TribecaRachel's Reviews

Of all the high concept movie plots out there one that I keep being drawn to time and again is one of alternate timelines. In the world of physics it’s called The Many-Worlds Theory. The idea is that in each decision there are multiple outcomes that are possible and that the universe splits off into those different realities. At the very least it is fascinating to think about how little decisions impact our lives in some times big ways.

Naturally this concept works really well in the romance genre most famously with the 1998 film Sliding Doors. In this film Gwyneth Paltrow has 2 realities- one where she makes a subway and catches her cheating boyfriend and one where she does not. It’s a delightful film I recommend if you haven’t seen it.

Now the latest in this genre, Next Life, is premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. This film stars Emilia Clarke as Ivy a singer who’s 2 realities revolve around her having a meet cute where she spills coffee on a jazz musician Diego (Edgar Ramirez) on the subway. The reality with no meet cute she ends up with her ex-fiance Noah played by Jack Farthing but her and Noah do connect eventually in both timelines (it’s meant to be!)

This film is written and directed by Drake Doremus and he tries to speak to weightier themes than the premise might suggest. It’s actually an exploration on life and if we are destined for certain fates or not. Clarke is very likable in the role and she manages to have decent chemistry with both Farthing and Ramirez. Doremus could have learned from Sliding Doors and given Ivy different hairstyles for each reality because it can get confusing which version of the character we are seeing from scene to scene.

It also sometimes gets heavier than it needs to be and Ivy can start to feel unlikable particularly in the Noah sections. Still, I overall enjoyed myself with the music playing throughout adding another fun component (it would be a good soundtrack to listen to.)

Next Life is the kind of movie you could go to with friends and then have a good discussion after but yet it still manages to be a pleasant time. One might say in the reality where I saw the movie I’m glad I did!

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Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I am extremely busy right now with my podcasts, open water swims, traveling and more. I am also covering both the Annecy Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival so things are busy for yours truly. Today I have 3 mini reviews for you with much more to come. Enjoy!

Wish Dragon

After 2 huge successes from Sony Animation in Spider-man Into the Spiderverse and The Mitchells vs the Machines I was eagerly looking forward to their next picture Wish Dragon, and it is probably my high expectations that led to disappointment.

Wish Dragon isn’t terrible but I found it to be bland with slow pacing. I liked the bright and colorful animation but the script was lacking. It seemed to take forever to get to the dragon and when he appeared he certainly wasn’t as funny as the Genie in Aladdin but I’d put him below the recent dragon in Raya and the Last Dragon.

The story gets lost in the relationship between Din and Li Na and his attempts to impress her business-man father who has some shady deals behind him. Maybe the humor will work better for a Chinese audience but it didn’t work for me.

Other than the dragon Wish Dragon did nothing for me and I found it kind of a chore to get through. I hope you all enjoy it more than I did but it’s not for me.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

I wasn’t the biggest fan of 2018’s Peter Rabbit because I felt it wasted all the sweetness of the original stories for this slapstick creation. However, I will own it did have some laughs and I can see why other people enjoyed it and why it was such a big hit.

Now we have the inevitable sequel and I honestly don’t think fans of the original will enjoy this film. It seemed like a big mess if you ask me. The strangest part of this sequel is they take themselves seriously instead of just being the romp people are expecting. They have Peter full of existential dread and worrying about the meaning of life and how he can fit in when aren’t people just expecting a lot of silliness?

They also go meta by the end with David Oyelowo playing a publisher who wants to make Peter Rabbit crass and commercial with rabbits in space all the while them winking at the camera that they know this is what they have done with Beatrice Potter’s sweet books. To say this fell flat would be an understatement.

Peter Rabbit 2 is also part a heist film and I don’t think kids will be all that entertained by Peter and his friends stealing dried fruit from the farmers market. The only part I laughed at is a comedic sequence where Domhall Gleeson rolls down a hill in an attempt to be more free spirited. Isn’t this what people are expecting from this movie?

There are so many good entertainments for children right now so I would give Peter Rabbit 2 a pass

3 out of 10

Frown Worthy

The First Step: Tribeca 1

My first film of The Tribeca Film Festival is a documentary called The First Step. It follows political commentator and activist Van Jones as he seeks to pass criminal justice reform in the era of Trump.

I have to admit I had no idea Van Jones was the way he is portrayed in this documentary. I thought he was much more radical than this but he tries his hardest to be a ‘bridge builder’ during the years of Trump,which I really admire.

Some on the left condemn him for this but he managed to get all but 12 senators to vote in favor of his bill. That’s pretty impressive and 10k inmates were released as a result. Obviously a documentary like this is going to portray him in the best light possible but he gets so much flack on either side it felt pretty even-keeled in my opinion.

If you want to see a fascinating a look at modern day politics watch The First Step.

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy