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September 21, 2018

LIFE ITSELF (2018) – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 1:39 am

This week’s major studio (well, Amazon has snagged an Oscar or two) release is a big, star-studded bit of Oscar bait (it’s now Fall, ya’ know) that tries to answer a sixty-or-so year old question: can a current TV “wunderkind” also strike gold at the box office while being at the top of the Nielsen TV ratings? Yes, Dan Fogelman hopes to be a multi-media, double threat. His TV show, “This is Us”, is a real rarity, a broadcast network (NBC) show that has as fervent a fan base as those programs on cable (basic and premium) and streaming (oh, Amazon does that, too). He wants to expand that base into the nation’s multiplexes this weekend with this “quasi-anthology” storyline (well, storylines) jumping back and forth between cultures and countries (subtitles=serious cinema). So, will we be treated to another TRAFFIC or BABEL, or will it land with a loud, pretentious thud like THIRD PERSON (one of its stars is in this one also)? Well, the box office numbers are almost as unpredictable as LIFE ITSELF.

After the Amazon (and other companies) logo, the screen goes to black. White letters dissolve in with a “chapter” number and title (oh, oh..literary aspirations). We get a quirky funny sequence (hey, maybe it’s not too arty after all), narrated by a fave foul-mouthed star, that is not really the film’s true first subplot. We then meet mopey, disheveled Will (Oscar Isaac) acting up at a coffee shop (and being asked to leave) as he’s on his way to a court-mandated session with therapist Dr. Morris (Annette Benning). Will finally decides to open up about his ex-girlfriend Abby (Olivia Wilde). We hear of her sad childhood, then bounce ahead to her hooking up with Will while in college as she writes her major thesis on “the unreliable narrator” (could that be a…clue). Will and his doc roam about the fun times in the relationship (the couple even dress up as characters from a vastly superior flick for a costume party) before the “session” comes to an abrupt end and we’re off to “chapter two”. We zoom ahead to meet Will and Abby’s offspring Dylan (Olivia Cooke), a twenty-one-year-old hellion who’s making her grandpa’ Irwin’s (Mandy Patinkin) hair turn white with worry. After a thrashin’ punk rock concert, she punches out a chick that films her making out with her bass player. She races into the NYC night and sees a little Hispanic boy standing at the front of a city bus. For his backstory (and chapter), we hop across the pond to Spain and the opulent olive farm/ranch of Mr. Saccione (Antonio Banderas). He notices one of his workers who gently plucks the olives while others use rakes and nets. That worker, Javier (Sergio Paris-Mencheta) is called in to meet with the big boss in his study. Saccione tells Javier of his rough childhood and his rise to power. But after much vocal prodding, Javier refuses to share any personal history. Nonetheless, Saccione offers him a promotion to foreman which comes with a small dwelling on the big estate. Javier rushes to the town square where his girlfriend Isabel (Laia Costa) is finishing her shift at a tavern. Javier tells her of the new position and proposes to her. The two make a home at the ranch, eventually raising a baby son named Rodrigo. As the boy matures, Saccione spends most of his afternoons with him and ‘Rigo’s mother. His boss’s interest in his family begins to eat away at the usually easy-going Javier. It all comes to a boil when Saccione helps them out financially after a traumatic event. So just how will this tie into the family drama over in the “Big Apple”, or Nueva York? That’s for a couple more “chapters”.

A talented cast really works hard to make the often ludicrous twists and turns of the script work. The first act is almost a two-person play with dialogue bouncing back and forth like a tennis match with doctor and patient on either side of the net. As said patient, Isaac continues to be a most compelling actor, showing us the spark of new love in his eyes during the college sequence, then showing us that the spark has been extinguished in the present day. Will is a hair trigger, exploding then retreating with just a word or prompt. The always superb Benning is part prodding inquisitor, part animal trainer as she navigates through the dark recesses of the damaged man’s psyche. Though Will tries to dismiss her, Benning stands her ground and never lets him slither away. Wilde gets to show more of her witty, intelligent side (usually just seen on her TV talk show interviews) as Abby, but the script puts her back on the pedestal too quickly, making her the “dream girl” once again, rather than a complex character. Of course, the camera still loves her, but Wilde deserves much more interesting roles. Cooke as their daughter Dylan alternates between dead-eyed and emotionally drained to a tightly wound ball of fury ready to explode at the most mundane slight or offense. She’s a stark counterpoint to Patinkin’s calm, caring, but still tough and cynical Irwin. Though his days are dwindling, he still thinks he can get through to his often surly charge. In flashbacks, we see him as a warm sparring partner to the boisterous Jean Smart as his wife Linda, a lady with no filter, who never sugar coats her often dark thoughts. In the overseas “chapters”, Banderas gets to speak in his native tongue as the cultured gentleman drawn to his hard-edged helpers. He may seem aloof, but Banderas shows us the sadness that all his wealth can’t hide. His gloom is lifted with his surrogate family as Saccione delights in his “Dutch uncle” role. Peris-Mencheta is more of a mystery as Javier, who appreciates his boss, but tries to keep an emotional distance from him. Of course, there’s no wall between him and Costa as his adored lady love. Her Isabel goes through the most emotional changes, going from flighty waitress to adoring mother, and later as a fighter trying to hold her marriage and family together. The young adult version of Rodrigo is played with brooding intensity by Alex Monner, while Lorenza Izzo is full of emotion as the family member who tries to tie it all together in the story’s epilogue.

Writer/director Fogelman is aiming for the fences, attempting to make a sprawling epic that has an emotional family saga at its core. It seems to work best in the opening chapter with the story of Abby, Will, and his “shrink”, though it’s peppered with far too many “F-bombs” (maybe a reaction to dealing with network censors for two years). There are a few nice narrative flourishes that employ some neat bits of FX wizardry (bearded older Will caressing the soft shaven cheek of college Will, and later he and Doc Morris walk through a snowy park full of frolicking Abbys), but several sudden bursts of bloody violence are over the top with cartoon-like gore. The punk world of Dylan feels like a TV version of a dance club frozen in amber since the early 1980’s. Then the action truly grinds to a halt in dusty Spain with a booze-filled “back story-time” that never seems to end (or get interesting). This leads to a turgid tale of jealousy and class resentment that might feel more at home on the soap operas of the Telemundo cable channel, complete with a medical crisis that slowly weakens a major character. As the two-hour mark draws ever closer, Fogelman hastily crashes the stories into each other, culminating in a romance that we’re only told about. Which leads to the final lecture/denouncement that’s overstuffed with enough flowery platitudes to fill an airport gift shop and a month of social media posts and GIFs. All the clever stylings of the opening minutes are burned away by the final fade out. LIFE ITSELF pummels at the heartstrings, but never engages our intellect. Save the tissues for the new season of Fogelman’sTV prime time “sob show”.

