MOVIE REVIEW: MAXXXINE

 

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. However, as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Los Angeles, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.

Director: Ti West

Cast: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon

Release Date: July 5, 2024

Genre: Crime, Horror

Rated R for strong violence, gore, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use.

Runtime: 1h 44m

Review:

Ti West closes out his Mia Goth lead horror trilogy with Maxxxine, a film bathed in every bit of imaginable 80's sleaze and clichés found in those low rent VHS thrillers such as 1984's student/hooker flick Angel.  West manages to capture the look and feel of those kinds of films impressively much like he did by recapturing the 70's grindhouse slasher aesthetic in X.  Its over the top but perfectly suited for the story being told as we follow Maxine's fight tooth and nail to survive and be a star.  Baked into the script a playful sense of meta humor as plenty of subtle references to previous films pepper the dialogue and visuals.  Its a clever wink and nod to what the series and its singular star have created in this surprising trilogy.  Sadly, the story isn't quite up to the level of the previous two film as it veers into downright goofy territory, especially in its final act, either intentionally or unintentionally.  At the very, least it brings the character's story full circle and allows to Mia Goth to shine throughout.  This entry isn't as showy as Pearl but Goth manages to communicate the level of dogged determination and her innate ability at self preservation baked into her character's DNA.  This turn is more nuanced and subtle throughout but doesn't make it any less engaging and engrossing.  A handful of familiar faces appear in supporting roles with Kevin Bacon leaving the biggest impression as a New Orleans PI on Maxine's trail.  Bacon gleefully chews up scenery every time he shows up on screen which make his and Goth's scenes together all the better.  Giancarlo Esposito is a bit more reserved as Maxine's agent/lawyer/fixer but he brings just enough of that Gus Fring energy to make you wish the film had utilized him more effectively.  Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Moses Sumney and Lily Collins all are given one dimensional supporting characters which could have been more impactful as well.  Elizabeth Debicki is given a bit more to work with as the horror film director with higher aspirations that serves as a bit of a role model for Goth's Maxine especially once the film comes to a close.   Maxxxine maybe the weakest of the three films but that doesn't keep it from being a well crafted showcase for Goth who made the series something special.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: BLONDE

 

A look at the rise to fame and the epic demise of actress Marilyn Monroe, one of the biggest stars in the world.

Director: Andrew Dominik

Cast: Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, Julianne Nicholson

Release Date: September 16, 2022

Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance

Rated NC-17 for some sexual content

Runtime: 2h 46m

Review:

Marilyn Monroe is one of those cultural icons whose story has been told ad nauseam by this point.  Tackling this subject matter requires that a director makes the well worn material feel fresh and interesting.  Andrew Dominik's film Blonde does this by delivering a glossy, visually impressive horror show that feels more like Passion of the Christ than Baz Luhrmann's Elvis.  Dominick's film relishes in delivering scene after scene of pain and torture to it's central subject.  There's nary a sequence that doesn't involve some sort of degradation, trauma or abuse piled on.  Its a disquieting and unsettling exploration of the starlets life which leaves the character with very little agency or depth outside of her PSTD as she's beat around like a platinum pinball.  Ana de Armas, for her part, is fully committed to the role and delivers an impressive performance even with the razor thin characterization she's given.  Armas captures the breathy woman child persona with relative ease even though her Cuban accent does manage to  peak thru a handful of times.  The script gives her painfully few moments for Armas to delve deeper into the character's inner turmoil much less any semblance of happiness.  The character is written and played as a gorgeous punching bag beaten to a bloody pulp on multiple levels by the time the film ends.  Blonde isn't the biopic for fans of the iconic actress, instead it's more like an arthouse horror show.  

D

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Irishman

Dearest reader(s), Monday I spent nearly half of my day off trying to digest Martin Scorsese's The Irishman.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailer.

An aging mob hitman recounts his past and his relationship with infamous union leader Jimmy Hoffa.
Let it be noted I've already taken much heat for suggesting this film might not be the second coming of Christ...or at least the second coming of the Godfather. Take me to task if you will, but I've probably already heard it. That being said: I didn't hate this movie. I think it's being classed a masterpiece by default, because the individual pieces *should* add up to something spectacular. In my mind they don't, BUT...I didn't hate it.

