Month: May 2024

Blind Spot 100: ‘SEVEN DAYS IN MAY’ (1964)

| Rachel's Reviews

Today’s Blind Spot review is a special one for many reasons. To begin with Manda and I had a very fun podcast on the film where we ended up reacting to the famous Daisy Ad from 1964- the same year our movie Seven Days in May came out.

Also it is of note because this review marks my 100th entry in the blind spot series. That means since I first started in January of 2016 I have covered 100 films for 100 months and what a fun adventure it has been! My original review was for Blade Runner and I was nicer to it than I would be now (it’s not for me) but that’s part of the learning experience of this project is gathering confidence on my opinions on classic films and learning how to convey those feelings as coherently as possible. Now on to 100 more!

With Seven Days in May this was a bit of a wild card when I selected it for this month’s blind spot. I had never heard of it but I noticed a bunch of my friends had rated it highly so I decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I did. This is an absolutely terrific political thriller that continually surprised me at each turn.

I think what was the most surprising was to have a character like Burt Lancaster’s General Scott commit outright treason with no real vindication was shocking. He has his reasons for trying to train a coup on President Lyman, (played by the great Frederic March) but he still does it and begins training an elite group of soldiers to overthrow the government.

Every part of this film is outstanding including the acting from Lancaster, Kirk Douglas (as our man of virtue hero) and March. The writing is also excellent with the tension between Scott and Lyman as they both try to plead their case. It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like for audiences in Cold War America to watch a film like this. They certainly would have been more sympathetic to Scott’s position. He believes if they sign this treaty the Russians will attack and kill over 100 million people (he states that statistic in one of the confrontations with Lyman.) From his perspective he’s the hero trying to save Americans and Lyman is the fool.  However, Lyman tells him he has to use the tools given to us to fight the treaty.  A military overthrow will only embolden Russia more.

Anyway, the tension grows especially for Douglas who can’t believe a heroic man like General Scott could be planning treason. Ava Gardner is under-used in her role in this but aside from that Seven Days in May is a tight, well-made, engaging piece of filmmaking and I highly recommend it.

Smile Worthy

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My Thoughts on a Bunch of Indies 5/24 (GUY FRIENDS, EVIL DOES NOT EXIST, I SAW THE TV GLOW)

| Rachel's Reviews

If you’ve been following my reviews lately you know the big budget blockbusters have been letting me down. So maybe the smaller films will be more my jam? As a Sundance veteran I know indies can be as hit and miss as anything else but they often at the very least have more heart in them than the massive calculated to please everyone entertainment the big studios release. So here we go:

Make sure to check out Mars Express if you get the chance. I previously reviewed it last year as part of Animation is Film Festival but did a deep dive analysis along with Ghost in the Shell with my friend Stanford this week. It’s a bold piece of sci-fi crime noir animation that deserves to be seen!

I SAW THE TV GLOW


First up we have I Saw the TV Glow. This is a film I heard buzz about at Sundance but I shied away from it fearing it was too scary (I watch some scary movies but at Sundance it can be a risk when the film is brand new and sometimes I feel like taking that risk and other times I prefer to wait.) Anyway, it wasn’t scary at all and proved to be one of my favorite films of 2024.

Its story revolves around a kid named Owen who becomes attached to a television show called The Pink Opaque and he shares that experience with a slightly older girl at school named Maddy. That’s what I think director and writer Jane Schoenbrun nails in this film. Not only the power a piece of media can provide to our lives but the ritual of watching it and talking about it with others can be quite life-changing.

Owen’s Mother doesn’t allow him to watch the show which was something I connected with quite deeply as I had my fair share of sneak shows. Maddy leaves Owen a tape of the week’s episode each week and it gives him something to live for as a struggling teen. This profound connection to media really spoke to me. It is especially powerful when Owen watches the show as an adult and is so disappointed to see it doesn’t hold up well. It makes him question his entire childhood. Can’t we all relate to that?

Schoenbrun goes to some surreal places with it but it all worked for me and it becomes the kind of movie I immediately wanted to see again and talk about it with friends to see their takes. Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine are also excellent as Owen and Maddy respectively. The movie is perhaps a bit over-ambitious and confusing for its own good but I still loved it and highly recommend giving it a watch.

Smile Worthy

EVIL DOES NOT EXIST

Something cinephiles don’t want to admit is sometimes we aren’t on the same wavelength as a particular director and that’s okay. This has been my experience with Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi. I didn’t get the high praise for his Oscar winning Drive My Car and his Asako I& II I found to be nothing special. I don’t mind a slow burn (I enjoyed last year’s toilet cleaner movie Perfect Days for example) but Hamaguchi fails to engage me with his characters and Evil Does Not Exist is no exception. As with all of his movies I’m in the vast minority on this but I can’t pretend to like something that I don’t.