2 Out of 5

September 20, 2018

LOVE, GILDA – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 8:24 pm

With the year’s end “light at the end of the tunnel” in sight, 2018’s parade of distinguished feature documentaries marches on with another “crowd-pleaser” bringing up the rear. Cinemas have been host to truly exceptional works of non-fiction filmmaking. This week’s release joins the impressive list of the “celebrity showbiz profile” sub-genre that includes the box office hit WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR along with WHITNEY, MCQUEEN, and QUINCY. Though music doesn’t play as big a role in this subject’s life as in several of these films, she made her greatest cultural impact on television, just as NEIGHBOR’s Fred Rogers. Oh, and her works were much more “adult” in nature, While Rogers was a daytime TV king to countless kids, she was the first real “queen of late-night TV comedy”. And while she’s been gone for nearly three decades, her influence seems to be felt now, more than ever. This film profiles Ms. Radner, the superstar who ended nearly all her writings with two simple words: LOVE, GILDA.

The film begins with footage from the show that made her famous, with Gilda commanding everyone’s attention at a trendy “watering hole”. It then backtracks over twenty years with snapshots and jittery old 8mm silent home movie footage of plump-cheeked little Gilda, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, her eyes darting about in search of the camera, ready to perform a dance or make a funny face. Older brother Michael tells us of the food issues that started very early, and how her mom got “diet pills” (speed, basically) prescribed for the out-going, “zaftig” ten-year-old. Then her journals and diaries are brought out. When Gilda’s own voice isn’t availible, several current comic actors are enlisted to provide the audible. Many are connected to Gilda’s TV alma mater “Saturday Night Live”. Frequent “guest host” and current “queen of movie comedy” Melissa McCarthy, current SNL cast member Cecily Strong, and SNL vets Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, and (token fella’) Bill Hader read different passages (Hader seems like Indiana Jones finding a long-hidden treasure, stifling a plea that “These belong in a museum!”). We’re told of Gilda receiving love from an elderly nanny named “Dibby” while poppa and mama were too busy with business and high society in Detroit. When she left home for the University of Michigan, Gilda continued to search for love, amassing many boyfriends, before following one, a sculptor, to Canada. When that romance fizzled, Gilda plunged into the theatre scene, and became part of the Toronto cast of “Godspell”. Show creator Stephen Schwartz, piano accompaniest Paul Shaffer, and fellow castmate, and former beau, Martin Short share their memories, along with a funny audio recording. We see Gilda jump from the stages of the Toronto Second City to the NYC sound booth of the National Lampoon as part of their radio show and comedy album ensemble (and her first encounter with John Belushi). After a couple of NatLamp stage shows, Lorne Michaels signed her up (really, Gilda was the first to be hired) for a new live weekend late night comedy/music NBC show. Michaels is interviewed along with fellow SNL-ers Chevy Chase and Laraine Newman, and writers Anne Beatts, Rosie Shuster, and Alan Zweibel. The filmmakers provide us with a refresher course on the many characters Gilda inhabited during her five year run on the show, all while still searching for her soul mate (much is made of the long affair with Bill Murray), and battling various eating disorders. We’re treated to several behind-the-scenes videos from her Broadway show (turned into the feature film GILDA LIVE!), and see her cavorting with future husband, guitarist G.E. Smith. When her stint at SNL ended, Gilda was adrift until landing a movie role in the film HANKY PANKY opposite movie “comedy king” Gene Wilder. After divorcing Smith, she married Gene, then signing letters with “love, Gilda Radner-Wilder”. This should have been her “happily ever after”, but several failed pregnancies eventually led to the discovery of Ovarian cancer. The film then chronicles Gilda’s health struggles, her remission, an attempted comeback via TV’s “It’s Gary Shandling’s Show”, and the disease’s final fatal return. Aside from her TV comedy legacy, several cancer screenings programs bear her name along with many cancer-affected family support centers around the world bearing her name and image, “Gilda’s Club”.

First-time feature director Lisa Dapolito has done a terrific job of wrangling the massive amount of archive footage while eliciting funny, honest responses from her interview subjects. While viewers might wish for more complete SNL sketches (the inspired Fellini parody “La Dolce Gilda” would have best illustrated her complex, conflicting thoughts on fame), but we get enough of on insight on her many recurring characters (a taste of Emily Litella, Roseanne Roseannadanna, etc.) to grasp her importance on the show’s infancy. And some still living folks are sorely missing from the “talking heads” clips. The third of “Chevy’s Angels”, Jane Curtain might have some great backstage stories. And any comments from Bill Murray would have been a major coup (doubtful of that ever happening, since Gilda barely mentioned him in her memoir, “It’s Always Something”). I was hoping to know a bit more about the time just after SNL. No mention of THE FIRST FAMILY, Gilda’s first big-time feature film, post-SNL, which bombed. Nor do we hear of her part in Jean Kerr’s play “Lunch Hour”, which bounced around to several theatres to little fanfare. This would help explain those limbo years, the very early 1980’s, in which the studios had no idea how to capitalize on her incredible popularity. It’s a great choice to have much of Gilda’s written thoughts interpreted by several members of the exclusive comedy club she helped establish. The stars bring the prose to life along with graphics that highlight passages for dramatic effect. And the early childhood home movie footage bookended with the jumpy video-cam shot scenes of domestic bliss with family and friends at Casa de Wilder give the film an extraordinary intimacy. The comic icon morphs into a warm, sympathetic human being. While many big fans (myself very much included) bemoan some exclusions, the rarities included, particularly the awkward spot with Tom Snyder on “Tomorrow” and the chaotic live prime time New Orleans SNL special (in which the cast realized that they were akin to rock stars), more than make this a pop culture event. Though the tale comes to a real tragic conclusion, the film is a real celebration of a remarkable talent who truly reached through the TV screen and grabbed the public by the “funny bone” and the heart. All those touched by her story should love LOVE, GILDA.

4.5 Out of 5

LOVE, GILDA opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

 

September 13, 2018

A SIMPLE FAVOR – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 5:52 pm

Allright movie fans, it’s still fairly warm outside, so why not enjoy a bit of escapist fun before the days get shorter and colder, just ahead of these big “high-falutin'” awards contenders? Yes, we know that kale and broccoli is better for you, but sometimes you just want to dig in to a big sloppy burger, perhaps with a dash or two of hot sauce to make it extra naughty, just like this new flick. It’s steamy and salacious, concerning a scheming seductress who’s up to no good, in one of those pricey, plush suburban “mini-mansions”. It’s a movie adaptation of a good “beach read” (it is based on a novel) starring a trio of our most photogenic film stars, perfectly coiffed and tailored. And what director is calling on the shots on this sexy, stylish modern, noir-ish, who and how “dun it”? Wait, whoa… it’s the guy behind Melissa McCarthy’s biggest comedies. Does that put you “off’ or does it make this movie a lot more interesting? Hopefully the later, as Paul Feig gets out of his humor “comfort zone” to explore the implications of agreeing to take on A SIMPLE FAVOR.