Let's start with the obvious: the Irishman is too long to be as slow as it is, or too slow to be as long as it is. There are plenty of moving pieces, but it's not half complicated enough to justify such a bloated runtime. Robert DeNiro is, of course, more than alright in the lead; it's a role he could sleepwalk to awards glory. His by-the-numbers assassin isn't particularly sympathetic, but, portrayed as a normal person ravaged by age and a few pangs of regret, he appears to be the good guy...or maybe the least bad guy? Al Pacino's Jimmy Hoffa is an ice-cream loving buffoon, so convinced of his own untouchable status that he almost seems an easy mark. It's a convincing performance, but not a particularly noteworthy item on the Pacino CV. The supporting cast is a who's who of "that guy who was in that mob movie": Joe Pesci, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, Stephen Graham, Ray Romano. Everyone is capable; no one is remarkable. The film does feature a pretty terrific soundtrack of old 50s and 60s nuggets, with Marty Robbins' "A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)" bringing particular joy to this old 60s nugget. The Irishman is an interesting enough story that, unfortunately, isn’t particularly well told, although the movie did prove a marginally better sleep aid than the most recent Avengers flick, so there ya go, Scorsese: you got one over on Marvel.

The Irishman runs an interminable 209 minutes and is rated R for "pervasive language and strong violence."

The Irishman is a deliberately-paced tale of violence and betrayal.

While its individual ingredients taste of past brilliance, the finished recipe is more Monday night leftovers than Christmas dinner. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Irishman gets five.
Fangirl points: Jack Huston!

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE IRISHMAN

In the 1950s, truck driver Frank Sheeran gets involved with Russell Bufalino and his Pennsylvania crime family. As Sheeran climbs the ranks to become a top hit man, he also goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa -- a powerful Teamster tied to organized crime.

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jesse Plemons, Harvey Keitel

Release Date: November 27, 2019

Genres: Biography, Crime, Drama

Rated R for pervasive language and strong violence.

Runtime: 3h 29min

Review:

The Irishman might be best described as a Martin Scorsese supreme.  This magnum opus seems to encapsulate everything from his gangster golden age populated by all his favorite actors from that era.  In lesser hands, this might come off as superfluous or passé but Scorsese feels refreshed and rejuvenated.  His direction is sharp, crisp and engaging throughout.  You get moments, sequences and shots that recall some of his classic films like Good Fellas and Raging Bull.  However, this isn’t simply retreading old tropes because you can get a sense of a more pensive and reflective director behind the camera.  Similarly, his cast delivers their best work in years with the added depth of age.  The much talked about deaging works for the most part even though it’s a bit jarring in the early sequences.  Thankfully, that wears down over time allowing you to appreciate the performances.  Watching Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci together on screen really helps highlight how well they work off each other resulting in stellar performances from both.  Joe Pesci, after his long layoff, shows that’s never lost his touch for these types of characters with his age aiding his performance.  De Niro looks more engaging that he has in years.  His performance is both frightening and sympathetic at the same time even though his character is a moral wasteland.  Al Pacino though decides to go full Pacino as Hoffa.  His performance is like a mix of Scarface and The Devils Advocate’s Devil, its full decibel from the get go.  The interesting thing is that after the initial shock, it actually works well for the character.  The supporting cast is populated with Scorsese regulars both new and old plus an added bonus of giving Anna Paquin her best performance by making her nearly mute throughout with one solitary line.  These types of decisions are true signs of a auteur still at the top of game as he creates another classic.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: I, TONYA

Tonya Harding rises through the ranks of competitive figure skating only to find disgrace when her husband tries to eliminate her rival.

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson, Caitlin Carver, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney

Release Date: Dec 8, 2017

Genres: Biography, Drama, Sport

Rated R for pervasive language, violence, and some sexual content/nudity

Runtime: 1h 59 min

Review:

