Author: Michael Haffner

I enjoy sitting in large, dark rooms with like-minded cinephiles and having stories unfold before my eyes.

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK – Review

Appreciating the little moments, those intimate magical interactions with another that can never be replicated or taken away from you… that’s what interests director Barry Jenkins. After his deeply emotional story of a young man coming to terms with his identity in MOONLIGHT, his followup is an adaptation of the classic James Baldwin novel. It’s a love story set in Harlem in the 1970s told through glances, smiles, tears, screams, and faces. It’s as if to prove that despite the obstacles that stand in our way, nothing can stand between a pair of eyes connecting with another – not even prison glass.

Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne) is a mother-to-be. Her family celebrates the announcement, but the family of her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the name Fonny (Stephan James), blames Tish for ruining the life of her son. Through a series of flashbacks, we see the childhood friends slowly turn into lovers and plan their life together. That is until everything gets derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK unfolds as if journal entries bleed out from the page onto the screen. We see Tish and Fonny’s emotions in every action and their thoughts as they gaze deep into the camera. Cinematographer James Laxton captures faces like no one else. He approaches the characters with patience and lets each shot breathe power and humanity into the moment. Nicholas Britell’s poetic and somber score harmoniously punctuates the painterly imagery. It’s an ever-present score that some might argue is a bit manipulative, but I found it a perfect compliment to the gentle approach Jenkins takes to the story.

Layne and James make for an electric couple. While they both seem to act and match one another’s tone perfectly – almost too perfectly – in their scenes together, it is the scenes where they are apart from one another where they each work on a different level. A scene early on where Tish and her family invite Fonny’s family over for the birth announcement erupts in unexpected fireworks. Jenkins masterfully lets the pot slowly boil with anticipation of spilling over and lets the scene come to a crash at just the right moment. Layne plays Tish as unpredictable in this scene, as you never know when she will recoil into her natural timid disposition or lash out with emotion – something that later comes to play in a pivotal moment in the film. Later, Fonny catches up with an old friend played by the incomparable Bryan Tyree Henry (from ATLANTA and earlier this year in WIDOWS). As his long-lost friend recounts his time in prison with great humility and deep-seated fear, James plays Fonny initially as a friend with a listening ear and then someone who is suddenly shaken from his idyllic life of love and artistry. It’s amazing how much Barry Jenkins is able to relay in a scene where two characters are simply sitting at a table sharing beers together.

What’s not said is just as important as what’s said in Jenkins’ adaptation of Baldwin’s novel. Discussions of discrimination and mistreatment are just as prevalent as expressions of love in IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, but it is the characters’ unspoken fear of what is to come in the future that screams the loudest and is felt the most by the audience. In the end, Jenkins has made another resounding film about hope and the lack of hope – a dichotomy that is still a part of the black experience. As if he is saying that love and hope can still be heard even when there are walls between us.

 

Overall score: 4.5 out of 5

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK is now playing in select theaters.

 

AQUAMAN – Review

When you have a character that can communicate with fish, you either tread hesitantly in the shallow end or dive right in and embrace the rocky waters. Director James Wan shows no signs of a fear of water. The world of AQUAMAN is certainly goofy and Wan leans happily into the goofiness and cheese, but as customary with his flashy directing style, there’s a level of cool splashed in as well. The aquatic hero’s first solo film is a bright and bold visual adventure, but it’s also bogged down by an overly familiar superhero story preventing it from standing out from the other fish in the sea.

Jason Momoa plays half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry. After Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) washes up on the shore of a lighthouse attendant (Temuera  Morrison), the queen of Atlantis falls in love with the human world and give birth to Arthur. Flash forward decades later, and the half-merman now spends his time downing beers and stopping hijackers in international waters. Mera (Amber Heard) leaves Atlantis to warn Arthur of his brother King Orm’s plan to rage war on the surface world by uniting the undersea kingdoms (Patrick Wilson in one of several miscast roles). Once Arthur decides to fight for his rightful claim to the throne and stop his brother’s plan, the film shifts into a travelogue, Indiana Jones adventure where Arthur and Mera travel by sea and by plane as they are hunted by the villain Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who is on his revenge-fueled mission.

If you can’t get past fish-people riding atop sharks, just stay away. If you can’t get past a neon-colored underwater kingdom that looks like a cross between TRON and AVATAR, just stay away. If you can’t get past lines like, “That thing will destroy us,” followed by, “We have no other choice!”… then please, just stay away. AQUAMAN is weird and strange and by all normal standards, even plain bad, at times. And yet, it’s strangely captivating. The weirdness mostly works, mainly because it seems like a departure from the other DC films that came before it.

