MOVIE REVIEW: NO TIME TO DIE

 

James Bond is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica after leaving active service. However, his peace is short-lived as his old CIA friend, Felix Leiter, shows up and asks for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond on the trail of a mysterious villain who's armed with a dangerous new technology.

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

Cast: Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Rory Kinnear, Ralph Fiennes, Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen, Ana de Armas

Release Date: October 8, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material and suggestive references

Runtime: 2h 43m

Review:

Daniel Craig's much delayed swan song as James Bond, No Time to Die, is an expansive wide-reaching finale that provides a true series capper to his run in the tuxedo.  Cary Joji Fukunaga directs the film with a steady hand, delivering the expected exotic locals and massive set pieces.  Those action set pieces are incredibly fun but mostly relegated to the film's first act before it moves into a heaty bit of exposition in its second act.  Fukunaga's film is visually appealing throughout even in its quieter moments as there's a palpable sense of finality and mortality.  Craig is more comfortable than ever with his world-weary take on the character feeling more at home here even as he drops sly quips with relative ease.  The script works in lighthearted moments even in the mist of more dramatic sequences to keep the entire thing from becoming overbearing.  Craig is able to work both ends of the spectrum easily and having a game supporting cast makes his job all that much easier.  Léa Seydoux returns as his primary love interest though her character doesn't carry as much emotional heft as she should.  Faring much better are Lashana Lynch, Naomie Harris and Ana de Armas who each leaving a strong impression with the film giving them ample time to shine.  Rami Malek though is saddled with undercooked villain who reeks of the worst clichés of Bond villains complete with a secret island base.  The script works in large portions of the film as it caps off story threads from Craig's run but it's also unfocused, causing the film to drag in its nearly 3 hour runtime which borders on attrition.  Those issues aside, No Time to Die brings a solid sense of closure and completion rarely seen in the Bond franchise

B

MOVIE REVIEW: VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE

 

After finding a host body in investigative reporter Eddie Brock, the alien symbiote must face a new enemy, Carnage, the alter ego of serial killer Cletus Kasady.

Director: Andy Serkis

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, Woody Harrelson

Release Date: October 1, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material and suggestive references

Runtime: 1h 30min

Review:

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the kind of sequel that takes what worked in an underwhelming original and goes all in with them.  Andy Serkis directs his film with a kinetic sort of energy that’s hard to ignore.  It works best when it focuses on Hardy’s Brock and his symbiote bickering back and forth like the world’s strangest odd couple.  It’s goofy and silly but it’s enjoyable for large chunks of its brisk runtime.  Woody Harrelson chews up scenery with impressive gusto as the film’s villain.  Harrelson seems to relish in these sort of oddball and he’s clearly having a ball it’s just a shame he doesn’t have a better script to work with.  There’s an overall sense that Harrelson is slumming here just like Michelle Williams and Naomie Harris who’s criminally underused here. Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the type of cinematic fast food that more enjoyable than it should be and probably bad for you if you have too much of t.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: TITANE

 

Following a series of unexplained crimes, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for 10 years. Titane : A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys.

Director: Julia Ducournau

Cast: Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh, Myriem Akheddiou, Bertrand Bonello, Dominique Frot, Adèle Guigue

Release Date: October 1, 2021

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence and disturbing material, graphic nudity, sexual content, and language

Runtime: 1h 48min

Review:

Titane is the type of aggressively provocative film that will either envelop or disgust you withing the first ten minutes of its brisk run time.  Julia Ducournau’s thematically dense film offers up a series of drug induced fever dreams that takes you on a journey that’s so bizarrely grotesque, darkly funny and even touching in spots that it’ll stay in your mind long after you’ve watched it for better or worse.  Agathe Rousselle central performance is feral but multifaceted at the same even though she spends the majority of the film with scant dialogue.  It’s a fascinating performance from start to finish especially as she experiences physical changes throughout the film which are extreme to say the least.  Her and Vincent Lindon, who looks like Scott Bakula & Chris Meloni at the same time, strange relationship functions as the primary driving force of the film.  Lindon blends a strong sense of masculinity with an underlying sadness that’s palpable every time he’s on screen.  They both leave a lasting impression as both deliver the type of performances with a fascinating layer of depth that elevates the film’s storyline.  Titane harkens back to early Cronenberg film’s like Videodrome or Naked Lunch in their delight of making you squeamish, confused and intrigued if you are willing to peel away the layers. 

B

MOVIE REVIEW: CRY MACHO

 

A onetime rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder, in 1978, takes a job from an ex-boss to bring the man's young son home and away from his alcoholic mum. Crossing rural Mexico on their back way to Texas, the unlikely pair faces an unexpectedly challenging journey, during which the world-weary horseman may find his own sense of redemption through teaching the boy what it means to be a good man.

