MOVIE REVIEW: LOVE LIES BLEEDING

 

Lou is a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder who's heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence as they get pulled deep into the web of Lou's criminal family.

Director: Rose Glass

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, Ed Harris

Release Date: March 8, 2024

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Rated R for violence and grisly images, sexual content, nudity, language throughout and drug use.

Runtime:1h 44m

Review:

Rose Glass's sophomore feature, a grimy 80s set crime drama/love story, again shows off her talent as a visual storyteller and an ability to get inside the minds of her characters.  Her film is sweaty and burly in a very specific way almost serving as a counter point to the overly manly action films of the 80s.  There's a tangible energy emanating from the screen from the start and Glass manages to maintain it for nearly the entire runtime.  She splashes visual flourishes sporadically through the film's earlier acts before moving to something more abstract which works for the themes she's addressing but makes the actual story slightly more disjointed, especially in the final reel.  By that point, though, the story has it hooks in you thanks to Glass's direction and impressive turns from the film's central duo of Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian.  Both bring a palpable sense of authenticity to their characters that makes their story and relationship engaging throughout.  Kristen Stewart gives her character a sense of aimless, hopelessness early on before finding a sliver of salvation in Katy O'Brian's Jackie.  O'Brian's imposing frame makes an immediate impression, but she pairs it with a sweet, naivety that makes her character likeable before moving into a more delusional obsession which leads to a series of bad choices.  Both performances have subtle hints of raw vulnerability simmering underneath which makes their bloody and darkly funny trek all that more entertaining.  Their supporting cast is a made up of familiar faces like Ed Harris, Dave Franco and Jena Malone who all make the most of their screen time with Harris proving he can still be imitating even when he's sporting a fake hippy length wig paired with his bald head.  Anna Baryshnikov has a minor but pivotal role in the back half of the film, and she manages to leave a noticeable impression.  Love Lies Bleeding fumbles a bit in the home stretch, but it doesn't take away from another strong outing from Rose Glass, proving she's hardly a flash in the pan as a writer and director.

B+

Cindy Prascik's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Dearest Blog, today I was off to the cinema with every single teenager on Earth to catch the latest Hunger Games installment, Catching Fire.

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

Following her victory in the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen becomes a symbol of hope to the people of Panem, sparking a rebellion against the Capitol.

I haven't read The Hunger Games series and therefore shall take no side in the age-old books vs. movies debate.

Catching Fire is, like its predecessor, a very good movie, and not something only the die-hard fandom can appreciate. If you're looking for a well-written, well-acted, nail-biter of a film, Catching Fire is the one for you.

That's not to say the Hunger Games movies are always an easy or pleasant watch; on the contrary, these are the Game of Thrones of the big screen. Don't go getting too attached to anyone, ya hear? What's important is any unpleasantness feels organic and absolutely integral to moving the story along, nothing is done just for shock value.

Jennifer Lawrence is as fantastic as ever in the lead. I could be accused of some bias there, and the accusation would be fair, but the young lady is a treasure. There's truthfully not a weak link among the cast, though Woody Harrelson is once again my favorite. Can't say having Philip Seymour Hoffman around ever hurt a movie, either.

Catching Fire gets full marks for costumes and set design, the lavish ridiculousness of the Capitol standing in stark contrast to the desolation of the other districts.

Catching Fire runs a slightly overlong 146 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation, and language."

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an outstanding film from start to finish. It features sharp writing, a terrific cast, and will leave you on the edge of your seat until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay is released next Thansgiving.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire gets seven and a half.

Next week we get a new Statham flick, so I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone where to find me!!

Until next time...



Oh, hai...just having some folks over to watch the game...

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

The Hunger Games saga continues in this sequel that finds a revolution brewing as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) take a "Victor's Tour" of the districts, and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) plots their downfall during preparations for The Quarter Quell, which only occurs every 25 years in celebration of the Capitol's victory over the districts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson

Release Date: Nov 22, 2013

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some
frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language.

