MOVIE REVIEW: LOVE LIES BLEEDING

 

Lou is a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder who's heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence as they get pulled deep into the web of Lou's criminal family.

Director: Rose Glass

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, Ed Harris

Release Date: March 8, 2024

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Rated R for violence and grisly images, sexual content, nudity, language throughout and drug use.

Runtime:1h 44m

Review:

Rose Glass's sophomore feature, a grimy 80s set crime drama/love story, again shows off her talent as a visual storyteller and an ability to get inside the minds of her characters.  Her film is sweaty and burly in a very specific way almost serving as a counter point to the overly manly action films of the 80s.  There's a tangible energy emanating from the screen from the start and Glass manages to maintain it for nearly the entire runtime.  She splashes visual flourishes sporadically through the film's earlier acts before moving to something more abstract which works for the themes she's addressing but makes the actual story slightly more disjointed, especially in the final reel.  By that point, though, the story has it hooks in you thanks to Glass's direction and impressive turns from the film's central duo of Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian.  Both bring a palpable sense of authenticity to their characters that makes their story and relationship engaging throughout.  Kristen Stewart gives her character a sense of aimless, hopelessness early on before finding a sliver of salvation in Katy O'Brian's Jackie.  O'Brian's imposing frame makes an immediate impression, but she pairs it with a sweet, naivety that makes her character likeable before moving into a more delusional obsession which leads to a series of bad choices.  Both performances have subtle hints of raw vulnerability simmering underneath which makes their bloody and darkly funny trek all that more entertaining.  Their supporting cast is a made up of familiar faces like Ed Harris, Dave Franco and Jena Malone who all make the most of their screen time with Harris proving he can still be imitating even when he's sporting a fake hippy length wig paired with his bald head.  Anna Baryshnikov has a minor but pivotal role in the back half of the film, and she manages to leave a noticeable impression.  Love Lies Bleeding fumbles a bit in the home stretch, but it doesn't take away from another strong outing from Rose Glass, proving she's hardly a flash in the pan as a writer and director.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: DAMSEL

 

A young woman agrees to marry a handsome prince -- only to discover it was all a trap. She is thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon and must rely solely on her wits and will to survive.

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Bassett, Robin Wright

Release Date: March 8, 2024

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong creature violence, action, and bloody images.

Runtime: 1h 47m

Review:

Damsel takes an interesting approach to the fairy tale genre by delivering something darker and more interesting even though it only skims the surface of the concept.  Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, director of the underappreciated 28 Weeks Later, directs his film with a steady hand, setting up a colorful Disney approved kingdom before revealing the story's more sinister side.  He makes solid use of stark visuals throughout which are sadly hampered by uneven F/X that fluctuate from solid to early 2000's Sci-Fi channel bad with the open sequence serving as a prime example of the bad.  It’s noticeably choppy throughout which sadly takes you out of the film at various points during its runtime.  F/X issues aside, Fresnadillo moves the film at a steady pace especially once the story moves into the dragon's lair with the focus centering on Millie Bobby Brown's character.  Brown is slowly making a career of these sort of self reliant characters and this role is right in her wheelhouse.  She's tasked with carrying the story alone for the better part of the film with her working against digital backgrounds and Shohreh Aghdashloo's excellent voice work as the dragon.  Sadly, the script never gives her anything really substantial to really sink her teeth into with only surface level characterization.  It doesn't help that the script continually stretches credibility at multiple moments, even for fantasy film, such as Princess Elodie's rather impressive rock and rope climbing skills or her ability to sneak up on a dragon just to name a few.  Brown, to her credit, does the best she can with material even though you get the feeling there's a better story in there somewhere.  Her supporting cast is made up of strong performers such as Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett and Robin Wright but the film never takes full advantage of them.  Robin Wright in particular is just begging for more screen time as the villainous queen.  It’s a consistent issue for the film since there are plenty of opportunities to make Damsel some truly special.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: RICKY STANICKY

 

Twenty years after creating the imaginary Ricky Stanicky, three childhood friends still use the nonexistent pal as a handy alibi for their immature behavior. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet him, the guilty trio decides to hire washed-up actor Rod to bring him to life. However, when Rod takes his role of a lifetime a little too far, they begin to wish they never invented Ricky in the first place.

Director: Peter Farrelly

Cast: Zac Efron, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino, Lex Scott Davis, Anja Savcic, Jeff Ross, William H. Macy, John Cena

Release Date: March 8, 2024

Genre: Comedy

Rated R for sexual material, language throughout and some drug content.

Runtime: 1h 53m

Review:

Ricky Stanicky's silly setup should be perfectly suited for Peter Farrelly's talents especially with game cast but its never as consistently funny as it should be.  Farrelly's film feels familiar from the start with its goofy, over the top comedy and occasional gross outs paired with some choppy sentimentality.  The best Farrelly brother’s film's worked because the comedy bits tended to make it easier to overlook some of the film's shortcomings.  Peter's solo films have never reached the heights of his collaborations with his brother from the late 90's and early 2000's, a trend that continues here.  There are bits that work mostly thanks to a game cast highlighted by John Cena who does the majority of the heavy lifting.  The biggest issue is the film can never maintain the comedic energy since there are a handful of moments that fall flat which makes the whole thing feel longer than it actually is.  Zac Efron, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino and Cena all do their best, but the comedic dead spots highlight how thinly scripted the whole thing is.  The cast seems to be begging for better material to work with Efron making for a great straight man to the assorted zaniness happening around him.  Likewise, Fowler and Santino's comedic talents feel underutilized throughout which is a shame.  The result is a passable but easily forgettable comedy that feels like it could have been much better.    

