Gloria Bell - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Gloria Bell

Directed by Sebastian Lelio

Screenplay by Alice Johnson Boher and Sebastian Lelio, Story by Sebastian Lelio

Starring Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Michael Cera, Caren Pistorius, Brad Garrett, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Sean Astin, Holland Taylor

There is a moment in 2015’s “Freeheld” in which Julianne Moore turns to her police partner Dane Wells (Michael Shannon) in which she breaks down, unable to deal with the terminal cancer diagnosis she faces. It was in that film that I recognized Ms. Moore’s ability to transform herself into a character that I cared for and about; I wanted to see more of her range.

In the reimagining of his own film, “Gloria,” Sebastian Lelio’s story affords us the opportunity to, once again, see Ms. Moore stretch beyond her boundaries as an actress, to transcend the screen. Not having seen Mr. Lelio’s original film from 2013, I cannot and will not attempt to compare the two films.

What I found exceptionally refreshing about Ms. Moore’s performance here was the range of freedom she expressed in the titular character of Gloria Bell. Gloria Bell is a divorced middle aged woman living in Los Angeles. We find her reserved in her ways, shy about putting herself out there to find another mate. She has friends and co-workers that she spends time with.

Her family life is also, well, let’s just say that it “is.” We also know that she dotes on her children, even though they are not receptive to said doting. She gets advice from her amazing mother, played by Holland Taylor.

And then she meets Arnold (John Turturro) in a club one night. The club scene is a signature Lelio moment. There was a vibrancy about the way Gloria and Arnold meet: it’s very tender and romantic while remaining convincing that there is a genuine spark between the two. Mr. Turturro plays his role with a twinkle in his eye. We know he’s looking, but we also know he’s not completely available, while Ms. Moore gives us the full package: “I’m here, I’m going to dance the night away (no, sorry that’s not an in-film reference to the Van Halen song) and I am going to release every inhibition I have away because it is here where I feel the most freedom.”

And yet, when Ms. Moore gives us her vibrant uninhibited best, it still manages to remain reserved because we know there is more to her than just a club dance. When we finally get to meet the rest of Gloria’s family, including her ex, Dustin (played with great humor by Brad Garrett) and his new wife (played by Jeanne Tripplehorn).

There is familial tension between Gloria and her children, especially with her son, Peter, who is going through his own marital problems. Lelio really pushed to establish the generational overburdening parents put on their children and the effects it has on future offspring. The other angle Lelio pushes is the way Dustin and Gloria are still into each other.

Unfortunately this storytelling decision made Gloria’s relationship with Arnold seem less important in the middle of the film, even though Mr. Lelio goes to lengths to keep us interested. It is Ms. Moore’s acting that really sells what would have been a much weaker character in another actresses’ hands.

Where the script sags in the middle, it picks up once again in the third act with a few twists that I really appreciated, again compliments of Ms. Moore’s performance. Mr. Lelio and Ms. Boher’s script really brings the character of Gloria Bell to life in a way that I hadn’t expected. And, even as she falls down, Gloria picks herself up by the bootstraps and ends the film on a very high note.

The film makes use of pop tunes that were at times a bit too on-the-nose, but they are nonetheless appreciated because they help carry the story and they complement Ms. Moore’s performance in a way that captures the vibrancy and immediacy that those moments in Gloria Bell’s life.

3 out of 4 stars

Wonder Park - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Wonder Park

Directed by David Feiss, Clare Kilner and Robert Iscove

Screenplay by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec

Story by Robert Gordon, Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec

Featuring Jennifer Garner, Ken Hudson Campbell, Kenan Thompson, Matthew Broderick, Mila Kunis, John Oliver, Ken Jeong, Norbert Leo Butz, Brianna Denski

As a youngster, I wanted nothing more than to make my dreams a reality. No, I’m not talking about writing film reviews or being a hotel manager. No, I dreamt of making a waterfall work that I saw in a television show. I always said to my mom: “hey, look!  So and so made this work. Can we try it?” My mom of course knew better (whose mom didn’t, right?)

But, I always kept it in the back of my mind that I could be the creative, crafty one, even though I inevitably colored outside the lines. It goes without saying that I never got around to making my own “Wonder Park,” the center of the animated feature that hits screens this weekend.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying, that I can assure you.

No, I was not as lucky as June, voiced by Brianna Denski in her debut role. Nor as talented. Of course, even though my mom was great, June has to settle for Jennifer Garner (could you go wrong with a voice like that!?) and a dad that sounded a lot like Matthew Broderick. As a young girl, armed with a grand imagination, she worked to build Wonder Park, a place where things can be created in an instant.

Through Peanut, a chimpanzee and Wonderland’s chief mascot, June’s imagination soared. In a wonderful opening sequence, June reimagines her Wonderland with her friend Banky (voiced by Oev Michael Urbas). The script makes very little bones about the fact that Banky has a crush on June, something she ignores. Of course, on their first attempt on their recreated ride results in disaster, but it was fun for us to see the imagination come to fruition even if I had a painful reminder of the number of times I thought I could do something when it was far beyond my own, singular ability to accomplish.

And, that’s one of the life lessons that “Wonder Park” gets right. It’s not a singular effort, even though the story spends a lot of its precious time pretending that June would rather be on her own.

June eventually gives up on keeping Wonderland alive, putting away her childish things. It isn’t until her mom falls ill and she tries to be an adult, that she realizes how much her imagination still plays a vital role in her life.

The screenplay by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec really drive that point home, a la “Swiss Family Robinson” style, and by accident, June realizes that by running away from the best parts of ourselves is really an affirmation of their importance in who we are.

There is a vibrancy in the animation that makes up the dilapidated Wonderworld. This, after June falls in to it unexpected. She runs in to the rest of her pals, Gus, Cooper, Boomer, Greta and Steve. They are each an extension of her mind, safety catches if you will. There is distrust and there is a need for teamwork to rescue Peanut who is at the behest of a great nothing which has swept over the Wonderland.

The story really reflects, perhaps a bit too accurately, on that which ails June’s life. This is a downfall of the film – rather than being a natural extension of her struggles, the story relies too heavily on the escape paralleling her journey.

“Wonder Park” has its moments though: building on imagination, we realize that our own inner child is where we can find the best of ourselves. But relying on it requires team work. The story doesn’t always work, but the animation is stunning and the characters are easy to fall in love with.

2 out of 4 stars.

The Wedding Guest - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘The Wedding Guest’ might serve as a satisfying ‘I do’ or a disappointing ‘I don’t’

Written and directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Starring:  Dev Patel and Radhika Apte

“The Wedding Guest” – When approaching a cineplex ticket window, looking up at the selections and times, seeing “The Wedding Guest” starting in 20 minutes, and plunking down 21 dollars for two tickets on a Saturday evening, one has certain expectations for the movie experience. 

Take any recent film with wedding in the title.  “Wedding Crashers” (2005), “My Best Friend’s Wedding” (1997), “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (2002), and “The Wedding Plan” (2016) all have weddings as their central themes, and heck, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994) has – at last count - multiple said instances.    

Be warned, this is not, not, not the case with “The Wedding Guest” starring Dev Patel and Radhika Apte.  Instead, writer/director Michael Winterbottom’s picture is a slow-burning thriller, and pubic vows of love, a best man speech and a first dance are nowhere to be found.

To be fair, Jay (Patel) does step foot into a home after a wedding reception, but he was never invited to the event.  He is an intruder on a covert mission, and the shifty, edgy score clues us into his intentions from the opening credits to the actual home invasion.  Twenty-something Samira (Apte) is his target. 

