MOVIE REVIEW: LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND

 

A family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a blackout. As the threat grows, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.

Director: Sam Esmail

Cast: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Kevin Bacon, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans

Release Date: November 22, 2023

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for language, some sexual content, drug use and brief bloody images.

Runtime: 2h 21m

Sam Esmail's adaptation of the 2020 novel of the same name, Leave the World Behind, is perfectly suited to his particular brand of unsettling and unnerving style.  Anyone familiar with Esmail's Mr. Robot will feel a certain air of familiarity with the approach to this material which traffics in similar themes and subject matters as his signature show.  His ability to frame shots and sequences in off kilter ways gives the entire film an unbalanced feel from the start with even mundane moments giving off a sense that something is off.  There's a methodical approach to the action and reveals which may test some viewer's patience but those willing to go with the flow he establishes will get wrapped up in the general air of confusion and unease that the characters experience.  This approach gives the film's more kinetic moments, particularly a sequence in the woods that makes great use of sound design to create an unnerving moment.  It all works because the director and cast are perfectly in tune from the opening sequence through its finale which is sure to upset more than a handful of viewers.  Julia Roberts leads the cast, clearly relishing the chance to play against type as a cynical and vaguely racist wife who sets up the initial trip.  Ethan Hawke is solid as her aloof, easy going husband.  The pair have believable chemistry together as a couple who've been together for a long time with power structures clearly established.  Mahershala Ali is just as good with a more understated, measured approach as someone who's trying to keep everything even keeled in the face of impending doom.  Roberts and Ali share some wonderful moments together which allow each performer to show off their talents.  Myha'la steals a handful of a scenes during the film as Ali's acerbic daughter.  Farrah Mackenzie and Charlie Evans end up on the other end with unwritten characters who never register on the same level as everyone else mainly due to being underwritten and mostly uninteresting archetypes.  Kevin Bacon has a small but memorable scene, but you get the sense that the film could have made better use of him throughout.  It’s a minor issue which is easy to overlook because of the level of craftmanship that Sam Esmail delivers paired with strong performances from his A list cast makes Leave the World Behind a fascinating, apocalyptic mystery thriller.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE BLACK PHONE

 

Finney Shaw is a shy but clever 13-year-old boy who's being held in a soundproof basement by a sadistic, masked killer. When a disconnected phone on the wall starts to ring, he soon discovers that he can hear the voices of the murderer's previous victims -- and they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to Finney.

Director: Scott Derrickson

Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, Ethan Hawke

Release Date: June 24, 2022

Genre: Horror 

Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and some drug use

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone is a solid throwback of a thriller which makes efficient use of it's setting and cast.  Derrickson's film uses it's 70's setting to great effect while avoiding the usual nostalgia overload may productions like to wallow end.  There is a certain authenticity to the way he shoots his film resulting in some striking and memorable visuals.  The story, based on Joe Hill's short story, is simple and fairly straightforward making for lean storytelling which keeps all the action laser focused.  This all wouldn't matter if the younger cast members weren't up for the task.  Thankfully, Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw are more than up for the task.  Thames has the kind of authenticity and naturalism that's hard to find in most younger actors.  He's able to carry the film ably with relative ease which does wonders for the film.  Madeleine McGraw steals every scene she in and is ultimately the beating heart of the entire film.  Ethan Hawke makes for an intriguing villain by giving him a tangible sense of unpredictability and ferocity.  His character's appearances are unnerving but the film doesn't provide much depth to him making him a cypher.  A more fleshed out character would have made him a more memorable film villain.  As is, The Black Phone is the kind of easily enjoyable thriller that sets out to provide some classic scares in a tight bit of filmmaking.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE NORTHMAN

 

Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy's mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who raids Slavic villages. He soon meets a seeress who reminds him of his vow -- save his mother, kill his uncle, avenge his father.

Director: Robert Eggers

Cast:  Alexander Skarsgård; Nicole Kidman; Claes Bang; Anya Taylor-Joy; Ethan Hawke; Björk; Willem Dafoe

Release Date: April 22, 2022 

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, History, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some sexual content and nudity

Runtime: 2h 16m

Review:

The Northman is a visually striking, blood soaked, revenge epic that's sure to leave an impression long after the film's finished.  Robert Eggers most expensive film to date is also his most accessible with a straightforward Viking Hamlet tome that still allows him to engage in his signature folklore flourishes.  Eggers peppers his film with paganistic mythology which pairs perfectly with the imposing Irish vistas subbing in for Iceland.  There's a brutishly beautiful tone set from the start and maintained for the duration which plays like a grimier Gladiator with sprinkles of Clash of the Titans and Excalibur.  Alexander Skarsgård is a hulking mass of revenge whose intensity screams through the screen the moment he appears.  Its not necessarily a challenging role since there's not much depth to his character, none of the characters in the film are, but Skarsgård still makes for a imposing and engaging figure.  Anya Taylor-Joy channels a more mature version of her character from The Witch which makes for a fascinating turn even if her and Skarsgård don't share much onscreen chemistry.  Ethan Hawke, Björk and Willem Dafoe have small supporting turns which adds texture to the film.  Nicole Kidman also has a small but pivotal role that gives her a scene that allows to flex her incredible talent.  The Northman may not have the thematic depth and reach of Robert Eggers first two films but that doesn't make it anymore impactful memorable due in large part to his creative vision.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

