Review – Page 22 – We Are Movie Geeks

THE ORDER (2024) – Review

During the pandemic lockdown and in the frigid months of more recent years, many home viewers became hooked on “true crime” stories that were once the lifeblood of broadcast TV news “magazine” shows, but now have entire cable networks devoted to them. And the streaming apps are simply bursting with documentaries and “limited” series that are comprised of recreations and “talking head” interviews. While motion pictures had been the showcase for non-fiction law enforcement tales, recently we’ve seen more of the “over the top” “stunt-heavy” action blockbusters. Now, in between the year-end family fantasies and the somber “Oscar bait”, here’s a nifty thriller that evokes the feel of those zippy “B pictures”. Ah, but there’s a twist in that much of the story still resonates today, several decades later (much like the upcoming SEPTEMBER 5, which you’ll be hearing about soon). Yes, on a cold day almost four years ago, the country was dealing with the legacy of THE ORDER.

A murder in a dark wooded area begins this fable set in the 1980s, just a couple of years into the Reagan presidency. Soon after, a veteran FBI agent named Terry Husk (Jude Law) takes on a new assignment in sleepy Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. After setting up in an empty office space, he checks in with the local police. A counterfeiting operation and bombs planted at synagogues and porno theatres may be linked to the local branch of the white supremacist group, the Aryan Nation. The sheriff is hestitant to help Husk, but young officer Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan) is eager to guide him. The film shifts focus to Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), who is living a double life. He has a pregnant girlfriend, Zillah (Odessa Young) while maintaining a home with his wife Debbie (Alison Oliver), and young son Clinton. Or maybe it’s a “triple life” as Bob is the leader of a ‘splinter group” from the Nation called “The Order” which has been robbing banks and armored cars. As the crimes of the group become more violent, Husk brings in some FBI backup led by old partner Joanne Carney (Jurnee Smollett). But Bob is also getting more help as he enlists new recruits to his “crusade” as they plot their biggest score yet while also perpetrating the assassination of liberal radio talk show host Alan Berg (Marc Maron). He is aware of Husk and his crew as the men engage in a deadly game of “hide and seek” that finally explodes in a savage showdown.

Playing against his still dashing leading man looks, Law dives deep into the role of a lawman whose only real passion is for bringing the outlaws in, even at the cost of his health and all of his relationships. With his droopy Wyatt Earp-stache’, Husk seems to be living off nicotine paired with booze-infused caffeine despite his body’s distress signals (a long surgery scar in the middle of his chest and his gushing, ill-timed nose-bleeds). He’s truly a flawed hero, the grim dispenser of justice, though his loneliness seeps through (he reaches out to a family that has fled). But he’s the man for the job, the perfect pursuer of Bob Maxwell, played with wide-eyed zeal by Hoult. Unlike Husk, he remains a family man despite his split loyalties, though neither woman can tear him away from his goal of reshaping his homeland. Hoult goes into full “alpha dog” mode making us understand how he can lead his minions take on the “feds”. This makes Husk’s crew even more essential. Sheridan almost bursts with youthful energy as the small-town patrolman so eager to be “on the line” and stop the bigots tarnishing his “heartland”. And Smollett is all grit and steely determination as the agent who has a past with Husk and will call him on his “B.S.” without hesitation. But she has to temper her passion, especially as she “puts the hurt” on Mathews’ kin. Special kudos for the compelling Mr. Maron who puts a warm, human spin on this early casualty of the culture war.

Director Justin Kurzel doesn’t go for showy camera angles or flashy stunts and CGI bombast. He keeps the film moving at a crisp efficient pace, balancing the quirky character moments (Husk leans too hard on a witness and drenches him in nasal plasma) with suspenseful crime set pieces, bringing sweaty chaos to bank jobs and armored car shakedowns. But thanks in part to the screenplay by Zach Baylin (adapting ” The Silent Brotherhood” by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt), it’s the quiet moments that leave us with a chill down our spine. During a big picnic at the Mathews house, he lovingly lets his eight-year-old son pull the trigger of an automatic rifle. He later sends him off to bed with a story, a truly “grim’ fairy tale from “The Turner Diaries” a “how to” on rebellion (and we see an illustration of gallows in front of the White House). With the film’s eerie epilogue we’re reminded never to dismiss those “fringe” groups. And it makes us appreciate all those who would defend our country’s ideals. This is a gripping, well-acted thriller that may inspire others to take up the “reigns” from Husk and his aides when another challenge arises from the toxic seeds planted by THE ORDER.

3 out of 4

THE ORDER is now playing in select theatres

GHOSTS OF RED RIDGE – Review

Between movies and series episodes, I’ve probably seen a few thousand westerns. Some have crossed over with sci-fi and the supernatural, like COWBOYS & ALIENS, JONAH HEX or a number of totally forgettable flicks pitting cowpokes against vampires, zombies or other things that go bump in the night. This low-budget affair, THE GHOSTS OF RED RIDGE, breaks a bit of new ground… more uniquely, perhaps, than laudably.

Red Ridge is a dusty, nowhere little town of dashed hopes. It was founded on the promise of a gold rush that never materialized, leaving a handful of bored residents with nowhere better to go. Even the local outlaw gang that harasses the folks can’t rustle up enough loot to make a decent living. The sheriff (Owen Williams) and his deputy (Trent Culkin – apparently no relation to the other Culkins in the biz) seem like good guys, but hardly the stuff of which legends are made. Adding to the sheriff’s sense of being over-matched are ghostly hallucinations that start driving him nuts. He sees dead people (none of whom look anything like Bruce Willis) and doesn’t know why. Or handle it well.

