MOVIE REVIEW: THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

 

On a remote island off the coast of Ireland, Pádraic is devastated when his buddy Colm suddenly puts an end to their lifelong friendship. With help from his sister and a troubled young islander, Pádraic sets out to repair the damaged relationship by any means necessary. However, as Colm's resolve only strengthens, he soon delivers an ultimatum that leads to shocking consequences.

Director: Martin McDonagh

Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan

Release Date: October 21, 2022

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for language throughout, some violent content and brief graphic nudity.

Runtime: 1h 49m

Review:

The Banshees of Inisherin, the latest black comedy from Martin McDonagh, it’s a funny, compelling fable that's simplistic on the surface but one the will likely stick with you as you ruminate the meaning of it all.  McDonagh creates an authentic ecosystem of people and relationships that brings life to the mundane something he's done to great effect in previous films.  The script is sharply written with plenty of dialogue that pops off the screen which makes the character's interplay the film's highlights.  What's more impressive is that the story is thematically dense, functioning on multiple levels which leaves the door open for a multitude of metaphorical interpretations.  A strong script pair with excellent performances from its two leads makes this film incredibly watchable and easy to digest unlike the majority of awards fodder.  Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite with McDonagh for the first time since they collaborated in 2008's In Bruges and again bringing out the best in each other.  Farrell and Gleeson have a natural chemistry together which serves as the film's life blood.  Farrell leaning into the happy go lucky attitude early on in order to watch him emotionally degrade as the film wears on.  Gleeson makes his character's stubbornness tangible as he drops hints desperation as he tackles his impending mortality.  They are fascinating throughout because they give you a real sense that there is so much more simmering under the surface for both men.  They deserve the lion's share of the credit here but supporting turns from Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan leave a memorable impression as well.  Fans of Martin McDonagh know that his film's use black comedy to explore larger issues and The Banshees of Inisherin does so in spades. 

A

Cindy Prascik's Review of Brian and Charles

 

My dear reader(s), as I am enjoying a week of vacation and Halloween festivities are behind us for another year, I hope to check in with a few reviews for your perusal.

Today's offering: Brian and Charles.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers if you've seen any, which I haven't. I fell over this one completely by accident.

Following an especially harsh Welsh winter, a lonely inventor builds himself a robot companion.

Now that I'm out of the habit of going to the cinema, I often spend hours browsing the titles available for home viewing, only to decide I can't bear the thought of any of them...or I'll start a movie and give up when it fails to hold my attention, which tends to be early and often. I picked Brian and Charles at random because it looked like the sort of thing that never fails me, and, indeed, it did not fail me.

Brian and Charles is a documentary-style tale of Brian (David Earl), a lonely, awkward man who lives alone with his many inventions. He builds Charles (Chris Hayward), and for much of the film their relationship is like that of parent and child, Brian making choices to keep Charles safe (Brian's version of safe), and Charles rebelling as he desires more freedom. There's a bit of romance thrown in for good measure (spoiler alert: NOT cross-species between the leads), a moral about bullying, and a curiously action-packed penultimate act, but for the most part Brian and Charles is the heartwarming tale of a unique friendship. The bleak Welsh landscape perfectly underscores Brian's loneliness, but charming performances by Earl, Hayward, and Louise Brealey (as Brian's equally awkward would-be love interest) keep things quirky and mostly light, rather than sad or preachy.

Brian and Charles clocks in at 90 minutes and is rated PG for "language, mild violence, and smoking."

Brian and Charles is a sweet film that's charming in its execution and gentle in its message. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Brian and Charles gets eight.

Brian and Charles is now streaming on Peacock.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: PREY FOR THE DEVIL

 

The Roman Catholic Church combats a global rise in demonic possessions by reopening schools to train priests to perform exorcisms. Although nuns are forbidden to perform this ritual, a professor recognizes Sister Ann's gifts and agrees to train her. Thrust onto the spiritual frontline, she soon finds herself in a battle for the soul of a young girl who's possessed by the same demon that tormented her own mother years earlier.

Director: Daniel Stamm

Cast:  Jacqueline Byers, Colin Salmon, Christian Navarro, Lisa Palfrey, Nicholas Ralph, Virginia Madsen, Ben Cross

Release Date: October 28, 2022

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing content, terror, thematic elements and brief language.

Runtime: 1h 33m

Review:

Daniel Stamm made his name as a director with the creepy and surprisingly effective The Last Exorcism which brought energy to the tired exorcism trope.  Prey for the Devil marks his return to the subgenre with a much more conventional and predictable film propped up by committed performances from its stars.  Stamm moves at a rapid pace which helps since the script is a collection of half baked ideas and overused tropes.  There is a kernel of an interesting idea that touches on gender politics and trauma, but the script doesn't explore them in any meaningful way making them pointless.  We're told fairly early on that Jacqueline Byers' Sister Ann is special, but the script doesn't bother to provide any tangible reason why she's special outside of being the focus of the demon since she was a child.  The character also leaves a wake of bodies by the time the film ends which doesn't seem to bother anyone in school.  Thankfully, Byers makes the entire thing watchable with a performance that's far better than the film and script.  Byers turn is believably focused with a palpable sense of the character's underlying trauma being ever present.  She's able to keep an air of authenticity throughout even as things become progressively more absurd. Colin Salmon and Christian Navarro, who looks distractingly like Jay Hernandez, do what they can with underwritten roles.  Virginia Madsen on the other hand is criminally underused in what amounts to a throwaway character.  Prey for the Devil is the kind of film that's perfectly comfortable using clichéd tropes to deliver a few effective set pieces but doesn't offer anything fresh or surprising.  

