I have to admit I was reticent to see The Substance because everyone kept talking about how disgusting it was and how it is the ultimate ‘body horror’ film. While it is true that the movie is pretty gross it also has something to say and is endlessly debatable with friends, which is always fun.
In the film Demi Moore plays an aging actress named Elisabeth Sparkle who is portrayed kind of like a Suzanne Somers type who is being phased out of her popular exercise show by her beast of a boss named Harvey played by Dennis Quaid. In a moment of desperation she decides to try a mysterious product she gets sent called The Substance which promises to transform her into an “enhanced” version of herself.
This “beautiful” clone is the much younger Margaret Qualley (named Sue), and she is immediately successful in this exercise show and becomes a favorite of executives like Harvey. Unfortunately the more Elisabeth switches the more her original body begins to deteriorate and things begin to spiral out of control.
There are some places one could nitpick with The Substance. This exercise show Elisabeth and Sue are supposedly stars in makes no sense for 2024. Harvey keeps talking about network television as if this is the 1980s. Also Elisabeth is conveniently isolated. You’d think she’d at least have an agent or manager checking in on her. And the New Years Eve special that becomes a focus of the final makes no sense but none of that matters because the overall conceit and what it’s saying about beauty works so well.
Moore is fearless in the role giving her whole body and soul into the performance and Qualley is believable as Sue. Director Coralie Fargeat also creates very chilling visual effects and sound design to make the transformations feel real and visceral.
Another aspect that really impressed me about The Substance is how careful Fargeat is in her screenplay to connect beauty with love and acceptance. Every time Elisabeth thinks of Sue she is reminded that people love Sue. In giving up Sue she not only gives up a superficially beautiful thing in her life but the adoration and love of people she cares about. I’m sure this is why they don’t show any family or friends with Elisabeth- to make the way she’s treated as Sue even more of a contrast. It’s very true that human beings often conflate physical beauty with virtue usually to disastrous consequences (how many charming dictators have come to power over the years…)
So yes, The Substance is disgusting and especially pushed my needle fearing tolerance to its limit but it also has a lot to say. In particular Fargeat challenges the viewer with questions about how we treat all women, not just celebrities, and how desperate we can be for love and acceptance. The beauty is almost secondary to the need to be cared for and noticed and that’s what Elisabeth seeks out most of all and makes, even at the end, taking the substance worth it.
Smile Worthy
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Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well. I have 5 movies to report for you today, and I have to be honest all 5 are varying degrees of boring. They all have their positives but even if I lean positive none of them are slam dunks. So here goes:
WOLFS-
When I first heard that Wolfs was going straight to Apple Plus and getting little to no theatrical release I was shocked. It looked really funny, had a massive budget and stars 2 of the biggest names in Hollywood, George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Unfortunately, as is often the case, when I saw the film it was obvious why this choice was made as it is such a disappointing film from all involved.
You’d think a movie with such stars playing clean up men for crimes that’s directed by Jon Watts would have some charm to it. That it would be a little bit entertaining but it plays everything super serious without a lick of fun to be had. It was like they were offering a lecture about the life of a fixer and we were all going to have to take notes for a quiz after.
They desperately need a Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino to give this film some energy and life. As is I couldn’t wait for Wolfs to be over, and I was watching it while eating lunch at home… That says something. Everyone just took the paycheck on this one unfortunately. I think it was Gene Siskel who used to say ‘I’d rather watch a documentary about these people having lunch.’ That is certainly the case with Wolfs!
Frown Worthy
THE OUTRUN-
It’s always frustrating when a weak film is led by a gutsy performance. Such is the case with The Outrun. It is a film starring Saoirse Ronan playing a girl named Rona who comes back home to the Orkney Islands in Scotland to help her continue to recover from rehab for alcoholism. We then get a non-linear story that is incredibly repetitive with nothing new or insightful to say about addiction, recovery or anything else.
Movies about addiction are incredibly difficult to make riveting because the experience is so narcissistic and selfish but the structure of The Outrun magnifies this by interrupting whatever narrative arc we are getting to go back to earlier days of partying and getting drunk. The only way we can often tell what time period we are in is the change in Ronan’s hair color and it all feels so unsatisfying.