Wan successfully retcons many of the missteps that Snyder and his team took with the character and the overly dark tone of the other DC films. For starters, we’re treated to the classic character suit and Trident. Arthur’s dark, brooding rock star persona from JUSTICE LEAGUE slowly becomes unraveled throughout the film. Unlike other superhero films where a “normal” guy has to find his inner confidence in order to be a leader, here we have a cocky asshole who learns humility as the film goes on, calling to mind the original IRON MAN. By the end of the film, the macho know-it-all has been broken down and we’re treated to more of a dumb meathead that now realizes after being exposed to the real world that he doesn’t have all the answers.

Who serves as his teacher is his female partner. Amber Heard’s character, Mera, may not go through as much change, but at least she’s given agency – a trait not often given to female leads in these types of films. She’s not treated as “arm candy” or the damsel in distress. In fact, she’s the one that’s properly putting him in his place while occasionally saving him from death. While Heard confidently plays the strong and stoic leader, the rest of the supporting cast doesn’t fare as well. Dolph Lundgren looks like he’s playing dress up and Willem Dafoe seems to be reading off a teleprompter every time he’s on screen.

Still, it’s hard not to get swept up in the action, especially a death-defying chase through the streets and across the tile rooftops of Sicily. Jason Momoa’s commitment to the character is felt throughout but especially during these scenes. Having DC hire Momoa turned out to be a blessing that many of us didn’t expect. He may not look and act like the blonde-haired, blue-eyed version from the comics, but that’s not a bad thing. More importantly, the energy Momoa instills in the character has certainly made more of an impact on screen than Affleck’s Caped Crusader. The actor’s Polynesian roots are even incorporated into the film at times through some of his fighting stances, proving he’s more than just a “Wet Thor.” 

Yet, for all its smart choices, AQUAMAN still suffers from an unwatchable final battle. Hundreds of lasers and creatures fly across the screen at every given moment, creating yet another CGI nightmare that may rival even the worse offenders of the superhero genre. New worlds may be explored with great enthusiasm in AQUAMAN, but the same old mistakes are made when it comes to story and connecting audiences with these heroes. Sure, strange and fantastical imagery will astonish audiences, but shouldn’t we ask for more from our superhero films in 2018? After several classics have come out of the genre over the past decade, a director with a confident voice and a film with a unique visual pallet aren’t going to be enough to create a splash when the bar has been raised so high. 

 

Overall score: 2.5 out of 5

AQUAMAN opens in theaters Friday, December 21st, 2018

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD – Review

Prior to my film screening, a man walked about the auditorium performing card tricks for audience members. Kids and adults alike were wowed by his magic tricks, but as everyone knows, the deck was stacked in his favor. He didn’t have to worry about what cards he held, which seems like a problem J.K. Rowling had to face when establishing the FANTASTIC BEASTS universe. Establishing characters that were only hinted at in the Wizarding World and some not even mentioned at all was perhaps the biggest of many challenges. Ultimately, the first film was a tonal mess of jumbled themes that didn’t know exactly what it wanted to do – the equivalent of not knowing whether to go for a full house or three-of-a-kind. And unlike the entertainer with the deck of cards, J.K. Rowling had to lay on the table a number of weak cards in the first film before she was able to play a stronger hand with the second film in the series.

At the end of the first film, the powerful wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and begins gathering followers to fulfill his mission: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings (No-majes). In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander to stop him, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead.

THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD opens with an exciting breakout as Grindelwald is attempted to be transported from one jail to another. It sets the tone for an espionage-heavy story that also weaves a cat-and-mouse chase across multiple countries. A wave of a wand and characters pop up in a new place, and then leave soon after to pop up in another. While on paper, it sounds like an exhilarating departure from the first film’s childlike hijinks, it’s told without much conviction and lacking any forward trajectory. The story is much more focused than its predecessor, but director David Yates seems more interested in the intimate character moments than the fear of a growing evil presence that looms over the characters. Cinematographer Philippe Rousselot highlights this through a number of extremely tight close-ups on the characters, something that was practically non-existent in the previous film’s visual storytelling.

The fantastic beasts from the title are more cleverly woven into the fabric of the story than they were previously. In the first film, they acted as cute distractions from the witch-hunt, here, they pick locks for characters to escape and act as guardians when trouble arises. In fact, one of the shining characters in the film is a large fanged dragon-looking cat that resembles something in a Chinese Dragon Dance. Compared to the first entry, Newt Scamander’s role as a magical zookeeper doesn’t get in the way of his new role in helping to save the world (as silly as that may sound).

The magical world is central to the story, and the numerous flashbacks and new reveals will excite fans of this universe. Hearing the iconic John Williams score once again and taking a trip back to Hogwarts was a welcome return. Who is particularly strong in these scenes is Jude Law as a young Dumbledore. He is able to perfectly balance the scholarly manner of the character along with a hint of mischievousness that comes through at times in something as subtle a passing comment and slight smirk. Because of his relationship with Newt Scamander and others, the first film suddenly is given new purpose – something that I question whether was actually planned out from the start.

