The Zone of Interest

Movie Name: The Zone of Interest
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Starring: Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller, Johann Karthaus, Luis Noah White, Nele Ahrensmeier, Lilli Falk, Anastazja Drobniak, Cecylia Pekala, Kalman Wilson, Medusa Knopf, Max Beck
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 10
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Jonathan Glazer may not be the most prolific director currently working, but with each feature he releases, he definitely makes tremendously powerful statements. Since his feature directorial debut with "Sexy Beast", "The Zone of Interest" is only his four feature. His career has included the tremendously underrated "Birth" and the fantastic "Under the Skin". "The Zone of Interest" is loosely based on Martin Amis' book of the same name and follows the story of Rudolf Höss in 1943, when alongside his family he is stationed in Auschwitz, and is running the concentration camp as World War II continues. The life of the family is somewhat idyllic, they spend time in the garden, while Höss' children go out to swim and fish, and Hedwig, his wife, is tending to the baby with the assistance of a few employees. Beyond their garden and their walls, gunshots, shouting, trains in motion, furnaces and all matters of noises are constantly heard. Some issues start occurring, such as human remains appearing in the river while Höss and his children are in the water, and while Hedwig's mother does come for a visit, she quickly leaves as she witnesses what is occurring right next door. Höss in the interim gets word that he is being promoted to deputy inspector of concentration camps, and must move to Oranienburg, which distresses Hedwig, as she wants to stay in the area. They compromise on a strategy, with him going, but her staying behind with the family, but when in Berlin, Höss is tasked with heading an operation which will result in the transport of 700,000 Hungarian Jews to work at the camps or to be killed, which allows him to move back to Auschwitz. 

This is truly one of those films that elevates this particular art form to a masterful level. Not solely because of the gravely subject matter, but also because of the way it perfectly makes meaningful statements without calling out importance to itself (unlike Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" for instance). It's a film that encapsulates messages that are representative of the the context in which the narrative takes place, but that also supersedes that context and builds bridges to contemporary realizations and experiences that are happening as we speak. It illustrates how human beings are, in their quest for a sense or normalcy and privilege, and how they are able to acquiesce to the most revolting things that happen in the world, sometimes right next door. It is so tremendously well done, with a precision that may be at times almost too exacting, but the director also realizes every narrative is populated with human beings, and that's what he illustrates here. How the bordering oblivion of life at the hands of cruelty and inhumanness, can coexist with individuals still living their lives, as if that systematic destruction is indeed part of ever day life. This is a film that stays with you, due to the meticulous thread Jonathan Glazer creates, from the acting through the production team, all of which is impeccable. Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller are both fantastic, as is the production team which features the stunning cinematography from Lukasz Zal, score from Mica Levi, production design from Chris Oddy, and costume design from Malgorzata Karpiuk. An indelible experience, a fantastic film worth watching. 

Drive-Away Dolls

Movie Name: Drive-Away Dolls
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Ethan Coen
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, Matt Damon, Connie Jackson, Annie Gonzalez, John Menchion
Genre: Comedy, Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

When the Coen brothers decide to take a break from collaborating with each other, everyone was curious as to what exactly they would do next on their own. Joel Coen came out with the celebrated "The Tragedy of Macbeth", which featured an arresting central performance from Denzel Washington, alongside some fantastic cinematography and production design. Ethan Coen's output in narrative features has finally come out and has turned out to be "Drive-Away Dolls". And definitely much less "Raising Arizona" and definitely much more something indescribable. The film follows the story of two good friends, Jamie and Marian. They're both lesbians, and while Marian is the slightly uptight and more introverted of the two, she's also single and has been so for quite a while. Jamie on the other hand is currently in a relationship with a police officer by the name of Sukie, who is about to break it off, as Jamie is more liberal in her affections, and has been seeing other people while living with Sukie. Jamie is aware that Marian is planning a trip to Tallahassee, Florida and decides to tag along to get some distance from all the drama in Philadelphia (where they live). She suggests they use a drive-away car service. The car service office mistakes them for another client, and gives them a car that has been marked, and has in its trunk some very sensitive content. The young women start on their journey, and they're soon being tailed by some rather violent fiends who want what they're carrying.

You would think based on the brief summarization of this feature, that this would be a riotous and immensely funny endeavor, much like Martin Brest's "Midnight Run" or even a slightly more sapphic version of Ridley Scott's "Thelma and Louise", with more laughs thrown in. Sadly the film fails to have any enthusiasm/rhythm, and almost no actual comical moments. The characters have absolution no dimension or nuance to them, which in certain situations can be passed on as an economical way to illustrate the narrative ("Raising Arizona" had basically sketches disguised as characters, and to this day is still an immensely enjoyable feature), however for a film that is running on fumes when it comes to actual content, this particular aspect is perplexing. Actually come to think of it, the most surprising endeavor about this film is how amateurish and poorly put together it seems to be, so much so, that I caught myself thinking: "Is this deliberately so bad that I'm actually missing on how good it can possibly be?". It is dastardly written, and the poor cast tries their best to sound invested and infuse some quirkiness into these characters, but it's a bit like attempting to bring to life an inert and lifeless object. The only thing commendable about this film is in reality the great talent that Ethan Coen managed to assemble, which includes Margaret Qualley, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal. The production team also gets wasted, though the only highlight goes to Carter Burwell's score, as the cinematography is generically forgettable, the same going for the production and costume design. There's nothing wrong with playing a different chord or trying a different tune when you do a solo project, but this is possibly one of the worst features I've seen in a while. And that's saying something. Avoid.

