Fahri Yardim as Larssen and Henriette Confurius as Ulrika, in the German crime series “Roots of Evil.” Courtesy of MHzChoice
German TV gives us this complex crime series, “The Roots of Evil,” (originally “Die Quellen des Bosen”) that straddles more genres than most even attempt. Set in a small community in 1993, it’s a murder mystery involving child abuse, long-buried emotional scars, arcane ritualistic symbols, political machinations (some left over from before The Wall was torn down a few years earlier), supernatural (?) elements, multiple family entanglements, and a large dose of bigotry in a product that blends standard contemporary procedurals with heavy Gothic overtones. The result is a highly bingeable production in six 45-minute episodes.
Ulrika (Henriette Confurius) is the lead detective, working with newly-arrived partner Larssen (Fahri Yardim). While hunting in the forest, Ingrid (Cloe Heinrich), a strange teenager from an even stranger family, finds the body of a young woman meticulously laid out in a tableau of bedding, covered with symbols carved into her skin. This reminds Uli of a case from 20 years earlier that may or may not have actually occurred, involving one of her childhood friends from the nearby orphanage, Christa (Angelina Hantsch). Christa has married a truly loathsome Neo-Nazi petty crook, and has a daughter Sabrina (Sonja Joanne Geller) with whom Uli’s brother Marc (Filip Schnack) is smitten, getting him caught up in the unsavory beliefs and business dealings of her step-dad and his brutish cohorts. Don’t worry. All of that turns out less soapy than how this paragraph reads.
Larssen has his own issues, trying to locate a wife and son who’d left him five years earlier for reasons that slowly unfold. The current case leads to discovery of sex trafficking, with likely connections to whatever happened two decades earlier. Beyond that, the less you know of the plot lines, the more you’ll enjoy the suspenseful proceedings, including a few surprises along the way.
Violence is sparse; displays of the essential gory bits are restrained. No sex or nudity on camera, though sexual activities provide several key plot elements. Many forms of crazy come into play from many characters, and all are well-acted. Casting is solid all around. No one is so glamorous or super-skilled that they undermine the grim, realistic-scale tone of the production. The scripts by two credited writers, based on a story by Ada Fink, maintain several elements of tension while developing a diverse array of believable character arcs.
The package ends with closure on the major issues, succeeding as a self-contained miniseries. There area few minor lingering questions, leaving possibilities to explore in a second season, if enough interest is generated. I’d welcome another round if it is meant to be.
“The Roots of Evil,” in German with English subtitles, streams on MHzChoice starting Apr. 30.
RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars
Ulrike (Henriette Confurius) in the German crime series “Roots of Evil.” Courtesy of MHzChoice
Disney Concerts, Marvel Studios and the Los Angeles Philharmonic are thrilled to announce the premiere of Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience at the iconic Hollywood Bowl on Friday, August 30, and Saturday, August 31. Conducted by the LA Phil’s Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, the Infinity Saga Concert Experience features the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing the specially created score live to picture. This film concert event will transport audiences on a cinematic journey through the studio’s first 23 films, weaving together the legendary characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) into one story from an all-new perspective.
Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience is part of the Hollywood Bowl 2024 Season, which was announced in February. Tickets are currently available to Hollywood Bowl subscribers and multi-show purchasers. Fans who are part of the Marvel loyalty program will receive an email with a presale code to purchase tickets to Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience before the single-show on sale for the general public beginning today, April 30 at 10 a.m. PT.
Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience is a one-of-a-kind concert that brings together memorable events, themes and characters from the MCU. From “The Avengers” to “Iron Man,” “Black Panther,” “Black Widow,” “Thor,” “Captain America,” “Captain Marvel,” “The Hulk,” “Ant-Man,” and more, this unique concert journey celebrates the most beloved characters of the Infinity Saga.