In a recent interview, Apte describes the movie and says, “It’s about two strangers who meet,” but Patel cuts her off and interjects, “and things happen.”

Quite frankly, that perfectly describes the film’s premise.

Winterbottom directed “The Trip” series with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, and his comedies are aptly named. 

Here, the actors, the crew and he spend time on the road in Pakistan and India.  Jay and Samira travel in secret, make vital phone calls and play the waiting game, and although their journey is not completely filled with danger, it is littered with complications. 

Now, the movie is not littered with problems, but it has pacing issues, despite a runtime of only 94 minutes. 

Jay’s motivations are spinning mysteries during the film’s first 30 minutes, but soon after, astute moviegoers might surmise the picture’s ultimate ending.  In other words, the surprises are revealed in the first act, but the second and third fall into routine, even with beautiful locales, a lovely score and strong performances by Patel and Apte. 

Patel completely embraces his weapon-carrying, singularly-focused, supremely-capable character in an on-screen role that we have not previously seen from him.  Despite Jay’s strict attention to his hazardous and morally-flawed task at hand, he carries a righteous core, but one wounded by money and shaded due to his dodgy profession.  For Samira, her drive originates from her lack of presentable life-choices, which are unfortunately and directly related to her gender. 

Even with gunplay, shrouds of secrecy and changing roles between chaser and chasee, an oppressive patriarchy - that surrounds Samira and millions and millions of other women - emerges as a central theme.  Winterbottom’s film is not an amusing, cinematic dance into matrimony.  It’s a confrontation against the spirit of it, at least when one half of a two-person party is not a willing participant.  So, depending upon your expectations, “The Wedding Guest” might serve as a satisfying I do or a disappointing I don’t.

(2.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Captain Marvel - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Captain Marvel’ is a fun, milestone Marvel film that you won’t easily forget

Directed by:  Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

Written by:  Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet

Starring:  Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, and Annette Bening,

“Captain Marvel” – How proficient is your memory?  Do you need to pause and seriously flip through your synaptic Rolodex, when someone asks, “What did you do last weekend?” 

Sure, that’s a temporary, problematic moment during a water cooler stop, but vast numbers of souls suffer from far worse recollection problems.  

Movie studios do not shy away the subject.  Some movies deal with the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s or dementia, and “Lovely, Still” (2008), “Amour” (2012), “Still Alice” (2014), and “Remember” (2015) are some recent, effective entries.  Other films, like “RoboCop” (1987), “Total Recall” (1990), “Memento” (2000), and “Finding Dory” (2016), cope with different forms of memory loss and wrap them in action/adventure stories. 

Marvel Studios is in the business of action/adventure wonders, and their new big screen entry’s central premise dives head-first into the topic.  In directors Anna Boden’s and Ryan Fleck’s celestial and Earth-bound film “Captain Marvel”, our lead protagonist is a cosmic fighter who can only remember the last six years of her life.  Vers (Brie Larson) is a Kree soldier on an elite team - led by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) - whose motto is “Serve well with honor.”

The Kree are fighting a war with their sworn enemy the Skrulls, a race of green-skinned shapeshifters who can take the physical form of anyone.  A Skrull just has to see an individual, and then, boom, he or she becomes an instant doppelgänger, down to the DNA and recent memories of the person in question.  Well, if you are best friends with a Skrull, perhaps he or she can cover for you at the office on Mondays, Wednesdays and every other Friday?  Hey, you never know until you ask, right?

Anyway, Vers lives on the Kree homeworld of Hala, but she inadvertently returns to C-53 (otherwise known as Earth), and it appears that this warrior - who dons a green latex bodysuit and fires laser blasts from her hands – had a life on our planet, but she cannot remember it.  On her trek through Los Angeles, Vers causes quite a stir, so S.H.E.I.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) arrives on the scene, and before you can say “Hey, Fury has two eyes”, they partner up, while she chases down Skrulls, waits for her fellow Kree soldiers and looks for clues to her unknown past.

Fury has two eyes, because this film is set in 1995, and he has not yet lost his left one.  Movie fans first saw Jackson’s Fury in the “Iron Man” (2008) post-credit scene, and yes, he wore a black patch over his left eye. 

Boden, Fleck and co-writer Geneva Robertson-Dworet have fun placing buckets and buckets of 90s references into their script, including some laugh-out-loud moments of dated technology and fond memories of the decade’s alternative rock scene, unless Elastica’s “Connection” is not your thing. 

Larson and Jackson clearly enjoy their on-screen banter during a comedic and action-filled road trip, but the film balances comic book whimsy of spaceships, laser blasts and alien races with the clear and notable realization that this is the first female-led solo film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) beginning in 2008.  (Note, that Jennifer Garner starred in “Elektra” in 2005, but that movie is not connected to this MCU run.)   

The positive, encouraging message of standing up after being literally, figuratively and repeatedly knocked down is a universal one - no matter one’s age, shape or sex - but with a female superhero as the lead, Boden and Fleck make fitting and satisfying choices to celebrate women.  Larson shines in the role, as Vers is determined, fierce and carries a quick wit, but she is also vulnerable due to her uncertain past.  Not quite realizing her gifts and complete identity, Vers - through most of the film - is purposely raw and unrefined, but in an origin story, the hero usually has to find his or her way.  Here, Vers has to actually remember herself.

Most likely, you’ll find yourself enjoying this spectacular superhero’s self-discovery, and comic book movie fans will embrace the film’s surprising connections to the MCU.   Speaking of connections, Law, Annette Bening and Ben Mendelsohn (who is one of this critic’s very favorite actors working today, and who also starred in Boden’s and Fleck’s fabulous gambling picture “Mississippi Grind” (2015)) wonderfully fit as vastly important supporting characters in “Captain Marvel”, Larson’s big screen trip that you won’t easily forget.

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Ruben Brandt Collector - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Ruben Brandt Collector

Directed by Milorad Krstic

Story by Milorad Krstic, Screenplay by Milorad Krstic and Radmila Roczkov

Starring Ivan Kamaras, Gabriella Hamori, Zalan Makranczi, Csaba Marton

I went into Milorad Krstic’s “Ruben Brandt, Collector” knowing nothing, other than the title was captivating. To my surprise, as the film started I realized that it was an animated film. But, that shouldn’t stop you from appreciating the piece of art that it is.

The art isn’t within the animation, and as a matter of fact, the animation is the perfect vessel for a story such as this. You might be inclined to think of the title as something that might fit an espionage story.

That’s partially true, but it isn’t the entire story.

Ruben Brandt (voiced by Ivan Kamaras) is a psychoanalyst treating patients at his isolated clinic, itself a work of art. The calm and serene environment would be just the perfect place for a talented individual like Ruben Brandt to help get other people’s souls pieced back together.

But, Ruben Brandt is a troubled, and perhaps more aptly, a tormented soul himself as he experiences nightmare after nightmare involving priceless works of art.

Krstic breaks each of Ruben’s nightmares into vignettes, increasing their impact on us. As these vignettes progress, each gets more and more thrilling and daring. But it also does an exceptional job of hiding the parallel story, that of the voluptuous Mimi (voiced by Gabriella Hamori) and an ongoing investigation by P.I. Mike Kowalski (voiced by Makranczi Zalan).

Every movement, every character, every piece of art has a function within the screenplay by director Krstic and Ramila Roczkov. And that is part of this film’s challenge as well. While it is beautiful to look at, once the reveal is made, the story becomes something we’ve seen many times over.

