The Pale Blue Eye

Movie Name: The Pale Blue Eye
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Toby Jones, Timothy Spall, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney, Lucy Boynton, Fred Hechinger, Harry Lawtey, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Joey Brooks
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Scott Cooper is back, once again collaborating with lead actor Christian Bale (this is their third collaboration, following "Out of the Furnace" and "Hostiles"). "The Pale Blue Eye" takes place in 1830 and follows the story of retired detective Augustus Landor, who lives by himself, and somewhat isolated in the West Point area (near Buffalo, NY). He is a widower, and his daughter Mattie ran away a few years back. He's tasked by West Point's Superintendent Thayer with uncovering what happened with one of the young cadets from the institution, one by the name of Leroy Fry, who was found hanged. Landor is informed that after the hanging, Fry's heart was actually removed from his body. While examining the corpse, he finds a fragment of a note, which indicates he had gone to the locale in order to meet someone. Landor enlists another cadet from the Academy, Edgar Allan Poe (who is also a poet), to help him uncover what has happened. As their investigation continues, another cadet is found hanged, this time around with heart and genitals removed. A third cadet also disappears. Landor assumes the third one fled the institution since he assumed he'd be next in line to be killed. Landor and Poe suspect that the family of Dr. Daniel Marquis may be involved in what is taking place, particularly his son and daughter, as she suffers from random seizures and some ancient rituals may be involved in attempting to cure her from those. As Landor and Poe get closer to unveiling what is taking place, their own lives become dangerously close to being jeopardized. 

"The Pale Blue Eye" is a film where there's much to admire, though writer/director Scott Cooper also leaves some aspects of the narrative slightly shallow in terms of development. The director is able to set in motion a series of unexplained murders, in somewhat of an isolated area, within the confinements of a strict military school. It brings to mind at times the setting for Rob Reiner's "A Few Good Men", only in the case of Scott Cooper's film, the action takes place over a century before the events of the Aaron Sorkin adaptation. The film is successful in illustrating the ties between the different characters, providing just enough color to some of them which the actors bring even further to life with their committed performances. There should have been a bit more attention to some of these characters, namely the female characters, embodied by Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton and Charlotte Gainsbourg, all of them excellent performers, who sadly have very little material to work with. Those characters themselves deserved a bit more time just to fully bring them to life, aside from their typified aspects and range (Gillian Anderson for instance plays the matriarch who is modeled a bit after Mary Tyler Moore's character from "Ordinary People", but not as icy, whereas Lucy Boynton's Lea could have benefited from being shown a bit more about her demeanor). The central aspect to the narrative hangs on Landor and Edgar Allan Poe's relationship, which is indeed well defined and characterized, though Allan Poe comes across a bit one note, whereas Landor is a far more well rounded character: he has something about him that marries the clinical eye of the researcher, with the bruised man whose life has brought him more pain than he can handle. The cast is uniformly solidly, with the stupendous Christian Bale creating another solid character, with great support from Toby Jones, Timothy Spall, Gillian Anderson and the luminous Charlotte Gainsbourg. Harry Melling's version of Allan Poe is not memorable, with the character coming across as a bit gratuitously aiming to be slight/eccentric, but falling more into a cliché, than an actual real, dimensional character. The production team is solid, including Masanobu Takayanagi's cinematography, Howard Shore's score, Stefania Cella's production design, and Kasia Walicka Maimone's costumes. An interesting film from an underrated storyteller. 

Dune: Part Two

Movie Name: Dune: Part Two
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgaard, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, Roger Yuan, Giusi Merli, Alison Halstead, Dylan Baldwin, Tim Hilborne, Anya Taylor-Joy
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9
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Synopsis and Review

Following the commercial and critical success of "Dune: Chapter One", Denis Villeneuve had the opportunity to finish the adaptation of Frank Herbert's iconic novel. "Chapter Two", though originally slated to premiere at the end of 2023, was moved to 2024 for audience purposes (and for the ability of the cast to properly promote the film), the film has turned out to be a resounding success (again, both commercially and critically). The narrative picks up right after where the prior chapter had ended. Paul and his mother Lady Jessica, are continuing their path with the Fremen, after Paul has defeated one of theirs. The leader of the Fremen group, Stilgar, believes Paul may be the prophet that has been predicted to come according to the Fremen lore. Lady Jessica is put through a challenge of drinking the Water of Life, therefore also becoming the new Reverend Mother in the process (the Water also impacts the fetus she carries within her). This Water is a fatal poison for males and the untrained. While a part of the Fremen group believes in the lore, Chani and her friend Shishakli, believe the prophecy to be something fabricated, without actual relevance in their actual world and the challenges they face. Paul and Chani in the meantime fall in love, while Paul also becomes increasingly knowledgeable and adept of the Fremen's habits. In the meantime, the Harkonnen's are also in motion, with the Baron replacing his nephew Rabban with the younger and more ruthless Feyd-Rautha. Feyd-Rautha orders an attack on Northern Arrakis, forcing the Fremen, including Paul, Chani, Stilgar among others to move South to meet with the larger contingent of fighters located there. In the meantime, the Emperor who engineered the destruction of the House Atreides', suspects Paul is still alive, and that in itself can be an enormous challenge to his ruling. Paul drinks the Water of Life, and everything starts to dramatically change after that. 

