It’s always fun when we get new rom-coms both in streaming and the theaters. Even if they don’t entirely work I like to see more content coming out in the genre and more risks being taken on different projects. So today let’s talk about 2 of the recently released films: Irish Wish and French Girl.
First up we have the new comedy starring Lindsay Lohan entitled Irish Wish. This is the second time Lohan has worked with Michael and Janeen Damien. The first time being 2022’s Falling for Christmas. In both movies the team capture a comedic energy that hails back to the old age of screwball romantic comedies. I can see why some critics say these movies are too silly or unrealistic but that is decidedly missing the point of this type of comedy.
In Irish Wish we have Lohan playing Maddie an editor who wants to become a writer but she has her heart set on marrying an author named Paul Kennedy who has taken her editing and writing skills for granted. When she is in Ireland for his wedding to her best friend she makes a wish that she is marrying him instead which when it comes true causes all kind of pandemonium.
Meanwhile Ed Speleers plays a photographer named James who meet-cutes it with Maddie before the alternate reality and who she is actually supposed to be with.
Like I said, what makes something like Irish Wish work is how it embraces its screwball comedy roots. We have Lohan diving into convertible cars and doing flips around Ireland. We have weddings being interrupted and over-the-top chases and races. It makes for a very amusing and enjoyable 2 hours of television and it doesn’t hurt that Speleers and Lohan have terrific chemistry.
My only qualm with the movie is they make it seem like her proposing instead of Paul in the alternate dimension is a huge red flag. It’s perfectly acceptable for the woman to propose these days so they probably should have gone with something else. Also Jane Seymour is used strangely as Lohan’s Mother.
Still I had fun with Irish Wish and look forward to what Janeen, Michael and Lindsay have in store for us next.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
FRENCH GIRL
While screwball comedies are a type of romantic comedy I typically enjoy supposedly elevated rom-coms like French Girl are decidedly not. The problem with movies like this is it attempts to tell a more complex or realistic love story but in so doing it ends up unpleasant with a lead couple we aren’t even rooting for- or at least I wasn’t.
French Girl tells the story of a schleppy teacher Gordon (Zach Braff) who is in love with a French-Canadian chef named Sophie (Evelyne Brochu.) When she goes back to Quebec to test with her former flame Ruby (Vanessa Hudgens) Gordon is riddled with all kinds of insecurities and jealousy and the whole thing is tedious and unpleasant.
So much of the conflict between Gordon and Sophie could be resolved by a simple conversation but instead they immediately start making out on the waterbed. Sophie ends up having more chemistry with Ruby but they are never really shown outside of a work setting which makes their interactions awkward.
They try to have some slapstick with Gordon and Sophie’s dead grandma but none of it lands and he becomes more needy and unlikable as the movie progresses. You honestly have no idea what Sophie sees in this sad sack guy.
In the end French Girl felt long, drawn out and just not very romantic or exciting. it’s a shame because it had potential but it goes unrealized.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
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Now that we’ve got the non-festival films out of the way let’s talk about what I’ve seen so far at SXSW. I wish I could do full posts on each of these films but I just don’t have the time right now. Perhaps I will down the road but here goes:
We Were Dangerous
I was a little nervous going into We Were Dangerous that it would be too intense for my taste (especially as the start to the festival) but it actually balances its competing tones quite well.
I don’t know if it is based on a true story but it is about a group of New Zealand teens in 1954 that are sent to a reform camp run by a cruel and sadistic matron. Eventually they plot their escape and the whole thing becomes quite thrilling and empowering.
All the girls are great and their chemistry feels natural and lived-in. Rima Te Wiata is unbelievable as the matron. There are so many times when I thought she was going to break and show some humanity and then she would double down on her cruelty. It is a very well calibrated performance- one could call her the New Zealand Nurse Ratched!
We Were Dangerous was a strong start to the festival, and I highly recommend checking it out when you get a chance.
8 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Whatever It Takes
The title Whatever It Takes doesn’t really sell the wild story of this documentary well. It should be called Stalked by Ebay or something like that. Anyway, it tells the story of an internet blogging couple who begin getting stalked by angry commenters online but it goes beyond online. They receive bizarre packages like cockroaches and a pigs head and are followed around their town. It was crazy and as the investigators start looking into it they find it goes way high up the Ebay chain of command.
I don’t know if we needed the complete lesson on the history of Ebay. going back to the 90s but when it is focused on the investigation it is gripping and as someone who has faced much milder internet-based violence I related to it quite strongly. People hide behind a screen and it can be terrifying.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Diane Warren: Relentless-
Last year I had the privilege of covering the red carpet for the Disney Plus show A Small Lightat SXSW and I was hoping to have a similar experience this year but at first no opportunities came up. Then yesterday I got a surprise chance to cover the new documentary about song writer Diane Warren and I raced over to the venue in record time!
If you didn’t know Diane Warren is a song writer who has written some of the biggest pop hits of the last 30 years and she has been nominated for Oscars 15 times without a win (she has an honorary Oscar but no competitive.) I am working on the red carpet coverage video as we speak but it was a cool experience to get to meet Diane and she said my question was a good one (I’m not a trained journalist so that felt good!)