The concert will take fans on a never-before-experienced film concert journey that showcases some of the most memorable moments from many of the biggest movies of this generation. The scores and songs of Marvels’ Infinity Saga movies will be performed live, bringing together some of the most unforgettable moments of the franchise. This includes the iconic theme from “The Avengers” and the show-stopping “Portals” from “Avengers: Endgame,” creating an engaging and unforgettable experience. The show will also include stunning mapped projections on the Bowl shell, taking fans on an epic journey through the MCU.
Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience has been more than a decade in the making and is a must-see for Marvel fans and cine-concert lovers across the globe.
From writer and director John Krasinski, IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids. IF stars Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell alongside many more as the wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination.
Sonya Walger in NEW LIFE. Courtesy of Brainstorm Media
NEW LIFE is a drama that opens with a young woman, Jessie (Hayley Erin), running through the woods, head bleeding (her head, not the woods’). She’s obviously escaping from someone or something, but we won’t find out why she’s in this pickle until about halfway through the film. What we next learn is that she’s trying to flee to safety in Canada. Meanwhile, some unidentified entity with extensive resources hires a first-rate tracker (Sonya Walger) to catch her before she can get to the border. Walger doesn’t learn who she’s actually working for or why they are so hell-bent on catching her until well into the film when we do.
Jessie seems like a nice young woman to viewers and to all she meets in her northward journey through rural areas. There’s suspense in who will help or harm her, since she’s alone and vulnerable. And, even more than Blanche DuBois, dependent on the kindness of strangers. Those strangers observing her ordeal on a screen will be pulling for her.
I can’t give more details without spoilers. If you decide to watch, the less you know, the more interesting it will be, just letting the answers unfold for you when they do for the principals. I chose this one because the talented Ms. Walger is one of the leads, and she did not disappoint. Either she’s not getting as much work as she deserves, or I’m missing whatever she’s been doing. This role is quite a stretch from what I’ve seen her do before, and she nails the complexities of her character.
Writer/director John Rosman is a first-timer in wearing either of those hats. To his credit, the finished product is far superior to what most rookies can deliver. There’s suspense, a satisfying array of characters and performances, mostly mild action, and some yucky bits. That being said, the screenplay leaves considerable room for head-scratching. Rosman manages to have events develop in ways that simultaneously make more and less sense. You’ll know what I mean from your thoughts in the quiet moments – particularly in the latter half.
NEW LIFE is far from groundbreaking but it’s a reasonably engaging piece of speculative fiction, with fine performances from the two leading actresses, and a series of locations presumably chosen to add a sense of realism, in an efficient 85 minutes.
NEW LIFE opens Tuesday, Apr. 30, in select theaters and on-demand on May 3.
On Saturday, WeAreMovieGeeks.com got a sneak peek at the Fall Guy Stuntacular at Universal Studios Hollywood. Based on the upcoming reboot of the 80’s classic TV series, The Fall Guy Stuntacular is a limited running show at the popular movie theme park. Presented just before the Water World stunt show at Universal, this new show features many of the big stunts from the movie. And as if that wasn’t enough, Ryan Gosling, star of the new film was on hand to treat the invited audience to the first look at the stunts and the stunt men and women who make it all possible. Gosling called the film, “a love letter to the stunt community” that has been overshadowed for years. Laughs were also abound, as Gosling doubled down on his likeability and comic chops, joking with the crowd and director of the film David Leitch who was also in attendance.
The pre-show is produced by 87North and will feature new original stunts. It runs from April 27 – May 19.
THE FALL GUY arrives in theaters on May 3, 2024.
Ryan Gosling and David Leitch join ‘THE FALL GUY Stuntacular Pre-Show’ at Universal Studios Hollywood. pic.twitter.com/gzlMUgHIzt
In March Logan Holladay, stunt driver for Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling’s character in The Fall Guy, shattered the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for most cannon rolls in a car, achieving an astonishing eight and a half rolls during the film’s 2022 production on the beaches of Sydney, Australia. This groundbreaking feat in blockbuster director David Leitch’s latest film surpassed the previous record held by stuntman Adam Kirley, who achieved seven cannon rolls during the filming of 2006’s Casino Royale. Holladay executed the stunt behind the wheel of a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee fitted with an external fiberglass body.