Let’s start with the fact the title of the movie is a complete mystery to me. The only “evil” portrayed is a big bad corporation who wants to build a resort in the beautiful wildlife preserve. I was joking for a while that adda romance and this could be a Hallmark movie with its bad men of business plot. So if this is the evil then fine but it does exist so I don’t get the title.

The plot supposedly focuses on a widower Takumi and his daughter Hana and their love of the wilderness where they live. Unfortunately the film moves away from them for long stretches focusing on the 2 representatives from the company. So much of the film is council and board meetings about this land and that was not the least bit compelling or interesting.

Then in a last ditch effort to make something of the movie Hamaguchi gives a bizarre ending that makes no sense for the characters or the story. It was like he knew the previous hour and more had nothing so had to throw that in to leave people feeling like they’d seen something stimulating when they hadn’t. It certainly didn’t work for me and I left feeling like I’d wasted my time. I do not recommend Evil Does Not Exist.

Frown Worthy

GUY FRIENDS


In the world of cinema there are indie films like both the others in this post and then there are micro-indies made on a true shoestring budget- like under 50k. These mostly are terrible but every once in a while something creative comes along that’s worth watching. Such is the case with the new film Guy Friends from director Jonathan Smith. I actually enjoyed it enough I recorded an interview with him for Hallmarkies Podcast that will air next week.

The story follows Jaime (Kavita Jariwala) who after a bad breakup discovers all the guys that she’s friendzoned are suddenly in love with her. Even the taxi driver who she kids with each day professes his love. It’s a funny setup for a rom-com as she no longer can trust who may or may not actually be in love with her and what her male platonic friendships actually mean. Then she meets a woman named Sandy (Katie Muldowney) who may be her first actual platonic girlfriend. (I also really liked Justin Clark as Ted. He could be good in Hallmark movies!)

As someone who has almost exclusively had girl not guy friends I liked the premise of the movie and what it had to say about friendship. It clearly has Woody Allen as an inspiration and New York especially Central Park becomes a character in the story.

It obviously has huge constraints as far as practically no budget (around $5k!) but the cast is likable and I’m a sucker for a friendship story. I am sure Guy Friends will only be playing in a few theaters but I enjoyed it and would recommend it if you can find it.

Smile Worthy

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Current Mini Reviews (SIGHT, FURIOSA, HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS, GARFIELD)

| Rachel's Reviews

If you have been following me on social media you know I’ve been having a bit of a rough time with it when it comes to the big releases. There’s been a lot of disappointment for me at the cinemas this year and the latest batch is no exception. I’m still waiting for that 2024 blockbuster that I unabashedly love but until then I have 4 new movies to talk about. Let’s do this:


Garfield: The Movie

In some ways Garfield: The Movie is a tough movie to review because I thought it was just okay. I liked the animation especially the action. It wasn’t on a Puss N Boots: The Last Wish level but it had a flair and movement to it that was pleasing to watch.  I also liked the way his eyes had a 2D look to them with the cgi fur. It looked fantastic. There were enough laughs to be entertaining and the action kept things moving.

That said, the film feels totally generic and unmemorable. In this exciting time for animation can I really give a pass to a ‘just okay’ animated film? I’m also not a die-hard Garfield fan so some elements that might be important to fans are probably lost on me. The voice acting is all predictable but perfectly fine. The messaging about chosen families is always welcome and kids will have a decent time watching this. It’s certainly far better than something like Boss Baby or Trolls.

In the end, Garfield: The Movie is probably one you can wait and rent but I enjoyed the animation just enough to give it a mild recommendation.

Smile Worthy


Hundreds of Beavers

For a movie that embraces slapstick antics much more consistently and effectively than Garfield check out Hundreds of Beavers. While this probably would have worked better as a short or featurette it is refreshingly unique and creative and I had a good time watching it.

Director Mike Cheslik has fashioned an homage to silent movie comedians like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin along with a dose of Looney Tunes but live action. It’s hard to describe but that’s what makes it very creative.

The film has a supposed plot about farmer out for revenge on the beavers that ate the supports for his house but it’s really just an excuse for over-the-top antics by humans and men dressed in beaver outfits.

It’s bizarre but if you are in the mood for something different I’d say give it a try.

Smile Worthy


Sight

It might not be a surprise given my taste for Hallmark movies that I enjoy an inspirational true story on film. Even if it is obviously trying to push my emotional buttons often that button-pushing works on me and I enjoy the film. This year has actually been a pretty good year for inspirational movies with Arthur the King and Ordinary Angels both being wins. Now we have the latest from Angel Studios entitled Sight and it’s another solid little inspirational true story. It also is barely a faith-based film so it avoids most of the pitfalls of that genre (as was the case with Ordinary Angels)

Sight tells the story of Dr Ming Wang who defied the odds to become a doctor in America from his native China and developed a new eye surgery using amniotic contacts to help restore sight to tons of needy patients including a little girl who was purposefully blinded by her stepmother in India.

