MOVIE REVIEW: LET HIM GO

 

Following the loss of their son, a retired sheriff and his wife leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson from the clutches of a dangerous family living off the grid in the Dakotas.

Director: Thomas Bezucha

Cast: Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Lesley Manville, Will Brittain, Jeffrey Donovan, Kayli Carter, Booboo Stewart

Release Date: November 6, 2020

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Rated R for violence

Runtime: 1 h 54 min

Review:

Let Him Go is meditative western that’s really heavily on it’s cast since it’s story and plot are decidedly light.  Thomas Bezucha slow burn of a film is an interesting mix of idolized nostalgia and crime drama.  Bezucha takes his time letting us get to know the main couple before moving the film’s plot forward in earnest.  Kevin Costner & Diane Lane make for a believable and good looking pair of grandparents.  They both add far more subtle and nuance to their characters than what’s in the actual script.  Through their talents they give us a relationship that feel real and lived in, making it the cornerstone of the entire film.  Lesley Manville’s villainous Blanche is a much showier role and she’s excellent in limited screen time.  The film would have been wise to give us a tad more depth or history to her character and the Weboy clan as a whole.  As is, they’re thinly drawn evil ciphers whose sole purpose is to terrorize the protagonist.  The lack of depth wouldn’t be such an issue if you couldn’t spot story threads in the early part of the film that are presented and ultimately abandoned.  Ultimately, the performances alone make this a rewarding watch even with its pedestrian pacing and thin characters. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: COME PLAY

 

Parents fight to save their son when a mysterious creature uses his electronic devices to break into our world.

Director: Jacob Chase

Cast: Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr., Azhy Robertson and Winslow Fegley

Release Date: October 30, 2020

Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery 

Rated PG-13 for terror, frightening images and some language

Runtime: 1h 45m

Review:

Jacob Chase's debut is a serviceable horror film that works better if you'd never been exposed to movies it emulates like The Babadook or The Ring.  If you have seen those film it's effectiveness is dulled a bit because it never finds it's own footing.  The disappointing part is that there's a sliver of an interesting idea to play with which would make for an interesting take on the creation of a monster.  Sadly, it never explores or expands the mythology as they only give it a passing mention before moving on.  The main story thread plays out in a fairly predictable manner anchored by some strong performances with Azhy Robertson leaving a strong impression.  Gillian Jacobs though feels miscasted as the frazzled mother with the role's requirements feeling like it's outside of her wheelhouse.  Ultimately, there are enough quality set ups and shots to make for a passable, albeit sanitized, horror film that could announce a new directorial voice in the genre.  

C

MOVIE REVIEW: THE EMPTY MAN

 

On the trail of a missing girl, an ex-cop comes across a secretive group attempting to summon a terrifying supernatural entity.

Director: David Prior

Cast: James Badge Dale, Marin Ireland, Stephen Root, Ron Canada, Robert Aramayo, Joel Courtney, Sasha Frolova

Release Date: October 22, 2020

Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror

Rated R for violence, disturbing images, language, some sexuality and nudity

Runtime: 2 h 17 min

Review:

The Empty Man is surprisingly engaging horror film that echoes The Ring with dashes of A Nightmare on Elm Street.  David Prior lets his film’s mystery unfurl organically allowing it to slowly wrap you into the central mystery.  There are a few tantalizing hints dropped here and there to keep you engaged.  Thankfully this horror film doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares with only a handful used for maximum effect.  As the twist and turns reveal themselves and the characters make for a fun watch.  James Badge Dale leads the film, initially stoic but he loosens up as the film moves along.  As the audience’s proxy he’s a believable and likable lead even with the film’s dark tone.  The rest of the cast is made up of recognizable character actors and fresh faces which let the story be the central focus.  It’s to the film’s benefit that the mystery is good fun and it’s wrapped up in a solid and satisfying way.  This film marks the final 20^th Century Fox release after the Disney merger.  The Empty Man has been quietly released during the current pandemic with little to no fanfare, it’s a shame since it’s a well made film that will likely become a hidden gem once it hits VOD and Bluray. 

B

MOVIE REVIEW: BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM

 

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is a 2020 American mockumentary comedy film directed by Jason Woliner in his feature directorial debut.

Director: Jason Woliner

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova

Release Date: October 23, 2020

Genre: Comedy

Rated R for raw language, nudity and general filthiness.

