ORIGIN – Review

Much like the earlier reviewed ALL OF US STRANGERS, here’s another “indie” film that’s now getting a “wide rollout” after end-of-the-year screenings on the coasts. And yes, it could have been out everywhere in the last couple of months, but it seems that it’s more pertinent now than ever, since the presidential election cycle began with the Iowas caucus just days ago. No, it’s not about someone running for office, but its subject is a major discussion of any political discourse, going back to the beginnings of the US. And that subject is race. Now this new film doesn’t focus on one particular historical event, much like the filmmaker Ava DuVernay did with SELMA, now ten years ago. This delves much deeper into it, as she travels the globe, and explores different eras, all in adapting a lauded scholar’s investigation into racism’s ORIGIN.

The film begins with a flashback to a tragic racially motivated killing over a dozen years ago (you’ll recognize it after a few brief sequences). Then the story jumps ahead a bit as historian/author Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) finishes up a lecture. Afterward, she is approached by literary associates about writing an investigative book about that incident. But life calls her away as she moves her aging mother into assisted living and preps the old family house for resale. During this time she meets the son of a neighbor, Brett Hamilton (Jon Bernthal), beginning a romance that leads to marriage. But when he’s taken, Isabel recalls his last words which urged her to take on the discussed tome. She’s further nudged by her BFF cousin Marion (Niecy Nash), though Isabel decides to tackle the story and radically expand the work. Yes, the killing would be part of it, but Isabel wants to place it into an examination of racism itself, not just in the USA, but around the globe and through the centuries. She then starts “racking up” the frequent flyer miles, by traveling to Germany to learn of two American students caught up in the rise of Nazism, and of a forbidden love between a “pure Aryian” and a Jewish woman. Back in the States, Isabel looks into a research investigation that compared the experiences of two young married couples, one white, and one black, back in the pre-civil rights South. Then it’s off to India to explore the still-in-use “caste” system which divides society into different social, economic, and working classes as Isabel gets a tour by the country’s first “untouchable” collegian.

After impressing audiences as the Williams matriarch in KING RICHARD a couple of years ago, Ms. Ellis-Taylor is superb as the compassionate caring scholar who is the heart of this world-spanning historical essay. Her intelligence is established early on and gradually we see Isabel as a loving daughter and wife before her role as a truth-seeker. Ellis-Taylor shows us her inquisitive nature while never masking Isabel’s sense of wonder at the world tempered with her shock over the actions of its people through the years. She’s a terrific screen partner, whether we see her begin to fall for the charismatic Bernthal, who easily switches from his usual “working class hero/villain” roles, or trading affectionate barbs with cousin Marion, played with a fun-loving spunk by the energetic Nash. Ellis-Taylor is also effective as she discusses, and often disagrees with, a German historian, given passion and logic by Connie Nielsen. Another standout is real-life scholar Gaurav J. Pathania as Isabel’s guide (and the film’s third act narrator/teacher) who calmly recounts the mind-boggling class divisions in India with some truly heartbreaking degradations that still occur. And I should single out an “extended cameo” by the great Nick Hofferman as a plumber whose hard demeanor hides a warm soul and Audra McDonald whose character tells of how sexism enters the “big conflict”.

As mentioned earlier, director DuVernay takes a big swing at an even bigger target and connects for much of the time in her adaptation of Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents”. It’s a daunting endeavor that could’ve been a series of “talking head” dissections. But DuVarney puts us inside the pivotal events without tossing away the humanity. With Isobel’s travels the film could be called a cerebral investigative spin on EAT PRAY LOVE, but that would be dismissing the ideas and discourse that linger on well after the closing credits. DuVernay conveys the heartbreak of 30’s Germany and 50’s segregation, which have been in many previous films, but her deep dive into India makes for several sequences that will burn into your brain (involving public sanitation). And though you may not agree with many of the notions (the “shared genocide” debate will no doubt continue), everyone can agree that Ms. DuVernay has crafted an intellectual and emotional epic that will enthrall and educate in ORIGIN.