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam, Eduardo Minett, Natalia Traven, Fernanda Urrejola, Horacio Garcia Rojas

Release Date: September 17, 2021

Genre: Drama, Thriller, Western

Rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements.

Runtime: 1h 44min

Review:

Clint Eastwood’s latest film plays like a swan song of his cinematic persona.  Its ready made to be a moving meditation on his iconic western character in a neo western send off.  Eastwood has shown an impressive ability to deconstruct the western drama and delve deeper into the tough guy psyche.  Unfortunately, Cry Macho is a shockingly inert piece of a filmmaking from an acclaimed director and actor.  Eastwood’s film moves at a molasses pace with very little actually happening in terms of action or character development.  The film clocks in at an hour and forty four minutes but it feels much longer than that due to its inability to connect you to these characters.  The main issue is that newcomer Eduardo Minett just isn’t a capable actor at this time. He’s the lynch pin of the entire film and serves as the primary motivating force for the entire story.  He and Eastwood share little to no on screen chemistry which hampers the film as their interactions are far more painful than touching.  Eastwood himself is surprisingly ineffective as a performer in this piece leaving a massive emotional disconnect for the entire film.  It’s a shame that Cry Macho failed on its main emotional story thread because the story is so simplistic that it can’t prop up the uninspired performances. 

D

MOVIE REVIEW: THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE

 

In the 1970s, Tammy Faye Bakker and her husband, Jim, rise from humble beginnings to create the world's largest religious broadcasting network and theme park. Tammy Faye becomes legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, financial improprieties, scheming rivals and a scandal soon threaten to topple their carefully constructed empire.

Director: Michael Showalter

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield. Cherry Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio, Fredric Lehne, Louis Cancelmi

Release Date: September 17, 2021

Genre: Biography, Drama, History

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and drug abuse

Runtime: 2h 6min

Review:

The Eyes of Tammy Faye, based on a documentary of the same name, is an engrossing biopic that's heavier on style than actual substance.  Michael Showalter's film has a candy colored approach to its primary subjects which is appropriate even if it glosses over some of the grimier realities of their actions.  His film is visually engaging and entertaining throughout especially as everything becomes increasingly garish and outlandish.  The lynchpin of the entire film though is Jessica Chastain who sports chipmunk cheek prosthetics and increasingly layered on make up which leaves her nearly unrecognizable by the end.  Chastain's performance is the type of transformative turn that's ready made for awards season.  She displays an impressive bit of versatility by playing against type with a turn that's heavy on wide eyed naivety and optimism with breakthrough moments of pain underneath it all.  It's difficult to take your eyes off her bombastic turn but Andrew Garfield is just as strong with a slightly more subdued turn. Garfield paints Bakker as a weaselly huckster who's going through his own personal battles while defrauding millions in the process.  A climatic fight lets both actors put their talents on full display.  Cherry Jones and Vincent D'Onofrio turn in solid work in supporting turn which would have been forgettable in lesser actors’ hands.  While the film has plenty going for it you can't help but feel that it's only scratches the surface of these people.  The script takes too broad of an approach to dig deeper in the pair with Tammy being treated with kid's gloves more or less absolved of any blame.  Even with a pedestrian script, The Eyes of Tammy Faye deserves to be seen for its singular performances from Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: QUEENPINS

 

A frustrated suburban housewife and her best friend hatch an illegal coupon-club scheme that scams millions from corporations and delivers deals to legions of fellow coupon clippers. Hot on their trail is an unlikely duo -- a hapless loss-prevention officer and a determined U.S. postal inspector -- both looking to end their criminal enterprise.

Director: Gita Pullapilly, Aron Gaudet

Cast: Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, Vince Vaughn

Release Date: September 10, 2021

Genre: Comedy, Crime

Rated R for language throughout

Runtime: 1h 50min

Review:

Queenpins is a breezy slice of life crime drama that's smart enough to make great use of it cast.   Writers/directors Gita Pullapilly & Aron Gaudet give these film an easy sensibility that makes its subject matter easy to digest.  At the center of it all is Kristen Bell who has perfected the damaged overachiever.  Bell is right at home in this role that allows her to use her considerable comedic talents with an air of sadness behind her beaming smile.  She and costar Kirby Howell-Baptiste share a natural likeable onscreen chemistry together.  Their character's relationship serves as the lifeblood of the film and ultimately what makes the film so watchable.  Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn also share a parallel story arcs as investigators on the tail of the two couponing criminals.  The film biggest issue is that film frames the characters as heroes and it mostly absolves them of any real blame or responsibility.  It's a strange bit of framing for what was a real criminal enterprise but based solely on it's cinematic merits,  Queenpins works as fun dramady buoyed by it's game cast. 

B-