MOVIE REVIEW: THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI

After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter's murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby, the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command, Officer Dixon -- an immature mother's boy with a penchant for violence -- gets involved, the battle is only exacerbated. 

Director: Martin McDonagh

Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Hedges

Rated R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual references

Genres: Crime, Drama

Runtime: 1h 55min

Review:

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri is a challenging pitch black dramdey that’s engaging throughout even if it never offers any clear answers or resolutions to it’s story.  Martin McDonagh has experience dealing with deeply flawed characters with some humor mixed in, something he did wonderfully in In Bruges.  Martin McDonagh deals with similarly troubled character here even if he doesn’t quiet work the same alchemy he pulled off with In Bruges.  McDonagh film mostly works even though the tonal shifts are occasionally jarring.  Its anchor throughout is Frances McDormand who is simply a force of nature throughout.  Her performance is even more impressive since she’s pulls it off fairly effortlessly.  Woody Harrelson is always a welcome sight and he’s on his game here, sadly he’s only in the film’s first third and the film misses his presences afterward.  Sam Rockwell is solid throughout even if the character fairly unlikable.  There’s a bit of a redemption arch presented but it’s a slightly strange message since his character is referenced as having done terrible things before the story starts.  The film is filled those kind of challenging contradictions and it can occasionally be difficult but the performances make it worthwhile.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: LADY BIRD

An outspoken teen must navigate a loving but turbulent relationship with her strong-willed mother over the course of an eventful and poignant senior year of high school.

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein

Release Date: Nov 3, 2017

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and teen partying

Runtime: 1h 34min

Review:

Lady Bird is the kind of indie gem that pops up from time to that perfectly nails the coming of age story.  Coming of age stories are a dime a dozen but Greta Gerwig’s film captures the flawed humanism of that makes these characters feel thoroughly authentic. She directs an efficient film that never feels rushed even though it’s just over an hour and a half long.  At its center is Saoirse Ronan who’s perfectly loveable as the titular Lady Bird.  Her performance is subtle yet totally convincing.  Laurie Metcalf’s turn as Lady Bird’s mother is just as impressive.  Her ability to juggle the many facets of her character, from the passive aggressiveness, loving and perpetually frayed, seamlessly is impressive to watch.  Tracy Letts is a solid counterpoint to Metcalf’s character as the loving but depressed father.    There’s very little to dislike about this charming tome even if the story plays out exactly as you’d expect with little to no surprises.  It’s a testament to the talent at work that’s it still manages to engage the way it does.

A-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Commuter & The Shape of Water

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: A heavy slate of January releases and an unusually chaotic real life (ughhhhh...real life!) have conspired to set me behind at the cinema, so yesterday I burned an afternoon's PTO to head to Marquee Cinemas for a pair of films that didn't particularly excite me: The Commuter and The Shape of Water. If you thought one was markedly better than the other, you would be mistaken.

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

 

First up: The Commuter.

 

Liam Neeson Liam-Neesons his way through the sort of crisis that seems to follow Liam Neeson, this time on a commuter train.

 

A moviegoer could be forgiven for assuming that The Commuter is merely Taken on a train...or Non-Stop on a train...or Run All Night on a train, but I'm sorry to tell you it's a whole lot worse than that. Sure, the Taken movies are getting samey, but I enjoyed all but the middle one. Non-Stop was pretty good fun, and I actually loved Run All Night. The Commuter's every turn is obvious, every character as easy to figure out as the ending of a Nicholas Sparks novel. The dialogue is pitiful, and the delivery just as bad. The fight scenes are ho-hum, and even the daring train stunts are so poorly executed as to be laughable. Sam Neill and Patrick Wilson, two pretty extraordinary actors, are wasted on small, easy-to-peg roles. If there's any good news, it's that the insufferable Vera Farmiga enjoys similarly little screen time. When I heard Liam Neeson planned to retire from action films, I felt a bit sad, but if this is what he's being offered, it's probably the right decision. 

 

The Commuter clocks in at 105 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some intense action/violence, and language."