As I was expecting yet another over-the-top performance from Johnny Depp, I was shocked to see how restrained he is with Grindelwald’s line delivery and mannerisms. Under the pale skin and white hair, he plays the villain as an all-seeing, stoic British gentleman, not unlike David Bowie late in his life. David Yates appropriately limits his screentime until the finale, where we see just how much power he has in the wizarding world. His roaring speech to his followers is a moody show-stopper. While it may take a little too long to get to that point, he casts a spell over the audience and his followers through his manipulation of fear and the threat of war – it becomes an effective allusion to Hitler’s rise to power in pre-WWII Europe.

While THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD suffers at times from many crimes, they are far fewer and less offensive than FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. Just as the original series of films balanced an innocent sense of wonder with an intriguing dissection of the blurred line between good and evil, here’s hoping that this new series continues to figure out its own unique style between wowing kids and adults and engaging wizards and no-majes.

 

Overall Score: 3 out of 5

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD opens in theaters November 16th, 2018

 

HALLOWEEN (2018) – Review

As Tommy says to Laurie in the original 1978 film, “You can’t kill the Boogeyman.” It was never a question if he would return to the big screen… just a matter of when. Unfortunately, HALLOWEEN and Michael Myers have always been misinterpreted since the John Carpenter classic. His story has gone in directions that never lived up to the “Boogeyman” status. He once existed as part man and part dark fantasy. What he’s capable of in the original film goes beyond the suspension of belief, but it’s always grounded by John Carpenter’s masterful handling of the story. While the new 2018 film is the one sequel that comes the closest to presenting this idea, it once again falls victim to the same missteps that the later films in the series and the slasher genre as a whole embraced with open arms. The original was never about the kills and gory imagery on screen, but rather how the power of suggestion can make you believe that both man and myth can form a monster.

I have to give him credit. David Gordon Green tries hard to make this as faithful to the original as possible, coaxing Carpenter to return as producer and composer, Jamie Lee Curtis to reprise the role of Laurie Strode, and Nick Castle, as the “the Shape” of Michael Myers. Even compositions, at times, like the silhouetted inmates walking in the moonlight following a bus crash remind the viewer of Dean Cundey’s original cinematography. And yet, for all the good intentions, the film still feels the need to abandon what worked so well in the original in lieu of more flashy content like a killing spree depicted in a long single-take shot between households.

One of the most glaring issues with the film is the casting. As an integral part of Laurie’s emotional arc, Judy Greer is completely miscast as her daughter Karen. Now a mother of a teenage daughter, the character serves as the “voice of reason” who has moved on from her mother’s painful past. Her backstory as a former survivalist-in-training under her mother’s wing is never truly felt, and her scenes with Jamie Lee Curtis where she looks on her mother with embarrassment, never feel balanced opposite Curtis’ gut-wrenching and genuine performance. “The new Loomis,” as described by Laurie in the film, also struggles to find his place in the film. In the hands of Haluk Bilginer, Dr. Sartain comes across as a mix of Udo Kier and a Donald Pleasance impersonator in a 70s Italian horror film. That’s not even acknowledging the unnecessary turns in his story.


John Carpenter gives new life to his classic score in faithful and suspenseful style which also adds an emotional texture to Laurie’s survivor story. The connection between Michael and Laurie – the hunter and hunted – and how they relate to each other is the most sincere and effective element of the film. Laurie’s trauma is portrayed with a steely intensity by Curtis. She has trained herself to become an unblinking and unwavering warrior, but the film isn’t afraid to show her break down as a result of her trauma. Curtis lives up to the physical and mental challenges of the role, especially in the final act. The original HALLOWEEN may have ushered in the “woman in peril” genre, but the new film shows how peril can create a somber and strong story of redemption. How the events of 40 years ago have shaped each of them is what becomes the jumping off point, but along the way, this idea takes a backseat and the script veers into post-modern winking and bloodshed.

David Gordon Green’s HALLOWEEN rather quickly becomes about the unstoppable nature of this man. And while the “Boogeyman” idea is often referenced, the film relies heavily on the malicious killing power of Michael Myers. The bulk of the film seems like a melee of carnage until the finale, when audiences are finally treated to an entertaining blend of nods to the original with a modern take on the home invasion model. HALLOWEEN (2018) is exactly what you would expect from a film made 40 years later: a continuation of a horror classic that can’t commit to the restraint that Carpenter showcased in his masterpiece. 

