Project Hail Mary

 

        Writer Andy Weir, author of  "The Martian", which was turned into a terrific film with a screenplay by Drew Goddard and Andy Weir, now has his second novel  released as another terrific film, again with a solo screenplay by Drew Goddard. The significance does not go unnoticed. Mr. Goddard has a great feel for the source material but has a knack for removing the science and math heavy plot points of the novel and making the film more accessible for a wide audience without sacrificing the story.

        Co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring the story to life in an incredible way. The visuals are wonderful, and while filmed in IMAX, the scenes on Earth are shot in a different ratio making the space scenes even more remarkable. They also make a bold choice to refrain from rendering the  "Rocky" character in CGI and instead, he is a very life-like puppet. This adds an important layer to the emotional core of the story.

         When it is discovered the Sun is slowly dying, a team is assembled to visit a far away star that seems to be immune to the problem. Ryan Gosling stars as Dr. Grace, a scientist who figures out the problem and ends up on a spaceship to find a solution. Once he meets "Rocky", a alien sent from his planet for the same reason, the film becomes part science fiction drama and part cosmic buddy comedy. Mr. Gosling is the perfect actor to covey the comedy aspect as well as the dramatic and emotional parts of the film. He carries the film admirably. 

           Mr. Lord and Mr. Christopher intersperse the space scenes with flashbacks back on Earth with a flow that fills in many of the story gaps. My one criticism is that the directors appear to love their film so much, they avoid excess editing which would have tightened the film and avoided tedious scenes. 

           The film co-stars Sandra Huller as Eva Stratt, the director of Project Hail Mary and she is an excellent choice for the character. James Ortiz provides the eventual voice for "Rocky" and Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung and Milana Vayntrub also have smaller but important parts.

            This is an old fashioned Sci-Fi adventure that readers of the book will love and fans of the genre will certainly appreciate.

            

Undertone

 

      Written and directed by Ian Tuason, this new horror film is an experimental way to scare an audience. Imagine "The Blair Witch Project" taking place in a house rather than the woods.

      Podcaster Evie has moved back into her mother's house to care for her as she lies in her bedroom, close to death. The entire film takes place in the house. Evie and her mother are the only on-screen characters. Everyone else in the cast are off-screen voices.

      When Evie's podcast partner, Justin, sends her a set of 10 audio files from an unknown email, they begin to listen for their paranormal podcast. The sounds and dialog on the recordings get stranger with each file. and as each file gets more intense, Evie starts to lose her composure.

       Visually we get the standard spooky house trope. Closeups on religious paintings and statues, shadowy lighting, strange drawings and frequent shots of Evie's mom lying still in bed with raspy breathing all help to create the mood. But it's the sound design that's the star here. It's the audio files that create the growing tension and dread along with the dialog between Evie and Justin.

        Nina Kiri stars as Evie and while she is a capable actress, as basically the only on-screen character, the film becomes tedious even as the sounds attempt to draw you in. The off-screen voice actors are Adam DiMarco as Justin, Keana Lyn Bastidas as Jessa, Jeff Yung as Mike, Sarah Beaudin as Abby and Brian Quintero as Dr. Ram. Mama is played by Michele Duquet.

        The sound design experiment is fascinating but the film is not.

The Bride!

 

           Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, this is a complete reimagining of "The Bride of Frankenstein".  It is a feminist twist on the story from the Bride's point of view as she tries to understand her reanimated life and her relationship with "Frank" (Frankenstein's monster).

           The film is set in 1932 in various cities as the budding romance between these two "monsters" grows while they are on the run after committing multiple murders. They are chased by a detective (played by Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant, Myrna (the smarter of the two) played by Penelope Cruz.

           The Bride is played by Jessie Buckley (who also plays Mary Shelly, the author of "Frankenstein" and the film's narrator) and she is simply electric (pun intended). Ms. Buckley is just incredible and she is equally matched with the terrific Christian Bale as Frank. While the film may be far from perfect, the two stars are and it's thrilling to watch them together.

              Co-starring are Annette Benning as the mad scientist that brings The Bride to life, Jeannie Berlin as her assistant, Greta, Jake Gyllenhaal as Ronnie Reed, a singing, dancing movie star that Frank idolizes, and John Magaro as a criminal hunting the pair.

                It's a great cast and Ms. Gyllenhaal certainly has lofty goals in bringing this story to life. Unfortunately, much like Frank, the film is stitched together rather haphazardly, moving in various directions that at times, is a parody of itself.  You are reminded in turn of  Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers musicals, "Natural Born Killers", "Bonnie & Clyde",  "Sid & Nancy" and even "Young Frankenstein". It's a fascinating experiment that is fun to watch but doesn't quite succeed. That said, it's worth it just to watch Ms. Buckley and Mr. Bale...they are remarkable.

Scream 7

 

       Neve Campbell, once again returns as Sidney Prescott- Evans, (even apologizing, in character, for not appearing in Scream 6) to be threatened by the "Ghostface" killer.

        Co-written (along with Guy Busick) and directed by Kevin Williamson, the emphasis this time is not just on Sidney but her teenage daughter Tatum.  The script returns to the form of the earlier films, making fun of itself, providing various gory kills, and keeping the audience guessing as to the identity of  "Ghostface". 