The film, which stars Gosling as a stuntman and Emily Blunt as a film director, pays homage to the unsung heroes of the stunt community. Thus, the production prioritized practical stunts. “With The Fall Guy, I’m honoring my roots as a stunt performer,” Leitch says. “We wanted to deliver action that was true to the spirit of the stunt community by incorporating techniques that have become somewhat of a lost art. The cannon roll is a classic stunt and was a must-have for this film. And since we were making a movie that honors the work of stunt performers, we didn’t just set out to achieve the cannon roll; we set out to break records and make a statement. Logan executed it flawlessly and showcased why he’s a standout in the stunt community.”
Meet the stuntmen from the film.
He’s a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?
From real life stunt man and director David Leitch, the blockbuster director of Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and the producer of John Wick, Nobody and Violent Night, comes his most personal film yet. A new hilarious, hard-driving, all-star apex-action thriller and love letter to action movies and the hard-working and under-appreciated crew of people who make them: The Fall Guy.
Oscar® nominee Ryan Gosling (Barbie, La La Land, Drive) stars as Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred stuntman who, having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie—being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno, played by Oscar® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place films, Sicario)—goes missing.
While the film’s ruthless producer (Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham; Ted Lasso), maneuvers to keep the disappearance of star Tom Ryder (Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Bullet Train) a secret from the studio and the media, Colt performs the film’s most outrageous stunts while trying (with limited success) to charm his way back into Jody’s good graces. But as the mystery around the missing star deepens, Colt will find himself ensnared in a sinister, criminal plot that will push him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.
Inspired by the hit 1980s TV series, The Fall Guy also stars Winston Duke (Black Panther franchise) and Academy Award® nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once).
From a screenplay by Hobbs & Shaw screenwriter Drew Pearce, The Fall Guy is produced by Kelly McCormick (Bullet Train, Nobody, Atomic Blonde) and David Leitch for their company 87North, and by Ryan Gosling and by Guymon Casady (Game of Thrones, Steve Jobs and executive producer of the upcoming series Ripley) for Entertainment 360. The film is executive produced by Drew Pearce, Entertainment 360’s Geoff Shaevitz and the creator of the original Fall Guy television series, Glen A. Larson.
Contributed by Michelle McCue and Melissa Thompson
Disney unveiled a first look at “Mufasa: The Lion King,” the new film coming to theaters Dec. 20 that explores the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
Announced this morning is an all-star roster of talent bringing new and fan-favorite characters to life—plus, celebrated award-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda is writing the film’s songs produced by Mark Mancina and Miranda, with additional music and performances by Lebo M.
Said Miranda, “Elton John. Tim Rice. Hans Zimmer. Lebo M. Mark Mancina. Beyoncé, Labrinth, Ilya Salmanzadeh. Beau Black, Ford Riley, the incredible music team on ‘The Lion Guard,’ and so many musical contributors over the years. ‘The Lion King’ has an incredible musical legacy with music from some of the greatest songwriters around, and I’m humbled and proud to be a part of it. It’s been a joy working alongside Barry Jenkins to bring Mufasa’s story to life, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience this film in theaters.
New and returning cast members were called on to lend their voices to the film:
Aaron Pierre as Mufasa
Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, a lion prince with a bright future who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother
Tiffany Boone as Sarabi
Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki
Preston Nyman as Zazu
Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, a formidable lion with big plans for his pride
Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother, Eshe
Lennie James as Taka’s father, Obasi
Anika Noni Rose as Mufasa’s mother, Afia
Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego
John Kani as Rafiki
Seth Rogen as Pumbaa
Billy Eichner as Timon
Donald Glover as Simba
Introducing Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala
And Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala
Additional casting includes Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis and Dominique Jennings.
Blending live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, “Mufasa: The Lion King” is directed by Barry Jenkins, produced by Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen.
