MOVIE REVIEW: SALTBURN

 

A student is invited to an eccentric classmate's estate for an exciting summer.

Director: Emerald Fennell

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Thriller

Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, some disturbing violent content, and drug use.

Runtime: 2h 7m

Emerald Fennell sophomore feature, Saltburn, is a deliberately paced puzzle box that reveals itself methodically as it attempts to shock and surprise with varying degrees of effect.  Fennell does go for something far more visually striking and impactful here than her first film which gives the proceedings the kind of flair that's hard to ignore. The use of a 1.33:1 aspect ratio adds to the effect by giving the film a voyeuristic look and feel throughout. This fly on the wall approach gives everything a sinister undertone even as the script veers into dark comedy more times than not as the depravity unveils itself.  Its easy to see similarities to The Talented Mr. Ripley in terms of story and setting but there's also the anarchist spirit of Roger Avery's twisted tale of entitlement from The Rules of Attraction.  At the center of it all is a chameleon like performance from Barry Keoghan who runs the gamut of emotions and presence as the film goes along.  Its fascinating turn that allows him to work through subtly before revealing bigger emotional shifts.  Jacob Elordi is a solid counter to Keoghan's more nebulous persona.  Elordi comes across as deceptively earnest and well meaning for the better part of the film's runtime.  Strong supporting turns from Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver and Archie Madekwe give the film the kind of depth that makes the film easier to enjoy even as it moves at a very specific pace.  Pike and Grant in particular make the most of their limited screen time by delivering devilishly fun performances as the parents.  There is plenty to unpack from the film's final act which takes a series of big swings with some working better than others.  There's a solid sense in some of these latter sequences that Fennell is trying to shock the audience which is fine but there's a lesson to be learned about less being more.  Issues aside, Saltburn is a solid follow up to Promising Young Women even if its not as refined or impactful as it should be.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: NAPOLEON

 

A look at the military commander's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine.

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Edouard Philipponnat, Rupert Everett, Matthew Needham, Cormac Hyde-Corrin, Anna Mawn, Tahar Rahim

Release Date: November 22, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History, War

Rated R for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and brief language

Runtime: 2h 38m

Ridley Scott's Napoleon is a lavishly crafted historical epic with strong turns from its leads but there's a disconnect from its central subject that keeps it from being a truly compelling film.  Scott's steady hand delivers a series of wonderfully shot moments with his prowess at large scale action on full display here with a collection of carnage filled sequences which are easily the high points of the film.  That shouldn't come as surprise to anyone familiar with the legendary auteur's extensive resume but the film never truly finds its footing whenever its off the battlefield.  In those quieter moments the film tries to balance its central love story and Napoleon's rise to power with varying levels of effectiveness.  The script paints Napoleon as a boorish and clumsy in its deconstruction of the man sometimes to darkly comedic effect. While it avoids some of the more clichéd approaches to its central figure, it also keeps the audience at arms length from his psyche and never granting us a window into his inner machinations.  The script paints him as ambitious but show him falling into power more as a result of others doing than his own drive.  Joaquin Phoenix brings what he can to role with his natural talent but he's mostly asked to stare blankly at people with occasional fits of anger sprinkled throughout.  Phoenix's understated line deliver works in smaller moments but we never get any bigger sequence that makes you believe his troops would follow him to their own ruin, something driven home during a late stage stand off sequence.  Vanessa Kirby fares a bit better as Josephine but script issues keeps her character and ultimately their relationship resonate the way it should.  The film rushes through their meeting and courtship so the audience never gets a true sense of whether its a transaction relationship or one based on actual affection.  There's a tangible sense that Phoenix and Kirby could do so much more with these characters if they'd had a better script to work with since their scenes together feel disjointed.  Its an issue that keeps the film from finding any sort of rhythm which makes the two hour and a half film feel far longer than its actual runtime.  The proposed four hour cut of the film might smooth some of these issues but the theatrical cut of Napoleon is a missed opportunity which stays afloat mostly due to the talent behind and in front of the camera.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THANKSGIVING

 

An axe-wielding maniac terrorizes residents of Plymouth, Mass., after a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy. Picking off victims one by one, the seemingly random revenge killings soon become part of a larger, sinister plan.

Director: Eli Roth

Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, pervasive language and some sexual material.

