MOVIE REVIEW: SMILE 2

 

About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins to experience increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, she must face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

Director: Parker Finn

Cast: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson, Kyle Gallner

Release Date: October 18, 2024

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violent content, grisly images, language throughout and drug use.

Runtime: 2h 12m

Review:

Parker Finn's Smile 2 is gorier and devilishly funnier than its predecessor as focus shifts to a damaged pop star played by a stellar Naomi Scott.  Finn's second turn, immediately feels more confident and elegantly eerie as we follow Skye Riley's decent into madness.  He still relies on jump scares a tad too much for my taste but its hard to hate it too much when he sets up those moments up so effectively.  A handful of sequences are anxiety inducing and set up with impressive visual panache such as a gloriously nightmarish where Skye's smiling back up dancers chasing her around her apartment.  There are a handful of moments like that which leaves a noticeable impact with each leaving you wonder what's real and what's not as things get increasingly out of control.  This all doesn't work nearly as well as it does if not for a instantly engaging turn from Naomi Scott.  Scott is fully committed from the start by bringing a believable sense of mental fraying from the onset.  Her Skye is damaged and isolated before the madness begins due to a horrific event that's left her traumatized beforehand.  Scott conveys that sense of isolation and self hate with a natural ease that's incredibly impressive.  As things get more dire and her character starts to fall apart at the seams there's an exasperated terror to her as she starts to lose her grip on reality and she becomes an increasingly unreliable narrator.  Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley and Dylan Gelula are solid in supporting roles but this is Scott's showcase and she is the most fascinating performer onscreen throughout the entire film.  Given the amount of celebrities we've seen go off the rails there's something that feels slightly more realistic about this setup than the original which makes it one of the few horror films to earn its two hour runtime.  Smile 2 proves to be one of the rare horror sequels that improves on the original by taking in a slightly different sphere to deliver a mash up of The Ring and Nightmare on Elm Street which leaves me eager to see where the series goes next.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: STRANGE DARLING

 

Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer's vicious murder spree.

Director: J.T. Mollner

Cast:  Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley Jr.

Release Date: August 23, 2024

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for strong/bloody violent content, sexual material, drug use and language.

Runtime: 1h 36m

Review:

Writer/Director J.T. Mollner's Strange Darling is a pulpy thriller that gleefully toys with the audience's expectations due in large part to its nonlinear approach and a pair of engaging performances from its central duo.  Mollner displays confidence behind the camera and clear focus on what he wants to deliver onscreen.  His use of color and shots are meticulously constructed which gives the entire film a very specific look and feel that makes it pop onscreen.  His script is equally polished with its darkly funny dialogue paired with extreme violence throughout that gives a Tarantinoesque sans the pop culture references.  The film wouldn't work as well as it does if not for a pair of excellent turns from Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner.  Fitzgerald and Gallner both own their roles with a laser focus that gives their performances an intensity to their characters that drives the entire film.  They play off each other with a natural ease before things move into much more antagonistic territory as they are pitted against each other.  By design, their actions and reactions ask that you reexamine each moment as we're given more information.  They manage to walk that tightrope where nearly every moment carries the air of authenticity even after a series of reveals.  The film serves as their showcase throughout with only a handful of supporting characters popping up along the way, most notably Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr.  The film stumbles a bit as the script never gives the characters enough psychological depth to explain their actions, particularly the serial killer's side of the coin.  Additionally, the story loses some bite once you piece it together in chronological order since its fractured gimmick withholds certain information for maximum effect.  Minor issues aside, Strange Darling proves to be a well crafted and acted thriller that sure to be a cult classic in the long run.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: SMILE

 

After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

Director: Parker Finn

Cast: Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn, Rob Morgan

Release Date: September 30, 2022

Genre: Horror 

Rated R for strong violent content and grisly images, and language.

