Shuffle (2011) - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

T.J. Thyne and Paula Rhodes in ‘Shuffle’.

The 2012 Phoenix Film Festival’s Best Picture winner:

‘Shuffle’ deals an affecting time travel story

Written and directed:  Kurt Kuenne

Starring:  T.J. Thyne, Paula Rhodes, Chris Stone, and Meeghan Holaway

“Shuffle” (2011) – “The bottom line is that time travel is allowed by the laws of physics.” – theoretical physicist Brian Greene

Lovell Milo (T.J. Thyne) is not a theoretical physicist.  No, he’s a photographer – and a darn good one – who lives in the Norman Rockwellesque Riley Creek, Calif., but he cannot discern the strange events that plague him.  Quite frankly, Albert Einstein couldn’t either.  He’d be baffled. 

When we first meet Lovell, 28, he’s sitting with a therapist, who is utterly mystified, as Mr. Milo claims that he was 15 years old yesterday, and the day before that, he was 30.  What about the day before that?  He was 8. 

No wonder he’s sitting with a counselor. 

According to Lovell, when he falls asleep, he wakes up on a different day in a different year, and there appears to be no end in sight.  This dazed and confused lensman can barely endure his bizarre, jumbled trek through his personal past and future.  Geez, the poor guy is spinning on a slanted dancefloor with a marshmallow foundation but rarely finds a soft landing. 

At least Phil Connors (Bill Murray) in “Groundhog Day” (1993) always returned to the same day like clockwork with morning replays of Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe”.  This actually eased Phil’s route to open-minded realizations, but Lovell must follow a trickier path, one dictated by an unknown dealer with a shuffled deck of otherworldly, cosmic cards. 

Writer/director Kurt Kuenne surely incorporates an out of this world concept here, but thankfully, he does not ask Lovell to save the world from a nuclear disaster or stop a political assassination.  Lovell’s purpose, instead, is much smaller in scope, squared within his immediate surroundings from age 8 and onward, but the ramifications for success or failure are quite monumental, not unlike a classic “Twilight Zone” episode. 

Speaking of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, “Shuffle” is set during the ‘80s through 2011, but Kuenne - for the most part - bathes his picture in a wholesome, President Kennedy era atmosphere.  Manicured suburbs with bright, lovely ranches set the outdoor backdrop, and a sentimental, sugary score noticeably frequents key emotional scenes.  Capable players fill these aforementioned spaces, including Lovell’s mom (Meeghan Holaway) and dad (Chris Stone) and the girl next door (Paula Rhodes).  Grace (Rhodes), in particular, steals the show with her jazzy, sunny cheer, as she not only grounds Lovell but also offers her never-ending support to lift him up.  Their relationship is the film’s positive, affirming engine, while Lovell’s combative association with another character purposely trudges in damaging circles.

Although steeped with welcome sentiment, don’t forget the tick-tock, detective tones.  Sure, Kuenne’s picture embraces a dreamy layer, but an absorbing, tense time warp drives the narrative, where he whisks our hero from one time and place to another time and place, but all within Riley Creek.  The settings don’t (physically) venture very far, but the close, contained surroundings provide some comfort on this wavy ride.  Meanwhile, “Shuffle” shines by capturing us in the moment, in Lovell’s immediate experience.  So much so, it proves difficult to recall where and when we just visited.

The story may run a modest and speedy 77 minutes, but Kuenne packs twice as much empathetic humanity than most films which attempt similar emotional punches and embraces.  “Shuffle” certainly connects in big, surprising ways, as it bequeaths enlightening life lessons for Lovell…and for us.  Make sure to bring your tissues, and wow, who knew that physics could be so affecting.

3.5/4 stars

(“Shuffle” is available on Amazon Streaming and Netflix DVD)

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

Rich Kids- Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Directed by: Laura Somers

Written by: David Saldaña and Laura Somers

Starring: Gerardo M. Velasquez, Justin Rodriguez, Michelle Magallon, Ulysses Montoya, Naome Antoinette, Alessandra Mañon

One of the most unique film experiences I’ve had is with an independent film called “Rich Kids.”

Premiering at the Phoenix Film Festival in 2018, most of the cast and crew were in attendance and you could hear the joy, laughter and pride behind the work that the team put into this film.

That’s why it so deservedly won the Ensemble Cast Award for that year.

During the Q & A following the screening, writer-director Laura Somers mentioned that the story she co-wrote with David Saldaña was based on a real-life incident that happened to her in her Houston home. Building around her own life story, the writing duo depicted a group of teens in a poorer section of Houston who take up residence in a more affluent neighborhood, that of “los ricos.”

The most interesting aspect of “Rich Kids” is the way in which its character-driven story progresses through a natural change in perspective.

Somers defines the film’s hard-hitting narrative from the very first frame; Matias (Gerardo Velasquez) is forced to stand up for himself from a father who has all but abandoned him and a mother who supports the family but cannot get through to her husband that he must be a provider. The brunt of Matias’s home life is intentionally shocking, but not unexpected; the living conditions of his family’s abode are in disrepair and not well-maintained. Yet, there is a lot of love felt within the family.

The perspective changes as we share Matias’s journey. Somers was very careful to frame Matias as a stand-up individual while remaining a prankster. It is easy to see Matias as being friends with Steve (Justin Rodriguez), a lanky teenager who is the opposite of Matias; when we first meet Steve, his cousin Carlos (Ulysses Montoya) is teaching him to hotwire a car. Steve, who is more concerned with playing Grand Theft Auto, commonly referred to as GTA, can’t hack the demands Carlos puts on him, in order to “toughen him up.” Matias’s easy-going nature is such that he can relate to both Steve and Carlos, yet, we are acutely aware that Matias wants more than simply the confines of the neighborhood in front of him.

Eventually, Matias and Steve work their way toward “los ricos”: a sanctuary from the repressed lives they are forced to live, with a pool and the luxuries that the rich can afford. The house is the centerpiece of the film and highlights the perspective from which the story is told; by Matias’s standards, the home is a castle.

The house is also a barrier, one that is easily surmounted. Matias’s objective is clear, though Steve is still shy about taking advantage of their fortunes.

Once the barrier is breached, Matias and Steve enjoy all the amenities offered by “los ricos.” It is not long before Vanessa (Michelle Magallon), Isabel (Naome Antoinette) and Jasmin (Alessandra Mañon) are at the gate, also looking to enjoy the oasis. Somers wastes no time in developing each of the three ladies, piecing together relationships, especially once Carlos shows up.

A game of “Truth or Dare” reveals quite a bit about each of the characters, their motivations, their desires. Vanessa is painted as someone who thinks beyond her means: very intelligent, thoughtful. Isabel is reserved and is also very intelligent. Jasmin is overly comfortable in her skin and is not shy about letting others know.

I had an eerie feeling coming out of the screening of the film. The narrative, the characters, they felt ‘familiar,’ like an homage to Lawrence Kasdan’s “The Big Chill,” where more is revealed in actions than what is spoken. Part of the eerie feeling can be attributed to that film’s 15th Anniversary release, which I saw while I was in college: another customer at the video store (remember those?) told me that he didn’t think I would like “The Big Chill.”

I found that Kasdan’s film, the characters, the settings, the mutual feelings between disparate lives and situations were as powerful as Somers’s film was when I saw it at the Phoenix Film Festival in 2018, some 20 years later.

“Rich Kids,” which is now streaming on Netflix is certainly deserving of all the accolades it has received. The third act doesn’t gel as well as the rest of the film, though the nature of the character-driven story made the first two acts stand out, the third act is an effective tie-off to an afternoon spent resting in paradise.

3 out of 4 stars

“Rich Kids” was the Ensemble Cast Winner of the 2018 Phoenix Film Festival.

Blow the Man Down - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe in ‘Blow the Man Down’.

The female creators and cast crack open big surprises in ‘Blow the Man Down’

Written and directed by:  Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy

Starring:  Sophie Lowe, Morgan Saylor, Margo Martindale, June Squibb, Annette O’Toole, and Marceline Hugot

“Blow the Man Down” – “The simple truth is that you can understand a town.  You can know and love and hate it.  You can blame it, resent it, and nothing changes.  In the end, you’re just another part of it.” – Brenna Yovanoff

The Connolly sisters, Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth (Morgan Saylor), reside in Easter Cove, Maine, a fictional coastal town that – actually - is not so picturesque.  Sure, it meets the ocean, but a wintertime chill smothers and covers the whole local-lot, as crisp air and snow annually lounge – like unwanted houseguests - for months and months. 