         Besides Ms. Campbell, the film stars Isabel May as Tatum, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Anna Camp, Jimmy Tatro, McKenna Grace, Asa Germann, Tim Simons, Joel McHale, Ethan Embry and Mark Conuelos. There is a nostalgia factor as well, with many of the original cast returning in various ways, including Courtney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Laurie Metcalf, Scott Foley, and David Arquette.

          There is talk of an eighth film but frankly, this franchise is running out of steam and for the most part, this installment is pretty boring. It's more of a yawn than a scream.

           

Sirat

 

             Nothing can prepare you for the impact of this Academy Award nominated ( best Foreign Language) film. Directed by Oliver Laxe (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Santiago Filloi), the film will leave you with a shock to the senses.

              Luis (Sergi Lopez), along with his young son Esteban (Bruno Nunez Arjona), is a father searching for his adult daughter during a Rave in the Moroccan desert. When he doesn't find her, he takes up with a small group of nomadic "Ravers" hoping she might turn up at the next Rave.

              The group traveling in multiple vehicles consists of Richard Bellamy as Bigui, Steafania Gadda as Stef, Joshua Liam Henderson as Josh, Tonin Janvier as Tonin, and Jade Oukid as Jade. Aside from Mr. Lopez and Mr. Arjona, the other main characters are played by non-professional actors who are all terrific and unique.

              When the opening Rave is interrupted by the military, the group leaves to cross the harsh landscape of the Moroccan desert looking for the next Rave and hopefully Luis's daughter. The film follows them on their journey leading to an unexpected and shocking sequence of events.

                The film opens with a quote "The Sirat Bridge lies between Heaven and Hell. The path is as narrow as a hair and as sharp as a sword". This quote literally prepares you for what comes next. As a spiritual metaphor open to interpretation the film will stay with you for some time.

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

 

        Lord oh mighty, I feel my temperature rising...

        Along with the great editing by Jonathan Redmond, director Baz Luhrmann presents an amazing film starring the one and only Elvis Presley. It's a hybrid of documentary and concert film that will leaving breathless.

        Mr. Luhrmann found unseen footage from "Elvis: That's the Way it is" and "Elvis on Tour" along with footage from his residency in Las Vegas from 1969 into the 1970's, as well as archival footage of his early years to create a momentous musical experience.

        The majority of the concert footage is from the Vegas residency in his white jumpsuit performing at the peak of his talents. Footage also includes other performances intercut with colorful jumpsuits that edited together move like a seamless concert. Mr. Redmond also edits in archival footage from Elvis's early years, shots of his army years, the long list of "terrible" movies (in his words), and moments with Priscilla and baby Lisa Marie.

        This is a spectacle that is not to be missed. See it in IMAX if you can or the biggest screen possible.

        The King may be dead but long live The King!

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

 

          Written by Matthew Robinson and directed by Gore Verbinski, this is a high concept action comedy with a serious message at its core. Mr. Robinson script contains a not so subtle message about our addiction to technology and the ever evolving growth of Artificial Intelligence, but wraps it around a gonzo Sci-Fi comedy.

          The film stars Sam Rockwell (at his lunatic best) as, seemingly, a man from the future who has travelled back in time to recruit a group of individuals to help him change the course of our future. The film co-stars Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Pena, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, Tom Taylor, and Juno Temple.

          It's a very clever story, and in Mr. Verbinski's hands, it plays out in controlled chaos. It's a wild ride through one crazy night with an even more insane payoff. It has the same lunatic spirit as "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once", but for most, probably easier to follow.

           While a lot of fun, it will leave you with second thoughts about the phone in your hand.

Crime 101

 

          This is a very exciting new crime thriller starring the very charismatic Chris Hemsworth. Directed by Bart Layton (who also wrote the screenplay), the film is based on a story by celebrated crime author, Don Winslow. Mr. Layton ascribes to the Michael Mann school of atmospheric crime dramas and this film may remind you of "Heat" but if it does, let that be a compliment.

           Mr. Hemsworth plays Mike Davis, a thief only interested in high end scores who is very methodical in the planning and execution of his robberies. The film also stars Mark Ruffalo as the detective looking to identify and apprehend the thief, and Halle Berry as an insurance broker who ends up involved with both men. Co-starring are Barry Keoghan as a psychotic criminal, Nick Note as Mike's "fence", Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Tate Donovan, Paul Adelstein in various roles and in a one scene cameo, Jennifer Jason Leigh.

           It's a terrific cast that play well written characters bringing depth to the story elevating it beyond a simple "cops and robbers" plot. The clever script also includes many small surprises throughout the film that create unexpected moments. 

           The title has a dual meaning referring to a figurative playbook on how to commit a crime as well as the actual  California highway 101 that plays an important role in the story. For this reason, there are just a few too many night time visuals of the highway itself but I consider that my only complaint. Otherwise, this is a action filled, throwback crime thriller with a great cast that is not to be missed.

              And an additional note, you will really appreciate the car chases seeing the film in IMAX or Dolby cinema.