Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story / Collateral Beauty

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday I (or, more specifically, the driver) braved inclement weather to get to Marquee Cinemas for the promising double-bill of Rogue One and Collateral Beauty. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. 

 

First up: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Episode 3.5: The Rebel Alliance risks everything in hopes of finding the key to destroying the Death Star. Rogue One is basically the story you don't (or didn't) know that lays the foundation for the one you do. 

 

Familiar elements provide a nice touch, but the movie makes every effort to stand on its own. It's a little slow getting started, but, ultimately, it's solid enough to recommend to even those who have never seen a Star Wars movie before. That being said: The first act of Rogue One could have been better paced. 

 

The movie spends a good deal of time laying groundwork that really isn't all that complicated; then, as if that weren't enough, it wastes even more time flashing back to stuff that happened only 20 minutes before. It's awkward and frustrating. Warming up to our heroine, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), is no easy task; she's not even half-likeable until she meets up with Rebel pilot Cassian Andor (Diego Luna).  (Disclaimer: Opinion may be based entirely on the fact that I don't like Jones or her weird teeth.) 

 

Once the picture gets moving, there's plenty of action to go 'round, and it becomes much easier to get invested in the characters...perhaps because they're just better characters. The movie really finds its heart when Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang), and Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) turn up, and, unlike Jyn, it's very easy to root for them. Ahmed, in particular, is terrific and does scared and conflicted about as well as anyone. Rogue One has a fair bit of humor, some that hits the mark and some that's just too silly for the situation. 

 

Michael Giacchino provides a rousing score, though, ultimately, it's those hints of John Williams' original music that really feel like home. Large sections of the picture are too dark to see what's going on, and the runtime is a little excessive (which could have been remedied easily if only that first half had been better plotted), but, for my money, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a fun outing that's even better than The Force Awakens. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story clocks in at 134 minutes and is rated PG13 for "extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action." 

 

Rogue One is another worthy installment in one of the greatest movie sagas of all time. Do see it on the big screen while you can. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Rogue One gets seven and a half. 

 

Fangirl points: Ben Mendelsohn! Mads Mikkelson! Jimmy Smits! *swoon* 

 

Next up: Collateral Beauty. After the loss of his young daughter, a grieving man begins writing theraputic letters to Love, Time, and Death. Much to his surprise, Love, Time, and Death offer the favor of a personal reply. 

 

When I went to buy my ticket for Collateral Beauty, I accidentally asked for Collateral Damage, which anyone who knows anything about me will TOTALLY understand. Collateral Beauty isn't really my thing, but the trailer promised some Oscar-worthy performances, and, since none of the really good awards contenders--La La Land, Manchester By The Sea, Nocturnal Animals--have played here (I'll hopefully add a "yet" to the end of that bit), it became my default option for a weekend so deep into Awards Season I couldn't afford to take a pass. 

 

Collateral Beauty has two chief strikes against it: First, it is a criminal waste of everything that normally makes Will Smith such a compelling lead. Smith is more than capable of tackling this sort of drama, but he's got an inherent charm that's suffocated by this lifeless character. 

 

Even when he gets really angry, it's a flatline. Secondly, everyone outside of Smith is just SO. DAMN. EARNEST. A little of that goes a long way, and so much makes these individuals seem insincere, like one-dimensional paper dolls. Helen Mirren is always a delight, and, if there's something that's almost as cool as Helen Mirren with an RPG in RED, it's Helen Mirren as Death, even if that's not *quite* what the trailer leads you to believe. 

 

The remainder of the cast is more than solid, but they're drowning in broadly-drawn characters that are about as subtle as a dollar-store greeting card. Collateral Beauty's finale is unspeakably hokey, but, if you didn't guess from the trailers that hokey was on the menu, you probably weren't paying attention. 

 

Ultimately, Collateral Beauty fails to tick any of the boxes that make a quality motion picture, but it's got a warm-and-fuzzy holiday vibe and, to be honest, I liked it better than it probably deserves. (But Collateral Damage is still way better.) 

 

Collateral Beauty runs a very reasonable 97 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic elements and brief strong language." The awards contender that wasn't, Collateral Beauty will still satisfy any cravings for sentimental holiday fare. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Collateral Beauty gets four and a half. 

Fangirl points: My beautiful New York City! Naomie Harris (even if her accent is all over the place)! 

 

Until next time... 

 

MOVIE REVIEW: OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY

An office manager (T.J. Miller) throws a wild Christmas party in the hope of finalizing a deal with a big-time client (Courtney B. Vance). If the party is unsuccessful and the client gets away, the manager's boss and older sister (Jennifer Aniston) will close the branch and lay off all of the employees. Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, and Kate McKinnon co-star in this holiday comedy directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: Will Speck, Josh Gordon

Cast: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Munn, TJ Miller, Jillian Bell

Release Date: Dec 09, 2016

Rated R for Drug Use, Crude Sexual Content, Graphic Nudity and Language Throughout

Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Office Christmas Party is a film that’s never really as funny as it should be.  The cast is made up of a who’s who of talented comedians who can be really funny all on their own.  Somehow, the film never really meshes together the way it should have.  It’s funny in spots but never consistently enough to make it worth revisiting again.  The overall plot borrows heavily from Animal House and Project X but it never really finds its own footing.  When all the crazy antics are done it’s a surprisingly tame R rated comedy that’ll be easily forgotten by the time you left the theater.

