MOVIE REVIEW: CONCLAVE

 

Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with one of the world's most secretive and ancient events -- participating in the selection of a new pope. Surrounded by powerful religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers a trail of deep secrets that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.

Director: Edward Berger

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini

Release Date: October 25, 2024

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Rated PG for thematic material and smoking.

Runtime: 2hrs 

Review:

Conclave is a fascinating blend of striking visuals paired with the pulpy, political machinations in selecting a new pope led by a wonderfully layered turn from Ralph Fiennes.  Edward Berger's film is wonderfully shot, taking full advantage of Catholic Church's ornate iconography to great effect serving as a stark contrast to the power struggles on display.  It sets up the overall themes at play throughout as we follow the contrasting ideologues battle for the papal crown.  It creates a vaguely claustrophobic feel to the proceeds that puts the collection of characters in small rooms or narrow hallways more often than not which ramps up the tension.  Ralph Fiennes leads the whole thing with a multilayered incredibly subtle turn that puts his immense talent on display.  Fiennes' conveys his character rotating sense of duty, self doubt and faith with incredible ease as he tries to lead the Conclave.  It’s one of his best performances simply due to the fact that he does so much with small nuanced moves, looks or inflections to exemplify his character’s inner turmoil and drive.  His supporting cast is made up equally impressive albeit more showy turns from a collection of veteran performers such as Stanley Tucci, Lucian Msamati, John Lithgow, and Sergio Castellitto. These characters are written more broadly and representative of their contrasting ideologies with each actor turning in strong work in their limited screentime.  Isabella Rossellini has a small but important supporting role which is pivotal to the story as a series of revelations unfurl with each refocusing the spotlight on a different player.  Once the dominos start to fall it leads Conclave to a finale that leaves an open question about the concepts of belief and faith. 

 

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

In the 1920s, members of the Osage Native American tribe of Osage County, Oklahoma, are murdered after oil is found on their land, and the FBI decides to investigate.

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser

Release Date: October 20, 2023

Genre: Crime, Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller, Western

Rated R for violence, some grisly images, and language

Runtime: 3h 26m

Martin Scorsese's massive Killers of the Flower Moon is epic in thematic scope while being grounded by powerful performances from its cast.  Scorsese's sprawling story moves at a methodical pace as he lets his film linger in the quieter, character moments that serve  as the lifeblood of the story.  His meticulous style is perfectly suited to the larger story at play onscreen as he recounts a sordid tale of sorrow that had mostly been forgotten to history much like the Tulsa Race Massacre which is referenced at various points during the film.  The murders are grimy ugly affairs and Scorsese aptly portrays those moments with noticeable bluntness as members of the Osage Nation are pruned off with wonton, greedy brutality.  The central trio of characters played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro serve as the anchor of the story.  De Niro is far more engaged that he has been in years, playing the manipulative mastermind behind the bloody plot who believably vacillates between earnest and caring to cold blood opportunist with incredible ease.  Leonardo DiCaprio plays his brutish, dullard of a nephew that's tasked with starting a relationship with Lily Gladstone's Mollie whose family holds a large amount of oil wealth.  DiCaprio could easily play this character as a one dimensional thug but he manages to give his portrayal layers that gives it far more depth.  His character is shown to be a murderous opportunist but there are tangible moments of heartfelt love for Mollie even as he's slowly killing her.  DiCaprio's turn manages to let the audience experience these conflicting emotions especially as the film moves on.  Lily Gladstone's soulful performance makes the tragic story all the more impactful as she brings a level of authenticity and earnestness to the role.  Gladstone makes you feel every moment of pain that her character experiences throughout her Jobian level of misery and betrayal.  It’s an understated, nuanced performance that makes you empathize with her plight especially since her character struggles with the reality of the situation before finally coming to grips with it.  Gladstone and DiCaprio share a handful of moments, especially in the film's back half that are truly devastating and heartbreaking for multiple reasons.  Killers of the Flower Moon is filled with subtle, delicate moments, deliberately paced for ultimate effect which demands your attention.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: BOMBSHELL

A revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it.

