Month: August 2024

Current Mini Reviews (REAGAN, STRANGE DARLING, YOU GOTTA BELIEVE, ROYAL FACADE)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well and enjoying these last days of summer. It’s unfortunately a mixed bag for you at the cinemas this week but a couple flicks that I think are worth checking out if you have time. Let’s talk about them:

STRANGE DARLING-

Strange Darling is a tough film to talk about without giving away major spoilers and so this review may be especially brief. At first I wasn’t sure if it was for me because I usually don’t like slasher movies with women in peril or being pursued. On the surface that seems what this film is but just trust me there is more to it than that.

Willa Fitzgerald plays “the Lady” in question and Kyle Gallner is “the Demon” chasing her. However, the movie is divided into 6 chapters that are told in a non-linear fashion. For example, it opens on chapter 3. This structure keeps the audience guessing until the very end making it highly unpredictable and exciting.

While Strange Darling is definitely an R-rated film it might be able to win over people that don’t normally like horror or slasher movies. It’s just that well written and exciting.

Smile Worthy

YOU GOTTA BELIEVE-

It’s always interesting as a critic when you get a movie early and have a certain response and then when your peers see it they have a very different response. Such seems to be the case with You Gotta Believe. I found it to be a heart warming family sports movie with endearing performances and a nice message but some of my friends have been very harsh on it. I don’t really get it but as they say to each their own.

I enjoyed it enough that I got to interview the real life subject of the film Robert Ratliff and you can find my interview in the link above and my detailed thoughts with friend Mary Richards.

It’s a simple story about a little league team that wasn’t great to start but grew as the season progressed and at the same time their coach and father to Robert is diagnosed with cancer. As they make it to the little league world series they have something to rally around and believe in and come together as a community to support the Ratliff family. I realize this isn’t going to win any Oscars but I found it sweet and endearing with a nice community message. I liked it!

Smile Worthy

REAGAN-

Honestly the  new presidential biopic Reagan I feel a little torn on. I think there is a place for slick old-school, biopics that lean on the positive and heroic. I’m not someone that immediately cries out ‘propaganda piece’ when something paints with a inspirational brush. That said, when such a light approach is taken factors in the movie-making like pacing and writing can be a problem.

That’s where my issue is with Reagan. Dennis Quaid is quite good as Reagan and Penelope Ann Miller is terrific as Nancy. Unfortunately the movie feels a need to tell every detail of Reagan’s life to the point of exhaustion and they have John Voight playing a Russian KGB agent narrating the thing in a baffling and unnecessary choice that weighs the movie down and makes it feel more exposition-heavy than it needs to.

This is also obviously a movie that will not win over anyone who isn’t already convinced of Reagan’s virtue as a president. Even with the handling of the Iran-Contra Affair Reagan comes out on top as the guy who made understandable mistakes but learned from them. There’s no deep discussion about his legacy with the aids crisis or questionable record with Afghanistan. That’s not the kind of movie this is and I’m mostly ok with that but your mileage will definitely vary depending on your political convictions.

In the end, Reagan is serviceable but not much beyond that. Maybe wait for it to come on streaming if it sounds like your type of film?

Frown Worthy

ROYAL FACADE-

I get approached quite frequently by independent producers asking me to check out their romantic comedies and often they are not worth my time or review. However, occasionally there will be one that I enjoy and such is the case with Royal Facade. Now this does not have the budget of something for Hallmark and you can feel it in some of the moviemaking and acting but the leads and script are solid, and I enjoyed it.

The story taps into screwball comedy roots with a man (Isaac Akers) who happens to look like a famous celebrity, who happens to be in town for a shoot, and then unbeknownst to all involved a princess is also on the lamb trying to get a break from her busy princessing duties. As you can imagine when they meet there are all kinds of mistaken identities and misinformation.