Ronan gives it her all fully committing to the role and all the drunken antics that are required but I grew weary of it and the nearly 2 hours felt very long. I’d unfortunately skip The Outrun.
Frown Worthy
WHITE BIRD-
It often seems like there are years between trailers and the release of films but in the case of White Bird there literally have been years. The first trailer was released in June of 2022 and I have seen it countless times at this point. I guess it is based on a novel by RJ Palacio who wrote the book Wonder (which I wasn’t a big fan of back in 2017. You can read my review here) Given it was a bully narrative the whole idea of ‘a wonder story’ always seemed bizarre but with Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson I was curious to see what it’s all about.
Unfortunately White Bird feels like it came out of a recycle bin in the WWII movie-making factory. Everything here we’ve seen in other movies done better and while the Nazis were the ultimate bully it’s connection to Wonder is weak at best. If you are watching the movie for Helen Mirren don’t hold your breath. She is simply the narrator and is in the film very briefly. The main protagonists are 2 teens, Sara (Ariella Glaser) and Julien (Orlando Schwerdt), but I wasn’t engaged in their love story or the lessons Julien gives Sara while she hides out from the Gestapo.
Lionsgate has certainly had a rough year of releases and this needs to be added to the pile. There are just so many better movies on this same topic. I’d skip White Bird.
Frown Worthy
btw this image is not in the film
JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX-
As I was walking out of the screening for Joker: Folie à Deux my fellow critics all seemed to have very negative feelings about it. I don’t know if they are just bigger fans of the original film than I was or if I’m just such a musical-loving nut that I left with much more mixed feelings. While I don’t think it all comes together in a satisfying film I do appreciate the swing director Todd Phillips and team took and it is an interesting watch merely for the strange choices it makes.
This sequel bounces off the first movie with Arthur Fleck going to trial for murdering 5 people and a young devotee named Harley Quinn (or Lee) becomes obsessed with him and the movement he inspired. One of the strangest aspects of this film is it seems to be apologizing for the original. It’s frequently referred to as “that TV movie made about me.” As a devotee of TV movies myself they don’t often garner multiple Oscar nominations and even wins so this was a very odd decision. It seems like Phillips and the team were distancing themselves from the incels that the very film was commenting on and yet perhaps also inspired. Like I said, it was a very odd choice.
My biggest hope for this movie was the musical component. I obviously love musicals and you can read my theatre reviews here but Joker: Folie à Deux makes odd choices in this department as well. We’ve heard Joaquin Phoenix sing in other films including Walk the Line and Brother Bear but here they have him straining to hit every note making the classic big band songs sound uncomfortable and strange. I was anticipating getting a lot of joy out of downloading the soundtrack and listening to the tunes but I wouldn’t want to with the way they were sung. And since the songs aren’t part of the plot or the bad singing (they are complete fantasy sequences) this was so baffling? Aren’t you going to want people to be humming the tunes out of the theater? Otherwise what’s the point? It’s a fantasy so he could sound completely different from the character? The songs with Lady Gaga were more pleasant but do absolutely nothing to endear us to her character so I’d just rather buy one of her albums than watch this movie again.
Joker: Folie à Deux does look nice and have some good moments but I was mostly puzzled by the whole experience. I have no idea what it was trying to say or do and each decision it makes is both fascinating and bizarre at the same time. In the end, its an odd time at the movies, but not one I’m eager to revisit any time soon.
Frown Worthy
MONSTER SUMMER-
Now for my one recommendation of this post. It’s for the scrappy little family horror film Monster Summer. If you are looking for a fun way to introduce your family to horror and scary movies it’s a pretty decent time.
In a small island town spooky events start happening and 4 kids start the investigation into what is going on. Mel Gibson plays a writer who’s son vanished years before and Lorraine Bracco hams it up as the woman who just might be a witch.