As events unfold, there are a few holdups and shootings, with a couple of unlikely deaths. The small gang gets smaller and the town’s sparse population takes a few hits. The sheriff is more of a thinker than a doer. Oddly, his only book is about thermodynamics. But the most unusual part of this isn’t the ghosties. It’s the only western I can recall in which absolutely no one rides a horse! A couple of them pull the stagecoach in one scene. But no one’s ever in a saddle, and none are even tied to any hitching posts along the street. (Maybe the Equine Actors’ Guild was on strike when the shoot was scheduled. As Westerns have gone out of favor, most of its members may be heavily saddled with debt, and that ain’t hay. Jus’ speculatin’ here.)

The cast of actors I’ve never seen do a competent job of filling their roles under the tutelage of director Stefan Colson, whose prior work behind the camera is equally unfamiliar. They collectively keep things interesting enough to stick with despite the low level of action. Writer Brandon Cahela and several of the credited producers also donned outfits for supporting roles. Another sign of limited funding.

All in all, the film is a low-key curiosity that might work for you, now that you know not to expect much in the way of F/X or adrenaline stirring.

GHOSTS OF RED RIDGE debuts on digital formats on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars

MOANA 2 – Review

For most of the country it feels as though Winter is finally settling in (though it’s officially a few weeks away), so why not indulge in a cinematic virtual island getaway for a couple of hours? To make it a tad more enticing it’s also a reunion with some dear movie friends you first met eight years ago. Since that first animated romp, the popularity of the characters and setting seems to be growing, with several reports saying that it was the most streamed feature film during the pandemic “lockdown” way back in 2020. Now, according to some other articles, this movie’s plot was originally developed as a Disney+ series, but can any home entertainment system ever match the big multiplex screens? That’s the only way to cruise the waves and bask in the sun with that plucky princess (in the film she denies that, but her bud and many others disagree) of the seas in MOANA 2.

When we catch up with that “Wayfinder” Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) is exploring a tiny island of Oceania, looking for clues to other island natives. Surprisingly her pet rooster Heihei (Alan Tudyk) stumbles into a bit of pottery with an image etched on its surface. They rush back to Motunui Island where Moana’s papa chief Tui (Temera Morrison) explains that this is a relic of the lost island of Motufetu, which their ancestor Tautai Vasa tried to locate in order to unite all the people of the far-flung islands of Oceania. Moana decides to take on this quest, but she’s not going alone, though her pig and rooster will be at her side. She’ll need a bigger vessel and a crew: brainy designer Loto (Rose Matafeo), brawny demi-god “fanboy” Moni (Hualalai Chung), and grumpy elderly farmer Kele (David Fane). Moana’s confident, though she hopes that they’ll get a hand from her old pal, the shape-shifting demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson). Ah, but he’s been captured by the angry god Nalo along with his prisoner/aide the “bat lady” Matangi (Awhimai Fraser). After a raucous encounter with the small but fierce “coconut warriors” of a floating island/ship, Moana and her friends are swallowed by a giant clam, which also holds Maui. He joins their mission since he must raise the sunken island of Motufetu from the sea floor in order for the human crew to embark and facilitate the uniting of the many different island natives. But can they thwart the efforts of the angry Nalo, who hates people and wants to destroy another such gathering?

You’d never think that eight years have passed since the talented vocal ensemble jumps right back into their roles as if only a day or two has passed. And Cravalho is still a powerhouse singer bringing an energetic optimistic spirit to the title character. Sure, Moana can feel down but she’s soon back at the ship’s helm. Of course, she’s still an excellent teammate with the bombastic Johnson who imbues Maui with a charming swagger as we can hear his growing affection for the “humans”, though he’s a tad “creeped” by “super-fan” Moni, who is given an endearing goofy sweetness by Chung. But nobody is as sweet, or just darned adorable, as the film’s new addition, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda as Moana’s precious kid sister Simea, who just makes your heart ache as she tries to get sis’ to stay home. On the other end of the spectrum, Fane is also compelling, and very funny, as the often sour, but semi-sweet Kele. Another “newbie” is Fraser who gives Matangi a sultry slinky vocal “vamp”. It’s a nice counterpart to the warm, nurturing tone of Rachel House as Tula, Moan’s ghostly (really a manta ray spirit) grandmother.

As I hinted earlier, this sequel is, like its predecessor, a feast for the eyes with its perfect ocean waves and smooth sand buffeted by lush green foliage. It is dazzling, much like the character designs, I’m still a fan of the stocky Maui who somehow has a real graceful lilt to his movements. The real “kicker” for him is the terrific line animation that brings his tattoos to life, thanks to Disney drawing titan Eric Goldberg and his “mini-Maui” crew. But the animation “acting” and body language of all the principals is “top-notch” particularly as Moana and her team are flung around the ship’s bow via the sail and ropes. Most impressive as this is the first feature for the Vancouver branch of Walt Disney Animation, which made the slick transition from the TV series. Surprisingly, the movie doesn’t feel like it was “stitched” from several episodes, although I could imagine a half-hour focused on those tough lil’ coconut critters (tailor-made for shelves and work cubicles). So, it looks great, but there’s little of the emotional “heft” of that first flick, though it suffers like many follow-ups as there’s no “discovery’ as we meet these new characters and backdrops. Plus, none of the new tunes are “grabbers’ with Maui’s solo (as forgettable as the other songs) here falling short of the bouncy “You’re Welcome”. Fans of the 2016 original will enjoy diving back into that world, but those looking for a story just as engaging may have their expectations become “water-logged” after the drawn-out climax of MOANA 2.

