Reservoir Dogs

Movie Name: Reservoir Dogs
Year of Release: 1992
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Randy Brooks, Kirk Baltz, Quentin Tarantino, David Steen
Genre: Crime, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

"Reservoir Dogs" is director Quentin Tarantino's feature directorial debut. It follows the story of a group of strangers, who are hired by a crime boss, by the name of Joe Cabot, to carry out a diamond robbery. They're all given code names, in order for them not to become too friendly with each other, and instead focus on the job itself. The heist however takes a dark turn, a few of them are killed, and the remainder re-assemble in a warehouse, where they're trying to understand what has happened. One of them is slowly bleeding to death, and they all suspect there's an undercover cop in the group, and that person tipped the police about their pending heist. As they try to make sense of the whole ordeal and check the validity of their suspicions, tensions arise.

"Reservoir Dogs" established Quentin Tarantino's reputation, something that was further enhanced by the series of scripts he crafter for other directors in the subsequent years, namely Tony Scott's "True Romance" and Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers", not forgetting of course, "Pulp Fiction", which effectively made him a star in his own right. "Reservoir Dogs" manages to be at its best, when the fraught relationships between the group members are being showcased and some of their personalities, shine through. That is particularly visible with Harvey Keitel's Mr. White, and the way he protects Tim Roth's Mr. Orange. As the relationships between these seemingly strangers are peeled off, and their motivations are made clearer, the dynamics of the group also becomes more transparent, though that mostly only occurs with a few characters (which coincidentally, is where the film falters the most). For all its fame and reputation, it's a film that at times feels very much like a stage play, one that has without question some violence and grittiness, but still one that feels borderline artificial. The film does manage to have its own environment well crafted, and the cast gives it a beating heart, with Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi and Chris Penn, all creating memorable characters. While not as effective as his subsequent films, it's still an entertaining film from a great director.

The Fury

Movie Name: The Fury
Year of Release: 1978
Director: Brian De Palma
Starring: Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Carrie Snodgress, Amy Irving, Charles Durning, Fiona Lewis, Andrew Stevens, Carol Eve Rossen, Rutanya Alda, William Finley, Jane Lambert, J. Patrick McNamara, Alice Nunn, Pat Billingsley, Dennis Franz, Jack Callahan
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:

Director Brian De Palma followed his successful double releases of 1976, "Carrie" and "Obsession", with another book adaptation, this time around, from author John Farris, who also wrote the screenplay. "The Fury" follows the story of Peter Sandza, an ex-CIA agent who we initially find on vacation with his son Robin, in Israel. Peter is planning on leaving his agent life, however a colleague of his visiting him and Robin, by the name of Childress, has his own plans. He knows Robin has psychic and telekinetic abilities, and therefore stages an attack, in order to kill Peter and escape with Robin. While the attack does occur, Peter manages to escape, and makes his way back to the US trailing Childress and the heartbroken Robin, who believes his father is indeed dead. Back in the US another teenager starts demonstrating the same abilities as Robin, a young woman by the name of Gillian. While Robin is being kept in an institute, he and Gillian somehow form a telepathic bond. Peter, thanks to the help of Hester, a woman he has been dating, meets Gillian, and they both set out to save Robin. 

This supernatural thriller, while not as effective as "Carrie" or some of his subsequent films, is still filled with plenty of typical Brian De Palma imagery and themes. For starters, the duplicitous aspect of the characters, and the progressive disclosure of their true natures, alongside the central anti-hero, who has to somehow rise to the occasion when in presence of considerable challenges. While all these themes shine through, the plot itself is somewhat murky and while going in quite a few tangents, it doesn't solve them quite as effectively. Ultimately the narrative opens a variety of subplots, and never truly gives them much dimension, the same going for most of the characters. Peter, or for that matter, Childress, are never given much dimension or background itself in order to fully understand what their motivations are. There are quite a few elements to this plot that are never truly explored, causing the film to feel somewhat inconsistent (some of these themes would appear with some additional exposition in Stephen King's "Firestarter" for instance or even David Cronenberg's "Scanners"). The cast is populated with great talent, including Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning and Amy Irving, while the production team includes a great score from John Williams and solid cinematography from Richard H. Kline. While not one of his best features, it's nonetheless an entertaining film from a great director. 