Anyway, the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless is a serviceable biodoc about her life and unlikely journey to become a hit-maker. I like these kind of Behind the Music style documentaries so I enjoyed it. However, I was surprised how focused on the Oscars she was and how the movie having an original song felt like a bit of a cheap ploy for her to finally win. Things like that have to happen organically. If it feels forced she will be less likely to win but this doc was entertaining enough for music and movie fans.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Monkey Man
Next up we have the world premiere of the new action film starring (and directed/written) by Dev Patel called Monkey Man. I am probably the only person in that audience who hasn’t seen any of the John Wick movies so this isn’t exactly a genre of movies I’m super familiar with. However, I still found this to be a well made and exciting action movie.
I’ve been a big fan of Dev Patel for a long time and he is so charismatic and strong her in the lead. He said his goal was to be an underdog on a mission and he succeeds with this goal. There is almost never a moment where it doesn’t feel like his character is outmatched by his opponents but he keeps going. He was clearly influenced by The Raid but this had more mythology and story attached to it with the myth of the Monkeyman giving him confidence to go after the crooked people who killed his Mother.
Monkey Man is very well shot with long kinetic action sequences that are very exciting. I do wish from time to time he had widened the shots to give more scope to the fights but I’m sure especially action fans will have a blast with this movie. I also loved his use of color and creative camera techniques to tell the story. If you’re an action fan I highly recommend this one.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
The Fall Guy
Now for an action movie I did not like we have The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. I was very excited to see this film. In fact, it was my most anticipated movie of 2024. Perhaps my expectations were too high but the trailer really sold me on their chemistry and I was hopeful for a new action romance in the vein of Knight and Day or Romancing the Stone. Sadly it did not deliver on this potential and I left extremely disappointed.
The main problem with the movie is director David Leitch gives little purpose to much of the action he throws at us for nearly 2 hours (it felt much longer than that.) This makes it feel like we are seeing a stuntman highlight reel rather than an actual movie and I can do that on youtube for a couple of minutes of my time not hours.
The other big mistake is the movie is sold on its rom-com elements but then Leitch separates Blunt and Gosling for most of the movie! It makes all the mindless inane action dividing them feel all the more frustrating because they do have good chemistry- if only they were actually together on screen more!
Again I wanted to like The Fall Guy but instead I left bored and underwhelmed. What a disappointment!
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
So there we have it. That’s SXSW so far! I hope the rest of the festival has more gems hidden in there. I will make sure to tell you about them in my next update.
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Especially for things like festival coverage I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.
Hi from Austin, Texas! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your Spring Break. I am busy attending the SXSW Film Festival in Austin and naturally have a lot of movies to catch you up on. Before that post I have a couple films outside of the festival to post my review on that both happen to be inspirational true story films. Here goes:
Arthur the King
I’m not sure why the studio is hedging on Arthur the King but I saw this back on March 3rd and have been embargoed all that time. It’s too bad because I loved it and could have promoted it to my followers.
It is based on the true story of adventure athlete Mikael Lindnord who befriends a scrappy dog (he names Arthur) during his endurance race in the Dominican Republic. Obviously this is a movie that manipulates the viewer and is very sentimental and sweet but it totally worked in that regard for me. Particularly what happens at the end I felt such relief and gratitude it’s not ‘that kind of dog movie’ if you know what I mean.
There is also a scene involving a zipline that had me at the edge of my seat. Arthur the King is an inspiring story for the whole family that I highly recommend.
8 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Cabrini
I feel like in the world of film critics I’m one of the more open-minded individuals when it comes to faith-based films. I know the genre has a lot of weaknesses but it is improving and Angel Studios is a big part of that. They are making quality projects with good acting and impressive production values. Last year they had the massive hit The Sound of Freedom, which I did recommend, and now they have Cabrini.
Unfortunately I’d say this is more of a mixed bag. I’m right on the fence on it. Production-wise it’s very well done convincingly recreating turn of the century New York City all around. The acting is also good with Cristiana Dell’Anna standing out as the lead playing Francesca Cabrini.
The problem is because the lead is a literal Saint they don’t do enough to flesh her out and make her a vulnerable character we can all relate with. It’s a long movie and I wish I was more invested throughout that runtime. After all, even Saints can have flaws!
Still for its target demographic Cabrini is worth a watch but maybe wait until a rental
5.5 out of 10
Smile Worthy
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Especially for things like festival coverage I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.
DreamWorks as a studio is in a very weird place. Where their rival Disney is having a decidedly low moment DreamWorks is a mess of high and low quality releases with no seeming through-line between the movies and what they are doing with their brand. This was never more true than this week when we got 2 widely diverging sequels- both which nobody really asked for in the first place. Plus, we got Orion and the Dark a couple of weeks ago which they dumped on Netflix with hardly any publicity as if it was garbage (it wasn’t.) And who can forget last year when Ruby Gilman: Teenage Kraken was treated terribly by the studio and even Trolls: Band Togetherwasn’t given the publicity campaign you’d expect with that franchise (and it was terrible.)
Well let’s talk about the 2 sequels from this week:
Megamind vs The Doom Syndicate
Everyone knows I am a big fan of the original Megamind. I’ve always felt it got unfairly lost in the wave of Minionsand Despicable Me hype even though it is the superior of the two films. I even have the artbook for the original Megamind. I find it funny, inventive with great vocal performances.
Unfortunately DreamWorks did not live up to the legacy of the original with this terrible sequel. It fails in pretty much every respect and isn’t even enjoyable as a cheap introduction to the upcoming Megamind Rules television series.
It’s admittedly tough to craft a hero story around Megamind but what they come up with is so bland that the 85 minute runtime felt punishing. It isn’t funny and the loss of our original voicecast is not only obvious but a clear sign of a lack of investment by DreamWorks. I rarely use the word cash-grab but it is accurate in this instance.
