Ready or Not

Movie Name: Ready or Not
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Starring: Samara Weaving, Andie MacDowell, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, Elyse Levesque, Nicky Guadagni, John Ralston, Liam McDonald, Ethan Tavares, Hanneke Talbot, Celine Tsai
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Hulu

Synopsis and Review

"Ready or Not" is Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's sophomore directorial endeavor, following their debut with "Devil's Due". This film opened the doors for them to tackle two episodes of the "Scream" franchise (episodes 5 and 6). The film follows the story of Grace MacCaullay, who is about to marry Alex Le Domas, who is part of a wealthy family, one that has made their money on what started as board games business but eventually grew up to a much larger financial empire. Alex has been estranged from his family, but comes back to the fold and to the estate to have his wedding ceremony with Grace. Grace is a former foster child, and has no family of her own, but loves Alex and is happy to be along for the journey. She meets Alex's brother and sister and their spouses, Alex's parents and his aunt. After the ceremony, Alex's father Tony  explains that his great-grandfather Victor Le Domas made a deal with someone named "Le Bail" to build the family fortune. In exchange for doing so, a peculiar and unique tradition must be observed: at midnight of their wedding day, every new member who joins the family must draw a game card from Le Bail's puzzle box and then everyone must play that game accordingly. What Tony failed to reveal, is that whatever game is chosen, the family will then play it and kill the person who chose that game, or they will die themselves (the whole Le Domas family). Grace is surprised when she hears of the tradition, but decides to play along. She chooses "Hide and Seek", and while she goes off to hide from everyone, they all arm up with various killing devices, while Alex is kept in a room to avoid disrupting the game. However soon enough things start going askew.

"Ready or Not" is one of those films that promises a lot more than what it eventually delivers. While the film may initially promise a cat and mouse deadly game, with the hunted turning the tables on the hunters, the truth is, this isn't "First Blood", nor is it a feminist empowering statement. What we end up having is a rather anemic take on a powerful family with secrets, who must do horrible things, mostly with gusto, in order to stay in power. The film sadly never truly embraces the satire of the rich with little scruples who take a literal bite from those who serve them, nor does it ever embrace the savagery of the oppressed who decide to turn the tables and wreak havoc (and destruction) on the oppressors. What we end up getting in the end is a rather generic tale of a family with a dark secret, who is rather inept and playing the game, and a woman (always a woman as a victim) as the target who eventually escapes, but who never takes solid decisions of her own, even if those involve saving herself. The film never reaches the satire of Craig Zobel's "The Hunt", nor does it capture the blood drenched mayhem of Coralie Fargeat's "Revenge" for instance. Grace is in victim mode for the most part of the film, and while the character has some evolution, for the most part her characterization, much like all the characters of the film, are quite flat and ultimately one-dimensional. The cast tries their best to bring this film to life, but Andie MacDowell is ultimately the one having all the fun, with good support also coming from Henry Czerny and Kristian Bruun. Samara Weaving, herself such a talented performer, and a queen of these polished B-movies, deserves a better vehicle for her talents. The production team is unremarkable, which ultimately is a very suitable definition for this film: unremarkable and forgettable. 

Nine Lives

Movie Name: Nine Lives
Year of Release: 2005
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Sissy Spacek, Robin Wright, Amy Brenneman, Amanda Seyfried, LisaGay Hamilton, Kathy Baker, Mary Kay Place, Jason Isaacs, Stephen Dillane, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Miguel Sandoval, Elpidia Carrillo, William Fichtner, Aidan Quinn, Joe Mantegna, Dakota Fanning
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

After making his directorial feature debut with "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her", writer/director Rodrigo Garcia tackled a series of interesting projects, including directing episodes for HBO's "Six Feet Under", "The Sopranos", and "Carnivale". He also directed "Ten Tiny Love Stories" before releasing "Nine Lives", which once again premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, on its way to being nominated for a few Independent Spirit Awards. Much like his debut, the narrative of the film centers on 9 different stories/vignettes. The first one focuses on Sandra, who is in prison, and has a meltdown upon not being able to communicate with her daughter. The second vignette tracks Diana and Damian, who used to be in a relationship and connect once again while at the supermarket. Their connection is still very much alive, even though they've moved on and have other partners in their lives, and Diana is pregnant. The following vignette tracks the life of Holly who is unexpectedly visiting the home where she grew up, meeting her sister there. That house is triggering for her, since it's where her sexually abusive stepfather still lives. Another vignette has a couple, Sonia and Martin, visiting their friends Lisa and Damian in their new apartment. The tension between them is palpable and keeps escalating right in front of their friends. Another segment follows Samantha, a teenager living with her parents, who don't communicate much with each other. Her parents Ruth and Larry love her terribly, but her mother is going through a tryst with a widower, as Larry is wheelchair-bound. Another vignette focuses on Lorna, who is attending a funeral with her parents. It is the funeral of her ex-husband's wife, and he admits to his desire for her when they connect at the church. The final two vignettes also deal with mortality, firstly with Camille who is facing breast cancer surgery, and secondly with Maggie who is doing a picnic at the cemetery and talking to her young daughter, whom we suddenly realize has already passed away. 

I've mentioned it before, and will do so again. Creating films with mosaic-like narratives isn't the easiest task. Mostly because the more characters these writers (and in this case, also director) try to bring to life, the more challenging it is to capture one's attention. These characters end up having a very limited amount of screen time in which they have to create a connection with the audience, but also in that limited screen time illustrate an inner life, and whatever conflict/desire/ambition, they're currently going through. Paul Thomas Anderson was able to do so very efficiently and with a profound emotional connection in "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia". He focused on a set of characters, and took us on a journey with all them, peppering the events with humor, drama, thrills, and even ridicule. Rodrigo Garcia instead creates vignettes, which can be occurring all in the same time frame, and they may not, since some of these characters crossover to some vignettes, whereas others do not. What some of these vignettes come across however, in terms of perspective at least and some more than others, is at times very stage like. These vignettes and sequences feel very similar to short plays that are being put on to illustrate a topic, and not so much a character. Because every single narrative is so boxed-in, these lives that are illustrated in this feature, feel both enigmatic, but also artificial, since they ultimately leave more unsaid about who these characters are, more so than the topic they aim to illustrate/bring to life. The most theatrical of the vignettes is quite possible the one with Robin Wright and Jason Isaacs, whereas the most successful is the one featuring Glenn Close and Dakota Fanning, precisely because it feels authentic, lived in, of a mother living with the absence of a daughter taken too soon. How do you live with absence - you let memories envelop you and play a pillar of support as you keep living. It's an interesting film with solid performances, particularly by Glenn Close, Dakota Fanning, Kathy Baker, Joe Mantegna, Robin Wright, Sissy Spacek, and Mary Kay Place. The production team is solid, particularly Xavier Grobet's cinematography, Edward Shearmur's score, and Courtney Jackson's production design. It may not hit all the buttons, but it's definitely worth watching.