The cast is uniformly strong in Sight with Terry Chen playing a border-line obsessed doctor Wang who is determined to figure out these problems. We then get a series of flashbacks to younger versions of Wang and these sections include Donald Heng as his father and I had the chance to interview Donald a few years ago. I was very happy to see him getting such a large role. You can listen to the interview here. Greg Kinear also stands out as Wang’s supportive doctor colleague.

There’s nothing game-changing about Sight but it is a solid inspirational true story and sometimes it’s nice to go to the movies and learn about a good person. I left inspired and you will too.

Smile Worthy

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

One of the biggest surprises out of 2015 was the action spectacle that was Mad Max: Fury Road. Believe it or not I had actually not seen any of the other Mad Max movies (and I still haven’t!) but I loved this visceral mixture of escape picture and war movie that we got in that film. Each scene was a carefully constructed battle scene full of memorable sequences and characters.

Now we have a prequel to Fury Road and it centers on Charlize Theron’s character Furiosa and unfortunately I left feeling pretty torn over the experience. While the movie is full of incredible sequences and spectacle it all feels like warmed over versions of what we got with Fury Road. The experience of watching Furiosa reminded me of watching the Disney live action remakes. It hits all the beats of the film we love with loads of Easter eggs and nods to Fury Road but nothing really stands on its own. Chris Hemsworth’s villain Dementus has some fun scenery chewing moments but the frequent presence of Immortan Joe just reminded me of what was better in Fury Road.

The biggest problem with Furiosa is how bloated and repetitive it becomes. We are supposed to be getting to know Furiosa but we don’t even meet the adult Anya Taylor-Joy version of her for over an hour into the movie. Before that she’s a basic child in peril character we see get moved around and swapped by the various tribal groups. There was almost nothing in the first half of the movie’s story that is compelling or interesting so it all comes down to the action and spectacle. And again while this is impressive it’s not anything new we haven’t already seen done better in Fury Road. So what’s the point?

In the end, it all just felt really long and drawn out and George Miller failed to make me care about this version of Furiosa or what was happening in the various battles. Fans of the franchise will enjoy the spectacle and seeing more mayhem but on a story, character and new action perspective I left underwhelmed.

Frown Worthy

So there you have it! Happy moviegoing

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here. 

Current Mini Reviews (THE IDEA OF YOU, BACK TO BLACK, MOTHER OF THE BRIDE)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well. I have some movies to catch you up on and they are all oddly romances (which you’d think that means I love them but I actually only recommend one so go figure.) Anyway, here’s some movie thoughts:

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE- NETFLIX

I was actually pretty intrigued when I saw the poster an trailer for Mother of the Bride. I knew there was  good chance it would be another middling rom-com from Netflix but the Father of the Bride franchise is so good I hoped this would be a fresh take on that formula. Unfortunately it ended up being generic at best and not part of the Father of the Bride franchise at all. So, it in the end was disappointing.

The cast in Mother of the Bride is great with Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt taking the leading roles. This is a second chance love story where the former beaus meet again when their children (Miranda Cosgrove and Sean Teale) decide to get married. This could be a nice setup for a rom-com full of family shenanigans but everything feels so played out and bland that it left me underwhelmed. The jokes aren’t funny and the chemistry isn’t there so it just doesn’t work.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

THE IDEA OF YOU- AMAZON PRIME

Next up we have another romantic comedy, The Idea of You, that is going to Amazon Prime although I was lucky enough to see it in the theater. This film stars Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine (who I adored in Red White and Royal Blue last year.)and while it not as good as RWARB, it is a solid entertaining little romantic comedy.

Hathaway stuns as Solene who makes an impression on the much younger boy band member Hayes Campbell at Coachella with her daughter and the two begin a sexy yet tender relationship. The chemistry is there despite the age difference and there’s lots of pretty people in pretty places falling in love, which is enough for me these days!

The only real problem with the movie is Hayes is written rather inconsistently. One minute he’s a has-been that a teen girl wants nothing to do with and the next he’s being paparazzi stalked at every turn. The movie couldn’t quite decide. I do, however, like the ending which pushes the characters to a real and meaningful relationship. It’s an enjoyable love story I wish more got to see in the theater like I did.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

BACK TO BLACK- IN THEATERS

Finally we have Back to Black. It’s the latest music biopic about musician Amy Winehouse, which is honestly extremely disappointing. I’m not above enjoying a predictable musician biopic but my main problem with this movie is it tells us so little about Winehouse as a musician. We learn almost nothing about her process or how she comes up with the melodies/lyrics. We don’t get a handle for why she even likes to sing or what she gains from the experience. It is all about her traumatic and tumultuous love affair with her husband Blake. I’m sure this relationship was very important to her but shouldn’t we learn something here about her music?