Then again, when is it not winter in Maine? 

July, perhaps.

No matter the month…or day, Mary Beth has had it.  She missed a year of college and reluctantly stayed in town while her mother fought death, but in the end, Father Time is undefeated, and Mary Margaret Connolly passed.  Filled with sorrow, but also freedom, Mary Beth can flee.  Priscilla and she, however, inherited her mom’s debts, and their business Connolly Fish could face doom. 

Soon after the funeral, a sudden, ill-fated incident transpires (that will not be revealed in this review), and this college-aged twosome confront an entirely different challenge, one that dwarfs debts and stunted dreams.

Without actually asking writers/directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, “Blow the Man Down” might be their lifelong dream come true.  They wrote the script’s first draft about 9 years ago, and the ladies should beam with pride, because their vastly entertaining dark comedy is chock-full of surprises, quirky discourse and absorbing characters, played by June Squibb, Marceline Hugot, Annette O’Toole, and Margo Martindale.

Martindale especially stands out.  Shades of her performance as Maggie’s (Hilary Swank) miserable mom in “Million Dollar Baby” (2004) creep into this seaside village.  Sixteen years later, this critic still gets chills when thinking about Clint Eastwood’s film and Earline (Martindale) ungratefully saying to her daughter, “Why didn’t you just give me the money?  Why did you have to buy me a house?”

Anyhow, these women – Susie (Squibb), Doreen (Hugot), Gail (O’Toole), and Enid (Martindale) -  comprise a collection of old friends who oversee the goings-on in this New England community.

Every square inch. 

They are the decision makers.  Cole expands on this idea at a 2019 Toronto International Film Festival screening and Q&A.

“The people who could really scare us growing up were women, so we wanted to think about power, and the nature of how power happens in different ways.  Our dream for this movie is that you look back at your mom and (her) friends chatting around a table,” Cole said. 

She adds, “We do have these real people who are making real decisions and forwarding the plot, but you underestimate them in the beginning, and we invite you to underestimate them, because we’ve all been underestimating them.” 

Apart from a thoughtful, kindhearted cop (Will Brittain) and an atmospheric assembly of fishermen-crooners, the men soak in one-dimensional, forgettable simplicity, naturally by assured design.  The homegrown fellas might spend their waking hours throwing darts or commenting on football.

For instance, Susie’s husband Bob (Neil Odoms) steps into their dining room and announces, “I dropped my fork.”

He was watching a New England Patriots game and opines, “They’re not giving Brady any protection.  They’re playing like a bunch of nuns.”

The aforementioned group of women certainly are not nuns.  On the contrary, they are much closer to a coven.  Salem and the fictional Eastwick are semi-nearby, and although Susie, Doreen, Gail, and Enid aren’t cooking up spells, they spin modern-day double, double toil and trouble.

Circling back, Priscilla and Mary Beth are the ones who find themselves – through their own actions – in trouble, as Lowe and Saylor perfectly portray pits-in-their-stomachs people who are over their heads and skid on their feet.  They slide a slippery slope, and their naivety and empathetic state of bleak affairs drive the conflict and our interest, like rooting for an antelope to outrun a lion’s pursuit during a National Geographic TV special. 

No warm prairies can be found in Easter Cove, but “Blow the Man Down” is a special movie, and like the Connolly sisters, we become another part of it for 91 minutes…and long after the credits roll.

(3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes

The Hunt - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Betty Gilpin in "The Hunt”. © 2020 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS All Rights Reserved.

Directed by: Craig Zobel

Written by: Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof based on “The Most Dangerous Game” by: Richard Connell

Starring: Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Emma Roberts, Hillary Swank

The timing for the release of Universal Pictures’ “The Hunt,” which after a six-month delay is being released into theaters this weekend, couldn’t be worse.

Or could it?

Craig Zobel’s (“Z for Zachariah”) film is a raucous look at what happens when a group of 12 complete strangers is put into a green pasture, hog tied and forced to fend for themselves, with sniper fire pinning them down from every direction, traps set out to maim or kill the group, thusly restricting their movements.

While the screenplay by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof is full of modern-day allegory to our own ongoing struggle with the current administration and the division it has created, there is a subtler undertone to the story that caused this critic’s brow to furrow in interest.

Zobel does not shirk behind the material. In fact, even as the Universal logo fades in, the swell of Nathan Barr’s score exults a triumphant wave of music, almost farcical in nature. It sets the tone for the next 90 minutes in that the characters that populate both sides of this charade are just as unprepared for the reality they’ve created.

“The Hunt” is more a parable for the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ than it is about ‘red’ and ‘blue,’ but those political ideologies inform our characters, especially that of Crystal (Betty Gilpin) and Athena (Hillary Swank).

Glipin is an absolute blast as Crystal, the proclaimed Southern Redneck with a lanky drawl. Yet, her calm demeanor suggests that she is something far more than meets the eye. Zobel doesn’t bring those attributes of her character out in to the open immediately, instead letting her character build slowly.

Athena on the other hand is a hot head; someone who is used to getting exactly what she wants when she wants it and Swain relished in the chance to perform this type of role. It was outside of her comfort zone, but we never see her sweat. Zobel makes the brilliant choice to not show her face right away, giving her a voice only as if Geppetto pulling the strings from behind the curtain.

This makes her far more ominous than the other characters that fill her cadre; the fearful elites who think their fun will be taken away at a moment’s notice. And, Crystal does exactly that.

Even if there weren’t overt references to George Orwell in this story, it has an Orwellian feel to it with the tongue-in-cheekiness that keeps us in the game but is just enough for us to realize that it is fake.

Or is it?

The film was due to be released in late September 2019 but was pulled after two test screenings didn’t sit well with audiences, followed by a push from the media to hold the film back due to an ongoing epidemic of gun violence. Now, a new epidemic might keep people from seeing this in theaters this weekend.

Which would be a shame because it deserves a chance, even though its politics might not agree with most audiences, “The Hunt” is undeniable fun with a really solid finale.

3.75 out of 4

Bloodshot - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Vin Diesel in "Bloodshot”. 2019 CTMG, Inc

Vin Diesel’s ‘Bloodshot’ feels like ‘Boreshot’

Directed by:  Dave Wilson

Written by:  Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer, based on the comic book by Kevin VanHook, Bob Layton and Don Perlin

Starring:  Vin Diesel, Eiza Gonzalez, Guy Pearce, Toby Kebbell, Sam Heughan, Alex Hernandez, and Lamorne Morris

“Bloodshot” –  Don’t mess with a United States soldier.  Apparently, Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce), a modern-day mad scientist of sorts, didn’t get the memo.  To make matters worse, his middle name might be Frankenstein, because in “Bloodshot”, he brings a soldier back from the dead and gives him some monster powers. 

Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) prides himself on surviving countless dangerous missions and returning home to his wife Gina (Talulah Riley), but evidently, his commanders sent him on one too many assignments, because an unsuspecting adversary terminates him.  (Please note that this is not a spoiler, since the aforementioned tragedy occurs within the first 10 minutes of director Dave Wilson’s film, an adaptation of a comic book with the same name.) 

When Ray wakes from his surreal, out-of-body slumber, he cannot remember his name or anything else and discovers that Dr. Harting has resurrected him with the help of a billion nanites.  These “biomedical constructs” give Ray new physical and cerebral abilities and have – in effect - become his blood.  Hence, the movie’s title. 

Now, this isn’t Dr. Harting’s first rodeo, because he’s assembled a team of enhanced ex-military combatants, including a former Navy Seal with artificial gills (Eiza Gonzalez), a soldier with brand new mechanical legs (Sam Heughan) and another who sports a few cameras to replace his lost eyesight (Alex Hernandez).  These makeshift Avengers carry a world of possibilities to light up the screen, but other than KT’s (Gonzalez) 60-second synchronized swimming routine sans a partner, Wilson - inexplicably – does not really showcase their boosted new gifts.  In fact, Jimmy (Heughan) dons a pair of elongated arms – possibly inspired by Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) human forklift suit in “Aliens” (1986) – in the third act, which makes one wonder:  Why all the previous fuss with his legs?

Instead, the team loiters around the penthouse of Harting’s skyscraper, which looks a lot like Tony Stark’s tower, as KT occasionally delivers streams of verbal jabs in the good doctor’s direction, and Jimmy regularly broods about beating up Ray. 

Why?  No clear reason, other than Jimmy’s a raging jerk. 