Anora

Movie Name: Anora
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov, Darya Ekamasova, Luna Sofía Miranda, Lindsey Normington
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Hulu

Synopsis and Review

After the well received "Red Rocket", Sean Baker landed the biggest hit of his career thus far with "Anora", which won the Palm D'Or at Cannes, followed by winning a barrage of other awards, including the Academy Award for best picture, director, screenplay, and editing, all for him alone. The film follows the story of Anora, or Ani as she prefers to be named, who is a stripper living in Brighton Beach, but working in a fancy club in Manhattan. She meets a young man by the name of Ivan, who also goes by the name of Vanya, who comes infatuated with her. Vanya is Russian and Ani can speak and understand Russian because of her family background. He hires her for several sex dates, and after a New Year's party, offers her $15,000.00 to spend a whole week with him. As it happens, Vanya is the son of a Russian oligarch, and has money to burn. During the week they spend together, they go off to Las Vegas with a group of friends, and Vanya proposes to her, since he does not want to go back to Russia, and confesses to Ani that he is smitten with her. While Ani is initially reluctant, she soon agrees and they elope at a Vegas wedding chapel. Upon returning to the NY area, Ani quits her job and moves to Vanya's mansion. The news of the wedding/marriage soon reach Vanya's parents, who go ballistic on him and on the people hired to keep an eye on him. Toros, Vanya's godfather, is livid and wants to get the marriage immediately annulled. Vanya in the meantime escapes the mansion, while Ani refuses any annulment. They decide to seek out Vanya and find a way to resolve the situation before his parents arrive.

I admit I've been a fan of Sean Baker's past feature films, particularly "Tangerine", "The Florida Project", and "Red Rocket". "Anora" is the first of his films that has left me baffled, because it has this hybrid tone which mixes a pseudo Hollywood romance with his particular quasi-documentary style approach, focused on people who are on the fringes of society, in this case a stripper/sex worker. My bafflement doesn't stem from the hybrid aspect of the narrative, but mostly from the fact that this long film tracks an array of characters trying to locate an individual with the sole purpose of annulling a marriage, with characters that lack development, emotional depth, or for that matter, interest. On all of his prior films, all his characters, even the ones who didn't have much development, have always created a desire to know more about who they are, where they come from, and where does the narrative will eventually take them. "Anora" on the other hand, has a few comedic moments, but aside from those, it consists of a long journey populated with uninteresting characters who are as shallow and superficial when the film started, as they are when the film ends. Granted, not every film has to be a philosophical discussion about the meaning of life, and not every film requires for characters to have emotional epiphanies, but this is one rare case where what is taking place is literally going nowhere. As an audience member you always want to be captured by the storytelling that is taking place, but this one is literally a narrative populated with emotionally underdeveloped characters who ultimately have very little to say about themselves, about their connections, and about the world they inhabit. The cast does a fair job with the material they have, particularly Karren Karagulian as Toros. The production team is solid, particularly Drew Daniels' cinematography. I'm puzzled how this film won Sean Baker all these awards, but hopefully this will grant him the funds and support to continue to do his storytelling that has, up until this film, been so fantastic. 

Relay

Movie Name: Relay
Year of Release: 2024
Director: David Mackenzie
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington, Willa Fitzgerald, Jared Abrahamson, Pun Bandhu, Eisa Davis, Victor Garber, Matthew Maher, Seth Barrish
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

David Mackenzie who started his feature directorial career in the early 2000s, initially shined with the film "Young Adam" which featured great performances from Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton, and then hit a critical peak with "Hell or High Water" in 2016, but has more recently moved into genre material. "Relay" which came out in 2024, is one of his more recent films, and follows the story of Ash, a secretive man who makes a living out of helping people who are commonly known as "whistleblowers". He essentially finds ways for these individuals who find classified information who may jeopardize many people's lives, navigate the process of removing themselves from these same situations which may result in their deaths. He never calls the clients or the entities who want the documents directly: he uses a relay system to communicate with everyone, meaning he always carries with him a keyboard (for the hearing disabled). His newest client turns out to be a young woman by the name of Sarah. She has information on a genetically modified element that can impact millions of lives, something that the company that has manufactured it, wants to keep under cover. She had originally planned on going public with the information, but she's now fearing for her personal safety as she suspects that organization is tracking her every movement and has been intimidating her. As it turns out, she is in fact being surveilled by a counterintelligence team led by a man named Dawson. Ash provides detailed instructions on what she should be doing, and he soon realizes just how much Sarah is exposed and how much surveillance she is under. Sarah keeps fumbling through some of his instructions, all the while trying to build a closer relationship with Ash. Ash sets up the details for the exchange of Sarah's information for the financial settlement involved, but soon things get more complicated, forcing him to find other ways to navigate the situation, ways that go beyond his methodically constructed process.