Runtime: 1h 46m

Eli Roth's Thanksgiving is a gleeful, holiday themed slasher that's unabashedly campy as it delivers creative blood and gore but little else.  Roth uses the framework of most Scream movies to set up a murder mystery to propel the plot forward.  He's obviously not terribly concerned with the story or characters as much as he is with getting to his blood splattered set pieces.  Those set pieces are perfectly exemplified by the Black Friday riot which opens the film and should give the audience a clear warning about what's coming down the road.  Its manically frenetic and silly especially as the blood starts to spurt in increasingly outlandish and silly manners.  Roth, for his part, lays all his cards out on the table from the start but the film struggles to maintain that manic energy it starts with as we are introduced to a fairly bland crop of fresh faced fodder for the axe.  The central group collection of characters barely registers as one dimensional which makes it a bit hard to get invested in any of them as they spew out rather banal dialogue which is happy to use buzz words as flair.  There’s no big expectation of character development in slashers but this group feels particularly interchangeable and disposable.  Patrick Dempsey, Gina Gershon and Rick Hoffman add some credibility to the production with Dempsey getting the most screen time.  Dempsey understands the assignment and is clearly having a great time throughout playing the local sheriff with a wink and a nod.  On the other hand, it’s a bit confusing that Gershon and Hoffman were cast and then given practically nothing meaningful to do which is a missed opportunity.  As is, Thanksgiving is a fun but mostly disposable slasher film which will probably end up a cult classic simply because of the seasonal theme more so than overall quality.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES

 

Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Genre: Action,Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi,Thriller, War

Rated PG-13 for strong violent content and disturbing material.

Runtime: 2h 37m

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a pleasant surprise on multiple levels from the quality of the direction and impressive performances from its cast.  This prequel avoids multiple pitfall that franchise expansion packs usually fall into by taking time and care with the story and characters presented.  Francis Lawrence delivers a wonderfully shot film which is aided by familiarity with the franchise and setting as he leans more into the art deco design.  He delivers some big sweeping moments even if some shoddy CGI kills the effect of a few action set pieces but the film works best when it focuses on its character.  Luckily, the film is blessed with an inspired cast that makes the film far more engaging than it should be.  English actor Tom Blyth takes on the role of a nascent Coriolanus Snow years before he becomes a dictator.  Blyth turns in a nuanced performance which is engaging enough to draw you in before he reveals bits of simmer rage and anger as the film moves on.  His committed performance makes it easier to overlook some of the more bombastic and melodramatic bits of dialogue that the script throws at him.  The chemistry he shares with Rachel Zegler is the engine that keeps the whole thing moving even during some of the lulls in the pacing during the film's runtime.  Zegler is just as committed throughout as the film takes full advantage of the multi talented artist which includes her singing talents, who knew there were so many hootenannies going in Panem, on top of her acting skills.  They are blessed with wonderful supporting cast made up of established stars whose characters give the film a sense of respectability.  Peter Dinklage is appropriately mournful as the accidental co creator of the Hunger Games while Jason Schwartzman is a perfectly preening predecessor to Stanley Tucci's character but Viola Davis leaves the biggest impression with a deliciously twisted turn which has her manically chewing up scenery to great effect.  The film though isn't without some issues with pacing being the most glaring.  There are noticeable lulls that pop up throughout the film's runtime making it feel far longer than it's 2 hour and 37 minutes length.  While there are plenty of moments in the first two acts that could use some trimming, the final act is strangely overstuffed and rushed so much so that you get the sense this story could have been broken up into two films.  Those issues aside, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, manages to be one of the more carefully crafted and enjoyable prequels in recent memory.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HOLDOVERS

A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War.

Director: Alexander Payne

Cast: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston, Gillian Vigman, Tate Donovan

Release Date: August 31, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for language, some drug use and brief sexual material.

Runtime: 2h 13m

Alexander Payne's newest film, The Holdovers, is a throwback on multiple levels from its character centered approach and methodical pacing which results in something nuanced, funny, and moving.  Its old school approach is readily evident from the start as Payne uses a retro style rating announcement and title cards to establish a mood before we even meet our cast of loners.  Once we do, there's a wonderful lived in, authenticity to each character that comes through the screen.  Paul Giamatti carries the lion's share of the screen time as the acidic, oddball intellectual whose overblown sense of superiority is instantly evident.  On first glance, it’s a fairly straightforward character which we've seen in these kind of films multiple times.  However, once the story starts in earnest the film slowly starts to peel layers away, revealing a character with multiple layers of depth particularly when the film's central trio gets center stage.  This is the kind of role that's tailormade for Giamatti since he can play an oddball in his sleep, but the latter moments lay bare how truly talented he is as he brings moments of rare but subtle emotions.  His natural chemistry with Dominic Sessa and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, both of which turn in stellar, subtle performances, serves as the emotional center of the entire film.  Their relationships evolve over the film's runtime, which gives it a more focused and adult styled The Breakfast Club as we experience each character's sense of isolation and loneliness.  The script is wryly written, finding comedy and heartfelt truths through which gives the audience an impressive emotional connection to these characters.  Its methodical pacing and understated style might not be for everyone but those still willing to engage with this kind of character study will find plenty to love in The Holdovers.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MARVELS

 

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form the Marvels.

