MOVIE REVIEW: THE IRON CLAW

 

The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who make history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

Director: Sean Durkin

Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Lily James

Release Date: December 22, 2023

Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport

Rated R for language, suicide, some sexuality and drug use.

Runtime: 2h 12m

The Iron Claw, the tragic true-life tale of the Von Erich family, is the kind of sports movie that doesn't require you to be a fan of the sport to be moved and affected by its painful story.  Sean Durkin directs the film with a nuanced hand giving it a sweaty, gritty feel which gives the story an air of authenticity.  He makes you feel every bit of flesh hitting the mat during the wrestling sequences but adds an overreach sense of dread and sadness throughout the entire film.  Thematically, it covers well worn concepts about masculinity and overbearing fathers trying to live vicariously through their sons but does so with a surprisingly level of effectiveness thanks to its cast.  Holt McCallany is the kind of actor that can bring a certain level of intimidation, intensity without overt physicality which works incredibly well here as the family patriarch.  There's an emotional frigidity to his character that's reflected in his treatment of his sons as mere vessels to correct his list of grievances and shortcomings.  The character is cold, emotionally distant, and aloof even as tragedy continues to befall his children due in large part to his constant pushing and playing them against each other.  Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons all deliver authentic, engaging performances, each reflecting the sons burning desire to please their father at any cost.  Efron though carries the emotional weight of the film as he makes you feel the pain of his perceived failures and shortcomings early on in the story before he’s burdened by loss of his siblings along with the realization of the root cause.  It’s an excellent showcase for Efron as he emotes all the internalized pain and trauma with a level of nuance and depth that I honestly didn't think he was capable of.  His psychical transformation almost becomes an afterthought due to his committed performance which elevates the entire film and makes it easier to overlook a few pacing issues and underwritten female characters.

 

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: YESTERDAY

Jack Malik is a struggling singer-songwriter in an English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie. After a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed. Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, Jack becomes on overnight sensation with a little help from his agent.

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Ed Sheeran, Kate McKinnon

Release Date: June 28, 2019

Biography, Comedy, Fantasy, Music

Rated PG-13 for suggestive content and language

Runtime: 1 h 56 min

Review:

Yesterday is an uplifting musical fantasy grafted onto a romantic comedy.  Danny Boyle’s film is energetically directed resulting in a film with a strong pulse beating throughout.  Himesh Patel is pitch perfect in the central role, carrying the film with impressive ease.  He’s likable throughout the entirety of the film but is greatly helped by being paired with Lily James.  The film works best when they are on screen together because of the strength of their onscreen chemistry.  James hasn’t ever really left much of an impression beforehand but here she’s just perfect playing the part of a lovelorn love interest.  Patel has an impressive singing voice which makes his renditions of a bevy of Beatles classics infinitely more toe tappingly good.  If there are a few drawbacks it’s the story itself outside of the initial premise is a fairly straight forward romantic comedy, thankfully the two leads make you invest emotionally into their story arches.  Kate McKinnon, who I usually enjoy, is just terribly miscast and just sticks out in all the wrong ways.  Also, there is a late act reveal that’s sure to be divisive amongst fans.  It’s a strong impactful moment that’s probably one of the bolder decisions in an otherwise safe film.  Even with a few drawbacks Yesterday is one those rare films that will have you leaving the theater with a smile on your face.  


B

Cindy Prascik's Review of Yesterday

Last night I was fortunate to catch an an early screening of Danny Boyle's Yesterday.

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

During a freakish worldwide blackout, a young musician is hit by a bus and wakes to find no one else remembers the Beatles.

Dear Reader(s), a disclaimer: Yesterday is not a science fiction film. It does not get into the hows and whys of the blackout or the items subsequently missing from memory. The story simply moves forward on the premise that it happened, and it expects viewers to do the same.

Yesterday presents an interesting quandary: What if you were the only person who remembered something as previously well-known and well-loved as the music of the Beatles? What if you could return to the world a wonderful thing it was suddenly missing? What if you stood to gain from doing so? These questions weigh heavily on Jack Malik, portrayed with humble charm by Himesh Patel, and his struggle gives anchor to what otherwise might seem a flighty premise. Lily James is endearing as Jack's stalwart manager/number-one fan, and Ed Sheeran is terrific playing Ed Sheeran With a Bigger Ego. Ed gets full marks for being a good sport here, and as a fan I am excited that what I expected to be a cameo is actually a significant role, complete with a new song! Kate McKinnon is a little too much (as she often is) as the brash Big Deal Music Manager, but she's a small misstep in what's otherwise a pretty perfect movie.