"Dune: Chapter Two" is a film that remarkably excels across a variety of levels that Denis Villeneuve and his creative team set out to fulfill. On one hand it's a deftly executed political allegory, one that illustrates that no sacrifices are too big to stay in power, or at least influence the direction of power. It's also a very pertinent illustration of the unbridled lust for political and economical power, and how that blinds the sense of humanity that inherently exists within individuals. On a smaller scale it's also a genuine love story between two individuals with different backgrounds, who while recognizing their differences, upbringings, and points of view, still have a communion of soul, based on who they are and where they've met in life. And finally it's also a rather interesting take on the power of belief, of creed, and how that in reality can move hordes and change the fate of so many (and in this case of an entire planet). It's a richly layered narrative, where there's a variety of characters who impart some influence on the main narrative, all of which are ripe with interesting key plot points, but that director chooses not to spend so much time with, since the film is ultimately an illustration of Paul's journey, and how his journey morphs with Chani's and the planet Arrakis itself (and finally the entire Galaxy which has been presented to the audience, and in which all these characters exist). These interesting but brief plot points, while adding to the context that is being built, also leave some of these characters somewhat underdeveloped, which is where the film falters a bit. The director chooses to spend time on the relationship that is blooming between Paul and Chani, and those other narrative aspects of the film end up losing some needed attention, but nonetheless, the way the momentum is kept and how all these threads merge into a coherent and exciting narrative is remarkably well done. Visually the film is impeccably crafted, continuing the remarkable aesthetic that had already been constructed for the first chapter. The entire production team is flawless, starting with the entire cast who uniformly creates compelling and memorable characters, particularly Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Charlotte Rampling. The cinematography by Greig Fraser, score by Hans Zimmer, production design by Patrice Vermette and costumes by Jacqueline West are all equally remarkable. It's a nearly flawless film worth watching and savoring. 

Oppenheimer

Movie Name: Oppenheimer
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Josh Hartnett, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Jason Clarke, Kenneth Branagh, Macon Blair, Tony Goldwyn, Alden Ehrenreich, Scott Grimes, David Krumholtz, Tom Conti, Michael Angarano, Matthew Modine, Dane DeHaan, Josh Peck, Jack Quaid, Benny Safdie, James Urbaniak, Rami Malek, Olivia Thirlby, Casey Affleck, James Remar, Gary Oldman, Josh Zuckerman, Alex Wolff, Tim DeKay, Gregory Jbara, James D'Arcy
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After the relative disappointment of "Tenet", Christopher Nolan took his time to find another studio partner, and tackle a biopic of one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century, Dr. Robert Oppenheimer (the "father" of the atomic bomb). The film has obviously been a massive hit, both critically and commercially, and I deliberately wanted to have some distance from all the noise, to consume the film and view it hopefully in an unbiased manner. The narrative tracks and focuses on the life of Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, but more specifically on the period of time in which he assembled a group of engineers and experts in order to build what essentially became the atomic bomb. In parallel we also witness a different time period (in the 50s), where through the machinations of Lewis Strauss, we observe a hearing Dr. Oppenheimer goes through in order to keep his clearance status, when Strauss was intent on destroying his credibility. Throughout the multiple timelines the film focuses on, we also witness Dr. Oppenheimer's relationships with a few women in his life, firstly with the volatile Jean Tatlock and then with Kitty, who becomes his second wife and partner through all these ordeals.

Biopics are always a challenge, in the sense they can either go very academic and try to encompass too much of the subject's life, while not revealing much about the person behind the myth, as was the case with Sir Richard Attenborough's "Ghandi" (or even "Chaplin"), or they can sometimes veer towards the anecdote, which was the case of the lamentable "The Eyes of Tammy Faye", from Michael Showalter. "Oppenheimer", much like most of Christopher Nolan's films, decides to make the narrative more intricate, by both placing multiple timelines occurring simultaneously, but also by defining the tone of the film as a mix of Oliver Stone's "JFK" and Sidney Lumet's "12 Angry Men". On one hand there's much detail focused on the process by which the atomic bomb was construed, including his own recruitment, and how Dr. Oppenheimer went about bringing other engineers and scientists to the initiative. Simultaneously there's the conspiracy aspect of the narrative, where we witness the downfall of Dr. Oppenheimer's reputation, thanks to the Machiavellian doings from Lewis Strauss, and all the voices involved. The way the film is constructed is even similar to what Oliver Stone did with "JFK", where there's a different tint and color for the time periods (or even character angles) that are being tackled. You would think that with such a lofty time run (the film goes on for 3 hours), eventually something about Dr. Oppenheimer would come through, sadly the film goes for the lofty big message (which is a fair one), and fails to actually capture who that person actually is (or was). During the film we learn he was a womanizer (we never get an understanding why, or what did he pursue in doing so, aside from the pursuit itself), that he maintained difficult relationships with the women in his life, and even with the male friendships. The film fails to humanize who this individual with lofty ideas was. In the pursuit of clarifying the intellectual effort of creating something that killed thousands of people, the film somehow missed the aspect of documenting what is the burden of carrying such a legacy within oneself. The supporting characters also come across fairly lackluster, with the women in particular having little to do, whereas the supporting male characters, aside from Robert Downey Jr.'s Lewis Strauss, either falling into "cheerful sidekick" (of sorts) or "reptilean and possible foe" (of sorts) camps. There are things to admire in this film, and some of it is tied with the director's ability to stage certain scenes, and some of the performances, including Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh, however this pseudo biopic-thriller, doesn't necessarily provide an emotional reward or connection to these characters. Nor is it a riveting document as Oliver Stone or Sidney Lumet's films that were mentioned before turned out to be. There are good ideas, and the production team is impeccable, but this isn't an entirely satisfying feature. 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Movie Name: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Year of Release: 2023
Director: James Wan
Starring: Jason Mamoa, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Randall Park, Temuera Morrison, Dolph Lundgren, Martin Short, Jani Zhao, Pilou Asbek, Indya Moore, Vincent Regan, John Rhys-Davies 
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