After a jaunty opening title sequence with colored “image strips” of pricey fashions and furnishings (hang on.. there’s a knife in there…and a pistol) set to the French version of a bouncy 60’s pop tune, we’re looking at a computer screen. It’s the video blog (“vlog”) of Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), a Martha Stewart-wannabe offering tips to harried moms. But just as she’s about to share her recipe for “veggie-infused” brownies, Steph gives an update on her missing friend. Wha? Flashback to a recent rainy afternoon at a grade school in an affluent suburb about an hour or so away from NYC. As she watches her eight year-old son Miles (Joshua Satine) play with best pal Nicky Nelson (Ian Ho), Stephanie volunteers for too many tasks in the upcoming Fall festival. After the bell rings, she walks her son and his pal to the entrance. Miles pleads to have a “play date” with Nicky. “If it’s okay with his mom”, she replies. Then Nicky’s mom appears, the statuesque, stylishly attired Emily (Blake Lively). She’s against the get together until Stephnie agree to come over for a cocktail…or three. The recently widowed Stephanie is bowled over by the plush Nelson estate (dubbed a “a money pit” by Emily), and the handsome Mr. Nelson, Sean (Henry Golding), an acclaimed author who seems to be a “one hit wonder” (the muse has left him). Over the next few weeks the two women with such different personalities became fast friends, dishing and sharing secrets over martinis. Then comes the call from Emily, “I’ve got help out my boss (a world famous clothing designer) in Miami, could you pick up Nicky?”. The too timid Stephanie agrees. But that night, she can’t get past Emily’s voicemail. Sean is in London tending to his ailing mother, but agrees to catch the next plane back. Oh, and Emily’s boss knows nothing of her Florida trip. When the hours turn to days, the authorities are brought in. As Stephanie helps out the Nelsons, she and Sean grow closer. She reaches out to the public via her vlog, which produces a “lead”, which brings her mystery to a tragic end. But has it? As Sean seeks comfort from Steph, weird things occur around the house, and at the school, where Nicky insists he sees his mommy. Sean scoffs, thinking these are tricks of the mind, but Stephanie is now determined to unearth the secrets of Emily, no matter the cost of her new romance or her very life. Can this “super-mom” become a “super sleuth”?

This wild roller coaster romp showcases one of the best big screen duos of the year. This talented team propels the plot, providing a most enthralling chemistry lesson. Since most of the tale is told through her eyes, lets’ start by singing the praises of one terrific singer/actress, Ms. Kendrick. For most of the film she’s doing a most entertaining riff on her uptight/ good gal persona from flicks like UP IN THE AIR and 50/50. Then we slowly see how the Emily character transforms sweet lil’ Stephie into a determined woman on a mission. Kendrick adjusts her expressions and body language (not “closed in”, but ready to pounce), as she realizes that she’s being “played”, slowly morphing from “doormat” to unafraid avenger. Even more than in his famous film trilogy, Kendrick is truly “pitch perfect”. The same can certainly be said for her scene sparing partner, the compelling Ms. Lively. Her Emily is the coolest (almost stone cold) queen of the staple suburb, quick with an insult or an encouraging quip. Much in the vein of Jane Greer in OUT OF THE PAST or Kathleen Turner in BODY HEAT, she makes seduction look effortless, particularly with the “eager for a BFF” Stephanie. In their martini “play dates”, Lively’s Emily is like a crafty feline, using her queries like paws, to push the mouse-like Steph in any preferred direction. But those paws have sharp claws as she lashes out with fury when her pal tries to snap a photo, then much later when she is forced into a corner. After the nearly unwatchable ALL I SEE IS YOU, Lively bounces back with this bravada performance. Golding, fresh off the surprise smash CRAZY RICH ASIANS, proves he’s more than “the hunk of the month” with the role of the often “slow on the uptake” author who seems to be thinking with an organ other than his brain. Both ladies now exactly how to “push his buttons’ and steer him toward their goals. There’s some scene stealers in the supporting cast. Rupert Friend has a great time as Emily’s high maintenance, sneering boss. Jean Smart is a GREY GARDENS-inspired diva who’s a fountain of backstory info during the final act. Bashir Salahuddin is the investigating detective whose affable easy-going demeanor causes those interviewed to let their guard down, allowing him to sneak inside their minds. Linda Cardellini is “tough as nails” playing a bohemian artist from Emily’s past. But some of the biggest laughs come from Andrew Rannells, the most vocal of the “mom trio” that serves as a Greek chorus to the Stephanie-Emily-Sean triangle. His “house husband” Darren is unfliltered and hysterical.

Though the mystery plot is a new one for the gifted Feig, he’s still able to play to his great strengths. As with his biggest hit BRIDESMAIDS he gets wonderful work from his actresses in scenes of friendship and bonding. This is one flick that passes the “Bechdel Test”, engaging in several “male free”  “cut to the bone” conversations. Of course much of the credit for this most go to the witty screenplay by Jessica Sharzer adapting Darcey Bell’s novel. Those early scenes of Emily “feeling out’ and “sizing up” Stephanie just crackle with caustic energy. These are so entertaining that the “big mystery” plot just can’t sustain the fun. The film gets mired in insurance fraud and haunted Summer camps around the one hour mark and looses that breezy momentum, while Stephanie becomes Jessica Fletcher, Jr. far too quickly. Luckily the story gets back on track by the double and triple-crossing finale. As the corpses and deceptions pile up, it almost plays out as a parody of the “woman in danger” Lifetime TV movie or even the psycho-sexual thrillers that comprise the post-midnight fare of premium cable channels (like those, the language here gets pretty “salty”). Still, this doesn’t take away from the great work from the two actresses who couldn’t be a better “match”. Because of them (along with the superb art direction), A SIMPLE FAVOR is simply, devilishly delightful.
4 Out of 5

September 6, 2018

PEPPERMINT (2018) – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , — Jim Batts @ 11:48 pm

Though the Summer movie season officially ended with the previous three-day holiday, one big, bombastic “shoot-em-up” is arriving in advance of the serious Fall flicks. This “hard R” action thriller is riding the still new wave of “female-fronted” stunt spectacles that began last year with the surprise (to many studio heads) smash WONDER WOMAN, proving that a superhero saga starring a woman could attract the big box office numbers. A couple of months later, Oscar-winner Charlize Theron took things much further in the very adult, extremely violent tale ATOMIC BLONDE. Near the start of this year, another Best Actress, Jennifer Lawrence, was the lead in the equally bloody and sexy RED SPARROW. Now comes a star who actually earned her action accolades on TV, a dozen years ago on “Alias”, though the last decade or so she’s been a staple of “rom-coms” and domestic dramas. Can she get her martial arts “mojo” back now, not as another superhero or super-spy, but as an angel of vengeance, seeking justice while amassing a very high body count in PEPPERMINT?

The story begins as the quiet of a pre-dawn LA is broken by the strained “shocks” of a car’s that’s seen better days. From the gasps and grunts, we’re thinking “we shouldn’t come a’ knockin’ “. The camera zooms into the interior where we do see a couple getting quite “physical”. A gunshot ends the noise. Exiting the vehicle is a woman, Riley North (Jennifer Garner). “Just how did she get here?”, we’re wondering,  just as the movie shifts into reverse and comes to a halt nearly five years ago to the day. Riley’s a working mother trying to make ends meet along with her husband Chris (Jeff Hephner), who’s the owner of a struggling auto shop. Still they’ve made a wonderful, cozy home for themselves and nine year-old daughter Carly (Cailey Fleming). However, Chris is tempted when one of the mechanics offers him a job as the “wheel man’ in his plan to rip off a drug dealer. But Cailey’s birthday night is a “wake up call” for Chris, who leaves a message on the mechanic’s cell, declining the gig. Too late. Drug kingpin Garcia (Juan Pablo Raba) has gotten wind of the plot, offing Chris’s pal before sending a hit squad to get Chris. The assassins tail the North family car to an outdoor Christmas/Winter carnival. Under the neon light of the ferris wheel, the gang opens fire, killing Chris and Cailey as Riley is seriously wounded. When she awakens in the hospital, sympathetic police detective Carmichael (John Gallagher, Jr.) delivers the bad news. But they’ve picked up some suspects. Riley immediately agrees to pick them out of a line up, which she does without hesitation. After a defense attorney tries to bribe her, Riley throws him out of her home on the eve of the hearing. This turns into a farce, with the Judge releasing the three suspects. When Riley lunges for them, she is restrained and placed into an ambulance bound for a mental hospital. Riley escapes and disappears on the busy streets. And flash forward to today as Carmichael , who’s now spiking his morning coffee with booze (clue) and colleague, Detective Beltran (John Ortiz) are called in to meet with FBI agent Inman (Annie Ilonzeh). They’ve tracked Riley across the globe as she transforms herself into a killing machine, expert in hand-to-hand combat, and skilled in all manner of firearms and explosives. The anniversary of the attack is in the next couple of days. Will Riley take down Garcia and his operation, along with crooked cops and judges in his pocket, and make it a blood red Christmas in Los Angeles?