3 Out of 4

ORIGIN is now playing in select theatres

ALL OF US STRANGERS – Review

Though January is notorious as a movie “dumping ground” with several forgettable big studio releases (often a mediocre horror flick), it’s also when many of the “indie” studios give a wide release to some of their “award hopefuls”, after getting a quickie end-of-the-year Oscar-qualifying “run’ on both of the coasts. And that’s surely the case with this thought-provoking and conversation-starting motion picture. ALL OF US STRANGERS (the title is appropriately vague) takes us into a dreamy “netherworld’ for 105 minutes, before sending us back into the jolting harsh reality. The focus of the film is an aspiring writer named Adam (Andrew Scott) who is nearly numb from the routine of “cocooning” in his comfy condo (or it may be an apartment) in a brand-new high-rise on the outskirts of London. Ah, but he’s been noticed by a neighbor, a friendly fellow named Harry (Paul Mescal) who knocks on Adam’s door, wondering if he’d like to share a cocktail. Adam realizes that Harry wants more than just a “drinking buddy” and rebuffs him. The next day Adam boards a train and his gaze zeros in on a rugged man with a mustache around his age. The men hop off the train, and Adam follows him to a familiar house. “Mr. ‘Stashe” invites him inside and then we learn that the place belongs to Adam’s Dad (Jamie Bell) and Mum (Claire Foy). Again, they’re all the same age. We learn later, when Adam finally gets together with Harry, that his folks were killed in a car crash over thirty years ago. Soon Adams makes a near-daily pilgrimage to visit the “ghosts”. Just how will this affect the budding intimacy between him and the charismatic Harry? Perhaps he can rescue Adam from the comfortable though unhealthy fantasy. Or will he join in?

After several high-profile supporting film roles (“C” in SPECTRE) and acclaimed TV work in “Fleabag” and “Sherlock”, Scott is given the chance to command the screen as the troubled Adam. The lonely (probably “self-imposed”) screenwriter has a real dual persona in the first act of the story. In meeting Harry, he is reticent, shy, and a bit aloof as it becomes clear that the tipsy guy at the door is trying to “chat him up”. And then there’s the inner child inside Adam when we realize that he’s been given a “second chance” with his “folks”. Scott shows us that conflict in his pleading eyes and hesitant delivery, barely able to contain his joy at this “reunion” while his intellect tells him that this isn’t right, that he may be drifting and perhaps drowning in “wish fulfillment”. Somehow this unlocks his inhibitions and leaves him open for a new relationship. As the man trying to get into Adam’s home and heart, Mescal adds another solid characterization to his growing recent resume. Sure, he’s fronting a hunky, smoldering bravado, but that evolves into a deep concern for his budding romantic partner, with Mescal trying to be Scott’s steady “tether” to reality. Bell is quite commanding as Adam’s gruff, but surprisingly understanding father, proud but not unyielding, and even regretting that he didn’t stand up for his boy when the bullies pounced on him. The true “scene-stealer” might be Foy as the loving, nurturing matriarch whose endearing ignorance of her son’s life is tempered by her deep devotion to him, with Foy perfectly capturing the confusion of this still-learning woman of the 1990s.

This modern-day mix of love and regret is deftly spun by director Andrew Haigh, who also wrote the screenplay adaptation of Taichi Yamada’s novel “Strangers”. Even before Adam returns to his childhood home, Haigh puts us into a kind of “dreamscape” with his images of the desolate tower (almost a fairy tale castle) where Adam lives above the teaming urban populace. Is it an afterlife, or a “waiting room” limbo, since the building seems nearly vacant? But then Adam ventures outside to drop into a “time vortex” by crossing the doorway of his old shuttered house, with his folks alive and still exiting in that era, down to the hairstyles, fashions, and furniture (a nifty record player). Later in the film, we see them attending to their holiday rituals (like the Dickens yuletime tale, the ghosts aid the living), which sends Adam to his last day with them. But then Haigh propels us back to the present with Adam and Harry “letting loose” in a club full of flashing lights, throbbing beats, and ample flesh. It all culminates with Adam being pushed by the past parents and new love to forge ahead instead of being sucked into the pit of “what ifs”. By the final moments, we are left to ponder what is real and what is coming out of Adam’s bruised battered psyche. But what is certain is the excellent performances led by Scott and the superb storytelling that Haigh displays in the wistful and passionate fable, ALL OF US STRANGERS.

