MOVIE REVIEW: THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND

 

Old tensions resurface when former bandmates who were former lovers reunite for a private show at the island home of an eccentric millionaire.

Director: James Griffiths

Cast: Tim Key, Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Sian Clifford

Release Date: March 28, 2025

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance

Rated PG-13 for some language and smoking.

Runtime: 1h 40m

Review:

The Ballad of Wallis Island is one of those indie gems that pops up every so often that's so subtly heartfelt and funny that you barely notice how engaged you’re with it until it lingers in your memory long after the film ends.  The film is surprising on multiple levels as it traffics in various rom-com/awkward comedy tropes but takes them in refreshingly unexpected directions.  Director, James Griffiths, reunites with writers/stars Tom Basden and Tim Key for this feature length adaptation of their 2007 short The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island.  Their familiarity working together and the subject matter is readily apparent as they create something disarmingly funny, sweet and meaningful.  Tim Key brings an endearing but oblivious awkwardness that could have bordered on creepy if his performance wasn't so carefully nuanced.  Key gives his character a well-meaning authenticity to the man simply trying to memorialize his deceased wife with a performance from his favorite musicians.  Tom Basden brings an appropriate sense of self-importance to his half of the musical duo at the center of the film.  Basden performance is a fascinating blend ego paired with self-loathing as he’s desperate to find his musical groove again after pursuing a more commercial career at the cost of his relationship.  Carey Mulligan is pitch perfect as his ex-who’s moved on but is willing to revisit that part of her life as part of the gig.  Mulligan's character is measured and layered in a way that you rarely see in these kinds of movies.  Her character acts like a real person throughout especially in the final act which touches on the recurring themes of regret, loss and acceptance.  It all builds together to make The Ballad of Wallis Island something truly special and memorable in the best way possible.  

A

MOVIE REVIEW: THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME

 

Wealthy businessman, Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, F. Murray Abraham, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray

Release Date: June 6, 2025

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, some sexual material, nude images, and smoking throughout.

Runtime: 1h 45m

Review:

Wes Anderson's latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, finds his esoteric style increasingly refined which is sure to please a long time but it'll do little to bring others into the fold.  Anderson meticulous visuals always give his films their distinctive style with that being true again here.  He toys with more hallucinatory detours that give this film a more spiritual sensibility centered around themes of legacy and redemption of self.  It’s a fascinating subject matter, one that's laced some of his previous films such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Hotel Budapest, but his approach is even more overt here.  There's a mediative contemplation to it all as we follow Benicio del Toro's Zsa-zsa Korda plan to cement his legacy while attempting to mend his relationship with his estranged daughter played wonderfully by Mia Threapleton.  The overly complex plans sometimes hamper the central themes he's exploring which leaves you wishing he'd chosen something a bit less involved to focus on the father/daughter relationship which drives the film.  Those moments possess the kind of tender, soulfulness that have made some of his best films stand out.  It’s a difficult balancing act that he can't pull off this time around as the film occasionally comes to a screeching halt thanks to an over indulgence on the quirky scenario and cameos which are fun but feel far more superfluous than usual.  Those cameos are peppered with a cavalcade of A listers with each making the most of their screentime with Jeffrey Wright's character sorely begging for more time to shine.  Benicio del Toro and Mia Threapleton make for a strong onscreen duo as two different sides of the same coin even though she may or may not be his biological daughter.  Michael Cera fits right in as the third primary cast member with him easily working himself into Anderson's world, so much so that you're left wondering why they haven't worked together sooner.  The Phoenician Scheme may not land in the upper echelon of Wes Anderson's but that doesn't mean that fans won't find plenty to enjoy in this fanciful excursion.  

B-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of John Wick Chapter 4 & Captain America Brave New World

 My dear readers: This past week I caught up with a pair of action flicks from franchises in which I was once invested.

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

First on my agenda, John Wick: Chapter 4.

Hoping to finally earn his freedom, our hero John Wick is on the run again.