3 Out of 4

MOANA 2 is now playing in theatres everywhere

GLADIATOR II – Review

*Paul Mescal plays Lucius and Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius in Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures.*

Director Ridley Scott returns to the world of ancient Rome with GLADIATOR II. GLADIATOR is an iconic film which made Joaquin Phoenix a star and starred Russell Crowe in this greatest role but this enduringly popular epic didn’t particularly feel like it needed a sequel as it felt pretty complete. Yet here we are. Actually, GLADIATOR II is a combination of sequel and remake, and has an excellent cast including Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington. Paul Mescal star as Lucius, whose story both reflects and connects to Russell Crowe’s Maximus’ tale. Two members of the original cast return, Connie Nielsen as Lucilla and Derek Jacobi as Gracchus, and while Jacobi’s screen time is brief, Nielsen plays a major role. Yet despite a fiery, Oscar-worthy performance by Denzel Washington and good work by the rest of the cast, plentiful gladiator fight scenes, and impressive sets, costumes and visual effects, the sequel/remake does not have the same energy and narrative drive as the original.

Taking place some years after the original, we return to a Roman empire ruled by a pair of red-headed, debauched brother Caesars, Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and his more blood-thirsty but less rational brother Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). Meanwhile, in a distant land Lucius (Paul Mescal) and his warrior wife are preparing to defend their city from a Roman army led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal). Things don’t go well, and the wife ends up dead and Lucius ends up as a galley slave and then a gladiator, owned by wealthy former gladiator Macrinus (Denzel Washington). But when Macrinus brings his prize gladiator to Rome, we learn this Lucius is the grown-up son of the daughter of Marcus Aurelius, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) who, as it happens, is married to Pedro Pascal’s honorable General Acacius, whom Lucius has sworn to kill to avenge his wife.

That is no spoiler as it the film’s synopsis and not hard to guess anyway. The film embarks on a tale of intrigue, ambition, revenge and plentiful of bloody spectacle set in ancient Rome which parallels the original in many ways. Paul Mescal is a gifted actor but doesn’t have the big screen charisma of Russell Crowe. The twin emperors are appropriately awful, and Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger are entertainingly crazy, together and separately, but they are not the brainy plotters that Joaquin Phoenix’s emperor was. The true source of evil intriguing is more diffuse and concealed until well into the story. Not everyone is as good or bad as they seem at the film’s start, making this epic more twisty than a straightforward heroic tale like the original.

The most striking performances are Connie Nielsen’s, as the older Lucilla, harkening back to her earlier character and moving this new tale forward, and the flashy, fabulous one by Denzel Washington, in a part that starts out echoing Oliver Reed’s memorable turn as the gladiator-turned-entrepreneur, but taking his character much further. Washington is irresistible every time he’s on screen, with a knowing, sly humor, and exuding style and sophistication. It is Denzel Washington’s best performance in years in a rich role he can really mine for all its complexities. Watching him work is perhaps the major delight of this film.

The problem is that the original story was pretty complete, and although writers Peter Craig and David Scarpa did come up with a clever way to continue that tale, while also recapping it, it never feels like a necessary story. The director may have recognized that as the film has several clips of the original, often as Paul Mescal repeats scenes Russell Crowe did first. While it reminds the audience of the beloved original, it also takes out of this story. It is this choice, plus the weaker, less straight-forward story, that limits the film, despite the best efforts of the cast and the spectacular effects and lush visual world it created.

But if you are just here for the spectacle, GLADIATOR delivers on that, in a big way. The recreation of Rome is eye-popping, with a mix of physical sets and visual effects, and there is plenty of bloody battle and gladiator fights to please action fans and lavish costume drama gorgeousness to delight those fans. Stunt work is great and the CGI creatures are impressive.

On the downside, the film plays very fast and loose with real history, even more so than the original, with an ending so far from the facts that is rivals INGLORIOUS BASTERDS’ Nazi alt-history fantasy. I fear for any poorly-educated young person who might take fantastical yarn this for history.

Still, while revisiting the world of Ridley Scott’s GLADIATOR is enjoyable, there is little in GLADIATOR II that adds much to that, beyond the visual delights and Denzel Washington’s crazy good performance.

GLADIATOR opens Friday, Nov. 22, in theaters.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

WICKED – Review

Hold on, here’s the big mega-budgeted and marketed blockbuster that could make the multiplex spin like a farmhouse in a twister. Yes, it has its roots in a much beloved iconic movie, but this version harkens back to another trend dating back to Hollywood’s Golden Age. I’m speaking of the “event” films that were taken from Broadway “smash” shows. Of course, the studios mounted so many original musicals, like the 1939 classic I mentioned earlier, though the stage ‘transplants” really became the “prestege” flicks through the 1950s and 60s with the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptations, and the “roadshow presentations” that often garned Oscar gold, like THE SOUND OF MUSIC and MY FAIR LADY. Plus the “behind the scenes” wheeling and dealing filled the gossip columns as fans wondered if the original stage casts would be on film, or would they be replaced by “name” movie stars. The success of CHICAGO somewhat revived this sub-genre, though the Broadway to Hollywood formula hasn’t been a “sure” thing (how ’bout them CATS). Well, grab your wand (or broom) because those mega-screen sound systems will be put to the test with the long-awaited arrival of WICKED.

