with the lead actor of the film they're working on. Nico is however dating other people, much to the dismay of Andrew who wants to settle and be in a monogamous relationship. His best friend Jake, alongside his wife Kelly, decide to intervene, and create a digital character who is Andrew's new boyfriend, in the hopes of giving him a newfound confidence to move on from Nico. This device works better than what anyone expected, with this digital character taking on a popularity no one anticipated, with Andrew being sucked into that newfound celebrity status. However Andrew meets Rafi a chef and restaurant owner, and suddenly finds himself in a predicament of having to get out of this massive lie that has been set in motion, in order to pursue his chance at happiness.

"My Fake Boyfriend" is a somewhat typical rom-com, where the lead is caught in a situation of being under-appreciated and under-nurtured, with his best friends coming to the help and in the process complicating the situation a bit further, before eventually everything coming together in the third act (thanks to the grand gesture of atonement). This summary is applicable to any of the Bridget Jones films, or even any of the Julia Roberts led rom-coms of the 90s. What has been able to be differentiated between these films is the specificity of the central character and the colorful supporting ones, and the point of view of the director, both of which are slightly diluted in "My Fake Boyfriend". Though this is indeed a gay rom-com, nothing particularly unique is highlighted in the narrative, or for that matter, in Rose Troche's direction. There are some comedic episodes in Andrew's attempts at dating and moving on from Nico, but these episodes are brief and shy away from actually demonstrating the surreal aspects of what is to date someone in the social media world. What is left is a film that touches all the stepping stones of this genre, adhering to the formula, and not necessarily reinvigorating it with a fresh perspective (at the end it comes across as a bit generic). The cast tries their best with what they have, with Sarah Hyland (from "Modern Family") and Karen Robinson (from "Schitt's Creek") in particular trying their best with the limited screen time they have. It's a forgettable endeavor from an interesting director. 

M3GAN

Movie Name: M3GAN
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Ronny Chieng, Jenna Davis, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Stephane Garneau-Monten, Lori Dungey, Amy Usherwood
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

The collaboration between writer/director James Wan and prolific producer Jason Blum continues, having started in 2010 with the Leigh Whannell's penned "Insidious", which started a franchise of its own, stretching all the way to this recently released "M3GAN". The film follows the story of Cady, an 8 year old girl, whose life is suddenly upended when both her parents die in a car crash. Cady is placed under the care of her aunt Gemma, an ambitious engineer who is working on a high risk project for a toy company. Gemma and her team are developing a humanoid robot, one that is powered by Artificial Intelligence. Though the work in progress has a poor showing to her boss, Gemma and her team persevere and M3GAN's prototype is finalized. In order to test it, M3GAN is paired with Cady, as a trusted companion and protector of the young girl. Cady becomes more and more attached to M3GAN, which raises some concerns to her therapist. After a violent incident with Gemma's neighbor's dog, M3GAN's behavior starts to take on worrisome tones, since on her quest to protect Cady, she starts viciously eliminating all sorts of threats, be it real or potential.

Gerard Johnstone's "M3GAN" has the benefit of knowing it's a genre film, and joyously plays with its conventions, surfacing at times some references which includes the works of Don Mancini's "Child's Play" series, but also faint echoes of Steven Spielberg's "A.I". The director manages to briefly establish the premise of the film, and though Cady is front and center of the film and focus of M3GAN herself, she's more of a vessel for what's happening, with the director choosing to focus on the awakening of the parenting responsibilities which occurs for Gemma, a much more career driven personality at the beginning of the feature (which has some ties with other features which illustrated how professional women tackle unexpected mothering challenges includes Charles Shyer's "Baby Boom" and even Gore Verbinski's "The Ring"). However, and unlike Tom Holland's "Child's Play" or that series of films, M3GAN as a character has both a look and behavior pattern which is immediately indicative of the troubles that will soon surface, and in that regard, the film doesn't hide its intentions. It's ultimately an unpretentious and somewhat gory B-movie, featuring a fairly competent if rather unremarkable cast, with solid production values, including Peter McCaffrey's cinematography and Kim Sinclair's production design. Worth watching. 

