MOVIE REVIEW: ETERNALS

 

The Eternals, a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years, reunite to battle the evil Deviants.

Director: Chloé Zhao

Cast: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie

Release Date: November 5, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and action, some language and brief sexuality.

Runtime: 2h 37m

Review:

Chloé Zhao’s Eternals is one of the more interesting entries in the ongoing Marvel series.  The mash up of Zhao’s naturalistic style and superhero tropes results in a character focused film that’s more interested in the smaller moments than big action sequences.  As such, it has a different feel than most of these films do while still accomplishing the usual Marvel albeit at a glacial pace.  It has an odd pace that drains the proceedings of any urgency even though it’s literally dealing with end of the world stakes.  Intermixing flashbacks with present day events drains the film of any sense of forward momentum since neither section get enough time to gain any sort of real traction.  Luckily the incredibly diverse cast makes the slog more bearably with earnest performances.  Gemma Chan and Richard Madden do the heavy lifting for the majority of the film with each providing a steady stoicism to their duo. The large supporting cast each get their moments to shine during the film with Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry and Barry Keoghan leaving the biggest impressions.  Angelina Jolie does well as the tortured warrior whose being crushed under the weight of her memories.  Salma Hayek gets a scant few moments to shine but ultimately the film waste her with an underwritten role.  Eternals tries hard to be sweeping and epic but it never really achieves it, only skirting with it during it’s hefty runtime. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: SOUND OF METAL

 

A heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.

Director: Darius Marder

Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric

Release Date: December 4, 2020

Genre: Drama, Music 

Rated R for language throughout and brief nude images 

Runtime: 2 h 10 min

Review:

Sound of Metal, Darius Marder's directorial debut, is a evocative, gritty drama that's simplistic on it's surface but emotionally dense.  It's conceit is fairly simple and Marder's approach gives the film an lived in almost documentary feel to it.  The pacing is leisurely but intense at the same time with Riz Ahmed's performance pulling you into his character's pain instantly.  Ahmed displays a simmering frustration and anger especially in the early portion of the film but subtly softens it as the story moves along.  He's able to emote so much via gestures or looks that you feel everything his character is going through as he learns to live with his situation.  This is a film that doesn't have a lot of large movements to the story but Marder uses sounds to put us in the main character's head, its a deft move that brings a tangible connection to his situation.  There's a sense of melancholy that permeates the entire film that makes it feel more authentic as we follow Ruben's journey of self realization.  As such, we feel those highs and lows he experiences throughout the story.  In lesser hands this kind of story might have felt too Hollywoodish or artificial but Marder and Ahmed deliver something meaningful and impactful.  

A