3 Out of 4

ALL OF US STRANGERS is now playing in select theatres

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of ARGYLLE – Stars Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa And John Cena

THIS WINTER… THE GREATER THE SPY, THE BIGGER THE LIE.  FROM THE TWISTED MIND OF MATTHEW VAUGHN, DIRECTOR OF KINGSMAN.  UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS PRESENT HENRY CAVILL, BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD, SAM ROCKWELL, BRYAN CRANSTON, CATHERINE O’HARA, DUA LIPA, ARIANA DEBOSE, JON CENA AND SAMUEL L. JACKSON IN ARGYLLE. 

ONLY IN THEATERS FEBRUARY 2ND.

https://www.argyllemovie.com/

The St. Louis advance screening is 7PM on Tuesday, Jan 30th at Marcus Ronnie’s Cine (6PM Arrival Suggested)

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

Enter at the link: http://gofobo.com/tekrE33756

Rated PG-13 for strong violence and action and some strong language. 

L to R: Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and John Cena in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn

The greater the spy, the bigger the lie. 

From the twisted mind of Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman franchise, Kick-Ass) comes Argylle, a razor-witted, reality-bending, globe-encircling spy thriller. 

Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World franchise) is Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose idea of bliss is a night at home with her computer and her cat, Alfie. But when the plots of Elly’s fictional books—which center on secret agent Argylle and his mission to unravel a global spy syndicate—begin to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, quiet evenings at home become a thing of the past. 

Accompanied by Aiden (Oscar® winner Sam Rockwell), a cat-allergic spy, Elly (carrying Alfie in her backpack) races across the world to stay one step ahead of the killers as the line between Elly’s fictional world and her real one begins to blur. 

The top-flight ensemble cast features Henry Cavill (The Witcher), John Cena (Fast X), Oscar® winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Grammy winning pop superstar Dua Lipa (Barbie), Emmy winner and Oscar® nominee Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Emmy winner and comedy icon Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek), Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service), and the legendary Samuel L. Jackson. Alfie is played by Chip, the real-life cat of supermodel Claudia Vaughn (née Schiffer). 

Argylle is directed and produced by Matthew Vaughn, from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman). The film is produced by Matthew Vaughn, Adam Bohling (Kingsmanfranchise), Jason Fuchs, and David Reid (Kingsman franchise). The executive producers are Adam Fishbach, Zygi Kamasa, Carlos Peres and Claudia Vaughn. 

Apple Original Films presents, in association with MARV, a Cloudy production. Argylle is distributed by Universal Pictures.

Director Matthew Vaughn with Chip the cat (playing Alfie) on the set of ARGYLLE

Trailer Alert: Netflix’s New Series, “Six Nations: Full Contact,” Looks At Rugby’s 2023 Guinness Men’s Six Nations Tournament

On Saturday, October 28th rugby fans around the world watched as the final leg of the 2023 Rugby World Cup played out in France at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis. All the matches played in nine venues across 10 host cities. South Africa beat New Zealand 12-11 in the final to win their third consecutive match by one point and claim a record fourth Webb Ellis Trophy.

Prior to that at the Six Nations Championship, on March 18, 2023, Ireland won the tournament for a 15th time, along with a 13th Triple Crown and a fourth Grand Slam; it was also the first time they won the title in Dublin.

The Six Nations Championship is an annual international men’s competition between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Previously called the Home Nations Championship and the Five Nations Championship, the tournament has been running since 1883.

Six Nations and producers of Formula 1: Drive to Survive bring fans closer than ever to the 2023 Guinness Six Nations Championship. Six Nations: Full Contact will take viewers inside the exhilarating world of the oldest and greatest annual international rugby tournament, giving fans an insight into behind the scenes moments, as the best teams in Europe battle it out in some of the biggest matches in the rugby calendar to take home the prestigious trophy.

The 2024 Six Nations gets under way on February 2, 2024 at 8pm (UK time) as France host champions Ireland. US Fans can watch on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/sports/rugby

For rugby enthusiasts (hand raised), Full Contact promises an unparalleled behind-the-scenes look at the intense nature of the competition, shedding light on the teams’ rigorous preparations, and the emotional highs and lows of the players. At the same time, for those less familiar with the sport, the series will serve as an engaging entry point, demystifying the intricacies of rugby while conveying the passion that fuels this great game.

The series recently had it’s premiere in London.

https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/en/m6n/news/netflix-full-contact-premieres-in-london

The 8 episodes of Six Nations: Full Contact begin on Netflix January 24.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81647358

SPACEMAN Trailer Features Adam Sandler And Giant Spider-like Alien

SPACEMAN. Adam Sandler as Jakub in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

Netflix’s upcoming movie SPACEMAN hits the streaming service on March 1st.

