On the verge of securing a golden opportunity, American conductor Leonard Bernstein begins a tumultuous relationship with actress Felicia Montealegre, upturning their lives.
Director: Bradley Cooper
On the verge of securing a golden opportunity, American conductor Leonard Bernstein begins a tumultuous relationship with actress Felicia Montealegre, upturning their lives.
Director: Bradley Cooper
Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, Sylvester Stallone
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, strong language, suggestive/drug references and thematic elements
Runtime: 2h 30m
Review:
I'm not sure if James Gunn set out to make the world's most expense Roger Corman sci-fi epic but that's what his big, messy Marvel swan song, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, ends up being. His trilogy capper is untethered on multiple levels as he splashes every bit of his sensibilities onscreen which boarders on self indulgent on multiple occasions. It’s a strange, goofy and overlong conclusion to one of the few Marvel series that definitely carved out its own niche in the overall monolith of a franchise. This entry is far more engaging and funnier than the second entry which leaned far too heavily into its daddy issues. Here, it does feel like the director and cast are riffing on what worked in the original by delivering more team banter and emotional arches with the latter never feeling as fresh as it did in the original. Bradley Cooper's Rocket Racoon serves as the emotional center of this entry as his character gets the spotlight as a series of flashbacks explore his backstory with surprising emotional depth even though it involves more talking animals. Those sequences intersperse the main action, but they build to a heartbreaking moment which hits with the weight of a sledgehammer. Unfortunately, the main action doesn't carry that sort of emotional heft as the team moves from one visually impressive action set piece to another. The main cast of Pratt, Saldaña, Bautista and Klementieff are all solid, but the script seems content with only superficial moments of character growth. Their familiarity with the characters makes it more enjoyable than it should be with Karen Gillan standing out as she mines more out of her performance than what’s written on the page. Likewise, Chukwudi Iwuji's performance as The Evolutionary is bigger than what the script affords him. It’s a Shakespearian level of maniacal evil that should have been expanded on as opposed to other moments or characters like Will Poulter's Adam Warlock and Elizabeth Debicki's Ayesha who could have been excised entirely. At two and half hours it’s a film that's too choppy to earn that rather lengthy runtime which make its final act feel more like an exercise in attrition even though the battles are impressively staged. Ultimately, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 doesn't quite stick the landing the way it should, but it still delivers the kind of quirky, emotional uniqueness that made it stand out amongst the other cookie cutter films that populate the Marvel Universe.
B
Alana Kane and Gary Valentine grow up, run around and fall in love in California's San Fernando Valley in the 1970s.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie
Release Date:
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rated R for language, sexual material and some drug use.
Runtime: 2h 13m
Review:
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza is the type of film where the plot is secondary as it focused more on capturing a time period’s feel and essence. While the film is very much set in the 70’s it does manage to capture something timeless about the random adolescent adventures that nearly everyone experienced growing up. The central romance of the film is rather chaste onscreen but still a bizarre choice since it’s made explicit multiple times that Cooper Hoffman’s Gary Valentine is underage as he pursues Alana Haim’s 25-year-old Alana Kane. It’s a distracting choice that detracts from the two linchpin performances from Haim and Hoffman who both bring an unmistakable on-screen charisma and chemistry to their role. Both actors deliver nuanced turns that are never showy or over the top but ultimately serve as the heart of the film as we follow their series of adventures in San Fernando Valley. They are fascinating to watch together onscreen because they both carrying an air of authenticity. Hoffman captures the character’s hustler mentally while Haim does equally impressive work portraying her character’s state of arrested development as she tries to find her place in the world. Famous faces pop up in small supporting turns with Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper each having a ball in their limited screen time. Anyone unfamiliar with Paul Thomas Anderson’s style might not like the pacing which isn’t in any rush to get anywhere even if the two central characters run quite a bit throughout. Licorice Pizza will connect with some people more than others depending on personal experiences but there is something universal about the moments it captures.
B+
In 1940s New York, down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychiatrist who might be his most formidable opponent yet.
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn
Release Date:
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rated R for strong/bloody violence, some sexual content, nudity and language
Runtime: 2h 30m
Review:
Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley is a lavishly directed film noir morality tale that's as engrossing as it is engaging. Del Toro channel's plenty of classic noir films in this remake of the 1947 original while adding his own personal twist. The visually lean heavily on art deco designs with tinges of the macabre which fits with Del Toro's style. Bradley Cooper is at the center of the film and does impressively well as the charlatan who drives the film. Cooper's performance transforms as the character evolves over the course of the film's runtime with broad and occasionally more subtle choices. It's a fascinating performance that blooms as the film moves on. Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette and David Strathairn carry the majority of the supporting load in the first half of the film with each leaving a strong impression before the scene shifts. The second half though belongs to Cate Blanchett who's the defacto femme fatale of the piece. Blanchett's angelic yet menacing face fits the role perfectly as she delivers lines with steely precision and intensity. This film is an actor's playground which makes its leisurely pacing easier to digest as you appreciate the performances on display. Nightmare Alley isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea but for those who can appreciate meticulous filmmaking with top notch performances will find plenty to love here.
A-