The Thing

Movie Name: The Thing
Year of Release: 1982
Director: John Carpenter
Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, Norbert Weisser, Larry Franco
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

Following the double punch of "The Fog" and "Escape from New York", films that further cemented his reputation, director John Carpenter tackled his first big budget endeavor with "The Thing", which had originally been envisioned as a Tobe Hooper project. The film is a remake of the Christian Nyby feature from 1951, "The Thing from Another World" . It focuses its narrative on a group of researchers in Antarctica whose existence is disrupted when a helicopter from a nearby Norwegian research station comes by in pursuit of a dog that has escaped their base. When that situation escalates, and after researching the source of their behavior, they encounter that other base pretty much destroyed. While inspecting what's left, they come across the remains of a strange creature, which they bring back to their home base to inspect with further detail. They come to the conclusion that is an alien life form. They eventually figure out that this alien creature can in fact assimilate into other life forms, including humans. The team also realizes that the creature is trying to survive by killing and replicating the members of the research team. They have to be strategic about detecting who is in fact human, and who has been in fact replaced, while also preventing the creature from going into hibernation again or spreading throughout the planet.

This remake of the "The Thing from Another World", which in itself also influenced Ridley Scott's "Alien", marries perfectly well with the thematic universe and focus of director John Carpenter. There are traces in the narrative that are quite similar to what he managed to depict and convey on "Assault on Precinct 13" and even on "Escape from New York", both films where there's a sense of ongoing claustrophobia (even if in the case of New York, that closed off space was the island of Manhattan), where the opposing forces seem inescapable, but somehow the resourceful hero manages to triumph, thanks to his resourcefulness and ingenuity. "The Thing" starts progressively unveiling its menace and threat, much like his previous (and following) films, though in this particular case, the visceral aspect of the creature, also produces much of the horror that the researching team experiences. Whereas "Alien" builds its environment out of shadows and suggestion, "The Thing" showcases its menace a bit more openly, but loses none of its impact due to the graphical representation of the creature. It's a film that also allows for each character to be broadly represented, much like a B-movie, establishing traits, behaviors and the dynamics of the group. The cast is uniformly great, with Kurt Russell leading the group, but with great support from Keith David, Wilford Brimley and Donald Moffat, to name but a few. The cinematography from Dean Cundey is fantastic, as is the score from the iconic Ennio Morricone, with special highlight also going to the visual effects from Rob Bottin. A great film always worth revisiting from one of the most distinctive voices in American cinema.

Scary Movie 4

Movie Name: Scary Movie 4
Year of Release: 2006
Director: David Zucker
Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Craig Bierko, Leslie Nielsen, Bill Pullman, Anthony Anderson, Molly Shannon, Kevin Hart, Carmen Electra, Chris Elliott, Cloris Leachman, Beau Mirchoff, Conchita Campbell, Michael Madsen, Simon Rex, DeRay Davis, John Reardon, Charlie Sheen, James Earl Jones
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:

Following the success of "Scary Movie 3", director David Zucker, alongside his team comprised of writers Jim Abrahams, Pat Proft and Craig Mazin, tackled a new chapter in the series. This time around Cindy Campbell finds herself a widower, and looking for a new job (George, her deceased husband died as a result of her boxing activities). Just as Cindy finds a new occupation as a caregiver to the elderly, the house in which she lives and provides help to a patient, seems to be plagued by restless spirits. On top of these unsettling development, an alien invasion threatens to destroy the planet, sending Cindy on a quest to discover someone who can solve the ghostly presences and stop the invasion. Along the way she picks up Brenda, now a news reporter, to go with her in this quest. Her recent love interest, Tom Ryan, has to contend with protecting his kids from the alien invaders, as he goes from New Jersey to safer areas. As Cindy and Brenda reach a seemingly isolated village, the solutions to their quest may be nearby. 

"Scary Movie 4" continues the spoofing path from the previous chapter, while not reaching the heights of lunacy and hilarity that the same chapter was able to portray (toying with the conventions of "The Ring" and "The Matrix" were spot on). This chapter focuses on spoofing a new series of films, including "War of the Worlds", "The Village", "Saw" and "The Grudge", somehow making all of these co-exist in the same narrative. What has always been so effective about the ZAZ team and their films, including the celebrated "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun", is the fact they mine other films references, and twist their sense of seriousness, exposing the ridiculousness that lies in some of the conventions at their core. Their best films don't necessarily spoof others, as much as it uses them as jumping points to establish their narrative and brand of humor. The problem with spoof films lies with the fact they're unable to craft a sensical narrative, since they're more focused in poking fun at all the films they're referencing. David Zucker, as talented as he has always been, tries to anchor the storylines of the Scary Movie franchise on Cindy, since she is the heroine, around whom everything seems to occur. However in this 4th chapter, there's definitely less of a focal point to her journey, and the integration between some of the plot threads just aren't as effective. The cast is always uniformly game for the adventures taking place, with the hilarious Anna Faris leading an array of talented actors, including Regina Hall, Bill Pullman, Leslie Nielsen and Cloris Leachman. While not as hilarious as the previous chapter, it is nonetheless harmless fun worth watching. 