"Relay" was written by Justin Piasecki, in what is his first produced script. The film's twist in the third act doesn't come across as a particular surprise, as the film isn't particularly subtle in the way it creates the character development of all those depicted. What is quite well crafted about this feature, is the first two thirds of the film, where David Mackenzie illustrates a la progressive disclosure, who these characters are, in particular Ash, who is the center of the narrative. There's something quite interesting, and almost reminiscent of Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation", that the director is able to illustrate during the first part of the film, bringing to life this existence of an individual who distances himself of others, who has alienated himself from what can be considered average life, but who still wants to help others, make an impact in a society that predates the weaker and the more vulnerable. Mr. Mackenzie is able to create a scenario where the suspense keeps increasing as the film keeps going, and he does so by upping the stakes and making the cat and mouse game that is being played just a bit more involved. Sadly the third chapter of the film almost wrecks everything that was construed previously, it goes into the more conventional tropes of an action film, but it still manages to hold a surprise or two near the end. The central nerve of the film is Riz Ahmed's solid performance, one that is nuanced, subtle, and yet decisive. The supporting players don't have quite as much to do, and the subtlety there is mostly gone (Sam Worthington who got his chance at bigger parts after his "Avatar" shining moment, has largely reduced himself to lead roles in B-movies, or supporting ones in films such as these). The production team of this film is solid, including the beautiful cinematography from the underrated Giles Nuttgens and score from Tony Doogan. It's a mildly entertaining film, though borderline instantly forgettable.  

Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her

Movie Name: Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her
Year of Release: 2000
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Cameron Diaz, Amy Brenneman, Calista Flockhart, Kathy Baker, Valeria Golino, Matt Craven, Gregory Hines, Miguel Sandoval, Noah Fleiss, Danny Woodburn, Roma Maffia, Penelope Allen, Elpidia Carrillo
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

"Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival of the year 2000, and was in fact Rodrigo Garcia's feature directorial debut, following an established career as a cinematographer (he lensed the films "Danzon" for Maria Novaro and "Gia" for Michael Christofer, to name but a few). The film is comprised of a series of vignettes, or a kaleidoscope of situations, where certain characters cross paths and some do not. The narrative starts with a police detective and her partner investigating the apparent suicide of an unknown woman. That prologue quickly moves on to Dr. Elaine Keener who is taking care of her elderly mother. She receives the visit of Christine, a young woman who reads tarot cards. Christine's insights spark shock and self-assessment on Dr. Keener's part. For her part, Christine is dealing with a challenging domestic situation, as her life partner is dying of a terminal illness. She cares for Lilly as much as she can in their sparsely decorated apartment. Another vignette focuses on the story of Rebecca, a successful and independent bank manager who has had an ongoing affair with Robert (who is married). She discovers she is pregnant, but still embarks on a flirtatious relationship that becomes sexual with one man on her staff, Walter. She decides to terminate the pregnancy. Another vignette focuses on Rose, who is a divorced mom, writing children's books. She becomes fascinated with her new neighbor, a little-person by the name of Albert. She gives him a ride home from the grocery store, and gets to know more about his situation. She also realizes her teenage son is far more worldly and sexually active than she expected. Another vignette focuses on the police detective who discovered the dead woman's body. Kathy lives with her beautiful blind sister, who coincidentally has started to date Walter (Rebecca's staff member). While Walter discard's Carol, Kathy in the meantime starts dating the medical examiner of her case. She is intent in finding why the woman she discovered killed herself. 

This type of mosaic storytelling isn't always the easiest one to construct and consume. Mostly because introducing many characters and many situations, doesn't allow for the audience to fully understand who they are, ending up by at times having characters and situations that feel under-developed. "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her" suffers a bit from this issue. The women who populate this film are far more complex and dimensional than what this screen time allows, and eventually the film treats some of these stories almost like a soap opera of sorts. Some of these episodes are far more dramatic and deserve a bit more room to be fully explored than they end up having. And while not everything needs to be explained or appeased, this film both asks for us to empathize with these characters, while also being severely short-handed with giving us enough insight towards them and their choices. It's a film that wants us to look at the seemingly unexpected connections that occur between people, but that also asks that we reflect on the consequences of choices we make, and how that trickles into many unexpected situations, something that is illustrated by these characters. The film is largely held up by a talented cast, particularly Calista Flockhart, Glenn Close, and Kathy Baker, who shine in their roles. The production team is solid, including Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography and Edward Shearmur's score. It's an interesting feature, though this director has since done more rewarding films. 

Ballerina

Movie Name: Ballerina
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Len Wiseman
Starring: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ava Joyce McCarthy, Juliet Doherty, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, David Castaneda, Victoria Comte, Daniel Bernhardt, Anne Parilaud, Robert Maaser
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

"Ballerina" is Len Wiseman's most recent feature directorial endeavor since his unjustly maligned "Total Recall" remake, which premiered in 2012 and featured Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale. Since then he's been primarily operating on TV shows, which may justify why this new film has such a generic tone to it. The film follows the story of Eve Macarro, whom we first encounter at a tender age with her father by her side. They're both viciously attacked by a squad of heavily armed men, and she barely escapes. She witnesses her father's death and promises revenge. She is rescued by Winston from the Continental Hotel, who deposits her with the Russian crime family, Ruska Roma. They become her new family and she grows up training as a ballerina and as a killer. However she has never forgotten to men who killed her father, all of whom have a very distinctive mark in their wrist. While on one of her assignments, she notices one of her victims has that mark. She reaches out to Winston to learn more about it, and even though letting her know that information goes against the Ruska Roma's orders, he decides to do so anyhow. She is sent in the direction of a man who has a mark on his head, but who can let her know more about that distinctive mark. The man in question is trying to protect his daughter, and they're all soon running for their lives. The man is injured and his daughter is taken. Eve manages to escape, and eventually learns more about that mark when she is attacked yet again when trying to get more weapons. As she goes to the village where she was told people with that mark live, she runs into something that she did not anticipate. 