In the opening moments of the film, a journalist pulls out the mask Michael wore 40 years ago and taunts him by saying, “You feel its power, don’t you?” The mask is a central theme to HALLOWEEN. The original opens with a young Michael Myers putting on a simple clown mask and murdering his sister. You don’t know his motives, and it’s not until the mask is pulled off that we see the face of a young boy emotionless and frozen with fear. He doesn’t even answer when his parents call his name. At this moment, Carpenter shows that anyone can become the “Boogeyman.” And yet the fantastical power of the mask isn’t felt with this new film. Watching Michael slip on the mask again doesn’t feel the same as it once did. It might look like and sound like HALLOWEEN at times, but it doesn’t necessarily feel like it. And for some die-hard fans of the series, that might be enough to welcome the long-awaited return of the “Boogeyman.”

 

Overall score: 3 out of 5

HALLOWEEN (2018) opens in theaters Friday, October 19th

 

GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN – Review

Witches, werewolves, creatures, spiders, mummies, pumpkins… Halloween is always a colorful combination of characters and frightful findings. The same can be said about R.L. Stine’s popular Goosebumps book series. Given the number of books he’s written over the years, it’s no wonder that the 2015 film decided to take an ensemble approach to the author’s creations instead of adapting just one story. The meta-approach to bringing the stories to the big-screen while acknowledging the author’s popularity within the film resulted in tongue-in-cheek family fun. GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN takes a very similar approach but sets it during… you guessed it. Now, you have a film made up of Halloween, Goosebumps characters, self-aware humor, and even Nikola Tesla (yes, the famous inventor). While the combination should work on paper, these ingredients come together into a concoction that’s never as sweet or fun as the first entry.

Besides Jack Black reprising his role as famous horror writer R.L. Stine – in what feels like a stint filmed over the course of a weekend – we’re treated (or tricked, depending on how you look at it) to a whole new family-friendly cast of characters in a new setting. Sonny and Sam (Jeremy Ray Taylor and Caleel Harris) discover a hidden room with a chest when they are scavenging in an abandoned home. Inside the chest, they discover a locked book titled Haunted Halloween. When they open it, they flip through it and realize it’s unfinished. What they initially don’t realize is that they also resurrected Slappy the ventriloquist dummy. It’s now up to the two friends and Sonny’s sister Sarah (Madison Iseman) to stop Slappy from bringing Halloween characters to life and destroying their town.

R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps book series is one of the reasons why I’m the horror fan I am today. There are other films, books, and tv shows that formed the macabre mind I have today, but Goosebumps was one of the first. Even though I went into the 2015 film adaptation with apprehension, I left feeling that GOOSEBUMPS perfectly captured the tone of Stine’s children’s stories while incorporating a clever conceit so that all of the writer’s creations can emerge on-screen.

Director Ari Sandel has a hard time finding his footing taking over for Rob Letterman. The jokes don’t land quite right, the scale of it all seems smaller and cheaper than it should (similar to the TV show), and the film bounces between scenes somewhat sporadically, feeling as if it doesn’t quite know what it’s doing. Granted, some of the blame can be put on the script by Darren Lemke. Once the film turns into Slappy’s show, the characters serve more as conduits to explain the plot instead of genuine and goofy kids. They “randomly” stumble upon R.L. Stine’s name when researching weird paranormal events online. Next, they suddenly know how to use the book to beat the demons. And of course, they know Slappy will use Tesla’s coil to bring everything to life. A number of plot points are clumsily shoe-horned into the dialogue to push the film from one visual gag to the next.

GOOSEBUMPS 2 isn’t without a few fun and scary moments that page-turning fans will appreciate. Like the garden gnome scene in the first film, the gummy bear setpiece makes for a gooey treat as the little guys morph into one another to create a larger demon bear. And, of course, there’s the fan-favorite Slappy. While he wears out his welcome on screen, his introduction in the spooky old house is the perfect example of a less-is-more style of scare, free of the CGI to come. By the time he’s raising an army of monsters in a department store, you get the feeling that the screenwriter might have mashed two film ideas together: a Slappy spin-off film and a remake of the first film.

It’s trying to be a love letter to the season of Halloween (complete with a HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH visual nod). It’s trying to be a creepy doll film. It’s trying to be a fun family film. It’s trying to be a “Goosebumps Greatest Hits” creature feature. It even feels like it’s trying to be an anti-bullying PSA in the first half with a number of drawn-out scenes. GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN wants to be all this and more, but it can’t quite achieve any of these as it lives in the monster-sized shadow of its predecessor.

 

Overall score: 2 out of 5

GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN opens in theaters everywhere Friday, October 12th, 2018

 

FIRST MAN – Review

Coming off of the jovial and colorful burst of life that is LA LA LAND, it’s surprising that Damien Chazelle takes audiences on quite a grim journey. FIRST MAN feels less like a patriotic, proud moment in American history and more like an exploration of paralyzing and dreadful fear. It’s the fear of what we can’t control in life. The audience may fear for the man in the pilot seat, but it’s the man who fears for his lack of control outside of the pilot seat.