What saves the film from being overly generic are the characters and especially the animation. Each character, from Mimi to Mike Kowalski to Ruben’s patients, Bye-Bye Joe, Membrano Bruno and Fernando, the characters lend an authenticity to the heist themes as well as the noirish look and feel.

Then there’s the art, too.  Renoir, Gauguin, Van Gough, Picasso, Manet and even, yes, Warhol are featured in the film. Subliminally, the inclusion of these pieces and their manipulation remind us that the beauty, or the danger, in art are in the eyes of the beholder.

Though there are homages to “Rififi,” my bar is John McTiernan’s 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”. These two references should give you a general idea of Ruben’s state of mind and the type of story that Krstic and Roczkov were trying to tell.

Mike Kowalski and his assistant, Marina lend a “Maltese Falcon” type noir element to the story. Mike’s investigation puts a human spotlight on the situations that plague Brandt, and to an extent all of us.

Now in theaters, the innovating strokes of “Ruben Brandt, Collector’s” brush will shock you and make you laugh. But it should also make you see the inner beauty of everyone on this planet.

3.5 out 4

Apollo 11 - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Apollo 11

Directed by Todd Douglas Miller

One of the many aspects of living in Arizona is that we are blessed with clear skies at night. Depending on where you live, you should have an unobstructed view of the starry sky. The moon, when it’s full will rise in the eastern sky, shrinking as its orbit around the Earth rises from my vantage point.

I often look up at the sky and wonder, “when are we going to go back?”

If I sound a little bit like Tom Hanks’s Jim Lovell from “Apollo 13,” it’s because he has asked such an important question: when will man get to rise above the confines of our little blue-green sphere and face the next challenge.

Todd Douglas Miller’s documentary, “Apollo 11” aims to answer some of that question by taking us back to a time when our astronauts flew by the seat of their pants, when the general public was interested in such things. Part of it was the political situation of the late 1960’s: Vietnam, Watergate, the Cold War. For Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, the world’s attention was focused on their efforts beginning July 16, 1969. That was the day NASA launched Apollo 11 with the goal of putting a man on the moon.

Miller’s documentary took the original 35mm and 70mm film elements from the crew, the NASA team and private collections as well and painstakingly cleaned the image up. What follows is a linear recreation of the launch, the transition between earth and moon, the landing and the return trip, which occurred over eight days.

I had the opportunity to see the film in IMAX, which opens today for a one-week engagement. As much as I was in awe of the images and the natural dialog between Mission Control and the crew, the flow of the documentary was seamless as if I was watching a recreation of the events rather than the preserved footage, it is that powerful.

The key to the documentary though is in the power of Miller’s award-winning editing. The film, which Neon acquired in 2018 and premiered at Sundance in January, will be of interested to fans of the space program, historians, film buffs and anyone with a general curiosity.

There’s something else about “Apollo 11” that makes the film even more special: you’re allowed to watch the events unfold naturally. What I mean by that is Miller takes the time to explain the technical terms, or who the players are; I never felt talked down to by the narrative.

I learned something as well, but that’s for you to discover.

I am going to be one of “those critics,” and fold Damien Chazelle’s “First Man” into this review. There are a couple of reasons for doing this, but the most important reason is that I now have a better understand the importance of Chazelle’s ending. I was just watching a now classic science fiction film, “DeepStar Six” the other night and, while that film really has nothing to do with these two films, it shows the effects of decompression from underwater. “Apollo 11” really offers great insight into the physiology of oxygenation of the blood because the atmosphere for the astronauts’ changes compared to being on earth. “DeepStar Six” explored the same theories.

“Apollo 11” is as educational as it is fascinating. The technical quality to the visual and audio aspects of the presentation really helped to put you in the mood. Matt Morton’s score for this film was created using instruments that would have only been available in 1969. It evokes tension in the right spots (maybe I’m overly sensitive) as well as bringing levity to the moments where we get to experience what it was actually like to see the country come together in support of something positive.

If I could offer a suggestion: firstly, see “Apollo 11”, secondly, stick through the end credits. Miller does something really amazing with the title card that, if you’re not paying attention will catch you off guard. More importantly, stay through all the credits. I’m not telling you this because I’m a credit snob (I really am, but that’s not important now.)

Miller closes his documentary with an important message that rallied the citizens behind one cause: something to capture our imaginations. Our spirit. Our kinship with one another. As I started out, I relish in the opportunity to look up in to the night sky and ask “when are we going forward?”

3.75 out of 4

Greta - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Greta

Director: Neil Jordan

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Isabelle Huppert, Maika Monroe, Zawe Ashton, and Colm Feore

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted,” an excerpt from an Aesop fable.

Aesop’s words and fables have illustrated numerous, valuable life lessons humanity can still learn from today. Though, considering just how terrible humanity can be to one another, it’s easy to remember moments in life when you may have been too nice to someone else, and had that act of kindness taken advantage of.

Director Neil Jordan crafts his own wicked fable with the film “Greta,” a story that deals with aspects of obsession and compulsion conveyed upon a young woman played by, Chloë Grace Moretz, who was trying to simply live by Aesop’s rule of kindness.

The unhinged predator in pursuit is none other than Academy Award winning actress Isabelle Huppert doing her best “big bad wolf” performance.

Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a small town girl living in the big city, working as a waitress in a fine dining restaurant. She lives in a modern style loft with her best friend Erica (Maika Monroe), wandering around the city with wide eyed amusement, and travels on the subway to get to work.

Frances is clearly trying to separate herself from the past but is doing her best to live a happy life in the present. On a trip home on the subway Frances finds a purse left behind, she searches it and finds an address that leads her to a lonely older woman named Greta (Isabelle Huppert).

Frances develops a connection with Greta, they play the piano and look at dogs to adopt, and the two quickly become friends. But Greta has a secret and when Frances discovers it their relationship quickly changes.

Stories of obsession are common in cinema; whether a young man’s obsession with his dead mother from “Psycho,” or a woman’s obsession with a married man in “Fatal Attraction,” or a deranged Hobbit’s obsession with a golden ring in “Lord of the Rings.”

Obsession can make for intriguing tales that display the lengths that humanity will go to capture the person, place or thing they value so greatly.

“Greta” at its narrative core is composed around the aspect of obsession, turning a story that straddles the line between being a cat-and-mouse thriller and a straight up survival horror film.

It’s unfortunate that the film never makes a clear choice of what it wants to be, but instead fumbles about with some great actors doing their best with a story that never builds the tension or fear that it is trying to achieve.

While the setup functions nicely to introduce the two characters together, with Moretz and Huppert creating some good chemistry with each other, once the deception is revealed the film falls into familiar territory.

At one moment the film feels like it may swerve in another direction, which would make sense considering director Neil Jordan’s ability to turn strange circumstances into intriguing character studies. But instead it continues on its one-dimensional path.

Moretz is a great actress who unfortunately isn’t utilized completely here, just like in other recent films, with ineffective ways that display her raw and emotional talent.

Huppert keeps the film afloat with her sly smile and unhinged outbursts, but even her character at times feels pulled from a different story completely.

The character Greta seems rich with a backstory that is never used to build more complexity into why she is doing such terrible things. “Greta” boasts a capable cast, a good director and an intriguing setup, each of which is completely underutilized in this by-the-numbers thriller.