"Ballerina" was Lionsgate Studios attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the John Wick universe. As it turns out, the film didn't test well, and Chad Stahelski, the director and main creative force behind the John Wick films (and credited as a producer on this one), was brought in to do considerable reshoots for this film. Much like it happened with the execrable "Birds of Prey" directed by Cathy Yan, "Ballerina" also suffers from this Frankenstein aspect, where there are clearly two tones and visions on the film, that don't necessarily gel together. The film has a rather placid and generic vibe to it, which is punched quite a bit once the fight scenes kick it into high gear/energy. The film tries too hard to stick with the stylistic options that functioned with the John Wick series, and never truly manages to create its own vision, be it aesthetically, or for that matter with the characters that are introduced. Eve doesn't really have much to her as a character, aside from the revenge motivation. She doesn't seem to have any friendships, or relationships of any kind, and her sole motivation seems to be a hellbent revenge towards an individual she knows nothing of. There are certain aspects of the film that bring to mind Luc Besson's "Nikita" (Anne Parilaud who played that part briefly appears in this film), but whereas Mr. Besson's film emphasized the evolution of Nikita from anti-social marginal, to someone who is trying to adjust, living with the burden of being a hired assassin, this film bypasses all subtleties in the writing and development of the narrative. Shay Hatten who wrote "John Wick 3" and "John Wick 4", and the terrible diptych of Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon", also writes this film, but fails to bring anything or anyone to life, focusing instead on creating action set pieces with lots of people getting killed. While the action set pieces, who seem to have the hand and polished point of view from Chad Stahelski, are indeed impeccably staged, the film for the most part doesn't rise above its mediocre character development, save for the moments where Keanu Reeves appears (even Anjelica Huston doesn't bring much to her character). Ana de Armas, who is indeed a versatile and talented performer is clearly miscast here: she lacks conviction, and fails to embody much of anything (comparing her with Angelina Jolie's performance in "Salt" or Charlize Theron's character in "Atomic Blonde" illustrate that dramatic difference). The supporting cast doesn't have much to work with, wasting the very talented Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, and Ian McShane needlessly. The production team is solid, including Romain Lacourbas's cinematography, Tyler Bates and Joel B. Richard's score, and Philip Ivey's production design. It's a forgettable endeavor for audiences and for everyone who spent time on this film. 

Together

Movie Name: Together
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Michael Shanks
Starring: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman, Mia Morrissey, Karl Richmond, Jack Kenny, Francesca Waters, Aljin Abella
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

"Together" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival of 2025 to solid reviews, and is the feature directorial debut of writer/director Michael Shanks. The film follows the story of Milli Wilson and Tim Brassington. They've been a couple for a few years, and are moving to a more remote locale so Millie can take a job at a school as an English teacher. Tim on the other hand, is an aspiring musician, and just hasn't been able to break through and have the exposure and success he thinks he deserves (he still works as a session player on occasion). Tim has also been through a recent emotional turmoil due to the passing of his parents, something Millie has been supporting him with. Shortly after moving to their new house, Tim and Millie go off to explore the trails near the property, following some landmarks that are located in the woods. They accidentally fall into an underground cave during a rainstorm and end up spending the night. Tim drinks water from a stream inside the cave, which Millie opts not to do. When they wake up the following morning, their legs are stuck together by this sticky membrane, which they attribute to some form of mildew. Tim becomes more and more drawn to Millie, and they consult a doctor who thinks it's panic attacks he's experiencing. He prescribes muscle relaxant pills. The series of awkward events escalate when Millie drops Tim at the train station for a music gig he is hired for, and he out of sheer need to be near her physically, shows up at the school, where they end up having sex (in one of the bathrooms). Millie visits their neighbor and coworker Jamie to apologize for the bizarre events, and ends up drinking some water that Jamie offers her. That night Tim and Millie experience more bizarre events, which leads them to suspect that something sinister is taking place.

The type of body horror that this film illustrates is something that David Cronenberg explored quite frequently during the late 1970s through the 1990s, in films that became quite well known for its daring concepts, including "Videodrome", "The Fly", "Crash", and even "eXistenZ". Michael Shanks successfully sets up the relationship of this couple, one that is at a crossroads in their existence: on one hand there's still love between them, but there's family trauma, professional ambition, and even peer pressure for something to evolve in their relationship. This new environment in which they find themselves in, is a test for their closeness, but also puts them in a unexpected situation, where they suddenly realize that they have to make choices of who they are as individuals and also as a couple. There's faint echoes of Alan Parker's "Shoot the Moon" and even Stanley Donen's "Two For the Road", as these couples all have to face these junctures in their relationship, and come to terms with what they want. Michael Shanks just peppers this relationship attrition with a more sinister underbelly, which is both surprising, but also introduces the topic of this body horror that takes the story, heightening its sense of urgency and unrest to a very different level. This progression of the narrative is gradual, and both Dave Franco and Alison Brie vividly bring these two characters to life in a very authentic manner, depicting this central relationship as something tangible, with its highs and lows. Sadly the supporting characters fail to match their development and intensity, which undermines the film's effectiveness. The production team is solid, particularly Germain McMicking's cinematography, Cornel Wilczek's score, and Nicholas Dare's production design. It's an auspicious debut and a film worth watching. 

Gloria

Movie Name: Gloria
Year of Release: 1980
Director: John Cassavetes 
Starring: Gena Rowlands, John Adames, Buck Henry, Julie Carmen, Sonny Landham, Lawrence Tierney, Basilio Franchina, Val Avery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

By the time "Gloria" premiered in 1980 (at the Venice Film Festival of that year where it won the Golden Lion), John Cassavetes was coming off a stellar decade where he wrote and directed films as "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Opening Night", which preceded "Gloria". The film follows the story of a former mob moll (she used to date a crime lord in New York), who is now living a rather quiet life in a nice apartment in the South Bronx, all of which she has carved for herself. Her tranquil life is thrown into disarray when her neighbors involve her in a serious altercation with the mafia. Turns out Jack (the father) is an accountant for the mob, but has also been an informant for the FBI, and that thin veil of duplicity has disappeared, and there's now a hit on all his family (including wife and kids). Jeri (the mother), asks Gloria to look out for the children, while they attempt an escape. Gloria quickly leaves with the youngest son Phil, who carries with him a ledger containing all incriminating accounts. The family is brutally slaughtered, and Gloria manages to get Phil out of the apartment complex, carrying with her a gun and a slim case with some clothes. They soon realize they've also become targets, and Gloria decides to get some money from her safety deposit box to enable their escape from New York. However this escape keeps being foiled by the tight net of the mob that is closing in on them. 

