X - Movie Review

Dir: Ti West

Starring: Mia Goth, Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, and Kid Cudi

1h 45m

A group of independent filmmakers set out to rural Texas to make their adult cinematic dreams come true. Full frame stars and strips designed font, presenting the year 1979, welcomes viewers to director Ti West's throwback genre homage titled "X." 

The opening moments shot through barn doors and into the bloody aftermath of a murder scene feel tailored for a 1970s Tobe Hooper or Wes Craven production with its grainy film look highlighted with yellow and brown hues. Director Ti West, returning to the genre for the first time in over a decade, takes an old-school slasher movie approach with "X," blending the renegade spirit of the early independent horror filmmakers and the dawn of mass-produced pornography for a satisfyingly violent and humorous romp.  

Maxine (Mia Goth) is an exotic dancer at the Bayou Burlesque, a railroad adjacent dive on the wrong side of town, but her ambitions are for stardom on the silver screen. Wayne (Martin Henderson), the proprietor of the strip club, has the perfect script for his muse called "The Farmer's Daughter." Wayne enlists a blond bombshell named Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and her ex-military boyfriend Jackson (Kid Cudi) to star in the film. RJ (Owen Campbell), the director who insists that it is possible to make "a good dirty movie," and Lorraine (Jenna Ortega), the quiet but observant girlfriend who holds the boom pole for sound, join in the filmmaking fun. The group jumps in Wayne's blue van and heads to an outskirts farmhouse owned by a frail older man named Howard (Stephen Ure) and his wife Pearl (Mia Goth in old-age makeup), who envies the sexual acts and youthful freedom of the filmmakers. 

Ti West positions adult pornography movies and slasher horror films in the same avenue of examination regarding the gratuitous nature of writhing bodies in states of pleasure with sex and pain with violence. West pokes fun and plays ingeniously with genre archetypes throughout the film. The pacing of anticipation with horror show techniques, a skinny-dipping scene shot from a birds-eye view with a stalking alligator is tense and elegantly composed. The careful structuring of sex scenarios shot with a 16mm camera rarely looks at the raw act of body parts in motion and instead focuses on the emotion of expressions. Both of these scenes display that West completely understands genre filmmaking and utilizes them for greater gazes beyond gratuitous violence and sex. 

 Once the film transitions into a slasher movie, with creative kills and a wealth of special makeup effects, the subplot concerning Pearl's envy of Maxine's beauty and the longing for sexual satisfaction meet their culmination underdeveloped. Still, West's journey through these subject matters of aging, lust, and infatuation are interestingly ventured when combined with the genre characteristics of a horror narrative. 

Mia Goth, who is excellent in the lead role, plays an unorthodox final girl who uses drugs, proudly owns her sexual freedom, and cares mostly about her singular well-being. Brittany Snow plays her seductive character with confidence, while Kid Cudi, with a 70's mustache, is cool, calm, and collected. 

"X" is a throwback midnight movie romp with a late 70s aesthetic that feels like it was shot from the same lens as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Ti West makes horror fans remember the days when genre films could be exploitative, evocative, and entertaining at the same time. 

Monte's Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

Compartment No. 6 – Movie Review

Directed by:  Juho Kuosmanen

Written by:  Juho Kuosmanen, Andris Feldmanis, Livia Ulman, and Lyubov Mulmenko, based on Rosa Liksom’s novel

Starring:  Seidi Haarla, Yuriy Borisov, and Dinara Drukarova

Runtime:  107 minutes

 ‘Compartment No. 6’ offers a winning cinematic journey

“No spitting on the floor.” 

A train conductor warns Laura (Seidi Haarla) – a Finnish woman studying in Moscow - about this spewing statute as she boards a train.  Good to know because Laura was about to reach for a pinch of chewing tobacco.

No, not really.  

However, this 30-something is heading on a 1,200-mile journey (almost due north) from Moscow to Murmansk.  By car, the trip would take 23 ½ hours straight, but this railway carriage makes stops along the way, including an overnight in Petrozavodsk, and she has to share quarters with a stranger, Ljoha (Yuriy Borisov), for a couple of days.  

Now, he – about her age - doesn’t chew Skoal or the popular Russian brand, Siberia.  Still, Ljoha smokes and drinks constantly, and since Laura is traveling alone, he inquires if she’s a prostitute.  

Nice.  

Via first impressions, Ljoha has all the charm of Veruca Salt, and clearly, Laura hasn’t won a golden ticket. 

Despite Laura and Ljoha meeting on a train, director Juho Kuosmanen’s movie doesn’t resemble Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise” (1995), the romance picture that kicked off the “Before” trilogy with Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy).

The accommodations in this film are sans frills, as they travel without creature comforts during a frosty Russian winter.  

The blustery, snowy weather outside their window begs for emotional huddling and commiserating inside.  However, thin sheet metal walls are everywhere, and no, the second-class abodes aren’t as uncomfortable as sardine cans, but living conditions are cramped, and the overall ambiance lacks style points.  

The unassuming confines are all by design in “Compartment No. 6”, adapted from Rosa Liksom’s novel, an intriguing story about an educated woman feeling emotionally insecure in her current romantic relationship.  Laura also finds herself lost within her confined traveling space while looking out towards hundreds of vast, inhospitable miles.

Kuosmanen, Andris Feldmanis, Livia Ulman, and Lyubov Mulmenko penned the adapted screenplay from Laura’s perspective and expertly establish her character during the opening few minutes.  She attends a party in a spacious flat filled with intellectuals, professors, and their spouses, and everyone seems to enjoy plush and playful conversations.  We soon discover that Irina (Dinara Drukarova) – the hostess and a university faculty member - is Laura’s girlfriend.  Irina is older, established in her career, and wields power within these pleasant, elegant surroundings.  

Earlier at the get-together, someone referred to Laura as Irina’s lodger, meaning that the said person didn’t know how to characterize their lesbian relationship or didn’t realize that the two women were in one.  Probably the latter because it seems that Irina doesn’t advertise that she and Laura are lovers.  

The next day, Laura leaves for the station alone.  The two were supposed to travel to Murmansk - located almost on the Barents Sea, near Finland’s border – but Irina cancels due to work.  So, Laura takes tentative steps on an unsure trek, but this redhead dons a heavy green sweater and a thick powder-blue polyester coat to pacify her discomfort and cope with the bitter cold.  

Set in the 1980s or 1990s (and Liksom’s novel clocks in during the mid-80s), you won’t find iPhones, Google maps, or social media here, so immediate time and space are defined through earshot and eyeshot.  Laura has to bend to the train schedule’s mercy and forced discourse with her unrefined cohort.  She’s out of her comfort zone and stuck with her boorish new comrade, but Ljoha is more than calls for frequent drinks and gruff, frank talk.  

This thin fella with a shaved head and modest clothing doesn’t reveal anything from his past, but Laura and we gather that life has regularly dealt his cards from the bottom of the deck.  Ljoha has coped with loss and rejection, or perhaps he hasn’t thought enough of himself to take bold leaps that could lead to those aforementioned feelings.  Regardless, he’s suffered through bad beats, but there’s a good-natured, empathetic soul in there.  More importantly, Ljoha has a thoughtful one, which is quite the opposite of Laura’s current belle. 

“Compartment No. 6” is a movie draped with dueling imagery and themes.  It offers comparative views of a restricted, mechanical cubicle versus a wide-open, freezing tundra.  More intimately, Haarla and Borisov give authentic performances and gazes into their characters’ contrasting experiences and education, as their identical itineraries oblige these two towards compulsory exchanges and connection.  How deeply will their reciprocity run?  Kuosmanen, Haarla, and Borisov don’t race through Laura’s and Ljoha’s emotional beats over conventional, expected, and smooth pathways.  Quite the opposite.

Life is complicated and sometimes littered with stutter steps, false starts, and dead ends.  Luckily, we have the free will to start over or turn around, and we may find ourselves in unforeseen, welcome latitudes.  For Laura, maybe an evening conversation and precious moments of trust with Ljoha and a new friend in Petrozavodsk are worlds more gratifying than a stuffy Moscow revelry.  Who knows, she may have purchased a winning train ticket. 

Jeff’s ranking

3.5/4 stars

---

The Batman - Movie Review

Dir: Matt Reeves

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, and Paul Dano 

2h 55m

The opening scene of director Matt Reeves’ new incarnation of the Batman is the best introduction to the character delivered to film. In the black of night, with the fog-covered beam of the Bat-signal barely illuminating the skies of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne narrates the entire lore of the Dark Knight while bad guys cower at sounds echoing from the shadows. “I am vengeance” is the final phrase before the reveal from the darkness. 

Reeves, who co-wrote the script with Peter Craig, separates the superhero from the 60s television show playfulness and the 80s/90s playboy-by-day, caped-crusader-by-night designs. They move further away from Christopher Nolan’s serious trilogy and craft an even darker, more tormented, and traumatized version of Bruce Wayne in “The Batman.” The most noticeable emotion felt throughout Reeves’ film is dread. The darkness is consuming; much of the film feels shot with minimal light sources. The overwhelming tone feels like a mix of the horrific elements of David Fincher’s “Se7en” with the procedural aspects of “Zodiac.” 

Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) arrives at a crime scene, led by his ally in the Gotham City Police Department, James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). It’s a gruesome murder of a political figure, orchestrated by a serial killer dubbed The Riddler (Paul Dano) who leaves ciphers and codes addressed to The Batman. Gotham City is corrupt, drugs are rampant, and criminal organizations with deep ties to everything in the city protect old secrets and introduce new mayhem. With the help of Alfred (Andy Serkis), Batman begins solving the devious riddles left for him, uncovering truths that challenge Gotham City’s legacy and Batman’s true identity. 

What Matt Reeves has done with “The Batman” is fascinating in a world dominated by the Marvel machine of superhero films. Those bright, heroic, and hopeful films have come to define cinematic representations of extraordinary people fighting the manifestations of evil from Earth and other galaxies. However, while “The Batman” composes an environment that feels otherworldly, not with fancy technology but more the essence of a society reorganized by the worst people after the first society failed, the quality of this film is grounded with gritty realism. Bad guys are pummeled with fists and heels; no special weapons are needed. And if Batman needs any wonderful toys, they often feel like homemade garage experiments. The Batmobile looks like a 1969 Dodge Charger with a jet engine attached to the back. When Batman must evade a group of bad guys, he jumps from a building in a contemporary wingsuit. 

