Review: ‘A Sun’ Shines as a Rich Family Drama

The opening scene of A Sun, the latest film by Taiwanese director Mong-Hong Chung and Best Picture winner at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse Awards, contains an unexpectedly violent tragedy that establishes the tone for the remaining 150 minutes of the film. In this scene, which is interspersed with beautiful shots of nighttime Taipei and enhanced by calming string music, we see two young men enter a restaurant and, with a machete, chop off the forearm of another man. This shockingly violent and gripping beginning lets the audience know that A Sun will not allow its audience an easy viewing experience, and it prepares viewers for some of the more unexpected tragic moments that are sure to follow.

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Review: ‘Miss Americana’ is a Vulnerable and Compelling Look Inside the Life of a Star

As acclaimed writer/director Paul Scharder once said, “About Taylor Swift, let there be no doubt… she is the light that gives meaning to each to all our lives, the godhead who makes existence possible and without whom we would wander forever in bleak unimaginable darkness.” While this quote is somewhat overstating things, it is true that Taylor Swift, whether one likes her or hates her, has an immense amount of staying power in 21st century pop culture. This has only become more true in the past few years, as she has made headlines again and again; not only for her music but also for voicing her stance against Marsha Blackburn in the 2018 Tennessee Senate race, her support of the Equality Act, and most recently, her battle for control over her masters. Regardless of one’s opinion of her, Swift appears to be here to stay.

Miss Americana, much like Swift’s music, aims to provide a look inside the private life of one of America’s most famous pop stars. This contrast between public image and private life is at the core of pop music, which is essentially personal experience made into universally relatable and easy to consume art. This tension is eloquently presented in 2018’s Vox Lux, but it is quite another thing to see in documentary filmmaking. To her credit, Lana Wilson does an excellent job capturing Swift’s vulnerability. She looks genuinely comfortable discussing deeply personal issues in front of the camera. Wilson further accentuates this vulnerability by contrasting loud moments of Swift’s performances on stage with the much quieter private interactions she has behind the scenes with friends and family. The audience learns that Taylor Swift, in front of as well as behind the camera, is funny, thoughtful, and reflective. Indeed, in Miss Americana Swift spends a great deal of time discussing her relationship with her need for validation and public approval. It’s nice to see Swift going from talking about how these bad habits have shaped her life and career to joking about them while filming a music video. She truly seems to have a more healthy grasp on public opinion and how it affects her than she used to. Another virtue of Miss Americana is the way it captures the real joy that Swift takes to her songwriting. In this modern age, the production of a song is so rarely something seen publicly, and the way it is portrayed in this documentary highlights how much work, energy, and love goes into the process.

One subject neither the documentary nor Swift shy away from is her political beliefs and her desire to express them. Miss Americana spends a large amount of time on Swift’s struggle to voice her political opinions and the fallout of that expression. In terms of politics, one could be tempted to call Swift’s attempts at activism “too little too late”, but Wilson goes out of her way to portray the reasons for Swift’s silence, or lack thereof, in a clear, understandable, and sympathetic light. In one scene, when discussing her stance against Marsha Blackburn, Swift talks about how she doesn’t feel right standing on stage wishing her audience a happy Pride Month if she won’t actually take a stand when LGBT+ rights are on the line. This was interesting to hear, as it is a critique of Swift that has often been heard from LGBT+ activists, as well as, anecdotally, other LGBT+ people in my own life. This comment ties into an overarching pattern of Swift showing a truly impressive level of self-awareness when it comes to her own faults and shortcomings, but also her strengths as an artist. At one point in Miss Americana, she comments on how every artist in the industry has a specialty, and she states with confidence that hers is her storytelling abilities. It’s this level of confidence and self-knowledge that is so fascinating to see from a celebrity, especially one that has spent so long in the public eye like Swift.

