Kinds of Kindness

 

       The latest film from director and co-writer (along with Efthimis Filippou) Yogos Lanthimos reunites him with Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Margaret Qualley, all from his previous film, "Poor Things"

        Love it or hate it, "Poor Things" was a linear film with a beginning, middle and end that was a total delight to those who loved it. This new film is actually three separate stories connected only by a very loose thread. Besides Ms. Stone, Mr. Dafoe, and Ms. Qualley, the film also stars Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, and Joe Alwyn. All play different characters in each of the three stories. Mr. Plemons, in particular is terrific in the sum of his three parts.

        The stories are strange, disturbing in part, darkly humorous at times, but always surprising. A big clue to the narrative can be found in the lyrics of the opening song, "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)", by Eurthmics.

         I must admit, I'm still trying to decide how I felt about the film and what it all meant. There are a lot of peculiar things going on that require some deep thought if you feel inclined to break it down.

         It's a bold follow-up for Mr. Lanthimos after his most commercially successful film. 

         

Inside Out 2

 

      This is a sequel that does an excellent job expanding on a terrific premise that can be enjoyed by any audience, although pre-teens may not grasp some of the concepts explored by the film.

       The film is directed by Kelsey Mann. The screenplay is by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein from a story by Kelsey Mann and Meg LeFauve. The writing is excellent. It's an intelligent script about Riley, a 13 year old girl dealing with the new emotions that come with new experiences and puberty. The high end concepts work beautifully, filled with puns and great metaphors. "Bottled up emotions" is just one great example.

        The animation is wonderful and even a pre-teen audience can have fun with the bright colors and plentiful action.

         The voice cast is spot on with Amy Poehler reprising her role as Joy. She is joined by Liza Lapira and Tony Hale as the new voices of Fear & Disgust. Lewis Black is back as Anger as well as Phyllis Smith as Sadness. Kensington Tallman is the new voice of Riley, as a new teenager.  Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan are back as the voice of her parents. The vocal roles of the new emotions include Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Paul Walter Hauser as embarrassment, Adele Exarchopoulos as Ennui, and Maya Hawke as the scene stealing, Anxiety.

         Another success story for Pixar.

          

      

In a Violent Nature

 

         Yes, this is very much a slasher film and there are indeed, gory kills, however it is very original in it's "execution". Writer and director Chris Nash approaches the genre as if he had studied under director Terrence Malick.

         The story is set deep in the Canadian woods. When a locket necklace serving as a talisman is taken off a grave, a silent killer crawls out of the earth, going on a killing spree to retrieve the locket. A group of seven friends camping in the woods have the locket and they are the targets of the killer known only as Johnny.

          There is no score or music of any kind (except for some background music coming through headphones). Rather Mr. Nash uses ambient sounds of the forest, including the killer's heavy steps, along with natural lighting to create a most unusual environment for a slasher film. The visual effects, prosthetics, and makeup are excellent.

          For most of the film, the POV is from behind the killer as we watch him lumber through the woods. Time moves slowly as he makes his way through a visually stunning forest to dispatch each victim in, at times, very creative and frankly disgusting ways.

           The film stars Ry Barrett as Johnny (who wears an unusual mask but unlike iconic killer Jason Voorhees, we do get to see his face). Co-starring are Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley, Liam Leone, Charlotte Creaghan, Lea Rose Sebastianis, Sam Roulston, Alexander Oliver, Timothy Paul McCarthy and Lauren Taylor.

             While the film contains many standard slasher tropes, Mr. Nash goes out of his way to deconstruct what we expect and and turn the genre into something new and different. 

            

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Bad Boys: Ride or Die

 

         Don't mess with a winning formula. The fourth entry in this franchise, once again stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami detectives, Mike and Marcus. The film gives it's audience just what it expects, lots of laughs and plenty of violent (but not particularly bloody) action and great Miami scenery. It's the type of story that defies logic much of the time but who cares, right?