 At a staggering 175-minutes, much of “The Batman” is a neo-noir crime drama mixed with serial killer horror movie vibes, sprinkled with an occasional action scene that doesn’t boast extravagance but is framed more for character emotions. When a group of officers secures a crime scene, with a medical examiner detailing the cause of death for an unlucky soul, you’d think an inquisitive gumshoe with a fedora, trench coat, and a lit cigarette will enter the moment to describe motive and the assailant. Nope, it’s Batman in a full heavy armor suit doing the detective work. It’s jarring at first, but it works because of Reeves’ steadfast direction. What also helps the detective story is the demented masked villain, a riddle-obsessed killer who uses codes and puzzles to lead Batman to the next victim. 

Robert Pattison is the most haunted, most traumatized, Batman of all the Batman’s. His eyes echo an incomplete life, unleashing moments of rage that are destructive with a vengeance. The central idea of Bruce Wayne’s life, where the isolated and lonely hero tightropes the thin boundaries of vigilante justice, pushes “The Batman” into bolder choices for the characters. It composes a villain that must be worse than the nightmares that haunt the memories of Bruce’s life. The narrative never delves below the surface often, it avoids telling the familiar back story at all costs, but Pattison conveys all the emotions exceptionally well in the quiet moments. Assisting in performance is the wonderfully manic Paul Dano as The Riddler. Colin Ferrall is nearly unrecognizable as The Penguin; he composes the only character of any fun in the film. Zoë Kravitz is somewhat lost in this long narrative but is charming and confident as Catwoman whenever on screen. 

“The Batman” is a bold concept, a push in an interesting, if not thoroughly developed, direction for the often familiar franchise vigilante. Robert Pattison proves completely capable of shouldering the weight and expectations of the Dark Knight. 

Monte’s Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

---

Lucy and Desi – Movie Review

Directed by:  Amy Poehler

Written by:  Mark Monroe

Runtime:  103 minutes

Chances are that you’ll say:  I admire ‘Lucy and Desi’

What’s your favorite “I Love Lucy” (1951 – 1957) episode?  

Vitameatavegamin?  The grape stomping/food fight?  The chocolate factory? 

Officially, these timeless, classic moments are “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (S1E30), “Lucy’s Italian Movie” (S5E23), and “Job Switching” (S2E1), respectively.  For this critic, the insane, maddening conveyor belt with an endless and frightening supply of candy is my number one! 

“Listen, Ethel.  I think we’re fighting a losing game,” Lucy (Lucille Ball) claims with traces of despair and terror in her voice. 

Lucille Ball wasn’t the United States’ first comedienne, but she was the country’s leading television funny lady during the medium’s Golden Age.  

For casual fans who enjoyed the show’s original run or grew up consuming oodles of reruns, some of us weren’t aware of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s history and their labor behind the cameras until writer/director Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos” (2021) arrived in theatres.  Well, I’ll speak for myself, anyway.  

His movie covers one week during a taping of an “I Love Lucy” episode, “Ethel and Fred Fight” (S2E4), but Sorkin champions an effective deep dive into the real-life couple’s working and personal relationships.  It’s an eye-opening picture that showcases Lucille’s command and vision of their sitcom’s material and Desi’s sharp, big-picture mind over the business and internal politics.

Sorkin – a masterclass storyteller – weaves an intricate, narrative view of this regal couple.  In director Amy Poehler’s documentary, “Lucy and Desi”, the prominent, successful SNL alum applies her distinctive lens to Ms. Ball and Mr. Arnaz, one filled with gratitude.  

Indeed, there’s no absolute need to see both movies, but “Being the Ricardos” and “Lucy and Desi” are splendid compliments for die-hard fanatics, casual devotees, and those with zero familiarity with the show.  However, if you are new to “I Love Lucy”, see Poehler’s doc first.  It’s jam-packed with seemingly hundreds of tidbits, facts, quips, comments, testimonials, and clips galore from their beloved program, personal lives, and business dealings. 

Did you know that Lucille starred in four more Lucy-based programs after the original show, and Vivian Vance joined her for three, or that Desilu Studios housed the indoor sets for “Hogan’s Heroes” (1965 – 1971)?  Not me. 

The info and perpetual array of rich, insightful visuals flood the screen so quickly and so often, you’ll swear that Poehler constructed a speedy conveyor belt of her own.

During a Jan. 23, 2022 IndieWire interview, Amy discusses her approach to the film. 

“(Lucille and Desi) are so famous and funny and successful, but over the years, they’ve become very 2D.  They’ve almost (become) Halloween costumes and not people,” Poehler says and adds, “After learning and researching much more about (their relationship), I found it as inspiring as their work, frankly.  So can we use that relationship as a structure in which to tell their story?” 

Poehler does, especially with Lucille’s and Desi’s own voices.  Years and years ago, “Ladies’ Home Journal” interviewed Lucille, and Amy explains that Ms. Ball liked the reporter, so she kept talking and left a wealth of audio.  Desi’s numerous voiceovers are from his book’s audio and other home recordings.

Not only was Poehler inspired, but she interviews two uber-prominent female redheads (and a very famous blonde too) – who will not be named in this review – and they add their admiring thoughts about Lucille, a woman who paved the way for generations of comics.  

Lucie Arnaz speaks frankly and candidly, too, takes a welcome lead at times, and opines about her parents and their ups and downs, including a disastrous European vacation, but also sunnier moments, like their partnership mentality.

“Lucy and Desi” is a blessing of a doc, but let’s also mention that several moments are laugh-out-loud funny.  Still, this movie shows that Ball and Arnaz were much more than their beloved yesterdecade sitcom.  Poehler and her team include so much that this 103-minute documentary requires repeat viewings, just like 180 episodes of “I Love Lucy”.  

Hey, let’s watch Lucy pitch Vitameatavegamin again! 

Jeff’s ranking

3/4 stars

---

Fresh – Movie Review

Directed by:  Mimi Cave

Written by:  Lauryn Kahn

Starring:  Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, and Dayo Okeniyi

Runtime:  114 minutes

‘Fresh’: Bring your horror appetite but not a first date

“She’s fresh.  Fresh.  Exciting.  She’s so exciting to me.  She’s fresh.  Fresh.  Exciting.  She’s so inviting to me, yeah.” – “Fresh” (1984) by Kool & the Gang

According to Google, the definition of fresh is “food recently made or obtained; not canned, frozen, or otherwise preserved,” and “not previously known or used; new or different.” 

After experiencing director Mimi Cave’s wild, cannibal horror flick, probably 99 out of 100 moviegoers will declare that “Fresh” is the perfect title for this film, especially after reminders of the aforementioned Kool & the Gang lyrics and Google definitions. 

(The one outlier?  That person would perhaps state that “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (2020) is a flawless label for the Borat sequel.)  

Wait, a cannibal movie?  Why “Fresh”?  Let’s set the table without giving too much away. 

Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) - a personable, attractive 20-something – is single and copes with a semi-rotten dating life.  Well, it’s almost nonexistent, but we comically suffer and sympathize with her on a lousy date, one for the ages.  She also scans through bad and worse choices on her Puzzle Piece app that resembles Tinder or Match.

Where are all the good men, she wonders?  Apparently, they appear during late-night trips to the grocery store.  She runs into Steve (Sebastian Stan), a witty, striking 30-something, who starts a conversation, makes her laugh, and gets her number.  Steve seems like a great guy, but there’s a catch, of course.  

He eats people. 

Our young heroine discovers this fact in the most unappetizing and frightening way.  

“Fresh” is a surreal, startling story that doesn’t rely on jump scares or gimmicks.  Cave and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn conjure up a woman’s worst nightmare, and it’s not necessarily that their Noa’s new boyfriend chews on human flesh.  That simple, unfathomable fact certainly exists, but Noa makes a flippant – and seemingly safe - choice in a dating partner, and now, she faces suffocating consequences.

There’s a reason why the 1984 television movie “The Burning Bed”, starring Farrah Fawcett, was seen by millions of American women and discussed for years (and decades) later. 

Noa isn’t safe. 

To help break the consuming dread, Cave sprinkles in moments of reprieve, including just about every scene with Noa’s best friend.  Mollie (Jojo T. Gibbs) is her constant voice of reason and acts as a friendly, firm, and needed conscience. 

Steve doesn’t have an Instagram account.  Mollie immediately responds with, “That’s a red flag.”

Noa is in trouble, and Mollie is her one flesh and blood lifeline, and we – the audience - grasp onto her and Gibbs’ engaging performance like a life preserver in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. 

In her first big-screen lead role, Edgar-Jones is quite convincing as a vulnerable, everyday lady who finds herself in quite the pickle, and Noa needs to lean on her inner strength, perseverance, and knowhow to return to singlehood and a normal life.  Meanwhile, Stan chews up the screen as the disgusting, duplicitous dude whose frightening existence meets a surreal 80s soundtrack with songs like Animotion’s “Obsession” (1984) and a couple of other well-chosen picks.  Nicely done.  

These musical overlays offer some morsels of normalcy but then again, not so much, as “Fresh” triggers uncomfortable memories of the “Sister Christian” scene in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights” (1997).   

Cave and Kahn mix in some spooky shades of “Ex Machina” (2014) and “Get Out” (2017) in their devouring, hold-on-tight horror film.  Certainly, “Fresh” caters to a female audience in big, blatant ways but also with subtle moments too, including the dreaded line “Come on.  Give me a smile.”  Still, this film is for everyone with a strong stomach, but it’s probably not a first-date movie.  Definitely not, but bring a BFF, a group of pals, or a partner who you know very, very well and who your Mollie has completely vetted.   

Geez, dating in 2022.  What a mess.  

Jeff’s ranking

3/4 stars

---

Cyrano – Movie Review

Directed by:  Joe Wright

Written by:  Erica Schmidt, based on Edmond Rostand’s play

Starring:  Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Ben Mendelsohn

Runtime:  124 minutes

‘Cyrano’ has no self-doubt 

“I like to think that (this movie) allows (the “Cyrano” story) to speak more universally, and not just specifically to someone my size or somebody who is differently-abled.  We all have that sort of insecurity when it comes to the person that we are.”  - Peter Dinklage, Dec. 26, 2021 “CBS Sunday Morning” interview with Lesley Stahl

Edmond Rostand’s 1897 seminal play “Cyrano de Bergerac” – set in the 17th century - is 125 years old, but the title character’s internal struggle has existed as long as humans have stood upright. 

Self-doubt.

Based on a real-life Cyrano, Rostand’s creation is about one man’s apprehension to pursue love due to his insecurities, ones based solely on his looks.  Cyrano believes that he isn’t worthy of another’s love, anyone’s love, due to his unusually lengthy nose.