Monte’s Rating

2.00 out of 5.00

To Dust - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘To Dust’ is not an old, tired story, but it is a strange one

Directed by:  Shawn Snyder

Written by:  Shawn Snyder and Jason Begue

Starring:  Geza Rohrig and Matthew Broderick

“To Dust” – “I have questions.” – Shmuel (Geza Rohrig)

“This is all kinds of wrong.” – Albert (Matthew Broderick)

After watching Shawn Snyder’s strange indie “To Dust”, one might walk out of the theatre having questions and proclaiming that this movie is all kinds of wrong.  Sure, the premise is bizarre and off-putting, but admittedly, it does cover ground about a never-talked about subject:  a loved one’s body decomposing after the burial.

Shmuel morns the loss of his wife.  She dies from cancer, and not only has her passing ripped a hole in Shmuel’s life, but he obsesses over her decaying corpse which lays under six feet of soil. 

When will she find peace?  When will she turn to dust and become one with the earth?  How long will it take?  Weeks?  Months?  Ew.

Surely, Shmuel’s boys Naftali (Sammy Voit) and Noam (Leo Heller) could use some earthly advice from their dad, but not until he finds peace too.   With Shmuel finding no solace from religion, he turns to science and drives to New Hempstead Community College for answers.  He arrives in a classroom unannounced and surprises Albert, an apathetic biology professor.   After answering a few random questions about rotting corpses, Albert believes that Shmuel will go on his “merry” way, but the two – instead - become joined at the hip due to this particular widower’s relentless quest for emotional rest.

Shmuel and Albert somehow form an amusing odd couple under the most morbid of conditions, as the film attempts to create levity from despair, and mainly through Broderick’s gifted comedic timing.  Many times, Albert pokes fun at Shmuel’s odd requests, but also at the man himself.

Even though Shmuel’s thoughts about his wife’s body might be his natural outlet in the grieving process, this abnormal fixation provides ripe material for outsider sarcasm, and his physical appearance becomes an unmeasured portion of the comedy equation.  Shmuel is a Hasidic Jewish man, and in some recent movies like “Menashe” (2017) and “Disobedience” (2018), this religious community is self-contained within the narratives.  Here, Shmuel’s travels around the semi-rural suburbs of New York draw comments and looks from those not familiar with a shtreimel or a payot, and Snyder and co-writer Jason Begue do not shy away from these awkward moments. 

Meanwhile, Rohrig plays his character straighter than a hypotenuse during a geometry final exam, as Shmuel internalizes the subtle digs and stares, but he pushes forward – undeterred - to solve this after-death riddle.  Frustration, despair, naivete, and sorrow are his most trusty emotions, and silence is his closest friend.  He does, however, find – literally, in some cases – a partner in crime with Albert. 

Broderick’s Albert might be channeling shades of high school teacher Jim McAllister from “Election” (1999), and in fact, both educators could be the same person.  Hey, it’s 20 years removed from Mr. McAllister’s ouster from a Nebraska high school, and perhaps he changed his name, developed an active marijuana habit and lost his enthusiasm for teaching. 

Well, this step into Albert’s and Shmuel’s on-screen realities will not make a whole lot of sense or feel like the right ingredients for a wildly appealing movie, but “To Dust” does offer a unique experience, especially if a movie-concoction of religious humor, rotting corpses and shady deeds is your jam.   

(2.5/4 stars)    

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Fighting with My Family - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Don’t fight it.  ‘Fighting with My Family’ is a good movie.

Written and Directed by:  Stephen Merchant

Starring:  Florence Pugh, Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Jack Lowden, and Vince Vaughn

“Fighting with My Family” – Some people want to be rock ‘n’ roll singers, and others hope to be cowboys.  For proof, just look back at Bon Scott’s wish in AC/DC’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer” (1975) and Boys Don’t Cry’s declaration in “I Wanna Be a Cowboy” (1986).  Other folks dream of becoming ballerinas, center fielders, quarterbacks, teachers, doctors, or astronauts. 

For Saraya-Jade Bevis (Florence Pugh), she wants to be a WWE wrestler.  Actually, her dad Ricky (Nick Frost), mom Julia (Lena Headey) and brother Zak (Jack Lowden) all have the same dream.  They are a wrestling family who manage, work and brawl in the ring for their own local promotion, the World Association of Wrestling in Norwich, England.  Hence, writer/director Stephen Merchant’s film title “Fighting with My Family” makes perfect sense.  Now, the family doesn’t really fight, because pro wrestling is scripted entertainment, but the bumps and bruises are real.

Actually, Saraya’s journey is a real-life one, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson wanted to bring her story to the big screen. 

“I know that family, a crazy, loving (and) at times dysfunctional family.  That was my family growing up,” Johnson said in a recent interview. 

Merchant also could relate to Saraya’s experiences. 

“This is a working-class family who just had these dreams and these desires, and particularly (the) kids’ to go on and enter the world of entertainment and shoot for the stars.  That’s something that I responded to very much,” Merchant added.

Even though the film is packaged with familiar underdog themes, it is easy to respond positively to “Fighting with My Family”, whether you are a wrestling fan or not.  Although, admittedly, pro wrestling fans will better relate to the material. 

These four wrestlers are perfectly happy in Norwich, as they produce (and perform in) their shows and clinics, but when the WWE has a tryout in London, Saraya and Zak figuratively and literally jump at the chance.   Saraya, who also goes by wrestling names Britani and Paige, punches her ticket to the WWE training center in Orlando to hopefully make the minor league circuit.  Far from home, this stranger feels out of place in this strange land of sunshine, pristine corporate offices and blonde-haired beauties. 

She has to find her way.

The film easily finds ways to engage the audience, and it starts with Pugh’s convincing performance.  Pugh said that they only had a limited time to work out their wrestling moves, but this actress flips, spins, punches, and kicks like she’s grappled in the squared circle for years.  She also has the acting chops to pull emotional strings with a new sibling conflict that emerges, and Lowden successfully carries the other half of this unfortunate struggle. 

Keep in mind, with all this talk of fighting, punching, brooding, and toiling, Merchant’s picture is also quite funny, which, of course, captures the spirit of pro wrestling, and Frost, Johnson, and Vince Vaughn – who plays Saraya’s/Britani’s/Paige’s WWE coach Hutch – openly lend their comedic talents.   Although, be warned, Vaughn is dramatically-less frat boy and much more drill sergeant, when whipping the wrestlers into shape. 

At times, “Fighting with My Family” feels like one long WWE commercial, because the logos, references, toys, posters, and arena events regularly appear on-screen, so the theatre experience doubles as a product-placement nirvana.  Then again, Saraya lived through these events, so buying into (pardon the pun) the marketing - rather than fighting it - allows one to embrace the film, and the performances and story are strong enough to deliver magical goosebump-moments.  “Fighting with My Family” is surprisingly emotional, and Saraya – who is always referred to as Paige these days – was speechless when Johnson wanted to make a movie about her. 

“I was crying my eyes out,” Paige said.  

Sounds like someone’s dreams came true.

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Directed by Dean DeBlois

Written by Dean DeBlois based on “How to Train Your Dragon” by Cressida Cowell

Featuring the voices of: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, F. Murray Abraham, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kit Harrington

As I’ve gotten older, my desire to experience animated films has only grown. I like the stories they tell, the characters that they offer. There’s a sense of, freedom, of really expression in a blank computer screen.

There is an exception to that rule, and unfortunately, it is a sequel or a trilogy. And it happened to DreamWorks’ third entry in their fantastically successful “How to Train Your Dragon” series, which concludes with the third film, “The Hidden World,” now playing in theaters.

We’ve seen series of animated films where studios have waited too long in between entries for audiences to want to catch up. I saw the first one, and I admittedly fell in love with Toothless, the dragon and Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the future leader of Berk.