Belfast

Movie Name: Belfast
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Josie Walker, Colin Morgan, Lewis McAskie, Nessa Eriksson, Frankie Hastings, Charlie Barnard, Michael Maloney, Lara McDonnell, Vanessa Ifediora
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Multi-talented actor/writer/producer and director Kenneth Branagh followed his critically derided "Artemis Fowl" (which premiered on Disney +), with what has turned out one of his more personal and celebrated features. The film based on his life, focuses its attention on a working class family living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the late 1960s. The central character is Buddy, a 9 year old who is witnessing his world change right in front of his eyes, with violence and riots erupting, all the while his family is also being challenged, with his father wanting to find a better life for themselves in England, while his grandparents, and his mom are more intent on staying where they are. Things eventually come to an halt, when they realize they're no longer safe in Belfast, with Buddy's father being accosted and the violence that shows no signs of stopping. With the grandfather in the hospital, they all have difficult decisions to make.

One thing that has always been interesting in Kenneth Branagh's career as a film director, is how it is lined with titles which showcase his polished perspective of scripts he tackles, including for instance "Dead Again", "Thor" and "Cinderella", all of which are titles that while not entirely successful, still demonstrate his ability to tell a story. However, his career is also peppered with projects where he clearly has more of an emotional investment and a personal connection with the material, which include his Shakespeare adaptations, namely "Henry V", "Hamlet", but also other material that is closer to his sense of humor, such as "Peter's Friends" and even "A Midwinter's Tale". "Belfast", aside from the short "Listening" which he also directed in 2003, is his first original feature screenplay which arrives to the screen. And it is also a personal narrative since it is an autobiographical look at this childhood and his family life. It's a film that is ripe with feeling and sentiment, but never cheaply or emotionally gratuitously staged. The film meagerly illustrates these main characters, but manages to perfectly capture the love and complicity that exists within this family. For all the noise and violence that it captures, the film is all the more successful in its more intimate moments, when young Buddy is understanding the legacy of his family, the love of his grandparents, and when he confronts his own parents with the fear of the unknown, of what lies ahead. It's a visually compelling and arresting film, made all the more successful for the cast that Kenneth Branagh has selected. Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds and newcomer Jude Hill, are all fantastic, bringing these characters vividly to life, with heart, humor and also pain, for those who pass, and for themselves and for the promise of an unfulfilled life in Belfast, that they sadly have to set aside. The production team is also a fantastic one, featuring the beautiful cinematography from Haris Zambarloukos, score from Van Morrison and production design from Jim Clay. It's a nice celebration of the director's childhood, and a solid film worth watching. 

Killshot

Movie Name: Killshot
Year of Release: 2008
Director: John Madden
Starring: Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Thomas Jane, Rosario Dawson, Hal Holbrook, Don McManus, Lois Smith, Tom McCamus
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

A mangled film is always noticeable, and also all the more regrettable when great talent is involved. "Killshot" is one of the most obvious situations where the final output definitely doesn't equal the sum of its parts. The film is an adaptation of one of Elmore Leonard's novels, which in the past was the baseline for such iconic films as Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown", Barry Sonnenfeld's "Get Shorty" and Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight", to name but a few. The film also features a screenplay by Hossein Amini who wrote the screenplays for Ian Softley's "The Wings of the Dove" and Nicholas Winding Refn's "Drive". The feature focuses on Armand Degas, a hitman best known as "Blackbird". One of his assignments doesn't gel with a Mob boss, who suddenly wants him dead. He meets Richie Nix and they jointly embark on a scheme to extort money from a local real estate mogul. However when they show up at his office to collect, they mistake a recently fired ironworker by the name of Wayne Colson who is in the office since his wife Carmen works there, for him. Things quickly go sour, but Wayne gets the upper hand and Armand and Richie barely flee the scene. Both Armand and Richie are intent on getting back at Wayne and Carmen, and while Armand shows up at their house, forcing Carmen to fend for herself alone, Wayne is attacked by Richie in a convenience store. Wayne and Carmen soon fall under the protection of the FBI and are placed under the Witness Protection program. However Armand and Richie are resourceful and soon are on their trail once again. 