 

One of The Commuter's early scenes shows a poster for Paddington 2 hanging on a train station wall, almost as if the movie itself were pointing you towards a better use of your time. Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Commuter gets three.

 

Fangirl points: Shazad Latif! ("Yes I can hear you, Clem Fandango!) Kingsley Ben-Adir!

 

Next on the docket: awards darling The Shape of Water.

 

A laboratory cleaning lady forms a relationship with a captive creature.

 

I did not expect to love The Shape of Water. I did not expect it to be my top pick for Best Picture. I DID expect it to be a great movie that just isn't my cup of tea, but I was mistaken. 

 

The Shape of Water is extraordinary on several fronts, the first and most obvious being its performances. This movie is an acting master class! Sally Hawkins is breathtaking in the lead role, expressive and sympathetic. Michael Shannon and Richard Jenkins, on opposite ends of the likability scale, turn in layered performances. Michael Stuhlbarg is incredible as usual, and I'm delighted he continues to get such high-profile work; however, it's Octavia Spencer who is the film's highlight, sometimes serving as the movie's comic relief, other times as its foot in reality. The Shape of Water also boasts glorious visuals, carrying through the water theme in lovely, unexpected, and sometimes uncomfortable ways. It takes itself seriously, but it's also very funny at times. Part love story, part monster movie, The Shape of Water is, at least, a pretty interesting idea.

 

'Til about the midway point, I was prepared to say I didn't hate The Shape of Water as much as I thought I would. Sadly, it hit a downhill skid that culminated in the most ill-fitting movie scene since the ending of La La Land, and at that point I gave up and called it a total loss. In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I make no comment on the scene itself being good or bad, happy or sad, only about how the scene felt IN the movie, which was so far off it took me out of the picture entirely, and I did nothing but check the clock from that point on. The creature doesn't appear much removed from 1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon, which I imagine is meant as a sort-of love letter to old school horror, but--in 2018--it makes taking the film seriously pretty difficult. Unsubtle parallels are drawn between prejudice against the creature and other prejudices that were prevalent just a few decades ago; this is a message movie trying to hide behind a fairy tale and failing miserably.

The Shape of Water runs an interminable 123 minutes and is rated R for "sexual content, graphic nudity, violence, and language."

 

The Shape of Water is lovely music with nonsensical lyrics, aesthetically pleasing but not good for much else.  Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Shape of Water gets four.

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: PADDINGTON 2

Settled in with the Brown family, Paddington the bear is a popular member of the community who spreads joy and marmalade wherever he goes. One fine day, he spots a pop-up book in an antique shop -- the perfect present for his beloved aunt's 100th birthday. When a thief steals the prized book, Paddington embarks on an epic quest to unmask the culprit before Aunt Lucy's big celebration.

Director: Paul King

Cast: Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Sally Hawkins, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville

Release Date: Jan 12, 2018

Rated PG for some action and mild rude humor

Runtime: 1 hr. 44 min.

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Review:

The first Paddington was a surprisingly fun adaptation of the classic children’s book.  It was the rare film that actually captured the spirit of the character instead of just mining the source material for a quick buck.  Having lighting strike twice seemed like a long shot but Paul King’s lovingly made sequel continued the first film’s legacy.  It’s nearly impossible not to be charmed by the story from the start.  It’s the best kind of kid’s film, one that never panders to its audience and has a tangible heart beat.  Ben Whishaw is just a perfect in this sequel as the titular bear, making him endearing and lovable.  The returning cast members like Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins are solid throughout with Hawkins getting more to do in the second half of the film.   Hugh Grant is clearly having a ball as Phoenix Buchanan, the villain in this chapter.  Buchanan’s character is a lot more memorable than the first film’s adversary which is to the sequel’s benefit.  Add in a fun supporting turn by Bredan Gleenson and you’ve got the rare kids sequel that improves on original while never losing the spirit of the characters.        

A

MOVIE REVIEW: THE POST

Katharine Graham is the first female publisher of a major American newspaper -- The Washington Post. With help from editor Ben Bradlee, Graham races to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spans three decades and four U.S. presidents. Together, they must overcome their differences as they risk their careers -- and very freedom -- to help bring long-buried truths to light.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Release Date: Jan 12, 2018

Cast: Meryl Streep,Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon

Rated PG-13 for language and brief war violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 56 min.