"Gloria" is a film that lives and breathes thanks to the unforgettable presence of Gena Rowlands. She inhabits the character of Gloria with determination, but also with the sense of fatigue, of someone who has seen it all, understands the rules of the game, and just wants out. The fact that she is now responsible for a child, is a new friction and disruption she did not envision, and that throws her off quite a bit. The way John Cassavetes captures the grit of New York of the late 1970s is quite remarkable, in the sense that particularly through today's eyes, it feels like a different world altogether. There's a pulsating sense of menace, but also of life, of different cultures all coexisting (and clashing with each other) in that environment (something that Jonathan Demme also captured so well in "Something Wild" and even "Married to the Mob" for instance). The film flows unflappable and driven by the sheer determination of the lead character, and while the crime/noir angle isn't particularly new, this take of an unexpected partnership such as this feels fresh. The supporting characters don't have as much nuance and dimension as Gloria. Phil's character is less well resolved (and written), and the sweet John Adames tries his best to bring to life the scared but also precocious little boy that is suddenly having to rely on a woman he barely knows to survive a very harsh reality. The production team is solid, featuring Bill Conti's score, Fred Schuler's cinematography, and Emanuel Ungaro's costumes for Gena Rowland's Gloria, who may be on the run, but does so with glamour. It's a vibrant film with a wonderful central performance, that deserves to be rewatched. 

Legion

Movie Name: Legion
Year of Release: 2010
Director: Scott Stewart
Starring: Paul Bettany, Lucas Black, Dennis Quaid, Adrianne Palicki, Charles S. Dutton, Kate Walsh, Jon Tenney, Willa Holland, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Durand, Doug Jones, Jeanette Miller, Josh Stamberg
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

"Legion" is Scott Stewart's feature directorial debut, following a robust career in the visual effects discipline (he worked on films such as Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!", Robert Rodriguez's "Sin City", and Steven Spielberg's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park"). The film follows the story of the angel Michael, whom we first encounter severing his wings so he can tackle the salvation of an unborn child, which holds the key for the salvation of humanity. In the meantime, in a diner, in the middle of nowhere, its owner Bob Hanson is dealing with a family who is stranded due to a car issue (Howard and Sandra Anderson, alongside their daughter Audrey). The waitress working in the diner, Charlie, is expecting a child any day now, and Bob's son Jeep, is helping her any way he can, even though he's not the child's father. Another man with secrets converges on that diner, a man by the name of Kyle Williams who stops for gas on his way to LA. Also at the diner is Percy, the cook and longtime friend of Bob and Jeep. The events at the diner quickly escalate when the television, radio, and telephone stop working. They are soon joined by an elderly woman by the name of Gladys who initially seems sweet and agreeable, but soon reveals herself to be vicious, and aggressively charges against Howard, lethally biting him. While Kyle shoots her, more challenges present themselves, as a swarm of flies surrounds the diner. Michael appears with a set of guns and instructs everyone to get back in the diner and attack anyone who attempts to enter the premises, as whoever does it is possessed, and wants Charlie's child, who is the savior of mankind. While everyone is in disbelief, they soon realize what Michael is saying is possibly truthful, as hordes of people converge on the diner, intending on attacking it.

For a film with a script as bare bones as this one, this film just seemed to keep going (or maybe because of the inexistent script, it really did seem like it kept on going). Sadly for Scott Stewart's directorial career (and writing, since he is also credited with the writing), this film marks a rather inauspicious beginning (his subsequent films didn't fare much better). The script's structure and its main characters' motivations are non existent, and this film seems to exist with the sole purpose of presenting supernatural/fantastical creatures with guns shooting at each other, with semi well choreographed fight scenes (not very well choreographed to be quite honest). Michael and Gabriel, the angels at odds with each other, are presented as Roman soldiers (apparently angels dress like extras from "Cleopatra" and "Spartacus"), and much like Francis Lawrence's "Constantine", they seem to exist on Earth, though one would never know since there isn't much context building, or much of understanding why these pseudo angels have guns and fight each other.  As Ed Wood would say, and Tim Burton so exquisitely illustrated in the film with the same name, details don't matter, it's all about the big picture. Only in this case, the big picture never really manifests into something coherent, and the fact that these characters are killing average people who are possessed, is of no consequence: the guns are there for a purpose and they're not going to shoot themselves. This mind boggling film that has no coherence, taste, or even discernment, has a diverse cast, headed by the talented Paul Bettany, who somehow manages to escape unscathed from this mess (he even made another film with this director named "Priest"). The diverse cast includes the very talented Charles S. Dutton (who was impeccable in David Fincher's "Alien 3"), the usual collaborator of Guillermo Del Toro, Doug Jones (who barely does anything), and a variety of TV actors, all perplexed at this mess they're in. Dennis Quaid also makes an appearance as an aging diner owner, and the description is as generic as his performance. The production team is solid, including John Lindley's cinematography, John Frizzell's score, and Jeff Higinbotham's production design. This is truly a head scratcher, something that is borderline unwatchable, with a great set of professionals, who sadly can't do anything to make it any better. Avoid. 

Happy Death Day

Movie Name: Happy Death Day
Year of Release: 2017
Director: Christopher Landon
Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken, Laura Clifton, Jason Bayle, Rachel Matthews, Phi Vu, Tenea Intriago, Ramsey Anderson, Jimmy Gonzales
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Christopher Landon who has had a prolific career as a writer, started his feature directorial career with "Burning Palms" in 2010, and has consistently been directing low to mid level budgeted films that have become quite successful (a lot of them in association with Jason Blum's "Blumhouse Productions").  "Happy Death Day" follows the story of Tree Gelbman, who wakes up in the dorm room of Carter Davis, a classmate of hers, after an evening of what appears to be hard partying. It's her birthday, she hardly remembers Carter, and she rapidly leaves, in the direction of her sorority house. Her roommate Spengler gives her a celebratory cupcake, which she dismisses. She's late for class, where she meets her married professor, Gregory. They're having a fling, much to the suspicion of his trusting wife. That evening on her way to a party, Tree is murdered by a figure wearing a mask. She immediately wakes up, once again on Carter's bed, and relives her day much like what had just happened. However she avoids the tunnel and does reach the party. Her illusion of safety is shattered, when the killer traces her location and once again kills her. Once again she wakes up in Carter's bed, and she realizes she's repeating her birthday over and over again. She eventually explains to Carter what is happening, and he suggests that she takes advantage of the loop to figure out who is the killer. 