The movie opens near the ending of that timeless tale of THE WIZARD OF OZ, as word of their tormentor’s demise reaches the land of the Munchkins. The confused residents look to their protector, Glinda, the good witch of the North (Ariana Grande-Butera) for confirmation. She tells them that the news is true, which prompts much dancing and celebrating. It’s cut short when one of the revelers asks Glinda if she knew the wicked witch of the West. Yes again, and she tells them of a green baby born to the Munchkinland Governor’s wife, perhaps due to dalliance with a traveling salesman who “plied” her with a mysterious green elixir. The child is rejected by her father but develops a strong bond with her paraplegic kid sister after their mother dies in childbirth. Years later, the younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is accepted to Shiz University. Her older sister Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) takes her to the campus orientation, where her fellow students are stunned by her green skin, especially the arriving “diva” Glinda Upland. When Elphaba panics over the staff’s brusk treatment of Nessarose, she inadvertently casts a levitating spell that attracts the attention of the lauded faculty member Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). She offers private magic tutoring with Elphaba, but she’ll need to stay on at Shiz and share a room with Glinda (much to her ire). Despite their clashes, the two begin their studys, with Elphaba bonding with the historian Dr. Dillamond (voice of Peter Dinklage), the only animal teacher (a goat) at the school. Things get more complicated when the dashing and handsome Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) begins classes, making Glinda swoon while annoying Elphaba (perhaps a spark). Over the next weeks, an anti-animal movement ousts Dillamond, and a friendship forms between Glinda and Elphaba just as she is summoned to Emerald City for an audience with the wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). The roommates travel together, but a nefarious plot turns the fun vacation into a desperate dive into dark magic, which will change the duo in unexpected ways.

As to the concerns of the previous stage-to-screen adaptations, even though the film actors didn’t “tread the boards, this is truly a dream ensemble of performances bringing these characters to life on film. First and foremost, after all, the title really refers to her role, is the powerful Ms. Erivo who brings that strength to Elphaba, but also shows us her vulnerability, whether as she joyfully imagines the meeting between “The Wizard and I”, or expressing her anxiety through dance at the big “secret” party. Erivo stands tall as she puts up a wall between her and a mocking world, then allows her strident glare to soften as she finally feels the warmth of kindness. Plus her thunderous vocals make the story soar in the big finale. It helps that she is a great “team player” as she pushes against the comedic juggernaut that is Grande-Butera as the vain, casually cruel, and often ditzy Glinda (though she really wants to be called “Gulinda” for much of the tale). Ms. Ariana sparkles off the screen, actually endearing us to her character’s catty “burns” or by her self-aware “hair-flipping”, weaponizing those lush locks. Speaking of lush, whew, that velvety voice is a big aid to Glinda being “Popular”. This is really the story of this mismatched pair, but they’ve got lots of support, starting with the equally gorgeous Bailey, who seems to be the perfect match for Glinda, until Elphaba nudges him away from his “mirror gazing”. Plus Bailey can really “cut a rug’ as he leads the school in a big splashy number at the library. Yeoh is quite a nurturing mother figure as Morrible, which makes the final act revelations more heart-wrenching. Goldblum is an affable a song-and dance dude ( truly “A Sentimental Man”) who also seems to be the perfect patriarch until, well, he’s not. Bode as Nessarose is full of wide-eyed wonder amplified when she meets her suitor, the sweet awkward Bok from Munchkinland played with a clownish slapstick ease by stage vet Ethan Slater. And in the background, though garnering great laughs are Glinda’s entourage led by the bombastic Browyn James as ShenShen and the snarky sensation of SNL, Bowen Yang as Pfannee.

Guiding through the familiar but somehow fresh and fabulous Oz is director John M. Chu, who honed his musical “chops by bringing us another stage hit IN THE HEIGHTS three years ago and helmed two entries in the STEP UP series. He keeps the camera moving swiftly through those incredible sets (mostly real with few pixels), knowing when to go “big” for the musical showcases but also letting the quiet inform us of the emotions. and how to hit the correct comedy “beats”. He’s more than “opened up” the live show, allowing us to immerse ourselves in this colorful gaudy wonder world. It helps that’s he’s got a witty script to work with thanks to the screenplay by Dana Fox and Winnie Holzman (who did the stage “book”) adapting the original novel by Gregory Maguire. And I must lavish praise on the superb art direction once again. Aside from the aforementioned sets, the costumes are fluid and functional, paired with some stylized, imaginative props, down to the unique eyeglasses worn by Elphaba and Pfannee. The Shizu sets are incredible, but they may be a ‘warm-up” for the astounding look of Emerald City and a great “take’ on the Wizard’s scary “false front”. The dancing is energetic and engaging, though much as was done in the HEIGHTS, often we’re getting overhead shots of folks dancing in their “box space”. Still, the number in the library as students dance and twirl on what looks to be the interior gears of a clock, is eye-popping. Much like the wonderful songs, leading up to a true showstopper in the final moments with lofty strains of “Defying Gravity”. And though the studio marketing team is trying to leave it off the ads and posters, this isn’t the full story, but those looking for epic entertainment will be ecstatic, and eager for the next serving, experiencing the tale of two witches that is WICKED.