Blake Cameron James as Malik and Gian Knight Ramirez as Eric, in WE GROWN NOW. Courtesy of Participant. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
In a touching portrait of childhood friendship, the child-focused WE GROWN NOW captures the magic and innocence of childhood, even one where the two inseparable friends, elementary-school age boys, are growing up in poverty in a housing project that later became infamous for violence and a symbol of urban decay, Chicago’s Cabrini-Green. But in the early 1990s, when this story is set, all that is still in the future although very much on the horizon. Like FLORIDA PROJECT, the story is told from a child point-of-view, as the boys play and explore their world with all the joy and curiosity of childhood.
The real appeal of this moving drama is in performances of the two young actors playing these friends, performances filled with believability and an inescapable appeal and charm. The story is largely told through their eyes, with childhood’s limited view of the world. Their housing complex is falling into physical decay yet the playground is still joyous and filled with children, and the boys are embraced by their loving, stable families, albeit financially-struggling ones.
Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) are inseparable life-long friends, who are next-door neighbors in the Cabrini-Green housing project. The housing complex is filled with families, and many of the parents, like Malik’s mother Dolores (Jurnee Smollett) have grown up there, raised by her mother Anita (S. Epatha Merkerson) who moved to the then-new housing with her husband and daughter, fleeing the Jim Crow South with the Great Migration.
Although the buildings are falling into disrepair, with trash in hallways, a leaking faucet in their apartment that has gone un-repaired despite months of calls to maintenance, and empty apartments, there is family history there.
In an opening scene, the boys take an abandoned mattress from one such apartment, not to sleep on, but to use on the playground to practice their jumping. Another pair of abandoned mattresses in an empty apartment becomes a place for the boys to dream about the world, talk about the future, and imagine a starry sky overhead.
In fact, the boys’ apartments are neat, clean and well-kept homes. Both boys are being raised by single parents who work hard at low-paid jobs. Eric is being raised by his widower father along with his older sister while is being raised by his mother and grandmother. The stable, loving families, and the boys’ parents view of the housing complex as safe and familiar, allows the boys the freedom to play and roam with other children carefree. They attend the local school with other neighborhood children, another orderly, safe place, where they study and share.
Scenes in the playground, surrounded by children jumping rope and engaged in games, and classroom scenes, provide the setting for the boys’ conversations, which are remarkable in their naturalness and childhood charm. There are adventures too, one when they skip school to ride the train into the city and spend the day to the Art Institute and exploring other Chicago sites. Their carefree comfort with exploring their world echoes universal childhood impulses.
Director Minhal Baig grew up in Chicago although in a more prosperous neighborhood area than that of Cabrini-Green but she researched Cabrini Green and its history, and also interviewed people who lived there to build a more human, fuller picture of living there. Baig recalled her childhood view of her city being limited to the parts of it she experienced, from her neighborhood to downtown, and that same sense of childhood’s limited view suffuses WE GROWN NOW, which also reflects how young children like these two boys are largely at the mercy of the decisions of adults in their lives. This story is set at a time of change for Cabrini Green, as it falls into disrepair and the neighborhood around it becomes more dangerous and violent. WE GROWN NOW uses the parents’ personal stories to recap the history of the place, a housing project originally built for war veterans but which by the early 1990s was falling into disrepair, and eventually became a watch-word for urban decay by the time the last buildings were brought down in about 2011. The boys’ story is set at a time when as the neighborhood is changing, as the boys themselves are growing and changing, although they actually are far from grown by the film’s ends, just at a transition point that will impact their lives.
Director Baig incorporates a real event in 1992 in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood into this story, the death of a boy accidentally killed by a stray bullet while walking down the street. The event plays a role as a pivotal point in the film, with the boys attending the child’s funeral and then discussing life, death and wondering if there is an afterlife. Meanwhile, the sudden random act of violence jolts their parents, changing the adults’ view of a neighborhood they had thought of as safe, in which their children could be free to roam.