If you can handle something with a low budget filming with some terrible camera-work, awkward moments from extras and things like that there’s a story and 2 leads that are entertaining in Royal Facade. I encourage the filmmakers to keep going and will look forward to what they come up with next.

Smile Worthy

So there you have it!

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.

 

Blind Spot 103: FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (1967)

| Rachel's Reviews

Ever since it came out in 2015 I’ve been a big fan of the adaptation of Far From the Madding Crowd by director Thomas Vinterberg. In my opinion it is one of the most underappreciated films of the last decade and I only love it more with each rewatch (I gave it only a B+ on my initial watch but it has only grown in my estimation since.)  That said, I was always told that it really isn’t that great when compared with the 1967 version by director John Schlesinger. This is why I added the classic film to this year’s blind spot selections. Now I have seen both films and… I still like the 2015 film better! In basically every regard I think the 2015 film is superior to the 1967 classic.

Since this is a review of the 1967 film let’s talk about that version first. Schlesinger has made a beautiful film that feels right at home with the epic brand of storytelling popular at the time. There are many stunning sequences such as the fire being on hay and the devastating suicide of the sheep. They also have a talented cast with Julie Christie, Terence Stamp and Alan Bates.

The movie does take its time having every detail from the book such as an extended sequence when Troy is at the circus and more time between Boldwood and Bathsheba. Modern viewers will be surprised by the amount of time focused on Troy instead of Gabriel, who is more of an after thought in this version. We are supposed to buy that Troy is both in love with Fannie that he makes life miserable for everyone else but also so prideful that he rejects her after she goes to the wrong chapel for their wedding. This makes for a difficult and unlikable character to have as your lead for a 3 hour movie.

I personally love the approach by Vinterberg much more. By focusing on Gabriel and his long-seated love for Bathsheba we have a great love story instead of depressing melodrama. It also doesn’t hurt that Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenearts have incredible chemistry and they keep this friends-to-lovers story simmering for the much shorter 2 hour runtime. I see little in the additional hour of the 1967 film to justify so much more time especially with the characters they chose to focus on.

2015’s Far From the Madding Crowd is also beautifully filmed by Charlotte Bruus Christensen giving everything a hopeful energy especially when combined with Craig Armstrong’s stirring score. It makes for an overall moving journey we just don’t get in the 1967 film. The earlier movie may be more accurate to the book but where’s the heart and soul? I’d take the 2015 version any day!

I wouldn’t say the 1967 version of Far From the Madding Crowd is a bad movie. It’s serviceable. I just like the 2015 much better!

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 (SKINCARE, BORDERLANDS, THE CROW)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! August is known in the movie world as being a bit of a dumping ground but sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough. Today I have 3 movies to report on and one I enjoyed more than most but it’s by no means a top-tier film. Sometimes you take what you can get with these releases and the good outweigh the bad in a particular offering. So here goes:

SKINCARE-

Skincare is a hard movie for me to review because I think it fulfilled its goals pretty well but it’s not a film I enjoyed. On one hand it seems wrong to fault a film for scaring me but on the other it didn’t provide enough catharsis or excitement for me to do anything with that feeling of unease.

This is a horror film where Elizabeth Banks plays a woman named Hope who runs a skincare brand in Los Angeles and is unsettled when a new competitor moves in next door. Immediately she starts getting threats online and in person and the tension builds as she. I think for anyone who is a public figure, even small-scale public figure, the idea of being stalked and terrorized is really scary, especially for a single woman like myself who is often alone with no protection of any kind. Skincare really monopolizes on those insecurities and I was very anxious watching things play out for Hope.

There are elements that are very predictable, but I liked the overall style of the film and it definitely captures Los Angeles and the vibes down there well. I think I would have enjoyed it more overall if Hope had gotten some vindication at the end and there was more of a satisfying payoff. As it was I was left feeling just unpleasantness with little fun to be had. I can see why it would be appealing to some. It’s just not for me.