I never really let go of those characters either, but I did forget about their adventure, having missed the sequel, ironically titled “How to Train Your Dragon 2”. If it sounds like I am mocking the series, I really am not.

Oh, look! There was a television series too and it ran between 2012 and 2018.

Even though I love animation, and it sure is gorgeous in “The Hidden World,” looking nearly photo-real, I was awestruck at just how flat the characters had become. In fairness, I might have missed a beat or two over the past nine years. A lot has apparently happened.

But, you don’t need to have seen the television series or the second film to really pick up on what’s happening in this latest adventure. Some of the situations that are presented in “The Hidden World” might have made more sense, but the story’s framework, while serviceable, is something we’ve seen rehashed before.

What brings this film to life are the characters. I remembered Toothless and found Hiccup memorable. Dean DeBlois, who wrote and directed the second entry in this series is back and he brought a lot of heart to this film, especially in the courting aspects, which were represented exceptionally well through facial expressions and just a little bit of nudging.

F. Murray Abraham’s Grimmel is the villain in this story. The animators did an incredible job of capturing his the actor’s likeness and the seriousness at which is plots his nefarious ways was effective. It wasn’t until the third act, when the big extravaganza kicks in to full force that we really see him for the dangerous character that he is.

That’s really the challenge with the narrative arc. It certainly does complete Hiccup’s journey as well as Toothless’s. But for a “final entry,” even with as much heart, candor and romance in it, I don’t know that the story completely captures the essence of what’s driving it: the theme of letting go. It ties up loose ends, however the closure isn’t as clean as it could have been.

We so much want to be accepted for who we are. All of us. Hiccup does. Toothless does. Heck, even Grimmel does, but we don’t care about that because he’s just another token villain. Astrid (America Ferrera) is steadfast in her ways, and she is an exceptionally strong character as is Valka (Cate Blanchett.) Many of Hiccup’s friends and comrades are just as much fun.

The cast has a lot of fun in this story. It is light on its feet, and families will be drawn to it. John Powell’s light score is adventurous in spirit and fun in its emotions.

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” is a fun, vivid film. The cast is strong, but the story wasn’t as effective a closure as it could have been. It will satisfy audiences and long-time fans of the series.

2.5 out of 4

Monte Yazzie's Oscar Predictions

Oscar season draws to a close this Sunday night when the 91st Annual Academy Awards finalize the cluster of, in my opinion, crazy nominations that have composed this year’s ballots. “Green Book”, “A Star Is Born”, and “Roma” have been the “best picture” talk of the season while films like “First Reformed”, “Burning”, “Blindspotting”, and “If Beale Street Could Talk” missed the top award nomination. There was controversy for cutting the nominations for two critical elements of the filmmaking process from televised recognition, enough people complained and they brought them back. There was controversy about the early announced host for the Oscars, enough people complained and the host has been eliminated from the show. It’s been a crazy season.

Since everything seems a little off kilter this year, I’ve decided to embrace it. Every year I’ll make two ballots for Oscar nominations, one list designated from my “head” and another ballot designated from my “heart”. It is much more difficult than it should be trying to figure out which film deserves recognition. So, here is a list detailing both of the choices for a few of the categories for the Academy Awards.

Picture

“Roma” – The Head Pick
“A Star Is Born”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“The Favourite” – The Heart Pick
“Green Book”
“Vice”

Actress

Glenn Close “The Wife” – The Head and The Heart Pick

Yalitza Aparicio “Roma”
Olivia Colman “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga “A Star Is Born”
Melissa McCarthy “Can You Ever Forgive Me”

Actor

Rami Malek “Bohemian Rhapsody” – The Head Pick
Christian Bale “Vice”

Bradley Cooper “A Star Is Born” – The Heart Pick
Willem Dafoe “At Eternity’s Gate”
Viggo Mortensen “Green Book”

Supporting Actress

Regina King “If Beale Street Could Talk - The Head and The Heart Pick
Amy Adams “Vice”
Emma Stone “The Favourite”
Marina de Tavira “Roma”
Rachel Weisz “The Favourite”

Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali “Green Book” - The Head Pick
Adam Driver “BlacKkKlansman"
Sam Elliott “A Star Is Born”

Richard E. Grant “Can You Ever Forgive Me?" - The Heart Pick
Sam Rockwell “Vice”

Director

Alfonso Cuarón “Roma" - The Head and The Heart Pick

Yorgos Lanthimos “The Favourite”
Spike Lee "BlacKkKlansman”
Adam McKay “Vice”
Pawel Pawlikowski “Cold War”

Documentary

“RBG” - The Head Pick
“Free Solo”
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening”

“Minding the Gap” - The Heart Pick
“Of Fathers and Sons”

Animated Feature

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” - The Head and The Heart Pick
“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Mirai”
“Ralph Breaks the Internet"

 Foreign Language

“Roma” Mexico - The Head and The Heart Pick
“Capernaum” Lebanon
“Cold War” Poland
“Never Look Away” Germany
“Shoplifters” Japan

Film Editing

“Bohemian Rhapsody” – The Head Pick

“BlacKkKlansman” - The Heart Pick
“The Favourite”
“Green Book” 
“Vice”

Cinematography

“Roma” - The Head and The Heart Pick
“Cold War”
“The Favourite”
“Never Look Away”
“A Star Is Born”

Ben Cahlamer's Oscar Picks

Ben Cahlamer Final Oscar Picks

One thing is for certain: the 91st Oscar season has been anything but an assured thing. From one PR nightmare to another, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Academy) has pressed onward, and this Sunday, they announce the biggest winners of the season.

2018 was a magical year at the cinema. From a British period piece with vengeance on its mind to a live-in maid keeping an on-the-rocks family from falling apart, there has been no shortage of great cinema.

And no matter how hard the producers and studios campaigned for their respective films, yes, I am looking at you Netflix, my picks will ultimately have something in common with the actual winners: they will be completely chosen at random, because there’s absolutely no rhyme or reason to what’s happened this year.

Oh. Unlike the Academy, I have omitted certain categories because I did not see enough of the films for me to qualify a winner. Please note that this will not shorten your reading time in any way, shape, or form.  Thank you, ABC and, good night.

Screenplay (Original): “The Favourite,” Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara.

Screenplay (Adapted): “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty.

Visual Effects: “First Man,” Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, J.D. Schwalm

Sound Mixing: “Roma,” Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and Jose Antonio Garcia

Sound Editing: “A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

Music (Original Song): “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born,” Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt

Music (Original Score): “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell

Makeup and Hairstyling: “Vice,” Greg Cannom, Kate Briscoe and Patricia Dehaney

Foreign Language Film: “Roma,” Mexico; Alfonso Curaon

Film Editing: “Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman

Documentary: “Free Solo,” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill

Directing: “BlacKkKlansman,” Spike Lee

Costume Design: “Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Cinematography: “Cold War,” Lukasz Zal

Animated Feature Film: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

Actress in a Supporting Role: Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”

Actress in a Leading Role: Glenn Close, “The Wife”

Actor in a Leading Role: Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Best Picture: “BlacKkKlansman,” Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Raymond Mansfield, Jordan Peele and Spike Lee

Phoenix Film Society Member's Top Five Movies of 2018

The Phoenix Film Society Member’s Top Five Movies of 2018

With Hollywood’s grandest night arriving on Sunday, Feb. 24, let’s recognize that the Phoenix Film Society had a big moment of their own on Jan. 30!