Jimmy, however, is clearly not a worthy adversary for Ray, and the lack of a threatening villain deadens the film’s whole narrative.  Hey, this critic’s pulse probably never broke 35 during the 109-minute runtime, and say what you want about the schlocky, soldiers-turned-cyborgs “Universal Soldier” (1992), but at least Dolph Lundgren stood opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme throughout the cheesy nonsense.

Not here, and ‘90s practical effects give way to total reliance on CGI, and perhaps the filmmakers confused cartoons and comic books, because Ray’s superpowers do not exactly inspire or suspend disbelief.  Case in point: Ray and a foe’s slow-motion fist fight (while they fall 1,000 feet) unfortunately carries all the gravitas of a peanuts-versus-pretzel decision on your next flight.  

Based on the comic book’s premise, it’s easy to see why Diesel, Pearce, Gonzalez, Toby Kebbell, and others jumped on board, and to be fair, “Bloodshot” is not a bad movie.  It’s more of a harmless non-event, and after watching the finished product, “Boreshot” feels like a better title.

(2/4 stars)

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

First Cow - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Photo Credit: Allyson Riggs/A24

Dir: Kelly Reichardt

Starring: John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Ewen Bremner, Scott Shephard, Gary Farmer, and Lily Gladstone

Food is emotional. For Native American people, its value is one associated with love, well-being, and companionship. Food is history. Whether from the assortment of ingredients that example the development of societies throughout the world, to the way that good food can spark mighty memories that take the person back in time to feelings and emotions both pleasurable and hurtful. Food is personal. For the creator, food is an artistic expression of their individuality but also their relationship with the emotions that connect them to everyone that eats their offerings.

“First Cow”, director Kelly Reichardt’s newest fable set in mid-19th-century Oregon Territory, composes all these unique emotions connected with food and the relationships humans have with it; emotions defining how the food was viewed, consumed, and abused by humanity. Amidst all these emotions is a beautiful friendship between two unlikely men who hatch a plan to get beyond their poverty by stealing milk from the lone cow in the area to make “oily cakes”, basically a doughnut, to bring a small taste of joy to the rugged and dire situation during this time. Kelly Reichardt’s allegory is a mix of sweet friendship challenged by the overwhelming sense of bad omens on the horizon.

 Cookie (John Magaro) is the cook and chief forager for a group of trappers who are in the final days of their venture into the woods, their animosity for one another is felt with every move and word uttered. While Cookie is out searching for food he encounters King-Lu (Orion Lee) hiding completely naked in a nearby bush. King-Lu is trying to evade murderous circumstances involving a group of Russians. Cookie helps hide King-Lu with his party but on their voyage back to Fort Tillicum, King-Lu leaves. It doesn’t take long for the two men to find one another again, they bond through circumstance and create a business partnership utilizing Cookie’s culinary skillset and King-Lu’s salesmanship.

Director Kelly Reichardt crafts minimalistic films centered around specific emotional relationships; whether with humans, animals, nature, or other unique products of emotional connection, Reichardt has an undeniable ability to make the most simplistic of stories feel overwhelmingly complex.

“First Cow” composes this same quality. While focused on the relationship between Cookie and King-Lu, Reichardt charts a relationship founded on desperation which soon moves to camaraderie and then progresses simply to loving friendship. It’s a beautifully structured composition that is assisted by two actors, John Magaro and Orion Lee, who provide nuanced and natural performances.

Interesting still is that “First Cow” composes an even more complex relationship with the animal in this film. The cow, new to the region at this time, provides a political, historical, and poetic relationship and sensibility to the film. The political economics of supply and demand found with Cookie and King-Lu’s “oily cake” company, the historical memory found with the bountiful bovine living at the home of the Chief Factor (Toby Jones) who composes a picture of wealth from a foreign land but also the powerful memories associated with food primarily founded by the animal. As one man explains, the “oily cakes” taste like something his mother used to make. There is also something wholly poetic between the connections between the cow and the humans using her; a sense of comfort during complicated times, of peace in a place so ravaged by greed, of life during a time when death seems imminent.

“First Cow” may serve as the perfect example of the kind of art director Kelly Reichardt creates; emotional, historical, personal, and deliberate stories about relationships. It may also be looked upon as one of the director’s finest works when her stunning career is completed.

Monte’s Rating
4.00 out of 5.00

The Banker - Movie Review by José-Ignacio Castañeda

Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, and Anthony Mackie in ‘The Banker’.

Directed by: George Nolfi

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult and Nia Long

This film follows the true story of Bernard S. Garrett (Anthony Mackie), a black business man who achieved great success in banking and real estate ventures in the 50’s and 60’s, despite the institutional racism of the time. In spite of the original story, the film chooses to focus on the intricacies and numbers of real estate and banking instead of Garrett’s important and powerful role.

Mackie plays Garrett as a strait-laced numbers whiz who wants to succeed in real estate. Garrett moves out to Los Angeles with his wife Eunice (Nia Long) in an effort to help black people buy houses and open new businesses. After a few mistrials Garrett teams up with Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), an exuberant businessman who is willing to invest in Garrett’s idea.

Shortly thereafter, Garrett and Morris succeed at helping black people open new businesses and integrate into white-only neighborhoods. Then, Garrett decides to capitalize on the success by buying a bank in order to give more loans out. Garrett utilizes his worker friend, Matt (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the buyer of the bank in order to bypass the discrimination they would have faced.

The film then serves up some amusing “Pretty Woman” montages of Garrett and Morris trying to give Matt a white-collar makeover. These montages also begin to introduce a lot of numbers and banking equations that the film devotes too much screen time to. It is after this first act that the feature begins to lose focus of the story it is trying to tell. Matt’s story and development receive an abundant amount of undue screen time that could have been better spent elsewhere.

“The Banker” works best when Mackie and Jackson share the screen. Jackson’s eccentric womanizing take on Morris plays extremely well off of Mackie’s straight-faced interpretation of Garrett. Their interactions help keep the film interesting in the face of its slow pacing. 

The film ultimately buries Garrett’s inspirational story beneath unnecessary subplots that don’t contribute to the message of the film. The feature included great elements, such as acting and story, but did not succeed at showcasing them. Overall, “The Banker” boasted a great set-up, but fizzled the execution.

Wendy - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Directed by: Benh Zeitl

Screenplay by: Benh Zeitlin and Eliza Zeitlin, based on “Peter Pan” by: J. M. Barrie

Starring: Devin France, Yashua Mack, Gage Naquin, Gavin Naquin, Ahmad Cage, Krzystof Meyn, Romyri Ross

Movies, entertainment in general, have been used by many as an escape from reality. In theory, a movie should allow us to expand our imagination, to experience an adventure that we wouldn’t normally explore, either because our own life experiences tell us we can’t or that we shouldn’t. There’s an ease with which we accept the latest physics-defying and calculating “Avengers” tale at the local multiplex; there are characters and intrigue which draw us in, and yet the stories are relatable; they ground us.

For “Wendy,” it isn’t that the story grounds us, but rather the characters’ spontaneity within that story that allows us to enjoy Benh Zeitlin’s (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) sophomore film.

To get trapped in “Wendy’s” story would be to take the pure joy out of this raucous adventure. It is bright in its visual and audio style, bold in its assertions.

And yet, none of it works as well as it does without Devin France, the young actress who plays the titular character. Zeitlin correctly frames the story in a reality that far too many of us will recognize, but we take for granted because we accept the limitations of our own circumstances. As Wendy, France offers us an innocence in an ugly place.

Surprisingly, that “place” is a run-down restaurant in the middle of the Louisiana bayou. The restaurant, run by her mother, is always busy; people coming and going. There is a healthy respect for the love and the heart that drives the life blood of the restaurant even as Wendy and her two older brothers, Douglas and James, played by real-life brothers Gage and Gavin Naquin respectively, dream of a better life.

The reality comes crashing down somewhere in between as Mom callously reminds them of what awaits their adult lives: waitressing, bussing and running the restaurant; there is no choice.

Despite the callousness with which the story imparts this wisdom, there is a very strong bond between the siblings. That bond, whether for protection or for a shared experience is put to the test one night.

Interestingly, the building housing their restaurant and apartment adjoins a train track. Each night, the train passes aimlessly by. One night though, Wendy is whisked away by a phantom child her age, Peter (Yashua Mack). Wendy has a bold sense of adventure in her, which Peter and Douglas do not immediately share. The strong bond between the three is what ultimately causes them all to be whisked away to an island in the middle of nowhere.