I know some will say ‘but it’s just a direct to streaming movie. You shouldn’t have expected much.’ I review TV movies for a living and some of them are great. Just because something is cheap doesn’t necessarily mean it is devoid of creativity or laughs- an engaging script is very cheap! If I was laughing I wouldn’t care about the different voices or the weak animation. Heck I’m someone that LOVED Son of Bigfoot and that looks like a direct to dvd animated film from the outside but it’s actually great!
The fact is DreamWorks took Megamind and made junk and that offends me as an animation fan, critic and lover of the original film. How dare they!
0 out of 10- this sucks and I’m mad at them about it!
Frown Worthy
Kung fu Panda 4
If there is a franchise from DreamWorks that is underrated it has to be Kung Fu Panda. I recently saw the first one on the big screen at Maven Cinemas and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s funny and Po isa very likable character.
In my opinion all of the Kung fu Panda movies have been solid and I think I even enjoyed the last one more than most. I loved the story of Po and his 2 Dads and what it had to say. Now we have a 4th movie and once again they’ve made a solid entertaining entry in the series.
In this situation Po is asked to successor to him as the Dragon Warrior and he isn’t comfortable in the teacher/master role. He doesn’t like change, which I think all of us can relate with. Then he meets a fox (who looks like a wolf) named Zhen voiced by Awkwafina and they confront a villain named The Chameleon voiced with gleeful abandon by Viola Davis.
This is not a plot that will surprise or blow anyone away but it’s sweet and entertaining. I liked the way it was able to bring in the previous 3 films in both subtle and non-subtle ways and the script provided a good mixture of laughs and sweet moments. The animation and music are also up to the standards of the series. I really couldn’t ask for much more from a Kung fu Panda 4.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
So there you have it. The crazy thing is we have another DreamWorks film coming out later this year called The Wild Robot. It’s wild!
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Especially for things like festival coverage I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.
Hi everyone! I hope you had a great January and that some of you got to enjoy the experience of the Sundance Film Festival both in person and online. I had a terrific time and saw 28 films this year! I also got to be on KSL Movie Show twice- once on their live show and once on the podcast edition.
Overall, I’d say the lineup was pretty good this year at Sundance. There wasn’t that much I disliked although last year was perhaps even better but there were a lot of good films.
You can listen to my recap with Louisa Moore (and the 50th episode of Female Film Critics Panel)
But here are my ranking and reviews of all 28 films I saw:
28. Seeking Mavis Beacon-
I was intrigued to watch this documentary, Seeking Mavis Beacon, because I learned how to type using Mavis Beacon software and thought it might be interesting to learn about her backstory. Unfortunately it was clear the research behind Mavis didn’t come to much so instead of just abandoning the project we were subject to their landlord disputes, attending parties and an occasional interview from one of the game developers. I realize it’s got to suck when your documentary topic proves fruitless but sometimes it happens and you have to move on. Don’t do whatever this was…
1 out of 10
Frown Worthy
27. Little Death-
Little Death is the kind of film I despise at Sundance. So shallow and annoying yet so full of its own virtue you can’t stand it or at least I couldn’t. Everything it does or says I’ve seen a million times and yet I’m supposed to be shocked. For example David Schwimmer’s director character has to change his character into a strong female woman and he goes on a rant about how every character is a strong female character. I’ve heard this so many times. What would actually be interesting is if someone commented on how most of these strong female characters aren’t actually made to appeal to women or for women. That would be insightful. Instead it’s more drivel pretending to be brilliant. Every character is unlikable and the animation and other artistic choices are the most basic of Sundance chic. No thank you! The dog is the only thing I liked.
2 out of 10
Frown Worthy
26. Between the Temples-
Sometimes a director, particularly at Sundance, can’t let himself get out of the way of the story. Such is the case with Between the Temples. Director Nathan Silver has a bunch of good ingredients with a funny story and charismatic performers but unfortunately I couldn’t enjoy the film because of the terrible filmmaking choices he makes. Silver has a love of extreme closeups for no reason, which is distracting to the overall narrative and the sound design was frankly bizarre. Whenever someone is eating we hear the food masticating in their mouth. We hear them scratching and slurping up tea. It’s unpleasant and doesn’t add anything of substance to the story. In the end, Between the Temples was a chore to get through and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
2 out of 10
Frown Worthy
25. Handling the Undead-
There might be something in Handling the Undead that could make for a piece of a good movie but as presented it’s an extremely frustrating watch. It’s definitely the most lethargic and slow zombie movie ever made. In it we have a zombie uprising where there’s a lot of meaningful staring and sad faces, which sure you’d feel that way in a zombie apocalypse but there might also be some urgency? The cinematography and music are beautiful but almost nothing happens for 98 minutes. We are literally watching people stare longingly for over an hour. No thank you.