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Movie Name: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Year of Release: 2004
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon, Noah Taylor, Bud Cort, Seu Jorge, Waris Ahluwalia, Seymour Cassel, Matthew Gray Gubler, Robyn Cohen, Isabella Blow
Genre: Comedy, Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

Director Wes Anderson followed the well received "The Royal Tenenbaums", with another remarkable feature, very much inspired by the shows (and life) created by Jacques Cousteau. The film focuses on the iconic and celebrated Steve Zissou, who alongside his team, set out to discover the elusive Jaguar Shark, who was quite possibly responsible for the death of his business partner. The team itself is going through a rough patch, since they haven't released a successful documentary in nearly a decade, but Steve believes this new expedition will definitely bring them back the accolades they always had. His team is joined this time around by Ned Plimpton, an airline pilot who believes Steve to be his father, and Jane Winslett-Richardson, a pregnant reporter, who becomes a focus of attention to both Steve and Ned. As Steve and team go through a series of challenges, including rival research teams and even pirates, their quest is unshakable and unstoppable.

One of the most admirable aspects to Wes Anderson films is the fact they're crafted with such attention to detail, that each time one of his films is viewed, there's always another aspect to admire and focus on. "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" is a perfect example of that, where Anderson builds this figure, similar in some ways to Jacques Cousteau, but also someone who is a debonair, charismatic and a bit of a charmer, particularly with the ladies, even if the object of his affection is his stylish and iconic wife. As is customary in his films, this feature is peppered with great humor, stunning production design, impeccable score, and an array of actors who infuse these characters with life and quirks, even if in this case, the characters don't get as fully flushed out as they could possibly go. Nonetheless, it's a film that marries the nostalgic aspect of a world gone by, of somewhat modern day ocean explorers, who go through adventures, led by an iconic team lead, all of this mixed with a sense of humor, warmth, love and wonder. Of all his films, it's quite possibly one of his most ambitious ones in scale, but it never dwarfs the emotional core of what he's trying to state, or for that matter the journey of the characters that exist in this universe. Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon are all terrific, many of whom are of course part of the Anderson troupe (Murray, Wilson, Huston, Goldblum, Dafoe), bringing these characters to life with humor, heart and enough quirks to make them all memorable and not simply sketches. The cinematography from Robert D. Yeoman is beautiful, as is the score from Mark Mothersbaugh and production design from Mark Friedberg. A great film from a uniquely talented director, always worth revisiting.

The Heat

Movie Name: The Heat
Year of Release: 2013
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Michael McDonald, Demian Bichir, Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport, Jane Curtin, Dan Bakkedahl, Taran Killam, Thomas F. Wilson, Tony Hale, Kaitlin Olson
Genre: Comedy, Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:

After the tremendous success of "Bridesmaids", director Paul Feig tackled the first feature screenplay from Katie Dipold, who had previously worked on the show "Parks and Recreation" and "MADtv", and with whom he would work once more on his remake of "Ghostbusters". The film focuses on the story of two agents of authority, one of them an FBI agent by the name of Sarah Ashburn, and the other, a street cop by the name of Shannon Mullins. Their worlds collide when Ashburn is assigned a case in Boston, to capture a drug lord by the name of Larkin. In order to get more information on this case, she starts questioning suspects that are actually part of Mullins's cases, which with their very different work methods and processes puts them instantly at odds. As both agents get to know each other a bit better, they figure out a way to work together, particularly as they soon find out that there may be some corruption within the force itself.