3.5 Out of 4

WICKED is now playing in theatres everywhere

BLITZ (2024) – Review

With a big holiday mere days away. this week’s new film reflects on families that can’t be together, certainly not for the “big feast”. And not by choice as it focuses on a dark time when the whole world was indeed at war. World War II is the setting for this drama. inspired by so many true events of the time. At the heart of this tale is a decision so difficult it may be tough for a modern audience to comprehend. But it was done. But there’s also the fervent desire to reunite, to return to the family unit, no matter how fractured or how dangerous. That’s because death was literally in the air and all around during the time of the BLITZ.

As the film begins we watch as bombs drop from a German bomber flying over London in 1940 (a year or so before the US joined the fight). Rita (Saoirse Ronan) is a single mother living with her widowed dad Gerald (Paul Weller) and trying to raise her mixed-race son George (Elliott Heffernan). As they return from an air raid shelter, she must prepare for a heartbreaking journey. For George, alone. In order to escape the near-nightly bombing of the city, the government sent children via train to live with families in the countryside until the city was back to normal (nobody knew when). George is furious and refuses to say goodbye to his Mum as he boards the train. The other kids in his train car mock him over his darker skin and thick curly hair. But George has a plan. While his seatmate sleeps he grabs his seatcase. opens the door to the outside connecter, and leaps off the speeding locomotive. He’s bruised but still determined and begins walking the rail to hop onto a train heading in the opposite direction AKA home. Meanwhile, Rita sadly goes back to work with her girlfriends at the munitions plant. At least she’ll get to sing on the radio when the BBC drops in. George does have some luck in jumping into an open boxcar of a passing train where he’s befriended by a group of other young “returnees”. The danger really begins as they try to elude the “bulls” in the London train yard. George makes it back to London, but it’s still a long long way from Mum. During his journey, he is helped by a friendly African immigrant air raid warden named Ife (Benjamin Clemente) and is later “recruited” into a gang of looters led by the unhinged Albert (Stephen Graham). Back at the factory, Rita learns from the relocation agents that George didn’t make it to the country. She then leaves the plant to look for him and enlists the help of a young fireman who is smitten with her, named Jack (Harris Dickinson). But even with their combined efforts, can they find George before he becomes another casualty in the war-ravaged heart of Britain?

Making his screen (big or small) debut is Heffernan, who is really the focus of this historical fable, despite the film vet that gets top billing in the marketing. He’s completely captivating as George, who can be sweet, soulful, fearful, and frustrating (verging on bratty) often within the same scene. He projects a real vulnerability as he’s taunted by the local kids, and transfers a bit of that cruelty as his mother makes a terrible decision that is for the best, though it doesn’t ease her heartache. We root for George when he triumphs and hold our breath as he tries to survive. Also running the gamut of emotions is vet Ronan as Rita, a working-class woman trying to shield her child from the horrors of war, while dealing with the heartache of losing her partner to the prejudices of the time (George’s papa is sent back to his faraway island birthplace). After Rita sends her son to safety, she’s near-catatonic until her chance at radio fame revives her a bit. When she gets the news of George’s train jumps, she goes into “mama grizzly” mode as we see the determination in Ronan’s eyes. Kudos to the strong supporting players, especially Clemente as the caring and gentle Ife who connects with George and to Graham as Albert who only wishes to exploit and deceive the lad (think of him as a psychotic Fagin).

This WW II family odyssey comes from writer/director Steve McQueen who expertly recreates the period’s look and emotions of fear and dread as sunset doesn’t bring rest and relief, but the threat of sudden decimation. We can almost smell the wounded and dying as the camera takes us through piles of rubble that were home just moments ago. It’s a story that has been recalled in films set in that era (HOPE AND GLORY) and other lands (LION), with great parallels to another wartime family reunion, EMPIRE OF THE SUN with a touch of the NARNIA series. Still, McQueen provides a fresh take thanks to the strong cast and several haunting set pieces. The sudden slaughter at the train yard is real nightmare fuel. that’s especially true as we go inside a swanky nightclub that operates as though all is normal outside its door. And then we hear the sirens and the whizzing sounds (cutting to the great shots of the bombs coming at us through the clouds). After a flash cut, we’re next to Albert and his crew of ghouls as they pry away jewelry as the rescue teams look away. As the story concludes, we’re running through those crumbling streets as this story of family love proves to be stronger than any damage inflicted by the BLITZ.

3 Out of 4

Blitz is playing in select theatres and streams exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning on Friday, November 22, 2024

GET FAST – Review

The review of this aptly-named, fast-paced action flick, GET FAST, will contain fewer plot and character details than usual because they just don’t matter. The film opens with a heist and a heist of the first heisters. We learn that the big bags of cash being contested belong to a ruthless criminal who will do anything to get her bucks back. What ensues in the sprawling desert landscape is a series of chases, fights and shootouts, as the multiple factions compete for the loot, while scrambling to survive whatever the others throw at them. It’s high-octane, fairly bloody, and liberally laced with dark humor and dollops of slapstick.