Before the PFS’s “Arctic” screening, the members in attendance voted for their favorite film of the year.   The Carney-Mitchell accounting firm monitored the procedures and tabulated the votes, and here are the Phoenix Film Society’s Top Five Movies of 2018:

5. “Roma”

4. “The Wife”

3. “A Star Is Born”

2. “Bohemian Rhapsody”

1. “Green Book” 

Never Look Away - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Never Look Away’ compels us to keep watching

Written and directed by:  Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s

Starring:  Tom Schilling, Paula Beer, Sebastian Koch, Saskia Rosendahl, Oliver Masucci, and Evgeniy Sidikhin

“Never Look Away” – “Hardly anyone likes photos of themselves, but everyone’s supposed to like a painting.” – Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling)

“Everything is connected.” – Elisabeth May (Saskia Rosendahl)

Writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s feature film “The Lives of Others” (2006) weaves such an absorbing, layered conflict into 1980s East Germany’s acknowledged intrusive culture so well, it topped Guillermo del Toro’s best film “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006) that year and won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2007.  Yes, “The Lives of Others” is that good!

After Donnersmarck’s Johnny Depp/Angelia Jolie vehicle “The Tourist” (2010), “Never Look Away” is his third film.  The Academy recognized Donnersmarck’s second German movie with a Best Foreign Language Best Picture Oscar nomination, but due to its 188-minute runtime, “Never Look Away” does feel like a long commitment while sitting in your theatre seat.  Still, this movie does need time to breathe on-screen to eventually reveal its secrets and for the characters to reap enlightenment on their journeys.

Set in 1937 Dresden, 20-something Elisabeth takes her five-year-old nephew Kurt to a museum to experience and celebrate modern art, but a caustic tour guide attempts to sour their trip by bemoaning the various pieces as silly drivel created by faulty minds.  Quite frankly, the curators should apply more scrutiny when hiring their museum staff, but the somewhat-hostile chaperon fuels foreshadowing of the dark forces within the country.  “The Lives of Others” unmasks one series of German sins, but “Never Look Away” features two, the Nazi Party and the subsequent physical, cultural and political divides between East and West.  One particular character embodies the iniquity of both eras, and this individual propels the former’s sinister mindset into the latter’s clouded reality.

Kurt’s mindset, instead, is altruistic and with his aunt’s initial persuasion and his natural gifts, he eventually becomes an art student and meets Ellie (Paula Beer) who majors in fashion design.  These two kids start a romance that begins to follow Elisabeth’s decree. 

Donnersmarck’s film taps into a recipe that the Academy loves, as it wraps our protagonist in a loving romance and navigates it through several historical markers.  Additionally, “Never Look Away” will regularly surprise with unexpected detours through history, and it personalizes these stops with rich supporting characters who arrive and depart but leave lasting memoirs.  Russian Major Murawjow (Evgeniy Sidikhin) and Professor Antonius van Verten (Oliver Masucci) are just two examples.  Meanwhile, Max Richter’s beautiful score helps maintain continuity throughout the film, as one wonders how Elisabeth’s words of wisdom in the first act will carry through with Kurt to the end.  The story is loosely-based on painter Gerhard Richter, and his connection with Germany’s political split is a natural fit with Donnersmarck’s history as well.  

This particular critic caught the movie at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, but the picture’s thoughtful threads did not quite resonate to earn epic personal praises, however, upon a second viewing, Donnersmarck’s themes rang truer.  Do you need to watch “Never Look Away” twice?  No, but it took this moviegoer 6 hours and 16 minutes to fully appreciate the nuance of its messages.

(3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Happy Death Day 2U - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Happy Death Day 2U

Director: Christopher Landon

Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Phi Vu, Suraj Shurma, Sarah Yarkin, Rachel Matthews, and Ruby Modine

Take a moment and think of every great movie sequel you have ever seen. Now that you are done listing all the subpar sequels, how many are left on the list that are excellent? The craft of constructing a sequel is a difficult undertaking, especially if the first film is something special.

“Happy Death Day” was a surprise upon its release in 2017; a film that took the concept of the 1993 comedy “Groundhog Day” and turned it into a clever and unique horror film that delivered some really fun surprises. The turnaround for the sequel happened rather quickly, which is always a little concerning, but “Happy Death Day 2U” takes a route less travelled for movie sequels by twisting the narrative, including the genre, into something completely different.

Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) lived the same day over and over, dying at the hands of a masked killer every day until she was able to solve her own murder. With the help of her boyfriend Carter (Israel Broussard), Tree thought she had escaped the time loop and could move on with her life. But things take a drastic reversal as a science experiment, conducted by Carter’s roommate Ryan (Phi Vu), creates another time jump that brings Tree back face-to-face with her baby-faced masked killer. But something’s changed, things are different this time.

Christopher Landon directed “Happy Death Day” with a clear understanding of tone for a horror film that offered a few frights, a creepy looking slasher, a charming hero, and some lighthearted humor. It felt like a PG-13 horror film from the 90’s mixed with the science fiction appeal of the 80’s. So, it’s not surprising that Mr. Landon brings the successful qualities back in different doses and combinations while making one interesting and tricky turn in the structure.

The narrative, which leaned strongly in the horror genre with only a sprinkling of sci-fi for the first film, flips into a straight forward science fiction film with a spattering of horror here and there. It’s a bold move that is somehow surprisingly pulled off. Utilizing a science fiction storytelling theme that feels reminiscent of “The Outer Limits”, “Happy Death Day 2U” refreshingly twists and morphs into a different film. While it still struggles with some shoddy dialog and unusual side character performances, like a wacky college professor who bumbles into the excitement at the worst time, the film still merges its quality elements in an enjoyable way.

A big part of why this film works so well is the exceptional screen appeal of Jessica Rothe who holds the film together with her tenacity and charisma. Ms. Rothe’s performance is convincing and entertaining throughout; whether she is wielding an axe or waking up with her hair frizzed from electricity, the actor entirely owns it.

“Happy Death Day 2U” works really well up to a point that it becomes slightly unhinged with its time looping dilemma and wanting to push for expanding its universe beyond the primary character’s life, but it doesn’t derail the fun that this movie is clearly trying to produce. Rarely do sequels work as well as it does with “Happy Death Day 2U”. Blumhouse Productions continues to surprise with their brand of genre films.

Monte’s Rating

 3.25 out of 5.00

Allita: Battle Angel - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Alita: Battle Angel

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Screenplay by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis

Based on “Gunnm” by Yukito Kishiro

Starring Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrien, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson

In this world of CGI dinosaurs, spectacular sequences filled with well-endowed, form-fitting spandex heroes leaping from rooftop to rooftop, it is easy to lose sight of when a truly special film comes before your eyes.

Robert Rodriguez’s “Alita: Battle Angel” is a spectacle from its dreary beginnings to its spectacular form-fit heroine leaping from rooftop to rooftop. The story, based on the Japanese manga series, “Gunnm” is yet another dystopic story in a future where Earth is devastated, the well-to-do people live in a great city in the sky, Zalem and the everyday denizens live on what’s left of our history.

What’s curious about this particular story, written by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis (“Alexander,” “Pathfinder,” “Shutter Island,” “Terminator Genisys”), is just how Alita (Rosa Salazar in her debut performance) comes across the screen. I’m not referring to the revolutionary motion capture systems used to create the character, though that is just as amazing. No, we actually get to see Ms. Salazar’s naiveté, her sense of wonder.

Found in a heap of junk by Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz), a wunderkind himself, Alita is brought to life. We learn very quickly of the haves and have-nots in this society. We learn of Ido’s life, leading him to this moment and of his ex-wife, Chiren (Jennifer Connelly).