It is probably best to wait until streaming to watch Monster Summer as there are sections that drag but I was impressed with how scary it got for the target demographic. The kids are in strong peril and there may be more than one crazy person with a hatchet after them. It feels more like something that belongs on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel but if you go into it with those expectations you’ll have a good time with it.
Smile Worthy
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As many of you may know I am 43, single with no children of my own. As such I’ve always felt a little separated from the human experience of mothering or nurturing children. At times I’ve even wondered if I have what it takes to raise a child as clearly it is not something God saw in the cards for me to experience?
It is this personal questioning that made me especially appreciate the beautiful film from DreamWorks: The Wild Robot. This is a wonderful movie that explores the power of shepherding another life and how the act of parenting changes us.
The parent in question here is Roz a robot marooned on an island with seemingly no humans in sight. As she explores her environment she looks for a purpose but comes up empty until she meets a little gosling geese Brightbill. She is told she needs to help her new charge eat, learn how to swim and fly and in order to fill this purpose she must grow and change even though her programming may fight such orders.
There are many things that impressed me about The Wild Robot but what stood out the most is director and writer Chris Sanders boldness to not feel a need to dumb down the story for kids. This is a grown up story. We don’t really get Brightbill’s perspective. How many animated films are there that focus on the parents and their journey? I can think of 2 off the top of my head, and they are both anime films- Tokyo Godfathers, and Wolf Children. Both are examples of films with huge humanity and such is The Wild Robot. It may be about a robot but at its core it’s about someone changing from the act of parenting.
The technicals of the film are also superb with some of the most beautiful animation I’ve seen from DreamWorks and the pitch-perfect voicework. Everyone fit so well into their characters that I was not distracted by celebrities like Lupita Nyong’o or Pedro Pascal. The sound design was also lush and created an immersive natural experience when combined with the animation.
My only real critique of the film was the score by Kris Bowers didn’t always fit with the actions happening on screen and the use of songs by Maren Morris feels out of place.
Other than that 2024 will be hard-pressed to produce a film I like more than The Wild Robot. I found it oddlly comforting that if Roz could find a way to raise Brightbill maybe I would have what it takes if ever given the chance? What a wonderful thought from a stunning animated film. I highly recommend watching it in the theater if you get the chance. An all time classic.
Smile Worthy
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One of my favorite parts about doing this Blind Spot series is that it forces me to watch movies I’ve been intimidated by or nervous to watch. It’s been especially fun this year because my BFF Manda has joined me on my podcast to talk about each of the selections! This month’s pick, The Plague Dogs, is one I’ve been intrigued by but a little nervous to watch because of the disturbing imagery and themes. Now I’ve seen it and I was right to be anxious (if anything it was actually more disturbing than I anticipated) but it is definitely a bold and shocking film worth seeing .
Make sure you check out our recap tomorrow:
The Plague Dogs is interesting when placed in context of the animated films of the early 80’s and late 70’s. This was the era when Ralph Bakshi, Don Bluth and other darker themed animators were making a name for themselves. Even Disney explored darker themes with films like The Fox and the Hound,The Black Cauldron and live action Watcher in the Woods and Return to Oz. Animator Martin Rosen was part of this movement and his films Watership Down and The Plague Dogs stand out as some of the best.
While both films are based on Richard Adams books and can both be quite violent, Watership Down has more of a mythical, lyrical quality where The Plague Dogs seems more gritty and that is probably why it feels more shocking. It’s one thing for harsh things to happen to bunnies forming their allegorical societies and another for it to be realistic dogs on the run from the “white coats” trying to give them the bubonic plague.
One of my friends describes The Plague Dogs as “misery porn,” and I don’t know if I would go that far. Both Rowf and Snitter have hopeful moments that help you root for them and the ending could be interpreted hopefully depending on how you take it. However, it is definitely intense. That’s for sure.
The voice acting led by John Hurd is excellent and the animation next level. They had an incredible team behind it including Brad Bird and the great Retta Scott. My only real criticism of the film is the absolutely terrible score by Patrick Gleason. The synthetic saxophone beats would feel more at home at a lounge club than a gritty drama.