James Wan's first major stumble comes in the shape of this sequel to "Aquaman". The original film was a surprise monster hit for the studio and the creative team, and of course a sequel was set in motion to capitalize on that, even if the creative team handling the DC characters has since changed. The sequel finds Arthur/Aquaman as the ruler of Atlantis, continuing to face challenges when it comes to the relationship with the surface dwellers. His challenges have also increased, since he divides his time between Atlantis and the surface, living with his father and taking care of his newborn baby since his union with Mera. To make matters worse, Black Manta is intent on getting his revenge for the death of his father, and manages to locate an ancient artifact, a dark trident which in reality is tied with Atlantean history. Turns out that trident belonged to King Atlan's brother Kordax, who led the kingdom of Necrus, and was defeated by Atlan as he tried to do an uprise. The Black Manta, influenced by the dark trident, starts putting a plan in motion which includes further disrupting climate patterns and create a massive planetary extinction in the process. In order to locate the Black Manta, Arthur has to resort to his imprisoned brother Orm, and leverage his assistance to tackle these challenges. 

I've always counted myself as a fan of James Wan, particularly his partnership with Leigh Whannell, and the stories they've been able to tell with very few resources (the "Insidious" franchise for example). "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is somewhat perplexing, in the sense that for a film with this type of budget, it looks surprisingly cheap and even amateurish in certain details of the production design, something that also becomes particularly noticeable in the transitions between the outside shots and in studio shots (which are meant to be seamless). It's as if though the creative team couldn't wait to get through this experience, and the attention to detail was all but gone. The presence of Mera and actress Amber Heard (whose performance is indeed wooden and unmemorable) is minimized, but never explained (at some point it gives the impression Arthur is a single father, but all of a sudden Mera pops into the frame). All these aspects are surprising for someone with the talent and vision of James Wan, who typically primes for being able to create a universe that is coherent, believable and populate it with characters that even at their worst definition, still have something to say. That seems to have been eradicated in this film, where the narrative/plot is barely intelligible, and where the references to other films, both visually and narratively are also a mixed bag with various results. There are references to George Lucas' "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones", Andrew Stanton's "John Carter", Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and even Richard Fleischer's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", but these disparate sources, don't congeal into something coherent, or for that matter, interesting. All the clichés of the comic book formula are there, including the villain who is intent on revenge (and that's it, there's nothing else to him), the bumbling scientist with a conscience, the villainous brother who turns out not to be so bad, and the list goes on. All these characters barely make a dent, and even with Jason Mamoa's cool vibe and Nicole Kidman's attempts at bringing some emotional depth, it still fails to give the film any actual sense of drama, fun or adventure. It's quite possibly one of the most poorly written comic book films yet, with a mediocre production team, where even some of the visual effects look rushed and lack polish. Avoid. 

Poor Things

Movie Name: Poor Things
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Charmichael, Margaret Qualley, Christopher Abbott, Hanna Schygulla, Kathryn Hunter, Suzy Bemba, John Locke, Keeley Forsyth, Vicki Pepperdine 
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Things" is a reunion of sorts, in the sense he has assembled some of the same creative team he leveraged for his celebrated "The Favourite" (namely the screenwriter Tony McNamara, cinematographer Robbie Ryan and lead actress Emma Stone). The narrative is an adaptation of the novel by Alasdair Gray, and follows the story of Bella Baxter, whom we first encounter under the tutelage of Godwin Baxter, a medical scientist/surgeon, whom we also soon discover to be the one responsible for Bella's existence. In one flashback we realize Bella killed herself by leaping off a bridge, and Godwin brought her back to life, but he also replaced her brain with the one of her unborn baby. As Bella's socializing develops, in parallel with her cognitive skills, Godwin encourages his assistant Max to document Bella's intellectual growth, and as a result they become close. Max proposes marriage to Bella, which she accepts, however she decides before settling into marriage to discover what lies beyond London, and to do so with the shrewd Duncan Wedderburn, a lawyer Godwin hired to oversee the nuptial contract. They have a strong sexual connection, something Bella enjoys exploring. Duncan who's somewhat of a cad, and never attaches himself to anyone, starts developing feelings for Bella, and fearing his inability to control her in Lisbon, smuggles her onto a cruise ship. There Bella continues her intellectual growth, making friends with two other passengers, who both provide friendship and intellectual stimulation. She also starts seeing Duncan for who he is, leading to more arguments. Things come to a dramatic halt when they port in Alexandria. 