Six months into a solitary research mission to the edge of the solar system, an astronaut, Jakub (Adam Sandler), realizes that the marriage he left behind might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth. Desperate to fix things with his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), he is helped by a mysterious creature from the beginning of time he finds hiding in the bowels of his ship. Hanuš (voiced by Paul Dano) works with Jakub to make sense of what went wrong before it is too late.

Directed by Johan Renck and based on the novel Spaceman of Bohemia, the film also stars Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin, and Isabella Rossellini.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81301595

“I really wanted to have a performance from him that had nothing to do with the Adam Sandler we all know,” director Johan Renck told Netflix. “I don’t think people understand how [although] he may come across as funny and sweet and all that, he’s very intelligent, really smart, profound.” All of those qualities had to come to bear for Spaceman: For most of the film, Sandler is alone on-screen — or sharing scenes with the mysterious creature who appears on the final leg of his interstellar mission.

SPACEMAN. (L to R) Hanus (voice by Paul Dano) and Adam Sandler as Jakub in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

On the subject of that creature: the giant spider-like alien known as Hanuš is voiced by a familiar screen presence, Okja star Paul Dano. “Paul was the first thing that came up in thinking about [the creature],” Renck said. “He has this peculiar cadence when he’s speaking, his careful formulation of words, and his very unique voice.” So not to worry, folks: Sandler won’t be entirely alone up there in the stars. 

SPACEMAN will have its world premiere as part of the “Berlinale Special” programme at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival before the film hits Netflix.

For more on the film: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/spaceman-adam-sandler-release-date-photos

SPACEMAN. (Featured) Kunal Nayyar as Peter in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

SPACEMAN. (L to R) Adam Sandler as Jakub and Carey Mulligan as Lenka in Spaceman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

“The Shift” Season 1 TV Series Review

Sofie Gråbøl in the Danish TV hospital drama “The Shift.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

The Danish TV hospital drama “The Shift (originally Dag & Nat)”offers some interesting contrasts with our domestic fare. Ella (Sofie Grabol) stars as the chief midwife for the highest-rated maternity ward in the city. She’s single, in her 40s and besieged by problems on all fronts. The worst of them is the hospital’s money guy who consistently ignores her pleas and arguments to add staff for the sake of her overburdened crew and their patients. Several of the midwives and aides present an assortment of personal and professional issues to manage. She’s boinking a married doctor (Pal Sverre Hagen) on the down-low, and constantly worried about her public facility that serves the underclass losing colleagues to upscale private hospitals and clinics catering to the wealthy. Those places can pay more while working them less.

Over eight 45-minute episodes we get to know quite a few regulars’ evolving story arcs along with the steady flow of new patients every day through about 10 months of scripted time. There’s little humor and considerable dramatic tension with the variety of delivery complications that arise, as well as the relationships among the staff. As to the series’ tone, it’s less turgid than our medical soap operas; less sexy and glamorous than “Gray’s Anatomy”. “Nurse Jackie” might be the closest analog. Grabol, who was excellent in three seasons of “The Killing (Forbrydelsen)” as the lead police detective, reminds me of Edie Falco’s character – minus the drug addiction. She’s excellent at her job but emotionally stunted with everyone except the patients, while regularly having to scramble for solutions to whatever crisis occurs. This role is more complicated her top cop’s gig, so her solid performance is somewhat more of an achievement.

My concern was that limiting a series to one specialized ward, rather than the full spectrum of medical challenges that most domestic dramas thrive on, would wear thin. Thankfully, the deliveries had more diversity of surrounding problems than expected, keeping the episodes from seeming repetitive. That worked well for one season but may be hard to maintain over a long run. Creator/head writer Lone Scherfig and her five credited fellow scribes deserve a nod for whipping up an engaging variety of scenarios. A second season is in the works, so all who enjoy this set will hope they can sustain that level of creativity.