One of the common threads to Paul Feig's films and central characters, is how typically they're thrown in situations where they're not comfortable, or for that matter, even have any interest in being there. That was case with Kristen Wiig's character in "Bridesmaids", again in "Ghostbusters" and even Melissa McCarthy's character in "Spy". This situation occurs once more with "The Heat", where Sandra Bullock's competitive, lonesome and socially awkward Ashburn, has to contend with the somewhat hostile environment in Boston, but also with someone who is the complete opposite in terms of habits and social skills, embodied by Melissa McCarthy. The whole allure of the film lies precisely in this pairing, much like Martin Brest's "Midnight Run", which had the pairing of Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin: the tightly wound character versus the edgy and unconventional partner, and the journey they take to both respect and support each other. "The Heat" does manage to give both lead actresses some funny moments, inserting some good physical comedy, but the characters themselves are not quite as well resolved, as what Paul Feig managed to do with "Spy", where Melissa McCarthy's Susan Cooper, gave just enough of a backdrop to make the character that much more compelling. Most characters in this film are rough sketches, with the supporting ones barely existing, but the chemistry between the leads manages to keep the film watchable and engaging. Michael McDonald, Michael Rapaport, Jane Curtin and Tony Hale, all provide good support to Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. The cinematography from Robert D. Yeoman is solid as is the score of Michael Andrews. Watchable but forgettable.

Broadcast News

Movie Name: Broadcast News
Year of Release: 1987
Director: James L. Brooks
Starring: William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Robert Prosky, Joan Cusack, Lois Chiles, Jack Nicholson, Peter Hackes, Christian Clemenson, Ed Wheeler, Stephen Mendillo, Kimber Shoop, Leo Burmester, Gennie James
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

After the celebrated and award winning "Terms of Endearment", Writer/Producer/Director James L. Brooks returned with another winning film, the very well received "Broadcast News". The film takes place in the arena of broadcasting and news reporting, and centers itself around three main characters: Tom Grunik, a handsome but filled with self doubt anchor, Aaron Altman, a talented correspondent and Jane Craig, a news producer. While Aaron and Jane have worked together for quite some time, and Aaron has secretly kept a crush for her during that time, their relationship changes once Tom gets hired into their office. Tom represents much of what Jane in particular despises: showmanship without depth (or knowledge), without conscience, ultimately manipulating audiences to elicit a response. They also have a strong personal chemistry between each other, and as they try to navigate the world of news, and their own personal relationships, Jane has to decide if pursuing that potential relationship is worthy of her giving up on her principles and all she has always stood for.

James L. Brooks has always been able to write terrific characters, ones that are deeply humane, where they can't be easily categorized, since they're essentially multi-dimensional. "Broadcast News" is the perfect example of that, where all these three leads, while vying for each other's attention also showcase where their vulnerabilities and insecurities lie, and some even show how far they'll go in the pursuit of their own ambitions. These characters aren't judged or labeled "good" versus "bad": they're just characters navigating life, trying to make sense of it, and ultimately making decisions based on where they stand as individuals with principles, ethics and morals. It's a film that has warmth, humor, sexiness, and allows for the situations to fully expand, not shying away from awkward or even confrontational moments. It also has a terrific cast, led by the fantastic William Hurt, with iconic turns by Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks, with the always phenomenal Joan Cusack and Jack Nicholson showing up for fantastic support. The cinematography from the late Michael Ballhaus is impeccable, as is the score from Bill Conti. A modern classic, always worth revisiting.

Home Again

Movie Name: Home Again
Year of Release: 2017
Director: Hallie Meyers-Shyer
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Michael Sheen, Candice Bergen, Pico Alexander, Jon Rudnitsky, Nat Wolff, Lola Flanery, Lake Bell, Eden Grace Redfield, Dolly Wells, Reid Scott, P.J. Byrne, Ben Sinclair, Josh Stamberg, Jen Kirkman
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
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Synopsis and Review:

"Home Again" is the feature directorial debut of Hallie Meyers-Shyer, who had a series of small acting roles in her parents films while growing up (she's the daughter of Charles Shyer and Nancy Meyers, both of whom are successful writers and directors, with films including respectively "Baby Boom" and "Something's Gotta Give"). "Home Again" follows the story of Alice a recently separated mother of two girls, who has just moved back to LA, after living in NY for quite some time. She's living in her dad's house, a well known film director who passed away leaving her the property, and her mother still lives in the area as well. Alice is trying to set up her own business as an Interior Decorator, but one night while celebrating her birthday with her girlfriends, she meets a group of three young men, all of whom are trying to make their way in Hollywood, with a spec script they've been shopping around town. They all drink too much and Alice ends up having a casual tryst with Harry, the charismatic leader of the group. When her mother shows up in the morning, she suggests to Alice inviting the young men to stay, since they've been evicted from their last place, and they are actually talented and can bring some levity to her life. And they can stay in the guest cottage. While initially hesitant, Alice agrees, and the new living arrangement ends up working out for them all.