Yorgos Lanthimos has the ability to leverage the abstract and apparently absurd to make great points about human nature and life itself. His narratives marry both the beauty of what being human is all about (the ability to love and be kind), with the grotesqueness, vile, and violent things people are able to do, sometimes all in the same situation. "Poor Things" walks that terrain, bringing to mind François Truffaut's "L'Enfant Sauvage" to mind, in the sense that Bella is akin to a child that is being socialized, but who quickly blooms to a woman, with her own mindset, someone who doesn't want to be trapped by the patriarchy of Victorian society or by the taboos of what society considers "acceptable". Yorgos Lanthimos smartly avoids falling into the trappings of doing a "Forrest Gump" or a "Being There" type of narrative (the simple minded central hero who shows everyone that a simple take on life is the solution to all problems), opting instead for a tale where Bella grows into her own abilities, understanding how the world works, but still remaining herself, with her own unique point of view informed by her life experiences and her ambitions. All of these topics could potentially come across as either too philosophical or even pedantic, but to the director and his creative team's credit, the film has a momentum and beauty to it, one where all the pieces come together perfectly, and where humor is always present. There are certain pacing issues with the film, particularly when the narrative lands in Paris, but the director manages to bring back that rhythm. The cast is impeccable, with Emma Stone creating yet another fantastic character, with solid support from Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Abbott and Hanna Schygulla (who is always a pleasure to see). The production team is impeccable with highlights going to Robbie Ryan's cinematography, Shona Heath and James Price's production design, Holly Waddington's costumes and Jerskin Fendrix's score. A wonderful film from one the most interesting film makers currently working. 

Underwater

Movie Name: Underwater
Year of Release: 2020
Director: William Eubank
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Jessica Henwick, Vincent Cassel, John Gallagher Jr., T.J. Miller, Mamoudou Athie, Gunner Wright
Genre: Action, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

William Eubank made a name for himself with the films "Love" and "The Signal", though he has also maintained a steady career as a cinematographer. "Underwater" follows the story of Norah, whom we first encounter getting ready for her day. She works at the bottom of the Mariana Trench in a research and drilling facility operated by Tian Industries. She's a mechanical engineer, and is soon fighting for her life, when what she assumes to be a strong earthquake, sends a ripple effect through the rig destroying parts of it, forcing her and her colleagues Rodrigo and Paul to make an attempted escape in rescue pods. However the pods have already been deployed and the only person left is Captain Lucien. They all manage to get to another control base, where they find Emily and Liam, who have also been unsuccessful at contacting the surface. They end up agreeing on using pressurized suits to walk one mile across the ocean floor to another one of the plaftorms, Roebuck 641, where there are additional escape pods. Rodrigo is the first to perish due to a malfunction in his helmet. Paul and Smith while investigating some escape pods uncover a creature that attacks them. While Smith kills the creature, after examining it, they all realize it belongs to an undiscovered species, one that is apparently quite aggressive. As the team sticks to their plan of walking to the platform with the rescue pods, they start getting attacked and killed, with Norah eventually finding herself in a situation where she has to make some difficult decisions for the sake of herself and her team mates. 

"Underwater" is a film that immediately brings to mind Ridley Scott's "Alien" but also, George P. Cosmatos' "Leviathan" and James Cameron's "Abyss". The last two because they take place underwater, and the first because, as most audiences know, it basically has set in motion one of the most iconic series ever captured on film, where a menacing entity destroys and nearly kills every single member of a space crew. "Underwater" has a very similar storyline, where a small team has to escape not only the aftermath of an earthquake, but also the attacks of a menacing and alien-like creature. William Eubank smartly weaves the narrative as a claustrophobic endeavor, where the peril surrounds the survivors at all times, from the pressurized water, to the alien creatures that surround them and can attack at every step. The darkness of the terrain is also leveraged to great effect since it renders the survivors almost completely blind/unaware of their surroundings, and therefore that much more vulnerable to attacks or even the terrain in which they're standing. There's definitely an aspect of a slick B-movie to "Underwater", particularly since the director (and the writers) never give these characters that much dimension, aside from succinct explanations as to why they're on the rig, and also the typification of their behaviors (the resourceful lead, the joker who doesn't last very long, the stoic captain, and the list goes on). The director is smart in not letting the narrative fall into the trappings and the shlock of "Leviathan", but also fails to explore more about these characters, making them in the process less memorable and their complicity less effective (unlike what James Cameron brought to his under-appreciated "The Abyss", where the group of characters felt part of a family). The cast tries their best to bring these characters to life, including Kristen Stewart, Jessica Henwick, Vincent Cassel and John Gallagher Jr., who are the highlights of the cast, however they're underserved by a rather undercooked script (that at times, even in the character design references, feels like a literal ripoff from "Alien"). The production team is solid, with highlights going to Bojan Bazelli's impeccable cinematography, Naaman Marshall's production design, and Dorotka Sapinska's costumes. It's a watchable, but also quickly forgettable endeavor. 