Prey

Movie Name: Prey
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathias, Bennett Taylor, Mike Paterson, Nelson Leis, Tymon Carter, Skye Pelletier
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Hulu

Synopsis and Review

"Prey" is the latest installment in the "Predator" franchise, which started of course with the muscular first chapter by John McTiernan, which featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and the late Carl Weathers. This time around the feature takes place in 1719 in the Great Plains. Naru, a young Comanche woman who has been trained as a healer, has dreams of becoming a hunter like her older brother Taabe. While tracking deer she notices strange lights in the sky, which turns out to be a Predator ship who is in reality dropping one of its warriors. Following an expedition to deal with a lion, which Taabe manages to kill and bring the spoils back to the tribe, Naru is convinced something more dangerous lurks in the woods and wants to investigate. She soon departs with her dog Sarii. She is attacked by a grizzly bear, but the animal is killed by the Predator, allowing Naru to escape. Naru gets caught in a trap, and is eventually captured by French voyageurs who are in the area. She soon realizes that her brother has also been captured, and they both are set as bait for the Predator, whom the French want to capture. However things don't turn our as expected, and Naru is eventually on her own fighting for her life against the alien creature.

The "Predator" series has always been a case of David versus Goliath, in the sense that the human beings on these films are always the prey for the more powerful and technologically advanced Predator creatures. These films have had different types of focus, but the most successful ones have been the narratives where the environment in which these characters live also play a part in their interactions. In the case of John McTiernan's first film, it was the South American jungle, followed by a futuristic Los Angeles in Stephen Hopkins' "Predator 2". Nimrod Antal's "Predators" took the action to another planet, but once again into the jungle, whereas Shane Black's "The Predator" had a suburban setting (and this one sadly, didn't really work). Dan Trachtenberg smartly takes the film back to its survivalist roots, by relying on the narrative of a young woman going against type, at a time where that women's roles were pre-determined, and where this particular individual wants more than just conform to expectations (and the role her tribe has assigned her). The film gives her just enough nuance for us to quickly understand that Naru is strong willed, resourceful and wants to provide for her community. While the supporting characters don't get the same development, their interactions still have a strong sense of authenticity, bonding and complicity. The director also smartly progressively discloses the Predator as the narrative unfolds, taking cues from McTiernan's film, where the creature only became fully visible by the third chapter of the feature. As the game of survival becomes more dramatic, so does the tension, and the central character's resourcefulness. The cast is effective in embodying these characters, which also reinforces the strength of the feature. The production team is impeccable, featuring the cinematography of Jeff Cutter, score by Sarah Schachner, and production design by Amelia Brooke and Kara Lindstrom. A solid and entertaining film worth watching. 

The Exorcist: Believer

Movie Name: The Exorcist: Believer
Year of Release: 2023
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Ann Dowd, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Nettles, Olivia O'Neill, Norbert Leo Butz, Tracey Graves, Raphael Sbarge, E.J. Bonilla, Danny McCarthy, Nora Murphy, Celeste Oliva, Linda Blair
Genre: Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Writer/producer/director David Gordon Green is back, tackling another iconic and charismatic horror film property from the 70s, following his take on John Carpenter's "Halloween" films. The film introduces us to photographer Victor Fielding who is in Haiti, with his pregnant wife Sorenne. While there they are impacted by a massive earthquake which leaves Sorenne in a perilous health situation, forcing Victor to have to make a difficult decision, of saving her or the baby. 13 years later, Victor is raising his daughter Angela as a single parent in a small town in Georgia, following the demise of Sorenne. Angela longs to know more about her late mother, and alongside her best friend Katherine, decides to perform a séance in the woods near the high school where they're enrolled. Both girls don't show up at their respective homes, and are reported missing. After 3 days they're found in a barn, miles away from the school. They don't seem to remember anything, however they start getting progressively worse. Angela eventually has to be admitted to a hospital where she's cared for a nurse neighbor of hers and her father's, Ann. Ann is convinced that she's possessed, and gives Victor a book, a memoir written by Chris MacNeil, a former actress whose daughter experienced similar occurrences and who went on to study in depth the exorcism ritual. She agrees to help Victor, and visits Angela. She also visits Katherine at her parents home, where things quickly escalate with dramatic results. Victor, Ann, alongside Katherine's parents, and a group of close friends, decide to do an intervention and help the girls before its too late.

William Friedkin's "The Exorcist" has been a deeply influential film since its release. While its sequels haven't primed for similar quality or impact as the original, the film has nonetheless influenced many releases since then, including the successful "The Conjuring" series from James Wan. David Gordon Green sadly doesn't manage to bring much in terms of a distinct point of view to this new chapter in the series. Whereas James Wan's "The Conjuring" introduces two families impacted by strange occurrences, and how the supernatural infiltrates how they all live, both the victims and the saviors, with "The Exorcist: Believer", the whole situation lacks gravitas, and even the set up for all the occurrences that take place feels abrupt and underdeveloped. This "underdeveloped" tone actually permeates across the entire narrative, which almost begs the question if the script for this endeavor was indeed fast tracked, since most of feature feels undercooked (even to the point of the cameo by Linda Blair's character). The characters have very little substance to them, with Victor being showcased as a photographer who's tightly wound and slightly obsessed with his daughter, whereas Katherine's parents come across as the typical suburban deeply religious and controlling ones, and the list goes on, all peppered with clichés that eliminate any nuance or distinctiveness the film could possibly have. It's ultimately a film that feels derivative, and since there's been so many other features that have this "possessed" topic at the center of its premise, this one just doesn't know what to do with the responsibility of somehow celebrating its source, and having a point of view that is unique enough. The cast is also rather forgettable, save of course for the duo of Ellen Burstyn and Ann Dowd, both of whom bring dignity and intensity to their roles.  They both deserve a much better film to showcase their enormous talents. The production team is also rather generic. It's a film that while not offensive, it's also quickly forgettable. 