From a filmmaking perspective, Miss Americana isn’t anything really new or innovative. Wilson lets her subject speak for herself and take the spotlight over filmic technique, which really works for the type of personal story being told. That being said, the structure of the film is somewhat meandering, and its lack of order makes it hard to follow at times. There were some visually interesting sequences, especially the one that accompanies Swift’s reflection on her testimony during her sexual assault countersuit. Other than that, it was fairly standard in terms of the actual footage being presented. The one thing notably missing from the documentary is any discussion of the controversy surrounding Swift’s masters, but that could be explained by certain legal guidelines which are, quite frankly, above this writer’s pay grade. Overall, Wilson’s documentary feels open and genuine. While it may be lacking in directorial or editorial flare, that isn’t something that is really needed for such a deeply grounded story and portrayal. In fact, the use of such a style might actually distract from the story being told.

Miss Americana is an interesting and unique look at one of the biggest pop culture figures of the past decade. That being said, ones opinion on Swift will most likely factor into their enjoyment of the documentary. If you’re a fan of Taylor Swift, this is a can’t-miss treat. If you’re not, it’s still a humanizing and fascinating character study. It maybe isn’t as critical as it could have been, but that most likely wasn’t something the director was attempting to bring to the documentary. Overall, Miss Americana is a captivating documentary and a solid start to the filmic year.

4/5 STARS

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Review: ‘Gretel and Hansel’ is a Beautiful but Ultimately Hollow Mess

The tale of “Hansel and Gretel” is a tale as old as time, or at least as old as medieval times. Gretel and Hansel, directed by Oz Perkins, follows a similar, if much darker, story. Kicked out of their home and desperate for work, Gretel (Sophia Lillis) and her younger brother Hansel (Samuel Leakey) journey into the woods to look for employment. Lost and hungry, they are taken in by a mysterious old woman (Alice Krige), whose house is made of wood, not candy. As she takes care of them, we begin to realize that things are not exactly what they seem.

The central issue of Gretel and Hansel is that it is badly written. It sounds like it was written by an artificial intelligence who was locked in a room and forced to watch Robert Eggers’ The Witch on an endless loop, and was then forced to write a “Hansel and Gretel” adaptation. In short, none of the characters talk like real people. All the dialogue sounds stilted and inhuman, and not because of the somewhat old-timey style (again, see The Witch). Every line of dialogue is so loaded with turns of phrase and metaphor that it sounds utterly removed from anything a human being would say. You can practically hear the screenwriters congratulating themselves for writing cool sounding lines. Simply put, it just sounded unnatural and it robbed the characters of any humanity they might have had. That being said, let there be credit where due: Lillis does a great job with what she is given, delivering a compelling performance. One of the best scenes in the film by far is one in which Gretel comes to a important, plot altering realization. On a related note, that scene is also devoid of dialogue.

The issues with the script go far deeper than the poorly written dialogue. The third act features a twist which barely builds tension and changes absolutely nothing about the stakes or character dynamics featured in the climax of the film. Gretel and Hansel also features side characters with seemingly no purpose, explanation, or motivation other than to force the main characters from point A to point B. The worst offender is The Hunter (Charles Babalola). Perhaps he is part of some arcane “Hansel and Gretel” lore this writer is not familiar with, but nevertheless his inclusion felt akin to the worst and most out of place character cameos in the MCU.

As you’ve probably noticed, this film is called Gretel and Hansel, not “Hansel and Gretel”. True to its name, Gretel takes the spotlight in this story over her brother. This narrative choice does gesture in the direction of feminism, and the rest of the film vaguely shuffles in that direction as well. However, this film’s main antagonist, the witch, follows in a long line of empowered “feminist” villains, whose beliefs are undercut by their position in the narrative. It’s hard to figure out what point the film is making when the witch is waxing poetic about the power of the queen in chess and feminine intuition in one scene and then attempting child murder in the next.