Director: Nia DaCosta

Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Samuel L. Jackson

Release Date: November 10, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for action/violence and brief language

Runtime: 1h 45m

The Marvels manages to shake up the standard formula by leaning into its weirdness which ends up making it fun if rather light comic book fun similar to another franchise tangent, Thor: Ragnarok.  Nia DaCosta delivers an energic and efficient entry into the long running franchise that smartly keeps the focus on the tangible chemistry between the three leads.  Sure the overall story is fairly basic by comic book standards with a central villain that barely registers as one dimensional.  The stakes are what you would expect with these kind of films but in this film it almost seems besides the point and we are given a steady stream of kinetic, body swapping action sequences that are cleverly staged and always fun.  DaCosta moves her film at pleasantly breezy pace which is a welcome change of pace after a series of overly serious and bloated chapters that have populated the Marvel release schedule over the last few years.  As a result, Brie Larson comes off far more comfortable and relaxed here than she did in the original film.  Larson is given a bit more rope with the character and she embraces it especially in some of the film's wackier sequences such as a planet whose populace communicates through song.  These sort of left turns provide a steady bit of organic comedy that works better than last year's more ham fisted Thor: Love and Thunder.  Larson benefits from having Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani join her this go around with their interplay and relationships serving as the lifeblood of the film.  Parris and Vallani bring their small screen characters to the big screen with relative ease but Vallani's youthful charisma shines through the entire film.  The three of them together keep the film moving even as it moves to a fairly predictable end as they try and stop Zawe Ashton's villain.  Ashton fares the worst of the primary group as we are given the slightest sliver of information about her character's motivations which leave her with little to do outside of stare and scream maniacally and little else.  The story and characters are tied to a variety of separate, preestablished mythology, mostly from Marvel TV shows, but its surprisingly not weighed down by the script making the most of exposition dumps to catch the uninitiated up to speed.  The Marvels might not be the most impactful entry in the MCU but it is one of the easiest to enjoy in recent memory.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: PRISCILLA

 

When teenager Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who's already a meteoric rock 'n' roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, and a gentle best friend.

Director: Sofia Coppola

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Domińczyk, Ari Cohen, Tim Post, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Luke Humphrey, Dan Beirne

Release Date: September 4, 2023

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music

Rated R for drug use and some language.

Runtime: 1h 53m

Sofia Coppola's Priscilla is a visually striking film that establishes a consistent mood throughout but its frustratingly distance from its central character.  Coppola's film is meticulously constructed from start to finish and she sets up dreamlike moments that will linger long after the movie is over.  She creates a palpable sense of innocent infatuation that overcomes Priscilla as she falls hopelessly in love with Elvis.  You get the sense of naivety that comes with her youth, something the film makes sure to mention on multiple occasions, as she goes through a whirlwind romance with the superstar.  Once the action moves to Graceland, Coppola subtlety begins to give us glimpses of isolation and loneliness Priscilla experiences as she becomes Elvis's sort of kind of main squeeze.  There are a variety of long shots that drive home the relationship's power structure by placing the 5'1" Cailee Spaeny next to Jacob Elordi's towering 6′ 5″ frame.  Its a nuanced approach that works well in the film's favor and manages to make up for some of the film's shortcomings.  Cailee Spaeny delivers solid work in the central role especially in the first half as she gives the character a believable sense of youth and naiveite.  Sadly, the character inner thoughts and motivations are kept at arms length which makes it hard to connect to her on an emotional level.  She's a cypher for the majority of the film even as we're presented with some of the uglier, less glamourous aspects of the relationship.  The audience never gets a real understanding of what makes her tick or experience her emotional growth until it just happens in the film's final act which feels like a wasted opportunity.  Jacob Elordi's Elvis is less glossy than Austin Butler's turn for good reason as we get a sense of the subtle manipulation, overbearing and controlling nature at play.  Its odd but the film offers a better window into his psyche more so than we do into Priscilla's which seems like a strange choice.  There's plenty of fertile ground that's left unused which is a shame but Priscilla makes for an excellent juxtaposition in terms of style and subject matter vs Baz Luhrmann's Elvis.

B+