Dream Scenario

Movie Name: Dream Scenario
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Jessica Clement, Tim Meadows, Dylan Baker, Lily Bird, Dylan Gelula, Kate Berlant, Paula Boudreau, Marc Coppola
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli made a name for himself with the feature "Sick of Myself", which was selected for the "Un Certain Regard" section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2022. "Dream Scenario" has earned him more attention and accolades since its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in 2023. The film follows the story of Paul Matthews, a tenured Biology college professor, who has always been a mild mannered individual, one who has pushed his dreams and ambitions to the side. He has longed held the ambition of writing a book, but never set that plan in motion, resenting some of his colleagues for doing so. Things start taking a different turn, when suddenly random people start recognizing him. Initially thinking it's a lark or a coincidence, Paul doesn't waste too much time on it. But things escalate quite quickly, with Paul appearing in other people's dreams, simply standing there and doing nothing. He seems to be an omnipresent figure in everyone's dreams, save for his wife's. A public relations firm wants to capitalize on his newfound fame, possibly getting him to endorse products or brands, whereas all Paul wants is to write a book on the subjects that he has expertise on. As his presence on people's dreams takes a darker turn, Paul's career starts to get affected, as does his wife's and ultimately all his relationships.

"Dream Scenario" at times can't help but coming across as a variation of a Charlie Kaufman script, only without a fulfilling emotional core and an effective third chapter. The premise upon which the film relies on is fantastic, with the surreal aspect of an ordinary person appearing on everyone's dreams never truly explained or justified. Where the film starts losing a bit of its steam, lies with the fact that the writer/director doesn't really know what to do with this charged statement. Paul is illustrated as an everyday man, someone with mild ambitions, whose relationships have somewhat neutered him, leaving him like a forgotten passenger of his own life. His wife, his daughters, almost everyone in his life treat him as someone placid and passable, which makes the introduction of his persona in everyone's dreams even more of a shock. And while the film initially handles the disconcerting aspect of this quite well, the exploitation part of it, across everyone on Paul's life, simply doesn't hit the same note. By the time the fall from grace happens, it's a virulent scenario, one that is also not properly explored. There are aspects of this film that feel very akin in style and approach to the work of Todd Solondz, even more so than Michel Gondry's or Charlie Kaufman's, however Todd Solondz doesn't shy away from probing deeper into his characters, whereas here we get glimpses of Paul, but very little from everyone else. And as much as someone is an every day person, there's always more to someone than a passively rendered individual as Paul ends up being characterized by. The film merits much of its attention to Nicolas Cage's performance, who once again dials down his intensity, and creates a truly arresting performance, this time with good supporting turns from Julianne Nicholson and Michael Cera. The production team is solid, with highlights going to Owen Pallett's score, Benjamin Loeb's cinematography and Zosia Mackenzie's production design. It's a flawed, but interesting viewing experience. 

Queenpins

Movie Name: Queenpins
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly
Starring: Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Vince Vaughn, Bebe Rexha, Joel McHale, Lidia Porto, Greta Oglesby, Dayo Okeniyi, Ben Sidell, Tricia Fukuhara, Robert Riechel Jr., Annie Mumolo, Stephen Root, Marc Evan Jackson, Nick Cassavettes, Jack McBrayer, Farley Jackson, Stephen McFarlane
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

"Queenpins" is based on a true story, one that has been the target of a documentary called "The Queen of Coupons" exhibited on CBS in 2018. The narrative focuses on the story of Connie Kaminski, a former Olympic racewalker, now living in Phoenix. Connie's marriage to Rick, an IRS audit specialist is fraught with tension, as their attempts at conceiving a child have been met with considerable challenges. Her best friend is Jojo, a neighbor who has had to move back with her mom, as her identity was stolen, and she now tries to making a living by creating Youtube video content. Connie has devoted some attention to coupons, and starts noticing how much she can save but also profit from these. She decides to propose a business deal/partnership to Jojo, and they both go to Mexico where they set up an arrangement with a few workers from the factory where the coupons are printed, where they collect the unused coupons directly from its source. They create a business and a website, "Savvy Super Saver", and start selling those coupons online, while Jojo promotes them on her Youtube channel. Their business starts booming, while this sudden influx of coupons raises the attention of Ken Miller, a loss prevention officer for the A&G Family Marts stores. He decides to further investigate the case and reports it to the authorities. However Connie and Jojo have already resorted to Tempe Tina, a resourceful hacker, to teach them how to make their business look legit. 