Damsel

Movie Name: Damsel
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Robin Wright, Angela Bassett, Brooke Carter, Nick Robinson, Milo Twomey, Nicole Joseph, Shohreh Aghdashloo
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo made a name for himself with the somewhat underrated "Intacto", which came out in 2001, and went on to direct the solid sequel to Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later". Since then he tackled the Clive Owen fronted "The Intruders" and some TV movies, but nothing that allowed for his talent and point of view to come across. "Damsel" follows the story of Elodie, a young woman whose father agrees to marry her to a Queen's son, since their region and people are impoverished, and this union will bring some much needed money influx. While initially unsure of the situation, Elodie agrees with it for the well being of everyone. When they get to Aurea and meet the rulers, there's a certain aloofness from the Queen, but Elodie and her betrothed start chatting and eventually notice some chemistry between each other. Elodie's stepmother warns her not to go through with the wedding. She suspects the Queen is up to no good. Elodie goes along with the wedding ceremony, which is followed by a ritual that takes place in the mountain. After the ritual takes place, the prince carries Elodie in his arms, and throws her into the chasm. She survives the fall, and as she recovers, she realizes more young women have befallen prey of that sacrifice, and that in reality there's an enormous dragon intent on killing her to fulfill an arrangement the Queen's family made generations ago. She has to devise a way to overcome several obstacles if she wants to survive. 

The script for "Damsel" comes from Dan Mazeau, who also wrote the story for Justin Lin & Louis Leterrier's "Fast X", as well as Jonathan Liebesman's "Wrath of the Titans". Which for all intended purposes means that this film ends up being rather flimsy in terms of character development and even situational development. As much as Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has a vision and a style, there's only so much he can bring to a narrative that is rather insipid and not particularly revolutionary. Elodie, the central character, is meant to symbolize a rather more empowered princess, someone who is more emboldened, and not quite so passive when it comes to taking ahold of her destiny. However most of that emboldening is illustrated in the early scenes where we witness her chopping wood, and later on as she's dealing with the threat of a herculean Dragon, she MacGyvers something with her own hair in order to lure the creature in. As far as who this princess actually is, that's something that's never really uncovered or even alluded to, the same going for the supporting characters. The always wonderful Robin Wright and Angela Bassett (and also Ray Winstone) are settled with rather stunted characters, which while they do bring some regality and nuance to their depiction, they're not the focus of the narrative, nor their characters have that much to offer. It's a rather formulaic type of storyline, which Juan Carlos Fresnadillo manages to bring to life with fairly decent visual effects and production design, but that sadly just isn't particularly memorable. The cast, in addition to Robin Wright, Angela Bassett and Ray Winstone, isn't particularly memorable either, though Shohreh Aghdashloo does make a convincing Dragon voice. Larry Fong's cinematography is solid, as is David Fleming's score, Patrick Tatopoulous production design, and Amanda Monk's costume design. It's a rather forgettable endeavor stemming from an uninspired script. 

Totally Killer

Movie Name: Totally Killer
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Julie Bowen, Lochlyn Munro, Charlie Gillespie, Randall Park, Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, Liana Liberato, Kelcey Mawema, Stephi Chin-Salvo, Anna Diaz, Ella Choi, Jonathan Potts, Nathaniel Appiah, Zachary Gibson, Nicholas Lloyd, Kimberly Huie
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Nahnatchka Khan has had a lengthy career writing for a series of popular comedy shows including "Malcolm in the Middle", "American Dad", and even the ones she has created, including "Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23", "Fresh Off the Boat" and "Young Rock". Her feature directorial debut was the Ali Wong penned comedy "Always Be My Maybe" and "Totally Killer" is her sophomore directorial endeavor, a slasher and comedy hybrid of sorts. The film focuses on the story of Jamie Hughes, who has doting and loving parents. She is at times at odds with her  well meaning mother, who has enforced in her the need to be self reliant and be dexterous in her self defense. Turns out their hometown had a series of killings in 1987, where three teenage girls named Tiffany, Marisa and Heather, were assassinated by someone who became known as the Sweet 16 Killer (because each of them was stabbed 16 times). Jamie's mom is attacked and killed the same way as the girls from 1987, not without offering some fight. Jamie mourns her death, in the company of her best friend Amelia who in the meantime has been creating a time machine for a school project. When Jamie is chased by the killer and hides in the time machine, he inadvertently stabs the machine, which activates it and sends Jamie all the way back to 1987. And right before the killings occur. Jamie figures she has an opportunity to change the past, and save all those girls, but nothing is as simple as she thinks, starting with her parents, particularly her mom who is not as doting, kind or friendly as she always presented herself to be. Jamie has to convince Lauren, her best friend's Amelia mother of who she is, and figure out how she can save the girls and also return to her timeline. 