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of Miss Sloane

 

 

Dearest Blog: Yesterday I swallowed my disappointment over missing out on on Nocturnal Animals and set off to Marquee Cinemas for my only available option, Miss Sloane. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. An abrasive DC lobbyist risks everything to take on a powerful interest. 

 

Miss Sloane is a mature, dialogue-heavy picture. Though it's a fascinating story, it often seems to be getting nowhere, which makes it feel very, very long. 

 

Jessica Chastain is a tour de force in the title role; brash and ballsy, she deftly shows the cracks in that facade as well. The supporting cast is extraordinary, but Chastain is so remarkable that I doubt anyone would notice even if they were cardboard cutouts. 

 

Miss Sloane is often contentious and uncomfortable viewing that (I think) hopes to prompt viewers to consider both sides of its sensitive subject, gun control. It's never quite deep enough to succeed at that, but it does offer good and bad characters on both sides, ultimately presenting a pretty depressing picture of a government for sale to the highest bidder. 

 

Miss Sloane clocks in at 132 minutes and is rated R for "language and some sexuality." Miss Sloane is a clever, twisting film that's both funny and sad, but ultimately is noteworthy mostly for an Oscar-worthy turn by its star. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Miss Sloane gets seven. Fangirl points: Sam Waterston! Mark Strong! Michael Stuhlbarg! (I love how much work that guy's getting!!) 

 

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Hell or High Water & The Beatles: Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years

 

 

Dearest Blog: The long holiday weekend provided a welcome opportunity to catch up with a pair of gems that passed by my local cinemas, Hell or High Water and The Beatles: Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild for Hell or High Water, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. Not sure what constitutes a "spoiler" for a music documentary, but there will be some detail about the content of both the feature film and DVD extras for Eight Days a Week. First up: Hell or High Water. Two brothers attempt a string of bank robberies in order to save their mortgaged family homestead. 

 

Hell or High Water is a real grown-up movie, without gimmicks. It doesn't waste its time setting a stage, but rather lets the story tell itself as events play out. The tale is a dark one, with the characters' senses of humor providing levity that doesn't feel forced or misplaced. Chris Pine and Ben Foster make a solid pair; Pine proving yet again that he's more than just a (really) pretty face, and Foster forever knocking at the gates of my Acting Holy Trinity, ready to break in the next time Russell Crowe turns up in something like Winter's Tale. (Seriously, Russ, READ the script before you say yes!) 

 

Jeff Bridges is almost-likeably gruff as the US Marshal hot on their tails. These folks are so compelling you'll sympathize with all of them, even when they are entirely at cross-purposes, and their story is as fascinating as it is heartbreaking. Hell or High Water clocks in at 102 minutes and is rated R for "some strong violence, language throughout, and brief sensuality." Hell or High Water is a layered, mesmerizing film that, in a perfect world, would be a Best Picture frontrunner. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Hell or High Water gets eight and a half. 

 

Next on my agenda, at long last, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years. An inside look at the road life of the biggest, best, most influential band of all time. Dear reader(s), I really, honestly, truly could be excused for thinking the Fates were against my ever seeing Eight Days a Week. 

 

The movie received a pretty wide release nationwide, but neither of my local cinemas screened it. I picked up the DVD from the shelves of my local Target two days after the on-sale date, and they said they couldn't sell it to me. 

 

A lesser Beatlemaniac might have become discouraged, but not Yours Truly. I came home, hit up my trusty friend the Internet, and a few short days later I was in Mop-Top Heaven. And ohhhhhhhhhhh...if there's a Heaven, it probably looks and sounds a lot like Eight Days a Week. The documentary features plenty of clips from performances around the globe, many of them never or not-often seen before. 

 

Behind-the-scenes footage revisits early days, when the now-legendary musicians were just four young guys having a great time in the middle of some extraordinary circumstances. It's a delightful reminder that, despite later disagreements, John, Paul, George, and Ringo are more than great talents; they are great friends. Musical selections are mostly earlier material, though, as the film winds to a close, it does stray from "the touring years" into the Beatles' later, more complicated studio sessions.

 

One of the most-featured numbers is Tomorrow Never Knows, the never-played-outside-the-studio gem that closes their 1966 masterpiece, Revolver. It would be physically impossible for any film to give each amazing song as much attention as it deserves, but Eight Days a Week will make you eager to run out and buy the companion "Live at the Hollywood Bowl" album to revisit them all. 