"Queenpins" is a an interesting film, one that while not passing judgment on its characters, it also positions them as quasi modern Robin Hood (of sorts). The narrative emphasizes their resourcefulness, and simultaneously their apparent obliviousness to their dealings, even as they have to figure out how to "legitimize" the income they're generating (that should probably be a hint that they were doing something wrong then). The directing team tries very hard to portray both central characters as every day people, who were just ingenious, neglected and forgotten, and that the business turns out to be their version of the American Dream, of seizing an opportunity and running with it. And their counterbalance is provide by Ken Miller, the frumpy loss prevention officer (who by the way has a great scene, now a regurgitated meme, on a flight interacting with an entitled duo of mother/daughter), who is only trying to do is job, and comes across as the wet blanket. For a film that tries to be a witty and comedic take on these different paths of life, there's a rather fierce Robin Hood slant that comes across as both Connie and Jojo are portrayed, though the film never truly dives deeper into who these characters actually are. Neither Connie nor Jojo are more than a former Olympian who tried to have a child, and someone trying to make a buck out of Youtube. Ken Miller turns out to have a more interesting journey on the film, one that is peppered with some awkward episodes. But his presence, alongside his relationship with Simon Kilmurry, the actual law enforcement professional, is where the comedic gold actually lies. Sadly that is a part of the film that never gets much development. Overall it's a film that has a rich topic, but fails to capture much in all the characters that are illustrated, opting for a massively generic approach on all of them, which ultimately renders the film a bit forgettable. The cast tries their best at bringing these characters to life, with highlights going to the fantastic Paul Walter Hauser, Nick Cassavettes in a small cameo, while Kristen Bell is a bit underused, in a role that is persistently bland. The production team is also unmemorable overall. It's watchable, but also immediately forgettable. 

The Marvels

Movie Name: The Marvels
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Leila Farzad, Abraham Popoola, Lashana Lynch, Tessa Thompson, Daniel Ings, Alex Hughes
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Nia DaCosta has followed her successful take on Clive Barker's "Candyman" by embracing a completely different universe, this time around a sequel to the very successful "Captain Marvel", also coincidentally directed by a duo more used to independent filmmaking, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The film focuses on three different characters who come together unexpectedly, but united under the same desire to vanquish a villainous force who threatens to destroy an entire civilization. Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel since her last adventure, has destroyed the AI which led the Kree empire. In doing so, she also left the planet in shambles and with some major issues with natural resources. The new Kree leader, Dar-Benn, is intent on getting her revenge, and in order to do so, she wants to get her hands on a pair of Quantum Bands. She manages to retrieve one, however unbeknownst to her, the other one lies with the young Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Dar-Benn's toying with the Quantum Band, as well as Carol and Monica Rambeau's investigations on those anomalies, leads to some disruptive coincidences, as the anomalies cause for Carol/Monica and Kamala to exchange locations the minute they use their powers. The three realize Dar-Benn is targeting planets that are meaningful to Carol, as she's pursuing her vengeance, while also retrieving the resources her home planet needs. The three Marvels unite their powers to prevent further destruction from occurring.

I'll admit to the fact that I have not watched the large majority of Marvel Studios' tv shows (save for Secret Wars, which was not particularly enticing). Most of the characters that populated this film were unknown to me, and the script didn't necessarily provide much in terms of introduction or contextualization as to who they actually were (or are for that matter). And that turns out to be one of the main issues with this film: it doesn't know which tone to adopt or what to focus on. While "Captain Marvel" was a sufficiently well realized adventure film, told from a female point of view, with barely defined characters, this one comes across as a Nickelodeon adventure for children, without even minimally establishing any distinguishable characters, including the main antagonistic forces. This film isn't so much the "Charlie's Angels" of comic books, and even though at times it tries to bring quite a bit of the spirit of "Spider-Man" into the narrative, with the whole friendly neighbor super-hero (courtesy of "Ms. Marvel"), all these lines are tangled in a way that while trying to be funny, it reduces whatever little complexity or nuance the other Marvel films had, to essentially nothing. The films from this studio have recently reached an apex where their contributors and creative teams are so self centered in their own universe, their own limited formula, and the rules they've established for themselves, they seem to forget that a well conceived narrative, well established characters, and coherence in storytelling are fundamental for viewers to actually care about what is happening on screen. Gratuitous visual effects may be wonderful to look at, but they typically should support a well devised narrative, which is not this case. All these lead characters seem to be supporting very different films, and while the juvenile tone of the film may introduce some pedestrian humor, it still can't hide the fact that it doesn't have much to say, and it's a rather vapid exercise. The few highlights the film has go to Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, both great actors who deserve much better, and also for the production team, particularly Sean Bobbitt's cinematography and Lindsay Pugh's costume design. The problem isn't superhero fatigue, the crux lies with writing better storylines and not being so self indulgent. This film is a pass.

Priscilla

Movie Name: Priscilla
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Ari Cohen, Dagmara Dominczyk, Tim Post, Lynne Griffin, Dan Beirne, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Dan Abramovici, Matthew Shaw, Tim Dowler-Coltman, R Austin Ball, Olivia Barrett, Stephanie Moore
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the film "On the Rocks", which she wrote and directed for Apple+ streaming service, writer/producer/director Sofia Coppola is back, this time around focusing her point of view on the universe of Elvis Presley, but from the perspective of the woman he married, Priscilla. The tone could not be as diametrically opposed as to what Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" illustrated. The film focuses on the story of Priscilla Beaulieu, whom we first encounter in West Germany, attending high school. Her father is an Army Captain, which explains why she is living in Europe. While attending a party at the Army Base she meets Elvis Presley, who is at the peak of his fame. He's immediately drawn to her, though she's only 14 and he's already 24. Priscilla's parents are immensely worried about this attention, because of her young age, and his popularity. Upon his return to the States, they lose contact and Priscilla resumes her schooling. In 1962 Elvis reconnects with her and invites her to come visit him in Memphis for a brief vacation. The following year Elvis negotiates with Priscilla's parents to have her come live his parents and attend a private girls' Catholic School in Memphis. While her parents aren't all too happy with the situation, they concede. Priscilla ends up spending considerable amounts of time on her own, while Elvis has a string of publicized affairs with co-stars during movie shoots in LA. Upon his return to Memphis he denies all those relationships. They eventually marry in 1967, though Elvis reliance on prescription drugs is already starting to worry Priscilla. Their volatile relationship continues, even during Priscilla's pregnancy. Their relationship continues to deteriorate, until it reaches a breaking point where Priscilla asks for a divorce, as Elvis is doing his residency in Las Vegas.

While Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" was an exercise in documenting the excess of his life, and the relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker, Sofia Coppola's take on this narrative shifts the tone and perspective to Priscilla, specifically focusing on the experience of a young woman falling in love and having to grow up in a situation that is a bit uncommon. Sofia Coppola's best films are always permeated with heroines who feel out of place, or who are still figuring out who they are, which was the case of Scarlett Johansson's character in "Lost in Translation", Kirsten Dunst's in "The Virgin Suicides" and "Marie Antoinette" and now Priscilla Beaulieu. This scenario in particular, surrounding Elvis' focus on the 14 year old Priscilla is to say the least, very problematic, but the director handles it gracefully, peppering the family's dynamics and concerns into a situation that even then could have been disastrous. The film flows at a rhythm that is customary to Sofia Coppola's features, which is to say, there's a quasi ethereal pacing to the interactions between characters, and what is taking place onscreen, that nonetheless doesn't preclude the fact that emotional turmoil and even harsh dramatic events are taking place. And while it would be easy to let Elvis' larger than life persona to take over, Sofia Coppola smartly shifts the focus to Priscilla's pains of growing up, of leaving a life under his shadow, and having a point of view of her own. There's something to this narrative that on paper and in the hands of a lesser gifted storyteller, could have easily become a Lifetime movie of the week, but Sofia Coppola brings both an impeccable attention to detail, and also her point of view of allowing the central female character to eventually find her voice. Even if she endures quite a bit throughout the narrative. Some of the characters don't necessarily get much of a voice or dimension, and at times that leaves the film somewhat anemic, but the central duo is well captured. The performances are solid, including Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Ari Cohen, Dagmara Dominczyk and Tim Post. The production team is impeccable, with highlights going to Phillipe Le Sourd's cinematography, Phoenix's score, Tamara Deverell's production design and Stacey Battat's costumes. It's a film worth watching from one of the most unique voices in cinema working these days.

Skyscraper

Movie Name: Skyscraper
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han, Roland Moller, Noah Taylor, Byron Mann, Pablo Schreiber, McKenna Roberts, Noah Cottrell, Hannah Quinlivan, Adrian Holmes, Elfina Luk, Kevin Rankin
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Rawson Marshall Thurber who started his career with the Vince Vaughn/Ben Stiller starrer "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story", has since gone on to direct big action tentpoles, including the comedic "Central Intelligence", which was his first collaboration with Dwayne Johnson, followed by "Skyscraper" and the more recent "Red Notice" (the latter, a Netflix release). "Skyscraper" follows the story of Will Sawyer, a former FBI agent who is currently working as a private security consultant. His latest assignment is reviewing the security for the world's tallest building, the tower named "The Pearl" located in Hong Kong. He got that assignment through a former colleague of his who recommended him for the job. His wife and two children are with him on the tower, specifically on the residential part of it. Will is given a tablet that provides him with complete control over the Pearl's systems, by the owner of the tower itself, Zhao Long Ji. Will and his friend Gillespie are robbed on their way to an offsite security center, but Will had the tablet with him all along, which turns out is what the robbers wanted all along. Gillespie attacks Will, and in the ensuing fight gets killed, not before telling him who's behind the robbery and what's coming. Turns out an international terrorist by the name of Botha, is going to attack the tower, possibly destroy it in the process, as he wants something that is stored in it. Will loses the tablet after a second attack, while Botha and his team start a fire of epic proportions in the tower, where the Sawyer family is located. As Will witnesses the fire he goes back in hoping to save his loved ones.

Rawson Marshall Thurber's "Skyscraper", which he also wrote, is a bit like a "Die Hard" in lite mode: meaning less inventive, more destructive, and with less compelling characters. The writer/director tries to give the central hero a more vulnerable spot, with his physical challenge, however that just isn't enough to truly give a better understanding of who Will Sawyer actually is. He's apparently a security operations person who married quite well, since his wife is a medical doctor, who is also an army veteran, and a linguist/polyglot. And while Sarah Sawyer isn't a somewhat passive player in the narrative, this film could have been a lot more interesting if the balance of focus oscillated between these two central characters. Even Bonnie Bedelia's Holly was able to establish herself swiftly and efficiently in John McTiernan's muscular "Die Hard", even if her screen time was very limited. "Skyscraper" however goes into a direction that brings to mind the catastrophe films of the 1970s, such as "Earthquake" and "The Towering Inferno", where the spectacle of destruction trumps creating interesting characters. The main villain of this film comes across as a cardboard thug, without much nuance or humor for that matter, never exhibiting the intelligence and even cruelty Alan Rickman brought to his Hans Gruber in John McTiernan's film. It's a film that tries to piece together references from better films, but sadly doesn't necessarily know how to juggle character development and action set pieces. What's left is somewhat of a hollow exercise, with great production values, but wasting the charismatic presence of Neve Campbell who could have easily taken this film in a better direction. Dwayne Johnson is competent in the role, but there's also nothing particularly unique on his take of this character. The cinematography from Robert Elswit is impeccable, as is the score from Steve Jablonsky and the production design from Jim Bissell. It's not a bad film by any means, it's just not a particularly memorable one.  