Marisa Abela gives it her all as Amy and Jack O’Connell is charming as Blake but nothing else stands out or feels beyond a TV movie level of quality (but lacking the fun and camp of a TV movie.) It’s unfortunately a tedious and predictable take on an iconic singer forgetting to actually tell her story. Unfortunately, i’s definitely one of the worst movies of the year.

3 out of 10

Frown Worthy

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‘IF’ Oddly Lacks Imagination and I Promise I’m a Nice Person (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

There are some movies that I admit I feel bad for disliking. They are such obvious passion projects and made with so much love that disliking them makes me feel like a bully stealing a little kids lunch rather than the film lover I am. Nevertheless, I have to be honest with my response and unfortunately I didn’t care for John Krasinski’s new original fable IF about the world of imaginary friends. I sincerely admire the swing of trying to tell an original family story and can tell it is made with love but the script needs serious work. It just doesn’t come together the way I’m sure they hoped for.

The main problem with IF is Krasinksi seems to have assumed that having magical creatures as characters would by necessity make the screenplay inherently magical but that isn’t the case. The movie really has very little charm or whimsy within the story. Most of the time spent with young Bea and the various creatures is running around New York checking up on various people. There’s no real foe for them to fight against or mission they are trying to accomplish. This screenplay screamed for some kind of ticking clock that they were fighting against that would give the story propulsion and meaning.

Also while charming as ever Ryan Reynolds is given no real story for his character but to be present and to hug Bea when she’s feeling sad. His character should have had something to do because she already had her Dad played by Krasinski (the best scenes are with him and Bea played by Cailey Fleming) and a Grandma character played by Fiona Shaw. A movie only needs so many characters to give hugs and comforting words of wisdom. Also the ending reveal for Reynolds character feels hard to believe.

The design of the imaginary friends are cute and the voice acting is all excellent but I couldn’t help but think about Lyle Lyle Crocodile from 2022 which has a similar story but was much better executed.  Both movies are about a pre-teen going through a tough time that inherits a magical creature and they have adventures. The difference is Lyle had a goal of singing on Broadway and there were songs and things for the characters to do. I am sure that movie benefited from being based on a children’s book so the story had been massaged and vetted over the years before coming to the big screen.

Lyle is also a movie made with young kids in mind. IF, on the other hand, feels like it was made for adults waxing nostalgic about being a kid. For a cast with some of the funniest minds working today it’s remarkably jokeless and serious. Adults may connect with its message and themes but I don’t see kids taking much from it outside of momentary enjoyment of cute creatures. It’s not silly or fun for kids. In the end, it just doesn’t work.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

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‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ or 300 Years and That’s the Story They Picked…(Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

I know people think critics are at our computers relishing every chance we get to tear into popular films. We are like the evil mad scientists of the arts world. Alas I must be a weirdo because I much prefer championing films, especially small underdogs, rather than tearing them down.

That said. I will always be honest. No matter how beloved a film or franchise may be I will tell my readers what I actually think- good or bad. Unfortunately today is on the negative side. I saw Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes which is a sequel to previous trilogy in the series. For the record, I enjoyed the Andy Serkis led trilogy especially Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (it has one of my all time favorite movie scenes when Gary Oldman’s character is able to turn on his ipad and see photos of his kids. Devastating.) The last in the trilogy, War for the Planet of the Apes, was a little overwrought and heavy-handed but the characters were compelling enough for me to stay invested.

Such was not the case with the new Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. I cannot overstate how uninterested I was in the story for this one. It’s not really that it was slow (which it is) but the nice bird monkey fighting with the fascist monkey was the opposite of compelling. I obviously won’t spoil anything but suffice it to say they did not make me care about what was happening with this old human electrical plant or the rants of the fascist monkey. It was so boring.

The other problem is (aside from a cameo) Andy Serkis isn’t in this film and you can tell. He is a master at creating emotion and a full performance in motion capture. These actors portraying the apes aren’t nearly so gifted. It’s similar to the problems of  2019’s The Lion King with animals coming off as flat, bland and emotion-free as possible. Unfortunately the human characters are even worse with Freya Allan being completely bland in the lead role of Mae. It would be one thing if she is supposed to be a feral type human creature but she’s vocal and has a personality- just not much of one.

I seem to be in the minority on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and far be it for me to deny people the joys of watching animals fight over a power plant. However, I certainly didn’t get it. Honestly I’d prefer the Tim Burton version of this story. At least that is bad in more interesting ways (and it’s bad.) I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

3 out of 10

Frown Worthy

 

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