With their relationship in trouble, a young
American couple travel to a fabled Swedish midsummer festival where a seemingly
pastoral paradise transforms into a sinister, dread-soaked nightmare as the
locals reveal their terrifying agenda. Director: Ari Aster Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm
Blomgren, Will Poulter Release Date: July 3, 2019 Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery Rated R for disturbing ritualistic violence
and grisly images, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language Runtime: 2 h 27 min Review: Midsommar, Ari Aster’s 2nd film,
is a singular movie watching experience.
It’s the type of film that’ll stick with you for a long while
afterward. Aster’s direction is self
assured and methodical while never being boring even with the film’s glacial
pace. There’s a steady sense of dread
from the outset and it never really lets up throughout the better part of the
film. While this film isn’t quite as
strong in the horror category as Hereditary was its still filled with plenty of
starkly bleak imagery and iconography.
At its center is Florence Pugh who carries the film and elevates some of
the weaker portions of the film’s plot.
Pugh’s ability to emote pain and grief comes through the screen which
some of the film’s more trippy sequences all the more powerful. As for those hallucinatory sequences they are
some of the most discombobulating and outright weird sequences I’ve seen on
film. It's easy to compare Midsommar to
the original Wicker Man, it does share various similarities with that film, but
ultimately it’s it own wonderfully weird amalgam of that film and the 1981 film Possession, destined to become a
cult classic in it's own right. A-
A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest RACE riots in United States history. The story is centered around the Algiers
Motel incident, which occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1967, during the racially charged 12th Street Riot. It involves the death of three black men and
the brutal beatings of nine other people: seven black men and two white women.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony
Mackie, John Krasinski, Jack Reynor, Jason Mitchell, Hanna Murray
Release Date: Aug 42017
Genres: Crime, Drama, History
Rated R for strong violence and pervasive
language
Review:
Detroit is a tense, uncomfortable and incredibly timely
film.Kathryn Bigelow’s style of
filmmaking is perfectly suited for the story being told.Bigelow’s immersive style leaves like a fly
on the wall during the entire ordeal.It’s an intense film that’s anchored by a strong ensemble cast.John Boyega and Will Poulter really shine
throughout the film, with some of the films best moments are watching their
character’s process and think through situations.Poulter though is the real surprise here
since he’s been mostly a comedic actor.Poulter provides the character an unsettling detachment and coldness
that’s deeply unsettling.The film loses
a little steam after it moves on to the aftermath with the court proceedings
and post event stories.I was personally
more interested in what happened to John Boyega’s character but the film chose
a different direction.It’s a small
issue on an otherwise strong film that really shines a light on a dark portion
of American history.
Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Detroit and The Dark Tower.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or the news.
First on the docket, Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit.
During the Detroit Rebellion of 1967, a handful of city cops terrorize young people staying at the Algiers Hotel.
Dear reader(s), you know when I call a movie "must-see," it's usually gonna be some big, dumb actioner with a current obsession not *quite* getting enough screen time for my liking. Evidence: that latest Transformers movie that everybody hates? Yeah, that'll be skirting my Top Ten come year's end. However, here I must break with tradition to suggest emphatically that everyone get out and see Detroit. It is a very, very important movie and a timely reminder of what happens when we allow some people to be treated as less than others.
Detroit opens with a clever sequence that brings viewers who might not be familiar with this event up to speed, and from there it's a slow burn into chaos. The movie is never in a hurry to get where it's going, yet there are millions of things happening all at once. Point of view is personal rather than general, with dialogue so natural as to seem unscripted. I'm no fan of Bigelow's jiggly camera work, but I couldn't look away from the terrifying events playing out onscreen. There is no sugar-coating, there are no cookie-cutter characters, and the performances are uniformly extraordinary. Of special note, as usual, is John Boyega in a smart, sympathetic turn. The violence and torment are up close and personal, at times nearly impossible to watch. The movie builds to its unsettling climax with such tension you might not even realize you're holding your breath. This is no fun summer flick; it's challenging and exhausting. (For the record, I ran straight to the ladies' room and threw up when it ended, and it's had me in tears more than a few times since.) Detroit is smart enough not to leave it to viewers to distinguish between "based on a true story" and "inspired by actual events;" it freely acknowledges that its account relies on the recollections of people who were under not-a-little duress during these events. No fun summer movie, Detroit will stay on your mind long after you exit the theatre.