Harold Ramis' modern classic "Groundhog Day" has created its own sub genre in the comedy domain. "Happy Death Day" takes the premise of the time loop and places it squarely in the slasher genre, creating an interesting variation of the original theme, mixing elements of comedy with elements of the horror genre. This time around the perpetual victim has an opportunity to uncover who is her killer, in the process getting to learn more about herself, and what got her in that predicament to begin with. Sadly though, whereas in Harold Ramis' film we got to learn more about Phil Connors/Bill Murray as the narrative progressed, in this feature Christopher Landon doesn't give us much in terms of who Tree actually is, aside from eventually providing a reconciliation scene with her father, whom she alienated after her mother's death (also, apparently screenwriters don't even try to come up with credible people's names anymore, I'm expecting Petal, Bush, and Leaf to soon make their way into unfortunate characters' names). "Happy Death Day" manages to hold the audience's attention since it has two great things going for it: firstly, the creative team has realized this is nothing but a slick B-movie, and secondly, they've smartly held off any pretension at bay, peppered the feature with a few influences ranging from Michael Lehmann's "Heathers" to Mark Waters' "Mean Girls", and didn't take anything very seriously. This somewhat unpretentious approach works in the film's favor, and also allows for the performers to inhabit these rather undeveloped characters with some charm. Jessica Rothe does a good job inhabiting the lead character, and has solid support from Israel Broussard and Rachel Matthews. The production team is competent, including Bear McCreary's score, Toby Oliver's cinematography, and Cece De Stefano's production design. It's a watchable and mildly entertaining feature. 

Triangle of Sadness

Movie Name: Triangle of Sadness
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Ruben Ostlund
Starring: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly De Leon, Vicki Berlin, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Buric, Henrik Dorsin, Amanda Walker, Oliver Ford Davies, Iris Berben, Carolina Gynning, Sunnyi Melles, Jean-Christophe Folly, Arvin Kananian
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Following his Palm D'Or winning film "The Square" in 2017, writer/director Ruben Ostlund returned to the same festival 5 years later, and won a second Palm (other directors to have won two Palm D'Or awards include Francis Ford Coppola, Bille August, and Emir Kusturica). "Triangle of Sadness" focuses on the story of male model Carl, whom we first encounter in a casting session. We soon witness him having a cringe inducing dinner with his girlfriend, the also model Yaya. Their discussion soon veers towards finances, but above all, about gender dynamics and power. Soon after this episode both Carl and Yaya are enjoying a relaxing break at a luxury yacht. They connect with a series of other guests, including the millionaire Dimitry who is also enjoying a break with his partner Vera, and another elderly couple, Winston and Clementine, who have made their fortune from arms dealing. The crew of the yacht is stoked about serving the guests, because they know a hefty tip is lying ahead for them at the end of the journey. The captain of the vessel in the meantime refuses to get out of his cabin, where he's indulging in various beverages and drugs. He finally agrees to emerge from his hideout for a celebratory dinner, coincidentally during an evening where a lot of bad weather is expected. As the dinner celebration is taking place, a storm erupts, leading to severe turbulence, which results in most guests having issues holding their food down. The yacht eventually capsizes and only a few guests manage to escape alive, to what seems a remote island. As the survivors try to navigate their newfound situation, they soon realize they're depending on Abigail, a woman who was in charge of the toilets at the yacht, but who now provides for their food sources, and even their heat/shelter. 

"Triangle of Sadness" is a film where the intellectual exercise of its creator (Mr. Ruben Ostlund) is clearly energized by the message he wants to convey. And the message goes across all directions, including the vapidness of beauty (and influencers), the shallowness of youth, the power play that exists in relationships, the wealth of a few at the expense of many, including the death of millions, and the list goes on. Mr. Ostlund's attempts at creating a microcosms representative of everything that is damaged about modern society is ambitious, and at times successful, sadly this film has a massive issue pertaining to the lack of characters that are actually more than just a simple cliché. And I'm not saying this because of any type of morality aspect that these characters fail to illustrate or demonstrate: regardless of them being amoral or cynical or whatever other quality trait the writer/director chooses for them to embody, they still have to be able to demonstrate motivation, have an arc, something that illustrates who these individuals are besides a limited list of characteristics that summarize their existence. It's a film that has some good points, namely in the third chapter, as Abigail's role takes on a different dimension, and how she as a woman, provider, leverages her newfound power to navigate that group, its dynamics, and even gender roles. It's also a film that has some questionable taste level, namely during the dinner scene at the yacht, which features more than is necessary to be illustrated in any film (one can argue that Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Saló" also crosses many lines, but that film is a line crosser from beginning to end). The cast is very eclectic and creates an interesting tapestry for what this director is intending to communicate. Dolly De Leon and Harris Dickinson give solid performances, and have good support from Vicki Berlin, Zlatko Buric, and Woody Harrelson. The production team is solid, including Fredrik Wenzel's cinematography and Josefin Asberg's production design. It's an interesting film that may not be for everyone's taste, but it's worth watching nonetheless. 

After the Hunt

Movie Name: After the Hunt
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Luca Guadagnino 
Starring: Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, Chloe Sevigny, Lio Mehiel, David Leiber, Thaddea Graham, Will Price, Nora Garrett, Christine Dye
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

"After the Hunt" premiered at the Venice Film Festival of 2025 where it was met with mixed reviews. By the time it premiered in the American market, the reviews were even harsher, the first for the very talented Luca Guadagnino. The film, written by Nora Garrett (her first produced script), follows the story of Alma, a philosophy teacher at Yale, whom we first encounter during a soirée that she and her husband have organized. During that evening we get to meet Alma's close knit of colleagues and students, including her handsome and flirtatious colleague Hank, her students Maggie, Katie and Arthur. Hank flirts with Alma during the evening, and she politely shields herself from any possible awkward situations. Her husband Frederik keeps a close eye on everyone. The following day Alma is surprised to see Maggie at her front door, clearly distressed. Maggie shares that following Alma's soirée, Hank volunteered to walk her home, and they both decided to have a night cap at her apartment. Maggie's partner Alex wasn't there. Maggie shares that a situation developed, and that something inappropriate between them happened, something she wasn't consensual with. She's unsure if she's going to press charges, but she has decided to share what happened with Alma for support. Alma is surprised, and unsure of what to do. Hank also approaches her and tells her his perspective of the events: he uncovered the fact Maggie had been plagiarizing her papers, and wanted to confront her. He states nothing happened, but fears that whatever emerges will destroy his career. As he predicted himself, Maggie's narrative precipitates a series of events, one of which results in Hank's dismissal. As the events from that situation continue to escalate, Alma's discomfort also increases, leading her to unpredictable behaviors. 