Peripherally, we learn of Vector (Mahershala Ali) and his power over the have-nots. Ed Skrien plays Zapan, probably the one character in the film that actually freaked me out while Jackie Earle Haley plays a thuggish cyborg named Grewishka. I came to liken Grewishka as the Energizer Bunny: he just kept coming and coming and coming.

But that’s the part of “Alita: Battle Angel” that I really admired. As thin as the story is, against the special effects and the effectiveness of the Dolby Cinema 3D presentation, the characters really stood out against their environment.

Don’t mistake me. There were elements that seemed hopelessly cheesy; namely the relationship between Alita and Hugo (Keean Johnson), the dashing John Travolta-type bad boy: we know he’s trouble. Yet, we don’t really care because we know of the inevitability of this type of character: as far in love as they get, we know it can’t work, but we care because Hugo is genuinely someone who is full of ideals and integrity, something the “bad boy” type isn’t usually imbued with. It was interesting to see Hugo interact with his own clique, especially Jorge Lendeborg, Jr, who has sprung up out of practically nowhere over the last year, first in “Love, Simon” and then the recent and popular “BumbleBee.”

The centerpiece of this whole affair is the “motorball” game, a la Norman Jewison’s “Rollerball”. The idea for this part of “Alita” is as much an homage as it is an inventive story device: it gives Alita her ‘character.’ Without the aggressiveness, Alita would be a passive individual. It strengthens her motives and her resolve.

The sideshow with Hugo and the ongoing, relentless bounty hunter chases really wears one down by the third act.  I admit that it was fun to see the dregs of the assassin pool in a Star Wars-cantina style bar, where Jeff Fahey and Rick Yune make appearances.

“Alita: Battle Angel” never relents. And that is part of its challenge. It is a cacophony of sight and sound. It shines a brilliant light on a heroine that people can genuinely cheer for. But, I don’t know if it has the substance that it thinks it does. My biggest disappointment is in Mahershala Ali’s Vector. He has a terrific screen presence, but his character is truly rendered as a puppet. Now that I say that, I could totally see him playing a future version of Mr. Anderson from “The Matrix,” but I digress.

Unlike “Avatar,” James Cameron created something that people can relate to, something of value to latch on. Robert Rodgriguez’s direction is assured through the technology behind the film. Just like a lot of his early films, Cameron is still experimenting. It’s showy and flashy, but it is reality.

Is it good? To an extent. It is overt in its intentions and subversive in its characters. Just like a traditional James Cameron film ought to be. There is feeling, depth and the characters are strong, but the story doesn’t completely hold up next to the amazing spectacle that the movie really is.

3 out of 4 stars

Arctic - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Mikkelsen carries the torch in ‘Arctic’

Directed by:  Joe Penna

Written by:  Joe Penna and Ryan Morrison

Starring:  Mads Mikkelsen

“Arctic” – Mads Mikkelsen’s character kneels on a narrow path of black rock and chips away at ice and snow with a pick and a serrated piece of sheet metal.  For anyone who has ever shoveled a driveway when the temperature hovers around zero, the opening scene of “Arctic” is a stressful reminder of Old Man Winter and his associated, compulsory chores. 

The difference between Overgard (Mikkelsen) and John Q. Public scrapping coagulated powder in the frozen suburbs of Minneapolis, Chicago, Buffalo, Toronto, Boston, and Spokane is the latter poor soul can – at least - catch reprieve inside a heated home stocked with hot chocolate.  Overgard, however, finds no such balmy comfort, but actually, a crashed carcass of an aircraft does serve as an indispensable refuge. 

He is the lone survivor of a plane crash and is now stranded in a freezing anti-wonderland with little hope of rescue, as the unforgiving elements bear down on his mortal self.

“By far, the toughest thing I’ve ever done in my life.  The conditions were overwhelming,” Mikkelsen said in a recent interview.

Overgard sports chapped lips and dry, pink cheeks that are burned from the frigid air, and when roaming outside the plane during daylight hours, he encases himself in a red down jacket, a gray hat and – what looks like – snowmobile pants as his only protection from the cold.  The nearby buttes do not exactly deflect the elements or provide shelter, and as he fishes in icy water, shovels into crusty ice (for a reason that will not be revealed in this review) and hand cranks a small transmitter in the hopes that someone will hear a faint ping, we can feel the cold seeping into our bones while sitting in comfortable theatre seats. 

Like “127 Hours” (2010) and “Cast Away” (2000), the harsh environment forces our solitary hero into resourceful ingenuity, but unlike those films, “Arctic” does not flashback to leisurely moments or capture stretches of screen time in urban civilization.  Here, the movie – which was filmed in Iceland - is always set on location, and it’s up to Mikkelsen to carry the torch throughout the picture. 

Whether he plays a Bond villain, an 18th century white knight or an elementary school teacher falsely accused of a heinous act, Mikkelsen always seems to deliver a sturdy, charismatic performance with his suave and articulate Northern European flair.  He commands the screen throughout the 97-minute picture in near-total isolation, and one Phoenix Film Society member mentioned just after a Scottsdale screening on Jan. 30, “Even though Mikkelsen speaks very few words, he communicates so much in silence during the entire movie.”

This is especially true during the last 60 minutes, as a very specific moral choice repeatedly confronts Overgard.  Meanwhile, the screenplay places nature’s obstacles in front of him that challenge his altruistic compass, as the director successfully performs a high wire act by introducing imposing theatrical impediments while not manipulating the audience.  

Hence, Penna – who is directing his first feature film – displays massive resourcefulness and imagination in the most punitive of settings, and when asked why he chose such a difficult shoot, he said, “To tell a story of resilience, it had to be in the Artic.” 

Overgard and Mikkelsen naturally fit with the surroundings.  Our fragile selves might not, but bring a down jacket, a hat, snowmobile pants, and a scarf too…and be awed. 

(3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Director: Mike Mitchell

Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, and Maya Rudolph

Everything is NOT awesome with the happy residents of Bricksburg, especially the happy-go-lucky master builder Emmett who saved the toy-inspired universe in the standout hit from 2014. The masterminds, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, behind the origin story for these toys-turned-movie characters return to write the script but new director Mike Mitchell takes over directing duties. This doesn’t matter too much because the formula hasn’t changed between the different Lego franchises.

Emmett (Chris Pratt) saved the city of Bricksburg from President Business and just before they could celebrate their victory, a cutesy alien Lego society descended from the sky and turned the bright shining world into a dystopian, Mad Max-esque wasteland. The aliens destroy everything that has and will be made, leaving the citizens of Bricksburg to live in fear of building anything new or shiny. Things get worse when all the great warriors and leaders are kidnapped; Lucy (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett), Benny (Charlie Day), Unikitty (Alison Brie), and Metalbeard (Nick Offerman) are all captured leaving Emmett to venture into the unknown after them.

Much of the appeal and charm for these Lego films has come from the use of humor and the inclusion of pop culture referencing throughout nearly every frame of the film. Where else are going to find “Jurassic Park” velociraptors, every member of the Justice League from DC Comics, and John McClane from “Die Hard” in the same movie, sometimes at the same time? The fact that these sometimes subtle, mostly blatant nods to pop culture come off so delightfully is quite impressive.