Director: Jay Roach

Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Malcolm McDowell, Allison Janney

Release Date: December 13, 2019

Rated R for sexual material and language throughout

Runtime: 1hr 48 min.

Genres: Biography, Drama

Review:

Bombshell’s impact on anyone is sure to be colored by their feeling about the real life people portrayed.  Jay Roach delivers a funny but ultimately depressing tales about the behind the scenes machinations at propaganda machine as known as Fox News.  Roach has the unenviable task of displaying people who are all on varying scales of terrible.  The tale about Roger Ailes numerous misdeeds was previously covered on Showtime’s The Loudest Voice so Bombshell feels a bit like a companion piece since this film focuses more on the woman than Ailes himself.  As such the trio of Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie are front and center and truly carry the film.  Charlize Theron’s Megyn Kelly is one of those transformative performances that is sure to garner her a lot of awards buzz and with good reason.  She’s nearly unrecognizable here, capturing Kelly’s look and voice with an uncanny degree of accuracy.  The performance is such an attention grabber that it’s easy to overlook Nicole Kidman and Margo Robbie slightly more subtle performances.  Kidman’s take on Gretchen Carlson is solid but it’s hard to say it any better than Naomi Watt’s version on The Loudest Voice.  Robbie’s character is a composite character but serves a purpose of putting us in the room with Ailes while he’s harassing and victimizing these women.  John Lithgow’s take on Roger Ailes isn’t as a nuanced as Russell Crowe’s take earlier this year which leads to the bigger issue at play.  Bombshell seems content with going through basics but never really cares to dig any deep or offer any colors of gray.  As such certain characters are painted as heroes which can be difficult to swallow since their real life counterparts are terrible for other reasons. 

B

MOVIE REVIEW: PET SEMATARY

Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his neighbour Jud Crandall, setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unspeakable evil with horrific consequences.

Director: Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer

Cast: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Jeté Laurence

Release Date: April 5, 2019

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for horror violence, bloody images, and some language

Runtime: 1h 40min

Review:

The second adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary is much like its first adaptation, a mix bag of jump scares and under explored ideas.  I can’t speak to how closely the film follows the original novel since it’s one of King’s major works I never got around to reading.  As such, the film offers little in the way of tension or surprises.  There are a well timed jump scares which directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer choreograph well but never feel particularly fresh.  It’s a theme that carries throughout the majority of film even thought it’s propped up by a strong central performance by Jason Clarke.  Jeté Laurence, likewise, makes an impressive debut as the pair’s daughter and John Lithgow is equally strong in a supporting role but the story never bothers to delve any deeper into the various themes at play.  Instead we’re left questioning the bevy of terrible decisions the central characters make but the film never really bother making you care much about them so when things start going bad we don’t get the desired dread.  Instead we’re left with general disinterest over another forgettable horror film. 

C+

April Sokol's Reviews of Murder on the Orient Express & Daddy's Home 2

Another weekend, another double feature at the local theater! First I was off to see Murder on the Orient Express followed by Daddy's Home 2.

Murder on the Orient Express, my review:

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

starring: Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Justin Gad, Daisy Ridley, Penelope Cruz and Willem Dafoe

Murder on the Orient Express is a straight forward retelling of the Agatha Christie classic. Branagh takes the reins both in front of and behind the camera as he both stars and directs. Murder on the Orient Express clocks in at 1 hour and 54 minutes. That was at least 20 minutes too long. I found myself checking my clock several times as this murder mystery lumbered on toward it's conclusion.

There are some great things to see here. Branagh seems to be incapable of putting in a bad performance. His portrayal here of the titular Poirot is the best use of facial hair since the 1st Hunger Games movie. Poirot is the world famous detective who lands squarely in the middle of a who dun it on the world's most posh passenger train.

The cast is all putting in solid work here.  Michelle Pfeiffer is a national treasure and I remain her biggest fan. However, the movie as a whole left me....wanting more. There is not one specific thing, other than maybe needing a trim time wise, that I can point to as a reason to not enjoy this. However, I also can't really point to any real reason to go out of your way to make time for this either.