The sudden violence is combined with other changes that further alarm their parents. The housing complex becomes the focus of police, in the grip of the War On Drugs, who rouse all residents at 2am for complex-wide warrant-less searches for drugs, leaving apartments in disarray. There are new rules, along with new mandatory ID for residents, even small children, and intrusive security restrictions. The changing environment, and opportunity for a promotion, prompts hard decisions that threaten to separate the inseparable boys.
The focus on the two young friends, and their child-view world, makes this drama both magical and heartbreaking, as the world shifts around them. The young actors are so good in this film, and their believable bond so strong and so moving, that it gives the story about a specific place and time both a timelessness and universality, and a powerful emotional pull. As the film notes at its end, a place is really made of its people, and our memories of them.
Whew, it’s not even May, and the cinematic “body count” rises up considerably with another lone, determined warrior facing nearly insurmountable odds. I suppose this is more of the “JOHN WICK” effect, as filmmakers try to “up the ante” and deliver a flick with near wall-to-wall frenetic action. So far this year we’ve gone from the spy showdowns of ARGYLE to the avenger of the elderly THE BEEKEEPER, and winding up a couple of weeks ago with the manic MONKEY MAN (not to mention the ballistic ballerina ABIGAIL and THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, which wasn’t shown to the press). For this week’s thriller we’re sent to a near future time in an exotic foreign land as, in a nod either to old Variety newspaper headlines or the beloved ABC TGIF sitcom, BOY KILLS WORLD.
And it is a nasty dystopian world for the preteen boy (Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti), who is being trained in the jungle by the surly, “slave-driving” Shaman (Yayan Ruhian). And just what is he being trained for? Revenge, natch’, against the leader (mayor, or perhaps president) of the nearby city-state Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen). It seems there’s been an annual event during her 25 years in office, a big ceremony/celebration known as “The Culling”. Basically, her thug army rounds up a dozen or so troublemakers for a public execution. Recently Hilda took out the boy’s kid sister Mina and their underground rebel mother. Somehow the Shaman whisked the boy into the woods and deprived him of his hearing and speech before the mentoring began. The years pass and the lad becomes an adult (Bill Skarsgard). He and the Shaman head to the city’s market on “Culling Eve” and witness an attack on the populace by Hilda’s forces led by her flashy, sleazy spokesman son-in-law Gideon (Sharlito Copley) and her speech-writing son Glen (Bret Gelman). During the melee, the “Boy” breaks from the Shaman and makes his way to a secret hidden weapons factory. After a furious battle, he teams with an enslaved worker, Basho (Andrew Koji) and the last of the “resistance” Benny (Isaiah Mustafa) to infiltrate the Van Der Koy mansion. But do they stand a chance against the minions commanded by daughter Melanie (Michelle Dockery) and spearheaded by the mysterious, savage June 27 (Jessica Rothe)? Maybe, if the boy can ignore the taunts of the ghost of his kid sister Mina (Quinn Copeland) and heed his inner voice (H. Jon Benjamin)…
After terrifying audiences as the child-killing clown Pennywise in the recent pair of IT flicks, Skarsgard puts those expressive dark eyes to good use as the film’s silent “wrecking ball”. And he communicates thoroughly whether he’s filled with adrenaline prior to battle, or must quickly formulate a new plan as things inevitably go awry. Most importantly Skarsgard conveys Boy’s sadness and his yearning for a time before the violence and the heartbreaking loss. We see that in his scenes with Copeland who goes from cute to snarky to coldly savage as the ghostly kid sister Mina (perhaps a nod to the Dracula heroine). The actors having the most fun might be the crew playing members of the Van Der Koy dynasty. Dockery is pure unbridled ambition as the calculating Melanie. Gelman is an erudite murderous “poison pen” as the pompous scribe Glen, a great sparring partner with the equally arrogant “showboat” Gideon. But none are more chilling than Mama played as an unpredictable unhinged “hair-trigger” by the aloof, slinky Janssen. Though he’s teaching and aiding the boy in his quest for justice, Ruhian could also be considered a “bad guy” as he appears to delight in his tasks of torture and agony. Rothe makes a compelling enforcer (with standards) as the enigmatic 6/27. And I must single out the snarky narration of Benjamin, mixing the Boy’s sense of wonder with the bravado of an old-style action hero.