 

In addition to live clips and interviews with the band, the documentary also includes a treasure trove of old photos, and commentary from people who knew, worked with, and followed the Beatles (including famous fans Whoopie Goldberg and Sigourney Weaver, both of whom were lucky enough see the band live). The Deluxe Edition DVD extras include five full songs performed live at various venues, and a beautiful companion booklet with notes from director Ron Howard. 

 

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years is unrated. The feature documentary runs 106 minutes, while the extras clock in at about 100 minutes. Over the past 50 years, Beatles songs have become so ubiquitous that sometimes we may hear them without really listening. 

 

Eight Days a Week commands undivided attention, and reminds us that each and every Beatles song is magic. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Eight Days a Week gets nine, and I'll throw in a Potter and a Granger, too. Fangirl points: Seriously, it's the Beatles!! 

 

Until next time... 

 

 

MOVIE REVIEW: MOANA

Young navigator Moana (voice of Auli'i Cravalho), the daughter of a Polynesian tribal chief, is chosen to find a precious artifact that could save her people. She teams with demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to locate a legendary island, and together the pair explore fantastical lands and encounter incredible sea creatures in this animated adventure from Disney. The film's soundtrack includes contributions from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony and Grammy-winning creator of the popular stage musical Hamilton. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker    

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Auli'i Cravalho, Jemaine Clement, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger. 

Release Date: Nov 23, 2016    

Rated PG for peril, some scary images and brief thematic elements.

Runtime: 2 hr. 13 min.    

Genres: Action/Adventure, Animated, Comedy, Family    

Review:

Moana is a wonderful breath of fresh air into the Disney princess genre which had relied on damsel in distress for far too long.  Moana luscious visuals and joyful music perfectly captures the energy of the storytelling on display.  Moana’s story is a classic example of “The Heroes Journey” with all the hallmarks evident along the way.  Auli'i Cravalho voices Moana with an earnestness that brings true heart and depth to her character.  Dwayne Johnson is well cast as Maui, a Polynesian Prometheus trickster character, and works as a perfect counter balance to Cravalho.  Moana relies on so many classic tropes that it sounds like it should come off as stale.  Instead it is a vibrant journey which is closer to what I’d hoped Pixar’s Brave would have been.  Moana will likely face a bevy of comparisons to Frozen, an overrated movie in my opinion, but it’s a far better film overall.

A

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Moana & Allied

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the promising double-bill of Disney's Moana and Allied. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. First on my agenda: Moana. A young future chief must travel far from the safety of her island to restore it to health and prosperity.

 

 Dear reader(s): I've got one word to describe Moana, and it is "WOW!" I mean, you know I've got a bunch more words than that, but...WOW. Moana is a beautiful telling of a beautiful story. The art and animation are incredible: majestic scenery, spectacular colors, realistic movement and mannerisms. 

 

A spirited score by Mark Mancina is complimented by lively original tunes from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa'i. Thanks to filmmakers' detailed attention to the culture and lore of the Pacific islands, the movie boasts a unique and authentic feel, and Moana is a true heroine for our times: smart, strong, and resourceful. 

 

She does not sit around waiting for a handsome prince to turn up with her shoe, but she does learn to accept advice and assistance when she should. Newcomer Auli'i Cravalho turns in an earnest, endearing performance as Moana, and, as the demi-god Maui, an animated Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is equally as charming as the real thing. 

Moana is, quite simply, a delight from start to finish. Disney's Moana runs 103 minutes, which includes a depressing little short entitled "Inner Workings." (If you aren't picky about your seat, show up late and avoid that one.) Moana is rated PG for "Peril, some scary images, and brief thematic elements." Moana is perfect. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Moana gets nine. 

 

Next up: Allied. Espionage and romance with a pair of WWII spies who fall in love and marry in war-torn 1940s Europe. Allied is a suspenseful slow-burner with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. 

 

Marion Cotillard is perfect as a member of the French resistance accused of being a double agent. Her understated performance is sincere and never gives away the is-she-or-isn't-she mystery. Brad Pitt is wooden, as Brad Pitt tends to be, but the movie smartly elects to focus a LOT on his perfect face, as well as him looking dashing in nifty suits, his military uniform, and an Archer-esque black turtleneck. 

 

Wise move there, movie. The suspenseful story is deliberately paced, but never so slow it risks losing your attention. War movies are always unsettling, but Allied mostly lacks the explicit violence and gore common in such films. 

 

Finally, there may come a day when I won't happily pay $7.50 to hear Benny Goodman's Sing Sing Sing in glorious surround-sound, but it is not this day. 

 

Allied clocks in at 124 minutes and is rated R for "violence, some sexuality/nudity, language, and brief drug use." While it isn't likely to bring home the bacon this awards season, Allied is a tense thriller that's well worth your movie dollar. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Allied gets seven. 

Fangirl Points (so many Fangirl Points!): Anton Lesser! Matthew Goode! Lizzy Caplan! Simon McBurney! Jared Harris! Until next time...