Based on the book by James R. Hansen, FIRST MAN explores the sacrifices that Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) put himself, his wife Janet (Claire Foy), and kids through as he helps NASA achieve their ultimate goal: Be the first country to land a man on the moon. In the process, the engineer-turned-astronaut cheats death several times (as seen in the nail-biting opening scene while flying an X-15), butts heads with the outspoken Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll), and witnesses friends and family taken from his life.

It becomes immediately apparent that conveying the physical nature of NASA’s trials and tribulations leading to the Apollo 11 mission is the film’s main mission. Chazelle seems to take pleasure in showing the physical demands of the job and presents it as a rather thankless one at that. Immersive sound design and stark visual storytelling truly make it feel like you are in the front seat going full-speed into a galactic horror film. It’s a long, loud, and very bleak journey into the unknown.

Claire Foy (The Crown) is the wife and mother at home who has to force a calm and collected composure as her husband hurdles himself forward into the brink of death. Without the help of much dialogue, Foy is left to convey her inner turmoil through her emotive eyes. Almost ironically, considering the wide-open expanse of space, Chazelle and cinematographer Linus Sandgren shoot mostly in close-up, making the faces seem larger than life – often quite blurry, as well, when the men are strapped in. It’s an effective storytelling device even though it becomes a bit tiresome.

Ryan Gosling and the script by Josh Singer portray Neil Armstrong as someone who can solve last-minute calculations within seconds, and yet, struggles with communicating with his wife and children. Working with a bare-bones script, Gosling attempts to present a man who is simply putting his head down and moving full-steam ahead. His typical puppy-dog eyes become unblinking headlights, illuminating the way towards NASA’s goal. However, Gosling feels less like a blue-collar worker getting the job done at all costs and more like an empty straw man – perhaps a symbol for how Chazelle truly feels about the mission.

FIRST MAN is eager to point out that the moon landing is only a happy story in our minds because we like to remember it as a grand achievement in American History. In one scene, Gil Scott-Heron’s song of racial inequality, ‘Whitey on the Moon,” is even juxtaposed with imagery of NASA prepping for the big liftoff. The “Space Race” is presented in a tragic way as opposed to a triumph. Nothing says this more than the final shots of the film. At what cost do we push ourselves for our own professional endeavors? While Neil Armstrong might have represented “One giant leap for mankind,” Chazelle questions if the journey was worth the man losing his humanity.

 

Overall score: 3.5 out of 5

FIRST MAN opens in theaters everywhere Friday, Oct. 12th, 2018

MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. – Review

She’s the rapper that flipped off the camera at the Super Bowl. She’s the political activist that is critical of America. She’s the pop star that had a hit featuring kids singing the chorus layered over gunshots and a sample of The Clash’s “Straight to Hell.” Music critics and fans knew of M.I.A. starting with her breakthrough album Arular in 2005, but it wasn’t until her song “Paper Planes” was featured in the 2008 film SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (it went on to win Best Picture) that the general public became aware of the Sri Lankan artist which led to an unconventional radio hit. And with that came a series of controversial performances, music videos, and interviews, that all culminated in a 2012 Super Bowl halftime show alongside Madonna. Yet, for all of the headlines, articles, and think-pieces labeling the artist as an enfant terrible, many were more obsessed about the nature of her actions instead of listening to what she was saying.

In the years that followed that performance, M.I.A. released albums that pushed her mix of electronic hip-hop, African dance-hall beats, and tribal drums, into more experimental territory with mixed results. Whether intentional or not, her name disappeared from the media in recent years. As a result, this new documentary feels like a look back at a long-lost pop icon as well as a film that doesn’t feel as urgent as it might have been 4 or 5 years ago.

Ironically, MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. has been in development for years. Director Steve Loveridge was given over 700 hours of footage chronicling the journey of a young girl who wanted to be a rapper and then a documentary filmmaker (going on tour with Britpop band Elastica) and then a singer and producer. How he was able to edit that down into a clear and cohesive 96 min narrative is an accomplishment in and of itself. Yet, it’s also an engaging portrait that shows how someone’s identity isn’t easily defined. So much ground is covered in this film – hence, the three names she goes by that are featured in the title – that you feel like you’re seeing multiple sides of an individual, which is uncommon in most documentaries. The cut and paste approach to the film presents the subject as if you are watching her life unfold naturally. The fact that it’s all told from and filmed (mostly) from her perspective gives us a chance to see Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam in a raw and unfiltered light. Albeit, a light very much controlled by the subject.

Loveridge serves more as a conduit for M.I.A. compared to the typical documentary filmmaker. He isn’t the provocateur asking questions, but given the footage, he has assembled intriguing pieces where we can see the foreshadowing of a young artist that saw the power and responsibility of being handed a microphone. Her escape from a civil war and her father’s position within that war bears a heavy presence on her mind and becomes a crucial part of her music. In the film, it becomes just as important to the narrative as her Super Bowl fallout (though the events of that day and the aftermath might be focused on a little too heavily).