Here’s where opinions may differ. A number of the deliveries are shown in gory detail that some will find riveting, while others may be grossed out. None of it seemed gratuitous. No nudity in the deliveries or the linen closet quickies. The moderate attractiveness of the overall cast provides more realism and less hype around their romances than many of ours thrive on. That tenor was reinforced by reflecting real-world healthcare hassles – especially the underfunded and understaffed conditions many providers face everywhere. Although the number of episodes was suitable for the material covered, some of the personal interactions were frustrating to watch. Conflicts dragged on needlessly from the failure to say something obvious in the moment. That grew a bit annoying. Perhaps it’s part of the Danish ethos to play feelings closer to the vest. Or maybe I’m aging out of empathy for such emotional struggles. Your mileage may vary.

“The Shift (Dag & Nat),” mostly in Danish with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice starting Jan. 16, 2024.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE – Review

Pontius Pilate (James McAvoy) and Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) in THE BOOK OF CLARENCE. Courtesy of Sony

Director/writer Jeymes Samuel seems to have been inspired by those Hollywood’s long tradition of epic Biblical movies, like BEN HUR and THE ROBE to try his own version of those big-screen extravaganzas mixing Bible stories with adventure and action for THE BOOK OF CLARENCE – but with a big comic twist. With a plenty of humor, some social commentary and with a mostly Black cast playing the Jewish population of “Lower Jerusalem” in 33 A.D., Jeymes Samuel aimed to create a new, entertaining version of this venerable movie genre. The result is a movie with one foot in something like BEN HUR crossed with Monty Python’s LIFE OF BRIAN, with a touch of Mel Brooks’ HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1. THE BOOK OF CLARENCE is a cinematic creation that teeters precariously and unevenly between the wisecracking and the reverent, sometimes making head-spinning switches from one to the other.

Often, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE does hit the mark on comedy, and even on social commentary. It also often hits the mark on the touching and gentle faith-inspired moments. It is in putting those two together in one movie where this movie hits rough patches.

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE both honors the classic Hollywood Biblical epic and sometimes mocks it, a film with both faith and low comedy. It opens with wonderfully-ornate classic Hollywood titles to introduce its chapters, and the film has high-quality production values, with fine sets and costumes, so that it evokes the epics that inspired it. Further, it has an excellent cast, led by the gifted LaKeith Stanfield as Clarence, and including Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy.

Clearly, Jeymes Samuel comes at this production from a place of sincere faith but just as clearly he wants the audience to have fun, laugh, and be entertained. But the humor, which tends to low-brow, and the serious, which leans to sentimental or touching, don’t often mesh in this movie. Low comedy in the style of Mel Brooks is hilarious and fine on its own, but it doesn’t work in every movie story, especially one that strays into the sentimental or touching. The two just clash here.

It is an ambitious project and a tough balancing act to pull off, and Samuel deserves credit to the attempt, even if the mix of humor and faith doesn’t always work, sometimes whip-lashing from a serious scene to a joke with head-spinning speed. with a movie that seems often off-balance. Still, for the right audience, one willing to ignore that uneven tone and whiplash shifts, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE’s underlying sincerity might come through.

Like in LIFE OF BRIAN, this story is set in Jerusalem in the time of Jesus, and the central character, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield), is someone who is continually mistaken for Jesus. But in this case, it is not an accidental case of mistaken identity. No, Clarence is a con-man, a non-believer who deliberately creates that confusion, with faked miracles and the aim of gathering donations from a crowd of followers.

Like BEN HUR, there is a chariot race, in this case the opening scene where Clarence and his buddy  Elijah (RJ Cyler) attempt to win a chariot race to win a big cash prize, bankrolled by a local tough guy called Jedediah the Terrible (Eric Kofi-Abrefa), They lose, leaving Clarence in debt to this loan shark.

But this 33 A.D. Jerusalem is full of Messiahs, something that makes the Romans rulers nervous, fearing it is a lead-up to rebellion. Clarence is an ambitious young man, hoping to be “somebody” and struggling under the ruling Romans’ thumb like everyone else and a host of personal problems. Ironically, he loses that opening-scene chariot race to the fiercely independent woman (Anna Diop) he is secretly in love with, who also happens to be the sister of that loan shark to whom he now owes money. Clarence is also the twin brother of Jesus’ apostle Thomas (also Stanfield), who looks down on his never-do-well twin, while Clarence resents his brother for abandoning their sick mother (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) when he left to follow Jesus, leaving Clarence to nurse her back to health.

Director Jeymes Samuel clearly knows the Gospels well but has no problem playing around with the Jesus story to suit his film. Clarence lives in economically depressed “lower Jerusalem” and the residents of Jerusalem are played by a mostly Black cast, while the Romans are played by white actors. Although we see what appears to be Hebrew writing on the signs and walls, there is no mention of Jews or Judaism.