C

MOVIE REVIEW: TAR

 

Renowned musician Lydia Tár is days away from recording the symphony that will elevate her career. When all elements seem to conspire against her, Lydia's adopted daughter Petra becomes an integral emotional support for her struggling mother.

Director: Todd Field

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, Mark Strong

Release Date: October 7, 2022

Genre: Drama, Music

Rated R for some language and brief nudity

Runtime: 2h 38m

Review:

Todd Field's Tár is an immersive and engaging character study lead by a singular turn from Cate Blanchett.  Field's film is a methodical trek into the central character's life, dropping bits and pieces of narrative and themes along the way.  It's a masterclass in subtly as quieter moments and more charged moments are all so densely packed with meaning that it requires your attention throughout.  There's a glossy veneer presented from the onset of the film but there's also an unsettling, disquieting undercurrent that's every present until its final act where things begin to unravel.  Cate Blanchett disappears into her character with incredible ease.  This performance isn't your typical awards showcase that requires big showy moments instead this is a case study in nuance.  It's the kind of performance where looks shared between characters delivers volumes worth of information.  Blanchett owns every moment she's on screen and its film from start to finish but the supporting cast is just as dialed in with each making the most of their screen time.  Once Tár heads into its final act the script and cast deliver some surprising moments which feel organic and earned, a credit to the level of craftmanship from both sides of the camera.  

A

MOVIE REVIEW: BLACK ADAM

 

In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, and Black Adam has gone from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, Bodhi Sabongui, Pierce Brosnan

Release Date: October 21, 2022

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, intense action and some language.

Runtime: 2h 4m

Review:

Black Adam joins the cinematic superhero genre with a highly caffeinated overly produced adventure that moves at a dizzying pace at times to its own detriments.  Jaume Collet-Serra delivers a kinetic, action heavy film that pulls a large bit of visual inspiration from Zach Synder's films.  There are hero shots a plenty and an overreliance on slow motion that feels passé at this point which ultimately distracts more than enhance the experience.  Collet-Serra may be in the director's seat, but this project has been Dwayne Johnson passion project which took years to finally come to fruition, needless to say his finger prints are all over the final product.  This is Johnson's film for better or worse and the bizarre thing is that the character the polar opposite of what he typically does best onscreen.  Gone is his usual charisma, replaced by a stern faced scowl and wooden line delivery that rarely feels authentic.  The character's scripting doesn't help much by giving him a kid to play off of which feels like a cheap imitation of the Terminator 2 relationship.  It’s a shame since you get distinct feeling that there's more depth to the character's story than what ends up on screen.  The same holds true for the supporting characters but the actors are able to make them far more interesting than the script does.  Pierce Brosnan and Aldis Hodge in particular deliver interesting turns as a superhero nearing the end of his journey and an alpha male who sees morality in black or white.  Noah Centineo is fun as the film's comic relief but Quintessa Swindell given woefully little to do.  The script drops a few bits and pieces about these character's background and story, but it never explores them. The film is always in a hurry to move to the next action set piece and while those are fun it would have benefited from slowing down for a moment and letting the characters shine.  Black Adam ends up being glossy mindless fun especially if you are a fan of DC properties with the biggest moment coming in the post credit scene.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: HALLOWEEN ENDS

 

Four years after her last encounter with masked killer Michael Myers, Laurie Strode is living with her granddaughter and trying to finish her memoir. Myers hasn't been seen since, and Laurie finally decides to liberate herself from rage and fear and embrace life. However, when a young man stands accused of murdering a boy that he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that forces Laurie to confront the evil she can't control.

Director: David Gordon Green

Cast:  Jamie Lee Curtis, James Jude Courtney, Rohan Campbell, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Kyle Richards

Release Date: October 14, 2022

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout and some sexual references.

Runtime: 1h 51m

Review:

Halloween Ends should have been a rousing finale for the revitalized franchise serving as a swan song for Jamie Lee Curtis's iconic role.  Instead, David Gordon Green delivers a cofounding misfire which decides to move the focus from the primary pair onto a new character.  Gordon's previous entry, Halloween Kills, made the mistake of sideline Curtis's Laurie for the better part of the that film, here he doubles down on that mistake by taking both Laurie and Myers off the table for large spans of time.  It would have been a daring gamble if the script provided an intriguing storyline and characters to make it worthwhile but it fails on both points.  The film's storyline is a nonsensical hodgepodge of a dollar store serial killer plot points paired with an utterly unbelievable "love story" between Andi Matichak's Allyson and Rohan Campbell's Corey.  Rohan Campbell is essentially the main character of the entire film and to his credit he does his best to deliver a layered and nuanced performance.  The film moves at a snail's pace in its early acts before moving into overdrive in the final act.  The film is kind of enough to finally deliver the big showdown between Laurie and Michael which is fun but almost feels like an afterthought when you consider the preceding hour and forty minutes of unrelated garbage.  Halloween Ends finishes the new trilogy with a definitive thud after such a promising start with 2018's Halloween refresh.  

D-