Director Moritz Mohr, who co-wrote the film based upon his previous self-tittled short, has a kinetic frenetic visual style, which may be what attracted producer Sam Raimi (I’m sure his EVIL DEAD trilogy was an inspiration). He puts you right in the thick of the action as the camera seems to dance about the combatants, weaving in and out, leaving the viewer nearly spent after a big stunt sequence. Yes, the energy is up, but it becomes somewhat repetitive after a bit, even to the point of (sorry) “overkill”. Maybe it’s too soon after the superior MONKEY MAN, but the story seems to lurch between the big battle sequences. Yes, there are some very clever ideas, with “The Culling” mixing elements of THE HUNGER GAMES, THE PURGE, and a touch of THE RUNNING MAN and the visor on the helmet of June 27 projecting digital messages (“Back away”, “No kids” and, of course “F#$* you”). It adds to the casual inhuman cruelty of the Van Der Koys, who also seem to stand in for many despised “one-percenters”. And there are a few amusing “call-backs”, particularly Boy’s inability to read the lips of Benny, resulting in a strange deluge of nonsense words. But just as the script shows a bit of wit, we’re soon drowning in a sea of gore (the CGI plasma bursts quickly became stale), perhaps hitting its zenith with a tribute to the Black Night of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (I kept waiting for the drug-fueled goon to shout, “None shall pass!”). Mohr tries to dazzle us with some third-act plot twists and reveals, but we’re too pummeled by the body count to really care. Even action flick junkies may feel as though they’ve been “over-served” by the indulgences and excess of BOY KILLS WORLD.
2.5 Out of 4
BOY KILLS WORLD is now playing in theatres everywhere
This weekend brings a unique hybrid, a mixing of genres that has happened in the past but is somewhat rare. Perhaps it’s because one of the genres is the sports movie, more specifically tennis. Yes, there have been a couple of prominent films within the last couple of years, though they were “inspired by true stories”, mainly the Oscar-winning KING RICHARD and the humorous, but “for reals”, BATTLE OF THE SEXES. This new flick is pure fiction, though gleaned from recent players, and it’s also (the other genre) a dramatic love story. Oh, and this is the big selling point for the studio, it’s a true “love triangle”, as two male tennis “hotshots” share a passion for the game and the same woman. So, in the sport and the romance, these two are truly motivated CHALLENGERS.
In the film’s opening moments, we get a few short “flashes” of the big “showdown” of the “racketeers”. Then suddenly the story shifts back to a few days prior at the somewhat “minor” tennis tournament sponsored by a chain of retail automobile tire stores, not in Forest Hills, but in New Rochelle New York (being a classic TV fan I wondered if the venue was near Rob and Laura Petrie’s old house). That’s the destination for fading tennis ace Art Donaldson (Mike Faist). Yes, he’s had a rough last few months as he just can’t get “in the groove”. His wife/trainer/agent Tashi (Zendaya) knows this and believes her hubby can begin the climb back to the top with this smaller tourney (less pressure and press). Also arriving for the event is tennis “outsider” Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) who tries to charm his way into a nearby motel because his cards are maxed out. He also believes this gig could be his ticket back into the “big time” if he can “hype up” a match with his former partner/pal now rival Art. And soon we’re flashing much further back to when those two were doubles partners at a big tennis bout for college-aged athletes. Art and Patrick have their fans, but all eyes there are on the court “phenom” Tashi. The fellas also are “caught in her wake”. And somehow she drops in at their messy hotel room for a few beers and some “sexy time”. Eventually, Tashi and Patrick become a “power couple” until a devastating injury sidelines her. Art then swoops in for some TLC which leads to marriage and a sweet baby girl (now an adorable toddler). But with Patrick back in their lives will Tashi return to her former “bad boy”? When Patrick and Art finally face off in the big match much more than the trophy and prize money are at stake…