3 out of 10
Frown Worthy
24. Love Lies Bleeding-
It’s always interesting when a project or director has a lot of hype going into the festival. It feels like they almost never live up to expectations and that is definitely the case with Rose Glass and her new film Love Lies Bleeding. She had a big indie hit in 2019 with Saint Maud, which I finally watched before the festival (I don’t tend to like possession movies) and it is very well done. Unfortunately Love Lies Bleeding can’t decide whether it wants to be an erotic thriller or an over-the-top revenge fantasy. The performances are good by Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian but each new plot development got more ridiculous by the minute until the end is full-on absurd fantasy. I can see some will embrace the madness but it was too much for me and didn’t manage its tone well enough.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
23. Winner-
I like an inspirational true story as much as the next person but with Reality Winner’s story the filmmakers have the unfortunate task of making someone heroic who does something incredibly stupid. I’m not sure how the other bio-pic of her story fares but Winner feels extremely mediocre and would make more a home as a movie of the week on channels like Lifetime- but they’d make it more salacious and fun. Emilia Jones is good in the lead role and Connie Britton always adds gravitas to whatever she is in but the movie can’t get around the fact what Winner did was at best misguided and like I said stupid.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
22. And So it Begins-
Documentaries are tricky because so much of the entertainment value is unpredictable and depends on the charisma of the subject being profiled. Unfortunately And So it Begins is not able to make the Filipino presidential candidate Leni Robredo interesting. It has a few stirring speeches but most of it feels like watching the dry and dull goings-on of a campaign. Most frustrating is I didn’t feel like I actually got to know Robredo and instead was shown the busy-work and bureaucracy in setting up events and talking with the media. It just wasn’t interesting.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
21. Didi-
Didi is where we start to get into the more mixed bag experiences of the festival. There are some positives here. Director Sean Wang has captured authentic moments of a Taiwanese American family in 2008 with the awkward interactions between a teen b0y and his friends and family. Unfortunately the tone is all over the place and the teen is very unlikable at times. He’s not just rebellious but outright mean to his Mother and sister and even rude to his friends without a clear motivations for his behavior. It just made the whole thing kind of unpleasant to watch. Coming of age stories are already a tough sell for me and in the end I couldn’t vibe with this teen.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
20. Reinas-
Lately it seems to be a favorite theme of indie films to take on relationships between fathers and daughters- usually divorced Dads with their daughters. Aftersunwas a good example last year and this year at the festival there were 2 films, both in the Spanish language that were almost identical, Reinas and In the Summers. Unfortunately for Reinas, In the Summers was the better film so it gets higher on this ranking. I honestly don’t know what they were thinking having such similar films in the same category at the festival. The girls are cute in this one but not much else to find compelling.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
19. 10 Lives
10 Lives is our animated entry for the festival and I honestly wanted to like it more than I did. The animation is fairly generic cheap CG and the story feels played out. It perhaps hurts that it is similar in structure to Puss N Boots: The Last Wish (at least the very beginning of that film) and you all know how much I loved that one. In tphis case our cat comes back to earth as different animals which could have been funny but it again felt played out. It’s harmless for little kids but pretty generic.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
18. Rob Peace-
Next up we have Rob Peace and this is a tricky situation because it is a well made film. The acting is solid throughout and it is based on a true story so I don’t know how much room they had to work with for the story. However, every beat felt so predictable and played out it was frustrating to watch. As each part of the story unfolded I kept saying to myself what was going to happen and then sure enough it did. It just would be nice to get more stories from the Black experience and to tell them in more cinematically unique ways. This one is what I would call serviceable but totally unmemorable.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
17. In the Land of Brothers-
In the Land of Brothers tells 3 stories of Afghan refugees living in Iran which is a people and situations I know nothing about so it was intriguing on that level. However, all 3 stories werevery depressing and it might have been nice to throw in 1 with a little bit of hope for a little bit of variety. My favorite was the last which was about a marriage in a tough spot. They are all slice of life type stories but are well made and it would be interesting to see what these directors could do with a feature.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
16. Brief History of a Family
A lot of people at the festival were comparing Brief History of a Family to Saltburn but I didn’t see Saltburn so perhaps that helped in my enjoyment. It’s an impeccably well made film with a beautiful look to it and great performances but I don’t know if I totally got what it was going for in the story. It’s about a young man in China who begins to be attached to another set of parents (everyone only has 1 child because of the one child only policies) and this causes conflict with the couples actual son and with his parents. Still it’s one that I would be interested to watch again outside of the festival.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
15. In the Summers
Like I said, of the 2 films In the Summers was the better father/daughter journey over Reinas so it gets the higher placement. Like all of these stories, you have a flawed father who is abusive and angry but still loves his daughters in the best way he can. You have different actresses playing the girls over the years and they do a good job with the young performers and making them all feel like the same characters. I don’t know how I feel about how much Spanish they chose to not translate or subtitle in the movie. I feel like I missed out on a lot of the dialogue and important character interactions because of that choice. My response after I saw In the Summers is that it is ‘very sundancy’ and so I’m not surprised it won awards. It’s just strange they pitted it against another very similar film.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
14. Freaky Tales
This anthology of 80’s themed horror shorts got a ton of buzz at the festival and while I enjoyed them I don’t know how buzzworthy they really were. My favorite were the first and fourth. The first is about a group of punk kids who decide to fight the local skinheads (literally in a battle style combat scene) and then the fourth was about an NBA player who takes on some of those same thugs who try to steal from his house. He’s known as Sleepy Floyd but he does anything but sleep on them! These shorts are very bloody and they have a nice sense of humor. There’ s also a really fun cameo that everyone will get a kick out of in the 2nd short. These are enjoyable enough with a nice style and sense of humor to them but nothing outstanding.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
13. Frida-
Next up is a documentary Frida about the painter Frida Kahlo who was quite the personality. When I first saw this on the schedule I thought maybe it might be destined for the PBS Masters series but Kahlo has quite the tongue and isn’t afraid to use it! It was funny and surprising but does make you wonder where this can eventually land. They did all they could in this documentary to add animation in Kahlo’s style and make it as entertaining as possible but it still felt a little dry. Still, if you are interested in Kahlo and her art it’s a must watch.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
12. Girls State-
Girls State was a fun way to start off the festival especially because I saw Boys State a few years ago at the festival. I also got to give my review to the KSL Movie Show, which was a fun surprise. This is similar to Boys State but it isn’t quite as cynical. They did a very good job picking the girls to be featured and they try to show the differences between the 2 organizations. There is even one girl who starts doing an investigation into the differences between Boys State and Girls State. However, I did start to feel manipulated as I know so little information about both programs- perhaps the boys programs has a lot more applicants and interest? There could be reasons the programs are different besides just sexism. Still, it’s interesting to see the type of rhetoric effective on young girls and what is of concern to them right now.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
11. Skywalkers: A Love Story-
Next up we have another documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story that is about 2 legitimately crazy people and their love story. It’s too bad it is going straight to Netflix because these daredevils and their stunts are incredible to watch on the big screen. This tells the story of a couple Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus who climb to the tops of high buildings and post about it on their social media. The pictures they get hanging off of poles and rooftops are unbelievable. Don’t watch this one if you have a fear of heights! Fortunately it is also a compelling love story as the title suggests. Think Free Solo but with actually nice people at the lead.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
10. Suncoast-
Starting the top 10 of the festival we have Suncoast which is another moving coming of age story. This time about a mother and daughter but it is also a story of loss and the burdens of caregiving. Nico Parker is excellent as a teen who has a terminally ill brother who has moved to the same hospice care center that Terri Schiavo was at in 2005 when her family battled whether to take her off of life support. Laura Linney lays Parker’s mother and she is a very flawed character but it is understandable under such a stressful situation.