So has Ms. Garner gotten her action hero “groove” back? Oh, she most assuredly is a force of nature, and retribution, in this flick. Not a “mama grizzly”, more of a “mama T-Rex”. Riley is a stretched out Sarah Conner from T2 mixed with equal parts Pvt. Vasquez and Ripley from ALIENS. Though she’s hyper-focused on “taking out the trash”, Garner brings some vulnerability to her during the quiet moments, when every child becomes her lost daughter. Cailie’s ghost pops up several times, hubby Chris, not at all. On the witness stand, Garner shows us how the barely together mother, not fully healed physically or mentally, completely unravels, realizing that the cards are stacked against her. Plus she gets just as down and dirty as the Rock or Cruise this past Summer. Welcome back from “PG purgatory” and the string of noble, often interchangeable parent roles. I’m sure she’ll do a few more, but let’s hope she gets more parts in this similar mode ( and better written). As for Riley’s “mop up crew” (scouring the aftermath of her “project”), Gallagher is all clean-cut (despite the bushy “porn ‘stashe”), earnest concern in the flashbacks, while in the now, he’s more cynical, less easy to “read”. Ortiz’s Beltrand is pretty much the somber, straight-talker in both timelines, as he tries to hide his admiration for the avenging “angel of Skid Row”. Raba makes a most intimidating villain as the brutal, “iron-fisted” ruler of the underworld, Garcia. No “three strikes”for him, make a foul or error and you’re out…permanently.

Veteran action director Pierre Morel (TAKEN) keeps the tension very taut during the violent set pieces, though the film starts to sputter during the cuts to the cops closing in on Riley. This may be due to the somewhat cliched script by Chad St. John that features “cannon fodder” baddies who strut and grimace as though they were lifted from old episodes of TV’s “Miami Vice”. And because of their ethnicity, the shadow of xenophobia rears its ugly head. Yes, Riley does take out one shady guy that she might have run into at the PTA meeting, but two other “wasp sell-outs” are liquidated off camera (tossed off in a mention by a “G-man”), while Riley mows down a near army of heavily “tatted” Latinos who get the old JOHN WICK, “head shot” treatment. There’s even a huge gun battle in a pinata (?) warehouse (well there were packs of drugs hidden in the candy). And the film makers missed out on a major “crowd pleasin'” scene by not letting us see Riley take down the worst, most smarmy of the “white collar” creeps. Yes, we know it’s a revenge fantasy much like DEATH WISH (the original, not the recent tepid remake), but much of the plot comes off as ham-fisted and silly, particularly the overwrought Skid Row smackdown (yes these gangs are that dumb). Plus the last few seconds nearly scream “franchise” before it fades to black. I’m thinking this might be the only “mission” for this lady “Punisher” (her origin was very close to the recent Netflix Marvel series, only missing the carousel), although it’s a huge step up from Garner’s last revenge seeking character, ELEKTRA (a major Marvel misfire before they had their own studio). This bit of PEPPERMINT is far from refreshing,  leaving a bad aftertaste.

2 Out of 5

August 30, 2018

KIN – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 11:19 pm

Last week in my review of SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD I made a case for documentary features that seemingly change direction, when events push a cinema profile down another path. This week sees a similar course recalculation, but in a narrative feature (though the film makers, not fate and destiny are “pulling the strings”). Here’s a story that reeks of “grim and gritty indie”, but involves an element of science fiction and fantasy. Hey, it worked for a little flick called E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, which starts out as an lost alien fable which then abruptly collides with a suburban family drama of a lonely boy dealing with an absent father. So, is this new mash-up a tasty treat ( to borrow from the old Reeses Cup ad, “You got sci-fi in my coming of age road flick!” “Well, you got…”), or is it one of those craft brewed gravy-flavored soda pops (yeesh)? Since it’s one of the cinema year’s “limbo weekends”, too late for a Summer blockbuster, too early for somber prestige Fall “award bait”, the studios are throwing this combo platter at multiplex screens to see if it “sticks” with the public. And with the somewhat generic title of KIN, this may be a bit of a challenge, though some may favor that mysterious moniker.

The start of this story fully embraces the “double G’s”. The modern day streets of Detroit are very “grim and gritty”, as if snatched from another Michael Moore doc about his home state. Peddling through those streets is pre-teen Eli (Myles Truitt), now suspended from school after getting into a fight. On the way home, he climbs through the busted gate surrounding a decaying warehouse to rip some copper wiring out of the walls. After selling it to a junk dealer, he heads to another empty factory and finds a body. Then several. But they’re all attired in black leather jump suits, and wearing slick futuristic full-head helmets right out of a “shooter” video game. On impulse, Eli scoops up a box-like, hi-tech rifle, which somehow responds to his touch, lighting up a holographic scope. He’s got no time to really fiddle with it, as his Pop, now only parent, construction worker Hal (Dennis Quaid) is due home from work. Eli wraps up his “prize” and arrives in time to greet his long absent older brother, now ex-con, twenty-something Jimmy (Jack Reynor). The homecoming meal is a tad tense, so Jimmy excuses himself to take care of business. This leads to another tense meeting with crime kingpin Taylor (James Franco), who wonders when Jimmy will repay his debt, a whopping sixty grand for keeping the young man “safe” while in the “joint”. Needless to say, Jimmy’s request for a loan from Hal doesn’t go well. This leads to a botched crime, followed by violence and tragedy. Fearing for his brother’s safety, Jimmy picks up Eli, lying about taking a a Lake Tahoe vacation (Dad will join them there as soon as his “big job” is done), and the two are on the road, with Eli’s “acquisition” wrapped with his clothes. Taylor and his army of heavily armed thugs are hot on their tail, along with the authorities. That’s not all. Two helmeted, military types appear at the place where Eli grabbed the ‘weapon’. Using some weird gizmos these “trackes” pinpoint the location of the device. Can the two brothers on the run possibly evade all the forces racing after them? And just what can Eli’s new toy do?