Theatrical, television, and film artists have retold this classic for decades, perhaps because Cyrano’s woes resonate with our misgivings.  Granted, barely anyone walking and talking on Planet Earth has a Cyrano-sized nose.  Still, we’re all humans, and self-criticism is a frank, unfortunate, and familiar art form.  We can find anything to criticize ourselves.  

In the 21st-century social media age, perhaps our self-deprecating struggles are noticeably more pronounced than in tighter 17th and 19th-century community circles. 

Well, in 2018, Erica Schmidt – Peter Dinklage’s wife - wrote and directed a musical version of the seminal story starring Peter and Haley Bennett.  Director Joe Wright (“Pride & Prejudice” (2005), “Darkest Hour” (2017)) saw the play in Connecticut and asked Erica to write a screenplay and Peter and Haley to star in his film adaptation. 

This movie differs from “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1950), starring Jose Ferrer, who won the 1951 Best Actor Oscar for his swashbuckling (and tragic) take on the character, and “Roxanne” (1987) with Steve Martin’s modern-day interpretation as Charlie “C. D.” Bales, a small-town fire chief.  “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1990) showcases Gerard Depardieu, and he and the cast appropriately speak in French.  The 1990 film garnered a Best Costume Design Oscar and four other Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor (for Depardieu) and Best Foreign Language Film.  Sadly, this critic has yet to see the last-mentioned movie.

In this 2021 account, Wright replaces our hero’s nose-anxiety with height challenges.  Although this particular self-criticism speaks to new visual reactions, Cyrano’s (Dinklage) vulnerable churn remains virtually identical to past performances….that this critic has seen.

Cyrano - in love with his longtime friend, Roxanne (Bennett), but afraid to express it – discovers that she has a case of “le coup de foudre” with a handsome new soldier, Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.).  Rather than Cyrano professing his deep affections for Roxanne, he helps Christian win her over by writing love letters in the young legionnaire’s name.  You see, Christian doesn’t have the knack for the written or spoken word.   

Since this retelling doesn’t sway too differently from the basic story, why see this “Cyrano”?

A few reasons.  

Dinklage and Bennett share intriguing, enjoyable chemistry and are a lovely pair.  Wright captures several close-ups of his two main actors during the most critical times, such as when Roxanne admits her adoration for Christian instead of her beloved friend.  Throughout the film, Bennett’s Roxanne looks angelic with beautiful, porcelain skin and a trusting presence, while she’s plainly unaware that her declarations for another inflict painful, damaging blows to her lovesick friend.  Meanwhile, we see the color and life drain from Cyrano’s face upon learning those fateful, aching words.  

However, Dinklage’s Cyrano capably seizes chances for swordplay and clashes during the first act on a theatre stage and later in the streets.  Still, Ferrer had more opportunities to wield Cyrano’s steel.  

Also, this movie maintains its harmonious roots from Schmidt’s musical, which offers a refreshing slant to the lavish production, and Dinklage and Bennett are competent crooners.  Their ranges aren’t operatic, but Dinklage and Bennett’s rendition of “Overcome” during the famous balcony scene is beyond convincing.  In fact, my glasses fogged due to streams of tears as Cyrano and Roxanne asserted their loving testimonies and Aaron and Bryce Dessner plucked an array of string instruments during post-production (or in the background somewhere).

Yes, the moment overcame this critic as well! 

Admittedly, I approached this film with curiosity, sometimes partaking in a study of compare and contrast, wondering about Wright’s angle towards the source material.  Still, Dinklage, Bennett, and Harrison Jr. (to a lesser degree) – at times - shook me out of my quasi-scientific study and into unadulterated periods of astonishment, especially since Schmidt captures layered nuance with both playful banter and crucial, solemn discourse between Cyrano and Roxanne. 

In this case, the love story rests on a stunning foundation, namely Sicily.  Wright, the cast, and crew filmed on location on the dazzling island, and our leads and seemingly hundreds of extras stroll, frolic, and fight on a bedrock of history.  Apparently, archeologists discovered human settlements dating back 14,000 years on the isle, a place that hosted wars and various kingdoms throughout the centuries.  Of course, it feels apropos that Wright filmed this historic (and historical) literary account on such a recognized locale.  No doubt, this film doesn’t look or feel manufactured on a Hollywood sound stage, and Wright takes full advantage of his topographical and architectural riches, including duels and dances on ancient boulevards and war movements at the foot of Mount Etna. 

(In fact, Etna erupted during the filming!  What?) 

While Wright offers grounded realism for our 17th-century players, the audience does lose some polish that a studio stage would provide.  A shine, actually, because some specific indoor scenes and outdoor shots at night appear dim on the big screen.  It feels like cinematographer Seamus McGarvey – who collaborated with Wright on “Atonement” (2007), “Anna Karenina” (2012), and “Pan” (2015) – uses candlelight inside and limited glows outside.  Simply put, the film operates in shadows at times.  It’s distracting when we need more precise, brighter views of clanging swords or De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn) – the movie’s villain – delivering some selfish, icky lines to force Roxanne’s hand in marriage.  

A couple of other issues light up.  

Mendelsohn – who played one of the most depraved antagonists in recent memory as Uncle Pope in “Animal Kingdom” (2010) – has lapped up villainous roles for years, but he isn’t quite menacing enough here.  Yes, De Guiche delivers some devastating edicts but only through their ultimate outcomes, not in the heat of the moments.  A few subtle, sinister twirls of De Guiche’s mustache would’ve gone a long way, but unfortunately, we don’t get them. 

Speaking of twirls, the film could’ve also placed de Bergerac in more spots of whimsy or joy.  The screenplay plays it straight as Cyrano marches down the inevitable enabling path towards Christian and Roxanne.  However, as a principal mentor in a French regiment, one would think that Cyrano would frequently lead men in boisterous group exchanges, battles of wit, and laughs.  Such happenings would help bolster our on-screen hero.  However, besides a very public spanking of an oafish jerk in the first-act theatre scene and then, an entanglement of blades on the ancient streets, de Bergerac often converses in tighter quarters, without public eyes to marvel at his humor, wisdom, and athletic showmanship.  In most cases, his magnanimous talents are primarily on display only for individual, intimate conversations with his trusty friend Le Bret (Bashir Salahuddin), Christian, or Roxanne. 

The result is a serious, subdued, and pained Cyrano, and you might wish that our champion have grander, more celebrated collaborations, cherished fellowships, and some chuckles during the second or third acts.  

Overall, this film holds tightly onto more sober tones, but it isn’t without some whimsy.  Still, you won’t find anyone utter, “Because I was afraid of worms, Roxanne!  Worms!”

Hey, that’s alright. 

“Cyrano” (2021) is a fine achievement.  Dinklage and Bennett confidently and successfully step into these unforgettable characters with Oscar-nominated costumes and a flat-out spectacular backdrop, and Wright, Schmidt, Harrison Jr., the Dessners, the crew, the rest of the cast, and the leads will probably trigger tears that could fall onto your popcorn.  Bring tissues to catch them because we may cry for Cyrano and maybe a little for ourselves too.  Not many of us are entirely free of insecurity.   

Jeff’s ranking

3/4 stars

---

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Movie Review

Dir: David Blue Garcia

Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Jacob Latimore, Olwen Fouéré, Moe Dunford, Nell Hudson, Jessica Allain, and Mark Burnham

1h 21m

For nearly 50 years, Tobe Hooper's masterpiece of independent filmmaking, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," has populated every list detailing the most influential, greatest, scariest horror films of all time. And it justifiably deserves every single accolade in some way. 

The gruesome masked killer, Leatherface, has continued his rampage as any good scary movie villain should, with sequels, remakes, origin stories, and now, with David Blue Garcia's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," a chance to communicate the massacre again in modern times. The result is an uneven mix of modernistic sentiments and simplified social commentary combined with the visceral driving force of a buzzing chainsaw, brutal gore, and unabashed violence for the sake of violence. 

A group of idealistic young people escapes the city for a new beginning in the rural town of Harlow. Melody (Sarah Yarkin) and her teenage sister Lila (Elsie Fisher) have short-lived peace as they disrupt the residence of deranged serial killer Leatherface, whose legacy of bloodshed continues to haunt the residents of the abandoned town. But a survivor from the 1973 massacre, Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré), has been waiting for the opportunity to have her revenge.

The return to the saga started in 1973 brings an aged Leatherface, with shaggy grey hair, a noticeable limp, but still faster and more robust than any twenty-something young person in the film, face to face with modern times. Gen Z'ers are gentrifying a rundown town, driving electric cars, and all of them eager to live stream every aspect of their lives. As one social media-minded man brutally finds out, Leatherface doesn't have time for views and likes.

Director David Blue Garcia wastes zero time with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," it's a quick trip down a familiar dusty road. Each iteration of the Texas Chainsaw killer gets progressively more violent and gory throughout the franchise history. Tobe Hooper's original film was relatively bloodless, with violence implied with camera framing and positioning. Garcia's vision doubles down on the gory carnage and sadistic mayhem, leaving nothing to the imagination. 

At a sweet-spot running time of 83 minutes, Garcia treats this film primarily as a buffet of bloodshed. It is an uncomplicated story that tries to flex a deeper underlying agenda about trauma and empowerment but never takes the time to explore it. It's the film's major fault and what ultimately makes it unmemorable after it's over. 

Survivor Sally Hardesty, played with ferocity by Olwen Fouéré, returns to exact some justice after all these years. The past torments Sally's character; she carries a picture of her friends and displays a demeanor of a hunter waiting for their prey. This character examination arrives with thought-provoking potential but is completely underutilized. Instead of creating a dynamic between Sally and the monster who ruined her life, the narrative build-up for Sally's character only supports Leatherface's one-note backstory. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is seldom committed to anything more than the surface level carnage and gore. 

Ricardo Diaz's cinematography heightens the looming threat of Leatherface's return. The appearance of the chainsaw-wielding killer in a field of sunflowers followed by a wide shot of him lumbering towards his hometown with an on-coming storm in the distance is striking. The highlight, however, is seeing the iconic monster highlighted with blue lights on a party bus, which is just the beginning of a fun scene for the franchise character. 

"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" delivers on everything its title could promise; director David Blue Garcia takes you to Texas for a brutal, gory chainsaw massacre. Everything left on the ground after the chainsaw stops turning composes the remainder of this film.

Monte's Rating

2.25 out of 5.00

---

Dog – Movie Review

Directed by:  Reid Carolin and Channing Tatum

Written by:  Reid Carolin

Starring:  Channing Tatum, Q’orianka Kilcher, and Eric Urbiztondo

Runtime:  97 minutes

‘Dog’ attempts too many tricks during this bumpy but well-intentioned road trip

U.S. Army Ranger Jackson Briggs (Channing Tatum) is struggling.  He needs a job.