I, Tonya is a solid biopic that overcomes some of the story’s drawbacks with stellar performances from the cast.  Craig Gillespie keeps his film interesting by framing the film as a pseudo documentary with interviews spliced through the entire film.  What we get are 3 unreliable narrators who weave together a story stranger than fiction even as it occasionally veers into high end Lifetime movie territory.  That’s not to say it’s not intriguing as it touches on themes of tabloid fame and illusion of the American Dream.  At its center is Margot Robbie in the titular role.  Robbie presents Harding as a doggedly determined individual who can’t reach the summit because of a variety of reasons even if some are not entirely her fault.  Underneath it all, there’s a frayed and broken person who is looking for acceptance and love.  It’s an impressive performance that’s topped off with a silence sequence of Robbie looking into the mirror running a gamut of emotions before the climatic performance at the Lillehammer Olympics.  The supporting roles played by Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan are just as strong with each leaving a lasting impression.  Allison Janney gives the cinematic world another legendary evil mother to pantheon of evil mothers.  It’s an engaging and arresting performance that just as strong as Robbie’s.  Sebastian Stan’s turn as Jeff Gillooly equally impressive as he disappears into the role, he captures the mannerisms and vocal inflections perfectly.  The film builds to the final act where we’re witness to the bumbling cast of characters that lead to the attack on Nancy Kerrigan and the subsequent aftermath.  It’s all anti climatic since we all know how the story ends but watching this collection of actors deliver top notch performances is the real treat.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: SPY

After years of doing work integral to the success of major missions, an intelligent but self-conscious deskbound CIA analyst (Melissa McCarthy) is finally given the chance to go undercover as a homely "cat lady" in order to save her missing partner (Jude Law) and thwart a global disaster at the hands of a dangerous arms dealer, in this comedy written and directed by Paul Feig. ~ Erin Demers, Rovi

Director: Paul Feig 

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney

Release Date: Jun 05, 2015

Rated R for Language Throughout, Violence, and Some Sexual Content Including Brief Graphic 

Nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 55 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

Spy is Paul Feig’s wonderfully vulgar spoof of the spy genre that could become comedic classic down the road.  It’s hilarious from the start and rarely lags even with it’s hefty 2 hour runtime.  Melissa McCarthy carries the film ably but the real standouts are her supporting cast.  Jason Statham and Rose Byrne are clearly having a ball hamming it up.  Statham steals just about every scene he’s in; thankfully Feig doesn’t overuse him making him more effective.  Byrne and her hair piece are slightly larger players but just as funny as the sexy villainess.  Mix in strong turns by Miranda Hart and Allison Janney and you’ve got a cast firing on all cylinders.  Paul Feig’s script is sharp and witty even going as far as giving us a fairly interesting spy plot to keep things interesting and hilarious all the way through.

A

Cindy Prascik's Review of Spy

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the pictures for the new Paul Feig/Melissa McCarthy comedy, Spy.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

After a mission goes awry, a formerly office-bound CIA agent takes to the field.

Well, dear reader(s), the truth of the matter is I don't burn many cinema trips on comedies. There are several reasons for that, not least of which is that you usually spend your ten bucks and two hours only to find you've already seen all the really funny bits for free in a two-minute trailer. However, as Jason Statham goes, so go I, and I'm pleased to report that this time the captivating Mr. Statham is not responsible for two hours I want back. (Lookin' squarely at you, Redemption!)

It's fair to say you haven't heard the last of Jason Statham here, but Melissa McCarthy is the gal with her name above the title, and the comedienne ably keeps the laughs rolling as her accidentally-capable agent plays perfectly off other staples: the debonair Bond-type (Jude Law), the buffoonish superstar (Statham), the desk-jockey best friend (Miranda Hart), and of course the slick and slimy baddies (Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale).

Spy couldn't be more brilliantly cast, but as a fan I have to give a special shout-out to Miranda Hart, whose terrific turn hopefully will bring her lots more notice on this side of the pond. And then there's Jason Statham...oh...Jason Statham. If you didn't already know Statham can be funny, well, you just aren't paying attention, but he's a legitimate scene-stealer in Spy, and I couldn't be more delighted. Well, I *could* be more delighted if I hadn't had to wait 13 full minutes for him to make an appearance, but, other than that...probably not. Spy keeps the laughs coming, and if I worried this might be another of "those" waste-of-time comedies, that concern was already off the table before Statham even turned up.

Spy clocks in at an even two hours and is rated R for "language throughout, violence, and some sexual content including brief graphic nudity."

Smartly written and perfectly cast, Spy is a laugh-out-loud comedy with fantastic action and fight sequences, some beautiful locations, and nice twists.

Of a possible Nine Weasleys, Spy gets eight.

Until next time...*

*Author's note: This review sucks because I have no Starbucks today!