John Madden who made a name for himself with the features "Mrs. Brown" and the critically acclaimed "Shakespeare in Love", found himself with back to back disappointing features afterwards, including the reviled "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" and the adaptation of David Auburn's play, "Proof". "Killshot" was very different material for him to tackle, and it's noticeable how the film struggles to have a consistent point of view, since Elmore Leonard's tone doesn't necessarily gel with John Madden's perspective on how to illustrate the events depicted in the screenplay. The film also suffers from a massive issue with character development across the entire inventory of players that are showcased throughout the narrative. Whereas Quentin Tarantino, Barry Sonnenfeld and Steven Soderbergh managed to quickly establish and define the characters to their film adaptations of Elmore Leonard's works (and those later two adaptations were written by the fantastic Scott Frank), "Killshot" feels generic and underdeveloped, particularly the central characters of Carmen and Wayne Colson, who are apparently in the middle of a marital implosion, and that's seemingly all we learn about them. The same applies to the supporting characters who appear throughout the film, including Rosario Dawson's Donna and Lois Smith's Lenore, both of whom get little screen time, but also literally not that much in terms of development and narrative impact. It's ultimately a film that for all its great talent assembled, including the luminous Diane Lane, and the versatile Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the director simply can't find a tone and a pulse for it. There's no humor, no particularly compelling characters, and the few outbursts of violence that occur, aren't a replacement for a point of view that never truly comes to life (even the subplot with the FBI comes and goes without much impact to the flow of the narrative). The production team is filled with fantastic professionals, including the solid cinematography from the talented Caleb Deschanel, and the score from Klaus Badelt. This was a missed opportunity, and also a case of mix-matched material (Carl Franklin, John Dahl, or even William Friedkin could have easily taken this material to a whole different level). 

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Movie Name: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson
Starring: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, Tom Kenny, Alfie Tempest
Genre: Animation, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

I have to admit I had some mixed feelings going into this feature. Firstly because it seems like a vanity project from someone who doesn't need to validate or prove himself by doing this type of project, secondly because Netflix's quality barometer is all over the place, and thirdly because there are literary properties that should just stop being adapted to the screen, not because they're not wonderfully accomplished works, but because they've been illustrated and staged a million times. On the heels of my last statement, can studios please stop financing films with the following characters: Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Scrooge, Hamlet, and Marylin Monroe. Everyone thinks they have a "fresh" take on these iconic characters, but inevitably the films just feel tired and an unnecessary regurgitation of something that has been done better by another artist. This adaptation of Carlo Collodi's classic work (one of the most published books ever), originally published in the 19th century, though it has some contextual flourishes that render it more unique, still adheres to some of the previous adaptations, including Disney's iconic take which came out in 1940. The tale takes place in Italy in the 1940s during World War II. Geppetto a carpenter, lost his son a while ago also as a result of war. He decides to create a wooden boy/puppet, who is brought to life by a Wood Sprite. This Sprite assigns the puppet both a name, Pinocchio, and a conscience, who comes in the shape of a cricket, by the name of Sebastian. Pinocchio turns out to be quite different from Geppetto's son Carlo, being more stubborn, selfish and clumsy. He eventually catches the attention of the local town's statesman, and is forced to go to school. However on his way to school, Pinocchio is intercepted by the cruel Count Volpe and his assistant Spazzatura, which sends the young puppet on a spiral of adventures.

Guillermo del Toro's work has always primed itself for its distinction, and for the fact that he has a universe where a few recurring themes always appear. Those themes include a fantastical world inhabited with unique, magical and even grotesque creatures, and a supposedly real world, peppered with both loving and cruel humans, who are typically at the mercy of authority figures or political regimes that destroy everything that is good in the world. He likes to capture the humanity and kindness in what appears to be monster like creatures, and the inhuman, cruel and grotesque in the human counterparts. This attempt to marry his universe with the classic Pinocchio narrative has indeed some of his flourishes, namely the magical sprites, and the way he peppers the fascism in Italy during the 1940s into the narrative, but this attempt to marry Carlo Collodi's moral fable with del Toro's somewhat darker perspective, fails to effectively gel. The beautiful animation and character design, can't entirely hide the fact that these two universes are simply at odds with each other, since Collodi's fable is about a journey of discovery, but also of someone who has to learn moral lessons on becoming a selfless and scrupulous boy, something that Disney's version captured in a way that all audiences can embrace (even Steven Spielberg's "A.I." manages to capture the spirit of the fable in a more affecting way). Guillermo del Toro's spin, tries to be political, and retain his point of view on how humans are cruel in the pursuit of power and self interests, but in the process suffocates the journey of discovery Pinocchio embarks on, the same going for the last chapter of the narrative, which del Toro puts a different perspective on. In trying to provide a different take on this narrative, this adaptation strips it from its emotional perspective, and the lesson that Pinocchio ultimately is granted (the grotesque far outweighs the balance of the narrative). As a side note, the stop motion projects from Tim Burton, have been far more interesting, not because they're not tired adaptations of well known material, but because he manages to make them a well balanced vision of his universe, undaunted by trying to please an iconic source material. In the end this version of Pinocchio, is easier to admire than to love. 