Briggs served in the Middle East for years and lives stateside now but suffers from concussions and post-traumatic stress.  The man searches for a purpose and – hopefully - another military assignment.  However, he deals with more rejection than a ticketless, penniless football fan negotiating with pricey scalpers outside a Super Bowl venue.   

Well, finally, an old colleague grants him a chance.  It’s a weekend job but a valuable, salient one.  

Sadly, a fellow U.S. Army patriot, Sgt. Riley Rodriguez (Eric Urbiztondo), passed away, and his upcoming funeral is set in Nogales, Ariz.  He’s survived by his military dog - a Belgian Malinois named Lulu, who served for several years - and Jackson must drive this heroic hound from the Pacific Northwest to Sgt. Rodriguez’s service.  

On the surface, this sounds like a straightforward, stress-free task.  Briggs and Lulu can enjoy lovely views and human and canine banter on I-5 or the Pacific Coast Highway for a couple of days, but this road trip is more winding than the tricky pathways through the Cascades.  

You see, Lulu hurts from as many emotional and physical scars as Jackson.  She needs to wear a muzzle frequently, and off-camera, she allegedly and recently put three guys in the ER.  

Perhaps, Jackson should wear a dog trainer’s bite suit for 1,500-plus miles, right?

This movie – made by first-time directors Reid Carolin and Tatum – has two major themes in its favor: person-pooch bonding and veterans returning from war.  It’s darn near impossible to be against these two big-screen ideas.  Hey, I am a huge animal person and have massive respect for our soldiers.  

The filmmakers’ hearts are in the right place, and at times, they push the right buttons, but contrived plot devices and conflicting tones travel over a bumpy celluloid terrain.

With his soldierly experience, Jackson respects authority and responsibility.  Still, connecting with a volatile, dangerous dog in a closed space, namely in his aging, blue Ford SUV for hundreds of miles, sounds like standing in a closet full of mousetraps for three days straight.  

That’s a tricky business, so the film introduces some enormously random encounters for our confined couple, including a tantric tryst (for Jackson) and a kidnapping.  What?  Okay, not at the same time. 

(Note: two notable cameos grace our screen during Jackson and Lulu’s adventures, including one that WWE fans will love.) 

These moments are about as distant from the primary storyline as your local gas station is to the surface of Mars.  Regrettably, these bizarre cinematic rest stops feel like indiscriminate oddities to pass the time.  Well, not exactly.  We become familiar with Jackson and Lulu, and they are both sympathetic characters, even though our four-legged lady could chew up Briggs like a stuffed animal at any moment.  

Look, Lulu’s behavior is wildly inconsistent.  She might rip up Jackson’s vehicle one minute but later, sit quietly on a 4-star hotel room’s bed.  She’ll leap out of his truck’s shattered open window in one instance but not catch the jumping urge for hours and hours.  Sometimes, she’s okay without a muzzle, but during other cases, she needs one. 

Overall, we can assume where their eventual relationship will land, but mechanically, their growth along the way feels flawed, and so does the film’s atmosphere.  We volley from intentional slapstick to grave trauma from the pains of combat, and it isn’t easy to entirely wrap your arms around both concepts with a 97-minute movie that feels very rushed in the third act.  

No doubt, Tatum is a charismatic screen presence.  Men want to be him, and women want to date him, and Channing successfully portrays Jackson as an agreeable, capable figure.  Jackson and Lulu are cut from the same cloth, and they need one another, but to include both comedy and sobriety within this film, we almost needed one grounded lead character to anchor the picture and carry us (and the other co-star) through to the end.  As-is, “Dog” feels simultaneously a bit too much and not enough.  

That doesn’t mean that audiences – including dog lovers - won’t enjoy this story, and hey, Channing is undoubtedly a likable fellow.  Kudos to him for raising awareness for soldiers, both humans and dogs.  

If you want to learn more about dogs at war and the soldiers who handle them, “Megan Leavey” (2017), starring Kate Mara as the title character, is a stronger movie.  It’s a sobering picture, but it doesn’t bathe the audience in tears.  Still, it splashes us at times.  

If you decide to see “Dog”, make me a deal and watch “Megan Leavey” too.  My guess is that Channing won’t mind.  

Jeff’s ranking

2/4 stars

---

Uncharted – Movie Review

Directed by:  Ruben Fleischer

Written by:  Rafe Judkins, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway

Starring:  Mark Wahlberg, Tom Holland, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, and Tati Gabrielle

Runtime:  116 minutes

‘Uncharted’ is lost

“There are places out there you can’t find on any map.  They’re not gone.  They’re just lost.” – Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) 

“The weather started getting rough.  The tiny ship was tossed.  If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost.”  - “The Ballad of ‘Gilligan’s Island’” 

“Gillian’s Island” (1964 – 1967), an amusing, silly sitcom of seven castaways stuck on an uncharted island, was joyful candy – 22 minutes every weekday minus the ads – for this latchkey kid during the 1980s.  In several episodes, The Professor (Russell Johnson), Mary Ann (Dawn Wells), The Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.), and company would conceive ingenious ideas to leave the island, but Gilligan (Bob Denver) – the show’s biggest originator of comic relief emanating from his brain and skinny 5’ 8” frame - would inevitably botch up their plans.  By the 21st minute and 59th second of airtime, our heroes were still stuck on this Pacific isle for another misadventure.  

Sure, each show’s arc was entirely predictable, but, back in the day, this 11-year-old kid enjoyed every single small-screen installment while - usually - guessing the eventual outcome.  

“Uncharted” – a 120 million dollar, globe-trotting adventure flick - pits Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) and Nathan Drake on a search for a missing 16th-century treasure from Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition.  

How about that?  

No, Victor and Nathan aren’t searching for the S.S. Minnow, but the film’s major beats are pretty darn foreseeable.  Add juvenile discourse between the leads, far-fetched plot devices, and a few dull action set-pieces devised on CGI walls larger than Fenway Park’s Green Monster, and you have yourself a mindless action picture.  

This movie is lost. 

No, director Ruben Fleischer’s “Uncharted” is not based on a TV show but a video game, which admittedly this critic has never played, so I cannot delve into comparisons but only describe the events that unfold over the 116-minute presentation.

On the big screen, Nathan (about 10 years young) and his older brother Sam are master thieves.  Well, not precisely expert bandits because they keep getting caught, and when a cop says that Sam has “three strikes”, Older Bro disappears.  

About 15 years later, Sam is still unaccounted for, but we meet Nathan again, and he looks like Tom Holland.  Nathan might be in his mid-20s, but the man has garnered a lifetime of talents.  He packs more uses than a Swiss Army knife with a decoder ring attachment.  Not only can Master Drake bartend, but he can turn off the electricity (at least attempt to) at a downtown auction house, nimbly hop around on rooftops better than the Scaffolding Dude in “Casino Royale” (2006), and swim underwater without damaging his cellphone.  

Luckily, Victor found him because Nathan can work these mad skills plus some pickpocketing aptitudes to find billions in Magellan’s loot. 

Why trust Victor?  Well, Mr. Sullivan claims to have known Sam, so there you go. 

This dubious duo form a pact about as thin as the patience of a 3-year-old hopped up on Jolt Cola and search for the gold.  Of course, they bump into a frenemy with the same gilded quest (Sophia Ali) and a few baddies, including a heavy with an indecipherable Scottish accent (Steven Waddington), a wealthy socialite/businessman (Antonio Banderas), and a martial arts expert who carries a knife more frequently than her car keys (Tati Gabrielle).  

When our heroes untangle themselves from frequent jams, Victor addresses Nathan as “Kid” so often that college students everywhere will create a drinking game in his honor, and the young man usually responds by popping a Bubble Yum and declaring, “Whoa,” or “No way.”  

Just think “National Treasure” (2004) meets “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989) but without intrigue or fun. 

However, Fleischer and his team film in Barcelona, and they capture some flat-out gorgeous shots of the City of Counts, including a Gaudi creation and (I think) the Magic Fountains of Montjuic.  

These beautiful Spanish moments certainly beat a pair of manufactured CGI stunts involving a cargo plane and an insane sequence during the final act.  Admittedly, I didn’t see the film’s finale coming.  

Points for that, but instead of this movie, maybe play the video game (I guess) or watch something completely predictable but also gratifying, like “Gilligan’s Island, S3E27, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane”, where the gang discovers a jet pack, but Gilligan uses up most of the fuel, and then…   

Jeff’s ranking

1.5/4 stars

---

Death on the Nile - Movie Review

Dir: Kenneth Branagh

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Rose Leslie, Letitia Wright, Sophie Okonedo, Ali Fazal, Emma Mackey, Dawn French, Tom Bateman, Jennifer Saunders, and Russell Brand

2h 7m

Cinema has produced no shortage of brilliant detectives solving all manner of devious deeds, but one of the greatest delivered to novels, television, and film is Hercule Poirot. The Belgian investigator with a mustache that could be a character all by itself was created by Agatha Christie and has appeared in numerous novels, short stories, and various movies/television shows played by prestigious actors. Austin Trevor in 1931s “Alibi” and Tony Randall in 1965s “The Alphabet Murders” played the role of the famous sleuth. Albert Finney received an Oscar nomination playing Poirot in 1974s “Murder on the Orient Express.” A few years later, Peter Ustinov donned the mustache in six different films, including “Death on the Nile” in 1978 and “Evil Under the Sun” in 1982. But the longest run playing the famed detective belongs to David Suchet, who portrayed Hercule from 1989-2014 in the British series “Agatha Christie’s Poirot.” 

 Returning director/actor Kenneth Branagh remakes another Agatha Christie classic, “Death on the Nile,” and continues his charming, witty performance as the observant investigator Hercule Poirot. Steeped in a controversy surrounding sexual assault allegations for star Armie Hammer and release delays due to covid-19, “Death on the Nile” floats into theaters this week. The film, which boasts a talented cast and revamps the “whodunit” quality of the original movie with better thrills and suspense, struggles to maintain its messy momentum once it sets sail—leaving the film continuously on the verge of sinking before it reaches the harbors. 

Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is on holiday abroad in Egypt. While gazing at a pyramid and enjoying a snack, Poirot is reacquainted with old friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) and invited to attend a Nile cruise to celebrate the marriage of Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer) to heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot). Poirot, initially reluctant but eventually intrigued by the devious, many times ruthless group of celebrators, boards the luxury boat. Linnet is relieved to be on the Nile and away from her former best friend Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), who has stalked the couple every step of their celebration. Linnet is terrified for her safety. She confides in Poirot, detailing the fears she experiences because of her wealth. After a night of revelry, which ends in a vengeful argument, events turn deadly as a murder happens onboard the ship. 

