My dear reader(s), this weekend I had the opportunity to catch a triple feature without ever leaving home...a state of affairs that is as troubling as it is comforting. First on my agenda: Reminiscence.
A machine that allows people to relive their memories leads its operator to obsession.
With its fantastical premise and its core cast of Hugh Jackman, Thandiwe Newton, and Rebecca Ferguson, Reminiscence is the kind of movie I used to love seeing on the big screen. Sadly, hokey twists, broadly-drawn characters, and wooden performances make this one a real drag. The narration sets an awkward tone from the outset, and there's a weird undercurrent of climate-change warning that — no matter how essential — is a poor fit. The pace does pick up somewhat about the midway point, Ramin Djawadi's score is pretty nifty, and an unintentional (I guess?) homage to the great 80s comedy Top Secret! is actually quite funny, but there's just no saving this one.
Reminiscence clocks in at 116 minutes and is rated PG13 for "strong violence, drug material throughout, sexual content, and some strong language."
Reminiscence is a memory you won't care to revisit. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Reminiscence gets three.
Reminiscence is now playing in theaters worldwide, and streaming on HBO Max through mid-September.
Next on the docket: Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage.
A documentary showcasing the dark side of the third Woodstock festival.
Woodstock 99, the concert, booked talent that clearly indicated it wasn't aiming for the mellow hippie vibe of its predecessors. Woodstock 99, the film, wants you to believe only one outcome ever was possible, and it doesn't mind throwing a little shade at Woodstock 69 and Woodstock 94 along the way. Horror stories abound: Rioting, sexual assaults, even deaths. Attendees are generalized as angry white fratboys, and organizers come across as woefully out of touch. A testosterone-fueled lineup, featuring acts such as Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn, and Limp Bizkit, is rightfully painted as aggressive, with the only three women on the bill — Jewel, Sheryl Crow, and Alanis Morissette — portrayed as all sunshine and lollipops. Morissette, in particular, writes some pretty angry music, but here she's featured simpering her way through the idiotic "Ironic." While there's no denying some very bad things happened at this festival — some due to poor planning and others due to uncontrollable factors like the weather — I daresay there are thousands who enjoyed themselves and remember the event fondly. This film is interested only in tales of terror.
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage runs 110 minutes and is rated TVMA for pervasive language, nudity, violence, and alcohol and drug use.
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage is a riveting watch, even if it presents just half the story. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Woodstock 99 gets seven.
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage is now streaming on HBO Max.
The final picture on my weekend agenda was Beckett.
Following a deadly car crash, an American tourist in Greece finds himself on the run from dangerous and powerful people.
Beckett is one of those films that probably seemed like a good idea on paper, but the execution is so poor it's hard to imagine anyone ever thought so. This movie is so slow and dull it almost stopped me calling Reminiscence slow and dull. The plot is both jumbled and eye-rollingly predictable, with its sole constant being, "How much can we physically abuse our lead?" John David Washington and Alicia Vikander are the most annoying on-screen couple in recent memory. They're among the top actors of their generation, but they've got zero chemistry and they've phoned it in here. Someone, somewhere, determined it wasn't necessary to caption the Greek dialogue, but there's enough that it's a little too easy to zone out a little too often. Mostly, though, poorly written characters and bland performances make it impossible to invest in anyone. The end seems a long time coming, and by the time you get there, you won't care what happens to any of them.
Beckett clocks in at 110 minutes (feels like about six hours) and is rated TVMA for moderate violence, profanity, and frightening/intense scenes. And because I haven't written anything nearly this funny, here's my favorite user-posted content warning from IMDB, totally more entertaining than the film itself: "Film starts off with a prolonged sex scene with limited thrusting." Kindly beware the "limited thrusting."
I desperately wanted to like Beckett. I didn't. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Beckett gets two.
Beckett is now streaming on Netflix.
Until next time...