The main thing that Gretel and Hansel has going for it is that it is truly gorgeous. I would like to hear the story of cinematographer Galo Olivares’ own trip into the woods, because he clearly made some demonic pact in order to create visuals this stunning. Additionally, the score was genuinely captivating. It was more electronic than one would expect from a “period” piece, but it really worked with the overall surreal and fantastical tone of the film. In short, Gretel and Hansel very much places style above substance. This is not in and of itself an inherently poor choice. “Style over substance” can work quite well, as long as the style serves the substance and is not just style for style’s sake. The style of Gretel and Hansel, gorgeous lighting and creepy costuming and genuinely excellent sets, is not incongruous with its substance, a dark folk horror adaptation of an already “Grimm” fairytale. However, that substance is so poor and badly done that the style, with nothing to support it, falls flat. The gorgeous cinematography of Gretel and Hansel is not style, but rather an illusion; a conjuring trick. It is a distraction from the fact that you are watching an incredibly badly written film.

One has to wonder what the filmmakers wanted to achieve by making this adaptation. What bearing does “Hansel and Gretel” have on the present day? Films don’t always need to connect to current social issues, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. The film begins with a voiceover telling us a story with a clear moral. Gretel and Hansel has no morals, other something muddled about “embracing your inner self”, which is further watered down by the contradictory teachings of the witch and Gretel’s own desires. To put it vaguely, for spoilers sake, in the end, the witch gets exactly what she wants from Gretel, and we, the audience, are not given enough from the story to know whether or not this is a happy ending.

Gretel and Hansel is a badly written atmospheric horror heralding the end of so-called “dump month”. It is a feast for the eyes, not the mind. This isn’t always a bad thing, but visuals can only get a film so far when it has nothing else to offer its audience.

1/5 STARS

Review: ‘The Traitor’ Turns a Fascinating, True Story into Yet Another Unremarkable Mafia Movie

Tommaso Buscetta, a middling member of the Cosa Nostra, or Sicilian mafia, is best known for his betrayal of the mob as an informant for the Italian government. His testimony helped to prosecute nearly 500 members of the Sicilian mafia in the 1980s, and, after fleeing to the United States, Buscetta remained a member of the Witness Protection Program until his death from cancer in 2000. Because Buscetta’s story has all the elements of a great mafia movie–feuding Sicilian families, senseless violence, betrayal, moral conflict, legal drama–it is logical to assume that his biopic would be a well-executed, emotionally fraught film. However, The Traitor, Italy’s submission for the 2020 Oscars, does not do right by its gripping historical basis, and it turns the unique, complicated story of Tommaso Buscetta into an overly lengthy, tiresome, conventional mafia film.

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Review: ‘The Last Full Measure’ Is a Well-Intentioned Pander to Audiences’ Sentimentality

The Vietnam War is one of the darkest spots on the long scroll of American history. One of the bloodiest battles in one of the most violent wars in recent memory was the Battle of Xa Cam My, the repercussions of which are chronicled in Todd Robinson’s first feature since 2013, The Last Full Measure. This film follows the trials undertaken by Pentagon lawyer, Scott Huffman, thirty-two years after Xa Cam My to get the Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to war hero, William H. Pitsenbarger. Pitsenbarger, affectionately referred to as ‘Pits’ by his comrades, was an Air Force Pararescueman who stepped in to assist the wounded on the ground of Xa Cam My after the Infantry’s medic was injured. Pitsenbarger was unfortunately killed during the battle after continually opting to stay on the ground. A group of his friends and the men he rescued initially petitioned for his Medal of Honor soon after the Vietnam War ended, but it was denied. In 1997, one of the men, Tully, approached Huffman with a renewed vigor and a new attempt for the Medal. Ultimately, they succeeded in earning the Medal for Pitsenbarger, who ultimately rescued over 60 men.