This mix of "Back to the Future" (from director Robert Zemeckis), with slasher film genre, with "Heathers" (from director Michael Lehman), has indeed much going for it. It's script is also layered with the clash of what these days is considered politically correct, versus what was typically dished out in the 80s (and 90s and 2000s). All these references, clashes, winks, make the film both a satire for the present and past times, and for the most part the film hits the mark on many of these aspects (there are even visual nods to "A Nightmare on Elm Street"). Where the film does lose a bit of its momentum is in the characters themselves. The creative team seems to have really posited their focus and attention on recreating the 80s to perfection, that they forgot to give the characters a bit more than just one paragraph descriptions of who they are and what constitutes their motivations. Particularly when Jamie goes back to the 80s (where a solid score comes into play, with songs from Echo and the Bunnymen for instance), the group of mean girls she comes in touch with, including her future mother, are barely defined, aside from their snarkiness. The film manages to hold one's attention thanks to Kiernan Shipka's central character, but even her is somewhat generic, nothing indicating what makes her particularly distinctive or even insightful (and maybe that's the point). Ultimately the film does hold an entertaining value as recreation of various sources from the 80s, but it could have been so much more. The cast is solid, with Kiernan Shipka getting solid support from Olivia Holt, Julie Bowen, Jonathan Potts and Randall Park. The production team is a bit uninspired, but the score from Michael Andrews is worth highlighting. It's watchable but also easily forgettable. 

Bottoms

Movie Name: Bottoms
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Emma Seligman
Starring: Rachel Sennot, Ayo Edebiri, Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, Nicholas Galitzine, Miles Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Dagmara Dominczyk, Punkie Johnson, Zamani Wilder, Summer Joy Campbell, Virginia Tucker, Wayne Pere, Toby Nichols, Cameron Stout
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

Following her well received directorial debut, writer/director Emma Seligman is back, again with the collaboration of lead actress and co-writer Rachel Sennot. "Bottoms" follows the story of two best friends, PJ and Josie, both of whom are unpopular lesbians at their High School. They've never had sex and pine for popular cheerleaders Isabel and Brittany. They have an altercation with the popular jock Jeff at the local fair, where as a result he pretends to have been physically harmed. This spirals into a rumor that both girls were in Juvie during the Summer. When they get threaten with expulsion, they make up a story that whatever happened was just a warm up for a feminist self defense club they're planning on starting. They actually follow through with the club, with the help of the always helpful Hazel, though PJ and Josie are secretly hoping this gives them the opportunity to get closer to their crushes. In order to further give credibility to their club, they ask their checked out History teacher, Mr. G. to be their advisor. The club starts gathering more attendees, and the girls continue to cement the reputation of what supposedly happened during their time in Juvie. And while the brutal training continues, they do attract the attention of Tim, another jock who suspects that there's more to it than what PJ and Josie have been indicating. Everything comes to a halt when the club goes too far, with some vandalism included, which results in mutual accusations within the club members. However that's just the beginning of more issues they encounter.

"Bottoms" is, much like Olivia Wilde's "Booksmart", a fresh take on the high school experience, since it gravitates to a female point of view, with the added layer that its heroines are both gay and thankfully, quite unapologetic about it. It's a film that looks heads-on to the clichés of the high school comedy genre, and literally flips it, allowing for girls to take center stage, and be just as messy, horny, and with questionable decision making process, just like her male counterparts. With the slight difference, that these characters actually feel more relevant and authentic, more so than so many of the typical high school comedies. Both "Booksmart" and now "Bottoms" rest the architecture of their narrative on the dichotomy and yet complimentary traits of its central duo, and both also fail to address or give much for their supporting players to do, but in the case of "Bottoms" this fight club is both anarchic and quite funny, with plenty of physical comedy (brutal as well), thrown in for good measure. The script doesn't shy away from the awkwardness of these two best friends, and the fact that even though they're somewhat detached from reality at times, it still doesn't stop them from moving ahead with their plans (even if these plans take a life of their own it seems). All these pieces gel together, even if the film does adhere to some of the clichés, including the expected epiphany that their friendship was the glue keeping the club together, and that sometimes love does bloom where you least expect it. The cast is uniformly solid, easily playing off each other, particularly Rachel Sennot and Ayo Edebiri. The score from Charli XCX and Leo Birenberg is spot on, as is the cinematography from Maria Rusche. It's a funny film from a new directorial voice, worth following with attention. 

Dark Harvest

Movie Name: Dark Harvest
Year of Release: 2023
Director: David Slade
Starring: Casey Likes, Emyri Crutchfield, Jeremy Davies, Elizabeth Reaser, Luke Kirby, Alejandro Akara, Austin Autry, Megan Best, Jake Brennan, Steven McCarthy, Britain Dalton, Ezra Buzzington
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

David Slade who made a name for himself with a series of films in the mid 2000s, including "Hard Candy" and "30 Days of Night", has spent his time since then directing high profile TV shows, including the excellent "Hannibal", "American Gods" and "Black Mirror". "Dark Harvest" is an adaptation of the novel by Norman Partridge, and its narrative takes place in 1962 in a small rural town. There's a yearly ritual in that town where all teenage boys compete in an annual Halloween "Run". That event is an all out hunt for a creature that has been nicknamed Sawtooth Jack, who has to be caught and killed before reaching the local church (and before midnight as well). That current year, Jim Shepard kills the creature and is promptly celebrated as a local hero. He's given a check for $25,000.00 and a Chevrolet Corvette. As he takes his prizes, his younger brother Richie asks him to take him along on his journey, as he's about to leave town. The following year, everyone is getting prepared for the Run once more, with the exception of Richie, who is exempt as his family has already won. Richie however is determined to participate. As is part of the ritual, the teenage boys are locked in their rooms and starved for three days before being let loose on Halloween. When they do go loose, they usually run the streets with masks and a variety of weapons. Richie manages to sneak out and alongside his friends decides to pursue Sawtooth Jack. And while the creature kills two of his friends, it lets Richie escape. Richie soon finds Kelly, a young woman he's infatuated with, also on the run, and they go on the run trying to understand what's happening. They soon realize that not all is what it seems. 

