The Monkey

 

        If you like your horror movies with a liberal dose of absurdly sick comedy, this new horror film from writer/director Osgood Perkins, is for you. It's origin is a short story by Stephen King, which is far more serious in its tale of a cursed toy monkey. Mr. Osgood's screenplay adds quite a bit of sick humor to the story making the high body count grisly but also outrageously funny.

        The film stars Theo James as adult twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn. Christian Convery plays the twins as young boys. Co-starring are Tatiana Maslany as Lois Shelburn, the boy's mother. Sarah Levy as Aunt Ida, Mr. Perkins himself as Uncle Chip and Rohan Campbell as Ricky. There are also cameos from Adam Scott and Elijah Wood.

         While there are no real scares (aside from the scary monkey itself) Mr. Perkins is quite adept at setting a creepy and unsettling  mood and maintaining it throughout the film even with the injection of his odd sense of humor. The murderous special effects are quite good as well. The basic plot is every time the monkey is wound up, it plays its drum and someone dies (in very original ways). There is no real backstory to the demon toy. It just is, so throw any logic out the window and enjoy the gory, yet humorous ride.

Captain America: Brave New World

 

      Watching the latest edition to the Marvel cannon, while not necessary, a refresher course of the 2008 "The Incredible Hulk and the TV mini-series, "The Falcon & The Winter Soldier" would both be helpful.

       Those already up to date on the Marvel universe will appreciate Anthony Mackie's version of Captain America but the script doesn't do him much favor. Taking itself very seriously as a "political thriller", there is little in the way of humor or emotion.

        Shades of "The Manchurian Candidate", mind control plays a big part in the script. The surprise villain responsible for the mind control is also responsible for releasing the Red Hulk upon the world, The highly anticipated arrival of said hulk comes fairly late in the film and while his CGI body is well done, other elements of CGI work come off shoddy and not convincing. 

         The film co-stars Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross (taking over from the late William Hurt), Giancarlo Esposito as villain "Sidewinder" (a more violent take on his Gus Fring character from "Breaking Bad"), Danny Ramirez as the new "Falcon", Shira Haas, miscast as Ruth Bat-Seraph, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns and two surprise cameos.

          While the film was written before the current administration in Washington, there appears to be subtle swipes taken at those now in charge. The story tries hard to be taken seriously but with so much Marvel lore to cover, the plot takes a back seat to the film acting as a bridge to the next chapter in the Marvel universe. The action scenes (despite the less than perfect CGI) are fun though.

            As with all Marvel films, there is a post credit scene that promises the return of Captain America as well as a hint of a new danger to come.

Becoming Led Zeppelin

 

           For the die hard fan, this new documentary is a must see but even the casual fan will absolutely enjoy it.

           Bernard MacMahon did the research, co-wrote the film with Allison McGourty and directed the film with the band's blessing.

           The film traces the roots of the band through new, exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. John Bonham, who passed in 1980, is heard on previously unreleased audio interviews.

            Exploring the British music scene of the 1960's, we learn how the future bandmates started out as session musicians on various albums in various genres.  They finally get together in the summer of 1968 out of the ashes of "The Yardbirds" to become "Led Zeppelin". The film then follows the band through their growing success to become the #1 band in the world in 1970.

            The film includes full song performances, never-before-seen footage of their early U.S. and British concerts, and exclusive footage from their own archives. Formatted for IMAX cameras, with an incredible soundtrack, it has to be seen this way to fully enjoy the experience.

Companion

 

         This new, very black comedy is written and directed by Drew Hancock. If you've seen the latest trailer (avoid the trailer if you can), you may know a significant plot point already but be prepared for plenty of other surprises.

          Mr. Hancock has fashioned the most twisted love story I've seen in years. The story is fresh, very original and extremely clever. What begins as a seemingly cute girl meets boy story eventually goes completely off the rails. As a warning, expect some violent moments.

          Sophie Thatcher stars as Iris and she is absolutely terrific. Her boyfriend is played by Jack Quaid (from Prime's "The Boys" and the voice of Boimler on "Star Trek Lower Decks"). The two are lots of fun together...until they're not.

          The film co-stars Lukas Gage as Patrick, Megan Suri as Kat, Harvey Guillen as Eli, and Rupert Friend as Sergey. Marc Manchaca has a cameo as Deputy Hendrix. 