Luca Guadagnino is one of the most interesting directors working these days. He has an uncanny ability to bring stories to life, combining character development, with world building, all married with a stylistic perspective, which makes him a unique talent. "After the Hunt" which comes wrapped in what seems to be a "Me Too" type of narrative, soon moves in a different direction, one that is an exploration of who Alma is, and how her past has influenced how she consumes different narratives in her life, be those of her marriage, working relationships, which includes her mentorship ties with her students, and her emotional network, which includes flirtatious threads she may have had with Hank in the past. At times the writing seems to veer close to Patrick Marber's "Closer" territory, but then moves in a different direction towards what Woody Allen did in "September" for instance. It's a film that populates interesting and very intellectual individuals in the center of a very emotional and carnal imbroglio, which isn't even what the story is truly about. This narrative is about uncovering who Alma really is, and by looking at her the director is asking for us to look at ourselves, by illustrating prior questionable decisions, by placing our ambition as a catalyst for a driver that forces us (and Alma) to come to terms with the ability to move past scruples, regrets, ambivalences, in order to get to our desired destination. It's a film that asks questions, and allows for these central characters to slowly reveal themselves to us. The central performances are great, particularly those of Julia Roberts and Michael Stuhlbarg. They get great support from Ayo Edebiri and Chloe Sevigny, and less so from Andrew Garfield, who is miscast in this role. The production team is solid, including the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (not to mention the songs from Caetano Veloso, Cesaria Évora and Ryuichi Sakamoto alongside John Adams), cinematography by Malik Hassan Sayeed, costume design by Giulia Piersanti, and Stefano Baisi's production design. It's another solid film from a very talented film maker, one worth watching.

Predator: Badlands

Movie Name: Predator: Badlands
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Ravi Narayan, Chris Terhune, Cameron Brown, Stefan Grube, Reuben de Jong
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Hulu

Synopsis and Review

The last three features from writer/producer/director Dan Trachtenberg have all been in the "Predator" universe, and they've all been well received, and a great testament to his ability to revitalize this franchise, whose best episode up until his endeavors, was still John McTiernan's original feature from 1987. "Predator: Badlands" follows the story of Dek, a predator from the planet Yautja Prime. He is seeking the approval from his father, clan leader Njohrr, who considers him a disappointment and a disservice to the clan as he is smaller than his brother and the rest of the clan members. Njohrr orders his brother to kill Dek, but he chooses instead to save him, sacrificing himself in the process and sending Dek to the planet Genna, where Dek intends to kill a supreme predator and bring back a trophy to prove his worthiness. Dek crash lands on Genna, and immediately realizes that everything about that planet is hostile, including trees, grass, and nearly everything surrounding him. While trying to escape from a dangerous predator, Dek connects with Thia, a damaged android (she has no legs), who offers to help him escape. Upon explaining his intent on the planet, Thia states she can help, provided he can take her back to the area where her team briefly established a colony and where they were attacked by the Kalisk creature. While initially resistant to volunteer any assistance, Dek soon acquiesces and takes Thia with him. They're soon joined by another creature, someone Thia names Bud, who saves them from nearly being devoured. In the meantime another android similar to Thia, her "sister" Tessa is repaired, and instructed on the parameters of her mission, being warned not to fail, as there will be no leniency if she does. Dek and Thia reach the former working station, or what's left of it, and while Thia immediately attempts to get her legs reattached, Dek is soon confronted with the Kalisk, who turns out to be quite a challenge. 

Dan Trachtenberg and his creative team's take on the "Predator" franchise has been quite refreshing, because they're essentially bringing a different dimension to a character that was up until their involvement, a monolithic monster without much personality. "Prey" and "Badlands" have given different contexts in which these characters exist, allowing them to be seen as warrior clans with a strict sense of rules, and not solely as supporting (and forgettable) villainous creatures who are mortal foibles for their human challengers/victims. "Badlands" places the Predator creature in the center of the narrative, and the film is erected as a rite of passage for a young warrior who wants to prove himself and avenge his brother in the process. The film plays out like a slick and intelligent B-movie, who is further uplifted due to the introduction of the intelligent, humorous, and quasi-human android, perfectly embodied by Elle Fanning. The relationship between these two characters, a la "Midnight Run", evolves from initial suspicion to well established trust, illustrating the convergence of both their journeys in building and getting what they ultimately need: companionship. It's a very smartly conceived film with an impeccable momentum, that while at times over simplifies some of the challenges/friction elements that exist, it's nonetheless polished, well acted, with solid visual effects and great production values. The cast led by the fantastic Elle Fanning, who is masterful in this dual role, is solid, and while there could have been some additional nuance to the evolution of these characters, what they set out to do is perfectly rendered. The production team is impeccable, including Benjamin Wallfisch and Sara Schachner's score, Jeff Cutter's cinematography, Ra Vincent's production design, Ngila Dickson's costume design, the entire makeup and prosthetics team, and the entire visual effects team (stupendous). It's a very well done and entertaining feature. Worth watching.