        The two stars have great chemistry and riff seamlessly off each other. May of the prior film's co-stars return including Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Nunez, Jacob Scipio, DJ Khaled, and Joe Pantoliano. New to the franchise are Tiffany Haddish, Ioan Gruffudd, Rea Seehorn, Tasha Smith and Eric Dane (who makes a fine villain).

         It's a shame that the trailer reveals too many significant scenes, which lessen the impact when you watch (happening with too many films lately) but the script has found a way to keep this "popcorn" movie fresh, even when you know what's coming. And thankfully there are scenes to enjoy that are not in the trailer.

Hitman

 

      Directed by Richard Linklater with a screenplay by Mr. Linklater and star Glen Powell, this cute "rom-com" would be ridiculous if it wasn't for the fact it's based on a true story.

      A shy, unassuming philosophy professor name Gary played by Mr. Powell moonlights as an IT person on stakeouts for the New Orleans Police Department. When their undercover officer portraying a contract killer gets suspended,  they ask Gary to step in as the fake hitman. He becomes so good at the job, they keep him on until one case gets very complicated.

     Mr. Powell is clearing having a moment since his breakout role in "Top Gun-Maverick". Later this summer, he will be starring in "Twisters" and recently starred in "Anyone But You".  He's fun to watch and has great chemistry with his co-star Adria Arjona. Their romantic scenes, in particular, are quite steamy.

     The film also co-stars Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao, Molly Bernard and Evan Holtzman.

     Mr. Linklater keeps things light and fun but does delve gently into some philosophical questions about Id, Ego, and Self.

     The ending plays a bit too cute for my taste. Personally, I had hoped the whole film would be a bit darker with more depth but I can see how the screenplay was eager to please a wide audience.

     This is a Netflix exclusive.

 

The Watchers

 

      Ishana Night Shyamalan's first film as a writer and director is a clear imitation of her father, M. Night Shyamalan's work, however she does pull off a satisfying ending whereas his past few films have not.

       Mr. Shyamalan produced the film, using mostly his own finances and he was an obvious influence on his daughter. The script itself, is far from perfect. It starts out as strange but silly and has it's share of dead spots but actually ends up building it's suspense in a credible way and pulls together in the final act.

       The film stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, Alistair Brammer, John Lynch and the wonderful Olen Fouere. Ms. Fouere is one of my favorite Irish actors working today. Her mere presence in a film can easily heighten the tension.

       Ms. Shyamalan shows promises as a filmmaker but to break free of the family name, next next film should be something completely different.

A Brighter Tomorrow (Sun of the Future)

 

       Co-writer, director and star Nanni Moretti loves cinema. It is quite evident by his latest film. He is clearly enjoying himself as the star and director of this "film within a film" comedy.

        As director, Giovanni, Mr. Moretti is trying to make a serious drama about the Russian invasion of Hungary in 1956 and it's effect on the Italian communist party. However, everything in his personal life is creating havoc around him. His wife, Paola, played by Margherita Buy, is a producer on the film but at the same time, she is paying more attention producing a separate film. His financial backer is actually broke and his daughter's love life has caught him off guard.

          The film also co-stars Silvio Orlando, Mathieu Amalric, Barbora Bobulova, Zsolt Anger, Jerzy Stuhr and Teco Celi. All well-know European actors.

        Life gets in the way of art and Mr. Moretti makes the most of it. There are many laugh out loud moments, including a very funny meeting with Netflix. If you can find it, this enjoyable film, in Italian with English sub-titles, will delight you.

      

The Dead Don't Hurt

 

           A very deconstructed western starring Viggo Mortensen, who also directed, wrote the story, produced, and wrote the score (including playing some of the instruments).

           Rather than your typical western, this is a character study focused on the relationship between Mr. Mortensen's character "Olsen" and "Vivienne",  who is played by Vicky Krieps. It is almost devoid of violence, except for just four necessary scenes. Ms. Krieps really anchors the film, especially when Olsen joins the union army and is gone for a long stretch of time. She is wonderful as a strong willed, independent woman who navigates through a world of men both kind and conniving, and also one particularly nasty character.