The volcano island, which burps with life as it spews steam is a gentle reminder that life evolves; that change is inevitable. It also represents the dangers of uncontrolled imagination and a break in trust; the bond between the siblings is put in jeopardy as the older folks of the island are prohibited from co-mingling with the younger people.

Zeitlin drives resentment as a wedge between the two factions, but he also uses that as the story’s strength in finding a commonality between the two sides: the young and the young-at-heart. “Wendy” doesn’t purport to offer a fountain of youth. Just as in reality, lost time causes our dreams to fade away as responsibility takes its place, a reference to the reality of the restaurant.

The ecosystem in which “Wendy” is set doesn’t break the laws of physics like the “Avengers” movies do. In fact, the ecosystem is what fuels Wendy’s journey and makes its imagined reality that much more luscious and exciting. Just as in the restaurant, the characters that inhabit the ecosystem are the driving force, and it’s a legacy that, much like the reimagined “Peter Pan” reminds us that it is okay for our imaginations to run freely.

“Wendy’s” imagination is inventive, witty, bold. It reminds us of the ties that bind us to one another, not to a specific place. It is a fantastical adventure, well worth taking with the family.

3 out of 4

Burden - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Forest Whitaker in ‘Burden’. Photo by 101 Studios.

Written and Directed by: Andrew Heckler

Starring: Garrett Hedlund, Forest Whitaker, Andrea Riseborough, Tom Wilkinson, Tess Harper, Usher Raymond IV

Deeply personal, intimate narratives have the power to tell a story that, often, connects with an audience. Whether through a character, a relationship, an actor’s performance, the story itself or the technical side of filmmaking, the intimacy allows a film to build trust with an audience; a genuineness that isn’t very easily replicated, even in real life.

“Burden,” based on the true story of Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund, “Tron: Legacy”), is the kind of story that should fit the description above. There is a genuineness in the performances; there’s a trust that first time writer-director Andrew Heckler brings to the screen in his direction.

An orphan raised by the Ku Klux Klan, Mike comes across the screen as dimwitted. Yet, behind the sway and the drawl, the actor’s calculating eyes betray a more noble purpose. Hedlund’s quiet personality doesn’t boast, even when his temper breaks. He knows that there is a moral ambiguity behind his actions.

This makes it a bit easier when Judy (Andrea Riseborough) enters his life. When we first meet her, she is in the middle of a break-up with another low life parked on her couch. Mike, who is there to repossess her TV, witnesses her just go all-out on the low life boyfriend who left her kid without a TV. Riseborough gives the impression that she’s not going to put up with anything that stands in the way of she and her son. And although the sparks don’t immediately come, there is some affection between Mike and Judy.

The story gets this connection out of the way, perhaps just a bit too quickly, or even too easily.

Despite that, the connection between the two works in the film’s favor, in that it eases the underlying tensions between the Reverend David Kennedy (Forest Whitaker) and the leader of the Klan, Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson), who just happens to be Mike’s adopted father.

The Klan has purchased an abandoned movie theater and turned it into a Klan museum for all to see. The theater, which has an interesting and humorous involvement in the story, is a beacon. As a focal point, it draws each of the opposing sides in. It also creates a unique barrier, for which Mike alone holds the key, so it creates some space with which Heckler can work with the characters and the brewing situation.

It also creates a vacuum in which the relationship between Judy and Mike takes a bit more center stage than the story could support. The narrative works because the characters are real, visceral if you will. As Mike makes the conscious decision to break from the Klan to pursue a life with Judy, the Klan acts, putting pressure and strain on not only their relationship, but with the Reverend and his family.

All throughout the story though is a timely examination of race relations and the importance behind the social acceptance of one another, as humans first. This is where Heckler got his adaptation of Mike Burden’s real story right. The right blend of humor and action makes that portion of this journey, the acceptance of a more noble cause and the actions that go with that, worthwhile.

The film’s burden, if you’ll pardon the expression, is carrying the rest of the story, Mike’s story. And though Hedlund’s performance is exceptionally strong, the story couldn’t carry the weight of that part of his journey. As the credits roll and we see the photos of the rea- life people this story represents, you appreciate their struggles because the performances are so strong.

“Burden” struggles to find light underneath the power of change. For a moment, it succeeds only to remind us that, many years later, we are still struggling to be the change.

2.5 out of 4

Greed - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Steve Coogan, Isla Fisher, and Asa Butterfield in ‘Greed’.

‘Greed’ isn’t that great

Directed by:  Michael Winterbottom

Written by:  Michael Winterbottom and Sean Gray

Starring:  Steve Coogan, Isla Fisher, David Mitchell, and Asa Butterfield

“Greed” – “Greed is good.”  - Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), “Wall Street” (1987)

Sir Richard McCreadie (Steve Coogan) – the head of Monda, an international apparel corporation – is filthy rich. 

How rich? 

Well, Monda just paid a 1.2 billion (British) pound dividend to its owner, McCreadie’s wife Samantha (Isla Fisher).  Samantha then purchased a yacht for 100 million that proudly scoots around Monaco with no apparent altruistic purpose, and hey, that leaves 1.1 billion to fund her favorite 2020 U.S. Presidential candidate!  Okay, don’t expect the latter, although one has to imagine that Richard and Samantha donate a few quid to some shifty British politicians from time to time.

Actually, Richard and Samantha are divorced now, but “Greed” shifts so many times to the distant and recent past, it’s hard to keep track of essential, important facts.  Then again, director/co-writer Michael Winterbottom does center his film around Sir Richard’s 60th birthday party (and the planning for it) in present-day, so we can anchor ourselves there. 

Yes, the grand to-be celebration on a heavenly Greek island is a gaudy illustration of extreme excess, complete with a team of paid celebrity lookalikes – like a fake-Rod Stewart, fake-Simon Cowell and fake-Kylie Minogue - and a treehouse version of a coliseum that also includes a full-grown lion. 

This, of course, begs the question:  Is the real Kylie Minogue not available? 

Naturally, the film’s perspective is clearly available: the filthy rich can get awfully dirty to find their fortunes.  At least Sir Richard did, and Coogan is smartly-cast as The King of High Streets.  Coogan can deliver on-screen insults and grievances faster a motivated, well-oiled Tommy gun can spit out bullets.  Sir Richard regularly rips apart his clothing suppliers and yanks any traces of profit out of their pockets to suit his own needs.

He doesn’t have a conscience, and Winterbottom argues that Richard never had one, as we see his life as a teen and throughout his working years through several questionable business deals.  These flashbacks – that sporadically splash across the screen in five-minute increments over the movie’s 104-minute runtime – help recount Sir Richard’s dubious history that led him to become the full-fledged bully that he is today. 

“Greed” is a morality tale, and one constructed with organic slews of memories from an intrinsically-provoked capitalist, but Coogan finds help through a couple key supporting players.  Shirley Henderson ages herself 30 years to play Richard’s mother, as she carries a chip the size of Dublin on her narrow shoulders, and Dave Mitchell is an author/journalist who shadows Mr. McCreadie to discover nuggets of knowledge for his readers.  Nick (Mitchell), however, usually has figurative doors slammed in his face, and while he struggles and bumbles for answers, Margaret McCreadie (Henderson) seems to know where all the bodies are buried, but no one would dare ask her. 

On the other hand, Richard’s kids Finn (Asa Butterfield) and Lily (Sophie Cookson) aren’t given much to do other than mope and complain, and anyone working for McCreadie feels pretty much the same.  

“Greed” attempts to be a comedy, but other than random over-the-top, disparaging remarks or occasional gaffes from Nick, there’s not much to laugh about.  The movie feels a bit schizophrenic too, because it also delivers its piercing, cynical view of money and corruption through sobering illustrations between the haves and have-nots.  Truth be told, the gilded streets of Monaco and the UK dismiss (or are unaware of) the Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar sweatshops. 

Other than a peek into the troubling economic strife at the aforementioned locales, “Greed” doesn’t offer a wealth of reasons to sit through 104 minutes of Richard’s unchecked bad behavior.  On the other hand, maybe we’ll look at a “Made in Bangladesh” t-shirt tag when doing our next load of laundry and pause for a moment to recall this movie’s clothing supply chain.  Then again, maybe not.  Regardless, this movie isn’t that great.    

(2/4 stars)

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

Emma - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Mia Goth and Anya Taylor-Joy in ‘Emma’. Photo courtesy of Box Hill Films

Directed by: Autumn de Wilde

Screenplay by: Eleanor Catton

Based on “Emma” by: Jane Austen

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Mia Goth, Miranda Hart, Bill Nighy

Walking out of Autumn de Wilde’s “Emma,” a smile on my face, I couldn’t help but reflect fondly on my first experience with Jane Austen’s classic story of manners, matchmaking and tomfoolery.