The most familiar face belongs to Lou Diamond Phillips as a contemporary Fancy Dan cowboy who is the boss lady’s designated hitter… decidedly not in the baseball sense. It took a moment to recognize him behind the facial hair of an 1890s’ saloon owner who is channeling his inner Sam Elliott. It takes a while to figure out who is who, partly because events occur so quickly and violently that the downtime for thinking is minimal. Director, co-writer and lead actor James Clayton may be the star of the show more for what he did behind the camera than in front of it.

Impressively, this is only his second time wearing all three hats, following 2022’s similarly-themed BULLET PROOF. He again works with editor Zach Steele. The dudes are in sync, as they intertwine multiple arenas of action efficiently and coherently. When your fatigued grey matter is seeking the respite of pure escapist, no-brainer action, this one’s a solid option. Nobody will call this a great movie, but the guys hit the target at which they were aiming.

3 out of 4 Stars

GET FAST is available On Demand and Digital on November 15 from WellGo.

Rated R for violence/bloody images and brief language.

A REAL PAIN -Review

This weekend sees the release of a film that is an interesting variation on the “road” movies, and I’m not speaking of the beloved series that sent Bob Hope and Bing Crosby clowning and singing across the globe for nearly 20 years. Although, this film does spotlight an engaging if somewhat mismatched duo. And it can be quite funny, meshing with moments of despair and heartache. Naturally the old “fish out of water” tropes arise since neither character speaks the locale’s language, nor are they versed in the customs. In that way, there’s also an element of the old travelogues as we take in the land’s quaint beauty and “old world” charms. But “the sights” never distract us from the emotions, and the complex family relationship at the heart of A REAL PAIN.

At the story’s start we meet the first half of that duo, David Kaplan (Jesse Eisenberg) as heads to the airport for a vacation away from his beloved wife and son back in NYC, where he works in media advertising (mainly those banner ads just a bit above this post). During the long cab ride he’s leaving lots of messages (“C’mon, pick up!”) for his cousin, the “in between gigs” thirtysomething (they were born mere weeks apart) Benji Kaplan (Kieran Culkin), who lives a couple of hours away from the city. The two reunite outside the gate of their flight to Poland, the birthplace of their beloved, recently deceased grandmother. The long trek gives them a chance to catch up as we observe that David is rather introverted and reflective while Benji’s in an unpredictable “wild card” going from outgoing and gregarious to dark and moody. And we find out that they’ve purchased two spots in a guided tour group of the country. After landing, they take the train to their hotel where they meet the rest of their “party” It’s headed by their British academic guide, James (Will Sharpe), who introduces them to the other tourists. There’s an older married couple, Diane (Liza Sadoovy) and Mark (Daniel Oreskes), a middle-aged recent divorcee Marcia (Jennifer Grey), and an emigree from Rhawnda, Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan). David and Benji will travel with them for most of the tour and “break away” to explore their grandmother’s birth home in a remote village. As the group sees the Polish architecture and historical sights (including several sculptures and a WWII concentration camp), the cousins explore their personal history as they attempt to repair a tight childhood bond that has been nearly severed by adulthood, forming new families, and deep internal turmoil. Will this trip bring David and Benji closer or is this a final reunion?

Though he’s being touted by the film’s marketing team as a supporting player, the story truly showcases the superb Culkin as, really, the title role. Benjy can be painful, either unintentionally cruel or just abrasive, yet somehow he draws us in rather than repels. Culkin’s expert comic timing meshes with Benjy’s often “no filter” verbal streaming, though he also conveys a real sweetness in the role’s vulnerability. He’s the puppy that shreds your favorite slippers in that it’s tough to unleash your anger at him. Perhaps this is part of the reason that Culkin’s been scooping up so many TV awards in the last few years. Providing the counterbalance, AKA the voice of reason and a classic comedy “straight man”, is the intense but also endearing Eisenberg, who eases up on the twitchy, rattled line delivery to make David a real caring brother to Benjy, while also taking the reigns as the parent trying to put him back on the right path, even providing a much-needed lifeline (as we learn of recent rifts in the relationship). Even though they don’t share the same parents, this is an “iron bond” and the two actors really make us believe in them as more than cousins. The quartet of fellow travelers is solid (nice to see you back in the movies, Ms. Grey), led by the terrific Sharpe who also becomes a great comic foil for Benjy as his pre-planned spiel is often disrupted, though we get the feeling that James really enjoys being rattled to the point of emotionally engaging with his background’s legacy.

Back to Mr. Eisenberg, big kudos on his sophomore feature directing effort. As with WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD, he also crafted the screenplay, though he’s tasked with acting in this one. And he really delivers, giving us a wonderful character study of the two men, while also sending us into the rich history of Poland and its people. Plus it’s the first time a narrative film has shot inside a concentration camp, providing a somber respectful view of Majdanek. Everything adds to the story arc of the Kaplans whether they’re frantically catching a train (lots of rail travel) or just strolling into their adored granny’s neighborhood. It’s also impressive that Eisenberg gets such great dramatic dynamics between himself and Culkin (there’s a focused filmmaker). As the holidays begin to dominate the final weeks of the year, moviegoers wanting to explore another look at family bonds (and engage in some virtual vacationing) should make a real effort to see A REAL PAIN.