Runtime: 2 hr. 26 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The 2nd film in a major film franchise is typically the most difficult. It has to deal with heightened expectations first and foremost with most films failing to match the energy that made the first entry successful. Thankfully The Hunger Games: Catching Fire isn’t one of those films. Catching Fire does everything you want a 2nd entry in a big budget franchise to do, it corrects chemistry and story problems from the 1st film while expanding the world, while delivering a deeper exploration of the themes at play. It’s an impressive feat accomplished by the cast and crew. Francis Lawrence’s direction is steady and capable making the 2 and ½ hour run seem necessary with rarely a wasted scene in the whole film. Lawrence moves the film at a steady pace, giving the audience enough time to digest the events on screen but never lingering. The first two acts in particular are quite impressive mainly because with a lesser director, cast and script it’d be a laborious slog through exposition. Instead the first act serves nicely as an epilogue/entry point for the new film as it shows the after effects of the first film. The 2nd act starts the main plot in earnest even though we do start to run into some retread moments with slightly different spins with the 3rd act leaving you with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. It’s not a major fault but it does feel very familiar until the last 15 minutes change up the entire game. The cast lead by Jennifer Lawrence, providing even more depth to the reluctant rebel, is excellent throughout. Lawrence is the center of the film providing it with heart and strength while maintaining a tangible vulnerability. Thankfully, Josh Hutcherson’s character and performance in this entry is stronger overall even if he does seem to suffer from damsel in distress syndrome quite a bit. The returning cast member, Harrelson and Banks in particular, are given a bit more to chew on, fleshing out their characters into living breathing human beings. Sam Claflin and Jena Malone are both welcome additions to the cast even if Malone tends to oversell her performance from time to time. When you add it all up, Catching Fire really delivers on nearly all counts, stumbling slightly in the 3rd act which can get a little repetitive before an interesting turn and cliffhanger.

B+

MOVIE REVIEWS: SUCKER PUNCH

IN THEATERS

SUCKER PUNCH



The story of Alice in Wonderland receives a hyper-violent makeover in Watchmen and 300 director Zack Snyder's fantastical tale of a young psychiatric patient who escapes into a vivid world of fantasy after being committed to a mental hospital by her abusive stepfather. Set in the 1950s, Sucker Punch takes viewers on an incredible journey into the mind of Babydoll (Emily Browning), who finds herself at the mercy of her malevolent stepfather after her mother passes away. With no remaining family and no friends to turn to, her stepfather has her committed to a bleak mental hospital, where she is scheduled to receive a lobotomy in five days. As the procedure draws near, Babydoll creates a phantasmagorical alternate reality in which she must seek out five items in order to secure her freedom. Should she fail, her mind isn't the only thing she stands to lose. Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, and Jon Hamm co-star in a film co-written by Snyder and Steve Shibuya. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director : Zack Snyder

Cast: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung

Release Date: Mar 25, 2011

Rated PG-13 for Thematic material involving sexuality, violence and combat sequences, and for language

Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

I have a serious confession to make. I’m a nerd. It’s something I’ve come to accept over the years and ultimately embrace. Using that old adage that it takes one to know one, it’s not a stretch to say that Zach Snyder is also a nerd. Sucker Punch is his masturbatory love letter to his 13 year old self. Barely coherent with just the slimmest shred of a plot he moves the show forward by showing us what has been knocking around in his head for years. By strapping the storyline with a faux female empowerment theme he forgives himself for the cosplay fetish videogame he puts on screen. At the very least, the action is well executed and fun to look at. In fact it’s so well done that you could skip the “real world” segments and not miss much. The ensemble cast is uniformly stiff probably because Snyder didn’t demand much out of them and mostly just wanted them to look sexy and cool during the endless “money shots” and upskirts he had planned. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of Snyder and thought his cinematic version of Watchmen was an underrated gem. The aptly named Sucker Punch is nothing more than Chicago meets Cosplay, nerd porn that will send launch leagues of teenage boys into puberty. For the rest of us, well there are better ways to spend 2 hours.

D