           As written, the film time jumps frequently between various points in the past and the present. Mr. Mortensen leaves it up to the audience to follow the staggered time lines. The only obvious clue, the length of his beard. However, once engaged in the film, it becomes easy to follow. The relationship between Olson and Vivienne is really lovely and realistic. Both actors have great chemistry and it is easy to become absorbed in their story.

          The visuals are beautiful, The scenery is fresh and not what you see in many westerns. Mr. Mortensen choose to film primarily in British Columbia and Ontario with some scenes shot un Durango Mexico. The film is that much better for his location choices.

          While it is not your usual western plot, it is very rewarding in it's original way. 

Ezra

 

     A different kind of "coming of age" drama, Ezra is the story of an autistic young boy who splits his time between his divorcing parents,  played by Rose Bryne as Jenna and Bobby Cannavale as Max.

      Ezra is played by William Fitzgerald, an autistic young actor who is terrific as he tries to navigate life between his parents and his loving grandfather, played by Robert DeNiro.

      When Max rebels against Jenna's idea to enroll Ezra in a "special school", he kidnaps his son and takes him on a cross country adventure. Along the way, they both learn life lessons and come out better for it.

      The film co-stars Vera Famiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson and Tony Goldwyn (who also directed).  Mr. Cannavale is wonderful as Max, a conflicted father who wants the best for his son but is also concerned about his career as a standup comedian. He hits every emotional note perfectly.

      The filmmakers went to great lengths to discuss every aspect of the film within the autistic community, including hiring autistic actors and crew and consultation on the script.

       

The War Machine (Comandante)

 

   Co-written and directed by Edoardo De Angelis, this new Italian drama is based on a true story that occurred during the early days of World War Two.

    Italy had 115 active submarines during World War Two. By the end of the war, only 19 were left. This is the story of "The Cappellini", it's crew and most importantly it's captain, Salvatore Todaro. Brilliantly played by Pierfrancesco Favino, Todaro sinks a neutral Belgium cargo ship after the Belgium ship fires at the sub first. 26 crew members survive in a lifeboat and Todaro must decide what to do with them. Should he leave them to their own fate or go against orders and rescue them putting his own crew in danger.

    It's a difficult moral dilemma and it makes for a riveting drama. It's a different kind of war film that illustrates perfectly the fog of war and it will keep you engaged right to the end.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

 

      Co-written and directed by George Miller, he brings us back to the barren landscapes of the world of "Mad Max". It's been years since the success of "Mad Max: Fury Road" and now Mr. Miller brings us the prequel of that film's most memorable character, Furiosa.

      You can't miss the bold type marketing for the film "starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth".  It's interesting that while Ms. Taylor-Joy does in fact "star", she doesn't enter the film until almost halfway through the story and Mr. Hemsworth is almost unrecognizable wearing a prosthetic nose.

      Furiosa is played by Alyla Browne as a child and teen. She is terrific in the early half of the story. Once Ms.Taylor-Joy does appear, she dominates her scenes and holds our attention throughout the remainder of the film. Mr. Hemsworth is clearing having a great time chewing up the scenery as Dementus, and the decision to mask his familiar features behind the prosthetic allows him the freedom to go bonkers as the crazed villain. The film also features Tome Burke as Praetorian Jack, Lachy Hulme as Immortan Joe, and George Shevtsov as The History Man.

       While not quite on par with the mayhem in the previous film, there are exciting set pieces of volatile action, especially one excellent sequence involving the hijacking of the "War Rig". The story works as a stand alone film if you are new to the series, but also offers for the fans, a fun backstory that will have you running home to rewatch the superior "Fury Road" as soon as this one ends.