3.5 Out of 4

A REAL PAIN is now playing in select theatres

RED ONE – Review

Take those jack o’lanterns to the dumpster, it’s Christmas time, at least according to the multiplex (and Thanksgiving gets very little screen time other than PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES). One such flick is already getting moviegoers in the “spirit” with the modestly budgeted THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER packing them in after only a week. Well, it’s time for the big studios to load up your stocking with lots of action and firepower. Hey, we get plenty of holiday comedies and romances, so how about a butt-kickin” Kringle? That’s the formula for this, an expansion of the movie within a movie “The Day the Reindeer Died” from the opening of 1988’s SCROOGED, along with lotsa’ laughs in between explosions and a heartful message snuck in. Hopefully, it comes together like a warm fruitcake (and probably tastier) in RED ONE.

Unlike many holiday tales (especially variants of “A Christmas Carol”), this one begins with a flashback as little Jack O’Malley sours the eggnog by debunking the Santa mythos at a big family gathering. Jump cut to now as Santa Claus AKA Nick (J.K. Simmons) is listening to the gift lists from a long line of kids in a busy mall. Luckily a very big, buffy helper/elf named Callum (Dwayne Johnson) is there to make things go smoothly. When the line ends, the two are whisked through a secret exit because this Nick is the “real deal”. He likes to speak with the kiddos to get in the proper mood before he’s on his rounds the next day. And thanks to the secret government agency M.O.R.A. (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) headed by Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), they head to the North Pole, through the invisible force field that hides Santa’s workshop where Mrs. Claus (Bonnie Hunt) is working with various creatures (including a talking polar bear) on making all the presents. Meanwhile, the now adult Jack (Chris Evans) is using his criminal skills to nab a top-secret piece of tech for an unknown client. Oh, it turns out that Callum is indeed an E.L.F. (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification), who is planning on retiring after centuries on the job. But something is off, as he sees several lights go out on the big tower. Oh no, they’ve been breached and a heavily equipped band of raiders has grabbed Nick. They’ve got to find him in order to save Christmas. Zoe points him to Jack, and after picking up his pre-teen son from school (things are strained after the divorce), he’s “detained” by the ELF squad. Callum and Jack must team up to find the tech buyer. The squabbling duo embarks on a worldwide trail that leads them to Santa’s half-brother Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) who has a connection to a powerful witch named Gryla (Kernan Shipka) who will stop at nothing to turn all those yuletide dreams into unending nightmares if Callum and Jack don’t thwart her plans in time.

The big “draw” in this bombastic holiday havoc is probably Johnson, though there’s not much to Callum. He’s there to look intimidating and cool (usually with some rockin’ shades) and to try and convince us that this is his last “big show”. Sure, his action “moves” are quite impressive, but he’s mainly a “straight man” counterpoint to Evans (attempting to tarnish his “shield”) as the cynical wise guy Jack. It’s admirable that he’s veering into “bad guy” (maybe a rascally rogue) territory, but he’s saddled with a trite character arc that we can see coming down Candy Cane Lane. Simmons seems to be having the most fun as the “jacked” St. Nick (lots of time in the weight room), and his scenes with the kids delight, but unfortunately, he’s “out of the picture” for the bulk of action (a nice special effects heavy stunt sequence in the finale almost makes up for that). The forever fierce Liu is always welcome on the big screen, though here she mainly barks orders into monitors and is a version of “the guy at the desk”, until her time to show off her fighting skills in the finale. As for the terrific comic actors involved, the wonderful Hunt is there to chide Santa and wring her hands in worry, while Nick Kroll mugs up a storm as an underworld kingpin who’s afraid of Shipka’s Gryla. Perhaps this is a big promotion from teen witch Sabrina, but not nearly as wicked as Sally Draper in “Mad Men”, as she vamps it up in several slinky black Halloween cast-off costumes. A much more engaging villain is Hivju, delivering the snark and menace as the towering Krampus who deserves a spin-off sequel.

Calling the shots on this holiday hybrid flick is Jake Kasdan, who had guided Johnson in the two recent JUMANJI reboots. And there is a sense of satiric fun in the big set-ups in the first act. This is particularly true in the new spins on the Kringle legend dreamt up by screenwriters Chris Morgan and Hiram Garcia as Santa’s village becomes an artic Wakanda (why not do a bit of Marvel “borrowing” since two MCU vets are in the cast), full of cool gizmos to streamline the “delivery day” and answer those kid queries (thinking ANT-MAN style antics). But by the time the “Nick-napping” occurs, we’re weary of the often stilted CGI effects, from the small minion-like workers to that lumbering polar bear (in his own E.L.F. vest) to a trio of snowmen assassins who wandered out of a video game. I’ll toss a few kudos to those who decided to forgo motion-capture for Krampus and instead out Hivju in an “old school” prosthetic full body makeup and kin (reminding me of Tim Curry in 1985’s LEGEND). But then the story gets bogged down with long chases, silly bits of business that fall flat (especially in the “contest” at Krampus castle), and the hamfisted heartstring ‘tugging in changing Jack’s deadbeat dad ways. This all contributes to its over two-hour runtime (a hundred minutes would help loads), which could make the lil’ ones squirm, though there are some horrific scenes that could scare and a leering shot of bikini babes on the beach. Maybe those are aimed at the teenagers, but they probably won’t care for the sentimentality and the bits of myth whimsy. This isn’t the big lump of coal that the trailers promised, but it’s doubtful that Buddy the Elf, Jack Skellington, Ralphie, or even THE SANTA CLAUSE will be displaced as a year-end classic by RED ONE.