"Home Again" feels very much influenced by the works of Nancy Meyers, most demonstrably, since it captures a glimpse into the world of a wealthy group of people, all of whom live in impeccably decorated houses, and where for the most part, the journeys of self discovery the characters embark on, are always quite shallow, and prompted by a romantic breakup. In this case, the lap of luxury is inhabited by Reese Witherspoon's Alice, who remains for the entirety of the film, somewhat of a cypher as a character. She seemingly is consumed by her romantic relationships: on one hand the dissolution of her marriage, and on the other, embarking on a new one with a younger man, with a side note being added on her career. The career path, which gets summed up in very broad strokes, gets even shallower in its observation when she gets to work for a character embodied by Lake Bell, apparently a criticism on self centered wealthy women, who can't see anything besides their selfish needs. This particular part of the narrative, while it's supposedly funny, it's never broad enough to make Bell's character likable or zany, mostly making her come across as crass or out of touch with reality. None of the supporting characters also demonstrate any dimension, something that also extends to the 3 young men staying in the cottage house. While there's a sitcom/CW show premise to this film, none of the characters or even situations actually touches much on reality. The cast tries to bring these characters to life, but this film feels like a disservice to Reese Witherspoon's career, who frankly deserves better characters, the same going for Michael Sheen and Candice Bergen. Forgettable.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Movie Name: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Year of Release: 2004
Director: Michel Gondry
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson, David Cross, Jane Adams, Deirdre O'Connell, Debbon Ayer
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

Following his previous collaboration with Charlie Kaufman on "Human Nature", director Michel Gondry returned with what has turned out to be one of his most successful directorial efforts. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" follows the story of Joel Barish, who we discover is still reeling from the recent dissolution of a relationship with the beautiful and quirky Clementine Kruczynski. Much to his surprise, he discovers she has decided to have her memories of him and their relationship erased, which crushes him. Pained by the discovery, he decides to go to the same place, and have his memories equally erased. However during the procedure, he realizes he wants to cancel it, but as much as he tries to wake up, he can't. To make matters worse, the technicians performing the procedure include Patrick, who has been using Joel's memories to try and form a bond and relationship with Clementine. As Joel and the memories of Clementine try to escape the erasure process, the technicians sum up Dr. Howard Mierzwiak, the owner of the practice, in order to locate Joel's memories and finish the procedure. Howard himself has had some issues in his life, namely his relationship with Mary Svevo, the receptionist from Lacuna, who has had her memories erased, but who keeps falling in love with him no matter what, much to the derision of Howard's wife. As Joel's memories get erased, the life connection he has with Clementine still keeps drawing them together.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" manages to be a film that is simultaneously smartly written, but also and just as effectively, visually enticing and splendidly crafted. Charlie Kaufman's scripts are always wonderfully nuanced, not only because they're unique at the core of their idea, such as the porthole into John Malkovich's brain in "Being John Malkovich", but also how they deconstruct relationships, the connection between individuals, which he perfectly illustrates in "Eternal..." but also "Anomalisa" for instance. What is so remarkable about "Eternal..." is the fact that as Joel's memories get erased, we witness this enticing journey of discovering who this character is, how his connection with Clementine was built, and why these two seemingly so different individuals actually make sense together. It's a film that has heart, humor, and even creepiness in the shape of the other relationships that permeate it, and that ultimately inform, that the pain of relationships, of what all of us go through, is ultimately what makes life worth living. The cast is uniformly fantastic, led by the always wonderful Jim Carrey and fantastic Kate Winslet, with great support from Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson. The cinematography from Ellen Kuras is superb, as is the score from Jon Brion. A great film always worth revisiting. 

Something to Talk About

Movie Name: Something to Talk About
Year of Release: 1995
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Starring: Julia Roberts, Dennis Quaid, Robert Duvall, Gena Rowlands, Kyra Sedgwick, Brett Cullen, Muse Watson, Haley Aull, Terrence Currier, Anne Shropshire
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review:

Following the well received "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", director Lasse Hallstrom tackled a script hailing from Callie Khouri, the award winning writer of "Thelma and Louise". The film follows the story of Grace King, a married woman with a young daughter, living in Savannah GA, who works for her father's horse farm. Her husband is a lawyer, and they both lead very busy lives. While in her daily errands with her daughter, she accidentally witnesses her husband having an amorous encounter with another woman. This event unravels her life, and she starts not only questioning her choices, but also what she wants out of life. It simultaneously also brings to light just how much support she actually has from the people closest to her.