Runtime: 1h 55m

Review:

Parker Finn's debut film Smile, based on his 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept, is a capable and effective entry into the horror genre.  Smile is very much in the vein of recent horror films like It Follows and The Ring as an unseen terror tormenting our lead.  It's well worn territory even for the casual horror fan but Finn manages to deliver enough unsettling imagery and scares to make it work even if there aren't many surprises in store.  Thematically, the crux of the story deals with the trauma of loss in an interesting manner even if its more armchair psychiatry than any sort of deep dissection of the subject matter.  That being said it's an intriguing enough take to make it engaging for the better part of the film's runtime.  At the center of the film is Sosie Bacon who delivers a memorable performance which drives the story.  The plot doesn't take much time with Bacon's character before the curse takes hold as such we watch as her nerves and mental state disintegrate in rapid succession.  Outside of a few bits and pieces about the character's background, there isn't a ton of depth on the page but she makes the character engaging enough to maintain your attention.  The supporting characters are even more thinly drawn but the story doesn't really ask much them outside of being plot devices.  As Smile turns into its finale, it hard to ignore the fact that there are few moments that could have been excised to deliver a more efficient thriller and conclusion.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: AMERICAN SNIPER

Biopic of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), the most-celebrated sniper in American military history. In the aftermath of 9/11, Kyle decides to serve his country by becoming a Navy SEAL. But with each tour of duty, he grows more detached from his wife and children. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Clint Eastwood 

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Luke Grimes, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Ben Reed

Release Date: Jan 16, 2015

Rated R for some Sexual References, Language Throughout and Strong Disturbing War Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 12 min. 

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama 

Review:

American Sniper is an interesting film that manages to be straightforward but complicated at the same time.  Eastwood doesn’t really give us much of a point of view on the Iraq War; he’s more interested in the personal story of Chris Kyle which is refreshing since it could have easily devolved into a jingoistic anthem.  Eastwood’s film alternates between the war and Kyle’s home life but it’s clear that Eastwood is far more comfortable with the war portion of the story.  He delivers some impressive battle sequences with the final one being the most impressive and tense of the entire film.  At the heart of the film is Bradley Cooper who does fine work embodying Chris Kyle and chartering his growing internal struggle as his military career wears on.  Cooper is reserved and understated throughout but he captures the intensity and drive that ran through Kyle’s life.  Even though it’s a biopic the film does seem to focus on Kyle almost exclusively which means that doesn’t get a good feel for his friends or even his wife whose under characterized.  It doesn’t help that she’s played by Sienna Miller who’s not nearly a strong enough actress to believably deliver the emotional moments required.  Some creative choices also left me scratching my head, such as the villainous enemy sniper which was always within earshot of Kyle, regardless of which tour of duty he was on.  Even with its faults, the film does a fine job of honoring Chris Kyle’s memory and legacy. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Big Eyes & American Sniper

Dearest Blog, this week I had a glance at two awards favorites, Big Eyes and American Sniper. How's that for mature viewing? The fact that I saw both of these because the times worked well with additional Hobbit screenings...well, we'll keep that to ourselves, eh?

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or, you know, if you occasionally watch the news.

First to the plate: Big Eyes.

The subject of Big Eyes is painter Margaret Keane--noted for her portraits of waiflike children with extraordinarily huge eyes--her marriage, subsequent split, and legal battle with her second husband, who took credit for her work.

I burned a half-day's vacation Thursday to see Big Eyes before it closed here, thinking I'd need it for the Oscars. Oscar nominations were announced Thursday morning, and, as it happens, I don't need it at all ("My luck!" my Dad would have said), but, since the schedule worked perfectly with The Hobbit...well, you know the rest of that story.

Now, dear reader(s), you know how I feel about female-centric stories. I couldn't be less interested.

Even allowing for the Tim Burton factor, I expected to snooze through Big Eyes expressly for the privilege of saying, "Gee, that Amy Adams sure is great, huh?" Great Ms. Adams certainly is, but I couldn't have been more wrong about the rest of it. It's really nice to see something from Tim Burton that isn't inherently wacky. It's been awhile. That's not to say Big Eyes doesn't have its wacky Burton touches, but we're minus the goofy hats, silly songs, and rubber-legged dance numbers this time.

The whole thing still has an air of fairy-tale about it, which keeps a sometimes-less-than-happy story light and easy to watch. Amy Adams is incredible in the lead, a straight-woman to Christoph Waltz' over-the-top turn as her husband. (That's not to say Waltz isn't also great, and given the story, I don't find it hard to believe his performance is entirely accurate.)

Full marks to costumers, set designers, art direction, etc.: the movie looks beautiful, bright, and colorful, even in its toughest moments. It moves at a good pace and never feels slow or long, though it's hardly action packed. It came as a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed every minute.