Runtime: 1 h 35 min

Review:

In Borat Subsequent Moviefilm pulls off the same magic trick he did in the original film with such an audacious fearlessness that once you stop laughing you’ll be left wondering how he pulled it all off.  The story itself is the thinnest grating that holds the whole thing together.  Its biggest gift is adding a new character to proceeding in the form of his daughter played by Maria Bakalova.  Going into this you’d expect Cohen to go all in with the performance like he’s done his whole career but Bakalova is just as impressive here.  She’s just as committed as Cohen and they make for a hilarious pair as they traverse the underbelly of Trump’s America much in the way the original held a mirror to the Bush era.  It’s consistently hilarious and rather terrifying when you step back from it for a minute especially since much of what is presented is happening now.  The situations are incredibly outlandish and dangerous with the much talked about Rudy Giuliani sequence is even more gross in live action than described.  If there is a minor drawback its that the character and tropes have been done by Cohen as recently as his own 2018 Showtime’s Who is America.  This sequel feels more like that show than the original movie because the American landscape has changed from the Bush era and not in a good way but you might as well laugh at it exposed.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: HONEST THIEF

 

Hoping to cut a deal, a professional bank robber agrees to return all the money he stole in exchange for a reduced sentence. But when two FBI agents set him up for murder, he must now go on the run to clear his name and bring them to justice.

Director: Mark Williams

Cast: Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Robert Patrick, Anthony Ramos, Jeffrey Donovan, Jai Courtney

Release Date: October 16, 2020

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Rated PG-13 for strong violence, crude references and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 h 39 min

Review:

Honest Thief serves as a fine encapsulation of Liam Neeson’s late career action star turn.  The main issue is this entry lacks any real flair or gusto, instead it all feels kind of perfunctory.  Mark Williams seems to come from the generic filmmaking school since the film is impressively bland and generic.  Liam Neeson goes through the motions while still trying to infuse some gravitas to the proceedings.  The main issue is that the characters are all so thinly written that there is only so much these actors can do with them.  Kate Walsh is given the thankless love interest role that seems to just go along with all the increasingly insane situations with nary a question or concern.  Jai Courtney character is so over the top that the only thing he’s missing is a villainous mustache to twirl throughout the film.  Those expecting some Taken style action to cover up the script’s failings will be left wanting since there’s not much to be found.  Honest Thief seems tailor made for that random mindless cable watching when you put zero effort into your entertainment choices.

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Boys In The Band

 

Dear reader(s): Last weekend offered no real excuse for getting out to the cinema, but fortunately my friendly neighborhood streaming services had me covered. On my agenda: The Boys in the Band.

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

In late 1960s New York City, eight gay friends gather for the worst birthday party ever.

Netflix' the Boys in the Band is a remake of the 1970 film of the same name. Anyone who watches this space regularly won't waste time wondering whether I bothered to revisit the original before opining on its successor; of course I did not. This updated rendering features the company of the Tony Award-winning 2018 revival of the off-Broadway groundbreaker from 1968.

The Boys in the Band takes place in a time when homosexuality was still outlawed, and even dancing or socializing with a partner of the same sex could get a person thrown in jail. The whole thing should feel very dangerous, but, sadly, this telling is mostly missing the feel of another era. Excepting Zachary Quinto's unfortunate hairstyle, the movie feels more like a modern story with characters who are into retro fashion, which leaves the film with less edge than it could have had. Jim Parsons enjoys the most screen time, but his is an unsympathetic take on an abrasive character. Also on the character note (back to the actors later), the question I kept asking myself was: "Why do these people even hang out together?" Their disdain for one another is obvious, and it only becomes more so the more they drink. The underlying theme of self-loathing is critical to the story, but most of these people seem to hate each other more than they hate themselves. A few characters ultimately prove decent and aware enough to start trying to repair the damage, but - given the things that are said and done throughout - it feels like too little, too late. There's an nasty awkwardness to the whole that makes it a difficult watch, BUT...

Difficult or not, the Boys in the Band is definitely a worthwhile watch, for a number of reasons. The cast is so good I'd be hard-pressed to pick a standout. Zachary Quinto is an obvious choice, but Robin de Jesus is also terrific, and on- and off-screen couple Andrew Rannells and Tuc Watkins are heart-wrenching. The extraordinary Matt Bomer is a bit underused. Understandable, since his character doesn't feed into any of the major conflicts, but disappointing because featuring him more prominently might have made the whole an easier watch. (And not just because Matt Bomer is quite easy to watch, if ya know what I mean.) For whatever reason, we humans tend to be fascinated by others' trials, and here there is an aspect of watching something awful unfold without risk of being dragged into it personally...rather like reading all 500 comments in a Facebook argument among people you don't know! Finally, while the impact of this play in the late 1960s must have been monumental, it continues to carry a feeling of immense release and freedom. Seeing a story that reflects your own - warts and all - is an all too uncommon experience for many. I'm reminded of a moment when the the National Tour of Rent stopped in my city a few years back. As the theatre emptied out after the show, two people stood at the front for the longest time, crying and hugging each other, so deeply moved they were oblivious to anything around them. Long before Rent, the Boys in the Band would have been the first time many folks had seen someone like themselves on page, stage, or screen, and that emotion runs through even its bitchiest moments. 

The Boys in the Band runs 121 minutes and is rated R for "sexual content, language, some graphic nudity, and drug use."

The Boys in the Band isn't a perfect movie by any means, but its fantastic cast and emotional wallop make for worthwhile viewing. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Boys in the Band gets seven.

The Boys in the Band is now streaming on Netflix.

Until next time...