In this remake of the classic 1960 oater of the same name (itself a Western remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, The Seven Samurai), seven gunslingers join forces in order to protect a small town from a mining tycoon (Peter Sarsgaard) and his goons, who plan to seize the residents' land by force. The seven-man army is led by a mysterious bounty hunter (Denzel Washington), and also includes a sharp-witted gambler (Chris Pratt), a troubled ex-Civil War soldier (Ethan Hawke), a mountain man (Vincent D'Onofrio), an expert knife thrower (Byung-hun Lee), an outlaw (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and a Comanche warrior (Martin Sensmeier). Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day). ~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Cast: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun

Release Date: Sep 23, 2016

Rated PG-13

Runtime: 2 hr. 12 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

I’ll start by saying that I’ve never seen the original The Magnificent Seven film so I don’t have anything to compare it to.  The plot itself has been recycled multiple times so the story itself doesn’t hold much in the way of surprises.  Antoine Fuqua seems to know this so he tries his best to honor the classic westerns of yesteryear.  As such, you get plenty of scenic cinematography and high intensity shoot outs throughout.  Ultimately, the only way this film would maintain anyone’s interest would be because of the cast.  Denzel Washington holds the entire film together as the steely eyed bounty hunter.  The film is at it’s best during the first half as the team is assembled and we get a taste of each of the characters being assembled.  Some of which get more time than others but in the end you can tell the actors are just having a blast.  That keeps the film fun and interesting even as we start heading into very well worn territory in terms of story.  As such, The Magnificent Seven is an enjoyable bit of entertainment that could have used a tad bit more depth to make it truly standout.

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Magnificent Seven

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for one of my more anticipated offerings of 2016, Antoine Fuqua's remake of The Magnificent Seven. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. 

When a brutal robber baron tries to steal a town right out from under its inhabitants, the townsfolk turn to an eclectic band of gunslingers to defeat him. So, dear reader(s), you're tired of remakes and reboots and rehashes, right? I hear ya. Hollywood apparently doesn't, but I do. Scarred though you may be by lady Ghostbusters and a decidedly Michael Bay-ish Ben-Hur, I'm asking you to give this one a chance. Please. 

Throwing the universe's most watchable actor, Denzel Washington, into an ensemble picture is a bit like putting a perfect diamond on a CZ-tennis bracelet--no matter how good the rest is, it won't compare--but he does a masterful job of leading this pack without actively scene-stealing. 

His diverse group of not-so-merry men is uniformly fantastic, with Byung-hun Lee and the brilliant Vincent D'Onofrio nearly walking off with the movie. Gunfights are tightly-choreographed chaos, a delight to watch. The picture also boasts some majestic scenery and a lovely score by Simon Franglen and the late James Horner. 

Throughout, it feels like a throwback to the glory days of Hollywood westerns. Among The Magnificent Seven's relatively few weaknesses: It relies just a little to heavily on Chris Pratt's appeal, while criminally wasting the lovely Matt Bomer. 

Haley Bennett overacts like a madwoman at times. There are some weirdly obvious inaccuracies, like blindingly-white teeth all 'round, and a few prominently-placed prostitutes who more closely resemble 1980s video extras than anything from the wild west. The entire cast is sweat-shiny for the duration...except Denzel, who is cool as a cucumber until the very end. 

Also, the movie is occasionally so very traditional as to appear almost comical on today's cinema landscape. This remake defies many current cinema norms. Though a battle is the picture's primary focus, there are no bloated, never-ending fight scenes. The pace is deliberate, but the movie is never dull. There's surprisingly little graphic gore, despite a Game of Thrones-esque body count. 

The single female lead provides opportunities aplenty, yet she's never shoehorned into a romance with any of our heroes. Finally, this film is utterly disinterested in kicking off a franchise. Come on, reader(s), when was the last time you walked out of the theatre without feeling like you'd just been set up for the next sequel? 

The Magnificent Seven is a beautifully-filmed, epic western that features top-notch performances from some of today's best and most-loved actors. Simply put, movies like this are why I go to the movies. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Magnificent Seven gets eight. 

Until next time... 