Genres: Biography, Drama, History

Review:

The Post is a highly polished, well acted prestige film from Steven Spielberg that couldn’t feel timelier if it tired.  The film is set the in 70s but it hard not to see modern day parallels throughout.  Spielberg tries his best to keep the film self contained but its hard not to see it as a message movie.  In the hands of a lesser talent the film would have come off as more overtly preachy.  The top tier cast helps that by putting on some stellar performances.  Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks are front and center for most of the film and each turns in impressive but varied performances.  Streep turn as Katharine Graham is a study in subtleness and nuance as we watch her character find her place and ultimately her resolve to lead.  Tom Hanks is a rougher around the edges but still likable and relatable even though he and Streep play fairly Waspy characters.  The supporting characters are all played by top level character actors, like Bob Odenkirk, Carrie Coon and Bradley Whitford, and they give the film a strong steady feel throughout.  While the film has all the right ingredients there’s just something about it that keeps the audience at arms length that keeps it from being a classic.  The Post is still strong enough to make for a perfect companion All The President’s Men.

A-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Paddington 2 & Den of Thieves

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a pair of heist movies: Paddington 2 and Den of Thieves. (Find another review that makes *that* connection if you can!)

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

First on my agenda: Paddington 2.

When dear Paddington is wrongly jailed for robbery, it's up to the Browns to find the real thief.

Paddington was a lovely surprise, a "children's" movie that turned out to be so much more. If there's any surprise to the greatness of Paddington 2, it's only that it's even better than the first.

Like its predecessor, much of Paddington 2's charm can be credited to its phenomenal cast. Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, and Brendan Gleeson are in top form, and Hugh Grant is an absolute delight as the film's narcissistic villain. The plot of Paddington 2 doesn't hold many twists, but it doesn't need them; its execution is so sweet and funny that predictability is easily forgiven. The movie is beautifully filmed, with a special nod to the animated pop-up book sequences, a true delight from start to finish. Stay tuned for a great musical number at the end!

Paddington 2 runs 104 minutes and is rated PG for "some action and mild rude humor."

In an increasingly ugly world, I'm grateful for the joyful beauty of Paddington.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Paddington 2 gets all nine. (Yes, I'm throwing down a nine in January. 2018, you've got your work cut out for you.)

Fangirl points: Joanna Lumley! Ben Whishaw! Peter Capaldi! Ben Miller! Richard Ayoade!

Next on the docket: Den of Thieves.

LA's top cops face off with a legendary heist crew. Many shootings and f-words ensue.

Dear reader(s), my anticipation for Den of Thieves could not have been higher, and I want you to know from the bottom of my heart: I LOVE THIS MOVIE. It may not be the cleverest or the best from any technical standpoint, but, damn, it's everything I'd hoped it would be.

Den of Thieves wastes no time getting started with a fast and loud robbery and chase. From there, it quiets down surprisingly often, lending some time to backstory and...wait for it...planning. Like actual thinking. Yes, Den of Thieves is smarter than I expected. Understand the Smart Bar had been set very, VERY low, but still...I liked that it threw me a little curve, and in more ways than just Gerard Butler pondering his life choices. Den of Thieves weaves a tense tale, as the crafty robbers and no-rules cops attempt to out-fox each other. The bad-good guys are headed up by Butler, and his usual meathead act is quite perfect here. The bad-bad guys have Pablo Schreiber and O'Shea Jackson, Jr. turning in very nice performances with--dare I suggest it?--a fair bit of depth. Den of Thieves runs a hair too long and might have been better served by trimming some unnecessary subplot, but the movie takes a few turns I didn't expect and saves its best surprises for the finale.

Den of Thieves clocks in at 140 minutes and is rated R for "violence, language, and some sexuality/nudity."

Plopped squarely in the middle of all the pretentiousness of Awards Season, Den of Thieves is a sweary, testosterone-soaked action picture that is exactly what it means to be.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Den of Thieves gets eight.

Until next time...