IF

 

     John Krasinski wears multiple hats in this "family-friendly" film. He wrote it, produced it, directed it, is one of the producers, and even acts in it. Wearing all these hats, he takes on too much and creates uneasy tonal shifts and a story that doesn't quite gel. 

     Aiming for a return to the innocence of childhood imaginary friends (If's), the story shifts too much between the fantasy elements and the real world, where the film is grounded. Mr. Krasinski asks a lot of his audience to suspend belief and allow a 12-year-old girl, named "B", to wander New York City alone as well as the ability to see multiple "If's", not her own, without any explanation. The logic of the film dictates everyone has their own "If" but why can "B" see all of them?

     The film starts with the death of a mother and a father with a bad heart in the hospital. This is not exactly fun stuff and then quickly turns to the discovery of odd imaginary friends that may seem too bizarre and scary to young children. There is a subplot about another child in the hospital that is never really explored (is he a victim of parental abuse?). It's hard to tell exactly what age group Mr. Krasinski is appealing to. His IF's are all voiced by celebrity friends of Mr. Krasinski (I assume) and adults in the audience can amuse themselves trying to match the celebrity to the character. Good luck trying to identity Brad Pitt.

      On a positive note, the visuals are excellent, a combination of CGI and puppetry and the human cast does an admirable job, especially Callie Fleming as "B". Ms. Fleming is an adorable twelve year old, mature for her years. (She grew up playing Judith on "The Walking Dead", which will mature a kid very quickly). Her co-star Ryan Reynolds is his usual wise-cracking, fun loving self, albeit with a hint of sadness in his character. Fiona Shaw also co-stars as B's grandmother. Liza Colon-Zayas plays Janet, a hospital nurse and Bobby Moynihan plays an adult who has forgotten his "If"

      The three major If's in the story are voiced by Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Louis Gossett Jr. There is a nice post credit tribute to Mr. Gossett Jr.

      Ultimately the film has too many detours to it's central story and loses it's way, despite Mr. Krasinski's best efforts to emotionally tug at our childhood memories.

 

Back to Black

 

        Amy Winehouse was a star that shined much too briefly. This new bio drama chronicles her rise to stardom. It's a positive portrayal that, while it does show her dependency on alcohol and later drugs, doesn't really delve deeply into the dark side of her story. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson and writer Matt Greenhalgh have too much respect for their subject.

        Marisa Abela stars as Amy and she is sensational. Not only does she capture Ms. Winehouse in a physical way but she does her own singing recreating Amy's songs beautifully. The film co-stars Jack O'Connell as her great love, Blake Fielder-Civil. Mr. O'Connell is a fine actor but the script doesn't do justice ( I assume) to the bad boy influence of the real Blake on Amy's life.

        The rest of the cast includes Eddie Marsan as Mitch Winehouse, Amy's dad, who is also portrayed as too much of a good guy. Juliet Cowan plays Janis Winehouse, Amy's mum and the great Lesley Manville as Cynthia Winehouse, Amy's grandmother, a tremendous influence in Amy's life. Sam Buchanan plays Nick Shymansky, who helped Amy get her first record deal with Island Records.

          Bio films are always tricky. It's hard to tell just how much really happened and what parts are fictionalized. It's a known fact that Amy had problems with mental illness, Bulimia, alcohol and drug abuse but Mr. Greenhalgh can only imagine her state of mind when she was alone with her thoughts. 

          It's a star turn for Ms. Abela but ultimately another sad story of a great talent gone too soon.

           

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

 

      And a new trilogy begins...set "generations" after Caesar and the last film, this story has all new characters and is the first in a reported three film story.

       It stars Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, Lydia Peckham, Travis Jeffrey, Freya Allan, Dichen Lachman, and William H. Macy.

       The screenplay by Josh Friedman is surprisingly good, balancing thoughtful drama with exciting action and some interesting surprises. Director Wes Ball and his amazing effects team bring these apes, gorillas, chimpanzees, and one orangutan to incredible life. The motion capture and CGI work is stunning.