We also have a Schiavo protestor and activist played by Woody Harrelson that I kept thinking was going to be a more untrustworthy character but he wasn’t. It was just unusual to have an adult man be so interested in a teen like Parker. However, the less compelling part was her various interactions with a new cooler group of friends who are actually quite accepting and kind (not the mean girls you think they will be at the beginning.) Still, this one is worth seeing for the good performances and a few very effective moments that got the tears flowing. It’s on hulu now and I think definitely worth a watch.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
9. Will & Harper-
Next up we have a sweet documentary most anyone will love called Will & Harper. It follows Will Ferrell as he takes a roadtrip with his longtime friend Harper Steele who has recently transitioned as a trans woman. It perhaps has 2 stops too many and is a bit too long at 114 minutes but I love stories about friendship and so I really enjoyed this one. It warms the heart.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
8. A New Kind of Wilderness-
When I first saw the blurb for A New Kind of Wilderness I didn’t know if it would be for me because there have been a lot of ‘living off the grid’ documentaries at Sundance and usually they aren’t for me. However, I’m really glad I saw this one because that’s actually not what it was about. It follows a family in Norway who have to transition away from their idyllic homeschool-led off the grid lifestyle when the Mother and primary breadwinner of the family dies of cancer.
In the end it becomes a story about grief and loss and how it can wound us not just emotionally but practically as well when a person is suddenly gone- especially someone as important as a Mother. It was neat to have the entire family there at the screening and the whole thing had huge heart. I cried my eyes out.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
7. The Greatest Night in Pop-
I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of the 1985 anthem “We are the World” but I saw The Greatest Night in Pop because it fit into my schedule and I’m so glad I did. This is an extremely entertaining and well put-together documentary that is more about capturing a moment than this particular song.
Director Bao Nguyen does a wonderful job combining new and archival interviews along with footage from the recording studio to bring the night of the recording to life. Getting together so many stars of the day was a feet and managing to make a listenable song is pretty impressive. One of my favorite moments is when Stevie Wonder helps Bob Dylan have the confidence in his solo and When Stevie helps Ray Charles find the bathroom- the blind literally leading the blind!
This is just extremely well done. I highly recommend it.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
6. Your Monster-
If any of you saw the recent Lisa Frankenstein and were disappointed you might find Your Monster to be more your cup of tea. It combines elements of romantic comedy and horror more successfully and makes for a fun campy watching experience. Melissa Barrera plays a recently dumped woman who finds a monster (Tommy Dewey)in her closet who just might be the key to her getting over her breakup.
This film doesn’t take itself too seriously and the two leads have an odd but effective chemistry. Some of the antics with the best friend and ex get a little old but still I had a great time with this and if you can handle some blood particularly at the end I recommend it.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
5. Thelma-
Readers of my reviews know I love movies about old people- the crankier the better so Thelma had my name written all over it. June Squibb plays a 90-year-old Thelma who goes on a revenge outing with her best friend played by Richard Roundtree to retrieve money scammed from her. The story gets very ridiculous especially by the end but everyone involved is so charming you cannot help but have a good time. I loved Parker Posey and Clark Gregg as her daughter and son-in-law and Fred Hechinger as her insecure but loveable grandson. Thelma also doesn’t overstay its welcome at only 97 minutes. Watch it with your Grandma. They will love it. I wish I could watch it with mine.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
4. A Real Pain-
A Real Pain is an interesting film because it has a lot of elements that might normally turn me off. Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg (who directs and writes) play cousins who go on a Poland Holocaust tour to honor their beloved Grandma. Culkin’s character is a lot of personality and a little of him goes a long way but the movie knows that and gives us enough breaks to make it palatable. It’s also mercifully short at just 90 minutes so we don’t get too sick of him.
The part I connected with most was the love both men have for their Grandma, who we never see, but that love spoke to me and was something I could relate with as I was very close to my Grandma Wagner. In the end, A Real Pain is a heartfelt and poignant film anyone who has an annoying cousin or loved their grandma will be able to connect with.