The humor tends to be low-brow and sometimes even slapstick, like when Clarence meets Jesus’ mother Mary (Alfre Woodward) and pointedly quizzes her about being a virgin, resulting in a slapstick scene. That style of comedy is hard to integrate with more serious or reverent scenes. Some serious scenes are touching but others are melodramatic or too pat, which also does not help matters.

The film is filled with familiar Biblical figures. Nicholas Pinnock plays Jesus, while David Oyelowo plays a hyper-critical John the Baptist and Omar Sy plays a superhero type Barabbas, who becomes Clarence’s pal. James McAvoy plays a chilling Pontius Pilate, rounding up all those roving Messiahs, while Benedict Cumberbatch plays a beggar covered in dirt and rags, who gets a makeover and a bath, transforming him into the Renaissance image of Jesus, with the expected adoration results.

BOOK OF CLARENCE has plenty of problems, including not quite being able to decide if it wants to be a comedy or a more serious film about faith and belief. But in a movie world of re-makes, re-boots, sequels and prequels, one has to give Samuel credit for doing something fresh.

In a movie world of re-makes, re-boots, sequels and prequels, I want to give Samuels credit for doing something fresh. But if you come to THE BOOK OF CLARENCE looking for a revival of the classic Hollywood Biblical epic, you may be disappointed. If you come for comedy and action only, you also may be disappointed. However, for some audiences, more willing to just go with the movie’s shifts of tone and style and embrace it for the quirky, faith-based thing it is, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE may be just the funny, inspiring, quietly reverent film they are looking for. It isn’t everyone but there may be an audience for this sincere cinematic if offbeat effort.

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE opens Friday, Jan. 12, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

ROLE PLAY (2024) – Review

How do you make a “rom-com” centered around a long-time married couple (yes, they’ve got kids)? Well, one idea would be to throw them a “curve”. With the Bracketts in this story, she’s forgotten their anniversary prompting him to take, well not desperate, but offbeat measures. Would it “spice” things up considerably, maybe rekindle those old sparks, if they pretended to be strangers meeting for the first time? But how could she have “blanked’ on the “big day”? For that answer, this new movie mixes in elements of an action flick. With that new twist, we learn that she indulges in many variations of ROLE PLAY.


Oh, the lady in question is Emma Brackett (Kaley Cuoco). At the start of the story, she’s on the job, donning a wig, and terminating a target. As in assassinate. From there she phones her handler Raj (Rudy Dharmalingam), and heads to the airport. In the next scene, Emma has taken an Uber to the quiet, nondescript suburban two-story she shares with hubby Dave (Davis Oyelowo) and their two kids, preteen Wyatt and adorable moppet Caroline. But why are they preparing her favorite meal (Dave’s BBQ pineapple chicken) as the kids “play restaurant”? It’s the big wedding anniversary and Emma was too preoccupied with her “gig”. Dave thinks that she’s often on the road conducting training seminars, so he doesn’t blink when Emma takes a call from her boss Ralph (really Raj again). It seems that the “hired killers’ union” (actually “the Sovereignty”) is angry over her going “freelance” and has put a price, and a “target” on her. Emma’s not globetrotting again and promises him that she’ll “lay low”. That night Dave shyly gifts her a “naughty nurse” outfit. But Emma “ups the ante” with a suggestion that they get a sitter, assume fake identities, and “hook up” in the bar of a swanky NYC hotel. She dons a slink LBD and a red wig and waits for Dave at the bar. Of course, he gets stuck in traffic, which allows time for an older, dapper Brit named Bob (Bill Nighy) to make a pass at her. Dave finally arrives as Bob insists that they do “shots’ and makes several odd comments to Emma. It turns out that the couple aren’t the only role players leading to an incident at the hotel that puts Emma on the run and Dave in the “hot seat”. Will she have to tell him the truth, or will it be too late to save them as Emma’s past catches up to them?