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Review: ‘The Gentlemen’ is Guy Ritchie’s Redemption

The month of January is best known for forgettable movies that have no purpose but besides being a filler for other future movies in the winter season. This year, that changed that with releases like Bad Boys for Life. As for Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, it might prove to be Guy Ritchie’s redemption from his disastrous Aladdin remake. The Gentlemen stars Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant. The plot centers around an American (McConaughey) who becomes rich by building a marijuana empire in London. His attempt to sell it triggers chaos when a drug lord, a British gangster, and others clash in their attempts to collect his fortune.

Though everyone in this film had great performances, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant go above and beyond. Hugh Grant’s performance as a private detective never misses a beat as he pulls a combination of comedy and story-telling during tense scenes. Even though Hugh Grant hasn’t appeared in a lot of recent films, this film is surely a reestablishing moment for him, from the way he delivers his lines to his interactions with almost every vital character on screen. Colin Farrell has one of the funniest and memorable characters in this film. His delivery of his reaction towards certain problems that his character encounters stands out, especially given how fast paced the film is.

Finally, a gangster-genre film that has something going. There haven’t been a lot of movies featuring the mixed genres of action, comedy, and crime all rolled into one (besides Guy Ritchies’ past films) in recent years. This film knows when to act serious and when to act funny. A balance is achieved when the film properly focuses on the comedy aspect and at other times when the film focuses on shocking plot twists. Gangsters films can be serious, but Guy Ritchie’s directing and writing know when scenes should and shouldn’t take itself too seriously. This results in by having small but amazing performances from an ensemble cast and quirky comedy in character dynamics.

Overall, Guy Ritchie has finally redeemed himself from last year’s Aladdin remake. The directing and writing were on par with his previous films, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and RocknRolla. The multiple genres featured in The Gentleman are surprisingly good and well-blended. The actors deliver performances so great it’s as if they were destined to play their respective roles. All in all, this is a film that’s both enjoyable and entertaining in many ways.

3/5 STARS

Review: In Need of a Good Eye Roll? ‘The Turning’ Has You Covered

Exposure therapy is a method of treatment targeted toward anxiety disorders. It works by exposing the patient to the source of their anxiety in a non-threatening environment in order to desensitize them to it. This is exactly what has happened to ghost movies over the past few decades. There are tropes that define nearly every entry in the genre and cause them to all be nearly identical save for a different mentally perturbed damsel in distress. Some of these tropes include, but are not limited to; prolonged silences filled with swelling string music as the protagonist wanders through a dark room, footprints appearing on the floor without any corporeal form attached to them, children talking to ghosts, children drawing disturbing pictures of themselves and said ghosts, and certain areas of creepy old houses being off limits to the protagonist. The Turning falls victim to all of these tropes and then some.

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Review: Don’t Believe the Critics, ‘Dolittle’ is… Pretty Decent

Classic novels have a reputation for constant adaptations. The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle, written by Hugh Lofting in 1923, is one of the ones with some of the most iconic adaptations – both the 1967 film starring Rex Harrison and the 1998 ironic masterpiece starring Eddie Murphy are both great for two very different reasons.

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Review: ‘Bad Boys For Life’ Surprises Among Dump Month Releases

The month of January in film is known for cheap and underwhelming releases. Last year, that was Glass and the previous year was Proud Mary. Oh, and should we even mention 2017’s The Bye-Bye Man? Basically, no matter what film it is, it’s a rare occurrence that a film to be well received. Despite these films being thrown in the start of a new year, each outcome seems to be fatigued and one-dimensional. However, Bad Boys for Life might prove to be an unexpected good January film.

Bad Boys for Life is directed by the duo of Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrenece reprising their roles as Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett. Lowery and Burnett are back together to take down a drug cartel that wants Lowery dead. The script is well executed due to its blend of action and buddy-cop comedy, especially considering it is a franchise from the 1990’s returning to screen in the 2020’s. The return stars some new and old faces as well, each of which have great performances and vitality to the plot. The chemistry between Smith and Lawrence is hilarious; They clearly “still got it” with their laughable jokes and puns and haven’t missed a step as partners.

