We begin on a silent black screen. Then, an invocation of the author whose words will be put to screen in the coming two hours. “Emma Woodhouse,” prays the blackness, “handsome, clever, and rich…” It is as if this screen, well-aware of the task ahead, is working from the outset to win favor with the spirits that safeguard the narrative it is attempting to retell. In a way, the stage has been set. Emma. Continue reading “Review: ‘Emma.’ Is as Well-Mannered as They Come”
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, a 2018 Netflix release, was a smash hit and internet sensation which was lauded for its romantic plot, bright set design, and depiction of Asian identity and mixed-race families. The film followed the story of Korean-Canadian high school student Lara Jean, a bookish, romantic girl who has never been in a relationship but has had many crushes throughout her life. Continue reading “Review: ‘P.S. I Still Love You’ is a Fun, Yet Lackluster, Sequel”
There seem to be two different definitions of what an ‘assistant’ is. The one that most of us understand is that of someone who acts as a companion and aid in handling business and financial matters. To the unnamed film executive portrayed in The Assistant, an assistant is someone who acts as a personal punching bag and micro-manages the life of their incompetent employer. Continue reading “Review: ‘The Assistant’ Paints a Bleak Picture of the Place of Women in the Workplace”
The Lodge is a psychological/supernatural horror film that deals with concepts of loss, grief, and trauma. The film tells the story of two children, Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh), whose mother (Alicia Silverstone) has recently committed suicide. Their father (Richard Armitage) is getting married again and, in an effort to get the children to bond with his fiancee, Grace (Riley Keough), he lets her babysit them at the family’s lodge in the country. Grace struggles to connect with her two resentful soon-to-be step-children, but as the snow piles up and she starts to unravel, it seems that the tension between them may be the least of her worries. Continue reading “Review: ‘The Lodge’ is a Muddled, but Effective, Horror Story”
A masterful coming-of-age narrative that combines Georgian culture, sexual exploration, and the soulful expression of dance, Levan Akin’s And Then We Danced is a beautiful film that will leave viewers inspired to explore their identities regardless of the cultural norms imposed on them.
Continue reading “Review: ‘And Then We Danced’ Takes Pride in Georgian Culture”
It took me weeks to see this film, as by its second week it was only playing in fifty-odd theaters nationwide (the third-worst theater drop in cinema history). The film was bombing at the box office and I wondered what could be so bad. The problem here is not of poor quality so much as it is lack of imagination. In short, this movie has been made already a thousand times. The comparison to Atomic Blonde is the aptest I could think of out of any other film, as it does everything it does, but worse.
Directed by Reed Morano and produced by the team behind the 007 franchise, The Rhythm Section stars Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Sterling K. Brown on an international tale of revenge. Unfortunately, it fails to capture the magic of its spy thriller brothers and sisters, depriving it of any real interesting elements to distinguish it in the annals of movie history. From Bond to Bourne, the key factor of a thriller’s successes is unsurprisingly its thrills, and this film has a distinct lack of them. Despite strong performances from most of the cast, the movie never feels as if it hits its stride, almost like it was one long first act, building to something just out of reach. What actually is the whole first act is a boring slog through London where we get to see what would happen to Blake Lively if her acting career went horribly wrong. Not only was it boring, but it was also downright depressing to watch, seeing screen time wasted on what I can only describe as Requiem for a Dream lite. Lively certainly sells the depravity of her character, for the most part carrying the film with a compelling performance in an otherwise uninspiring story.
It isn’t until its second act that things start to pick up, and pick up is perhaps too strong a phrase here, with the introduction of Jude Law’s character, ‘B’. This portion of the movie is fun enough, driven by the good performances and cinematography, but limited by the poor screenwriting and inexperienced direction. It is true, there are some truly stunning shots on display here, but they are few and far between and don’t make up for the mediocrity they’re supporting. Right when I thought The Rhythm Section was getting good, a passable B movie up until this point became laughably bad. Something must’ve happened to the writing team because the third act degrades into a really bad episode of network television. Silly lines plague the dialogue while the story backs itself into a corner and resolves in the most obvious and unsatisfying way.
The action is passable, but lacks any enthusiasm and is severely muted by direction. Instead of being quick and punchy, it feels slowed by awkward angles and poor camera placement. This movie’s biggest problem is that it was greenlit, even if based on a novel, that novel was already a derivative of ten other similar stories. This project just did not need to exist and you can feel the lack of passion on screen. Like too many films in today’s crowded market, it brings nothing new to the table and is really only worth watching if it happens to be on and you have nothing else to do.
2/5 STARS
What cursed fantasy did Blumhouse wish for so that Fantasy Island could be made? It’s something humanity probably does not want to know because this film is terrible; it does not work in any aspect. As a horror film, it’s not scary. As a fantasy film, it does not coherently tell its stories. Even the drama and comedy are bound to bore the most interested moviegoer. For context, Blumhouse adapted this idea from a beloved fictional television series from the 70s in which guests would arrive at an island to have their deepest dreams come true. However, every week, viewers would learn that dreams sometimes don’t play out the way they want. Dreams would turn into nightmares as, for instance, being a king of a castle would mean the guest would have to manage an army going to war.