Detroit clocks in at 143 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and pervasive language."
A headline I saw earlier this morning said, "Detroit is going to hurt, but it's worth it," and that's about the best way to sum up this brilliant but difficult movie.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Detroit gets eight.
Fangirl points: Not to take away from the seriousness of this picture, but I can't imagine a more beautiful human than Anthony Mackie exists anywhere in the universe. *le sigh*
Next on my agenda was the first big-screen shot at Stephen King's Dark Tower series.
The Last Gunslinger hopes to stop the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, which protects the world from evil...or something like that. (I'm pretty close, right?)
Not having read this book series from Stephen King, and having heard nothing good about this adaptation prior to seeing it, I was prepared to state that--while I understood it might not meet the expectations of book fans--the movie is perfectly passable entertainment for the rest of us.
Sadly, after nearly nodding off twice in just an hour and a half, I had to rethink that opening.
The Dark Tower is just a bad movie, and that's without even being able to speak to its failings by comparison to the books. It feels like, at some point very early in its making, all the Stephen King forces in the universe decided to focus their positive energy on the remake of It and deserted this entirely. (I guess the good news is my pretty busy cinema seemed to soil its collective drawers at the It trailer that preceded Dark Tower, so King may be redeemed rather quickly.) The Dark Tower's characters are so broadly drawn you'll only care what happens to any of them if you have a vested interest in the actor(s). Shallow storytelling provides very few answers, but leaves lots of question marks, for anyone unfamiliar with the source material. Clearly this was meant to set up a franchise, but if it's to do so with any success it'll need serious retooling. Man in Black Matthew McConaughey is as bland as ever (can't spell "McConaughey" without "ugh!") as a paper-doll baddie who's about as menacing as my little Cockapoo. Idris Elba is smokin'--and I mean SMOKIN'--hot as the Gunslinger, but the role is so poorly fleshed out it scarcely taxes his ability or charisma. Effects are pedestrian at best, and the action (such as it is) is accented by a comically-melodramatic score.
The Dark Tower runs the slowest 95 minutes ev-ah and is rated PG13 for "thematic material, including sequences of gun violence and action."
I truly had hoped to buck the trend and declare the Dark Tower passable entertainment for a summer afternoon, but, sadly, it can't meet even that low bar. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Dark Tower gets two.
Fangirl points: OMG you guys...Idris Elba! (Teeny-weeny spoiler alert: When a boy says to the Gunslinger, "I dreamt about you!" I'm pretty sure I said out loud to the screen, "Me too!")
Dearest Blog: After suffering through The Hateful Eight on New Year's Day, a short-and-cheery flick would have been welcome this week.
Alas, Oscar nominations drop Thursday, so instead I found myself at Marquee Cinemas for another marathon of misery, The Revenant.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
Survival and revenge are a long and painful road for a man who has lost everything.
Dear reader(s): When I tell you The Revenant is miserable, I mean that happy is not in its dictionary. I do not mean I didn't like it; on the contrary, I absolutely loved it.
Most news about The Revenant focuses on the physical difficulties of making the picture, no doubt to convince the Academy that Leonardo DiCaprio deserves that elusive Best Actor trophy. DiCaprio's Oscar desperation is so palpable the movie might as well have been called, "Please Let Me Win This Time."
Luckily, his performance is mostly brilliant, dipping only the occasional toe into unintentional comedy with his overacting. (To clarify, Leo's deserved an Oscar since Gilbert Grape, but he definitely sells it a little too hard at times.) Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, and Will Poulter are equally fantastic, with far less histrionics.
The story is fascinating, beautifully told, but full of deception and brutality. A lovely score underlines the film, taking a quiet backseat but for its powerful climax. The Revenant's real stars, however, are its stunning locations and the expertise with which they're filmed. Magnificent snowy mountains, icy rivers, and majestic forests are presented in such striking big-screen glory it takes your breath away.