What’s most intriguing is that following the documentary’s premiere at Sundance earlier this year, M.I.A. expressed disinterest in the film, going so far as saying that the director removed her “cool” element. Watching the film with this knowledge adds another layer to the outspoken performer and activist. If the film paints a portrait of an artist that is heavily inspired by the Sri Lankan civil war and the treatment of refugees in England and America, what is the “cool” side of the performer that we’re not seeing? If the title refers to a woman exploring her identity through three different personas, perhaps there is a fourth somewhere among the hundreds of hours of footage that we haven’t met. In the end, it’s hard to compartmentalize one’s life, and maybe that’s the point.

 

Overall score: 3.5 out of 5

MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. opens in select theaters Friday, September 28th, 2018

THE NUN – Review

A foggy, tree-lined graveyard. An old stone abbey sitting atop a hill. A village filled with superstitious residents. An eerie crypt below that holds a dark and dangerous spirit. All of these elements combine to create a tale filled with classic, gothic imagery. While THE NUN may have the look of a spine-tingling tale of mystery and death, the story and characters fail to support the macabre imagery, leading to a hollow and tedious entry in “The Conjuring Universe.”

After an unnecessary opening reminding audiences that this is connected to both CONJURING films (later bookended in a slightly more clever but still unnecessary manner), a nun falls to her death after being pursued by a ghastly spirit later revealed to be the demon Valak. At the time of her death, she held a mysterious key, which, of course, will come into play later. The Vatican calls upon Father Burke (Demián Bichir) who typically investigates cases of miracles to investigate the abbey. They assign him a young novitiate (Taissa Farmiga) who is familiar with the “territory” of the abbey in the Romanian village, although she confesses to the priest she’s never been to Romania. With the help of a guide by the name of “Frenchie,” the two arrive at a mostly abandoned abbey where shadowy figures, strange noises, and ghosts of their past linger around every corner.

Given the fact that Valak was previously introduced in THE CONJURING 2 with little backstory besides the habit of popping out at you when you most expect it (that will be my only nun-pun this review, I promise), THE NUN has very little interest in revealing much about the pale-faced and yellow-eyed villain. Screenwriter Gary Dauberman’s script (who previously wrote ANNABELLE) fails to create a story that’s as engaging as the creepy environment. Taissa’s nun-in-training feels like a weaker version of her real-life sibling Vera Farmiga’s character in THE CONJURING films. She’s even given the same power to see “visions” like THE CONJURING’s Lorraine Warren, but without any connection mentioned in the film. The lazy approach to character building is just as much extended to the dialogue. The morning after our two naive detectives discover where the nun died, the novitiate looks to the priest and says, “Look, there’s more blood.” In a matter-of-fact manner, he mutters, “Another clue.”

After a while, the eye-rolling at lines like these as well as watching the two chase every sound and figure in the corner of their eye becomes a bit tiresome. Even at a brisk 96 mins, THE NUN feels like a drawn-out, haunted tour of the abbey with all its nooks and crannies instead of a suspenseful journey into madness – which is ultimately what it tries hard to be in the second half with images of a ghostly boy spitting out snakes and nuns randomly appearing and disappearing. Compared to the other films in this universe, the scares feel disingenuous since there isn’t enough time or effort put into developing characters that you care about. As a result, their delivery doesn’t hit the scary or shocking note that they should. 

In large part due to Maxime Alexandre’s sumptuous cinematography, director Corin Hardy crafts a beautiful looking Gothic horror film that would play great on mute set to classical music in the background. Instead, we’re left listening to cheesy dialogue and being reminded of dangling plot threads that are never explained (Why is it mentioned that a girl in town kills herself when nothing comes of this?). Like most Euro-horror films from the late 70s and early 80s, there’s a weird charm to its cheesy, funhouse approach to certain scenes, like one early on in a graveyard with ringing bells. Yet, other times, it becomes a tired trip into the world of religious horror, where the screams are heard only from the screen instead of the audience and the prayers are for a sequel that would better utilize the creepy material.

 

Overall score: 2.5 out of 5

THE NUN opens in theaters September 7th

 

7 Films to Watch Alongside THE NUN

The James Wan-led “Conjuring Universe” is filled with creepy houses, family turmoil, possessed children (THE CONJURING 2), and children’s toys & games gone wrong (both ANNABELLE films). Besides the fact that THE NUN takes place in 1952 which is well before the other four films in this universe, the film brings a stark change of environment by setting the scares in a monastery compared to the usual family households. Of course, with this eerie setting, a whole new style of scares and creepy imagery await audiences anticipating this scary new entry in the series.