Evidently there are 2 versions of the film. I saw the 103 minute version which you can watch on tubi
What do you think of The Plague Dogs and what’s your favorite animated film from this darker period?
Smile worthy (it feels weird to say smile worthy to such a grim film but I would recommend 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.
Hi friends. I hope you are doing well and enjoying movies at the cinema. I have a few to update you on and I will be doing a full detailed review of The Wild Robot coming soon.
MERCHANT IVORY-
First up we have a new documentary called Merchant Ivory about the famed partnership between director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant. Of course we all know about their famous projects together like Howard’s End (my favorite) and A Room with a View but they made 44 films together! I had no idea there were so many. I also didn’t realize how limited the budget was on these films. They all feel so lush and expensive but they had very limited funding. In fact, some of the actors like Emma Thompson say they dreaded being in one of their productions because of how challenging the conditions were but the movies were always worth it. At one point Merchant was even making the catering for the cast of one of his films.
I’ve seen similar documentaries in recent years that felt more like an expose- as if to say ‘see these people weren’t as good a friends as you thought. The documentary on the Sherman Brothers called The Boys comes to mind. While I guess there is some value in such revelations it can feel deflating so it was nice to see how positive Merchant Ivory collaboration was and how the two really balanced each other out.
If you are a fan of their films than I’d recommend Merchant Ivory. It’s a solid entertaining documentary and worth your time.
Smile Worthy
SUPERMAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY
Moving on to another documentary this week we have the highly anticipated Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story. I really wanted to catch this at Sundance but was unable to do so and then the trailer is one of the best of the year so it got me excited to see this film. I’m not the biggest celebrity person but Reeve and his story was something I followed back in the 90s when he had his accident. I even read his book Still Me as a college student and found it very moving.
There are a lot of aspects that really work about this documentary but most importantly it doesn’t just chronicle Reeve’s life but it is the story of a family and how everyone in his life was impacted and responded to his journey. Especially with a man who played Superman in 4 films it would be easy to make this film patronizing and cloying but instead it always feels sincere and moving.
I remember when his wife Dana passed away so soon after Reeve feeling so heartbroken about it and so concerned for their son Will. Needless to say when they get to that section there is not a dry eye to be found in the theater.
It might sound cheesy to say but we sometimes need inspirational stories and here is one from the man who just happened to play Superman in the movies but was a pretty super individual in real life with a very super group of family and friends.
Smile Worthy
THE CRITIC-
As soon as I heard about the film The Critic I knew I had to check it out. A movie about a theatre critic starring Sir Ian McKellen seemed tailor-made for me. Unfortunately it ended up as a disappointment for this critic.
I think the most deflating aspect of the film is it doesn’t really dive into the mind of a critic or the challenges of assessing material like theatre. Instead it spends most of its time on a love triangle and blackmail plot between McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong and Ben Barnes. I guess this is based off of a play called Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn and perhaps it works better in that setting but was an underwhelming and frankly boring plot for a film.
Another aspect that was odd in The Critic is it took me a while to figure out when the film was set. In reality it is 1934 but there were times it felt quite modern, other times seemed to be turn of the century, 1950s, 1920s. All the period details needed to be stronger to give a more clear sign of when events are taking place so we can have context for the characters behavior and choices.
The acting is good enough that it’s impossible to pan this film but it could have certainly been much better and I wish it had actually been about the experience of being a critic. It’s a definite missed opportunity
Frown Worthy
NEVER LET GO-
I was actually quite excited to see the new horror thriller Never Let Go because I’m a big fan of its director Alexandre Aja’s last film Crawl(I have a whole theory about how Crawl is the ideal date movie if you ever want to hear it.) Unfortunately despite some good performances Never Let Go is a let down suffering from a muddled mess of a script.
The problem is the movie can’t decide what story it wants to tell. It supposedly has the setup of a paranoid Mother, played by Halle Berry, who has survived a dystopia with her boys by never letting go of a rope tied to a protected house. The movie flirts with her being an unreliable narrator. The movie flirts with a lot of things. One child seems to believe the Mother, another does not. It seems like the one who believes is a demonic child we see in horror movies but then he’s not. They seem to imply that the religious angle is hokum but then the power is a visible force. Which is it? There’s zombies but then there’s not but are there. Again the movie flirts with these ideas and many more but doesn’t finish any of them in a satisfactory way. The last shot of the film is literally more questions.