8 out of 10
Smile Worthy
3. Luther: Never Too Much-
Next up we have the biggest surprise for me at the festival in the documentary Luther: Never Too Much. I went into it knowing nothing about the singer aside from a few of his songs especially “A Whole New World” from Aladdin but I left really relating with his story and journey as a human being. There’s nothing particularly special about the structure of this documentary. It’s your standard bio-doc of a musician but they did an excellent job of showcasing Vandross’s work but also his internal struggles and challenges.
I connected most with his being a singer of cheesy love ballads who had never fallen in love himself. As someone who covers cheesy romantic movies for my job but have never fallen in love I could relate to this story. We never talk about the people who never fall in love in this world but there are lots of us who it never happens to and I appreciate this documentary addressing that honestly. Of course, it may be that Vandross was closeted gay man but he never came out in his lifetime so that is an added layer.
Again this is not any great feet of filmmaking but I just connected with Luther Vandross as a person and so it was a special experience at the festival for me.
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
2. Hit man-
Hit man was definitely one of my most hyped films of the festival. Having had big runs at other festivals and coming from director Richard Linklater I was pretty sure I would like it and I did. It’s one of his more lighthearted romps compared to something more serious like Boyhood but it is slick and extremely well put together.
It tells the fictious account of a real life undercover hitman in Texas played by Glen Powell and what happens when his undercover persona becomes his real persona. Powell is incredibly charismatic and he has terrific chemistry with Adria Arjona (and some very sexy scenes!) This is not to be realistic or tense but zippy engaging little comedic thriller. It’s just a shame it is going straight to Netflix because its very entertaining and theatergoers would love it. Stupid Netflix
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
1.Ghostlight
Finally we have a movie practically made for me, Ghostlight. It tells the story of a family deep in grief who are struggling to move on with their lives. The father stumbles into a community theater production of Romeo & Juliet which starts to change this rough and gruff construction worker. What’s really special about this film, aside from the pitch perfect script, is that the family (Mother, father, daughter) are played by an actual family- the Kupferer family. This allows them to have natural chemistry and we really feel like we go on a journey with these people as drama and community helps them cope with tremendous loss.
It’s also not a downer but can be quite funny and charming with Dolly de Leon playing our older Juliet actress who is paired with the gruff father. I know it is a bit on the nose, but it all worked for me. I was moved to tears multiple times and it made me immediately want to recommend it to friends and family- particularly all my theatre friends! I would be shocked if Ghostlight doesn’t end up in my top 10 of 2024 films (although I have no idea why it is called Ghostlight).
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
So there you have it! I know it took me over a month to finish this ranking but I sincerely had a great experience at the festival and saw a bunch of films I’ll not soon forget. Which ones look the most intriguing to you? I would love to hear what you think. Happy movie-watching!
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One of the challenges as a critic is to try and be as fair and objective as possible. Obviously true objectivity is impossible because I am a human being full of biases, tastes, history and personal experiences that flavor my understanding and acceptance of any film. I still like to try as hard as I can to give everything I see the opportunity to wow me. However, some stuff has admittedly more of an uphill climb than other stuff…
This is where I admit I am just not a Dune person. I found the book to be one of the most excruciating experiences of my reading life with uninteresting characters, story and plot and neither of the feature film adaptations have caught my interest- both 2021 and 1984. The last one I think is well done for people that like Dune but since it was still Dune it didn’t do much for me.
Now we have Dune: Part Two and I was hoping I would like this one better because it focuses on a love story, and I guess I did, but it was still not my thing. In particular, the first hour was plodding and stocked full of uninteresting desert people without a compelling narrative to draw them forward. It all looks nice but the drama between Paul and the Baron and protecting his pregnant Mother feels like a lot of meaningful shouting without much actual meaning.
Once it becomes a war story with Paul leading the Fremen against their captors it is more engaging and we get some interesting dynamics from Timothee Chalamet as Paul who is a reluctant leader who only assumes the throne because there is nobody else to do so. The George Washington of the spice world you might say. Unfortunately Frank Herbert and Denis Villeneuve always keeps Paul at a distance from us. I don’t really know who he is the way I do a Frodo or a Luke Skywallker. Aside from vague ideas of honor and family I never really feel like I get in his head or understand his journey very well.
If you like the first Dune you will love Dune: Part Two. I can’t imagine anyone feeling differently. If you didn’t than maybe go just for the visual spectacle of it all. I am in the minority and didn’t enjoy the Hans Zimmer music again. It’s loud, blaring and overwhelming without having a memorable theme to draw us into the story. I defy anyone to hum the supposedly great music from Dune. You can’t do it!
Dune: Part Two is a hard movie for me to give a grade to because it’s just not made for me, but I can see that if you like this kind of thing than you will like it and isn’t that the most important factor- that a movie be a success to its intended audience? I don’t even know if I will log this review on rottentomatoes because it feels unfair of me to give it a rotten rating when I think it does what it’s trying to do very well. I just find Dune boring, bland and uninteresting and no iteration I’ve experienced it has convinced me otherwise. Clearly millions around the world disagree with me and that’s ok.
It happens in life. So I hope you will forgive this rather strange review and hopefully it has given you some idea of whether Dune: Part Two might be for you or not.