        If you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed. And if you have the chance, see it in IMAX. It looks and sounds tremendous.

       

The Fall Guy

 

        A rom-com wrapped up in an action heavy visual treat, this new film is very loosely based on the old TV show, "The Fall Guy" starring Lee Majors and Heather Thomas.

        The film doesn't take it self too seriously but rather begs you to be entertained. The chemistry between leads Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling is terrific and the stunt work is fantastic. The on again, off again, and on again romance does get tiresome but both attractive stars (at times, they even make fun of their own images) are fun to watch. 

        Co-starring are Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu and a scene chewing Hannah Waddingham.

        Director David Leitch used to be a stunt man himself and knows his way around an explosion or two. Here he does a great job paying tribute to all the stunt people who work so hard to entertain us. During the credits, he splits the screen to show outtakes and stunt folks at work and also runs all the names associated with the film. It's a bit of a disservice as you miss the names watching the outtakes.

        The film is lighthearted, loud, fast and has something for everyone. The definition of a popcorn movie.

Unfrosted

 

    Expanding on his comedy routine about Pop-Tarts, Jerry Seinfeld has co-written, directed and also stars in this full length feature about the unique breakfast pastry. It is quite possibly the silliest movie ever made.

    The snappy one-liners and visuals gags pop continuously and while most crackle, some fall as flat as the pop-tart itself. Mr. Seinfeld imagines a world where Kellogg's cereals completes with Post cereals for the creation of a new breakfast sensation. It's probably not far from the truth but, no doubt, was a lot more serious in the real world.

    Mr. Seinfeld stars as the head of marketing for Kellogg. Jim Gaffigan is Edsel Kellogg III, the owner of the company completing with Post's owner Marjorie Post, played by Amy Schumer. Melissa McCarthy is Donna Stankowski, a NASA scientist who joins the Kellogg team.

    The film co-stars a who's who of comedians, friends of Mr. Seinfeld's (including his wife) and serious actors taking themselves not very seriously. The list includes Max Greenfield, Hugh Grant, Peter Dinklage, Christian Slater, Bill Burr, Dany Levy, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Bobby Moynihan, Adrian Martinez, Sarah Cooper, Mikey Day, Kyle Mooney, Drew Tarver, Tony Hale, Felix Solis, Dean Norris, Maria Bakalova, Kyle Dunnigan, Beck Bennett, Cedric The Entertainer, Freed Armisen, John Slattery, Jon Hamm and Sebastian Maniscalco. Many of the aforementioned co-stars are nothing more than cameos but many of them are pretty funny and Mr. Hamm and Mr. Slattery's scene steals the film.

      This lighthearted, ridiculous pastry war is best enjoyed with an actual pop-tart and a glass of milk. It's currently available only on Netflix.

        

Challengers

 

          Zendaya has great skin. I know that because of the endless close-ups in this new "sports" drama from director Luca Guadagnino. The film uses tennis as a metaphor for the love triangle between Zendaya, Josh O'Conner and Mike Faist. The relationship between the three volleys back and forth throughout the film with partners seemingly changing constantly.

          Mr. Guadagnino opens his playbook on camera angels, close-ups and various POV shots (even from the tennis ball's perspective) to the point of making one dizzy. The timeline of the script, by Justin Kuritzkes, changes constantly throughout the film as well to the point you can only tell by Zendaya's haircut, which time period you are watching.

          The sex scenes between the characters don't go beyond heavy kissing, leaving the rest to your imagination, which is certainly a tease on Mr. Guadagnino's part. His serve is out of bounds when he misses the chance to make the film sexier and more erotic than implied. The three leads are talented actors but their roles are one dimensional. Zendaya is the manipulator, Mr. Faist, the sad sack, and Mr. O'Conner, the bad boy. 

          Veterans of film music, the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is very disappointing. The pulsing electronic beat (added to build sexual tension I suppose) just becomes just more annoying as the film goes on.