I don’t mind ambiguity or twists but the film needs to have some focus and consistency in characters and plots. As it is it feels like all they cared about was making things look nice and then just made the script up each day they were on set.
In addition to this frustration Never Let Go puts children and a dog in peril making the experience unpleasant and frankly gross. I would definitely skip this one.
Frown Worthy
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I would say in the world of film criticism I am more open to the faith-based genre than many of my contemporaries. However, I do recognize the pit-falls the genre has and why so many don’t connect with them. That said, one of the best directors of the genre over the last few years has been Garrett Batty who directed outstanding films like Freetown and Out of Liberty. What makes his movies stand out is he always focuses on the individual journey over the religious ministry making for a compelling story with humanity whether you’re invested religiously or not. His latest film Faith of Angels is probably the weakest I’ve seen from him but it still tells a good story worth watching.
I had the chance to interview Garrett and star John Michael Finley after I saw the movie for the Hallmarkies Podcast.
Faith of Angels tells the true story of when Joshua Dennis was stuck in an abandoned mine in Tooele, Utah. John Skinner played by Finley hears a distinct prompting to help with the search but he is rebuffed by the sheriff (Cameron Arnett) who fears the involvement of amateurs after a disaster the year before.
My favorite aspect of this film is the journey Skinner goes on. As a person of faith I can relate to the struggle of feeling compelled to do something but having it not make sense to those around you. Is that not the sheer essence of faith? Doing something and believing in something you can’t explain but know is true? This is a very hard concept to make cinematic and the team here did just about as good a job as you could.
The rest of the story with Joshua is gripping enough even if the pacing can drag at times and certain scenes feel repetitive. Still, if you are looking for an inspiring story of a true modern-day miracle Faith of Angels will be just the movie for you. This is a movie you do not have to be Latter-day Saint to enjoy as most of the events are at the cave and non-denominational in nature.
Smile 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.
Anyone who follows me on twitter knows I am not someone who moans and complains about original vs franchise filmmaking. I value creativity and whether that comes in an existing franchise or an original idea it does not matter to me. That said, there have been lots of disappointing franchise films this year and I definitely think an IP can be an excuse to be lazy and bland. Fortunately today I am here to 2 franchise films that do not fall into these traps and are worth your time.
BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE-
I will admit that low expectations may have added to my sense of enjoyment with Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. It has been a long time since Tim Burton has made a film I’ve enjoyed and usually these long awaited comedy sequels are terrible so I was preparing for the worst. While I completely understand the critiques many of my friends have brought up I still found the film overall entertaining and most importantly funny which is of course the key to a successful comedy.
The script is kind of a mess but I was happy to see they didn’t over-use Beetlejuice and brought him around just when the scenes needed a punch of humor. Catherine O’Hara is back as Delia and she is my favorite part of the film (I love her in the original as well.) I like the dynamic between Delia, Lydia (Winona Ryder), and Astrid (Jenna Ortega) as they all deal with grief differently and manage their relationships with each other in easily relatable ways.
I think what makes Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice work is it keeps moving. It perhaps has one too many plots but I’d prefer that over something that’s stagnant and dull. This is never far from a joke or creative visual setpiece to give those spooky feels. Monica Bellucci is the most wasted but even she looks cool and her transformation into a monster is fun to watch.
Something like this is certainly better than other Burton projects likeMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children– a movie that bored me out of my mind. At least this had me laughing and feeling something with the characters. Perhaps it’s a low bar but as I always say with comedies ‘funny saves all’ and that certainly is the case with this. I can guarantee you won’t ever look at “MacArthur Park” again the same way.