The Menu

Movie Name: The Menu
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Mark Mylod
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Judith Light, Reed Birney, Janet McTeer, John Leguizamo, Paul Adelstein, Aimee Carrero, Rebecca Koon, Rob Yang, Arturo Castro, Peter Grosz, Christina Brucato, Adam Aalderks
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Mark Mylod has had an interesting career, one that for the past 10 years has been primarily focused on high profile TV Series (he directed episodes of "Game of Thrones", "Shameless" and "Succession", to name but a few). "The Menu" which was a Black List script from 2019, and was originally going to be directed by Alexander Payne, follows a group of wealthy strangers who are gathered together in an exclusive restaurant on a private island. These 12 strangers include food critics, actors, millionaires, business partners, the main chef's mother, and foodie Tyler Ledford, who shows up with an unexpected date by the name of Margot. Chef Slowik makes the introductions to what is going to be happening throughout the evening, and the courses he and his team will showcase. His introductions to each course become increasingly more virulent, and by the third course, the actual dish itself contains unsavory revelations about each one of the guests. Things escalate when by the fourth dish, one of the chefs kills himself in front of everyone, generating panic save for Tyler who seems remarkably restrained. Towards the fifth dish, the intentions behind the evening's gathering are unveiled by Chef Slowik, and why each and every one of the guests has been chosen, save for Margot who was a last minute addition and was unaccounted for. She is given a choice of what will become of her, and while she combatively questions Slowik's intentions, she is also exposed since she is also not whom she appears to be.

"The Menu" definitely isn't Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", and also not Paul Bartel's "Eating Raoul", both very distinct features, both with ties with the Gourmand universe. "The Menu"'s narrative has some Agatha Christie's influences, in the sense that a group of strangers come together in a journey of vengeance, of someone who wants to correct what he considers to be, dramatic wrongdoings. The film is lavishly constructed with much detail being thrust upon the dishes and the events that come with each chapter they introduce. And that coincidentally is where the film manages to capture the most attention, since Ralph Fiennes is superlatively good as the chef with a mission, the sinister emcee (he's also superlatively phenomenal in everything he does). Where the film is less accomplished is actually in the way it depicts the supporting characters, the patrons of the restaurant, who for the most part are reduced to a clichéd interpretation of the jobs they have (the food critic with her assistant, the famed movie star who is not so famous anymore, the unscrupulous investors, the amoral millionaire). As much as the mechanics of the scenario is set in motion, what takes place is not so much a game, but more a systematic enforcement of a plan by the chef and his crew (it also differs from Agatha Christie's approach in that particularity). The character who is coincidentally the most offbeat one, Margot, is also played out in a consistently unique way, never once allowing her to be more than just one thing. Even after her revelation, her presence is still very much rendered by that initial view point. In the end the film registers as an interesting exercise in suspense, never quite going as far as it could, both in terms of the vitriol that could unleash on false celebrities, amoral personalities, neither as a satire on the falseness and ridiculousness that is a common denominator to so many that lead duplicitous existences. The cast tries their best with the roles they have, but this is Ralph Fienne's film front and center, with Anya Taylor-Joy providing good support in an underwritten role (much like the role she had in Robert Eggers' "The Northman"). The cinematography from Peter Deming is fantastic, as is the production design from Amy Westcott. It's a film worth watching, but one that needed a stronger point of view from a directorial stand point, one that pushed its content in a challenging direction. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Movie Name: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Alex Livinalli, Mabel Cadena, Danny Sapani, Isaach de Bankolé
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Following the colossal success of "Black Panther" and the sad passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, there was uncertainty of where this sequel to that film and storyline was going, but writer/director Ryan Coogler (in addition to screenwriter Joe Robert Cole), managed to get the project back on track. Following the passing of T'Challa, his sister Shuri retreats to her technological research endeavors, while Wakanda becomes under further scrutiny from the world due to their reserves of vibranium. The Queen mother who has become the new ruler, urges Shuri to keep researching how to generate the heart shaped herb, so that a new Black Panther may emerge and become the new defender of the country. In the meantime, a new nation and possible foe emerges under the leadership of Namor, when the search for vibranium is heightened thanks to a new engineer/scientist who has built a better detector for it. Shuri and Okoye discover that the scientist in question is a young woman who is studying in Boston at the MIT. When they attempt to rescue her, they are attacked by Namor's warriors and both Riri (the scientist) and Shuri are taken. The Queen manages to get Nakia's help to locate and retrieve Shuri (and Riri), but even though they're freed, Namor's counter attack has dramatic consequences. Shuri decides to fight back with all her skills and a fresh sense of purpose.