Frown Worthy

BORDERLANDS-

Borderlands is one of those movies you watch and just wonder- how? How did so much time and effort get put into something with so little story to back up that work? How could they not get the script better before spending millions on a project like this? Evidently it went through development hell and one has to wonder if the script was better at one point to attract someone like Cate Blanchett but this thing is truly a rough sit.

The thing is it’s not even interesting bad. It’s just bland with its visual style really the only thing to recommend it. The plot feels non-existent. I guess Cate Blanchett’s Lilith is hired to find the daughter of a kingpin named Atlas, who she then finds with relative ease. Then they spend the rest of the movie hanging around the desert occasionally fighting with various mercenaries and listening to quips from a robot.

It’s a tremendous cast but some of them seem there against their will (particularly Jamie Lee Curtis.) I suppose it’s a blessing it is under 2 hours but that’s about all I’ve got here. There just is no story to talk about in Borderlands! It unfortunately deserves to be the box office bomb that it is.

Frown Worthy

THE CROW-

I must admit until this Saturday I had never seen the 1994 cult classic film The Crow starring Brandon Lee. I should have made it a blind spot pick but it was an interesting experience to watch that film and then go to the new version literally directly afterwards. There’s no question the original is the stronger film with more of a unique visual aesthetic and stronger script, but I actually enjoyed the new version as well. It isn’t a homerun or anything but enough good to give it a recommendation.

This iteration of The Crow has Bill Skarsgard as Eric Draven who falls head-over-heels in love with the mysterious Shelly played by FKA Twigs. They become spiritually bonded and he promises he will find her if she ever is taken away. When they are both killed by the evil Roeg, Eric is sent on a mission to ‘right the wrongs’ and bring his lady love back from the darkness she’s been sent to.

As you can tell the story is not the selling point of this film. The villain is super bland and the fact it is being played by Danny Huston is tiresome. He’s played this same role so many times it’s getting old. And even though I overall enjoyed the romance they do spend too much time on it. To the point when I’m sure the young men who this film was made for are getting anxious to get back to the action.

That said, the action is pretty entertaining. It’s bloody and visceral and I had a good time watching it. Particularly a sequence at an opera house is really fun. And I think Twigs and Skarsgard had nice chemistry together, and I was invested in them as a couple.

Perhaps my newness to the original helped my feelings for The Crow? I’m not sure but the romance and action were well done enough with likable leads that I had a good time with it. Your mileage may vary.

Smile Worthy

So there you have it. 3 August movies! Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think of them?

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.

‘Alien: Romulus’ or is it the Crowd-Pleaser of the Summer?

| Rachel's Reviews

At times writing a review is a tricky thing. It’s not always easy to encapsulate the experience I’ve had with a film and know whether to recommend it to my readers or not. Everyone knows I’ve had a rough year when it comes to blockbusters so frankly I’m just glad when I enjoy something at all these days even if I’m not in love with it (small victories!) Such is my experience with the newest release Alien: Romulus. It’s from director Fede Álvarez and overall I’d say it’s an entertaining, well-made little thriller that should be a crowd-pleaser for the R-rated sci-fi horror loving crowd. It definitely has its flaws but I’ve seen it twice and had a good time at both watches.

The reason I had to see it twice is a complicated one. First, I went to the critics screening at one of our local IMAX theaters. I’m not sure what is the problem at Megaplex but the IMAX screens are terrible. Sure the screen is large but the sound is always a mess blaring it too loudly or with a mix that is off. This was the case on Monday and at first it seemed like I was the only one bothered by this but then some of the other critics mentioned it. It’s a real problem.

My experience was so impacted I went to see the film again at the XD Dolby screen at Cinemark and overall had a much improved experience. That said, Álvarez has decided to go with the Christopher Nolan brand of muddled sound design that I will never understand. Particularly with the male characters it is challenging to comprehend what they are saying. An AI character named Andy played by David Jonsson is almost completely incomprehensible which is a problem because he is meant to be the emotional heart of the film.