Smile Worthy
TRANSFORMERS ONE
I always try and judge a film for what it’s trying to be. Meaning if something is purporting to entertain toddlers does it do so? If something is trying to be a rom-com is it romantic? If something is going for high drama as an Oscar contender does it succeed? You get the idea. With the newest animated Transfomers movie entitled Transformers One I don’t see how anyone can argue that it is not successful in being a Transformers origin story prequel. In fact, you can make an argument it is the best film the franchise has ever seen with the only real contender being 2018’s Bumblebee.
The key difference with this film and even Bumblebee is Transformers One is the first in the franchise to rely solely on the bots with no humans of any kind. Even the animated The Transformers: The Movie from 1986 still had human characters and they are almost always lame. At the very least the whole discovery of the autobot and the various problems of the human characters are not interesting or absorbing.
I much prefer the story we get in Transformers One about 2 friends who go on a little adventure together and end up as Optimus Prime and Megatron- sworn enemies (this is not a spoiler. It’s in all the marketing and how the characters are listed in all the releases). They also don’t realize they can transform until later in the movie so it really is all about the characters and world-building more than action or transforming which is refreshing for this franchise.
The whole movie is refreshing. The animation is vibrant and beautiful and the voice acting by the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry is excellent. It’s also under 2 hours which is a nice change for this franchise.Transfromers: the Last Knightwas nearly an hour longer… Kill me now. There are times Transformers One takes itself too seriously and is trying to be too epic in very predictable ways but it’s still an overall entertaining experience that any scifi fan and certainly any Transformers fan will enjoy.
Smile Worthy
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Hi friends! I hope you are having a wonderful Labor Day. I have a few random films to update you on as I enjoy my day off.
FLY-
First up we have Fly. This is a documentary from the National Geographic Documentary folks about base jumpers from across the globe attempting to try and dive into why they love the sport even with the risks. I was impressed with how honest and frank the movie was about those risks. Death and injury are frankly discussed and you could certainly never get me to jump off these mountains!
There are some incredible visuals and it was neat to see them unfold on the IMAX screen. In many ways this type of documentary is why the IMAX format was made and where it can shine the most as a cinematic experience. My only gripe with Fly is that it is probably 30 minutes too long and some of the points it makes feel repetitive as do the jumps. Still I’m glad I saw Fly and if it comes on Disney Plus I would watch it on the biggest screen you have available.
Smile Worthy
BEETLEJUICE (1988)-
Before the new sequel comes out this week (I see it tomorrow) I had the chance to see the original Beetlejuice on the big screen. I had seen it once before but it had been a bit so I’m grateful to the folks at Brewvies for giving me the opportunity, even if the projection was off! Anyway, I got a chance to see it and I found it quite entertaining. The jokes for the most part work and the creepy atmosphere is effective.
What surprised me the most, however, is how little Beetlejuice is actually in his own film. He doesn’t appear for about 50 minutes and even then he is only sporadically involved. I have a feeling the new movie won’t take this lesson and we will see tons of Beetlejuice which would be a mistake. A little of that character goes a long way. I guess we’ll just have to see but it’s a fun film. I particularly like the way they are always making fun of Delia’s art. Glenn Shadix is underappreciated as the cutthroat interior designer Otho Fenlock. Very funny. Why can’t we have this Tim Burton back? Please…
Smile Worthy
KNEECAP-
I actually saw Kneecap a few weeks ago but I forgot to include it any of my reviews. That’s not because it isn’t a good film just a clerical error on my part. Anyway, it’s an interesting film because it’s about a band called Kneecap in Ireland played by the band members themselves, which is usually a recipe for disaster but this turns out pretty well. For non-actors they all do a good job in their roles and do help you root for them to succeed by the end. Michael Fassbender is also excellent as one of the band member’s Dads. The ending particularly concerning his character had me grinning from ear to ear.
That said the movie can be grating at times with the continual shouting that never lets up. I get that’s part of this bands style but I would have loved to have gotten to know them better. A few softer subtler moments to endear you to the characters would be nice. As it is it can be exhausting but I still say the good in Kneecap outweighs the bad. If you see it on streaming and can handle a hard R film give it a shot.
Smile Worthy
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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!
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