The often convoluted story is strongly anchored by the nuanced, star-making performance by Truitt. His Eli is the film’s beating heart, capturing nearly the complete range of human emotions. At first, he seems to be a confused soul, unable to “fit in’, thinking of himself as a “misfit”. Then, there’s his child-like sense of wonder as he discovers the almost magical “alien” tech. Best of all, might be the vulnerability that Truitt brings to Eli, the most reluctant of heroes. It helps that he has real chemistry with Reynor as his “big brother. Reynor’s endearing as the “bad boy’ trying to set things right, though he’s not capitalized on the charm he projected two years ago as a more memorable sibling, the “pop music Yoda” of the little gem SING STREET. As for the most big name cast mates, well, they seem to be doing variations of previous roles. The always compelling Quaid is the hard-working, salt-of-the-Earth everyman he’s taken on in films and on TV for the last dozen years or so. Franco’s the scuzzy, hare-trigger low life he played as Jason Statham’s nemesis in HOMEFRONT (minus the bayou twang with a touch of the “Alien” from SPRING BREAKERS). And what of the talented Zoe Kravitz, “working the pole” once again (just like the “Angel” of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) as yet another “exotic dancer with a heart of gold” (replacing the old cliche of the “soft-hearted” hooker)? Her role seems to be a plot device, her “rescue’ setting the stage for a big action set piece, then frolicking in a trite “road trip” bonding montage. Let’s hope she leaves these “eye candy” characters in the past. Another gifted actress, Carrie Coon, gets a big credit, but she merely arrives in the last minutes as a typical, “tightly-wound” FBI agent, who barks out orders . These screen vets deserve better.

First time feature directing duo Johnathon and Josh Baker (who also provided the script with Daniel Casey) expand on their short film “Bag Boy” as they attempt to merge different styles. Their best efforts arrive early, as we’re introduced to the hard-scrabble, “barely gettin’ by” life of Eli, Hal, and Jimmy. Their working class life feels “right” on screen. This makes the shift to the SF elements so jarring. For fans of the action genre, it feels like an eternity before the “pay off” of the weapon’s firepower. Eli wrecking havoc with his “blaster’ is fun for a bit, but the transformation from lonely street survivor to “space age” sharpshooter makes the story shift too abrupt. Then there’s the tough guys antics of Taylor’s crew, from public urination to an all-out attack on a police station…in Nevada…riiiight…the same heavily armed protectors of casinos…uh uh. Too much of the final act plays as a ludicrous parody of ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, mixed with more TERMINATOR homages (Eli even plays the arcade game based on that iconic flick). Throw in some time travel “mumbo-jumbo”, and the film collapses on itself like a flimsy house of cards (or 1990’s video tapes and game cartridges). Maybe it all played better as a short subject, because at just over 100 minutes KIN, and our interest, is stretched pretty thin.

2 out of 5

August 23, 2018

THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 11:20 pm

Hmmm, “happy” and “murder’ almost bumping into each other in a film title? Something’s just not right. Oh, that’s a true understatement. You see, this action detective mystery parody has…puppets. There are human beings, but much of this revolves around “fabric-Americans”. And if the title’s not enough of a hint, the MPAA has slapped this flick with an “R” rating, so parents of the pre-K set will be warned. Hopefully they’ll heed the rating despite the fact that some of the cast resemble muppets. That’s because, they are…kinda’. One of the production companies involved is Henson Alternative, a subsidiary of the empire created by the “gone-too-soon” genius Jim Henson (can it be 28 years). Oh, and the film is co-produced and directed by his son Brian. Sure, Jim went after more mature audiences with his 1980’s fantasies THE DARK CRYSTAL and LABYRINTH, but they’re tame strolls through the nursery compared to the all-out raunch assault of bawdiness and vulgarity served up in THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS.

The setting is the present day LA, but it’s not exactly this planet. Now, on this nearly parallel Earth human beings live and work beside living puppets, free of their masters. There ‘ain’t no strings on them, nor controllers with their hand up their…ya’ know. Oh, and the “felts’ are treated like second class (or lower) citizens, bullied and abused, left to drown their sorrows in sugar (which numbs and stimulates their different ‘inards”). Much of this is told to us by the story’s narrator and main protagonist, hard-drinking, chain-smoking, ex-cop turned puppet private eye Phil Phillips. As he enters his ramshackle agency HQ, Phil’s human secretary/receptionist “Bubbles” (Maya Rudolph) informs him that a possible new client is waiting in his private office. He’s stunned to see a red-headed puppet bombshell named Sandra who gives him a blackmail letter she received (she’s an “Ima”, which, well, we can’t explain here). That letter has a clue which leads Phil to a “puppet porno shop” that becomes the scene of a blood bath, well more of a “stuffing slaughter”. The human police are called in and Phil is re-united with his former police partner Det. Connie Edwards (Melissa McCarthy). Neither are happy to see each other. Nonetheless Lieutenant Banning (Leslie David Baker) insists that they work together. When Phil’s actor brother Larry is killed, a pattern begins to form. One of the porn shop victims and Larry were part of an old 80’s TV sitcom called “The Happytime Gang”. Phil and Connie try to track down the other cast members including the show’s sole human star (and Phil’s former lover) Jenny (Elizabeth Banks). When hot-headed FBI Agent Campbell (Joel McHale) joins the case, Phil becomes the prime suspect. Can Connie help him clear his name and bring the real murder mastermind to justice?

Once again McCarthy completely commits to the material, bringing a nearly limitless supply of energy and physicality. This serves her (and the film) well, when the script falls short, settling for a cheap obscenity or a shocking sight gag. This is not the sweet-natured “every-women” we endured in this year’s forgettable LIFE OF THE PARTY, rather it’s the “go for it” hellcat of THE HEAT, particularly in the “sugar hit” sequence. As I mentioned earlier, the puppets have a real big sweet tooth, and it turns out that Connie is “part puppet” (well she has puppet parts, which we learn in a big flashback). McCarthy literally bouncing off the walls before wailing on a nasty band of muppet mobsters. She truly gives it her all, sharing most of her scenes with Phil, and, to very good effect, a frequent co-star: Rudolph. She’s very funny in the detective’s girl Friday cliche (a bit dim, but loyal, and crushing on her boss), but a scene where she and McCarthy break into a suspect’s apartment gives both actresses a chance to shine (and again, much better than their time together in PARTY). Hopefully some gifted film maker will craft a smart buddy comedy (like a gender-flipped”bro-mance”) for these two very talented women. As for the other human cast mates, Banks has little to do, aside from vamping it up on the stripper pole and looking longingly at Phil. Darn it, she’s funny too, but you can’t tell from this ho-hum role. The same can be said for McHale who’s saddled with the straight man/ butt of insults as the up-tight “fed’ (it’s like his “snark” has been muzzled). And Baker does what he can with the standard flustered, agitated cop boss role, that staple of many a police station-set flick or TV show. But kudos to the very hardworking, but unseen, puppet performers, who really help sell this strange concept (especially Bill Barretta as Phil).