The John Wick franchise seems to blow up its universe pretty much every movie, only to find a way of repeating the same formula with the next outing. JW4 is no real exception, and if the schtick is wearing a bit thin, there's still a lot to like here. Keanu Reeves was born for this role, and there will always be some joy in seeing him play it. Ian McShane elevates any project lucky enough to have him. The cinematography, set design, and fight choreography remain head-and-shoulders above average for the genre, but...maybe there's something to be said for franchises that quit while they're ahead. Chapter 4 is overlong, and the fight scenes, well-done as they are, drag on and on. The movie doesn't manage to hold any real suspense, so ultimately its aesthetic virtues can't save it from being uninspiring.

John Wick: Chapter 4 runs 169 minutes (I'm not kidding) and is rated R for, "pervasive strong violence and some language."

John Wick: Chapter 4 retains some of the assets that make the franchise great, but it might be time to put this one to bed. Of a possible nine Weasleys, John Wick: Chapter 4 gets six.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is now streaming on Peacock.

Next on the docket was Marvel's Captain America: Brave New World.

Sam Wilson officially takes the shield and must foil a nefarious international plot.

In my house, we stan Anthony Mackie, so I was very much looking forward to him taking the top(ish) spot in the Marvel hierarchy. Brave New World gives him a serviceable film with a strong supporting cast and a decent storyline. The movie is almost entirely without the forced humor and convoluted timeline/universe jumping that plague most Marvel output. If the movie is a bit longer than it needs to be, it's not nearly as bloated as most Marvel pictures, and it's well paced enough to (mostly) get away with it.

Captain America: Brave New World clocks in at a pretty reasonable 118 minutes and is rated PG13 for, "intense sequences of violence and action and some strong language."

Captain America: Brave New World is a solid beginning for an iconic hero's new chapter. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Captain America: Brave New World gets seven and a half.

Captain America: Brave New World is now streaming on Disney+.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BALLERINA

 

An assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma organization sets out to seek revenge after her father's death.

Director: Len Wiseman

Cast: Ana de Armas, Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, Anjelica Huston, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves

Release Date: June 6, 2025

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for strong/bloody violence throughout, and language.

Runtime: 2h 5m

Review:

Ballerina is preposterous on multiple levels, but the inventive action and Ana de Armas' laser focused performance makes it far more watchable than it deserves to be.  Len Wiseman is no stranger to directing kick ass heroines, having helmed the Underworld franchise in the early 2000's, so he makes an easy fit for this John Wick spin off.  He's more than capable of emulating the look and feel of the main line films, especially the increasingly outlandish action sequences highlighted by a flamethrower fight in the final act.  There's also a fun injection of tongue in cheek comedy during the barrage of action sequences highlighted by a sequence in a Bavarian Cafe that might have people of a certain age have Three Stooges flashbacks.  It’s a nice way to mix things up for the usual formula along with making a point of Eve having to make up for the strength disparity with the majority of her male adversaries.  That's not to say she doesn't mow through a boat load of people throughout the film's runtime but it’s refreshing to see them get a bit more inventive with the character relying more on knives and bombs in addition to the cornucopia of guns she uses.  Sure, it’s ultimately lip service since her character has a video game style rechargeable life bar which recharges shortly after the assorted injuries she endures throughout.  Ana De Armas is impressively focused throughout, making it all the mayhem and carnage immensely watchable even as it starts to overstay its welcome.  There's also a sense that she's searching for something meatier, character wise, to bite into which is sadly lacking for her and the cast across the board.  The script offers the bares of a story thread, leaning heavily on the established lore while throwing out some interesting ideas like an assassin cult but never really doing anything with it.  If there had been a bit more time and attention given to the story and characters, it would have made Ballerina more than a fun but forgettable detour from the main series.     

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: BRING HER BACK

 

A brother and sister witness a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother.

Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou

Cast: Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Sally Hawkins, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton

Release Date: May 30, 2025

Genre: Horror, Mystery

Rated R for strong disturbing bloody violent content, some grisly images, graphic nudity, underage drinking and language.