C-

MOVIE REVIEW: IMAGINARY

 

When Jessica moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter, Alice, finds a stuffed bear named Chauncey. As Alice's behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize that Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Cast: DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Veronica Falcón, Betty Buckley

Release Date: March 8, 2024

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for some violent content, drug material and language.

Runtime: 1h 44m

Review:

Imaginary is a predictable, run of the mill horror movie that relies on jump scare to do the heavy lifting even as it toys with campiness before fully embracing it in its final act. Jeff Wadlow's film borrows freely from other, better films like The Shining, Coraline or Pan's Labyrinth which is all fine and well if he'd crafted something engaging.  Sadly, there are only a few well staged scares early on but very little in the way of tension of atmosphere. It doesn't help that the cast of characters are thinly drawn genre clichés that don't make you care about anything that's happening.  DeWanda Wise goes through the motions in the lead role with a sort of wide eye detachment for the better part of the film's runtime.  Pyper Braun is tasked with the central child role and does a decent job all things considered.  Braun is given a healthy amount of screen time and she's subtly funny, especially when some of the situations get more extreme.  Taegen Burns does solid work as the older sister even if she isn't given much to do besides being bratty to her stepmother until she comes around.  Betty Buckley, who plays the requisite neighbor who knows more than she lets on, is really the only person who knows what kind of film she's in.  Buckley's character and performance is campy fun especially as the film veers into its goofier and more inventive final act that doesn't make much sense but has the common sense to be fun at least.  You're ultimately left wondering why the film's first two acts were so serious instead of leaning into the campiness much like last year’s M3GAN.  It’s ultimately too little too late to make Imaginary anything other than another easily forgettable horror film.

D+

MOVIE REVIEW: DUNE PART TWO

 

Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux

Release Date: March 1, 2024

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material and brief strong language.

Runtime: 2h 46m

Review:

Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part Two is a sci-fi epic in every sense of the word filled with mesmerizing visuals, a stellar cast and a beefier story than you'd expect from a blockbuster of this size.  Villeneuve, now free of the first film's exposition dump, moves his film at a steadier pace delivering massive action set pieces that are impressively staged and far more engaging than the first film's offers.  Paul's first ride on a sandworm is wonderfully set up and executed to create a thrilling and visceral experience, something the battle sequences can't quite match.  Visually, you can see Villeneuve pulling inspiration from other legendary sci-fi films such as 2001 or Star Wars for Arrakis and contrasting it with the Harkonnen's which clearly draws inspiration from H.R. Giger early work from Jodorowsky’s failed attempt to bring the film to the screen in the 70's.  There are a bevy of shots that are sure to join the pantheon of the memorable shots in cinematic history.  Overall, the film and story move at a brisker pace with the full scale of the story's themes and relationships unfurling at steady pace leaving very few dead spots throughout the film’s hefty runtime.  The film's ensemble cast shines throughout with each delivering strong performances regardless of screen time.  Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya get the lion's share of the screen time with both doing fine work albeit their romantic chemistry isn't quite as strong as it should be likely due to their romance being rushed thru in the opening act.  It’s a minor issue especially with the amount of story they have to work through and both still deliver the goods on the dramatic sides.  Rebecca Ferguson gets a meatier role here as her character takes a darker more ominous tone which she's more than capable of conveying.  Javier Bardem also gets more to do this go around after his extended cameo in the first film.  Bardem is fun every time he's onscreen thanks to his general charisma which works for his character's unwavering zealotry.  Austin Butler proves he doesn't have to be Elvis in everything with an impressive about face as the psychotic Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.  Florence Pugh does well in her limited screen time even though the character is mainly used for exposition dumps, but you get the sense there's more on the horizon if a third film comes to fruition.  Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin and Charlotte Rampling return from the first film with much smaller but important roles with each making those small moments far more impactful.  It’s a testament to the scale of Dune Two that these actors serve as garnish to its cinematic cornucopia which delivers on multiple fronts while leaving you wanting to see the story's final act.   

A

MOVIE REVIEW: DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS

 

In search of a fresh start, two women embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, Fla. However, things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

Director:  Ethan Coen

Cast: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, Matt Damon.

Release Date: February 23, 2024 

Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller

Rated R for crude sexual content, full nudity, language and some violent content.

Runtime: 1h 24m

Review:

Ethan Coen's solo directorial debut, Drive-Away Dolls, is a silly crime caper of a road movie that can't quite maintain its manic energy in spite of energetic performances from its two leads.  It’s hard to avoid comparisons to Coen's work with his brother since this film carries plenty of hallmarks of some of their sillier crime comedies like Raising Arizona and Burn After Reading.  This film never reaches those levels of joyful insanity although it comes close on multiple occasions.  The film's pacing runs at a frenetic pace which makes it a breezy watch, but it also keeps some of the stronger sequences from landing the way they should since they aren't given time to breathe.  It’s a shame since the film central duo of Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan turn in inspired performances.  Their oil and water chemistry make the film run with Qualley outsized performance working in perfect contrast to Viswanathan straight laced understated turn.  Qualley gives the character a lively, energetic spirit that feels authentic even with the cartoonish southern accent she sports.  Viswanathan works more subtly, using her deadpan delivery and expressive eyes to great effect.  They're chaotic fun together especially as the situations get more over the top and outrageous.  Their supporting cast is peppered with well known faces who are clearly having a ball even in their limited screen time.  Drive-Away Dolls makes you wish you got to spend more time with all these characters but it's in a strange rush to get in and out as quickly as possible.  

B-