At least this sound design wasn’t as large of a problem in Alien: Romulus as it was in Tenet which also had an incomprehensible plot where this is relatively straightforward. The film is set in-between the events of Alien and Aliens and focuses on a woman named Rain (Cailee Spaeny) who along with her group of friends and ‘brother’ Andy are trying to get away from the mining corporation they’ve been working for and get to a distant planet Yvaga. Desperate they decide to commandeer an abandoned vessel which then of course they find it to be infested with xenomorphs- face hugger, chest exploders and fully standing adult varieties.

Enjoyment of this movie is pretty simple. If the chase between the xenomorphs and the team is engaging for you than you’ll like it. If it feels too same-old than you will not care for it. It certainly won’t win you over with its deep characters or sci-fi metaphors. They try with a plot reveal and extended cameo but that completely falls flat. I’m not enough of a franchise expert to catch all of the Easter eggs but basically Alien and Prometheus come into play so you want to watch both of those before seeing the film.

I must admit the second time seeing the film it was less engaging. It all felt more predictable and less gripping/scary. However, I do appreciate it is one of the few action blockbusters of recent memory to be under 2 hours and not feel bloated. Álvarez keeps the pacing going so we are never left wondering about the more lazy elements of the script.

In the end despite the sound issues and the lazy plot reveals I had a good time with Alien: Romulus. It’s well made, paced and acted and captures the horror feel of that first Alien film. Especially if you are a big fan of the franchise you’ve got to check it out.

Smile Worthy (but don’t see it in the imax!)

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.

IT ENDS WITH US (Review) or If You Like This You’ll Like It But I Didn’t. Also She’s Terrible at Flowers…

| Rachel's Reviews

A movie like It Ends with Us is difficult for me to talk about as a critic. On one hand I did not enjoy it at all. That said, I do think it is an improvement upon the book, which I really disliked so fans of the book, which there are many, will probably love it. It might seem like a strange comparison but in a way it is similar to Dune. A book and world I can’t stand but I can’t deny the films are good translations of that material and will make its many fans very happy. Can you really criticize something for being what it is supposed to be? It would be like criticizing a cake for not being a pie. It’s supposed to be a cake and that’s what it is.

Anyway, that’s a long intro to my thoughts about this film. The story based on the popular Colleen Hoover novel is about a woman named Lily Blooms who you guessed it is a florist. She is played by Blake Lively and she is a stunning human who does what she can with the role. They also got Isabela Ferrer to play young Lily and the two look identical. The casting director deserves major props in that department.

Lily comes from a broken home with an abusive Dad she hates. Then we see in flashback her first love with a man named Atlas (Brandon Sklenar and young Alex Neustaedter) and he is a fairly blank slate (in the book he’s more controlling and manipulative) but he does provide the only safe space for her in the film without estrogen present.

I disliked the book because I felt it was another female-centric narrative where all men are trash and the only solution is for women to free ourselves of them. I don’t believe this is true nor do I find it particularly helpful for victim women who will be led to believe abuse is inevitable and loneliness is the only option. It’s certainly not something I find entertaining or edifying in any way as a single woman.

Like I said, the movie gives more humanity to Atlas so at least there is that but it still feels too ‘men suck, women rule’ for my taste.

Justin Baldoni makes for a hunky version of Ryle and the unreliable narrator aspect of Lily’s character is interesting especially certain sequences like a fall down the stairs but they wait a long time for him to get obviously violent so some viewers may feel whiplash with his character. I get that’s part of the point but it can feel frustrating when the movie seems to be saying we are fools for believing in the long romantic sections. I hate that!

The movie is well directed and made with Lively looking like a movie star. Jenny Slate is also fantastic as Ryle’s sister and Lily’s best friend.