Viral

Movie Name: Viral
Year of Release: 2016
Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Starring: Sofia Black-D'Elia, Lio Tipton, Travis Tope, Michael Kelly, Colson Baker, John Cothran, Judyann Elder, Brianne Howey
Genre: Drama, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman are a directing duo who made a name for themselves with their feature directorial debut, "Catfish", which led them on to other directorial engagements, including two films of the "Paranormal Activity" franchise. "Viral" follows the story of Emma Drakeford, a high school student who recently moved to a suburban area in California, with her older sister and parents. Her older sister Stacey is more outgoing and already has a boyfriend, while Emma has an undeclared interest on their neighbor Evan, who also goes to the same high school. Their father Michael is a teacher at their school, and their mom is currently traveling for work, though that particular relationship is somewhat strained. While at school Emma notices her best friend Gracie is acting a bit oddly, until she has a dramatic seizure just outside of school. Gracie ends up vomiting blood on another student who was trying to help her. Reports start emerging on the news that there is a "worm flu" spreading throughout the area. Things start escalating rather quickly, but Stacey pressures Emma to go to a party, where an infected student starts attacking and infecting attendees, including Stacey who becomes infected. As the military becomes involved, everyone is advised to stay indoors. Evan shows up at Emma's door looking for a place to stay as his stepfather is also infected. Emma is desperate to try to save Stacey, and eventually one infecting parasite is removed from her body. However the whole area is ordered for evacuation as the military want to dramatically sanitize it. 

"Viral" is reminiscent of a series of better films that seem to influence much of its narrative thread. The most obvious reference is of course David Cronenberg's "Shivers", but there are elements of Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later", James Gunn's "Slither", George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" and to a lesser extent, Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion". The film illustrates how the viral infection aggressively spreads throughout the community, always from the perspective from the teenage sisters who are left to their own devices, as their father goes off to get their mother from the airport and then becomes blocked from coming back into the area in which they live. Sadly the filmmakers don't spend much time illustrating who these characters actually are, and that includes both the leads and supporting ones. Aside from the fact that one of the sisters wants to party, for the remainder of the narrative they are either trying to understand how the virus propagates, or avoiding being contaminated by it. The virus is a hybrid type of situation, where the infected behave as zombies, but are also under the domain of the viral creature (a brood type of situation, similar to James Gunn's "Slither"). The film lacks a closer attention to these characters, but also fails at building a scenario that is as ominous as the facts that are actually occurring (these adolescents are witnessing the disintegration of everything they've known in their lives, not to mention of everyone they come in contact with, and yet none of this registers properly with them). There is an aspect of survival mode to this narrative (as it does with any zombie film), but that also comes across as undercooked. The filmmakers had all these paths and venues to venture out, but they opted for a bland illustration across all the possible scenarios the script presents. In the end the film comes across as a mediocre cousin of Robert Kirkman/Frank Darabont's "The Walking Dead". It fails to elicit the sheer terror that David Cronenberg was able to muster with "Shivers", and displays none of the humor James Gunn was able to bring to "Slither". The cast is unremarkable, save for the always solid Michael Kelly, whose presence is all too brief. The production team is competent, but unremarkable. It's a forgettable and rather generic exercise. 

Anatomie d'une Chute/Anatomy of a Fall

Movie Name: Anatomie d'une Chute/Anatomy of a Fall
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Justine Triet
Starring: Sandra Huller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Saadia Bentaieb, Camille Rutherford, Anne Rotger, Sophie Fillieres
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Anatomie d'une Chute/Anatomy of a Fall" is one of the most awarded films of 2023. It has won numerous accolades including the Palm D'Or at Cannes, several Cesars, a BAFTA and an Academy Award. It's been a triumph for writer/director Justine Triet, following a series of well received films that flew somewhat under the radar. The film follows the story of Sandra Voyter, a novelist who lives with her husband and son in a chalet near Grenoble. We first witness her in the chalet, interacting with a student who comes for an interview that has to be rescheduled, since Sandra's husband starts playing music very loudly and on a loop, which makes conversation virtually impossible. Sandra's son, Daniel, has a visual impairment, and as the student leaves, he takes his guide dog Snoop for walk. As Daniel is coming back to the chalet, he notices a body lying on the floor and not moving. He realizes it's his dad and screams for his mom. The police is called and an investigation begins on what exactly has happened. Sandra maintains it must have been an accident. Sandra's old friend and lawyer, Vincent, hints at a possible suicide, which Sandra somewhat corroborates since Samuel her late husband, had stopped taking antidepressants a while back, and had attempted an overdose on aspirin a few months earlier. After conflicting testimonies from Daniel, the revelation of a head injury on Samuel, alongside a recording of an inflamed fight between Sandra and Samuel the day before the incident, leads to Sandra being indicted on charges of homicide.

One of the most remarkable things about "Anatomie d'une Chute/Anatomy of a Fall" is the fact that while the premise of who was responsible for the death of Samuel seems to be a driving force for the narrative, what is really intriguing about the whole feature is the fact the director takes us on a journey of unveiling who these characters actually are, what their relationships are based of, and that is in itself the base of this film, more so than the suspenseful aspect of who is the responsibly party for that dramatic event. The film is filled with interesting nuances and details that slowly reveal who Sandra is, and the type of relationship she and Samuel cultivated. These details that pepper the narrative make it that much richer, including the fact that the couple spoke in English, since Samuel was French and Sandra is German, therefore they communicated in a language that was a compromise for both, where one did not have to rescind their own cultural identity. This of course changes once Sandra has to stand trial, as she needs to communicate in French for an audience who does not know her. The details behind the relationship with her husband due to their son's accident also emerges, all these details providing a breadth of color to how their lives had been shaped, and simultaneously illustrating Sandra's personality. The director is able to capture all these events with a clinical eye, never attempting to make the film too sentimental, nor a Hitchcockian type of exercise. It's an exploration of a troubled relationship, of the bitterness and resentment that has grown between two people, that is perfectly illustrated in the heated exchange Sandra and Samuel have, which is the strongest exchange between two characters of the entire film (and possibly one of the best illustrations of the dynamics and relationship of a couple ever captured on film). Some of the supporting characters of the feature don't get as much attention as Sandra, or even Daniel, but this is their narrative, of this couple that had been on this path for quite some time. The cast is uniformly fantastic, with highlights going to Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, and Antoine Reinartz. The production team is solid, but not particularly memorable. It's a wonderful film, worth watching. 

There's Something in the Barn

Movie Name: There's Something in the Barn
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Magnus Martens
Starring: Martin Starr, Amrita Acharia, Kiran Shah, Townes Bunner, Zoe Winther-Hansen, Jeppe Beck Laursen, Henriette Steenstrup, Marianne Jonger, Paul Monaghan
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Magnus Martens has been crafting a career for himself by directing high visibility TV shows, which has included "Agents of SHIELD", "12 Monkeys", and more recently the "Walking Dead" universe, with two shows of that domain which includes "Fear the Walking Dead" and "The Walking Dead: World Beyond". "There's Something in the Barn" follows the story of an American family, the Nordheims, who move from California to Norway, since the father has inherited property in that country from a recently deceased uncle. Bill Nordheim shows up with his second wife (since his first wife has passed away), and his two children (from his first marriage), and they settle in the farm from his family in the area of Gudbrandsdalen. Nora, the teenage daughter is angry at him and her new mother, since she essentially feels removed from her life in the US and her friends there. Lucas the son in the meantime, familiarizes himself with some of the folk tales from the area, which includes traditions regarding elves and how to best live with them. Lucas starts witnessing some unusual activity in the property's barn, and suspects it's from their own elf. That turns out to be the actual case, but as Bill starts pressing his Christmas related activities around the farm, bringing noise and people into the property, the more Lucas fears they're disrupting and enraging the elf. When Lucas explains his thoughts on keeping the elf content, his family disregards him, until after the Christmas party things get more and more raucous, with some bloody outcomes.

The biggest problem with "There's Something in the Barn", is the fact that it truly never commits to anything, it lacks conviction on what is showcasing on the screen. While the premise for the film is ripe for a dark and brutal B-movie, the film tries to be somewhat funny, with the angle of the well meaning but oblivious father who is adjusting to a different culture, which never truly congeals into something comedic (the typical fish out of water narrative, with the central characters trying to adjust to new habits). When it tries to be brutal and violent, the film is rather anemic, never truly taking the action to the next level, unlike what Eli Roth for instance did with his recent "Thanksgiving" feature. The film almost comes across as a slightly R-rated pilot for a TV show, with plenty of warm feelings to boost, but one where the character establishment is minimal, and where the tone is difficult to place (is it trying to be "Northern Exposure", is it trying to be "Supernatural", hard to grasp). The cast for the most part is also quite forgettable, led by Martin Starr who usually makes compelling supporting appearances in various films (for instance in Judd Appatow's "Knocked Up"), but who is clearly uncomfortable with the lack of a more substantial script on this one. The production team is also quite unremarkable, with the visual effects being rather unpolished, the same going for the makeup effects. It doesn't come across as a funny B-Movie, with snarky humor, it's instead a rather bland and toothless film that doesn't fulfill what it set out to be: entertaining. 

Night Swim

Movie Name: Night Swim
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Bryce McGuire
Starring: Kerry Condon, Wyatt Russell, Amélie Hoeferle, Gavin Warren, Jodi Long, Nancy Lenehan, Eddie Martinez, Elijah Roberts, Ben Sinclair, Ellie Araiza, Rahnuma Panthaky, Ayazhan Dalabayeva
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Night Swim" is the first release from the merger of Jason Blum's production entity Blumhouse, and James Wan's Atomic Monster. It's also the feature directorial debut for Bryce McGuire. The narrative focuses on the Waller family, comprised of father Ray, mother Eve, and children Izzy and Elliot. They're seeking a new permanent residence, after Ray has been forced into retirement from a professional career in baseball, following his diagnosis with MS. They decide to go with a house that has a pool in the backyard, since they've been advised that swimming and water exercise may help with the illness. As the family starts to settle, they realize they have to do some major cleaning in and around the pool area. Ray scratches his hand while unclogging it, prompting some dark water to surface, and they have to resort to a pool specialist for some help as a result of that. The specialist informs them that the pool is somewhat self-sustaining since it takes its water from an underground spring located in the area. The more time Ray spends in the pool the better he seems to be feeling. However some strange occurrences start taking place, starting with the disappearance of the family's cat, followed by Izzy and Elliot getting attacked by something in the pool itself. The family decides to throw a pool party to get more familiar with the community and some of the neighbors. During the party, the realtor who presented them with the house, tells them that the house's previous owners lost their daughter in that pool. During the same time, Ray and one of the neighbors, engage in a harmless aquatic game, but some entity possesses Ray and forces him to almost kill one of the kids they were playing with. Eve becomes more and more concerned, and decides to investigate what happened with the previous owners.