          While I saw it on an IMAX screen, it's not necessarily the kind of film that's enhanced by that format. It will be just as gonzo in regular theaters as well. 

          

            

Presence

 

         This is a supernatural, haunted house story unlike any other. Written by David Koepp and directed by Steven Soderbergh, the entire film is presented from the point of view of the "presence". The POV is actually Mr. Soderbergh's camera as he moves throughout a beautiful home occupied by a family of four.

         The family is played by Lucy Liu as Rebecca, the mom and Chris Sullivan as Chris, the dad. Their older teenager son, Tyler is played by Eddy Maday and the younger teenage daughter Chloe, is played by Callina Liang. Chloe has been recently traumatized by the apparent overdose of her best friend. Tyler is a high school swimming champ but also has typical teen angst. Rebecca and Chris have cracks in the marriage that grow larger as the film goes on. The issues of the entire family are observed by the "presence" but only Chloe seems to sense it.  

         A friend of Tyler's, Ryan is introduced during the film and an unhealthy attraction develops between him and Chloe. Ryan is played by West Mulholland, and his real intentions are not revealed until the last act.

        When Tyler relates a cruel school prank to the family, they all become aware of the "presence" when it reacts to his story. They bring in a medium played by Natalie Woolams-Torres who feels the "presence" and offers a clue to its intentions, which Chloe insists are not menacing.

        Very little happens besides the "presence" roaming the house listening to the family's growing issues and occasionally moving objects and doors around, until the plot comes together in the final act.

       The entire film is just another interesting Soderbergh experiment in filmmaking. Interesting from a technical point of view but as an entertainment, it's far from scary and actually pretty boring.

Flight Risk

 

       This time of the year is reserved for a dumping ground of films that are just barely greenlit. This is one of them but it's a decent enough thrill ride for a mid-winter release.

       Typically Liam Neeson would be starring as the hero in a film like this but in a nice twist, one of my personal favorites, Michelle Dockery (very far from Downton Abby) is U.S. Marshall Harris transporting a key witness in an important trial. She catches up with the witness, Winston, played by Topher Grace in a remote Alaskan town and has to charter a small plane to reach Anchorage.  Mark Wahlberg is the pilot. Once in the air, things start to go wrong and there are some fun action scenes. 

       Almost quietly during the credits, we find out the film was directed by Mel Gibson. I guess the studio felt his name associated with the film might turn away a segment of its potential audience. Say what you will about his politics or religious beliefs, he knows how to direct an action film.

       This is a "check your brain" at the door, "popcorn" movie  and easy to enjoy. As a bonus,  the Alaskan scenery is beautiful on a theater screen.

                

Hard Truths

 

    Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin reunite (last seen together in "Secrets & Lies") as sisters in writer/director Mike Leigh's latest comic drama. As, sisters the two are complete opposites. Pansy (Ms. Jean Baptiste) is a depressed, anxiety ridden, angry woman who can barely function and Chantelle (Ms. Austin) is her happier sister who works as a hairdresser and has two adult employed daughters.

     Pansy lives with her sullen husband Curtley (played by David Webber) and her aimless adult son, Moses (played by Tuwaine Barrett). It's an unhappy marriage, an unhappy family and a meager co-existence. Whenever Pansy does manage to leave the house for chores or a doctor's visit, she takes her anger out on everyone around her. Many of these confrontations are humorous at first but ultimately sad as Pansy can't break her cycle.

     The same can be said for the film in general. What's funny at first is really heartbreaking as there is a total lack of communication and a loveless void within Pansy's family. Things begin to change ever so slightly when Chantelle takes Pansy to visit their mother's gravesite and then invites her, Curtly and Moses back to her house to "celebrate" Mother's Day.

      Ms. Jean Baptiste is absolutely wonderful in a very difficult part. Mr. Webber and Mr. Barrett move through the film in an almost catatonic state and it's a credit to their acting to successfully bring a sense of hard reality to their roles. 

     Mr. Leigh has created an intense character study of a woman with many difficult issues. It's not an easy watch but Ms. Jean Baptiste's performance is remarkable, and Mr. Leigh does offer a small glimmer of hope by the end of the film.