THE NUN follows the evil entity first introduced in THE CONJURING 2. But before seeing the film when it opens this Friday, September 7th, let’s dive into a world of religious horror filled with nasty nuns, satanic spirits, and malevolent monasteries. Holy hell, let’s pray we make it out alive!

 

THE CHURCH (1989)

When you build a church over a mass grave of expected Devil worshippers dating back to The Crusades, you know that you might run into a little bit of trouble. Flash forward to present day 1989, a newly-hired librarian and a painter restoring frescos in the church discover that religious evil begets even greater evil. The underground catacombs and buried secrets beneath the church give way to some effective scares reminiscent of what we’ve seen in the trailers for THE NUN. A scene where the male lead opens a sealed crypt at the center of a stone crucifix leads to some unexpected scares and ushers in the gory but somewhat silly second half. Michele Soavi is a better visual storyteller than a writer (which he wrote with Italian master Dario Argento), so head into THE CHURCH knowing you’re getting slow creeping atmosphere at first before it segues into a bizarre, unhinged exploitation flick with allusions to ROSEMARY’S BABY in the second half.

 

THE NAME OF THE ROSE (1986)

A religious figure leaps to their death. An expert and a young apprentice are called in to investigate. Mysterious happenings pile up. If this sounds an awful lot like the plot of THE NUN, you would be correct. Yet, it’s also the plot of the book and 1986 film adaptation, THE NAME OF THE ROSE. Here you have Sean Connery playing a cross between a Franciscan monk and Sherlock Holmes, while Christian Slater plays more of a naive student in training than Dr. Watson. This engaging murder mystery was actually shot in a real monastery, and the gloomy look to the candle-lit hallways and stone archways gives the film an ominous feel. While it doesn’t feature killer nuns popping out at you, it’s worth watching to see how this inspired Gary Dauberman and James Wan’s story in THE NUN.

 

ALUCARDA (1977)

Dozens of large crucifixes and hundreds of candles are the backdrop for two girls strapped and stretched over a cross. Nuns walk around with blood-stained white garments. A late night ceremony conjures a horned demon. A woman emerges from a coffin filled with blood. Nuns burst into flames. And this is just a taste of the nightmarish imagery on display in ALUCARDA – a film praised by Guillermo del Toro. In just 74 mins, this Mexican thriller gets under your skin as it tells the story of two girls whose souls are possessed by the Devil during their stay at a monastery. Director Juan Lopez Moctezuma has a unique approach to the material that makes the sensational and exploitative events feel surprisingly artistic. The film is overflowing with blood, screams, and nudity – it’s a wild devilish ride and a chilling reminder of the horrors of teen rebellion when religion is fueled by fear.

 

THE GORGON, KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, or other Hammer Films (1964, 1963)

During interviews with the screenwriter of THE NUN earlier this year, he mentioned how the film was heavily influenced by the imagery of gothic castles and fog covered forests in the horror films of Hammer Studios. KISS OF THE VAMPIRE opens with a burial funeral in a foggy cemetery that plays as the perfect atmospheric reference to influence THE NUN. However, it’s THE GORGON that’s often praised as one of the defining moments from a studio known for producing dozens of gothic horror films from the 50s into the 70s. The film might move a little slow for some monster fans considering that the creature is shown only in brief glimpses until the end. During the wait, we’re treated to beautiful and colorful shots of the meticulous set design, an element that became a trademark in Hammer films. Hammer didn’t make a nun-inspired horror film, but the studio’s use of gothic imagery seems evident in what we’ve seen so far from THE NUN.

 

THE OTHER HELL (1981)

Bruno Mattei was never going to reach the Italian horror ranks alongside Mario Bava or Dario Argento, yet alone Lucio Fulci. Try as he may through aping their gimmicks in his C or D-level films, the Italian director never really got much recognition even though he pumped out over 50 films in his career (Argento has still directed only half as many). The plot centers on a priest investigating murders at a convent, but you’re not gonna watch a Bruno Mattei film for the story or dialogue (which was often made up on set). Demon dogs, demon girls… yes, this is cheesy exploitation through and through complete with a plot line that doesn’t make any sense. Directing under the pseudonym Stefan Oblowsky, Mattei surprisingly avoids some of the “nunsploitation” tropes like nudity and gratuitous lesbian sex scenes. It may not be scary and often includes too much padding between setpieces, but THE OTHER HELL might be the sleazy director’s most-underappreciated film.

 

THE DEVILS (1971)

There isn’t anything new that I can say about this classic and controversial horror film (yes, it is a true horror film in my eyes). Ken Russell pulls out all of the stops in this intense, surreal, and fiery critique of the abuse of power and hypocrisy within organized religion, specifically the Catholic Church. It’s no wonder that it was banned in so many countries and is still without a Blu-ray release in North America. Set in 17th century France, THE DEVILS stars Vanessa Redgrave as a hunchbacked nun named Sister Jeanne who lusts after Father Grandier (Oliver Reed). To this day, THE DEVILS has some of the most beautifully-shocking images I’ve seen in any film – one of the original deleted scenes features a massive orgy of nuns and a statue of Christ that was used in “unholy” ways. It’s the kind of film where a public burning is treated like a crazed and hysterical festival of death. And yet, the emotional performances from icons Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed ground the film from going completely off the rails. There’s never going to be a time when a religious horror film gets released and the conversation doesn’t call to mind THE DEVILS. What it lacks in jump-scares, it more than makes up for in real, fervent terror.

