Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time... in
Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star
Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad
Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The
ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple
storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot
Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Austin Butler, Dakota
Fanning, Bruce Dern, Al Pacino
Release Date: July 26, 2019
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated R for language throughout, some strong
graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references
Runtime: 2 h 45 min
Review:
Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s
9th film, is a gloriously unfocused tome that takes the audience
back in time to another era. Tarantino’s
film feels like a unrelated assembly of story vignettes which ultimately do
converge in an interesting and unexpected fashion. While the finale will get a lot of buzz but
the journey is just as enjoyable. The
film is anchored by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt who are both clearly having
a blast in their roles. They both share
some amazing chemistry that keeps the film watchable and enjoyable for the
duration. Their takes of their character
layered, subtle and ultimately lots of fun.
There’s a huge whose who of faces that pop up through out the film that
boost the film at just the right times.
You can almost feel Tarantino’s gleeful energy come through the screen
as some of the screen legends pop up on the screen. There might be a bit of a complaint about how
unfocused the whole thing is and in comparison to his other films, the story
here isn’t the strongest. Still it’s
hard not to enjoy this dazzling stroll through a bygone era brought back to
life by one of films most talented directors.
A-
Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and
takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival.
Scar, Mufasa's brother -- and former heir to the throne -- has plans of his
own. The battle for Pride Rock is soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and
drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. Now, with help from a curious
pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what
is rightfully his.
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel
Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Beyoncé
Knowles-Carter, James Earl Jones
Release Date: July 18, 2019
Animation, Adventure, Drama
Rated PG for sequences of violence and
peril, and some thematic elements |
Runtime: 1 h 58 min
Review:
First and foremost, I have to admit that
I’ve never seen the original Lion King.
It’s a film that’s become so ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist that it
almost doesn’t feel necessary. None the
less, I understand it’s a much beloved property that many people have
incredible affection for so it makes watching this remake a strange
experience. The film itself is a
technical marvel, all the animals are beautifully realized throughout. The film’s voice cast is a who’s who of big
stars who all do serviceable work in their particular roles with nobody really
standing out. A handful of the legendary
songs reappear with some strong staging but all of it feels strangely hollow. Unfortunately the whole thing feels rather
soulless much like most of Disney’s ongoing money making scheme of remaking all
their animated classics. Jon Favreau’s
film isn’t a terrible film by any stretch but it’s strangely uninspired. Some of that might come from the fact that by
making the film photo realistic the animals lack any sort of real expressive
features, something that’s much easier in an animated feature. As such it feels like you are watching one of
those old 90s Homeward Bound films with much better production values.
C+
When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu
(Kumail Nanjiani) picks up a passenger (Dave Bautista) who turns out to be a
cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer, he’s thrust into a harrowing ordeal
where he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life and his five-star
rating. Directed by Michael Dowse, this action-comedy from 20th Century Fox
also stars Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, Mira Sorvino
and Karen Gillan.
Director: Michael Dowse
Cast: Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, Iko
Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, Mira Sorvino, Karen Gillan
Release Date: June 28, 2019
Action, Comedy, Crime
Rated R for violence and language
throughout, some sexual references and brief graphic nudity
Runtime: 1 h 33 min
Review:
Stuber is one of those stupid mindless
action comedies that seemingly pops up every summer. Michael Dowse’s film knows what it is and
never really pretends to be anything else especially anything resembling
serious. The action is loud, kinetic and
surprisingly bloody for some reason.
Still it all carries very little weight in terms of gravitas. It’s all played for fun and both the leads
are more than ready to go all in. Dave
Bautista, aka Mr Monotone, uses a schtick similar to his Guardians of the
Galaxy routine which works well here.
His massive size compared to Kumail Nanjiani’s plays right into the
film’s general hook. Nanjiani is
perfectly neurotic as the hapless uber driver who’s commandeered for the drive
around the city. Together they make for
a fun pair delivering a low rent 48 Hrs. or Running Scared. Ultimately, the film does sort of feel like a
throwback to those 80’s buddy comedies even if doesn’t quite reach classic
status.
B-
With their relationship in trouble, a young
American couple travel to a fabled Swedish midsummer festival where a seemingly
pastoral paradise transforms into a sinister, dread-soaked nightmare as the
locals reveal their terrifying agenda.
Director: Ari Aster
Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm
Blomgren, Will Poulter
Release Date: July 3, 2019
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Rated R for disturbing ritualistic violence
and grisly images, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language
Runtime: 2 h 27 min
Review:
Midsommar, Ari Aster’s 2nd film,
is a singular movie watching experience.
It’s the type of film that’ll stick with you for a long while
afterward. Aster’s direction is self
assured and methodical while never being boring even with the film’s glacial
pace. There’s a steady sense of dread
from the outset and it never really lets up throughout the better part of the
film. While this film isn’t quite as
strong in the horror category as Hereditary was its still filled with plenty of
starkly bleak imagery and iconography.
At its center is Florence Pugh who carries the film and elevates some of
the weaker portions of the film’s plot.
Pugh’s ability to emote pain and grief comes through the screen which
some of the film’s more trippy sequences all the more powerful. As for those hallucinatory sequences they are
some of the most discombobulating and outright weird sequences I’ve seen on
film. It's easy to compare Midsommar to
the original Wicker Man, it does share various similarities with that film, but
ultimately it’s it own wonderfully weird amalgam of that film and the 1981 film Possession, destined to become a
cult classic in it's own right.
A-