5 out of 10
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Hi friends! I have some quick updates to give you and then will be writing my longer review of Dune: Part 2 in the next couple of days. If you want to see my out of theater reaction click here:
Drive Away Dolls-
As an esteemed moviegoer and film critic I have a confession to make. I am extremely mixed on the Coen Brothers especially their comedies. Of course, they have their classics like Raising Arizona and O Brother, Where Art Thou? but especially some of their more recent stuff really falls flat like Intolerable Cruelty, Hail, Caesar! and Burn After Reading (I know these movies have their fans. I am not one of them.) Now we have Drive Away Dolls which is just from brother Ethan Coen and it’s another big comedic misfire. I was pretty excited going into this raunchy comedy having enjoyed the trailer and left feeling really disappointed.
The main couple played by Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan have their moments and could have chemistry in another film but most of the jokes felt really played out and often only included for shock value, which becomes less shocking as they are repeated again and again. In many ways this felt like a movie of favors. Lots of famous people come in and out of the story but aren’t given much to do with few laughs being delivered. It feels like Ethan called up his friends but then the creativity stopped there and I frankly would rather hang out with my own friends than spend time with these people. For my more sensitive readers this one is a hard R but they don’t do much that’s exciting or creative with that raunchiness. It was just not for me…
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
Upgraded-
I’m always happy when I see a new rom-com is coming out even if it is just for streaming (this one to Amazon Prime which released my favorite movie of last year Red White and Royal Blue.) Upgraded is a pretty basic The Devil Wears Prada copycat but it’s pleasant enough for fans of the genre. Camilla Mendes plays Ana, a young art gallery assistant who is trying to make a name for herself in New York City. She gets a job with Marisa Tomei and then they are zipped off to London where she meets handsome William (Archie Renaux.)
A little of Tomei’s character goes a long way and we get a lot of it and most of the work related stuff feels very played out; however, Renaux and Mendes are charming and it’s fun seeing London. This is no masterpiece but I smiled while watching it. If you like the genre give it a try.
5.5 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Ordinary Angels-
I always try and judge films for both my overall enjoyment and how well does it succeed in being what it’s try to be. In other words, if the movie is clearly geared towards little kids than does it meet those audiences expectations. Sometimes I have to guess what that audience will enjoy (especially when watching horror movies for example) but I at least try to put films in their proper context.
With Ordinary Angels the team behind it includes the Erwin Brothers who have the strongest resume of faith-based films working today as well as director Jon Gunn who made solid genre entries like I Still Believe, American Underdog and Jesus Revolution.
Fortunately you can count Ordinary Angels as another win in their filmography. This is a very satisfying faith-based film that is honestly pretty light on the faith aspects and presents compelling characters with a story that is easy to root for. Hillary Swank leads the film playing Sharon a woman who becomes determined to help a little girl get the medical care she needs. Alan Ritchson is also strong as the little girls Dad as are all the child actors involved.
Of course, it has its cheesy moments but that’s to be expected in this type of film. I just appreciate it had flawed characters that we see learn and grow and the evangelisms is kept to a minimum. If this is the future of the faith-based genre sign me up! It’s definitely a step in the right direction.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
So there you have it! If you’ve seen any of these let me know what you think and happy moviegoing!
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I realize the title to this review is going to cause some outrage. I like to believe even on bad movies people are usually still trying their best. Therefore, I did not give such a title lightly. In fact I waited several days to write the review after the embargo and release to make sure how I felt about Madame Web and that I wasn’t just feeding on internet hate and hyperbole. It’s not that it’s just a movie I dislike. That happens all the time. It’s that it is so sloppily constructed that it’s hard to justify its existence on any level.
I usually try and start my reviews with some positives but with Madame Web I have very few. There are a few actors like Isabela Merced and Adam Scott who are trying their darndest with the material and a few moments of nice cinematography as well as some winks to 2003 where the movie is set.
That’s about it. The script is the biggest problem with dialogue that had me howling (to myself) in my seat The story also fails to develop compelling characters who’s actions feel believable. Every flash forward is so poorly edited and constructed that it feels confusing rather than enlightening and there are often big gaps in logic or story that leave you wondering ‘how did they get here?’ or ‘how did she know that?,’ ‘has she never been in water before and if not why?’ You get the idea. The actors, who have been good in other roles, can’t save this script with Dakota Johnson making her role in Fifty Shades of Grey look like an Oscar bait film and Tahar Rahim entering the history books as one of the most poorly executed villains ever.
What’s more shocking is how poorly made Madame Web is. We expect clunky dialogue these days from superhero movies but everything from the editing to the sound design to the action is sloppy! And let’s mention the product placement that had me wondering if I’d wandered into a parody film by mistake.
There’s scenes in this film where a character opens a can of Pepsi right in front of the camera acting like a Price is Right model showcasing it for all to see. Then later on the climatic fight scene is literally done beneath a giant Pepsi Cola sign. I wish I was making this up.
I’ve mentioned how I hate modern action movies where characters stand around staring at screens. Well, in Madame Web there is an entire character who seems to not leave the villains apartment but just stares at screen for her entire existence. The sad part about this henchman is she is played by Zosia Mamet who is so wonderful in the lead of Molli & Max In the Future– a far better film out in theaters now. When I think of the style and energy that film brought to the table on a nothing budget it’s infuriating to watch a big mess like Madame Web. Did I mention how bad the editing is in this film? I mean come on!
The trailer for this film promises aspects that aren’t really delivered like instead of a team-up movie with other spider-women it’s a teens being ordered around by a bored female mentor movie (the teens are mostly standing around waiting for things to happen to them). The villain instead of being cold and calculating is in revenge-mode for crimes that haven’t happened despite himself being a cold-blooded murderer! It makes no sense. It honestly feels like they just made it up every day they went to shoot and all the winks to Spider-man only amplify that feeling.