Yesterday tells its unique tale in flawless fashion, with nary an instant where your attention might stray. The Beatles' music is as magical as ever, and Patel sings their songs as if he were born for it. The film's humor is self-deprecating and well placed, offering laugh-out-loud moments as well as sympathetic chuckles. If you are a Beatles fan, there's a gut-punch in the final act that hurts like hell, but, objectively speaking, it adds yet another layer to an already well-crafted story and the movie is better for it.

Yesterday clocks in at 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "suggestive content and language."

Yesterday takes a horrifying idea--a world without the Beatles--and turns it into an uplifting story about the power of music, truth, and love.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Yesterday gets nine. Fangirl points: I mean, Ed, obviously.

Also great to see Sanjeev Bhaskar and Sarah Lancashire!

Until next time, as Sir Ringo would say, "Peace and love!"

MOVIE REVIEW: MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN

In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On her journeys, she makes the acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam -- the latter whom she falls in love with, but he's also the man who breaks her heart. In the present day, Donna's pregnant daughter, Sophie, dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with her mother's old friends and boyfriends on the Greek island of Kalokairi.

Director: OI Parker

Cast: Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, Cher, Meryl Streep

Release Date: July 20, 2018

Genres: Comedy, Musical

Rated PG-13 for some suggestive material

Runtime: 1h 54min

Review:

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a surprisingly strong sequel to the fizzy original.  Getting the bad out of the way, the film feels the loss of it’s A List cast from the original, the majority of them appear but with limited screen time.  Lily James carries the majority of film as the young Donna and she’s more than capable.  I do wonder if they asked Grace Gummer, one of Streep’s daughters, to play the role since she bears such a striking resemblance to her when she was younger.  Still Lily James pulls off an impressive performance, capturing most of Streep’s mannerisms from the original film.  The rest of the younger cast is equally as effective portraying their older, legendary counterparts.  The song selections here aren’t as strong as the original film which is understandable since the original used nearly all the greatest hits.  Still they are catchy enough to keep any ABBA fan smiling.  The strangest thing about Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is how reflective and heartfelt the film is.  It’s far more emotional than you’d expect from a sequel to a light fizzy original.  Meryl Streep appears in what is an extended cameo but her appearance packs an emotional punch and really brings the film full circle.   

B

MOVIE REVIEW: DARKEST HOUR

During the early days of World War II, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds.

Director: Joe Wright

Release Date: Nov 22, 2017

Cast: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Stephen Dillane

Rated PG-13 for some thematic material

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Biography, Drama, History

Review:

Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour is a perfectly solid historical drama that’s buoyed by an impressive turn by Gary Oldman.  Wright’s movie hits most of the basic points of interest as he covers roughly a month of Winston Churchill’s life as he ascends to the role of Prime Minster as Hilter’s forces close in on Britain.  As such, it makes for an interesting companion pieces to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk.  While that film dealt the soldier’s point of view this film is far more concerned with the political landscape that Churchill was dealing with as he took office.  It’s catnip for history buffs even though everyone knows how it ends.  Still, it’s a fascinating situation to examine considering how badly the odds where stacked against the UK.  Wright does a solid job of providing a glossy accounting of darken close quarter rooms where major decisions were being made in the face of impending doom.  The film, though, wouldn’t work nearly as well if it wasn’t for a stellar turn by the film’s star Gary Oldman who disappears into make up and character.  This isn’t the first time Oldman has lost himself into characters behind make up, most memorably in Dracula and an underrated and nearly forgotten turn in the Silence of the Lamb sequel Hannibal.  This film is clearly Oldman’s showcase, so much so that some of sequences might as well have the words “For your Consideration” emblazoned along the bottom of the screen.  Thankfully Oldman doesn’t disappoint as he delivers one of the best performances of his career in a long while.  He’s had better roles in the past but this type of biopic seems ready made for award season. 

B+