Helping make these interesting crossovers come to life are the exceptional voice actors. Firstly, Will Arnett’s low baritone Batman steals the show, it’s easy to see why this character received a spinoff feature. Tiffany Haddish plays the morphing evil alien queen wreaking havoc on the Lego universe. Ms. Haddish has such a unique cadence and rhythm in her dialog, it’s easy to laugh and smile even when a joke isn’t  being pushed into the narrative. Unfortunately, the two leads, Emmett and Lucy, have a narrative that is stifled by poor character development and a strange over saturation of Chris Pratt’s vocal work. The second act of the film is consumed by Emmett and Rex Dangervest, a new character who embraces the solitude life of a hero on a spaceship run by dinosaurs. These two characters are voiced by Mr. Pratt but the storyline for why they  come together brings the pacing of the film to a halt in an effort to add some kind of mystery that is building towards the inevitable ending, which surprisingly accomplishes  enough with the other characters throughout to remain a kindhearted message.

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” isn’t as awesome as the first installment, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not good. Underneath the story of an alien invasion, forced wedding nuptials, and catchy songs that ruin your mind, there is a story about brothers and sisters, being kind to one another, and accepting childhood for as long as possible. It’s a sweet sentiment when the film transitions into the “real” world and not the Lego world. So, while everything may NOT be awesome, this film still has all the workings of a good family film worth the trip to the movies.

Monte’s Rating

3.50 out of 5.00

Cold Pursuit - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Cold Pursuit

Directed by Hans Petter Moland

Written by Frank Baldwin

Based on “In Order of Disappearance” by Kim Fupz Aakeson

Starring Liam Neeson, Tom Bateman, Tom Jackson, Emmy Rossum, Domenick Lombardozzi, Laura Dern, William Forsythe

Revenge is a very dirty business.

But, when done appropriately and privately, and with dry humor intact, well, the grit and gristle of revenge isn’t as distasteful.

Take Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson). He’s a genuinely nice guy. A family man who, as attested to by his Citizen of the Year award is shook to his very core when his son, a baggage handler at the local airport turns up dead from a heroin overdose.

Based on the 2014 foreign language picture from director Hans Petter Moland, “In Order of Disappearance,” this film derives its guts from the dark and dry humor that permeated “Fargo” in 1996. As in that film, a quiet town disrupted by a violent act, which turns into a series of violent pratfalls as the local gangster, Trevor “Viking” Calcote (Tom Bateman) realizes something is amiss when members of his crew start disappearing.

When we’re laughing at the lunacy that is Bateman’s snarmy character, decked out in his ultramodern mountain villa and his Tesla Model X, we take delight in the unassuming ways in which Nels dispatches his victims. All of it is senseless and Baldwin’s screenplay doesn’t make any bones about that; we’re just along for the ride.

Adding to the Coen-esque nature of the film is the gung-ho deputy, Kim Dash (Emmy Rossum). The character is aware that something sinister is happening around her, but her partner Gip (John Doman) encourages her to back down, to enjoy the serenity of the Rocky Mountain community.

Coxman’s antics stir up two hornets’ nests. The first is a bloody gang war between Viking and an American Indian drug cartel. Moland and Baldwin extrude some fine detail about a part of history that not many are aware of. The second nest is on the home front. Grace (Laura Dern) is genuinely struggling over the death of their son, leaving her to grieve alone.

The art direction becomes as much a character as the talent that inhabits the screen. From the warmth of the Coxman home, a log home meant to symbolize a bit of normalcy, to ground Nels as compared to the austere look and feel of the aforementioned sleek and ultramodern home that Viking inhabits. The look here gives a squeaky clean image to the violence that Viking has wrought.

I mentioned “Fargo” as an influence for this movie, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention “The Substitute” with Tom Berenger and, not unintentionally, William Forsythe, who plays a former crew member of Viking’s is a “middleman,” providing information to interested parties is just as humorous as the rest of the film. His wife, Ahn (Elizabeth Thai) was an absolute delight in the middle of the chaos.

I saw the film before Mr. Neeson’s interview broke. Though it explores themes of racism, his character is most certainly not. In fact, it goes out of its way to ensure that where that theme could go awry, it steers itself back on course.

Though it would probably have done better in the 1990’s, “Cold Pursuit” is timeless tail of family and revenge.

3 out of 4

The Idea of Manhood - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

The Idea of Manhood

Directed by Serge Kushnier

Written by Serge Kushnier

Starring Jeremy Kushnier, Karl Bury, Thomas Sullivan, Meg, McCrossen, Elizabeth Masucci, Melanie Merkosky

“Life finds a way.” Leave it me to find a way to tie a deeply moving, life-altering buddy dramaedy into one of the most oft repeated lines from a movie that is turning 25 this year. God, I feel old.

But, you know what? Serge Kushnier’s “The Idea of Manhood” reminded me that it is okay to question our choices, to make a right turn when a left turn might be the right thing to do. Still with me?

Good!

Kushnier’s award-winning dramaedy features two college buddies chumming it up one weekend; Jacob, a married man whose wife and kids just happen to be up north for the summer at camp is a bachelor, footloose and fancy-free in his Brooklyn Brownstone when his buddy, Sandy shows up unexpectedly. Their reunion is a bit awkward at first, as Jacob tries to pry out of Sandy why he’s suddenly on his doorstep.

There is a simplicity in Kushnier’s approach to his script, to the staging of his characters and their environs. As he related to us at the Phoenix Film Festival, he shot the film in the NYC area over a nine-day period. The simplicity pays off as the script slowly builds to its thunderous crescendo as two friends, who seemingly had drifted apart find one another in a moment of . . . well . . . manhood.

Jeremy Kushnier is sublime as Jacob, a man who we can tell at the beginning of the film is just exhausted. We don’t necessarily know why, but the idea of a sorely needed bachelor’s weekend is slowly worked into our vantage point by actor and director Kushnier, respectively. Kushnier plays low key throughout the course of the story as he is suddenly put on the spot to entertain Sandy.

Karl Bury gives one of the most emotionally-driven performances I’ve seen this year. Through the early phases of the film, Sandy is very awkward, trying to grab attention from Jacob. Yet, nothing he shares with Jacob is surprising, given the state of affairs in this country. It is only when Sandy is introduced to people in Jacob’s life, outside of Jacob’s family, that we start to see Sandy finally peel himself out of his shell, creating a really nice twist on what would seem another downtrodden character.

Before I touch on that twist, there’s a moment where Jacob is entertaining his friends, bringing Sandy in to his personal environment. Jacob states that he enjoys hanging out with people younger than he is. As such, his guests spend most of their time on their cell phones, leaving an uncomfortable silence. Sandy suggests Beer Pong, which they all agree to, and in the middle of a match, Sandy recites a story, which at first will sound familiar, but the way its told, the audience will think twice about it (I know I did) and when he’s finally done reciting the story, the reactions of the guests is priceless.

It is this afternoon’s activities that cause a monumental shift in the way the characters are perceived. The way Kushnier builds the story, the way select scenes are staged and shot by DP John L. Murphy, you know that something is brewing and the reveal is finally delivered. There’s a sense of relief and calm, that all is right in the world. Yet, there’s an air of mystery still left when all is said and done,

Writer/Director Serge Kushnier

And, that’s the beauty of Serge Kushnier’s story. It’s a simply executed story full of witty and dramatic dialog, allowing Jeremy and Karl to deliver two of the most complex and diverse characters I’ve seen in independent cinema since “Black” reconnected with Kevin in “Moonlight”. That’s the level of craftsmanship that Jeremy Kushnier and Karl Bury brought to their characters:  we have little pieces of a puzzle to put together both men’s lives, and yet, when the story is over, the script is flipped and you’re left with a desire to know more. Subtly though, you really don’t need anymore. As I said at the beginning life does indeed find a way through all the chaos.

So too does Serge Kushnier. And brilliantly so.

4 out of 4 stars