Brian Henson directs with confidence, hitting all the usual beats in a buddy/cop thriller while never calling undue attention to some of the clever technical tricks involved in making this fantasy seem real. Unfortunately this story can’t be stretched to feature length, without losing its focus, and its audience’s interest. It’s another example of a great 20 minute or so TV sketch (or a “stand-alone” half hour special) that wears out its welcome in movie time (like many Saturday Night Live skit-based flicks). The private eye parody is nothing really new as the plot and its hero rehash Bogie in THE MALTESE FALCON and even Elliott Gould in THE LONG GOODBYE (and you could get a nagging cough from Phil constantly puffing away). And of course there’s the elephant (or big bunny) in the room, the film’s main idea is a pale riff on the vastly superior, truly iconic, now 30 year-old classic WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (with a nod to ALIENATION where the “newcomers” got hammered on sour milk). We can match up the characters (Connie=Eddie Valiant, Phil=Roger, Sonia=Jessica), along with the story points. But despite the former’s slightly naughty twists, the denizens of Toon Town were still pretty magical and endearing. Not so with these bits of fluff and felt, who exhaust us with the barrage of “F-bombs” and 70’s style “sex talk” (one sugar-addicted puppet’s constant “offers” feels more sad and desperate than hilarious). And that sexualization of beings that resemble plush kiddie toys just gets too “skeavey” after the first few minutes. I know that Jim Henson wanted to break out of the “children’s entertainment ghetto”, but this is far too aggressively crude (though there are several hysterical bits of business that nearly rival the final orgy of SAUSAGE PARTY, a flick that shocked, but has some smart things to say). Despite this, and the spirited efforts of McCarthy and Rudolph, THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS is more listless and witless than outrageous and offensive. If this hits, what’s next? “Punch and Judy, Ted and Alice”?!

3 Out of 5

SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 5:32 pm

As the Summer cinema season gives way to the Fall, yet another compelling feature documentary joins a most impressive 2018 roster. And as with several earlier releases, it is part of the show biz sub-genre of docs. It’s main focus (and marketing draw) is an insider look into the “golden age” of studio movies, though close to its waning days after the end of WWII and into the mid-fifties, when television began to chip away at their luster. But this is no flowery puff profile waxing nostalgic about those glory days of iconic “larger than life” movie stars. That’s because many of them had to “act” all the time, in and out of the sound stages, carefully evading any hint of scandal. We saw a bit of this is the fictionalized story of a studio “fixer” a couple years ago in the Coen Brothers’ HAIL CAESAR. This is the unvarnished “real deal” from, not a fixer, but an “arranger”, a man, now in his 90’s, who’s “spilling the beans” and naming names. Be prepared, all you TCM (Turner Classic Movies) fans, brace yourself, here comes SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD.

The title name is the affectionate moniker of Scott Bowers, a spry, beloved senior citizen still working as a private party bartender in the Los Angeles area. But mixologist was not always his main profession. As the film begins, he’s promoting the paperback release of his scandalous “tell all” memoir “Full Service”. And what is he telling? After serving as a Marine in World War II, Scott decided that he would not return to his hometown of Ottawa, Illinois. Instead he went from combat in the Pacific to a job on the Pacific Coast, specifically working as a “grease monkey” at a Richfield Oil gas station in a prime location on Hollywood Boulevard right across from the entrance gate to a big movie studio. The handsome young vet soon caught the eye of a closeted screen actor, who invited him to “cool off” at his private swimming pool. It wasn’t long before pumping gas became Scotty’s “cover job”. He was the paid paramour of stars of both genders. The station itself was a meeting place for the “discreet elite”, with its restrooms an “action hot spot”. And when Scotty became too “busy” he recruited several of his old service pals who he sent out on “jobs” (of course Scotty got a “taste”). And somehow he avoided scandal, though Confidential magazine did allude to perhaps his most astounding escapade (Ava and Lana, together). As the film studio system faded in the early sixties, still rugged Scotty became a property manager for a lover who later willed his houses to him. The film makers follow Scotty on his daily routines to these houses, along with side trips to visit with former members of his stable. And as he remembers those wild times, we learn how Scotty has somewhat settled down, enjoying a decades long marriage to cabaret singer Lois, who doesn’t really care about her hubby’s notorious past (“What Scotty did before I met him doesn’t matter”). As yet another birthday nears, Scotty must come to terms with his mortality while riding high on a new wave of fame and controversy.

In addition to being part of the “Show biz” feature documentary sub-genre, SCOTTY is part of another select group: the doc that starts its focus on one thing or direction, then changes course during the filming (often due to outside influences). For example, THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES started as a loose kitchy comic look at the tacky plans of a too wealthy family then turned into a dark tale of greed and a family straining under a financial crisis. WEINER was to be an “underdog” political comeback tale of triumph, until the title subject’s moral weaknesses led to disaster. In this film’s bouncy first half hour or so, director Matt Tyrnauer presents us with a charming hustler who’s not slowing down when others are shuffling to the rockin’ chair. He delights in lifting the veil on the rose-colored views of the past, while Tranauer punches up these tales with fast-cutting photo and film montages. As we see those golden icons flash past we gasp, “Her? Him? I never thought! He was really..?” as Scotty goes against the grain of his “greatest generation” by denouncing old taboos and scandals. It’s fun to revisit his partners in play, who seem to grow more youthful with each spicy anecdote. Then comes the dark detour. As Tyrnauer tags along with Scotty on his daily rounds it becomes obvious that this free spirit is now a prisoner of a common compulsion: hoarding. Scotty slows as he sees a toliet near an alley trash pick-up (“The wife would throw a fit, but…it’s in pretty good shape”). Then at the garages, we see his boxes and tubs nearly collapse upon him as he opens the door making the old radio shows gags about Fibber McGee’s overstuffed closet lose their levity. This spills into his home , leaving the couple only two or three places to sit while exterior repairs are ignored. We’re then treated to the parts of Scotty’s mind that aren’t so bubbly and joyous. He’s still haunted by the losses of his first wife and his big brother. In this time of “MeToo” and clergy abuse headlines, Scotty’s belief that his coupling with several priests was not a bad thing (“I knew what I was doin’. I was in control.”) will make your head spin. In the last scenes we see that Scotty is fighting his own mortality, thinking that the years won’t slow him down. In one of the cinema year’s most nail-biting sequences (equaling any Tom Cruise stunt in the newest MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE), the ninety-something subject climbs a rickety ladder to walk about a roof (two or three stories up) and inspect the shingles (I imagine audiences muttering “Get off there” in hushed tones). Yes, the breezy “tinsel-town” tales of SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD are fun, but it’s the story of how one man comes to terms with his last days that will resonate much longer.

4 Out of 5

SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

August 16, 2018

MILE 22 – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 11:36 pm

Here’s the newest effort from another prolific actor/director film making duo. While some directors (Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Charles O. Russell) have a group of actors they repeatedly work with (on stage I guess they’d be the “rep” company), other directors like to cast the same actor in several of their projects. From the “golden age of Hollywood’ there were duos like John Huston with Humphrey Bogart, and John Ford and John Wayne. In the late seventies Martin Scorsese’s lead of choice was Robert DeNiro, while in recent years Leonardo DiCaprio has been a frequent lead. With Steven Spielberg it’s Tom Hanks (after many flicks with Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford). Now in theatres is the fourth collaboration of actor/director Peter Berg and lead actor Mark Wahlberg. Their previous team-ups were all based on true events: LONE SURVIVOR, DEEPWATER HORIZON, and PATRIOT’S DAY. Now they’ve made a go-for-broke, fictional, high-octane spy thriller, since Wahlberg usually stars in a big Summer action flick. But why so late in the season? For that, we’ve got to go the extra mile. Well several more really, all the way to MILE 22.