2 Out of 4

RED ONE is now playing in theatres everywhere

ANORA – Review

Cannes’ Palme d’Or winner ANORA follows a Brooklyn exotic dancer who marries the son of a Russian oligarch and the wild series of events after the oligarch finds out and sets out to annul the marriage. Director Sean Baker wowed audiences with his breakout FLORIDA PROJECT, which told the story of little girl living in a Florida motel converted to cheap weekly rental apartments, but Baker’s other films, often sly comedies set in a world of sex workers and people at the lowest economic rung, are not for everyone. Although there is some of that in ANORA, this one is also a deeply human film about dreams and human connections that takes unexpected turns as it shifts from comedic to touchingly human drama.

Mikey Madison stars are Anora, a Russian American who goes by Ani and works as an exotic dancer at a upscale gentleman’s club in New York. Ani is a fun-loving young woman who parties with her friends from work but lives with her older sister in a tiny house situated under the elevated subway tracks. Ani speaks some Russian, because her beloved Russian grandmother never learned English, so her boss goes to her when a client asks for someone who speaks the language, pulling her off her meal break.

Grumbling, Ani nonetheless go to the table to entertain the young son of a Russian oligarch. Ivan Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn) speaks some English but is more comfortable with Russian, which Ani understands better than she speaks. The two seems to hit it off, partly because of the common language difficulties. Ivan tells her he is 21 but he looks, and acts, much younger. He also tells her his father is a billionaire arms dealer, a scary person, and he’s avoiding him in America. Very taken with Ani, he asks if he can see her outside work, and she agrees.

“Outside work” means sex for money, of course. Ani is very business-like about it but the young Russian heaps her with compliments and is more than willing to pay whatever she asks. The two actually have fun together, besides plenty of sex,, and Ivan asks Ani to be his “girlfriend” for a week, paid of course. They go to parties, hang out with his friends where she seems accepted as Ivan’s girlfriend.

On a trip to Las Vegas, he starts talking about getting married so he can stay in America. When he proposes to her, Ani scolds him, telling him not to kid about that kind of thing. He insists he means it, and they skip off to a little Vegas wedding chapel.

Both Ivan and Ani are euphoric after the wedding, and the film takes on a romantic tone as they seem very much a couple in love. Her new husband heaps praise, and furs and jewelry, on her, and the formerly cynical Ani changes her view of the world as she settles into life in Ivan’s mansion. She even talks of looking forward to meeting his parents, and imaging becoming part of the family they way she has already become part of his circle of friends.

But then the parents find out about the marriage, and they are outraged. The oligarch sends his American representative, an Armenian named Toros (Karren Karagulian), who is supposed to be keeping an eye on his son, to get the marriage annulled and straighten things out. To do that, Toros shows up at Ivan’s mansion (which really belongs to his parents), along with two more guys as muscle, his regular Armenian henchman Garnick (Armenian actor and comedian Vache Tovmaysan) and a new guy, a Russian named Igor (Yura Borisov, who was so excellent in the Finnish romantic drama COMPARTMENT NO. 6), just hired for this job. The trio all expect this to be an easy job but Ani quickly changes that, proving to be a fierce fighter, both objecting to suggestions they are not really married, to efforts to annul the marriage, and even insisting she meet her husband’s parents, her new in-laws. Everything descends into chaos and comedy as this little woman fights back furiously when the two guys brought along as muscle try to manhandle her, impressing particularly the Russian, Igor, a guy who is not looking to join the Armenians crime underworld, and later reveals a fondness for his immigrant grandma.

Stylishly shot and with a compelling pace, ANORA transforms again and again. A trio of thugs show up determined to carry out Ivan’s parents’ demand to break up the couple with an annulment but set off a shift to action and comedy, with a wild chase and plenty of plot twists, when the son goes on the run and the thugs hang onto Ani to find him. A film that starts out like a Cinderella story, morphs into a comic crime chase, but later into a human drama as people and circumstances continue to change.

As Ani proves a resourceful fighter and the thugs search for the runaway Russian son, the film leans into comedy but the characters are also evolving as those action scenes entertain us. Nothing is as straightforward as they, or the audience, thought. Ani in particular goes through self-reflection and changes, as her view of her world shifts again and dreams seem to evaporate. The changes are touching, sometimes heartbreaking, transforming the film into something different than we expected.

The final scene, beautifully acted by Mikey Madison and Borisov, is particularly powerful, and unexpected moment of searing human feeling, a scene that will stay with you and creates a final shift of the film, as Ani becomes Anora, who lingers in our mind.

Both the acting and the writing are strong in this surprising film, as director Sean Baker firmly steers the film, and the audience, though all its character and tonal shifts. The film’s early more comic sections are highly entertaining but it is the character transformation that stay with us, particularly as Ani, then Anora, goes though that moving ending scene that elevates the film into a new level of human feeling.

Sean Baker’s skill as a director is undeniable in all his films but turning that talent to this story about a young woman being transformed by experiences to reach a truer self is breathtaking. It is no mystery why this tale was a big winner at Cannes, or that ANORA has gone on to other awards buzz.

ANORA opens Friday, Nov. 1, in theaters.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

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