Despite the differences between de Wilde’s film and the now-classic, modern interpretation, “Clueless,” the pieces of Austen’s story are there. The humor of Austen’s beguiling matchmaker, whose self-absorbed nature prohibits her from seeing beyond the bridge of her own nose is well-suited in this witty retelling.

Set in Victorian England, “Emma” follows the exploits of Emma Woodhouse, played wistfully by Anya Taylor-Joy. There is an elegance about Emma as she seeks to mate everyone but herself. She is loyal to her ailing father (Bill Nighy) and her friend, Harriet Smith (Mia Goth).

Eleanor Catton, a novelist herself imbues the story with an intricate layer of classic, regal dialogue while the goings-on of their day to day lives are splendidly captured through the eyes of de Wilde, a photographer herself, aided by cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt. Great care is given to the look and feel of the film enhancing the humor in the story. Bill Nighy’s performance benefits from de Wilde’s fantastic staging.

Through thick and thin, Emma is blissfully unaware that her efforts to match her friend Harriet are met with mixed signals and utter confusion. She is also unaware of an attraction to George Knightly (Johnny Flynn), whom de Wilde captures in such a striking way.

Emma is not without her foibles, silently admonishing Miss Bates, beautifully overplayed by Miranda Hart, while Mr. Elton (Josh O’Connor), the priest secretly wishes to be with Emma. There’s a hilarious misunderstanding involving Elton, a still painter, Harriet and Emma.

The farcical nature of “Emma” is such that the story eventually gives way to a breakdown in Emma’s defenses as she continues to deny herself the love that wills her name. It leads to some of the more awkward moments of the film with the vibrant look of the film outpacing the story’s own nature, especially during a key scene toward the end of the second act, as Emma’s true nature makes its presence known.

The style and characters of the time are perhaps better expressed in “Downton Abbey,” where the stakes for the characters were much greater. Here, love is the greatest reward, but “Emma” doesn’t capture the essence of love perhaps as well as it could have.  De Wilde certainly has a visual style that serves the film, while Catton tries to take the higher literary world, this being her first screenplay.

Anya Taylor-Joy is a breath of fresh air to watch, her graceful stature matched with her calculating eyes is a perfect match for George Knightley.  The story meanders just a bit getting there, but it is such a beautiful meander that one doesn’t mind getting lost for a couple of hours in the splendor that is “Emma.”

2.75 out of 4

The Invisible Man - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘The Invisible Man’ starring Elisabeth Moss. © 2020 Universal Pictures

‘The Invisible Man’: Sleeping with the Invisible Enemy

Directed by:  Leigh Whannell

Written by:  Leigh Whannell, based on the novel by H.G. Wells

Starring:  Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, and Harriet Dyer

“The Invisible Man”  – “Death's got an Invisibility Cloak?"  Harry interrupted again.  “So he can sneak up on people," said Ron.  “Sometimes he gets bored of running at them, flapping his arms and shrieking.” – J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”

“In fact, even among women who have experienced violence from a partner, half or more report that the man’s emotional abuse is causing them the greatest harm.” - Lundy Bancroft, “Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men”

Ever wish that you had a superhuman ability?  Superspeed or unstoppable strength?  Flight, perhaps?  Always correctly choosing the quickest grocery store line?

Invisibility is a useful superpower too, but it is also a morally shaky one.  What’s the point, right?  Although, this covert gift would pay enormous crime-fighting dividends to police detectives everywhere, John or Jane Q. Public might tap into this transparent aptitude to eavesdrop on spouses, friends, frenemies, or coworkers, or maybe start a life of everyday mischief.  Pondering ways to collect buckets of loot might become an obsession, and sure, walking into an Arizona Diamondbacks game or Foo Fighters concert undetected has financial advantages too. 

In writer/director Leigh Whannell’s “The Invisible Man”, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) - a groundbreaker in optics…so we’re told – has much more insidious intentions than watching Dave Grohl burst into “Monkey Wrench” at a stadium show. 

Most unfortunately, his wife Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) is the sole target of his malicious ire in a film that could be called “Sleeping with the Invisible Enemy”.

When we first meet Cecilia, she’s not sleeping.  She is lying awake in her bed and starring at the clock, as it unceremoniously strikes 3:42am, but this is her moment.  While her husband Adrian slumbers, she slowly moves his hand away from her midsection, crawls out of bed, grabs some belongings, tiptoes through a labyrinth of cold, sterile hallways within their modern-day coastal mansion – that Tony Stark would admire – and runs away.

Our heroine leaves with good reason, because Cecilia – off camera - suffered years of torment.  Adrian tried – and was largely successful – to monetarily, emotionally and physically control her.  Whenever Cecilia rebelled, he met her with several stripes of additional abuse.  She lived a nightmare with a sociopath but now attempts to find solace with her friend James (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (Storm Reid).

For reasons that will not be revealed in this review, James, Sydney and Cecilia’s sister Emily (Harriet Dyer) believe that she is now completely free from Adrian, but then, like a ghost, he appears in James’ house.  No, Cecilia can’t see Adrian, but she’s convinced that he’s present. 

He’s invisible. 

Even though Whannell brings this classic villain back to the big screen, his movie – that sports first-rate production values and a thumping score to match - really falls into a highly-visible genre:  abused wives fighting back against their ghastly, controlling husbands.  The TV movie “The Burning Bed” (1984) starring the late-Farrah Fawcett might be the most noteworthy example over the last 40 years, and the aforementioned “Sleeping with the Enemy” (1991) is frequently called out too.  The latter is also the only thriller in history in which an organized kitchen cabinet terrifies the audience.   Oh, those creepy V-8 cans…truly!   

Here, the first half of “The Invisible Man” is a straight-up horror film, and especially within James’ house.   Whannell effectively introduces tones from recent flicks like “Insidious” (2010), “The Conjuring” (2013) and “Ouija: Origin of Evil” (2016), where his camera peaks around corners and doorways and stares into blank walls.  He ratchets up the tension in anticipation of horrible scares, as Cecilia stares with wide eyes and barely breathes in near silence.

After a while, however, the narrative cannot – and quite frankly, should not - stay self-contained and isolated within one abode for two hours.  Whannell establishes the initial terror, but he needs more actual space to properly drive the story, because Cecilia dodging and wrestling the appearance of nothing from the hallway to the kitchen and to the living room and back gets a little tedious. 

As the scope expands, the picture shifts from horror to thriller, and the violence and body count grow exponentially.  The scares ironically dwindle, but the interest in Cecilia’s fate never wavers.  Credit Whannell and Moss.  Moss is especially convincing in this very physical role.  Cecilia is an emotionally-drained abuse victim and resembles a frazzled poker player who guzzled a couple gallons of Red Bull during a 72-hour bender, while – of course – an erratic maniac chases her in-between hands.  She’s extremely stressed, and Adrian, a master manipulator, is the sole cause of it.

The film repeatedly triggers the audience (especially women), including a defining moment when Cecilia pleads, “(Adrian) made me feel that I’m the crazy one.”  

She’s not, and neither are you for seeking out this old monster story with a new angle.  For Cecilia and millions of others who currently suffer in damaging, controlling relationships, they may feel that a superhuman ability is needed to break away.

(3/4 stars)

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

Ordinary Love - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville in ‘Ordinary Love’.

Manville and Neeson are anything but ordinary in ‘Ordinary Love’

Directed by:  Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn

Written by:  Owen McCafferty

Starring:  Lesley Manville and Liam Neeson

“Ordinary Love” – “If you have a friend or family member with breast cancer, try not to look at her with sad eyes.  Treat her like you always did; just show a little extra love.” – Hoda Kotb

Joan (Lesley Manville) and Tom (Liam Neeson) have stable, healthy lives, but not ordinary ones.  In their 60s, they lounge around their spacious home – that sports a 40-year-old décor - in suburban Belfast.  This longtime husband and wife spend their days and nights with one another, as they relish brisk walks along River Lagan, take trips to the grocery store and share every meal.  Neither Joan or Tom ever bring up money, and retirement appears to be their pleasant reality. 

Now, according to Google, the definition of ordinary is with no special or distinctive features; normal; uninteresting; commonplace.  With a coin flip accurately estimating the chance of a marriage’s survival, and many couples absolutely depending on their paychecks to get them through the week, Joan and Tom are enjoying their comfortable, satisfying days. 