I'd ordinarily complain about a runtime so far in excess of two hours, but I happily could have watched two more hours of this beauty.
The Revenant runs 156 minutes and is rated R for "strong frontier combat and violence, including gory images, a sexual assault, language, and brief nudity."
The Revenant doesn't have many flaws, but, if we're being honest, I'd have forgiven it just about anything for its visual splendor alone.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Revenant gets eight and a half.
(Small bonus for having an actual Weasley!)
Until next time...
In 1820s America,
frontiersman and fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) joins a
pelt-gathering expedition along with his teenage son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck).
When attacks by Arikara Indians claim the lives of many of the men in the
party, Glass leads a small group on a new path back to a U.S.
fort. While attempting to hunt game on the journey, Glass is mauled by a
grizzly bear and horribly wounded. Assumed he'll be dead soon, Glass is left
under the care of roughneck John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), and the young and
inexperienced Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) as Hawk watches on in horror.
Fitzgerald betrays Glass and leaves him for dead, alone and unarmed. Glass
nurses himself back to health and charts a course of revenge. Alejandro
González Iñárritu directed this pulse-pounding epic. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson,
Will Poulter, Lukas Haas
Rated R for strong frontier combat and violence including
gory images, a sexual assault, language
and brief nudity
Runtime: 2 hr. 36 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s follow up to last years
Oscar winning Birdman is beautiful film which shows you a lot more than it ever
tells you.Iñárritu leans on symbolism
and some quasi spiritual visions more than outright exposition throughout,
leaving us with a soulful, if grittier, Jack London style story.The bear attach scene and the opening attach
sequence, which looks like it’s shot in a single take, will leave the biggest
impression but at its base it’s a straightforward revenge tale with very little
else going on.Its bear bones approach
might turn off some since it only gives us passing details of DiCaprio’s character
but never goes into much detail about it.DiCaprio’s performance is mostly based off grunts and screams intermixed
with passing bits of dialogue.He’s
impressively committed to the roles especially through the adverse conditions
he went through while filming the movie.While, DiCaprio is excellent, I left the film more impressed by Tom
Hardy’s performance.Hardy is a given a
slightly meatier role, so much so that sometimes he feels like the main
character more so than DicCaprio’s.It’s
an interesting juxtaposition to watch, each succeeds, along with the film.The Revenant falls just short of reaching the
level of Birdman but still an impressive bit of film making none the less.
A low-level pot dealer poses as a family man in order to pay back a debt to his supplier in this comedy starring Saturday Night Live alumni Jason Sudeikis. When David attempts to perform a good deed and gets robbed in the process, however, his supplier Brad (Ed Helms) is none too happy. Now, in order to pay Brad back before the hammer drops, David must retrieve a big drug shipment from Mexico and sneak back across the border undetected. It's a risky job for sure, but with the help of a few neighbors David might just pull it off. With sardonic stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) assuming the role of housewife, teenage misfit Kenny (Will Poulter) posing as the awkward son, and rebellious Casey (Emma Roberts) filling in as his sister, David slips on some khakis, and starts heading south. Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, and Ken Marino co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Will Poulter, Emma Roberts, Ed Helms
Release Date: Aug 07, 2013
Rated R for crude sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and brief graphic nudity.
Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy
Review:
We’re the Millers is fun raunchy little romp of movie with cartoonish characters in cartoonish situations. It’s well aware of the type of film it is but for some reason it wants to tack on a redemptive ending for some generally bad characters. Personally I’ve never understood why raunchy comedies feel the need to teach its characters a lesson especially when it doesn’t make sense. Jason Sudeikis’s character is more or less jerk, albeit a funny one, throughout until he has his A-HA moment in an eye rolling moment. I know I’ve probably belabored the point about the ending but it does kind of leave a WTF taste in your mouth. Regardless, the better portion of the film is consistently funny while remaining fairly harmless for an R rated film. Aniston, who I can’t stand for some reason, is solid throughout even though her chemistry with Sudeikis is extremely forced. Will Poulter is lots of fun while Emma Roberts comes across as nondescript in an underwritten role. We’re The Millers isn’t going to be considered a classic but it’s the perfect kind of comedy for a lazy afternoon.