It is kind of ironic that Lily is a terrible florist. Her designs look dead and like they are out of something from Corpse Bride not a chic Boston floral designer. I guess in a way that’s symbolic of the movie. It is presented as beautiful and empowering but looks dead and ugly. Either way It Ends with Us  is not for me. If it’s for you more power to you. I hope you enjoy it.

Frown Worthy

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 (TRAP, HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, FIND ME FALLING)

| Rachel's Reviews

Well, I had a stretch of about 5 movies I really enjoyed. It was too good to last because now we have 3 more that I did not. At least none of these 3 I was super anticipating so the disappointment isn’t very high but it’s still more movies from 2024 that aren’t good and I begin to wonder why I decided to make being a critic part of my job…

Anyway, here are the reviews.

FIND ME FALLING-

Naturally everyone knows I love romances and am rooting for romances to succeed. In fact, check out my recent video rant about the state of current rom-coms:

Like most films these days marketed as romantic comedies Find Me Falling is really more of a drama than a comedy. In fact, it deals with some pretty weighty themes like suicide and depression.

In the film Harry Connick Jr stars as an aging rockstar who is trying to recluse to a beach home in Cyprus. Unfortunately he doesn’t know that his house is a well-known suicide spot (see it’s heavy stuff.) While he is in Cyprus he has a second chance encounter with a love from his youth and the story goes from there.

I really enjoy Harry Connick Jr both as a singer and actor and he can be very charismatic in the right role. I also love pretty locals and the ocean so this should be right up my alley. Unfortunately the film forgets to have any fun and is morose and slow and fails to make us care about the characters. It all becomes quite a bit of a slog and it took me a couple days to get through this Netflix offering.

Frown Worthy

TRAP-

I have a theory about M Night Shyamalan’s new film Trap. I think he was looking for a vehicle to feature his daughter Saleka’s singing and he grabbed a Lifetime thriller script and through in some long singing scenes and boom you have his latest thriller. It has all the touchpoints of a made-for-TV schlocky type thriller but it tries to take itself too seriously in the last act to successfully be such cheesy escapism. It even stars multiple former child stars like a movie of the week thriller usually does. It’s all there!

In Trap Josh Hartnett stars as a man taking his daughter to a big pop-star concert when he learns the whole setup is a giant trap for a serial killer. This is a problem for him because he is said killer. I certainly wouldn’t want to be a citizen of this city because the police force and FBI are so incompetent it defies logic but if you can accept this stupidity the opening act of Trap is entertaining enough.

The problem comes when they leave the stadium after about 45 minutes and it becomes small, cheap, ridiculous and not that interesting. Plus Saleka is expected to carry much of the drama in these scenes. Maybe if it was 80 minutes like a Lifetime movie it might work better but as it is it just became tedious and far too generic for its own good. You can skip this one or watch it on streaming if you feel so inclined.

Frown Worthy

A movie like Trap is just kind of generic bad but relatively inoffensive. Harold and the Purple Crayon, on the other hand, is a painful experience and one of the worst movies of the year. Going into it I thought I might enjoy it more than most because I am not super attached to the children’s book of the same name by Crockett Johnson. However, it’s another movie from 2024 reporting to be about imagination containing very little of it to entertain or enjoy.

Zachary Levi stars as Harold who comes into the real world to try and find the narrator of his story. He’s not given much to do and so when he gets to New York he just kind of ambles about the city for an hour occasionally making purple tinged items with his crayon. What’s especially frustrating is Zooey Deschanel is in this to remind you of Elf, a movie with a similar premise that is better in every way (he actually has a clear motivation to find his Dad and get him off the naughty list in that movie. Plus it’s actually funny…) There’s so little that happens to any of these characters I sat there stupefied that anyone in Hollywood greenlit this script.

Jemaine Clement becomes a Power Rangers-style villain towards the end that’s a little bit fun but it’s all too little too late. I was so unengaged I couldn’t wait for it to be over. This is a definite skip.

Frown Worthy

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.