Director Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn and writer Owen McCafferty (who wrote this screenplay based on his own marriage), however, disrupt Joan and Tom’s routines and security, when she contracts breast cancer.  Now, this loving, supportive couple – who yes, sometimes include bickering with their banter – face a potential death sentence.

At the moment, the final verdict remains unknown.

Without flashy gimmicks or fanfare, D’Sa and Leyburn simply lay out this distressed couple’s new tasks, in which doctor appointments and hospital visits become commonplace events.  In a way, sterile medical facilities have developed into Joan and Tom’s collective second home.  The filmmakers establish this parallel by flashing shots of several empty rooms within the couple’s house during the movie’s opening minutes.  Later, the audience is forced to endure long sequences in clinical spaces with bulky equipment or full waiting rooms that reek with anxiety, as two celebrated actors carry Joan and Tom on their journey.

Manville – a highly-skilled authority at portraying rich and complex supporting characters, including her Oscar-nominated turn in “Phantom Thread” (2017) and a heaping stack of work for director Mike Leigh in “Secrets & Lies” (1996), “Vera Drake” (2004) and “Another Year” (2010), to name a few -  bravely delivers an authentic, raw performance as a vulnerable woman facing the abyss…and chemotherapy.  D’Sa and Leyburn don’t pull any punches, as they drag Joan through every fear, troubling thought, medical procedure, and moment of despair that a breast cancer patient may endure. 

It’s tough to watch.  Not “Lorenzo’s Oil” (1992)-tough, but still terribly challenging.

Luckily, Tom is by her side.  Neeson delivers a welcome mix of tenderness, vulnerability and fortitude but also hints at (and outright exclaims) their marital troubles, ones partially-buried below accumulated layers of daily pleasantries, chores and occasional glasses of wine.  Quite refreshingly, Neeson takes a temporary break from the “Taken” series and other mindless celluloid nonsense where he guns down massive quantities of drug dealers, kidnappers and sick baddies.  Here, Neeson’s Tom churns through choppy life-seas and quietly turns inward to find his way.

Personal, introspective cancer stories frequent the silver screen, but often times, they star young actors and look to “50/50” (2011) and “The Fault in Our Stars” (2014) as recent examples.  When cancer strikes someone in the prime of their life, a deeper layer of heartbreak surely intensifies the narrative.  Geez, just try to hold back the tears during the third act of “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” (2015).  This critic isn’t that strong.

For Joan, in the third act of life, her reality is dire, as Tom and she attempt to inoculate the anguish for revealing their sad eyes to each other.   

(3/4 stars)

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

The Call of the Wild - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Harrison Ford in ‘The Call of the Wild’. Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures

It doesn’t always connect, but ‘The Call of the Wild’ is a likable family adventure

Directed by:  Chris Sanders

Written by:  Michael Green, based on Jack London’s novel

Starring:  Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Cara Gee, Dan Stevens, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford, Jean Louisa Kelly, and Terry Notary

“The Call of the Wild” – “He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial.” – Jack London, “The Call of the Wild”

“How much is that doggie in the window?  The one with the waggly tail.” – Patti Page, “(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window”

Buck is an aristocrat of sorts.  Perhaps an aristodog?  (Many apologies for going there. Couldn’t resist.) 

He’s a handsome, 140-pound St. Bernard-Scotch Collie, and the Miller Estate, located in Santa Clara, Calif., is Buck’s home.  Judge Miller (Bradley Whitford) and his wife Katie (Jean Louisa Kelly) run it like a Montessori school, at least in Buck’s eyes.  He basically does as he pleases, which means rambling through the hallways and crashing into doors.  The Millers still love their sociable, kind and clumsy dog lots and lots, but he’s a bit wild. 

For reasons not engineered by the Millers’ design, Buck is dognapped from beautiful, sunny California, and before you can say “endless piles of snow”, he finds himself in Skagway, Alaska and running with a dog sled team that delivers the mail to the Yukon and back.  Thankfully, the mail route owners Perrault (Omar Sy (“The Intouchables” (2011)) and Francoise (Cara Gee) are friendly and treat these canines with respect, but scampering through this harsh, frigid environment is awfully hard work, and Buck is a fish out of...well, you know.

“The Call of the Wild” is a new experience for director Chris Sanders.  It is his first live-action movie after three animated features, including “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010), but he brings his much-needed talents to this project.

“This is the first time the book from beginning to end has ever been attempted.  One of the reasons that we’re able to actually attempt (it) is that now, we can animate all the animal characters,” Sanders said in a Feb. 2020 interview with The Movie Times.

Buck and the other sled dogs are indeed animated, but admittedly, the special effects – at first - seem a bit shaky (at least to this critic), when Buck rummages through the Miller Estate.  On the other hand, after 10 or 15 minutes of screen time, a natural comfort of settling into the story takes over, and Buck looks real and believable. 

Sanders and screenwriter Michael Green ensure that the audience continues to subscribe to this on-screen take of Jack London’s novel by making a very smart choice:  Harrison Ford narrates the story, rather than the dogs speak or think out loud.  Although some films with talking four-legged friends - like “Babe” (1995), “The Lion King” (2019) or even “The Cat from Outer Space” (1978) - have a nestled place in moviedom, thankfully in “The Call of the Wild”, the computer-constructed pooches - including our sympathetic hero - behave like dogs and aren’t asking one other, “Hey, when will we break for dinner?”

As far as breaks from the book, Sanders’ film follows the novel’s overall arc with some discernible – but not distracting – changes along the way.  Also, with the movie’s PG-rating, it is more family-friendly.  “The Call of the Wild” should be just fine for kids, but note that The Law of Club and Fang dabbles into Bambi’s mom vs. a cruel hunter-territory, and the formidable great outdoors provides noteworthy reasons for angst.  Also, note that Dan Stevens plays such an over-the-top creep as the villain, that Nicolas Cage would stand up and offer 10 seconds of sincere applause.    

Certainly, Harrison Ford deserves applause with his turn as John Thornton.  Like Buck, John earns our sympathy, as he struggles for answers as well.  Unlike Buck, he willingly left his home for snowy isolation, but John eventually becomes this doggie’s owner and friend, and like most healthy relationships, love is a two-way street.  Sanders also includes a positive message about refraining from alcohol, which is a nice touch.

“The Call of the Wild” has pleasant, warm touches along with a rugged sense of adventure.  Now, the actual calls into the wild feel thin and forced, and the Alaska/Yukon wilderness seems to volley from actual footage to something manufactured, but this movie is an enjoyable ride, and it will encourage millions to pick up London’s novel for the first time in years or for the very first time.  Hey, Buck, John, Sanders, Green, and London might just inspire you to stroll by a nearby pet store and look in the window for a St. Bernard-Scotch Collie or pack your bags and head north.  Way, way north.

(2.5/4 stars)  

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

Invisible Life - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Carol Duarte in ‘Invisible Life’.

Directed by: Karim Aïnouz
Screenplay by: Murilo Hauser, Inés Bortagaray and Karim Aïnouz,
Based on “The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmäo by: Martha Batalha
Starring: Carol Duarte, Julia Stockler, Gregorio Duvivier, Barbara Santos, Favlia Gusmäo

Reflecting on the themes present in “The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmäo,” one cannot help but think of the proverb, “blood is thicker than water.”

Set in the 1950’s, Karim Aïnouz’s story of two sisters who spent their lives separately thinking the other was living their dreams. Fueled in part by repression and bigotry, the Un Certain Regard selection of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and Brazil’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards is as vivid as the lives it depicts.

Based on the novel by Martha Batalha, Euridice (Duarte) and Guida (Stockler) Gusmäo are two sisters whose dreams and aspirations leave them pining into the unknown future. What is known is that their father Antenor (Gregorio Duvivier), a butcher is a man of pride. He wants to see his daughters grow up and instead, after being insulted by Guida, tears the family apart.

Aïnouz’s direction is taut throughout as he depicts two sisters madly in love with their dreams and determined to set their paths. The two sisters’ separation is just as emotional as the film’s conclusion. Revealing it here would dismiss the happenings throughout the rest of the story as Euridice lives a life of trying to reconnect with her sister.

The attempt is deftly handled through years of letter writing on the part of Guida, whose guilt, shame and remorse are felt with every word. Remorse quickly turns to desperation as the months turn into years. Julia Stockler’s performance is heart wrenching to watch unfold as she learns to cope with a father who does not want her and a sister that she cannot physically connect with.