"Dark Harvest" is an uneven film. David Slade has always been a director with a stylistic point of view, but one whose work speaks stronger when the script he's working with has more than just obvious horror themes. Essentially, the monsters he illustrates in his films are not your typical clichés. "Dark Harvest" however, and for most of the film's duration, has a very distinct M. Night Shyamalan vibe to it, with very heavy nods to "The Village", in the sense that there's a heavy sense of dread stemming from the community in which the action takes place, which is married with this sense all characters reinforce of "sacrifice for the greater good". As the film walks towards its climax, what's revealed isn't necessarily unexpected, but there's a continued sense of "is there something else". And that's where the film fails to ultimately deliver: while the main characters have echoes of Nicholas Ray's "Rebel without a Cause", this mix with the "Twilight Zone" angle never truly gels, and not because the narrative never expands upon the conspiracy theory or even what happens with Sawtooth Jack (and why), but mainly because the script feels undercooked. There's an array of interesting characters that are introduced, including Richie and Jim's parents, played by Jeremy Davies and Elizabeth Reaser, however they're not given much to do, the same going for the "Casey Kasem" master of ceremonies. The film, and the narrative itself, feels truncated, which ultimately makes the film feel unsatisfying. Jeremy Davies, Luke Kirby and Elizabeth Reaser create compelling characters, while most of the younger cast fails to register as credibly. Larry Smith's cinematography is solid, as is Brian Reitzell's score, Abby O'Sullivan's costumes and Patti Podesta's production design. It's a minor and forgettable endeavor from an interesting director. 

X

Movie Name: X
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Ti West
Starring: Mia Goth, Martin Henderson, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Scott Mescudi, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, James Gaylyn, Geoff Dolan, Simon Prast
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

Ti West's "X" has its premiere at South by Southwest Film Festival in March of 2022, where it was greeted with good reviews, on its way to commence a trilogy of which the last film will premiere in 2024. The narrative focuses on a group of people who in 1979 get together to shoot a porn film. They decide to do so in a remote farm which they rent for the weekend in rural Texas. The group is comprised of adult-star wannabe Maxine, her producer boyfriend Wayne, Bobby-Lynne who quickly embarks on a fling with Jackson (a Marine Corps veteran), the director by the name of RJ, and Lorraine, RJ's shy girlfriend who assists with equipment and lighting. They rent a place from an elderly couple by the name of Howard and Pearl, though Howard disapproves of the group. As the group starts shooting the scenes separately, Maxine wanders off and decides to go for a swim in the small lake located on the property. She's observed with fascination by Pearl, who is drawn to her youth and beauty. She invites Maxine into her house, and makes a sexual advance towards her. The situation is cut short when Howard returns, which enables Maxine to quickly escape. As scenes continue to be shot, some tension also emerge within the group, which prompts RJ to leave while everyone is sleeping. However as he's trying to leave the property, Pearl is suddenly standing on the driveway, preventing him from leaving. When he tries to remove her, she attempts to seduce him, and upon his rejection she ferociously attacks him, killing him promptly. As others notice RJ missing, and they go looking for him, things start getting out of hand.

Much like "Pearl", Ti West and his creative team manage to bring this particular time period to life, and do so with the added layer and references of the 70s slasher film, but with a level of polish that makes this film that much more interesting to watch. The film benefits from the fact that is both unpretentious but also intelligent in its references, since it captures the atmosphere and type of character development associated with B-movies from the 70s and 80s (even some of the charismatic horror films from that time). Ti West also goes all in when it comes to the gore factor, which is where the film also becomes somewhat a bit more trivial, even if the film falls under the horror genre (at times, less can be more). The whole crescendo the writer/director manages to create with Pearl and Howard's relationship, and how that creeps (and literally bleeds) into a spiral of violence towards the sexually liberated group is quite effective, though the film does have a paltry character development overall. None of the characters get much of a chance to be expanded upon, though Pearl's narrative and arc does continue with the prequel Ti West shot immediately after this film. As it stands, this feature is an intelligent take on the slasher genre, peppering aspects of Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" with Tobe Hooper's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", with a bit of feminist vibe that makes that much more interesting and pertinent. The cast is uniformly solid, with Mia Goth taking center stage in the dual role of Maxine and Pearl, with good supporting turns from Martin Henderson, Jenna Ortega and Scott Mescudi. The production team is equally solid, with highlights going for Eliot Rockett's cinematography and Tom Hammock's production design. It may not be for everyone's palate, but it's worth watching. 