Runtime: 1h 39m

Review:

Danny and Michael Philippou sophomore feature, Bring Her Back, is an impressive upgrade on their much talked about debut film with a more engaging story, better fleshed out characters and a tour de force turn from Sally Hawkins.  The twin filmmakers displayed a fantastic eye for visuals in Talk to Me something that's on full display again here as they meticulously frame shot after shot of the increasingly harrowing events.  This is more of a slow burn though as the sense of foreboding and uneasiness builds until it spills out in increasingly graphic spurts of gore.  Those moments of over-the-top body horror feel a tad unnecessary since the less is more approach might have worked better for this particular story.  The psychological aspect of the story makes up the most engrossing angle which would have been better served with some restraint.  Still, it’s hard to really quibble too much about it since those moments will have you winching and squirming in your seat just like the directors intended.  The story itself seems intentionally ambiguous with very few answers provided especially in regards to the ritual being recreated by Sally Hawkins' Laura.  There are just enough breadcrumbs thrown the audience's way to give them an idea of what's going on but never providing a full explanation.  It adds an air of unsettling mystery to the whole that plays into the unsettling nature of the traumatic subject matter played to a perfect pitch by the film's central cast.  Billy Barratt and Sora Wong make for a strong pair of orphaned siblings dealing with the sudden loss of their father.  Barratt brings a strong sense of brotherly protectiveness over his partially blind younger sister.  Underneath it though is a pervading sense of shame that adds a layer of depth to his character that makes him far more interesting.  Sally Hawkins though is the star of the show as the initially quirky foster mother whose becomes increasingly deranged as the film moves on.  She brings so many layers to her broken, crazed character that it’s nearly impossible to take your eyes off her even when she's sporting a Brian May style hair.  The three of them work off each other effortlessly create the kind of familial nightmare that's sure to linger long after Bring Her Back credit's roll.  

   

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: LILO & STITCH

 

Lilo & Stitch is a 2025 American science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Rideback, the film is a live-action animated remake of Disney's 2002 traditionally animated film of the same name. 

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Cast: Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Hannah Waddingham, Billy Magnussen, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Tia Carrere, Amy Hill,  Jason Scott Lee

Release Date: May 23, 2025

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action, peril and thematic elements.

Runtime: 1h 48m

Review:

Lilo & Stitch is a perfectly adequate redux of the superior 2002 original which streamlines certain parts of the story effectively but just never recaptures the chaotic energy of the animated film in spite of the cast and crews’ best efforts.  Dean Fleischer Camp bringing his tender hearted, occasionally soulful approach to the otherworldly hijinks here much like he did with 2021's Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.  He's able to give certain characters in the film more depth, making them more three dimensional than their animated counterpart.  Nani, Lilo's older sister, played with authentic earnestness by Sydney Elizebeth Agudong gets a better realized story arch here as she's given more to do throughout the film.  It’s clear that Camp is trying his best to stake out his out territory here but he's held back by having to recreate a bevy of scenes and sequences from the animated film which just reminds you that like the other live action adaptations there's a cynical money grab driving it all.  There are moments that break free a bit to deliver something new and fresh much like the reworked final act which is revamped to focus more on the emotional connection as opposed to more outright cartoonish action.  Maia Kealoha play the Lilo role a bit sweeter and less chaotic than the original which works better in the back half of the film than it does early on.  Chris Sanders reprises his role as the voice of Stitch barely missing a beat as he easily slides back into Experiment 626's skin.  Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis prove to be welcome additions here as Agent Pleakley and Dr. Jumba Jookiba respectively.  Magnussen talents are perfectly suited as he can play oblivious goofball in his sleep.  Galifianakis reins his usual impulses here to give his take on the character a slightly more sinister undercurrent.  Courtney B. Vance and Tia Carrere's characters split up Ving Rhames Cobra Bubbles character into two separate characters with Mrs. Kekoa serving as social worker side. It doesn't quite work the way it should since both characters feel underserved by the time it’s all said and done.  This iteration of Lilo & Stitch is perfectly suitable family fun with a solid message about the family we're born with and find but it can't shake the fact that the original film did the same thing more effectively.  

 

B-