MOVIE REVIEW: LICORICE PIZZA

 

Alana Kane and Gary Valentine grow up, run around and fall in love in California's San Fernando Valley in the 1970s.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie

Release Date: November 26, 2021

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Rated R for language, sexual material and some drug use.

Runtime: 2h 13m

Review:

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza is the type of film where the plot is secondary as it focused more on capturing a time period’s feel and essence.   While the film is very much set in the 70’s it does manage to capture something timeless about the random adolescent adventures that nearly everyone experienced growing up.  The central romance of the film is rather chaste onscreen but still a bizarre choice since it’s made explicit multiple times that Cooper Hoffman’s Gary Valentine is underage as he pursues Alana Haim’s 25-year-old Alana Kane.  It’s a distracting choice that detracts from the two linchpin performances from Haim and Hoffman who both bring an unmistakable on-screen charisma and chemistry to their role.  Both actors deliver nuanced turns that are never showy or over the top but ultimately serve as the heart of the film as we follow their series of adventures in San Fernando Valley.  They are fascinating to watch together onscreen because they both carrying an air of authenticity.  Hoffman captures the character’s hustler mentally while Haim does equally impressive work portraying her character’s state of arrested development as she tries to find her place in the world.  Famous faces pop up in small supporting turns with Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper each having a ball in their limited screen time.  Anyone unfamiliar with Paul Thomas Anderson’s style might not like the pacing which isn’t in any rush to get anywhere even if the two central characters run quite a bit throughout.  Licorice Pizza will connect with some people more than others depending on personal experiences but there is something universal about the moments it captures. 

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: SING 2

 

Can-do koala Buster Moon and his all-star cast of animal performers prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There's just one hitch -- he has to find and persuade the world's most reclusive rock star to join them. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success soon becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

Director: Garth Jennings

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Jennings, Peter Serafinowicz, Jennifer Saunders, Nick Offerman, Bobby Cannavale, Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Chelsea Peretti, Letitia Wright, Eric André, Adam Buxton, Bono

Release Date: December 22, 2021

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Musical

Rated PG for some rude material and mild peril/violence

Runtime: 1h 50m

Review:

Garth Jennings's Sing 2 is a fun breezy family film that's easy to enjoy.  Sing 2 doesn't break any new ground or really dig deep into any big themes so it's not quite as impactful as some of Pixar's films.  It understands what it is and provides a fizzy, colorful jukebox musical that's always fun and entertaining regardless of how old you are.  Matthew McConaughey leads the film as the go getter koala Buster Moon.  Much like in the original, you get the feeling that McConaughey really enjoys voicing this character because he disappears into the role so much so that you occasionally forget it's him behind the microphone.  Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton and Tori Kelly all return with each getting a chance to show off their impressive singing voices.  Newcomers Bobby Cannavale, Chelsea Peretti and Halsey are all great fun with the latter clearly having a great time.  Bono who plays the reclusive rock star lion is far better than expected in his limited role.  Sing 2 is an easily digestible family film that works well as mindless entertainment for kids and parents alike.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE KING'S MAN

 

One man must race against time to stop history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds as they get together to plot a war that could wipe out millions of people and destroy humanity.

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Cast: Ralph Fienne, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance

Release Date: December 22, 2021

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller

Rated R for sequences of strong/bloody violence, language, and some sexual material

Runtime: 2h 28m

Review:

The King's Man is one of the strangest and unnecessary prequels in recent memory.  Matthew Vaughn's film is tonally off kilter with the previous entries, deciding to go for a more self serious tone that's sure to confuse fans who come in expecting a loose goofy bit of fun.  Ralph Fienne leads the film ably even if it does feel like he's a in a different franchise all together.  To his credit, Fiennes seems fully committed to the role and he makes the entire thing much more watchable than it deserves to be.  Rhys Ifans seems to be the only one who's aware of the franchise hallmarks and he hams it up as Rasputin.  His character big action sequence is a dizzying death ballet that outlandish, goofy and one of the sole bits of fun in the entire film.  Sadly, he comes and goes far to quickly and are left with a so so WW1 drama that isn't ashamed to steal scenes from Wonder Woman.  Gemma Arterton and Djimon Hounsou do solid supporting work but you get the distinct feeling that the film would have benefited from using their talent far more than it does.  Even worse, the film cast Daniel Brühl and decides to have him do nothing for the better part of the film.  The King's Man is a bizarre follow up that doesn't fit in the franchises tone or spirit and ultimately feels like a bad misstep.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS

 

To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, Mr. Anderson, aka Neo, will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. If he's learned anything, it's that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of -- or into -- the Matrix. Neo already knows what he has to do, but what he doesn't yet know is that the Matrix is stronger, more secure and far more dangerous than ever before.