 

THE HALLOW (2015)

It’s always interesting to revisit the films that paved the way for a director. Corin Hardy made a name for himself with several music videos and short films that led to his feature film debut. THE HALLOW has a pretty simple siege premise: A family in a remote Irish village bunker down to survive from some newly-awakened creatures in the woods. This 2015 creature feature earned Hardy the Best Horror Film at the Empire Awards. It’s also worth noting for old-school horror fans that the director pushed to use practical effects as much as possible. Leaning heavily towards suspense with a healthy dash of fantastical folklore, THE HALLOW shows a director that knows how to ratchet tension and effectively work in isolated and tight quarters. As is the case in the trailers for THE NUN, you never know what might be around the corner.

 

THE NUN opens in theaters this Friday, September 7th.

THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST – Review

Audiences and critics are quick to label a film. Well, that’s a superhero film. Oh, that’s a cheesy comedy. Yeah, that’s that gay film that’s coming out. Sure, you could say that THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST deals with gay and queer topics at a gay conversion therapy camp for teenagers. What’s interesting though about the film is the lack of labels the kids put on themselves or on their friends. They don’t say, “I’m gay or I’m a lesbian or I’m bi.” There is a childlike quality to this that speaks volumes of how they view themselves. Sure, you can call it “the delicate unique snowflake” generation, but I think there is more to it than that. They don’t see themselves as unique and without labels as much as they are still discovering who they are. These are high school students after all. They haven’t declared a college major, yet alone declared who they love and why they feel the way they do. The title character, Cameron (Chloe-Grace Moretz), at one point explains, “I don’t think of myself as a homosexual.” She doesn’t say this outta pure shame – though I think a part of it might be from that – but more out of the fact that she hasn’t quite found her path in life just yet.

Paths and finding your footing is a recurring theme in the dialogue and imagery throughout the film. One of the boys in camp who has the most dramatic arc, Mark (Owen Campbell in a heart-wrenching performance), describes to Cameron that finding your faith is simply a matter of “putting one foot in front of the other.” Another more symbolic example of this theme is that the trio of main characters often go on hikes through the woods as a means of escape. While the film stays firm in not answering what the clear path or answer may be (nothing proves this more than the last lingering shot), it’s clear that writer and director Desiree Akhavan is willing to say that there are multiple paths for young people to take in life.

Chloe Grace Moretz plays the part of Cameron perfectly. Even though the camera stays glued to her face in closeup for far too long at times, she remains strong even though you can see the many questions swirling about her head. That’s not an easy feat to pull off – to convey deep-seated questions spinning around inside without looking about or down in a tiresome manner. While the film offers very little comedic energy or breaks, actor Forrest Goodluck as Adam provides just a touch with his deadpan delivery of a few lines. Unfortunately Cameron’s friendship with Adam and Jane (AMERICAN HONEY breakout star Sasha Lane) isn’t explored as much as the trials and activities that go on in the camp. The positive light the three exude when they are together would add a little more warmth to the film if the focus was shifted just a little.

Director and writer Desiree Akhavan (adapting the book by Emily M. Danforth) seems to purposefully not paint the leaders of the religious camp as the villains. Of course, their methods at times are cruel (at one point the leader has her foot on a boy’s back) and as Cameron points out are examples of “emotional abuse,” but the film doesn’t paint them as fanatical tyrants ruling with a God-like iron fist. There are scenes where their humanity comes out in odd and unsettling ways, especially in the second half of the film. The fact that the filmmakers didn’t paint them in a more ugly fashion is slightly off-putting. The audiences who will flock to this knows that camps like this aren’t ethically right, and because of this, the unorthodox approach to depicting the camp leaders will divide some audiences.

THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST isn’t necessarily a learning exercise but rather an exploration of teen struggles. We often forget how tumultuous these formative years can be. As adults, we brush it off since they aren’t paying bills or working a 9-5. Between Bo Burnham’s film EIGHTH GRADE from earlier this year and now this, the struggles of growing up as a teenager have never felt more real and heartbreaking. There’s nothing illuminating or groundbreaking in the story of THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST or in the way the story is told, but it’s a nice reminder that we all lived through a time when we didn’t have all the answers and it was up to us to forge our own path.

 

Overall score: 4 out of 5

THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST is now playing in select cities