The most surprising thing about "Something to Talk About" is actually how little there actually is to talk about, when it comes to this film. It's a film that came out around the time Julia Roberts was trying to diversify her career path with different types of films, and not solely romantic comedies. It's also a film that is surprisingly shallow, where most of the characters have little to no dimension, living in this reality where apparently everyone dresses well, looks great, and always has impeccable hairstyles (this film is a bit like a cousin of "Steel Magnolias", but without the quirk or the heart). Just as impressive, is the fact that the film focuses its entire narrative on the fact that this intelligent, professionally experienced, and resourceful woman's life, is apparently thrown completely upside down because her husband is having an affair. While that could have been a catalyst for a far more interesting exploration of who this character is, the rest of the film decides instead to focus on a series of attempts at figuring out how to fix the situation, while also placing Grace in situations apparently "comical", where she discovers of other infidelities her husband had during their marriage (and who doesn't like a dose of public humiliation in a ladies who lunch club). Oh and in this reality apparently everyone is caucasian. The cast of this film is fantastic, with Robert Duvall and Gena Rowlands making a great couple, while the rest of the actors try to do the best they can with the roles and arcs they've been given. The cinematography from the wonderful Sven Nykvist is beautiful. While not a horrible film, it's also forgettable one, and a missed opportunity to tell a story with far more insight, both into women's relationship expectations and familial support. 

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Movie Name: Sunday Bloody Sunday
Year of Release: 1971
Director: John Schlessinger
Starring: Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, Murray Head, Peggy Ashcroft, Tony Britton, Maurice Denham, Bessie Love, Vivian Pickles, Frank Windsor, Thomas Baptiste
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

Following his commercial and critical success (and controversy) with "Midnight Cowboy", director John Schlessinger continued his winning streak with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" which was released in 1971, again to critical acclaim. The film focuses on three characters, all of whom are involved in a romantic triangle. Alex Greville is an Human Resources professional, and she is looking to move away from her job and find meaning elsewhere. Daniel Hirsch, is a doctor from a affluent Jewish family, who hides his homosexuality, while wanting a more profound relationship. Bob Elkin is an up and coming conceptual artist, who is dating the both of them, while still trying to figure out what he wants out of his life and career. As both Alex and Daniel, find themselves falling in love with Bob, he on the other hand, doesn't want to be tied by anyone in particular, enjoying the fluidity of their relationships. Both Alex and Daniel move in similar friendship circles, without actually knowing each other, though they both suspect that Bob's ambition and longing, will eventually make him move away. 

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" manages to be just as insightful and refreshing today, as it was at the time of its release. It's a film that unapologetically looks at modern relationships, at how people invest their affection, attention and expectations in others, in the hopes they can bring some meaning and direction to their own lives, sometimes at the cost of sacrificing their actual wants and needs. It's also a film that looks at sexual relationships between these three people without judgement or drama. John Schlessinger manages during the course of the narrative, to portray and bring these characters to life, framing episodes of their lives and experiences, to better understand what they're actually looking for, and in the case of Daniel and Alex, to gain more insight as to why Bob is such a magnetic presence in both their lives. Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson are fantastic, bringing these characters to life, with just enough wiseness, longing, humor, hurt and desire, and while Murray Head, doesn't quite bring as much dimension to his role, he's nonetheless a compelling watch. The cinematography from Billy Williams perfectly captures the different environments in which these characters exist, and the production design of Luciana Arrighi is, as always, fantastic (she worked with James Ivory in "Howards End", "The Remains of the Day" and "Surviving Picasso"). A great film always worth revisiting.