It seems to be an interesting premise. Given Blumhouse’s previous record with movies like Get Out and Whiplash, there seemed to be a hint of hope that Fantasy Island would contain interesting social commentary layered with scares that would entertain most moviegoers. This is not the case. Every choice that the filmmakers made completely ruined this potential. For instance, examine the dialogue in the film. Towards the end, the characters are forced to explain every aspect of the plot in a Q&A format that feels so artificial that it prevents the audience from making any connection with the characters. Part of the reason, though, that the writing team made this decision, was the vast amount of background information each character had. The complexity of this does not do the narrative any justice; and, indeed, there are a number of plot twists that are unintentionally hilarious. The humor does not last long though as the film takes itself way too seriously.
Suppose that the writing was good. Fantasy Island was marketed as a horror movie, but unfortunately, it failed in this respect too. It relies too heavily on the common horror tactics used to scare audiences. Have you ever seen scary figures walking across the background behind the protagonist? Has the sound gone silent only to release a loud jolt when the camera pans to a “scary” image? There are minimal to no unique camera movements or shot compositions that would intrigue audiences or put them in a state of suspense. Even the performances were subpar compared to the talent on screen. Maggie Q, Lucy Hale, Michael Rooker, and Michael Peña have all been fantastic in different movies. However, none of them give a compelling performance here.
Overall, this is another attempt by the Hollywood studios to reboot past intellectual property for a new generation. This is the complaint many cinephiles and critics have alike; Hollywood needs to do a better job of identifying original voices who have original stories to tell. Without that, we will continue to see failures like Fantasy Island.
1/5 STARS
Back in the ancient time known as 2014, Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund created a film known as Force Majeure, an internationally co-produced comedy following the marital tension of a couple snowed in during an avalanche on their ski trip. Fast-forward to 3 or 4 years later, where Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, known for their work on The Way Way Back and Community, decided to adapt this to an American audience. The result is Downhill, which is a nice take on the original as it exemplifies what it means for an adaptation to be “similar but different”.
Continue reading “Review: ‘Downhill’ is Proof Not All American Adaptations Are Awful”
Video game movies are a mixed bag. Some of them, like Detective Pikachu and Final Fantasy: The Advent Children, are good, while others like Super Mario Bros., Assassin’s Creed, and the Resident Evil series are less than stellar. When I first saw the trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog, a film based on a video game franchise I grew up playing, I was disappointed, and a little bit disturbed by the underwhelming plot and by Sonic’s design. I thought it was going to be an ironic masterpiece. Once they changed his design, however, everything changed. I knew right from the remade trailer that I was going to love this film; and nobody on the Internet would convince me otherwise.
Continue reading “Review: ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ is a Nice Surprise for a Video Game Movie”
The month of February is best known for movies that probably are a hit or miss depending on how good they delivered during the end of the winter season. Well, this year started out with the Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn). Cathy Yen’s Birds of Prey might prove to be Harley Quinn’s redemption from her recent portrayal in the disastrous Suicide Squad. Birds of Prey is directed by Cathy Yen and stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, and Ewan McGregor. The plot centers around Harley Quinn (Robbie), who after splitting up with the Joker, must bring a priceless diamond to Roman Sionis (McGregor) from a thieving little girl, Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco). Her attempt to bring the diamond back involves a lethal assassin, a singer/driver, and a detective as they clash in their attempts to collect the fortune.
Though everyone in this film had stellar character performances, Margot Robbie goes above and beyond. Harley Quinn’s character as a crazed but deadly protagonist never misses a beat as she pulls a combination of comedy and storytelling throughout the film. Even though that Harley Quinn’s character is limited in Suicide Squad, this film took almost four years to perfect the character of Harley Quinn, from everything including the way her dialogue switches between first and third-person perspective to her interactions with every other character on screen.
The most satisfying part of this film is its action choreography. Harley Quinn’s weapon tactics and maneuvers are on par with other action films from this past decade, like the John Wick movies. Each action scene is unique with alternating slow-motion and rapid-fire sequences that leave the audience in amusement and excitement. Each scene features a face-to-face confrontation that reveals a perfectly timed and well-executed action scene filled with dialogue and great cinematography.
However, this film has one major issue that keeps it from being a great DC film: the main antagonist, Roman Sionis (aka Black Mask). His character introduction is too rushed, especially considering that he’s supposed to be the main threat to Harley Quinn. His Black Mask persona doesn’t have any defining personality traits besides getting what he wants and kidnapping the Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco). In contrast, when compared to his other appearances in Batman: Under the Red Hood, Batman: Bad Blood, and Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, the character of Black Mask is a ruthless crime lord in Gotham City whose character is well developed.
Overall, Cathy Yen does a good job of directing Birds of Prey, since DC films are typically poorly received. The directing and writing are on par with films like John Wick and Deadpool. The multiple genres are pulled off surprisingly well and are well balanced. The actors deliver superior performances and all in all, and as a whole, this film definitely tops David Ayer’s Suicide Squad.
3/5 STARS