MOVIE REVIEW: BOYHOOD

Richard Linklater's Boyhood is a coming-of-age drama that the director spent twelve years making. He cast a young boy, Ellar Coltrane, and shot the film a few days at a time for over a decade so that he could capture how his leading actor, and the rest of his cast, aged. The film's story simply follows a boy named Mason (Coltrane) as he progresses from age 6 to 18 and deals with the typical travails of childhood like his parents' divorce, bad stepparents, falling in love, finding his artistic voice, and fighting with his bratty older sister. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette co-star as Mason's parents. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Director: Richard Linklater 

Cast: Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater, Steven Prince, Libby Villari

Release Date: Jul 11, 2014

Rated R for Sexual References, Language and Teen Drug and Alcohol Use

Runtime: 2 hr. 42 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Richard Linklater’s audacious cinematic experiment is truly unlike anything you’ve seen before in a movie.  It’s a ground breaking experience that truly takes us through a journey that all of can relate to.  At its core it’s a fairly straightforward film about the ups and downs of life but by letting us see the growth and aging of the cast of as a whole, it creates a certain singular effect as you watch the film.   Ellar Coltrane is truly authentic and effective as Mason from childhood up through the film’s finale.  Occasionally there’s some chunkiness’ in his delivery but overall it’s an impressive coup all things considered.  Patricia Arquette really shines as his mother as we follow her journey throughout the twelve years covered.  She brings a high level of believability and honesty to the role that’s hard to pull off.  Ethan Hawke is equally impressive while working with much less screen time.  The characters transformation is impressive and believable mainly due to Hawke’s impressive work.  The story is anything but idyllic and while some of the relationships presented do tend to follow a certain routine it never feels inorganic or cheap.  Linklater has a certain ability to capture reality on celluloid much like he’s done before on his Before series and he’s done it here with this masterpiece.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: THE PURGE

A family living in a gated community fight to defend their home against vicious attackers during the one night each year when all crime is legal in this high-concept thriller from writer/director James DeMonaco (Staten Island). In the not-too-distant future, rampant crime and prison overcrowding have inspired the U.S. government to implement a unique solution to restore the peace: Each year, for a 12-hour period, any and all crime becomes permissible as police put their jobs on hold, and hospitals close their doors. It's called the Purge, and remarkably, the annual event leads to drastically reduced crime and record-low unemployment levels throughout the rest of the year. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: James DeMonaco

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane

Release Date: Jun 07, 2013

Rated R for strong disturbing violence and some language

Runtime: 1 hr. 25 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

The Purge is a bit of a throwback to those 70’s sci-fi dystopian future set films, think Charlton Heston, which were high concept delivered in schlock packages. Writer/Director James DeMonaco’s film has a lot on its mind and there’s nothing subtle about it. Ignoring some of the more obvious logical holes, yearly destruction of infrastructure hardly seems productive, you can appreciate the ideas being thrown out about class warfare and humanity’s perchance for violence. DeMonaco throws these ideas out but never fleshes them out, missing a massive opportunity. Instead he opts for more blasé home invasion story which works well for what it is. The cast turns in workman performances with Ethan Hawke seemingly yearning to flesh out his home security sales man with greater depth. Lena Headey gives one of her better performances, showing a tad more range than she usually does. They all provide the audience proxies to root for as the tension grows especially during a minor twist near the end. DeMonaco moves his film at a brisk pace, before you can think about anything too much it’s over. It leaves plenty of questions unanswered some of which could be addressed in a sequel (early box office numbers nearly guarantee one).

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: SINISTER

A struggling true-crime novelist stumbles into a grim supernatural mystery that threatens the lives of his entire family in this nightmarish horror yarn from director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Day the Earth Stood Still). Ellison (Ethan Hawke) is seeking inspiration for his latest book when he moves his wife and children into a home where an entire family perished under gruesome circumstances. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Scott Derrickson

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Fred Dalton Thompson, James Ransone, Michael Hall D'Addario, Rob Riley

Release Date: Oct 12, 2012

Rated R For some Terror and Disturbing Violent Images

Runtime: 1 hr. 49 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Sinister is the type of horror movie that’s heavy on atmosphere and tension with a sporadic sprinkling of gore and violence. Scott Derrickson returns the horror genre after his failed attempt at remaking a sci-fi classic. Derrickson understands mood and how to shoot a film in order to give it an overreacting sense of dread. It’s visually dark but beautiful as well capturing something a lot of horror films miss. Ethan Hawke is solid in the lead even if sweater loving character is written as an outright jerk. The script limits our empathy for him since he seems to have very little regard for his family and their wellbeing. The aforementioned family is terribly under developed which is a shame since it would have made the film stronger overall. Strangely, a police officer is given more meat than the writers wife. James Ransone plays the character about as hockey as possible killing the mood anytime he shows up on screen. The payoff is solid if a tab bit obvious due to the overuse of certain ghosts.

C+