 Kenneth Branagh’s “Death on the Nile” does a fine job of maintaining, and in some places heightening, the suspense found in Christie’s novel. Writer Michael Green, who also wrote 2017s “Murder on the Orient Express,” labors over the tangled relationships of all the guests in the beginning half of the film, introducing red herrings and ulterior motives that emerge but are quickly dismissed once the mystery begins. And it takes some time to get to the actual mystery of the story. Green’s overabundant development never seems to add much to the plotting procedural that takes place once the crime occurs. However, once Poirot begins accusing everyone of murder, and the twists and turns start to find purpose, the film finds its footing.

Kenneth Branagh’s performance is, oddly, a highlight of the film. While the character often sways between calculated and comical, Branagh enjoys the time under the mustache. That makes all the difference when the film tries to be a serious whodunit. However, Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer are not having the same fun as their romance comes to life with little chemistry between the two actors. Emma Mackey, playing the jaded and vengeful Jacqueline, provides enough scorned craziness to make any scene with her enjoyable. For the most part, the talented cast is provided few scenes to develop their characters, but some are offered the occasional monologue to chew the scenery in amusing ways. 

Kenneth Branagh’s “Death on the Nile” updates Agatha Christie’s novel to make the mystery more suspenseful. Branagh’s portrayal of famed investigator Poirot is amusing in the best way possible. Still, even with an all-star cast and updated elements to enliven the mystery, “Death on the Nile” struggles to find its rhythm of storytelling. 

Monte’s Rating

3.25 out of 5.00

---

Breaking Bread – Movie Review

Directed by:  Beth Elise Hawk

Starring:  Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel, Shlomi Meir, Ali Khattib, Osama Dalal, Ilan Ferron, Tomer Abergel, Salah Cordi, Shoshi Karaman, and Fadi Karaman

Runtime:  85 minutes

‘Breaking Bread’:  Leave your politics at home but bring your appetite to this warm, sincere documentary

“I don’t believe there is any room for politics in the kitchen.” – Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel

Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel practices what she preaches.  In 2014, she – of Palestinian descent - became the first Muslim Arab to win Israel’s MasterChef.  Soon after, the good doctor founded the A-Sham Arabic Food Festival, an annual event in Haifa, Israel.  

This isn’t an ordinary celebration because Jewish and Arab chefs must work together in individual restaurants and kitchenettes to prepare meals for the flocks of festival attendees.

How about that?  

Director Beth Elise Hawk’s inspiring documentary features Dr. Atamna-Ismaeel and several other cuisine artists, as they explain - and also demonstrate in real-time – their experiences in sharing kitchens, cultures, cordial working relationships, and hopefully future friendships. 

Hawk takes boundless care in featuring many participating chefs and offers them generous minutes of screen time to tell their personal stories.  In most cases, Hawk introduces the cuisiniers as pairs, one Jewish and one Arab, as she interviews them individually and then together.  We meet Shlomi Meir and Ali Khattib, Osama Dalal and Ilan Ferron, and Tomer Abergel and Salah Cordi.  The men didn’t collaborate or know one another before the festival, but the camera warmly discovers genuine geniality.  

“Food can bring us together.  No, food can bring the first step, and from there, it depends on what we choose.” Dalal declares.  

Ferron says, “I don’t give a f*** that he’s Arab like he doesn’t give a f*** that I’m a Jew.  The only thing that we’re going to give a f*** about is making art.” 

Viewing The Middle East from across the Atlantic Ocean, tensions never seem to ease.  However, Hawk doesn’t find any apprehension between her on-screen guests, as they share stories, spaces, stovetops, and recipes.  For instance, Ali holds up a small bag of prepared items that are individual-sized and shaped like racquetballs and tells Shlomi that these will feed 70 people.  Later, Shlomi invites Ali into his restaurant’s prep area and teaches him to make one of his dumplings, which he nicely does.  

Although only men were previously mentioned in pairs, the festival is not male-only.  Female chefs also offer their perspectives, including Shoshi Karaman, a Jewish woman paired with her husband Fadi, an Arab man.  The camera loves Shoshi and Fadi because, after just 20 seconds of screen time, you’ll want to invite them out for a drink, coffee, or dinner, if they cook, of course. 

The film offers personal close-ups of all the players, both literally and figuratively (with their backstories), but also the meals – big and small – that they prepare.  With a runtime of 85 minutes, Hawk spends about 70 by tap-dancing between picturesque Haifa (a coastal locale in which a portion of the city center sits on an enormous butte), other nearby locations, the featured personalities, and naturally, food!  

If you are trying to lose weight or fast, do not watch “Breaking Bread”.  Hawk features dozens upon dozens of mouth-watering meals from the region, including countless shots of salads, hummus, pitas, dumplings, towering plates of peas, rice, spices, and meats.  Our director isn’t bashful about showcasing the diverse, delectable, and delicious dishes that attract our eyes and appetites.  

“Breaking Bread isn’t a procedural-based doc that details the festival’s logistics and explicitly describes specific recipes.  

Instead, Hawk dives deeply into a few key stories to illuminate the chefs’ specific outlooks and experiences, both historically and today.  Then, she thoughtfully includes the new harmonious connections along with splendid cuisine.  This movie is a constant array of good feelings and intentions, instead of frequent news reports that pose the opposite view.  

The doc, however, spends so much time with the new cooking celebrities that Hawk only leaves about 10 minutes for the festival itself.  This critic looked at his watch a few times while wondering when the formal festivities would begin.  We see a few restaurant settings and numerous joyful moments in the kitchens during the A-Sham Arabic Food Festival, but the film doesn’t catch broad, wide shots of crowds in the streets of overhead captures of the setting.  Yes, everyone seems cheerful and jolly, but we didn’t get interviews of the patrons enjoying their meals.  It feels like a big miss, but perhaps the crew dealt with filming limitations during the event. 

Still, “Breaking Bread” spreads so much goodwill and introduces these surprising, sincere collaborations that this documentary is worth a trip to the movies.  Hey, this doc might inspire you to drop some serious cash on a one-way ticket to Haifa for a holiday getaway of dining.  

Just leave your diet and politics at home.  

Jeff’s ranking

2.5/4 stars

---

I Want You Back – Movie Review

Directed by:  Jason Orley

Written by:  Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger

Starring:  Jenny Slate, Charlie Day, Scott Eastwood, and Gina Rodriguez

Runtime:  110 minutes

‘I Want You Back’: Day and Slate are heartbroken troublemakers in this light, likable rom-com

“I Want You Back” (2022) – Have you ever been dumped?  Everyone has at one point.  Wait, everyone?  Okay, Gisele Bundchen probably has avoided that particular emotional turmoil, but for mere mortals, it’s an unfortunate “wrong” of passage for anyone putting themselves “out there” in the dating world.  

Director Jason Orley’s rom-com “I Want You Back” squarely focuses on two specific dumpees, Emma (Jenny Slate) and Peter (Charlie Day).  About seven minutes into his film, Orley features a montage of our heroes with Jimmy Durante’s “The Glory of Love” playing in the background.

“You’ve got to win a little, lose a little.  And always have the blues a little.  That’s the story of, that’s the glory of love.”   

Durante’s timeless tune applies to Emma and Peter, but only the “lose” and “blues” parts.  These two 30-somethings are heartbroken that their significant others, Noah (Scott Eastwood) and Anne (Gina Rodriguez), have called it quits.  

Emma and Peter may live in Atlanta, but it feels like Splitsville City.  They don’t know one another but will soon meet by chance because they work in the same building and commiserate over their losses.  (Isn’t it always by chance in these movies?)

After a few conversations of misery loves company, both leads opt for deep self-reflection and growth.  Emma purchases Rosetta Stone to learn French, and Peter becomes an animal shelter volunteer.   

Just kidding.  

C’mon.  Emma and Peter both want their significant others back!  So, they work together to break up Noah’s and Anne’s brand-new relationships, so their old flames will sprint back to their broken-hearted selves. Pretty darn devious, but will their Anti-Cupid scheme work?  

Oh, this isn’t a chance meeting.  This is fate!  (Isn’t it always through fate in these movies?) 

“I Want You Back” looks and feels like every other rom-com out there.  Everyone resides in comfortable, spacious suburbia and works in picturesque downtown high rises.  Actually, Emma lives with a 20-something couple attending law school, but their condo has all the residential trimmings…except for soundproof walls. 

We don’t see our leads working that often because they spend most of their waking hours calculating their next awkward moves towards ruining their exes’ current romances.  After sitting through countless romantic comedies over the last who-knows-how-many years, one might deduce this flick’s eventual ending.  

Will your deductions be accurate?  Well, let’s not give anything away.  

This film feels a bit different because Slate and Day are talented and seasoned comedic actors.  No, this material isn’t terribly challenging, but their comical gifts of gab and physicality-foolishness fit nicely with Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger’s script.  Both actors get chances to shine, including Peter’s daredevil attempt in a stranger’s backyard and Emma’s surreal acting opportunity, and these moments will drive genuine angst and applause. 

Meanwhile, Eastwood is awfully likable here as Emma’s ex.  Quite frankly, Noah handles their breakup with class and maturity, and his subsequent relationship with Ginny (Clark Backo) is lovely.  He is no villain, making Emma’s wishes feel childish and shortsighted.  Rodriguez plays Anne as more demanding and detached.  Still, Anne doesn’t want Peter any longer while he figuratively serenades to a second balcony window, one shut with a few nails hammered into the frame for good measure. 

So, our love-sick leads should lean on therapists or friends who should help flank their tipsy self-esteem rather than conspire and yearn for well-traveled but also uninvited roads from the past.  Then again, if Emma and Peter took healthy approaches from the get-go, we wouldn’t have a movie.  

Will they learn the err of their aching ways?

Looking back, Orley should’ve wrapped up his film – and Emma’s and Peter’s life lessons - at the 90-minute mark rather than stretch their journeys to 110 minutes.  Still, Slate’s and Day’s charisma and charm help win the “day” over their characters’ sometimes questionable motives and also the familiar sights and sounds of this bubble-gum genre.  

Well, now and then, bubble gum is worth a 110-minute chew, especially for those who have felt that breakup sting.  

That’s all of us…except Gisele.