Director: Lana Wachowski

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci

Release Date: December 22, 2021

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Rated R for violence and some language

Runtime: 2h 28m

Review:

The first two sequels to the Matrix were a prime example of the law of diminishing returns.  Each entry became more entrenched in philosophical musings and mythology that ultimately weighed them down.  Eighteen years later Lana Wachowski revives the franchise with a more meta approach, echoing what Wes Craven did with Freddy Kruger in 1994's A New Nightmare, in the first half of her film.  It's a fun and fascinating take that sure to set a lot of fans off kilter initially.  This approach gives the story and franchise a spark of life it desperately needed in order to warrant another sequel.  There are plenty of story threads that could have been explored from that vantage point but Wachowski just can't pull the trigger before falling into what the previous sequels did before them.  The film hits some very familiar beats from the original film before moving into more standard sci-fi fare which isn't nearly as engaging.  The action is plentiful if rather uninspired mainly due to the fact that the film turns into a slog due to it's unnecessarily long runtime.  The back half of the film is a pseudo love story between the franchises main two characters.  It's undeniably fun to see Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss slip back into their iconic roles especially when they do it with such ease.  Reeves, deservedly, gets the lion share of the screen time but Moss and her inherent strength and ferocity shine through in her limited screen time.  The newcomers to the franchise are a mixed bag with Jessica Henwick making the best impression.  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is solid as Morpheus 2.0 but he can't quite capture Fishburn's sage cyber sensei the same way. Jonathan Groff does the best he can as the new Agent Smith but like Abdul-Mateen II he doesn't bring the same energy of his predecessor.  Neil Patrick Harris and Jada Pinkett Smith, in some embarrassingly terrible old people make up, are shockingly bad with their turns leaving you wonder if they were in a different movie all together.  The Matrix Resurrections had the chance to trying something riskier and more engaging but it ultimately falls back on it's safety net which isn't terribly innovative and groundbreaking.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: BEING THE RICARDOS

 

In 1952, Hollywood power couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face personal and professional obstacles that threaten their careers, their relationship, and their hit television show.

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J. K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Clark Gregg

Release Date: December 10, 2021 

Genre: Biography, Drama

Rated R for language

Runtime: 2h 5m

Review:

Being The Richardos is a showy biopic that's held together by a wonderful turn from it's cast but it lacks consistency from start to finish.  Writer/director Aaron Sorkin brings his signature dialogue to his film and it drives the narrative as expected.  A strange and unnecessary faux documentary framing device though saps the film of forward momentum by moving the focus off the titular couple. Once onscreen, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem make for an interesting couple even if their physical similarities to the real people are less than convincing especially Bardem.  Kidman is fully committed to the role and delivers a strong performance, capturing Ball's signature raspy voice and mannerisms.  There are portions of the film where she just disappears into the role especially in the few scenes where iconic moments from the original show are recreated.  Outside of mere mimicry, Sorkin and Kidman give us moments that display Ball's eye for comedy and others that display her strength as the TV heavyweight she was.  Bardem is solid throughout even though his performance isn't able to escape his gravelly voice and distinct style.  Its a minor issue as Bardem and Kidman share some strong moments together onscreen especially in the film's final act.  The supporting cast is made up of familiar faces like Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale and Jack Lacy who all deliver workman turns.  J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda though leave the biggest impressions, once you overlook the fact that neither looks anything like their real life counter parts, with memorable turns as William Frawley and Vivian Vance who played the Mertz.  It all makes for an entertaining biopic that uses heavy dramatic license to condenses multiple life events in the Balls life but Being The Richardos is not the homerun it should have been.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: NIGHTMARE ALLEY

 

In 1940s New York, down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychiatrist who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast:  Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn

Release Date: December 17, 2021

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Rated R for strong/bloody violence, some sexual content, nudity and language

Runtime: 2h 30m

Review:

Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley is a lavishly directed film noir morality tale that's as engrossing as it is engaging.  Del Toro channel's plenty of classic noir films in this remake of the 1947 original while adding his own personal twist.  The visually lean heavily on art deco designs with tinges of the macabre which fits with Del Toro's style.  Bradley Cooper is at the center of the film and does impressively well as the charlatan who drives the film.  Cooper's performance transforms as the character evolves over the course of the film's runtime with broad and occasionally more subtle choices.  It's a fascinating performance that blooms as the film moves on.  Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette and David Strathairn carry the majority of the supporting load in the first half of the film with each leaving a strong impression before the scene shifts.  The second half though belongs to Cate Blanchett who's the defacto femme fatale of the piece.  Blanchett's angelic yet menacing face fits the role perfectly as she delivers lines with steely precision and intensity.  This film is an actor's playground which makes its leisurely pacing easier to digest as you appreciate the performances on display.  Nightmare Alley isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea but for those who can appreciate meticulous filmmaking with top notch performances will find plenty to love here.  

A-