As the flick begins, we’ve got go back a few miles, years actually, to an operation conducted by an undercover (very deep undercover) branch of the CIA (like the IMF of Mission:Impossible, it’s “disavowed by the director”). James Silva (Wahlberg) is part of the team commanded by Bishop (John Malkovich), who’s viewing the whole thing from a secret locale along with a crew of agents monitoring live streams from hidden cameras and drones. Despite a few casualties, Silva and his squad get the job done, eliminating some undercover Russian agents working out of a suburban US. home. Cut to the opening titles, run over a montage/ bio of Silva (orphaned, personality issues, quick to violence, and a tactical savant). Jump to the modern day, to the US Embassy in Indocarr (?), where Silva and two of his teammates Alice (Lauren Cohen) and Sam (Ronda Rousey) are stationed. Everyone’s on edge because several containers of a radioactive powder AKA “fear dust” have been stolen. The tip from one of Alice’s informants proved to be a dud. Everyone is then shocked when said informant, local cop Li Noor (Iko Uwais) crashes his car through one of the barriers. He flashes a small cell phone-like pad at the gate cameras. When he’s brought in, he tells Alice and her co-workers that the device has a hard drive with all the location info on the toxins. But only he has the access code to stop the timed erasing of that info. And he’ll only give that code when he’s put on a plane headed out of his homeland. Shortly after some local officials arrive demanding that Noor be given to him, followed by an assassination attempt in the embassy infirmary. With time running out, Bishop’s team is called in to co-ordinate the 22 mile exodus from the embassy to a hidden runway. Is Noor legit? And can they get him (“the package”) to the plane despite a near-endless gauntlet of killers?

Yes there are lots of battles, but few compare to the fight these talented actors had to wage against a clunky script loaded with one-note abrasive characters. The most aggressively obnoxious may be Silva, who proves to be a poor role for the charismatic talented Wahlberg. It’s as though they took everything charming about his macho motor-mouth in THE DEPARTED (which nabbed him an Oscar nom) and twisted it into an arrogant,in your face” bully. You’d want Silva to have your back in a firefight, but you’d dread having any sort of calm conversation with him. Dismissive and cruel aren’t the usual qualities of a thriller hero (and there’s talk of a trilogy). Cohen doesn’t fare much better as the always on edge Alice, who is screaming at her ex-husband (oddly played by Berg) as they play an emotional “tug of war’ over their pre-teen daughter. This leads to her flinging the phone against a wall (wonder how many she goes through in a week). So terrific for so long as Maggie on TV’s “The Walking Dead”, Cohen can’t bring much humanity to another of the script’s screeching “spooks”. The most engaging of the crew may be MMA champ Rousey as the affable Sam, who doesn’t tolerate the tantrums of Silva and Alice. Naturally, this seals her doom. Speaking of champs, martial arts master Uwais is a compelling physical presence, moving like lightning at the center of the film’s best sequences. It’s a shame that his character of Noor seems so aloof and enigmatic with an unchanging sneer, never connecting with any other characters. And then there’s the usually strange Malkovich regulated to be the guy at the screen (he’s in a suit with Converse sneakers…how quirky), barking commands and counting down the minutes. At east he’s sporting a severe buzz-cut hairpiece.

Berg assembles the film in a blender, never letting a shot last more than a few seconds, and making sure the camera is always in motion. This may be an attempt to “amp’ up the tension, but this rapid-fire, staccato style merely wears us down and quickly becomes tedious, as does the near-constant barrage of “f-bombs” (ooo, so edgy). When the screen’s not full of smoke from one of the many explosions (they loves their grenades), the photography is murky and muddy, obscuring much of the picture. The opening attack on the two story house on Christmas Lane (really) feels somewhat realistic with the disorientation of the team, but the endless trek through the city streets becomes repetitive despite the different venues, going from a crowded bakery to a low-rent apartment complex (the Paradise, uh uh), which just reminds us of the superior quality of the RAID films that Uwais headlined. And in the final moments we get a ridiculous triple-cross denouncement that kicks the audience in the…pants…as they flee the theatre. MILE 22 literally screeches to a dead end, and makes us appreciate Cruise, Damon, and Craig even more. Still, that fight in the medical examination room is pretty good, so it gets…

1.5 Out of 5

ALPHA- Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 6:38 pm

With the Summer winding down, and Labor Day well in sight, are moviegoers nostalgic for an adventure set it the “good ole’ days”? Hmmm, not sure if they were all that “good”, but the emphasis is on the “ole”, er “old” in the week’s new release. We’re going way, waaay back with this epic, around 20,000 years to be exact to the “cave man” tribal days, when humans were both hunters and the hunted. It’s not fun in fur skin time as in the comic strip “B.C.” or THE FLINTSTONES, nor is it the fantasy of early man evading dinosaurs as in the ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. films or the comedy CAVEMAN (loved the stoned “stop -motion” T-Rex in that). . No, it’s a bit closer to the 1980’s double bill of QUEST FOR FIRE and CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR, though more “family friendly” but tougher than the TV ads would lead you to believe). Plus it borrows an element of the superhero flicks in that it’s an “origin” story. But not about a “cosmic crusader’s” beginning, rather it’s the start of a relationship that still exists (and shows no signs of stopping). According to the filmmakers this bond began when a lost, lonely young man met ALPHA.

That young man in question is Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee), the teenage son of tribal leader Tau (Johannes Hauker Johannesson) and his mate Rho (Natassia Malthe) during the last Ice Age, somewhere in Europe. The story begins with Keda’s first (and perhaps last) buffalo hunt. When things take a disastrous turn, the film flashes back to several days prior. As with all the young men of the tribe, Keda must prove himself worthy of going on the hunt by sharpening stones into deadly spear-heads. He makes the “cut’ and says goodbye to Rho as he accompanies Tau along with some other “newbies’ and the tribal elder males on the long journey to find that herd. Along the way, they join forces with another hunting tribe (they’re old pals with Tau), and pick off a wild boar (though Keda hesitates at striking the killing blow to the beast). Tau points out a wolf pack that is observing the hunters from a distance, explaining to Keda about their leader, the “alpha”. The boy also experiences nature’s brutality as another young hunter is snatched away by a predator sprinting out of the darkness. Finally they encounter the buffalo herd grazing not far from a cliff’s edge. We’re “caught up” as Tau thinks that his son has “joined his ancestors” at the bottom of a ravine. The heartsick papa gathers meat and skins before he and the hunters make the long trek back to their homes. Long after they depart, the bloody, bruised, and battered Keda wakens. Despite his broken leg and multiple wounds, he’s determined to rejoin his tribe. He evades the beasts while trying to locate food and water along with shelter until the wolf pack finally catches up with him. Keda wounds one of them with his dagger as he scurries up a tree. When the wolves finally depart, Keda is shocked to find that the one he sliced still lives. He nurses the wolf back to health, as they form their own pack, two lost hungry wanderers uniting to survive while trying to find their families. But can Keda and the wolf he names Alpha return home before the brutal Winter ends their tentative friendship?