Carol Duarte’s performance is just as beautiful as she too hopes to connect with her sister. Instead, she has a family. She is first a loving mother and then a giving grandmother, something their parents never gave them.

Just as the letters offer context, Aïnouz injects several opportunities for the two sisters to connect. Hélène Louvart’s cinematography is both vivacious and sumptuous while revealing small, intimate details that convey the interconnectedness of the two sisters despite the distance between the two, offering a balance that keeps us guessing as to what will happen next. Color is an important aspect of Louvart’s visual style, conveying the emotional aspects of each sister’s individual lives.

Karim Aïnouz’s “The Invisible Life of Eurdice Gusmäo” is an elegant and emotional look fueled by the performances, the colors, music and the sounds of life simply happening in front of our eyes. The two sisters could not be closer in spite of their distance, but Aïnouz reminds us that blood is indeed thicker than water.

3.75 out of 4 stars

Downhill - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell in ‘Downhill’.

Dir: Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Will Ferrell, Zach Woods, Zoë Chao, and Miranda Otto

Take a moment the next time you are on vacation, at the amusement park, the beach, or any place where families gather to relax and partake in fun, and look through the crowds of smiling faces for that one family that is in the midst of a bad day. Where the kids are having complete meltdowns, and mom and dad are barely holding it together as years of unresolved past arguments and quarrels rise slowly to the surface. If it’s not happening to you, it’s a fascinating sight to see.

“Downhill”, a remake of the 2014 Swedish film “Force Majeure” from director Ruben Ostlund, takes a look at a vacation-from-hell scenario for a family on a skiing trip in a foreign country. Directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who last helmed the 2013 film “The Way Way Back”, compose this version of the film with a lesser emphasis on mechanisms like masculinity, the line that divides fear and cowardice, and relationship inadequacies. Instead, the writing and directing team focus on the surface situation of ‘flight versus fight’ and allow the strengths of their actors, Will Ferrell playing more reserved than normal and Julia Louis-Dreyfus controlling the tone with her anxious and irritated demeanor, opportunity to control the blending serious dramatic themes with awkward comedy moments.

Billie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Pete (Will Ferrell) are taking their two young kids on a skiing trip in Austria, they are staying at a luxury resort tailored for adults. Pete, from the moment they arrive, seems distracted by his phone while Billie is doing her best to make the vacation fun for everyone. While eating lunch at an outdoor restaurant, a controlled avalanche is initiated by the resort; as snow rolls down the mountain it begins to look more and more threatening to Billie and Pete, just as the snow crashes into the restaurant, Pete grabs his phone and runs away from Billie and the children. Once the white dust settles, Pete returns as if nothing happened while Billie is holding her children and trembling with fear.

Faxon and Rash pace their film with a swiftness, moving into the primary conflict of the movie with ease and then focusing on the ramifications of the event between Pete and Billie with a string of interesting and amusing scenarios. While this helps keep the narrative moving it also stifles some of the thought-provoking interactions and internal conflict that Billie and Pete are experiencing about themselves individually and one another collectively. “Downhill” doesn’t pursue the depth that “Force Majeure” explored, instead it examines the superficial emotions, the surface anger and frustration that Billie feels and the outward denial and selfishness that Pete exhibits. While it doesn’t ruin the experience of “Downhill”, it does display a lack of emotional connection between the married couple.

Julie Louis-Dreyfus is very good throughout the film, her comedic timing works well when her character is annoyed but also adds a nice bit of charm as things begin to progress more complicated. Will Ferrell pleasantly provides some restraint in his needy and selfish portrayal of Pete. While Ferrell is good, though there are few moments that don’t work for the character, such as a long scene involving Pete recalling his time as a single man after being offered a drink from an attractive onlooker.

“Downhill” isn’t interested in finding pathways to deeper intellectual topics, however, that doesn’t mean it isn’t any less interesting watching two people struggle to patch the worn pieces of married life amidst awkward encounters and cringe-worthy scenarios. 

Monte’s Rating
3.00 out of 5.00

Sonic the Hedgehog - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

James Marsden and Ben Schwartz in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’.

Directed by: Jeff Fowler

Written by: Pat Casey and Josh Miller

Based on “Sonic the Hedgehog” by: Sega

Starring: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Jim Carrey

Jeff Fowler, director of “Sonic the Hedgehog” has his work cut out for him.

Not only does he have to deliver a movie based on a beloved video game character, but that character, as many people complained about after the first trailer premiered had to look good.

The film, which opens this weekend, delivers on both in most respects.

Sonic, voiced by Ben Schwartz looks good. Real good.

The film, which is a road trip in disguise, is a lot of fun too, but is not without its potholes.

Sonic has a gift, one that if found out could be used for evil. As played here, Sonic is a teenager, full of vinegar and ready to test the world. Early in the film, we see him zoom across the screen like blue lightening. Under the watchful gaze of Longclaw his caretaker, his cavalier respect for his powers earns him unwanted attention, forcing him to Earth.

The script by comedic duo of Pat Casey and Josh Miller quickly establishes Sonic as an isolated creature who . . . lurks about Green Hills, Montana, a sleepy little town just as isolated as Sonic feels. Fowler creates an environment in which Sonic thrives . . .  on his own.

Isolation and a lack of friends gives Sonic a reason to taunt Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), the sheriff who thinks he hasn’t contributed enough and wants a shot at some real action. Tika Sumpter plays his wife, Maddie, a veterinarian who fully supports her husband’s decision to abandon the good people of Green Hills.

Sonic attracts the attention of one Dr. Robotnik, played with utter glee by Jim Carrey. Robotnik, a neurotic quack, is on the government’s “speed dial” when what looks like an E.M.P. knocks out power to most of the west coast. His knack for “getting his man,” is what gives him the edge over the military.

That and his wonderful array of floating toys.

Carrey is menacing and maniacal at the same time as he not only deals with his own high IQ, but also with the constant attempts to outwit Tom, a no non-sense type of individual, who eventually crosses paths with Sonic and realizes the little fella needs his help.

Fowler injects a good deal of action in the form of car chases, most of which defy physics and, certainly in the case of downtown San Francisco, sheer space. But, that doesn’t mean that the action isn’t any less exciting.

The humor is on point too, especially the ongoing banter between Robotnik and Tom and an ongoing feud between Rachel (Natasha Rothwell), Maddie’s sister and Tom, whom she believes is a terrorist in disguise.

There is a real sense of kinship between Sonic and Tom that does not feel forced; Fowler ensures that the basis for their friendship especially that of an ongoing ‘bucket list’ is solid. That’s the  strongest element in favor of keeping “Sonic the Hedgehog” moving at a supersonic 99 minutes. There are times where that run time feels just a bit too long, but then Robotnik makes an appearance and all is well.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” is a fun and faithful to the game, the revamped Sonic character looks amazing on the screen and if nothing else, you get to see Jim Carrey rock out for a few minutes as his diabolical plans come to fruition. It isn’t without its bumps in the road.

Then again, if art imitates life, then “Sonic the Hedgehog” has that game in the bag.

3 out of 4

The Photograph - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

LaKeith Stanfield and Issa Rae in ‘The Photograph’.

Romance is a bit fuzzy in ‘The Photograph’

Written and directed by:  Stella Meghie

Starring:  LaKeith Stanfield, Issa Rae, Chante Adams, Rob Morgan, Y’lan Noel, Lil Rel Howery, and Chelsea Peretti

“The Photograph” – Location, Location, Location. 

If you live in Mesa, AZ, would you take a job across town in Buckeye?  According to Google, the cities are 53 miles apart, and at 6:00pm on a Thursday, the one-way commute is 1 hour and 18 minutes.  Unless you have a How to Learn French in 500 hours app, a pile of gas money, a reliable, late model Honda or Toyota, and are born with oceans of patience, handing a tattoo pen to your 6 year-old son and asking him to draw a permanent rubber ducky on your forehead seems like a more sensible idea than starting at a new company with 13 hours of driving time every week.

No, location might not be a critical factor for every decision, but pragmatists rightfully consider it when looking for a job.  

In writer/director Stella Meghie’s “The Photograph”, Christina Eames (Chante Adams) is a straight-thinking realist too, but she also has a passion. 