Jeff’s ranking

2.5/4 stars

---

Moonfall - Movie Review

Dir: Roland Emmerich

Starring: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Charlie Plummer, Kelly Reilly, and Michael Peña

2h 10m

Since 1996, when aliens came to Earth for destruction in "Independence Day," director Roland Emmerich has destroyed the world in many different ways. In 1998, "Godzilla" destroyed New York City. In 2004, a storm plunged the world into the Ice Age in "The Day After Tomorrow." In 2009, global catastrophes annihilated humankind in "2012". And in 2022, the moon falls out of orbit and begins a countdown towards a collision with the Earth in "Moonfall." 

What adds "drama" to this big-budget disasterpiece is that the moon isn't what it seems. For Roland Emmerich, "Moonfall" feels like a combination of everything the director has thrown at the silver screen during the more than twenty-year cinematic exercise of destroying the planet. And the b-movie sensibilities of "Moonfall" are undeniable, and if you are a fan of this blend of science fiction action melodrama, the film will not disappoint. The special effects and A-list talent are simply icing on the cake. However, this film is not for you if you are looking for thoughtful social commentaries, insightful character developments, or anything holding obedience to the laws of physics. 

The moon has been knocked out of orbit by a mysterious force. Dishonored astronaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson), who first encountered the mysteries of the moon during a space mission gone wrong ten years prior, and conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman (John Bradley), who was first to discover the moon's orbit problem, is recruited by former NASA astronaut Jocinda Fowler (Halle Berry) for a humanity-saving rogue mission.

The events of "Moonfall" occur at breakneck speed; missions are launched, failed, and relaunched, tidal waves of water collapse on Los Angeles, people escape the coasts for higher ground in Colorado, and the collective goodwill of humanity turns dangerous in the background. These events all happen before the mission to the moon part of the movie. Between the breaks of science theorization, pretty much a screen of moon ellipses circling closer to the Earth, and cutaways to different parts of the world experiencing catastrophe, Emmerich and co-writers Harold Kloser and Spenser Cohen fill the small gaps with minimal character development and unnecessary side stories in an attempt to add some emotional gravity to the story. It seldom works. 

Halle Berry shows up as NASA administrator, the only person who seems remotely interested in trying to save the Earth. Berry is a confident actor and makes this character shine even though the underlying qualities aren't always on the page. Patrick Wilson plays a former astronaut fighting to save his family. Wilson plays the hero character throughout with ease. The best performance is John Bradley playing a conspiracy theorist much more intelligent than he may present with his silly ideas. Bradley provides humor and embodies the tiny heart of the narrative. 

"Moonfall" delivers on everything the trailer advertises; it's a special effects-laden spectacle that is aiming for nothing more than pure, simplistic entertainment value. And for that, the film will satisfy those looking for an escape. 

Monte's Rating

2.50 out of 5.00

---

Jackass Forever - Movie Review

Dir: Jeff Tremaine

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey, Preston Lacy, and Jason' Wee Man' Acuña

1h 36m

What started as a clip show on MTV called "Jackass," where a group of friends attempt crazy stunts, gleefully engage in gross-out humor, and treat each other to a variety of torturous antics, has turned into a more than a 20-year franchise. The group's ringleader, Johnny Knoxville, reunites the crew in "Jackass Forever" for more outlandish behavior with the help of some famous friends and new blood ripe for the challenge of impressing the almost/over 50-year-old "professionals." 

Directed by Jeff Tremaine, the often cruel-hearted filmmaking instigator looking for the perfect shot of the wild stunts wastes no time getting comfortable with this installment of the series. The whole team returns; extreme Steve-O, mostly naked Chris Pontius, always terrified Danger Ehren, reluctant Preston Lacy, smiling 'Wee Man,' and nervous Dave England. 

"Jackass Forever" is a performance art piece at its most primal state. A brand of mayhem and menace born of slapstick comedy, daredevils, and raunchy jokes come to reality. Before YouTube offered extreme stunts and practical jokes at the click of a few buttons, "Jackass" was the prototype for extreme behavior committed to video. When the first film made its way to theaters in 2002, it was audacious, ridiculous, and controversial. Still, the audience's response in front of the screen was rip-roaring laughter mixed with 'oohs' and 'ahhs.' It was a communal experience, one that made the event so much more entertaining than just sitting at home. 

Despite the crew's age and obvious reluctance towards going for bigger stunts, the segments in "Jackass Forever" are still hilariously amusing. The introduction is a Godzilla rip-off in the most inappropriately raunchy way possible. After that, a scorpion is used for beauty modification, a bear finds fresh salmon in a locked room, a marching band operates a supercharged treadmill, and an aggressive bull interrupts a magic show. It's childish, dangerous, demented, and surprisingly delightful.

New friends join the Jackass crew, a group of committed young people who seem inspired and influenced by the original team. Comedian Rachel Wolfson, the first lady of Jackass, stuntman Sean 'Poopies' McInerney, and actors Jasper Dolphin, Eric Manaka, and Zach Holmes all take the invitation to join without complaint. Part of the fun of this new film is the addition of these new people; they are excellent personalities, and it's enjoyable watching the old guard work alongside the new blood. 

"Jackass Forever" relishes in pushing the boundaries of good taste, safety, and awkward situations; it's a brand they have mastered after all these years. Johnny Knoxville leads by example, the master of ceremonies who breaks nervous tension with his iconic laugh, allowing the viewer to laugh along with the mayhem. It's enjoyable chaos, a trip to the movies to experience this wild exercise in performance art with a group of people. "Jackass Forever," after two years amid a pandemic, is escapism cinema at its best.

Monte's Rating

3.75 out of 5.00

---

The Wolf and the Lion – Movie Review

Directed by:  Gilles de Maistre

Written by:  Gilles de Maistre and Prune de Maistre

Starring:  Molly Kunz, Graham Greene, Charlie Carrick, and Evan Buliung

Runtime:  99 minutes

‘The Wolf and the Lion’:  The animals roar, but the script howls   

“Life happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” 

Alma (Molly Kunz) certainly knows this message.  She’s a top student at New York City’s St. Mary’s Academy for Music, and has her sights set on playing piano for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  This scholarly young woman isn’t your standard bicoastal soon-to-be-professional.  She’s a small-town girl from Canada.  Her parents passed away, and Alma’s only family connections are her godfather Joe (Graham Greene) and grandfather (Jean Drolet).  

Unfortunately, as our movie begins, Alma has to shuttle away from The Big Apple to The Great White North to attend her grandpa’s funeral.  This friendly hermit resided in a spacious cabin on his private island, and with the greenest of green evergreens in every direction - and lakes and streams to boot - this remote, picturesque spot seems about the farthest locale from New York City and Los Angeles as one can get.  Unbeknownst to Alma, she will call this setting her home for the foreseeable future. 

In director Gilles de Maistre’s live-action children’s film, “The Wolf and the Lion”, the two leads are named in the title.  In just 24 hours after paying respects to her grandpa’s memory, a wolf drops off her cub at the homestead, and a lion cub literally falls into Alma’s arms. 

Wow, that’s quite a day.  And how was your Wednesday?  

Anyways, Alma soon decides to shelve piano and become a full-time mama to this tiny twosome.  Hey, the little canine and feline seem to love each other and Alma, and this new 20-something mother reciprocates, so hey, why not?   

What could go wrong? 

“The Wolf and the Lion” is a kids’ movie all the way because pragmatic adults need to suspend an abundance of disbelief.  Look, Alma – who previously studied piano like a singularly-focused savant – is suddenly caring for wild animals.    

Are wolf cubs allergic to gluten?  Are baby lions good with whole milk, or is 2% a better option? 

Meanwhile, Joe doesn’t check up on Alma for months and months, because one day, he sees the petite pair as babies, and during his next stop, they are full-grown adults.  

Didn’t he pop by for lunch or a Scrabble night during all this time?   

Sure, Joe shows concern when he sees a Tiger-King state of affairs with four-legged carnivores living at grandpa’s old house.  Still, he shrugs with an okay-I-suppose-you-got-this stance with his goddaughter.  

Sure, as long as Alma – from now on – contacts him once a day via their walkie-talkies, everything should work out fine.  Right?

Some viewers – including this critic – might wonder about Kunz’s safety during the 99-minute movie, because yes, de Maistre filmed real cubs who then grew to adults.  According to Ghislain Loustalot’s October 16, 2021 Paris Match article, a lion named Walter and a wolf called Paddington were raised together, beginning at 5-weeks-old, and “they grew up under the cameras of Gilles de Maistre during two years of filming.”  

Yes, the animals are not CGI recreations, and when they are cooing infants, Walter and Paddington – who are named Mozart and Dreamer in the film – are as adorable as a puppy and kitten, albeit about 15-pound kiddos.  When they are adults, it’s a bit surreal watching them as actors.  They play, run, pal-around, look for meals, and travel home to Alma.

(In the same Paris Match article, the on-set animal specialist, Andrew Simpson, two or three members of his team, and Kunz were the only ones in contact with the animals.  The filmmakers worked behind barriers, apparently.)  

You see, a scientist (Charlie Carrick) nabs Mozart, and a circus owner (Evan Buliung) corrals Dreamer, who was his lion cub from the beginning, so our wolf and lion have to find their way back to the island cabin.  These two humans are clumsy, made-for-a-kids’-movie antagonists, and while Eli (Carrick) has good intentions, Allan (Buliung) repeatedly whips Dreamer – off-screen – with proud bravado as his son watches in horror.  

Don’t fret.  Allan doesn’t abuse Dreamer on-screen, and his lion act is an uber-tame show, but captivity is still captivity, and the movie’s overall lesson is that animals should live freely.  So, Alma, Mozart, and Dreamer will hopefully reconnect, so the pair will live at the house and roam all over the island as they wish.  

Indeed, this is an altruistic concept, but when working with four-legged actors, they may dictate the story’s terms. 

“There is no trickery with the animals.  We had to adapt to their actions (and) rewrite every day.  We changed the script 16 times,” de Maistre said in the aforementioned Paris Match article. 

While watching the film, it certainly seems like rewrites happened on the fly.  So, if you thought that de Maistre was (kind of) making it up as he went along, you’d be right.  

“The Wolf and the Lion” feels like a considerable but loose Montessori project, but kudos to de Maistre, Kunz, and the teams involved with this innovative achievement.  Judging from the advanced movie screening (that I attended), kids and animal lovers seemed to enjoy this film.   

Hopefully, children will internalize the movie’s broader message, not the impractical idea to adopt wolf and lion babies.  See, my pragmatic adult side is speaking again. 