The most satisfying part of this film is its antagonists, played by Jacob Scipio and Kate del Castillo. Kate del Castillo, known for telenovelas and feature films such as La Reina del Sur and Ingobernables, tries her hardest to sell her character as this unstoppable force that the protagonists can’t defeat. The previous two Bad Boys films had featured some sort of drug cartel and the capture of an important character in relation to the protagonists only to find out that they get shot and end of movie. Here, this film executes the antagonist by having her be mysterious in the first and second act until there’s a certain flashback in relation with the antagonist and somebody else from her past.

However, this film has two minor issues that keeps it from being a great buddy-cop film: the transitions and the soundtrack. From time to time, small transitions revealing different parts of Miami feel like the film wanted to emphasize the atmosphere of Miami even though most of the movie is already in Miami. The transitions are unnecessary, especially in a film franchise such as Bad Boys, which doesn’t need transitions to keep the plot moving. As for the soundtrack, it’s just a mix of some new music that’s from generation Z and even then it was only used as background music for club scenes or transitions. This is in contrast to the first film, which provided some instrumental music that fit the tone of the film whereas here.

All I can say about this film is this- it’s a surprisingly good film that has a stellar cast, including a very strong antagonist, a well-executed plot, and laughable and interesting moments from Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett. While this film is the third entry of a twenty-five year old franchise, Bad Boys for Life tops the first two films out of the dust.

3/5 STARS

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Review: ‘Underwater’ Should Stay at the Bottom of the Ocean

Underwater is the latest of the Fox films to be released after Disney’s acquisition of the company, stuck in limbo and put out to die in months like January. Unfortunately, the is a case when this treatment is warranted; Underwater should sink back to where it came from. This wannabe horror film barely rises to the level of a B thriller movie. Its problems are numerous; weak acting, an even weaker trope-filled script, and an oversized budget with an inexperienced director to boot. Underwater lacks what it takes to be relevant when the horror genre has shown us it could be so much more than cheap thrills and jump scares.

Underwater features an ensemble cast, starring Kristen Stewart, veteran actor Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick, John Gallagher Jr., Mamoudou Athie, and T.J. Miller. The disgraced actor’s inclusion here clearly dates the film as it had its principal photography finished in mid-2017, long-gestating in a post-production hell. The cast leads us through a plot devoid of any message or theme, pulled along only on the minimal tension brought about by the question of whether or not anyone will survive the contrived mess.

This film couldn’t even bother with a proper beginning and ending, opting instead for hectic newspaper montages that bookend the ninety-five minutes of footage. The cast is meant to be portraying mechanics and engineers, but almost all look too young to have even graduated college. Certainly none of them demonstrate their superior intellect at any point during the plot. In any case, if they did, there wouldn’t be a movie. Stewart and Henwick are the only two with anything to do in the story, with Henwick surprisingly being the standout between the two. Between this and Charlies Angels (2019), I can’t say for certain if Stewart just needs a new agent or if she ever really did break out of her Twilight days. Vincent Cassel phones in his performance and the rest aren’t even of note, as in some cases, they are literally unconsciousness for over half the movie.

The plot is the same forgettable recycled drama that every film wanting to capture what Alien did in 1979 has used for the past forty-one years. It’s tired and predictable every step of the way, every beat being painfully telegraphed beforehand. Quite honestly, I’m not sure if this movie has a single unique element. This is only Eubank’s third directorial outing and it shows; the thirty-seven-year-old director clearly hasn’t had experience managing a budget of this size and I’m not sure where the eighty million dollars went sometimes.

Although I’ve spent the review largely defaming this production, it isn’t offensively bad and it definitely won’t make you fall asleep. You likely won’t leave feeling offended, but more of an empty feeling as if you’ve just wasted your time. This movie doesn’t ruin anything else, it just doesn’t have anything new to offer. The new decade is off to a rough start; it’d be better to skip Underwater and catch up on any of the Oscar nominated films you may have missed from last year.

2.5/5 STARS