          This match is pointless.

              

Monkey Man

 

    Actor Dev Patel has been busy. He has written the story, co-written the screenplay, produced, directed and is starring in this new action adventure.

    Integrating Indian culture and mythology into a "John Wick" type revenge story, Mr. Patel shines as the protagonist in this violent, bloody film but the story does have it's problems. Flashbacks in this case should be used sparingly but Mr. Patel finds it necessary to return much to often to memories of his mother and what led to his choices in the present. It does work as a stopgap between all the violence in the present but it also tends to slow things down too much. The motives for the people that rescue him at one point are not that clear and why they don amazing costumes to help him fight the villains is also unclear.

    Mr. Patel's co-stars include Sharito Copley as Tiger, a sleezy fight promoter,  Pitobash as Alphonso, Vipin Sharma as Alpha, Sikandar Kher as Rana, Sobhita Dhulipala as Sita, and Ashwini Kalsekar as Queenie Kapoor.

    The action scenes are well choreographed with some original moves (a scene in an elevator is remarkable in it's sadistic violence). The climatic fight scene between Mr. Patel and Mr. Kher starts out as the brawl we've been anticipating but ends much too quickly and what follows is a bit of a surprise.

     Credit Mr. Patel for creating a familiar story in a fresh new setting. As an accomplished actor, he shows promise in his new roles as a writer and director.

  

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

 

     Co-written and directed by Guy Ritchie, this untold story of World War Two is based on a true story. Apparently Winston Churchill recruited a small team of mercenaries for an unsanctioned mission to destroy German U-Boat supplies in the North Atlantic.

     The team consists of Henry Cavill,  Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding, Alex Pettyfer and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. Also working undercover with them on the island where the supply ship is docked, are Eiza Gonzalez and Babs Olusanmokun. Co-starring back in England are Cary Elwes, Freddie Fox and Rory Kinnear. The main villain is played convincingly by Til Schweiger.

     The dialog can be silly at times and also repetitive (the mission is repeated multiple times in case we didn't understand it the first time). It's a lighthearted script (a bit odd for a war film involving Nazis) and although there is not much suspense (the Nazis all die very easily), there is plenty of action and entertaining enough without straining your attention. 

     Mr. Ritchie has a knack for these kinds of films and I wouldn't be surprised it there is a sequel.

Civil War

 

        The title of this new film, by writer/director Alex Garland, is completely misleading. The trailer, as well, leads you to believe this will be exciting modern day war between the states. While it is true there is a civil war going on, the film is much less about the war than it is about the journalists and photojournalists covering the conflict.

         As the film opens, the war is already going on. California and Texas have succeeded from the rest of the country and have formed the Western Forces (highly unlikely in a real scenario). The film follows a small group of war correspondents as they drive from New York to Washington D.C. through a hostile America.

          Kirsten Dunst plays Lee Smith, a renowned  war photojournalist traveling with Joel, a reporter for Reuters, played by Wagner Moura. Their companions are Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) a veteran reporter for the NY Times, and Jessie, a young aspiring photographer (Cailee Spaeny),  Lee reluctantly takes under her wing. Nick Offerman co-stars as the President and Jesse Plemons has an uncredited and chilling one scene cameo.

        Ms. Dunst is excellent as Lee, stoic and numb from all the horrors she has witnessed. At first, I thought Ms. Spaeny was miscast but she successfully grows into the role. The rest of the cast is solid.

        As they travel the country, they bear witness to atrocities on both sides, navigating dangerous situations to get their photos and stories. Jessie matures quickly as she is thrown into the horrors of war. Mr. Garland doesn't take sides. Nor does he explain how the conflict started. The film is their story. It's all about the press and how they put their lives on the line to report what they see. 

        Based on the title, the film is a missed opportunity as it tells a very different story from what you would expect but once you realize the direction it takes, it does become riveting in its own way.