Jeff’s ranking

2/4 stars

---

Sundown - Movie Review

“Sundown”

Writer-director: Michael Franco

Cast: Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Albertine Kotting McMillan, and Samuel Bottomley

By Jen Johans

In writer-director Michael Franco's "Sundown," Tim Roth plays a man named Neil who, in the sundown of his life, wants to bask in the warmth of that sun for as long as he can before it goes down for good. Knowing that with this comfort comes great risk, regardless of how bright the rays get, for most of the film's running time, Neil remains just as frustratingly resigned as he is fascinatingly opaque.

An existential cross between Melville's “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” Updike's “Rabbit, Run,” and Camus' “The Stranger,” yet missing what makes all three great by foolishly giving us a justification for our main character's behavior, in “Sundown,” Neil abandons his family on a Mexican vacation and never returns.

Having traveled to the sandy beaches of Acapulco from London along with three loved ones (brought to life by Charlotte Gainsbourg, Albertine Kotting McMillan, and Samuel Bottomley), when Gainsbourg receives word that a family member back home has died, Roth goes through the supportive motions of packing everyone up and heading to the airport. 

Once there, he tells them he's left his passport behind and as soon as he finds it, he'll be on the very next flight. So convinced of his love and caught up in her own grief that she misses the hollowness of his words and the way that it sounds like a very different kind of farewell, Gainsbourg departs and takes the two teens with her. Venturing back to the hotel, not to look for the passport but head for the beach instead, Neil blows off all follow-up calls with false promises for as long as he can while he parks himself on the nearest lawn chair.

Seeing it all unfold, between Roth's standoffishness, as well as the film's long takes, and frames that only go in for close-ups when it counts, Franco toys with questions of accountability and voyeurism. With no one to follow but the aloof, largely nonvocal Neil throughout “Sundown,” we begin to feel not only unnervingly complicit but perhaps, far more invested in the aftermath of Neil's actions than he is.

Finding a girlfriend almost immediately to share in the fun of Acapulco sex and sun, Neil's ability to let everything roll off of his back – including gunfire and death – makes us immediately reject the idea that all he's having is a late midlife crisis. Wading into territory far beyond the lyrics of “Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack. I went out for a ride and I never went back. Like a river that don't know where it's flowing, I took a wrong turn and I just kept going,” which Bruce Springsteen sang in “Hungry Heart,” “Sundown” gives us a man whom we feel is "losing" more than he is "lost."

So when a second, shocking death occurs that, although not directly Neil's fault, is nonetheless the direct result of his having decided to stay in Mexico, we begin to wonder what "Sundown" is telling us about karma, fate, free will, or predestination after all. Is Neil simply a man who like Bartleby has had enough of the rat race or “would prefer not to?" Or is he doing what he's doing to try – as in either a mid-twentieth-century French existential novel or a '90s Michael Haneke movie – to feel something, even if it's cruel? And though honestly, I wish we didn't know the answer, nor had "Sundown" even begin to flirt with the idea that there is one overall, unfortunately, Michel Franco decides to give us a reason for Neil's raison d'être that's as prosaic as it is clumsily handled.

Vague by necessity, regrettably, that's about as much as I can tell you about the film without going even deeper into spoiler territory. Proof that the best part of any movie is the conversation you have about it afterward, although, for at least half of its 83-minute length, I was completely caught up in Roth's performance as well as its boldly inscrutable spell, my biggest takeaway from “Sundown” is how close it came to greatness before it all fell apart. (And perhaps it isn't a spoiler to say that the film continued on for one twist more than it needed.)

Handled better, of course, it's perfectly fine to give viewers clues as to why a complex character behaves the way that they do. In another sun-drenched tale of bad behavior on holiday in the form of writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal's remarkable 2021 Netflix release “The Lost Daughter,” this approach of psychologically character-driven storytelling strengthened her narrative overall. Yet what's missing from Franco's “Sundown,” is the intimacy that we experienced in "The Lost Daughter," based upon the novel by Elena Ferrante. Whereas Gyllenhaal's film felt more like reading someone's diary aloud to them as they watched, "Sundown" feels in contrast to sitting and waiting for a Polaroid picture to start to develop and being a bit dismayed by the result. 

Not wanting to spend any real time on Neil's interior life, Franco's “Sundown” keeps us at an arm's length for most of the film, just preferring to let things happen naturally, as observed on Roth's pensive poker or Buster Keaton-like stone face to the point that even a random spray of gunfire on a crowded beach fails to rouse him from his stasis. Yet as unflappable as Neil appears to be in front of the camera, behind it, in contrast, Franco eventually gives in to the pressures of storytelling convention. And though he hopes to be somewhat subtle, this too-late attempt to let us behind Neil's curtain comes off as manipulative, unearned, and disingenuous. Needing either more complexity or more opacity to make us feel like we're staring at the sun alongside our maddening lead, when Franco finally gives us sunglasses to sharpen our view, the film goes from blue sky success to chaotic storm.

---

Celebrate Alan Alda’s birthday with this Triple Feature!

Alan Alda turns 86 years young on Jan. 28, and for millions of folks, this Big Apple-born thespian will always be Capt. Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce.  “M*A*S*H” (1972 – 1983) aired for 11 seasons on CBS, and this beloved comedy series sometimes wandered into categorization-no man’s land because the show frequently dealt with the drama, tragedy, and grief of the Korean War.  Meanwhile, Alda could march between gags and heartbreak with the ease of a four-star general ordering a coffee, and yes, he actually served in the U.S. Army Reserves in South Korea during the 1950s.  

He told Terry Gross during a 2019 NPR interview, “I was in the Reserves.  I don’t know if you call that being in the military.  They put me in charge of a mess hall at one point.”

Earning six Emmy awards - five for “M*A*S*H” and one for “The West Wing” (1999 – 2006) - Alan made a dream career, and although TV is his most prolific vehicle, he’s starred in his share of movies too.  

To help celebrate the man’s 86th trip around the sun – and over 60 years with his wife Arlene – let’s go back and watch about two dozen “M*A*S*H” episodes and these three terrific big-screen performances.   

George Plimpton, “Paper Lion” (1968) – “42!  Zed!  3!  88!  Hut!  Hut!”  Detroit Lions Quarterback George Plimpton yells his cadence while under center during training camp like he’s a 10-year seasoned veteran.  However, once the ball is hiked, his green rookie colors splash on his blue, silver, and white uniform.  George has thrown the ball around during two-hand touch games in Central Park with his friends and colleagues, but he’s never actually played college or pro football.  In “Paper Lion”, Alda is Plimpton - a real-life journalist - who tries out for the Lions as a quarterback, but he’s really working undercover to write a story.  Well, the coaches know George’s true identity, but will they blow his cover?  Don’t worry, Alex March’s film – based on Plimpton’s 1966 non-fiction book - isn’t a spy movie but rather a carefree comedy.  The 32-year-old Alda – who stands at 6’ 2” and weighs 170 pounds – is built like a marathon runner rather than a muscled man of the gridiron.  Still, Alan displays spry athleticism, adolescent joy, and some moments of fiery discourse that will make him a household name as Hawkeye Pierce.  Detroit Lions players Alex Karras and Lem Barney and coach Joe Schmidt have supporting roles and offer hijinks, laughs, and mettle that hinder and help George’s indoctrination to the NFL.  It’s all in good fun, but then again, no one ever laughed during wind sprints.    

U.S. Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster, “The Aviator” (2004) – Wildly successful businessman, film producer, and pilot Howard Hughes faced and overcame countless obstacles thrown in his trailblazing path.  Martin Scorsese recounts many of them in this engrossing biopic, and Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the famous, enigmatic personality.  If not for Jamie Foxx’s turn as Ray Charles in “Ray” (2004), Leo probably would’ve won his first Oscar 11 years before his 2016 statue.  Cate Blanchett won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar with her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn, and Alda earned an Academy Award nomination for his work as U.S. Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster.  The Senator from Maine enjoys a friendly relationship with Pan American Airlines, which conflicts with Hughes’ Trans World Airlines.  This experienced bureaucrat threatens to embarrass Howard if his demands aren’t met, and he also employs a couple of subtle – but mean-spirited - moves to throw Hughes off his game during a simple lunch.  Alda is playing off-type here, but he also started his run as U.S. Sen. Arnold Vinick on “The West Wing” in Dec. 2004, the same month as “The Aviator” release.  Admittedly, I’ve never watched “The West Wing”, but I’m curious if Vinick wears Brewster’s gangster-like pinstripe suit.  

Bert Spitz, “Marriage Story” (2019) – Noah Baumbach ironically named his movie “Marriage Story”.  The film squarely focuses on divorce, as Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) wishes to dissolve her marriage to Charlie (Adam Driver).  This fierce, biting dramedy rarely gets explosive, except for one signature scene, but the couple’s imperfect-but-amiable bliss painfully shifts into something else.  Something distant, clinical, and transactional.  Nicole lawyers up with successful, slick super-barrister Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern), and out of desperation, Charlie finds her polar opposite: agreeable, aging attorney Bert Spitz (Alda).  Bert takes a reasonable, matter-of-fact approach to divorce semantics - in his modest office with wood paneling on the walls - and asks Charlie to face facts rather than fight.  This soon-to-be ex-husband may not wish to hear this advice, but Bert – for the audience - is a welcome source of chill comedy.  For instance, Bert’s cat randomly roams the hallways.  He and his administrator accidentally wear each other’s eyeglasses, and Bert tells Charlie, “You remind me of myself during my second marriage.”  How comforting, right?

---

A Hero – Movie Review

Written and directed by:  Asghar Farhadi

Starring:  Amir Jadidi, Sahar Goldust, Mohsen Tanabandeh, and Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy

Runtime:  127 minutes

‘A Hero’:  Farhadi wraps this bold story with tangled nuance

“A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” – the definition of a “hero” according to Google.

Asghar Farhadi – who wrote and directed two Oscar-winning films, “A Separation” (2012) and “A Salesman” (2016) – is considered a cinematic hero, a master at wrapping the knottiest threads in the tightest, most claustrophobic spaces:  ordinary family households.  

“The Past” (2013) - set in Paris rather than Farhadi’s home country of Iran, starring Berenice Bejo, Ali Mosaffa, and Tahar Rahim – is another must-see.  In the present, Farhadi had scribed and helmed another winner with his signature stamp of stressful nuance in “A Hero”, about a man, Rahim (Amir Jadidi), who begins this movie as anything but one.

Rahim is in prison for an unpaid debt, but through sheer serendipity, his girlfriend Farkhondeh (Sahar Goldust) randomly discovers 17 gold coins, and voila, this heavenly discovery could free her man from a daunting liability and incarceration. 

