the little things

      

     Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto star in this police "thriller". Apparently, the script for this film has been in development for years and It shows. The mood is dark trying hard to emulate "Seven" or Zodiac" but doesn't even come close. The whole thing seems like a bad outtake from "True Detective".

      It may be how his character is written but Mr. Washington appears to have shown up just to collect a paycheck. As for Mr. Malek, I don't understand the appeal anyway. Yes, he was fantastic as Freddie Mercury in a role he was born to play but where's the range? A pedestrian actor who had a hit T.V. show and one good movie doesn't put him anywhere near the orbit of Mr. Washington or even Mr. Leto. And speaking of Mr. Leto, he is easily the best thing about this film. He disappears into his creepy character, gets the best lines and is actually fun to watch.

    Written and directed by John Lee Hancock, the film strives to be greater than its parts but never rises above mediocrity. There are police procedures that are absurd and character motivations that make no sense. Two "twists" at the end help explain things but it's too little too late.

     A major disappointment.

News of The World

 

       

     This new western by director and screenwriter (with Luke Davies) Paul Greengrass stars Tom Hanks as Captain Jefferson Kidd. Mr. Hanks is his usual noble, caring, self which is perfect, as a father figure to the young girl he escorts through hostile territory in the west of 1870.

       With the end of the Civil War, Captain Kidd supports himself traveling from town to town reciting to the masses, the news of the day culled from various newspapers he collects. One day he comes across a young orphaned girl dressed in Buckskin and speaking in Kiowa.  When no one else wants the responsibility of caring for the child, Kidd takes it upon himself to guide the girl safely to her relatives.

       The young girl is played by newcomer Helena Zengal and she is wonderful. The entire film rests on their relationship and she more than holds her own against Mr. Hanks.  Their chemistry together is terrific. And credit of course, also goes to Mr. Greengrass for his purposeful direction. The acting is all very sincere and while it follows a stereotypical western setting, with an ending you can see coming (five minutes into the film), it still works due to Mr. Hanks and Ms. Zengal.

       Along with the deft direction, the cinematography is excellent. The New Mexico landscapes are breathtaking. There is the usual assortment of dangers along the journey and even some surprises. The familiar supporting cast of Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Ray McKinnon, and Mare Winningham are all short cameos but they are all still appreciated.

       While not ranked one of his best, Mr. Hanks still elevates to film to an enjoyable level. The film is out now and available on VOD.

The White Tiger

    From India (but spoken in English for the most part) comes this new drama of class struggle in the Indian Caste system. As our protagonist, Balram, says 'there are only two types of people in India, those that live in the darkness and those that live in the light".

     Coming from a small, poor village, Balram is definitely one living "in darkness" but he hopes to improve his life by becoming the driver of a wealthy businessman named Ashok. When the film begins, we learn early on that Balram has become successful but just how, we learn in surprising flashbacks. Balram narrates his story as he composes an email to the Chinese Premier on the eve of his visit to India.

       While the film may remind you somewhat of "Slumdog Millionaire" (even given a sly reference), this is a very different kind of "rags to riches" story.

          Balram is played by Adarsh Gourav, a very engaging young actor and the film co-stars Rajkummar Rao as Ashok and Priyanka Chopra as his wife, Pinky.

            Written (screenplay based on the novel) and directed by Ramin Bahrani (who made the excellent "Man Push Cart" in 2005), the film crackles with energy and doesn't hold back from showing the dark side of Indian culture. It also has a great score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans,  mixing traditional Indian music and Hip-Hop. The film is a Netflix exclusive.

One Night In Miami

       

Based on the play of the same title, this film imagines what took place when Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali), Football star, Jim Brown, Singer Sam Cooke, and Malcolm X all meet after Clay's title bout against Sonny Liston in 1964.

       Malcolm X arranges a meeting in his hotel room after the fight, where it is his hope to "recruit" the stars into the Nation of Islam and join his cause. Clay has already decided but starts to question his decision and tension escalates between Malcolm and Same Cooke as the night goes on. 

        While most of the story takes place in the hotel room and feels very much like watching the play it's based on, director Regina King opens things up with clever camera angles and "opening up" the film in the beginning and the end. She also manages wonderful performances from her four main actors.  Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Malcolm X, Eli Goree plays Cassius Clay, Leslie Odom Jr. plays Sam Cooke and Aldis Hodge plays Jim Brown. Each actor is given their moment to shine but it is the interplay between the four that is most exciting to watch.

        Mr. Goree is wonderful as Cassius Clay. He captures the young boxer perfectly. Mr. Ben-Adir and Mr. Odum are both excellent, especially during their tense verbal fireworks. Mr. Hodge also holds his own as the quieter of the four who tries to keep things light but starts to question his own place in a "white man's world".

       While many questions are raised in this imagined scenario, there are no easy answers as the night ends. As the film comes to a close, we see the inevitable result of each man's decision, debated during that fateful night.

Let Him Go

      Diane Lane and Kevin Costner star in this surprisingly dark drama. They are a couple trying to get their young grandson, Jimmy, away from a dangerous family, after their son dies in an accident and their daughter-in-law remarries.

       The film co-stars Jeffrey Donavan and Leslie Manville. Ms. Manville plays the menacing matriarch of the family where Jimmy is living with his mom and stepdad. Mr. Donovan plays her nephew.

       Most of the film moves at a comfortable, deliberate pace amongst the beautiful scenery of Montana and North Dakota building slow tension until the third act when the situation turns inevitably violent and very ugly. Ms. Lane and Mr. Costner have great chemistry and are very natural together but this is far from a "feel good" movie.