It’s especially baffling when Sony has done such a brilliant job with their animated Spider-verse movies. They might have just as well hired Tommy Wiseau and made this one of his triumphs. At least that would have some personality. This is without a doubt the worst comic book movie since Catwoman and it may be even worse than that. As I recall that at least didn’t have ADR and visual effects problems… It’s not even fun bad. It’s just boring, lame and incompetent. Badly done Sony!! Badly done!
1 out of 10
Frown Worthy
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Hey everyone! First I want to apologize for being so late in getting you my Sundance recap. It’s 28 films and taking me longer to get it done than I hoped for. In the meantime I have some other films to catch you up on. So let’s get to it!
Orion and the Dark
Due to its Netflix-only strategy I predict Orion and the Dark will end up being one of the more under-appreciated films of 2024. And this is a real shame because it’s a special little animated film from DreamWorks. It tells the story of a little boy named Orion who has high anxiety. One day in the midst of his panic he meets his greatest fear personified- The Dark. They then go on a journey together to help him overcome his fears.
The script for this film is written by Charlie Kaufman of Adaptation fame and his imprint is all over the place. The way it addresses anxiety with honesty and empathy is wonderful for kids (second movie this year to do so with Inside Out 2 coming out with a character named Anxiety.) I also loved the animation with a similar flat style that we saw in Abominable or Captain Underpants (both underrated.)
I also had the pleasure of interviewing the composers for this movie after I saw it and that interview will be on Rachel’s Reviews youtube and at rotoscopers.com later this week. I wish we could have seen Orion and the Dark on the big screen but it’s definitely worth a watch over at Netflix. I think it will not only entertain but help kids process their feelings in a very positive way. Love it!
8 out of 10
Smile Worthy
American Fiction
I finally checked American Fiction off my to-watch list this week. It’s not that I’d been avoiding it. I just missed the screening and this time of year once you miss it it’s hard to catch up! Overall, I really enjoyed this lively little piece of satire. It’s at its strongest when it is poking fun at academia and literary hipster circles. It’s less effective when it tries to be about the lead character “Monk’s” family and personal life. That felt more cliched and tired.
Still, the performances are excellent especially Jeffrey Wright in the lead. He’s trying to do the right thing but also the world keeps telling him they don’t want his best- they want the cliched book he wrote as a joke. It’s kind of funny in a way that it’s up for all these awards because the script criticizes the very people who vote for such awards! It’s very ironic. Nevertheless, this is a good example of how you can do contemporary satire effectively and keep it funny/non-woke for lack of a better word. I’d watch it again and I can’t say that about that many movies like this. Erika Alexander, who I used to love on The Cosby Show is excellent as Monk’s girlfriend.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Molli and Max: In the Future
Last year one of my favorite movies at SXSW Film Festival was Molli and Max: In the Future. I had the chance to rewatch this clever take on When Harry Met Sally in space and I still really enjoyed it. In fact, I’ve kept in touch with the director Michael Litwak over this year and recently had him on the Hallmarkies Podcast to talk about the movie. I really enjoyed our discussion about the movie and rom-coms in general. Check it out above or wherever you listen to podcasts.
The movie itself is very inventive and fresh. I can’t believe all they were able to do on a nothing budget creating a unique and immersive world that feels like Doctor Who meets Tron. There are some segments that drag a little too long like a section on a reality game show but even there the world-building is creative enough to keep me invested. Zosia Mamet and Aristotle Athari are wonderful in the leads and their friendship and chemistry is believable.
If Molli and Max is playing near you I’d love for you to support it. It’s the kind of bootstrap filmmaking with hard and humor I’d love to encourage and support. A gem of 2024.
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Lisa Frankenstein
Next I saw Lisa Frankenstein which is a genre mashup romantic comedy, horror film in the vein of Edward Scissorhands, Shaun of the Dead or Warm Bodies. I don’t think this is as strong as any of those films but there was enough positives for me to recommend.
The best thing about this film is the aesthetic and enjoyable performances. It is set in 1989 and it really feels like a creature of that time in all its aesthetics. I also liked all of the performances especially Kathryn Newton as Lisa and Cole Sprouse as the Frankenstein. Carla Gugino and Liza Soberano are great in supporting roles. The dry sense of humor in the script by Diablo Cody is also pretty entertaining.
The problem lies in the story. The script doesn’t give them enough to do. It seemed like a lot of the movie is just the characters hanging around the house waiting for something to happen. It’s also not as effective a love story as it could have been because Lisa’s pining away for a different boy most of the movie. Recently I saw Your Monster at Sundance and that was a much better genre mashup. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this enough for a mild recommendation. If it seems like your thing than you’ll enjoy yourself.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Bob Marley: One Love
Finally we have a new musical biopic about reggae legend Bob Marley called Bob Marley: One Love. Unfortunately this is a by the numbers biopic that doesn’t give us much new that we didn’t already know about Bob or the music he created. The biggest insight I gained was learning about how he died (I’ve always heard he died of a stubbed toe that got infected but it was evidently cancer that came from the stubbed toe.
The leads are decent with Kingsley Ben-Adir and I suppose if you are a big fan who knows nothing about Bob Marley it might be entertaining enough at home but I mostly was bored and wishing it would wrap it up sooner.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
So there you have it. What about you? What have you been enjoying at the theater or on streaming? I would love to hear your thoughts!
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Check it out here.