Big Eyes runs 106 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic elements and brief strong language."

Maybe Oscar didn't love it, but I did.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Big Eyes gets seven and a half.

Yesterday's heavy hitter was American Sniper.

Bradley Cooper stars in the true story of Navy S.E.A.L. Chris Kyle, a legendary sniper through four tours in Iraq, who found difficulty leaving the war behind when he finally returned home.

I always think it's important to be upfront if there's something that colors my opinion of a movie besides the movie itself, so here I need to state that I lost a friend, a Marine, in Iraq. Though I'm usually a notoriously cold fish, since then I can't keep it together if I so much as see a Marine by the Toys for Tots bin at the Mall during Christmastime. There's no way for me to watch or write about this movie minus that baggage.

So... *deep breath*

Bradley Cooper is as good as you've heard in the lead. I can't say he deserved an Oscar nod over Jake Gyllenhaal, but there's certainly nothing bad to say about his work here.

The supporting cast is solid, too, though I confess I'm not entirely sold on Sienna Miller.

The "in country" scenes are brilliantly executed; you can practically feel the heat and smell the dirt, and I'm pretty sure I held my breath for the better part of two hours, waiting for a potential threat from somewhere...anywhere.

For such a grim picture, there's a good bit of laugh-out-loud banter, and very little scene-setting music, which adds to the realistic tone.

Kyle very much embodies the prevalent American attitude of the time, so American Sniper presents quite the black-and-white view of the war, with little, if any, grey area.

The movie runs just a little longer than it needs to, and it feels somewhat wrong allowing it to present as truth so many things that have since been called into question. (The war itself aside, Kyle's Estate has been the subject of several lawsuits over the book on which the movie is based.*)

When it was over, I sprinted from the room in tears, bowling over a couple Marquee friends in my haste to go hide in a bathroom stall for a minute. (All I could see were maroon vests, so whoever it was I hope you're reading this and I apologize.)

I don't think I stopped shaking until the Elves arrived in Dale. I'm not sure how much blame/credit for that goes to the movie and how much to personal experience, but from the number of sniffles I heard around the room, this film is doing a bang-up job striking a nerve with more than just me.

American Sniper clocks in at 132 minutes and is rated R for "strong and disturbing war violence and language throughout, including some sexual references."

There are many reasons I hate American Sniper, none of which keep me from realizing it's a very good movie.

Its unflinching depiction of the cost of war is essential viewing. Of a possible nine Weasleys,

American Sniper gets seven.

Until next time...

*Thanks to Melissa Bradley for bringing this to my attention.

 






































"Tim...you made a movie WITHOUT ME??"

MOVIE REVIEW: RED STATE

RED STATE


Kevin Smith steps his foot into horror territory with this politically tinged fright flick starring Michael Parks (From Dusk Till Dawn, Grindhouse) as a controversial Fred Phelps-ish reverend who brings his own brand of zealotry to a wayward group of teens. Smith directs from his own long-in-development script. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Kevin Smith

Cast: Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, John Goodman, Kyle Gallner, Michael Angarano

Release Date: Jan 23, 2011

Rated R for disturbing content, some sexual content, strong violence, pervasive language and brief nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

You have to give Kevin Smith credit for stepping outside of the box and trying something different. Red State is a messy message movie that has Smith painting with really broad strokes, creating something that feels rushed and terribly underdeveloped. Watching Red State, you can see where Smith’s mind is but he never achieves a fully realized vision. Instead Red State is a choppy film that has strange tonal changes throughout, with some weird comedic asides. Wonderful character actor, Michael Parks, is placed front and center and Smith gives him free reign with the character which succeeds to varying degrees. Parks is impressive and mystifying in his opening appearance, a nearly 15 minute monologue/ sermon but as the film wears on he should have been reigned in a tad to avoid the caricature the ends the film. Smith has the scaffolding of a film dealing with religious zealots like Fred Phelps, Jim Jones or David Koresh but it turns into something closer to satire. John Goodman and his group of ATF agents are a prime example of this, playing more as types than actual characters. Melissa Leo and Stephen Root show up and barely register. The finale is an almost silly tangent into the bizarre that leaves you scratching your head wondering what Smith intention in this splatterfest was.

C-