In his first feature as solo director (previously he teamed with brother Allen). Albert Hughes has crafted an epic adventure showcasing the beauty of nature and its cruelty. The images gleaned from multiple locales around the globe are stunning (in Imax 3D, the stars at night vividly sparkle and glisten, as though you can reach out and grab one), but the towering vistas never detract from this human (and animal) tale of unlikely partnership. Hughes elicits a compelling performance from Smit-McPhee, who carries the bulk of the story on his weary shoulders, emoting with his “ancestors”, that vibrant sky, and the enigmatic liquid-blue stare of Alpha. We see the wonder and danger through Keda’s expressive eyes as he matures from timid youth to quick-thinking and acting adult survivor. Smit-McPhee share a believable paternal bond with Johannesson who’s tough and surprisingly tender as his father and tribal leader, while Malthe is a nurturing though worried mother. As I mentioned earlier, this is not the sweet tale of inter-species bonding being sold in the previews and trailers. It’s a harsh, cruel young world that Keda and Alpha must navigate, with death hiding from every rock and shrub. A fall into a frozen body of water is not for the claustraphobic (flashbacks to the second OMEN flick), and a moonlit encounter with a hungry pack plays like a hellish nightmare (those red glowing eyes). All highlighted in the suburb cinematography by Martin Gschlacht. The screenplay by Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt from a story by Hughes never drags even as it takes a moment or two for some whimsical sequences that are “first” in the man/dog origin such as the first bowl of water, first “fetch”, and so forth. The story of first friendship is both an intimate tale of survival and a thrilling spectacle of that simpler time. And at a taut 90 minutes, it’s a great movie night for the family (well, for the grade school-aged tots). The next time you look past that cold nose into those glistening eyes so delighted to see you, you might just see more than a smidge of ALPHA in your best furry friend.

4 Out of 5

August 9, 2018

FAR FROM THE TREE – Review

Filed under: Review — Tags: , , , , , , — Jim Batts @ 9:45 pm

As the Summer movie season winds down, one type of film not usually known for hitting theatres this time of year seems to be finding an appreciative and big audience. Of course the major box office news has been dominated by action films, particularly the superhero flicks from AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR to INCREDIBLES 2. That’s really no big shock. But another surprise story of these warm months is the respectable (for these low budgets) grosses of several documentary feature films. Sure some of the bigger hits focus on entertainment figures like Fred Rogers and Whitney Huston, but a few have caused a stir over their compelling family stories, like the heart-wrenching THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS. Now comes another feature doc about family, no make that families. That’s because it’s part of a sub-genre of documentaries that are also anthologies. Multi-story movies have been a staple for many years, especially in the horror genres with such diverse offerings as DEAD OF KNIGHT to the more recent VHS flicks. The last anthology doc that made a splash might have been FREAKANOMICS, based on the book in 2010. It just so happens that this new entry is also based on an acclaimed book. It profiles families in which the offspring differed greatly from their parents. Or as they saying goes, they “sprang” FAR FROM THE TREE.

Said book is the work of Andrew Solomon who serves as the “host’ or narrator that ties all these stories together (much like the “Crypt Keeper” in the original TALES FROM THE CRYPT horror anthology). Solomon tells of growing up as an “odd duck” in an upper class East Coast family in the late sixties. When he realized he was gay, he “came out” to his parents, who rejected him (their hostility is shocking). Solomon channeled his heartache into scholarly research into other families in which the children were quite different from their folks. We then meet four such families. First is the story of Jason, who gained some fame in the mid seventies when his parents rejected the “experts’ and set out to teach their Down Syndrome child. At that time (just a touch over 40 years ago) the medical community believed such children couldn’t fit into to society and told mothers to give them up. But Jason and his Mom and Dad proved them wrong. We see news footage from that period with Jason even appearing on TV’s “Sesame Street”. Now at age 41, he works in an office delivering mail and lives in a supervised house with two other mentally challenged men. But Mom is concerned that Jason is drifting quickly into a fantasy world (after the death of his adored papa). The next subject is Jack, a young autistic man. In interviews, his parents talk of how the bright happy infant slowly vanished. They vent their frustrations and despair, but they never give up hope. That faith pays off when jack is finally matched with an unorthodox therapist who breaks through to him. The film shifts to shy Loini, a teenage girl dealing with dwarfism. Her encouraging mother takes her to the St. Louis meeting of The Little People of America, where she breaks out of her shell as she meets people “like her”. One of them is the slightly older, more vocal Leah who is trying to start a family with her husband, another “little person” who uses a motorized chair, Joe. But the last profile may be the most compelling. In Texas we meet a middle aged husband and wife as they root through the contents of a storage closet. After a few moments, the wife asks about the location of their eldest son’s school sports team photos. The husband replies in a low soft tone, “The cops took it”. We then learn that their high school-age son Trevor is serving life in prison without parole for the brutal senseless murder of an eight year-old boy. The film makers follow them and their other son and daughter has they try to carry on even as they respond to the occasional collect call from prison. Intercut with the progress of Solomon’s life, the film makers revisit the families, as they deal with their triumphs and challenges.

Director Rachel Dretzin deftly tells these family tales with an unobtrusive hand, letting the principals relate their history without jarring, flashy camera or optical techniques and an off camera narrator to prod their responses. There’s no re-enactments, no title cards (other than first names) or animation, just interviews and candid footage (new and home videos), aside from the occasional archival TV news footage (in the stories of Jason and Trevor). Solomon’s story pops in and out, between segments, and often, sometimes bridging the other tales, but usually compelling on its own, as with the sleazy 42nd Street “doctors’ who could “cure” men of sexual shyness via “assistants’ when the Big Apple developed some mold in the 70’s. Speaking of that decade, Jason’s story becomes an examination of what happens when fame fades. He was a media darling then, but now there’s little “unique” in his challenges. This may be a big reason for his belief that his mythic idol actually exists on the other side of the globe (Norway). After the moving film from 2016, LIFE, ANIMATED, Jack and his parents crisis is a bit familiar, but the raw emotions when his mother vents her frustration is heartbreaking. As with Jason, Loini’s tale of breaking away really shifts gears, smoothly leading into the love story of Leah and Joe. They’re man and wife as true partners, a united, supportive team in their quest to expand their family (aided considerably by Joe’s snarky sense of humor). But this team has a great team behind them as we meet their kind, incredibly nurturing parents, whose joy provides some epic tear-jerking scenes. They’re all upbeat, life-affirming stories about “can do” families. Then there’s the family of Trevor, perhaps the most compelling of the quartet of profiles. There are no upbeat scene beats. The tragedy will never end (much as with the family of the child who Trevor dispatched). At least Trevor still exists, a “living ghost’ in a limbo of collect phone conversations (which sound much like a faraway college student’s weekly “check in”). The only triumph is the continuation of the family (such a horrific incident will split most marriages). Mom and Dad forge on, mainly for their remaining children, as they confess that they’ll never have kids for fear that murderous gene could be passed on. Trevor’s parents  have even erased him. When meeting new people, they only mention the two children. If the truth is found out, questions are raised that can’t be answered (“How did your parenting skills create a killer?”, “What did you do?”). It’s engrossing, powerful film making, worthy of its own solo feature. But it’s just one component that makes FAR FROM THE TREE another of the year’s best feature documentaries.

4 out of 5

FAR FROM THE TREE opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

 

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