However, due to the moody temperament of gold prices, their “pieces of 17” aren’t enough to free Rahim’s monetary shackles, so they attempt to return the bag of bounty to its rightful owner.  He’s hoping for a reward, and the new plan sounds altruistic, but Rahim tells a lie.  He and Farkhondeh bind themselves to it and don’t loosen their grip, but this falsehood begins choking them, like a noose constricting on an exposed neck.  

“A Hero” isn’t a thriller but a taxing drama that unfolds at a restrained and calculated pace, and as the minutes pass over the 127-minute runtime, we increasingly squirm in our seats.

The binds tighten on us as well.  

The film’s tone feels like Sam Raimi’s effectively suffocating 1998 crime drama “A Simple Plan”, where one error in judgment cascades into an alarming avalanche in snowy Minnesota.  Farhadi sets his film on the other side of the planet in Shiraz, Iran, not nearly the most inhabited city in the country.  Still, with a population of about 1.6 million, this locale of vast ancient history feels like a vibrant modern metropolis.  

Shiraz isn’t a small village where everyone knows Rahim’s name, but via 21st-century social media, where “going viral” phenomenons bloom and burst on a seemingly daily basis, fame can rocket within a day or even a few hours.  Rahim’s fib begins in the tiniest of quarters and human circles, but due to that pesky Internet, it swells into a massive loop with no borders, and anyone carrying a smartphone can find themselves in it.  Our lead is portrayed as a hero, but this depiction – spread through technological means – isn’t quite accurate. 

Technology plays a huge role in “A Hero”, as it lingers like an invisible, celestial being, one that can lob infinite numbers of roses or fire arrows into every single home or place of business in Shiraz.  The ever-present effect is beyond Rahim’s control.  As he walks into a living room, an office, or a charity organization, his story continues to unfold, but he doesn’t know the newest pages. 

Jadidi is completely convincing as Rahim, a decent but flawed guy who attempts to atone for past slipups and start anew.  The 37-year-old actor shines by furnishing Rahim with sudden glimpses and long stretches of altruism, optimism, regret, and despair.  This particular on-screen prisoner wishes to wrap himself up in the former and hopes to avoid the latter, but you know that old saying: Oh, what tangled webs we weave…    

Jeff’s ranking

3.5/4 stars

---

Jockey - Movie Review

Directed by:  Clint Bentley

Written by:  Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar

Starring:  Clifton Collins Jr., Molly Parker, Moises Arias, and Colleen Hartnett

Runtime:  94 minutes

Collins Jr. takes ‘Jockey’ on an absorbing ride

“It’s just wear and tear.” – Jackson Silva (Clifton Collins Jr.)

Jackson is not referring to car brakes or a pair of jeans.  He races horses for a living, but he’s not speaking about a particular stallion or mare.   

Jackson’s body is breaking down because he - in his 40s or 50s - has been a jockey for decades.  A veterinarian takes X-rays of Jackson, and after inspecting the troubling pictures, he recommends that this weathered athlete see a doctor.  

Unfortunately, it’s not likely that Jackson has health insurance.  

That’s one problem, but if he saw a physician about his physical issues, a firm medical message might cause him more anguish than the pain itself.  So, it’s better to push through it, not complain, continue to embrace his passion, and make some bucks, despite the ongoing corrosion. 

Clint Bentley’s dad was a jockey, and this first-time feature-film director presents an absorbing tale – with Collins Jr. delivering a deeply soulful lead performance – in “Jockey”.

During a Sept. 13, 2021 Deadline interview, Bentley says, “I felt like (a jockey’s life) was a rich, interesting world that we hadn’t really seen on film before.  For all the horse racing movies, it didn’t seem like they actually showed the life of a jockey and the life on the back side as it truly is.”

Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar feature the day-to-day grind of the sport – but also its beauty - at ground level.  We see horses and riders line up in the starting gate and then stomp onto the welcome, oval track.  In a movie theatre, the races sound like Bentley and his crew elaborately and gently Scotch-taped tiny microphones on 40 hooves as the elegant creatures sprint and compete to place or show.  The film also makes a thoughtful (and probably a practical) choice by isolating Jackson’s face during races, and Collins Jr. clearly illustrates his character’s feelings during a contest and immediately after.  

Admittedly, “Jockey” doesn’t feature too many races.  The film may include 10 minutes of screen time, tops, of men sitting or riding on ponies during the lean, textured 94-minute runtime.

Most of the story features Jackson engaging in intimate conversations with his few connections and several shots of alone time, simultaneously addressing the tasks of his immediate present while carrying the literal and figurative bumps and bruises of his past.  He lives humbly, without needs or the resources to acquire the finer things in life.  The script doesn’t deliver too many particulars about Jackson’s history, but he carries deep wells of experience – granted, within the narrow band of racing – that have nestled in his memory and generally remain there via his silence.  

Jackson, however, speaks like a cowboy, a fella from an entirely different era, and he fits perfectly into Bentley’s on-screen world.  Filmed at Turf Paradise (a Phoenix horse racetrack), Bentley and cinematographer Adolpho Veloso capture the gorgeous desert setting with so many precious, wondrous shots of orange and purple Arizona sunrises and sunsets with tangible, rugged buttes barely cutting into the astonishing skies.  

Bentley and Veloso cast spells at times because this 21st-century story sometimes feels like a  19th-century western.  In fact, the film includes several silhouettes and even a campfire to add (or pay homage) to the genre, and Aaron and Bryce Danner’s mystical, dazzling, and gentle score nurtures the striking visuals. 

At one point, Jackson says – while starring into the sky with a 19-year-old inexperienced upstart named Gabriel (Moises Arias) – something like, “I love this time of day,” and we share this altruistic, appreciative sentiment.  

I appreciated “Jockey” at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, but via the “comfort” of my home due to the pandemic.  However, the film’s cinematic magic resonated with me even more during my second watch, this time during a theatrical screening.  Yes, this is a small, contained indie, but it communicates grand themes about our limited, treasured existence on this everlasting planet.  Jackson contemplates and feels the end of his career, but The Sonoran Desert will proudly stand long after he hangs up his riding boots.  

Collins Jr. - with his thin frame, expressive and revealing glances and gazes, and matter-of-fact discourse – embodies this old soul, a man who spent decades wrapping himself up in riding because he did know or see anything else.  This 51-year-old character actor has embraced dozens of supporting roles in many popular movies and television series, but he shines as a lead.  Jackson may be near the end of his career, but “Jockey” should propel Collins Jr.’s to brand-new beginnings of leading roles.  

Let’s hope so.  Collins Jr. is that good.  However, he’s not alone in this production.  Molly Parker and Colleen Hartnett offer key supporting performances, and Arias’ Gabriel is instrumental in disrupting Jackson’s solitary routines. 

Yes, this old rider suffers from wear and tear, but he doesn’t have to bear it alone.   

Jeff’s ranking

3/4 stars

---

Scream - Movie Review

Dir: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Dylan Minnette, Sonia Ammar, Mikey Madison, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Marley Shelton, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Neve Campbell

1h 54m

"What's your favorite scary movie?"

By the mid-90s, the horror genre was half a decade away from the slasher film boom of the 1980s, where icons like Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger dominated the box office. Slasher film characteristics were still present and reinvented in films like 1992's "Candyman," but the oversaturation of franchises churning sequel after sequel produced more humor than horror. The worst part, the scare factor became nearly nonexistent.

However, in 1996, legendary filmmaker Wes Craven, responsible for conjuring an iconic figure of horror cinema in the 80s with Freddy Krueger, continued to push the genre forward with "Scream." This film transformed the landscape of genre storytelling by developing a narrative that reflected and acknowledged the plot and character tropes and stereotypes of horror films that came before. It was intelligent, funny, and, most importantly, scary. And for many horror fans, this film would grow to become the answer to the question, "What's your favorite scary movie?" 

The legacy of Woodsboro's murderous past continues in "Scream," co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's continuation of Wes Craven's vision of modernized horror. Coming 11 years after the ahead-of-its-time "Scream 4" and with the absence of Wes Craven, who passed away six years ago, this updated invention of "Scream" holds firmly to the tradition of the past, paying homage to the extent of becoming lost in its self-referential designs. "Scream" applies, reapplies, and slightly modifies the original film's formula, crafting a clever but redundant update. 

A new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins accumulating a deadly body count of teens in Woodsboro, California. Tara (Jenna Ortega) is brutally attacked in her home, her estranged sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) returns to her hometown, bringing her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) along for the journey. Past secrets and long-forgotten memories are resurrected, connecting the past to the present and bringing survivors Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Gail Weathers (Courteney Cox) back to the town they have tried so desperately to escape. 

Screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick return viewers to familiar territory, bringing back characters from past films while also trying to summon the essence of the original movie. The film crafts one of the best cold openings since the original in the process. The dialog banter between a young teenage girl with love for "elevated horror" and a sinister voice-on-the-phone with a passion for the "classics" is sharp and witty. It's an amusing callback to the original that is updated and subverted enough to launch this film as a fun, gory mystery. 

But as things take shape, with a Ghostface who is always one step ahead of everyone, the group of young people tries to connect the dots of who might be the mastermind under the mask. They self-describe their involvement in this new murder mystery as a "requel," a cross between a reboot and a sequel. Beyond the meta-analysis of horror movies of recent years, the film also examines the aspect of toxic fandom. It's a unique perspective to explore in the world of pop culture, where fans expect that their favorite character, story, or universe should go on forever. Along with the heightened expectation of getting everything they want from their favorite thing. Can we imagine a world where Marvel movies don't exist anymore? Will Michael Myers ever go away? Will the new Hellraiser movie meet all my unreasonable expectations? Unfortunately, this thoughtful focus is executed with both satisfying and irritating twists and turns in the film.

The enjoyable pieces all involve unraveling the secret, the whodunit of the slasher motifs utilized. The annoying parts exist with the development of the characters, both old and new, missing the strong characteristics used so effectively in the past films. Even the return of Sidney, Dewey, and Gail is awkwardly instituted into the narrative; with the exception of Dewey, both Gail and Sidney are afterthoughts until the finale. 

"Scream" starts with a bang, a clever and thoughtful reintroduction of the classic horror franchise that revolutionized horror storytelling. The thrills are fun, gory, and violent in the best ways for horror fans. As it namechecks other films, like "The Witch" and "The Babadook," with a mix of admiration and admonishment to serve its meta-narrative causes, "Scream" pushes into a corner with no place to escape. In the process of revisiting, reintroducing, and reforming this continuation of "Scream," it becomes too self-aware of its designs.  

Monte's Rating

3.00 out of 5.00

---