The Island

Movie Name: The Island
Year of Release: 2005
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ethan Phillips, Tom Everett
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

By the time he tackled "The Island", Michael Bay was coming off two big commercial hits, "Pear Harbor" and "Bad Boys II". The script originally written by Caspian Tredwell-Owen and then rewritten by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, follows the story of a man called Lincoln Six Echo who lives in a secluded facility, alongside many others, where he leads a very regimented existence. It's 2019, and they've all been informed that life outside that facility has changed considerably and that the island where they live is the only area pathogen free which is still able to support human existence. Lincoln in the meantime has been having vivid dreams that are not related with his own life. He eventually discovers a live moth in a ventilation shaft, which prompts his deduction that life outside the facility isn't compromised. He eventually follows the moth to another section of the facility and discovers that the "lottery", which everyone always looks forward to, is in reality a system that takes people from the facility for organ harvesting, and that all the people in that program are actually clones. Lincoln's discoveries make him a target for Dr. Merrick, who runs the facility and wants to preserve it at all costs. He decides to escape, and takes Jordan Two Delta with him. Merrick in the meantime hires a mercenary to recover them and bring them back to the island. The two escapees in the meantime decide to discover more about the real world. 

"The Island", much like many dystopian type of features that have been released since the 1970s, including for instance Michael Anderson's "Logan's Run", all have very similar premises: a central hero is forced to uncover the harsher reality that lies behind the facade of a seemingly perfect society. These dystopian worlds and realities ultimately force the hero to confront his own sense of humanity, but also the foils, insecurities, and lustful violence of those who control and want to continue dominating whatever semblance of power they have. In other words, spin the world, the context, and the time, but human cruelty, thirst for power, and unbridled ambition never change. This type of universe can make for really interesting films and some examples include the unique takes of Terry Gilliam with his "12 Monkeys" or even The Wachowski siblings with "The Matrix", however Michael Bay lacks both the perspective and storytelling prowess to create something memorable from this material. There's something quite calculated and overly labored about "The Island " itself: starting with the casting of the young attractive performers from the time, populating the feature with prestige supporting cast (for credibility), and finally staging everything with enough acrobatics and muscular car chases to appease the right demographic (all this wrapped in a shiny cinematography and slick costume design). The result of this concoction is a soulless feature, where everything looks slick, but lacks verisimilitude, where talented actors try to bring dimension to characters that are lifeless and have very little in terms of motivation or even an arc. Even for a director who has made a career for himself of populating his films with quick jump cuts, objectification of women, and gratuitous explosions, all hidden behind this dated tv commercial aesthetic, "The Island" is one of his most forgettable endeavors, and that itself is one of its biggest flaws. Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, then trying to establish their careers within the industry, even if at different times in their careers, are completely wasted in this film, the same going for the supporting cast, which features Djimon Hounsou playing yet another villain with a soul, Sean Bean still attempting to maintain the momentum from "Lord of the Rings", and Steve Buscemi, whose ability to pepper his performances with just enough distinctiveness, is completely passed over. The production team, while greatly talented, services a very distasteful aesthetic, resulting in the work of Mauro Fiore (cinematography), Nigel Phelps (production design), and Steve Jablonsky (score), being less than stellar. It's a forgettable endeavor for everyone involved. 

Train Dreams

Movie Name: Train Dreams
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Clint Bentley
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy, Kerry Condon, John Diehl, Clifton Collins Jr., Paul Schneider, Will Patton, Nathaniel Arcand, Eric Ray Anderson, Beau Charles
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

"Train Dreams" is Clint Bentley's sophomore directorial endeavor, following his well received "Jockey". It's an adaptation of the novella by Denis Johnson, adapted by Bentley and his creative partner Greg Kwedar. The film follows the narrative of Robert Grainier, born in the late 1800s, who as an adult makes a living as a logger and railroad worker in the Idaho area. Robert stays mostly to himself, though he observes how other construction workers go about their lives and how they interact with each other. He eventually meets Gladys Olding, whom he falls in love with, and they both marry and build a log cabin near the Moyie River. They have a daughter whom they name Kate. Robert stays away from his family for months at a time, since he goes where work is available, and that means leaving his loved ones behind. As Kate keeps growing up, he feels that he is missing out on what matters the most to him, Gladys and Kate. They discuss scenarios that will enable him to make an income and stay closer to home, something that is a challenge particularly with the wrecked economy from post-World War I. However upon returning from his last contract as a logger, Robert is crushed to witness his family's log cabin destroyed in a wildfire, with Gladys and Kate nowhere in sight. Robert is desperate and keeps sleeping on the site and waiting for something to happen, raising the worries  of his friend Ignatius Jack. He eventually rebuilds the cabin and goes back to logging but soon realizes there's new ways of working in the field, and that he is out of place. He keeps walking through the woods in the hopes he can somehow connect or feel the spirits of his wife and daughter.

"Train Dreams" immediately brings to mind the work of Terrence Malick. The combination of a certain aesthetic, with this quasi philosophical and introspective stance, and voice-over/narration, are very indebted to the point of view Terrence Malick has created with some of his most well known features (including "The Thin Red Line" and "The Tree of Life"). However and what is interesting about Mr. Bentley's perspective, and how he has carved his own point of view with this feature, is the fact that he grounds the existence of his lead character in something more realistic and not so random as is typically the case with Mr. Malick's more recent filmic endeavors. There's nothing particularly self-indulgent about this film, quite the contrary: the writer/director manages to breathe life into the existence of Robert, making it feel authentic, even as he fails to overcome the pain of the loss of the life he was building with his wife, and how he eventually realizes just how distant from modern life he has become. He is portrayed as someone not entirely integrated with how most people live their lives, and he only truly blossoms when he discovers and embraces Gladys' love. It's ultimately a film that illustrates a quiet life, at a time when that was still possible to be lived, when all cruelty and brutality were visceral and violent, at times unavoidable, where people lived for shared experiences and not necessarily for grandiose gestures. It is a film that does bring to life another time, with characters that feel lived in, and with enough color to make them memorable. The cast is fantastic, particularly Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy, Kerry Condon, and the wonderful narration of Will Patton. The production team is equally impeccable, particularly Adolpho Veloso's cinematography, Bryce Dessner's score (and the beautiful song he and Nick Cave have created), and Alexandra Schaller's production design. It may not be for everyone's taste, but there's something quite arresting that stays with you after watching this film, even if it does feel a bit too much Terrence Malick derivative. Worth watching.