As the driving force in the story (and the film itself, as a producer) Zendaya gives Tashi a commanding “take charge” persona, knowing the exact words needed to say to the two pros to achieve her goals. Unfortunately, this costs much of Tashi’s humanity after seeing her as the vibrant almost ethereal muse in the earliest flashback. But Zendaya conveys Tashi’s heartbreak as she must turn her back on playing in the sport she dearly adores, which perhaps fuels those ambitions for Art. Faist, terrific in WEST SIDE STORY and the little-seen PINBALL: THE MAN WHO SAVED THE GAME, is the more passive of the trio, though he gives us a hint of his own aggression nature in the montage of his career downturn. Faist also shows us Art’s slow dissolution in his downcast eyes as he hands his future tennis glory over to his wife. This is also in contrast to that early scene in which he has a pure love for the court and its fabulous princess, or is she the queen? Well, the slithering “snake” in their Eden might be O’Connor has the desperately opportunistic Patrick. The “gravy train” has almost passed him by, and we see that he’s running to hop about the back of its caboose. While Art is headed toward “the rocks”, Patrick is trying to avoid crashing again. This is best shown by O’Connor as he tries to use his considerable charm and charisma to grab a motel room and to schmooze info, and a prized spot, from the event staff. He’s also compelling in his early days as he shows us that his affection for Art nearly matches his desire for Tashi (and he wonders what might have been with her). This is quite a talented trio in this film.
They’re guided by director Luca Guadagnino (BONES AND ALL), who indeed gets their best work. It’s just a shame that his storytelling choices thwart the performances, making their motivations as confusing as the timelines, which is needlessly convoluted (the tennis match appears to be quite a marathon. The tennis is shot fairly well, although the CGI tennis balls rocketing towards the camera grows stale (I image it in 3D), and his “homage’ to Hitchcock’s STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (Tashi stares straight ahead while everyone’s following the ball). But that’s not as intolerable and just plain annoying as the decision to disrupt scenes with a thumbing techno-pop score so loud that the dialogue is nearly incomprehensible. Really, you don’t want us to hear your actors? After this audio assault, we’re visually “drenched” by the long lingering shots of the players dripping sweat directly into the camera lens. The film’s marketers are highlighting the big hotel room tryst with the trio, but it occurs briefly in the first third of the film. Granted, there’s a raw “naughty” energy to it, that’s never matched by the remaining ninety or so minutes. There could be a compelling movie about these characters whose lives and careers are so interconnected, but Guadgnino just sabotages all the pacing and drama to go into “artsy-distraction” (I so wanted to use the rhyming “f” word there). In trying to delve into the world of this trio and of the grittier side of the sport, moviegoers will be truly challenged by the messy mechanics of CHALLENGERS.
Today, Apple TV+ revealed the trailer for “The Big Cigar,” the upcoming limited series led by André Holland, who stars alongside Alessandro Nivola, Tiffany Boone, P. J. Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Moses Ingram, Rebecca Dalton, Olli Haaskivi, Jordane Christie and Glynn Turman. “The Big Cigar” makes its global debut on May 17 with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday through June 14.
Based on the magazine article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman (“Argo”), who also serves as executive producer, “The Big Cigar” tells the incredible true story of Hollywood revolution meeting social revolution. It’s a wild caper about Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton escaping from the FBI to Cuba with the assistance of famed producer Bert Schneider in an impossibly elaborate plan — involving a fake movie production — that goes wrong every way it possibly can.
NAACP Image Award winner Janine Sherman Barrois (“Claws,” “Self Made”) is the showrunner of “The Big Cigar.” Executive producer Jim Hecht (“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”) penned the show’s first episode. The series hails from Warner Bros. Television, where Sherman Barrois and her Folding Chair Productions are under an overall deal. Sherman Barrois and Hecht are executive producing alongside Bearman, Joshua Davis and Arthur Spector (“Little America”) through their production company Epic.
