Ad Astra

September 26, 2019 at 7:12 pm | Posted in 2019 | Leave a comment
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◊ ◊ ½

This beautiful, pensive film feels like a story from another era. Understandably, one might be tempted to compare it to “2001: A Space Odyssey” in pacing, imagery, and heady themes. However, I was more struck by how much it seemed to be almost exactly like “Apocalypse Now.” An emotionally detached/traumatized man takes a journey across the Milky Way (rather than the Mekong) deep into the heart of darkness, searching for another man who has allegedly gone rogue. Once separated from civilization, that other man lost himself. Along the way, the audience is subjected to the protagonist’s moody speculations and philosophizing. Brad Pitt seemed to even match Martin Sheen’s monotonic delivery of his internal dialogue. His character “Roy” had the same sense of sad detachment. Also, very much like “Apocalypse Now,” director James Gray (“The Lost City of Z“) seemed to be trying to say something. Perhaps it’s about human connection, or maybe it’s a cautionary tale: take care of the planet; it’s all we have. That deeper message isn’t entirely clear to me, and that may be what this film needed in order to really land. The pacing felt very slow and pensive, but I don’t mind that if the ideas it raises engage me. But I was never clear what those ideas were exactly. The film is beautiful; it very much stole its aesthetic from “2001.” There is a starkness that I loved. “Ad Astra” felt like a bold attempt to be more than most of modern science fiction. I’m not sure how well it succeeded, but I appreciated the attempt.

Hustlers

September 16, 2019 at 1:57 pm | Posted in 2019 | Leave a comment
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This is not the sort of film I would ever plan to attend. I have not seen “Showgirls” or “Magic Mike” or “Striptease.” These types of movies (be they serious or campy) feel a little exploitative to me. But, when I read several reviewers suggesting that J.Lo ought to be nominated for an Oscar, I was more than a little curious (almost incredulous, in fact). As it turns out, my incredulity was unfair, as Lopez gave a remarkably strong performance, though I think the real star was Constance Wu (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “Fresh Off the Boat”). Based on a true story (as, it seems, is virtually every movie these days), the story traces a group of erotic dancers who develop a way to scam rich men out of tens of thousands of dollars over the course of an evening. It’s difficult to categorize this film. It certainly has elements of comedy. In fact, the film is sometimes very funny, though most of those jokes are delivered so bone dry that you can easily find yourself thinking, “wait. Was that meant to be a joke?” On the other hand, the story arc of the film is quite serious and some moments are deeply touching (even heartbreaking), especially Destiny’s and Ramona’s relationship. But the film isn’t exactly a drama, either. Mostly, it’s just a raucous good time. There is lots of loud music, laughter, dancing, and general carrying on. This mood, more than anything else, is what propels the movie along. It would be hard to get bored or to even spend much time criticizing the film, because you get so caught up in the momentum. That said, this is a solidly good film, but it is nowhere near a great one. Lopez does play her character well. She is sassy, sexy, angry, cruel, sweet, and vulnerable; and all of those emotions are believable. No matter what she does, the audience likes her. That’s a tribute to Lopez, but I’m not sure she deserves an Oscar for it. When people like Glenn Close aren’t rewarded after stunning performances, I am not sure how Lopez gets on the list. So, maybe not as good as I was led to believe, but definitely a fun, funny, and moving film none-the-less.

Ready or Not

September 6, 2019 at 12:08 pm | Posted in 2019 | Leave a comment
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Comedy-horror is not a new subgenre; and, in fact, it’s hard to do it better than “Scream” did. That high bar aside, this was an amusing distraction that sometimes made me jump. While it was generally funnier than it was scary, it gamely kept me on my toes through its lean 90 minutes. The premise is this (and I don’t think it spoils much to share the first big shocker of the movie, as it is the selling point in all the trailers): The film starts with a wedding. Grace (Samara Weaving) and Alex (Mark O’Brien) are getting married. After 5 years of dating, she has finally forced his hand (marry me or I leave). But the Le Domas family has a strange wedding night custom. Actually, it is more like an utterly absurd, straining credulity, custom. This film could only be made as a comedy; it’s just too ridiculous to take seriously at all. When the game is underway and people start dying, that same absurdity cuts deeply into the scare factor. It’s hard to feel afraid of (or even creeped out by) silliness. Part of what made “Scream” so brilliant is how it was able to do both really effectively. Here, directors  (mostly an actor who has directed some shorts before this) and Tyler Gillett (mostly a cinematographer who has directed TV episodes) attempt to ratchet up the scare factor with over-the-top gore. This is not an uncommon technique horror directors use, but it has never worked with me; being grossed out and being scared are not the same thing. They also rely too heavily on jump scares, rather than real horror. And even the big twist of the film was so telegraphed that I had been waiting for it almost since the beginning. That said, the film was more successful as a comedy. Andie MacDowell was quite good as the exasperated mother trying to keep the family of psychopaths focused. Adam Brody gives the most earnest and heartfelt performance in the movie, which was generally short on sincerity. As the lead, Weaving’s slightly hammy performance was exactly what her role called for. She has has mostly had supporting roles until now, and this film may help raise her profile. Nobody will be talking about “Ready or Not” a year from now. I wouldn’t rush out and see it. But, when it shows up on Netflix, curling up on the couch with some popcorn will probably feel like an evening well spent.

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