Creating effective horror/thriller features can be a challenging task, since the goal is typically to marry enough character development, with an original premise where the scares are effective and keep the audience focused on what's coming next. James Wan and Leigh Whannell have been able to do so with "Insidious", and James Wan has also been able to do so with "The Conjuring" franchise (with varying degrees of success). Bryce McGuire with "Night Swim" does have a good premise in place, with the nuclear family once again being threatened by a supernatural entity in the apparent placidness of their new home. Sadly and in this case, this entity and its existence is poorly expanded upon and illustrated. Whereas with Tobe Hooper's "Poltergeist" for instance, there was an illustration of the progressive escalation that the menacing entity was producing, with "Night Swim" there's a realization that the menace is located within the pool, but not much additional context is actually provided about the legend surrounding the pool (its mysticism), or for that matter the characters that are now being targeted by it. There's nothing particularly memorable or distinctive about these characters, aside from the fact that the parental figure has a disability that is rendering him in a precarious situation. Even for a slight B-movie of sorts, which this film tries to be, this character development is remarkably thin, with the interactions between the family members also feeling underdeveloped and under-illustrated. The supporting characters are equally very generic and there's not much color to them at all. What's left are some interesting details from this universe that the characters get pulled into from the pool, but even that feels a bit undercooked. The cast tries their best to bring these characters to life, with highlights going to Kerry Condon and Wyatt Russell. The production team is solid, with highlights going to Charlie Sarroff's cinematography, Mark Korven's score and Hillary Gurtler's production design. It's not a particularly memorable film. 

Good Grief

Movie Name: Good Grief
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Daniel Levy
Starring: Daniel Levy, Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans, Celia Imrie, Arnaud Valois, David Bradley, Mehdi Baki, Emma Corrin, Jamael Westman, Kaitlyn Dever, Yoli Fuller, Noé Besin
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

After making a name for himself with the fantastic show "Schitt's Creek", actor/writer/producer/director Daniel Levy has finally planted his feet firmly on the ground of the feature world (since the ending of his show, he acted in small parts for Clea Duvall's "Happiest Season" and more recently Justin Simien's "Haunted Mansion"). "Good Grief" is his first foray into the feature world, which has had the production support from Netflix, who has also released the film. The narrative focuses on Marc, an illustrator and painter, who lives in London with his affluent and well known husband Oliver. Oliver has made a name for himself as an author of a popular series of young adult novels, which Marc has illustrated as well. While celebrating Christmas with a well attended party at their house, Oliver bids farewell to the group, since he has to go to Paris for a book signing. Moments later Marc listens to agitation on the street not far from where they live, only to realize the car in which Oliver was at has suffered an accident, which results in his death. The following year, Marc deals with the grief of that loss, with the help of his best friends, Sophie and Thomas. He also uncovers a few things Oliver had left behind, namely the fact that he left him a note admitting to have met someone else, and that for all intended purposes he had been living a second life in Paris, in an apartment he had been leasing there. With the advice of his financial consultant, he decides to give up that lease, but before doing so, decides to go to Paris with Sophie and Thomas, without disclosing to them the story behind that apartment. Those next days in Paris reveal themselves to be a catalyst for Marc's bottled feelings, the same going for his friends, also dealing with their own relationship issues. 

What was always so particularly well done on "Schitt's Creek" was the ability the show had to progressively uncover who all the central characters were, while not necessarily making them more endearing or even palatable. They had their quirks, but were also eminently human, flaws and all, which made them that much more captivating (and funny). "Good Grief" somehow attempts to illustrate a character study, but can't avoid falling into the trappings of clichés that once again feel a bit tired and repetitive. Case in point, the affluent gay couple in which one the partners suddenly finds himself uncovering an unexpected betrayal, while the best friends include the quirky and slightly immature gal pal, and the gay male best friend, who has been pining for the central character all along. All the central characters, who are either 40 or reaching that age, seem to be depicted like stunted in their development and maturity, and while the event that jumpstarts the film is indeed dramatic, the narrative itself doesn't look inwards, but chooses instead to go on a substantially more superficial direction, a slightly gayer version of Ryan Murphy's "Eat Pray Love". Which is to say, the film illustrates more of Marc's journey to get over the pain, which in itself is a perfectly feasible motif to capture on film, but we never actually get a sense as to why he and Oliver were together, and what is it that he is indeed mourning. The betrayal almost comes across as a soap opera motif, to jumpstart that self healing moment, without truly posing the question as to why it actually happened, and what was that Marc had been unaware of in that relationship. Ironically enough, there's more heartbreak and intimacy in Andrew Haigh's "Weekend" and "45 Years", both films that capture the relationships of two couples, at different times in their existence, but that are so effective at demonstrating closeness, frailty and even secrets. For all the time that is spent with these characters not much is uncovered from their motivations and even the arc they get to experience is very limited. What is left is a collection of some moments that promised more, such as Marc's interactions with Theo and Oliver's presence, but the film ultimately just doesn't add much. The cast tries their best to bring these characters to life, with highlights going to Arnaud Valois, Luke Evans, Kaitlyn Dever (who is capturing a bit of Anna Faris' character from Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation"), and the luminous Celia Imrie. The production team is solid, with a highlight going to Ole Bratt Birkeland's cinematography. It's watchable, but ultimately a forgettable endeavor.