The year is 1984, and Christina is about 18.  She lives in Louisiana, loves to take pictures and dreams about moving to New York City to work as a photographer, but her boyfriend Isaac (Y’lan Noel) has no interest in relocating.  Isaac loves Christina, but not enough to follow her across the country.  She’s staring into a massively divisive crossroads, but when the heart wants what it wants, a 1,300 mile life-journey to The Big Apple is not an impossible, overwhelming idea.  She might set love aside and pursue her professional goals.

Fast forward 36 years, and Christina’s daughter Mae (Issa Rae) loves her job as a museum curator, and for reasons that will not be discussed in this review, journalist Michael Block (LaKeith Stanfield) is writing a story about Mae’s mom.  Naturally, he meets his subject’s daughter.

Since “The Photograph” arrives in theatres on Valentine’s Day, one might anticipate that Meghie’s film is full of romance. 

Not so, and throughout most of its 106-minute runtime, “The Photograph” has all the fervor of calculating your federal income taxes, two months ahead of the April deadline on a lazy Sunday morning.  Make that coffee extra strong, and did you save that 10 dollar receipt for those Girl Scout cookies?  That counts as a charitable donation, right?

Anyway, Mae and Michael are both single, successful and attractive professionals and begin dating.  They have dinner at a fancy restaurant, listen to Al Green records, receive relationship advice from family and friends – including some hilarious one-liners from Michael’s brother (Lil Rey Howery) - but they are both hesitant about taking the next step.   Well, Michael wants to take the next step, but since most of his relationships haven’t lasted more than 12 weeks, he probably doesn’t exactly know.  Mae and Michael are a bit emotionally unavailable, and she’s terrible at first dates, per her own admission.  (To be fair, how many of us are?)

Mae and Michael don’t have terrible chemistry, but they talk, chat, expound, and rationalize their way in and out of this possible relationship - and run through some false starts - throughout most of their on-screen time.  Thankfully, the narrative regularly flips between present-day and the 1980s, so we can spend some quality time in the past.  Hey, Christina’s impending career decision versus a life with Isaac carries genuine gravitas.  This couple formed a settled bond that could break, rather than Mae and Michael’s constant speculation if they should seal theirs.

Meghie definitely plays with parallels between the two time periods, and 2020-Isaac (Rob Morgan) connects them and delivers the film’s most emotional beats.  She continues the resemblances between past and present but forces a Mae-Michael plot point with a shoehorn, crowbar and sledgehammer.   Well, rather than take Al Green’s advice that they “ought to stay together”, maybe Mae and Michael should be sound pragmatists, do the math and split. 

Eh, either way is fine.  Happy Valentine’s Day.  

(2/4 stars)

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

Portrait of a Lady on Fire - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant in ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’.

Written and Directed by: Céline Sciamma

Starring: Noémie Merlant, Adéle Haenel

A very simple question about a painting opens Céline Sciamma’s exquisitely intoxicating “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”

As with the painting, the answers offer more detail than the artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is willing to share. At first.

In order to answer the question, we are whisked away to late eighteenth century Brittany, an island with a storied castle and an unintended, yet passionate romantic interlude awaits us. The island is the site of one of Marrianne’s earliest commissions, that of Héloise (Adéle Haenel), a betrothed woman of means, intellect, yet very little desire.

Marianne encounters resistance in getting Héloise to pose for the portrait. Marianne knows how to fend for herself; she is a very worldly individual. As such, Sciamma builds the intrigue through a game of “cat and mouse” as Marianne indulges in Héloise’s world.

That indulgence is carried through Claire Mathon’s exquisite cinematography, which has a painterly quality to it. Sun drenched walks along the rocky coastline give way to fire lit discussions: intense, purposeful and emotionally charged designed to draw us further into their affair. Sciamma is sure to infuse small details which help us to recall their relationship, bits that inform each character as uniquely as their story does.

The early indulgences lead to the first pose. The room is bright and airy, allowing for the idiosyncrasies of  each character to show; neither is quick to reveal much about the other, yet both are keenly aware of the unspoken attraction. Sciamma’s attention to detail in these early scenes are magnetic, almost electric oozing through the screen.

Marianne’s assumptions and observations get the better of her though as the first painting is largely an intended failure. As observed by Valeria Golino’s Countess, Héloise’s mother,

The isolation of the island itself is a key to the outcome of the film; Sciamma does not hold back the inevitable, framed only by the fact that the events we witness are as a memory. That isolation is further cemented by a lack of characters, other than the live-in maid, Sophie (Luàna Bajrami).

Sciamma’s centerpiece isn’t so much the affair as it is the conflict that arises from the affair. Both Marianne and Héloise are passionately in love, yet they are aware that their affair cannot continue. Neither is willing to pull away.

Their hand is forced first through feelings of mistrust over the nature of the portrait, revealing an unsustainable affair. Second, and more important is a reflection of “Orpheus and Eurydice” in both the dialogue as an argument and then later at a fireside gathering full of women singing and dancing. This is the pivotal moment where vulnerability is revealed in a series of images that haunt Marianne. The love is still there as is the passion, but the reminders are such that they must move on.

When Marianne and Héloise finally do separate there is a tinge of regret that nothing further would come of the interlude. The memory of what was, the details Sciamma carefully built into their respective characters, is an eternal marker of a flame that will never die.

That love lives through “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” not just the movie itself, but the painting that was carefully created throughout the production. Sciamma’s talented eye and instincts won her the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival as well as the Best Screenplay award.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and while that might feel a cliché way to express my adoration of “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” it only scratches the surface of what Céline Sciamma’s film achieved.

4 out of 4 stars

The Traitor - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Pierfrancesco Favino in ‘The Traitor’.

Directed by: Marco Bellocchio

Screenplay by: Marco Bellocchio, Valia Santella, Ludovica Rampoldi, Francesco Piccolo, Francesco La Licata

Story by: Marco Bellocchio

Starring: Pierfrancesco Favino, Maria Fernanda Candido, Fabrizio Feracane, Fausto Russo Alesi, Luigi Lo Cascio

The trailer for Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor” preceded a film in early December and from its tight editing, it presented a very taut tale of intrigue and deadly adventure for one Tommaso Buscetta (Pierfrancesco Favino) as an informant on La Cosa Nostra.

The movie that famed Italian director Marco Bellocchio delivers is a sprawling story based on the real-life figure of Tommaso Buscetta, a Sicilian Mafia boss who sought to repent for their misdeeds. In that very real regard, Favino delivers an exquisite performance, a solemn face with eyes emoting at every turn.

Bellocchio was also not afraid to bask in the locations afforded his production – you truly feel like you’re in Italy or Brasil as Buscetta’s life catches up with him. Vladan Radovic’s cinematography beautifully captures these locales, framing Buscetta’s emotional struggles against the wrongs he commits.

In relocating to Brasil, he makes the mistake of thinking that his former associates could not get to him or to his family. Bellocchio’s level of violence is not over the top – it is tastefully done in the way that shooting someone can be portrayed on screen. There is a level of dark humor imbued in these assassinations as a way of counting towards the inevitable.

Though as the story goes, and based on the real life of Tommaso Buscetta, he develops a conscience, though as the screen play frames it, he is set up. It leads to an interesting relationship between the prisoner and the jailer as Buscetta returns to Italy to offer the State testimony in exchange for protection.

A rather poignant relationship forms between Buscetta and Judge Giovanni Falcone (Fausto Russo Alesi) as the two men bond over the emotional struggles to bring to the world stage the players of La Cosa Nostra. The film itself is set in the 1970’s and moves through time, but Bellocchio and Radovic never lose the rich visual style, which as time progresses so too do the locations from exterior to interior. The interior scenes in the courtrooms were bright and, dare I imply spacious.

A curiosity as the venues change in the film, they seem to get less spacious and more tight as if to convey that for every time Buscetta opens his mouth, the noose of La Cosa Nostra gets tighter; it is more than that. Buscetta is constantly fighting his own demons as his stature and his resolve to be honest and forthright becomes more apparent. As a double entendre, Bellocchio  uses the visual to support the emotional change in the character.

If “The Traitor” is guilty of any crime, it is that the run time makes its presence known. Much like La Cosa Nostra, it lurks in the shadows of great performances and a struggle rarely seen. The longer run time does not take away from the performances, but there is a certain point where there is too much exposition.

Understanding that this is a key piece of history, and a beautifully shot movie, taking elements out of the film might have negatively impacted the experience: in the end, “The Traitor” is as much an experience of one man’s life, culture and fortitude, as any film of its ilk.

"The Traitor" does not betray the honor of its subject. Rather, it honors Buscetta as a man of integrity. The cost to that integrity justify the means to those ends.

2.75 out of 4