There is nothing new here. No Earth shattering performances. No breath taking scenery. As much as I wanted to fall in love...I just never managed it. I would skip this one in theaters and wait for the rental. A very “meh” 2 out of 5 stars is my rating, I'm afraid.


Trying to dust off my disappointment..I head into Daddy's Home 2. Full disclosure here...I did not see the 1st Daddy's Home movie but I wanted to give this one a try anyway.

Daddy's Home 2, my review:

Directed by Sean Anders

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Will Farrell, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow, Linda Cardellini, Alessandra Ambrosio and John Cena

Daddy's Home 2 picks up the continuing story of a blended family consisting of biological Dad Dusty (Wahlberg) and stepdad Brad (Farrell) and Mom Sara (Cardellini). It's time for the holidays and that means they're respective Dads are coming to town to visit. We have a super simple, extremely affectionate Don (Lithgow) playing Brad's Dad and brass, unapologetic, absentee Dad to Dusty, Kurt (Gibson) thrown into the mix. Kurt is inexplicably dismayed by the healthy coparenting that is happening to his grandchildren and decides to try to make things far more toxic by attempting to break the relationship between Dusty and Brad. Setting aside the incredibly toxic masculinity, we find that the straight man/physical comedy combo of Wahlberg and Farrell really seem to work here. Wahlberg's Dusty has a familiar every man feeling to him. And even this self professed Farrell hater found herself laughing along with Brad's antics.

This is a fun, competent flick that doesn't take itself too seriously at all. I enjoyed it FAR more than I expected I would. Daddy's Home 2 clocks in at a pretty enjoyable 1 hour and 40 minutes. I give it a solid 3 out of 5 stars.

[Trailer] The Campaign

The perfect film for the upcoming elections; could be a classic or a massive miss (Jay Roach is directing) either way I’ll be there opening weekend!

[Trailer] This Is 40

Trailer for the sort of sequel to Knocked Up is out, looks cute and funny but after the dour Funny People his shine has worn off a tad. He’s produced far more than he’s directed, we’ll see if he can get back in the zone. The cast is great so cautious excitement is in place…

MOVIE REVIEW: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

IN THEATERS

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

The Escapist director Rupert Wyatt takes the helm for this Planet of the Apes prequel centering on genetically engineered chimp Caesar (Andy Serkis), who was created in a San Francisco lab by an ambitious scientist (James Franco), and who uses his powerful intellect to lead an ape uprising against all of humankind. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Cast: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, David Oyelowo, Tom Felton

Release Date: Aug 05, 2011

Rated: Violence and intense/frightening sequences

Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

The original Planet of the Apes is such an iconic film that it leaves a legacy that still rings through this most recent reboot. Winks and nods to the original pop up here and there throughout Rise of the Planet of the Apes, some subtle and others more obvious and forced. It’s a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things, especially when so much care and effort was put into making this more than just another money grabbing reboot. Rise has something missing from most reboots; it’s got plenty of heart and a strong sense of itself. The story feels authentic with a set up and follow through that flows nicely. Director Rupert Wyatt shoots his film with a steady hand, moving his film at a steady pace rarely lingers in any section too long. James Franco, Freida Pinto and John Lithgow all have paint by the number roles. Franco offers some heart to his character but like the rest he’s simply a tool for the plot. David Oyelowo and Tom Felton are given cheesier clichéd roles which border on goofy, Felton in particular seems like he was transported from an 80’s flick sans a Cobra Kai patch. The real star of the show though is Andy Serkis, whose become the motion capture “man behind the mask”, who’s performance capture work is even more impressive than his work in the Lord of the Rings. His role is mostly visual but he’s able to emote such a massive range of emotions that’s you can relate with Caesar’s situation throughout. The CGI work is excellent, delivering photo realistic creations that rarely scream CGI. There are a few scenes that will either work for you or not, depending on how invested you are by that point in the story. While Rise will never leave the lasting legacy of the original film it’s still an impressive effort all around.

B