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is as it turns out an interesting exercise, one where there's a familial drama focused on loss, tradition, and finding out one's path in life, all of this within the trappings of a formulaic Marvel action film. The narrative places the sad demise of T'Challa front and center of the narrative, which means the nation has lost its hero and defender, and the family has lost the force and catalyst that brought them all together. And that is for the most part of the narrative the strongest thread that comes across in the film. Writer/director Ryan Coogler's creation of an underwater nation (and this once again differs from the original mythology in the comics), one that is a potential foe for Wakanda, feels very much like an addendum or afterthought, since not much of those creatures/beings is ever truly expanded upon (unlike James Wan's "Aquaman", there isn't that much going underwater here). While Namor's goal seems to be the deterrence of the discovery of Vibranium and potential threat there is to his homeland, not much else seems to be showcased of his existence (considering he's quasi immortal), aside from his origin story. It's a film that attempts to capture loss, the re-emergence of a new combative warrior, and a central character coming to its own, but done in a way that's neither particularly revelatory, nor engaging, with the story arc ultimately feeling underdeveloped. At this point, Marvel probably needs to start rethinking their storylines, since they actually need additional development and focus, at the risk of turning into shallow exercises in fluff, that even the most polished special effects can't bring to life. The cast tries their best, with the highlight going to the always fantastic Danai Gurira, who manages to showcase enormous strength and vulnerability in a single swoop. The production team is equally solid, featuring the beautiful cinematography from Autumn Dural Arkapaw, costumes from Ruth E. Carter and production design from Hannah Beachler. Watchable and forgettable. 

Barbarian

Movie Name: Barbarian
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Zach Cregger
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgaard, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis, Richard Brake, Kurt Braunohler, Jaymes Butler, Sophie Sorensen, Rachel Fowler, J.R. Esposito, Kate Nichols
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

The low budget "Barbarian" was one of the surprise hits of 2022 and placed actor/writer/director Zach Cregger as a name to watch out for. The film focuses its attention on Tess Marshall, whom we soon witness arriving at a rundown Detroit neighborhood to spend the night, since she's up for a job interview the following day. Her Air BNB however has been double booked, and is already occupied. The current occupant introduces himself as Keith, and is also surprised by the situation. Since it's late he decides to invite her in, and they settle on sleeping arrangements. The next day she goes for her interview and is warned about the area where she's staying. A homeless man also tells her to leave. She becomes locked in the basement and uncovers a hidden corridor which leads to a room with a video recorder, a mattress and a bloody footprint. When Keith returns, he frees Tess and decides to investigate the hidden corridor. When he doesn't show up, Tess goes seek him out, and uncovers a subterranean tunnel which is attached to the corridor, where she finds Keith injured. They are both attacked by a naked woman who kills Keith and takes Tess. A few weeks later AJ, an actor living in LA and the house's owner, is involved in a misconduct scandal, which prompts him to have to rethink his living arrangements and cost management. He flies to Detroit to inspect the house before selling it, and finds Tess and Keith's materials still in it. As he investigates the basement and tunnel beneath the house, he's also attacked by the same naked woman, and is taken as prisoner.

"Barbarian" caught everyone's attention due to the tilts that are contained in the narrative, both with the introduction and addition of AJ's character, and also with the context as to what was the origin of the whole "creature", with the flashback towards Frank's character. However these tilts and changes in direction, while adding interesting layers to the events taking place in the narrative, they can't hide the fact that these characters are rather flimsy in their description and embodiment. Tess and Keith are rather generic constructs, and only Justin Long's AJ actually has more dimension to himself, portraying someone who is rather egocentric and selfish, ultimately only looking out for himself. The director manages to create a suspenseful environment, however the more he starts showing the entity, the less interesting the events surrounding it become. By the end the film becomes rather trivial. The apparent triviality of the premise and the journey it takes its characters on, while peppered with some interesting details, it ultimately falls into the trappings of gory horror films. The cast tries their best with the material they have, and Justin Long is a great addition to the narrative and its best highlight. The production team is effective, with a solid cinematography from Zach Kuperstein, and score from Anna Drubich. It's a watchable film though not necessarily a memorable one.