The Suicide Squad

Movie Name: The Suicide Squad
Year of Release: 2021
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Viola Davis, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Alice Braga, Daniela Melchior, David Dastmalchian, Peter Capaldi, Juan Diego Botto, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Jai Courtney, Flula Borg, Mayling Ng, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Steve Agee, Stephen Blackehart, Jennifer Holland, Storm Reid, Sylvester Stallone, Natalia Safran, Jared Leland Gore, Lynne Ashe, John Ostrander, Rey Hernandez
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

Writer/Director James Gunn is back, following his latest feature "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II", which premiered in 2017. The film is a reboot from the previous iteration and adaptation of this comic, directed by David Ayer, which premiered in 2016 and was met with terrible reviews, even if it found its audience. This time around, Amanda Waller sets up another Suicide Squad, with the goal to destroy some classified research that has been going on in an island by the name of Corto Maltese. While the team initially is at odds with each other, they eventually start bonding, under the leadership of Bloodsport, with a good dash of lunacy and irreverence coming from Harley Quinn. As they get to the island, and the lab, they figure out there's a lot more to the original mission which wasn't unveiled by Waller, and as the challenges and mortality rate increase, they also have to make a stand if they believe in doing something selfless and right, or simply walking away and letting the whole island be destroyed.

One of the most interesting aspects of James Gunn's films, is how he always manages to permeate humor and a variety of pop culture references into his work. There's also a layer of self awareness to his characters, particularly as they themselves understand the over the top situations they find themselves in, which adds to the irony and humor he places on his narratives. However, his best features are also the ones where there isn't much self indulgence, where he mixes humor, violence, more intimate moments, with an actual arc to his characters, where even if they're barely defined, there's still a purpose to them. And while his take on "The Suicide Squad" has plenty of humor, violence and even some intimate moments, it lacks the essential purpose for what some of the characters are doing there, besides just making things explode and kill a lot of extras (and maybe that's much to expect from a comic book adaptation). The film is entertaining, visually inventive, but at times comes across as a compilation of character quirks, more so than an actually fully realized narrative. The cast is populated with great actors, including the always fantastic Viola Davis, who is more discrete in this version, whereas the center stage is taken by the always iconic Idris Elba, with great support from Margot Robbie, David Dastmalchian and Peter Capaldi. The production team responsible for crafting this film is impeccable, with highlights going to the fantastic visual effects, cinematography from Henry Braham and score from John Murphy. Entertaining and worth watching. 

The Green Knight

Movie Name: The Green Knight
Year of Release: 2021
Director: David Lowery
Starring: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Sean Harris, Sarita Choudhury, Kate Dickie, Joel Edgerton, Ralph Ineson, Barry Keoghan, Erin Kellyman, Emilie Hetland, Anthony Morris
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

Following the well received "A Ghost Story" and "The Old Man & The Gun", editor/writer/director David Lowery is back, this time around adapting the 14th century poem by the title of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". The film focuses its narrative thread on Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur, who lives a somewhat sheltered life in the court. When Christmas comes, and as he is celebrating the festive holiday season, the King asks him to sit with him, and tell him more about his life. Gawain confesses he has not done much, therefore has little to tell. Into court comes an unexpected guest, in the guise of a fantastical creature by the name of Green Knight. He sets out a challenge, that if anyone is able to land a blow on him, they will win his axe. However they must come to the Green Chapel the following year at the same time, and receive an equal wound in return. Gawain volunteers, and impulsively chops off the Knight's head. The fantastical creature picks his own head up and leaves, reminding Gawain of the game's rules. As the year passes by, Gawain's mother helps him get ready, donating him with a specially crafted belt with magical powers. As Gawain sets forth in his journey, his fears, doubts and uncertainties haunt him, coming across in the people he crosses paths with.

One of the most obviously evident and interesting aspects of this film, is how visually distinct David Lowery has managed to craft this story. Also, and just as importantly, he has managed to create a universe that feels palpably authentic, even if the fantastical elements creep up, giving the story an other worldly aspect to it, but still very visceral. The film has elements of John Borrman's "Excalibur", mixed with some of the work from Terrence Malick, but it definitely has its own unique and distinctive flavor. The odyssey-like journey Gawain embarks on, becomes a story of fear, mixed with seduction and mystery, all intended to test his perseverance and courage, essentially challenging him to rise to his own Knighthood. It's a film that has fantastical aspects to it, mixed with adventure and just enough poetry in motion, to give it a modern and resonant approach to the story. The cast, while featuring some strong performances from Dev Patel, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris and Joel Edgerton, fails to be quite as engaging with the casting of Alicia Vikander, who feels miscast in both roles she ends up playing. The cinematography from Andrew Droz Palermo is fantastic, as is the haunting score from Daniel Hart. A solid and compelling film from a very interesting director.