Mortal Engines

Movie Name: Mortal Engines
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Christian Rivers
Starring: Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide, Stephen Lang, Colin Salmon, Mark Mitchinson, Rene-Jean Page, Menik Gooneratne, Frankie Adams, Andrew Lees, Leifur Sigurdarson
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
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Synopsis and Review

"Mortal Engines" is Christian Rivers's full feature directorial debut, after tackling a short and a segment of the anthology "Minutes Past Midnight". The film follows the adventures of Hester Shaw, a young woman in pursuit of revenge in a post apocalyptic world. The narrative takes place thousands of years in the future, where the planet is now populated with mobile cities. The city of London is one of the biggest and has been capturing smaller towns and settlements and absorbing its populations. Their goal is to take on a more static settlement that exist in Asia (what used to be China), which is protected by a "Shield Wall". Hester gets captured into the city of London, and there she meets Tom Natsworthy, an apprentice historian. Hester's focus is to exact revenge on Thaddeus Valentine, Head of the Guild of Historians, since he murdered her mother. Following a scuffle, Hester escapes the city, and Tom soon follows, as Thaddeus pushes him out of the city as well. Tom and Hester are forced to work together, but they're soon captured and are about to be sold as slaves until Anna Fang shows up and frees them (Anna turns out was a dear friend of Hester's mother). Thaddeus in the meantime seeks the help of a reanimated cyborg by the name of Shrike, in order to capture Hester, as Shrike raised her following the death of her mother. As Hester, Tom and Anna eventually regroup and head for the Shield Wall, they realize Thaddeus and the city of London is going to attack, with a secret weapon that only Hester can stop. 

"Mortal Engines" is part of a popular series of books by Philip Reeve, which has a steampunk vibe and aesthetic to it. Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh (the team behind the adaption of the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" series) tackled this adaptation, leaving Christian Rivers with the responsibility of illustrating and bringing this world to life. Rivers who has a background in visual effects (he worked in all of Peter Jackson's films since "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"), sadly doesn't find a satisfactory way of moving past the clichés in which these characters operate, while at the same time the mediocre visual effects don't necessarily bring this post-apocalyptic world to life in a compelling manner. The narrative is set in motion very much like any young adult literary piece, where there's a central heroine who has trauma to overcome, and who eventually finds a romantic interest who becomes her accomplice in getting her agenda fulfilled. The problem with this film, aside from the fact that the characters are cardboard clichés, is the fact that the motivations for all of them are simplified to the point that they're almost non-existent. Even Hugo Weaving who is usually a compelling presence in any role he tackles, feels lost and missing a sense of purpose towards what his character is wanting to do and be (he comes across as a reluctant villain, being monstrous in one way, but also not so much, trying to be a docile and emotional father figure for other characters). Most of the supporting characters exist only as ammunition to the noise that is being portrayed, and the central characters, both Hester and Tom, are surprisingly shallow. The cast fails to bring much distinction and vitality to what is taking place. The production team is also a mixed bag, with the mediocre special effects becoming very apparent, though Tom Holkenborg's score is solid, the same going for Bob Ruck and Kate Hawley's costumes. It's a missed opportunity, considering the talent behind this adaptation. 

The Holdovers

Movie Name: The Holdovers
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Andrew Garman, Naheem Garcia, Stephen Thorne, Gillian Vigman, Tate Donovan, Darby Lee-Stack
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

Director Alexander Payne is back, following the underrated "Downsizing". This time around the narrative takes place during Christmas season in 1970, and focuses itself on the character of Paul Hunham, a history teacher at Barton Academy, a New England boarding school. During that Christmas season most students go visit their families, save for a few that have stay due to some unexpected occurrences. Paul is tasked with overseeing the students who are staying around since he and the school's headmaster clashed over the passing grade of a particular student, son of a powerful donor. Also staying around is Mary Lamb, whose son Curtis, also attended the school, but has since been killed in the Vietnam war (he enrolled in the military in order to get access to college). Most of the students get a reprieve in the shape of one of the parents who shows up in a helicopter and takes most of them for a ski trip. This occurs save for Angus Tully, whose mother is on a honeymoon trip with her new husband, can't be reached and therefore the permission for him to also go isn't attained. Paul, Angus and Mary eventually get into a rhythm, with some mishaps in-between, but also manage to attend a party from one of Paul's colleagues, where Mary has a bit of an emotional meltdown. They eventually agree to go for a field trip to Boston, where some of their story becomes more visible to each other.

Alexander Payne always manages to effectively envelop the audience on the journeys their characters take. Most of his narratives are centered around flawed central characters, who nonetheless have layers of stories that bring these same characters to life, with both sentimentality and humor. With "The Holdovers" that becomes even more apparent as we learn more about the trio of central characters, starting off with Paul and his teaching journey at Barton, where we progressively understand the reasoning for why the school has become the sole main focus of his attention, much to the disregard of his personal life, including romantic relationships and family relationships. The same goes for Angus and his rebellious spirit and Mary and her pained existence. While Peter Weir's "Dead Poets Society" was a somewhat poetic interpretation of the power of teaching and how a particular person can be a catalyst for people to further understand their purpose, "The Holdovers" is a journey in healing, with these central characters realizing what they've constantly brushed aside, all the emotional blocking they've refused to address, and how this odd pairing manages to force these situations into the light of day, and in the process, forces them to address and eventually find a way to properly place them where they belong. It's a film that is filled with interesting details and great performances from the central trio, with a particular highlight going for Paul Giamatti who is always nothing short of extraordinary. The production team is equally impeccable, including Mark Orton's score, Eigil Bryld's cinematography, Jeremy Woolsey's production design and Wendy Chuck's costume design. While this isn't necessarily the most transformative feature to come from Alexander Payne's direction, it's nonetheless a solid film worth watching.