After being a TV sitcom staple in a couple of long-running shows, Ms. Cuoco gets a chance to show another side to her considerable talents. We’ve seen her snarky and sarcastic while projecting a playful sultry vibe, along with an engaging warmth. Now we get her “action hero mode” (we got a smattering from her vocal work as Harley Quinn in the Max animated series), and she’s splendid. She’s brusk and all business in the first half then shifts into “mama grizzly” as things get more “personal”. And this is a huge chance of pace for her co-star as Oyelowo proves to be an entertaining comic straight man as the bewildered and baffled Dave, a guy who just wants to chill with the “fam” after his 9-to-5 office drone job. After his superb Oscar-winning dramatic work, it’s great to see his lighter side. The two actors work well together and with the charming, but a bit sinister, Nighy as the wonky entertaining barfly. Another screen vet, Connie Nielson turns in a terrific performance as a special agent who is also more than she appears.

In the director’s chair is TV series vet Thomas Vincent who effortlessly switches gears from domestic bliss (the kids are more cute than cloying) to sexy banter (Cuoco’s a fiery sassy ginger) before plunging us into deadly showdowns. The script from Seth W. Owen provides some great dialogue for the two leads even though we soon realize that most of the plot is rehashed and reheated elements of TRUE LIES and MR. & MRS. SMITH. Nighy’s off-kilter Bob shakes things up a bit, but much of the finale seems to be a lighter version (and fairly bloodless) take on Bourne and John Wick. And though Emma is supposed to be a world-traveling pro-killer, we never really get a sense of the far-flung locales. There’s a basic cable blandness for most of the flick along with a lack of real brutality to the action (perhaps to try for a lighter rating than the “R” it received). The actors playing the Bracketts have easy-going chemistry but that’s not enough to redeem the overall familiarity of ROLE PLAY.


2.5 Out of 4

ROLE PLAY is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video

THE BEEKEEPER – Review

Jason Statham stars as Clay in director David Ayer’s THE BEEKEEPER. An Amazon MGM Studios film. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios © 2024 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

By now, Jason Statham’s fans expect his movies to have a generous dose of over-the-top action sequences, with little regard for the creativity (or even coherence) of the plot. Ka-ching! THE BEEKEEPER stirs up plenty of adrenaline in a standard story line that sets up a whole lot of Statham at his Statham-est.

There’s a bit of JOHN WICK in the premise of THE BEEKEEPER. Statham is a retired super-secret, super-skilled government agent, trying to live quietly, just tending to his titular hives. He rents space from a kind, elderly lady (Phylicia Rashad), who promptly gets conned out of all her savings and $2 mil from a charity she helps manage by a multi-million dollar internet scamming operation. They target victims via spyware that freezes computers and directs their unsuspecting owners to call a number for the remedy. That leads them to a massive call center, teeming with operatives who clean out whatever they can by getting account info and passwords from the innocents.

Thus begins Jason’s obligatory revenge course, progressively wrecking facilities and killing henchmen and honchos as he works his way up the ladder to the top dogs. Jeremy Irons adds a touch of class as a former head of the CIA, overseeing security and covering up the crimes and excesses of the pyramid’s despicable young leader (Josh Hutcherson). His character’s biggest challenge is hiding his contempt for that boss.

For a kicker, Rashad’s character just happens to be the mother of an FBI agent (Emmy Raver-Lampman) who doggedly pursues the same network of baddies, but strictly by-the-book, while honor-bound to stop Statham’s vengeance campaign. His heroism is amplified by (too many) speeches about protecting the helpless from their predators and disabling, rather than killing, most of the cops and clueless henchmen who don’t know the scum-iosity (scum-ishness? scum-ery?) of their employers.

The over-the-top action is properly exciting, except for director David Ayer framing many parts of the fights too close to the lens to fully appreciate the stunt work before us. The plot goes truly off the sanity charts as Statham zeroes in on the top bananas. I ain’t sayin’ no more about that. Better for you to learn the rest in the moment.

As one of the producers, Statham seemingly spent far more on F/X and stunts than on Kurt Wimmer’s script and cast salaries. Wimmer has penned quite a few action flicks, including THE EXPENDABLES 4, in which Statham co-starred.

Basically, it’s an amalgam of every revenge flick you’ve ever seen, especially by establishing Statham as an analog to Wick, by not being the boogeyman but the one you send to kill the boogeyman. I half-expected someone to describe him as the Baba Yaga.

Most cast members with speaking roles portray their personae adequately to adroitly. Those characters without dialog will be destined for orthopedic wards (if they’re lucky) or a coffin before the credits roll.

Whenever Statham is kicking butts on the screen, mine will most likely be in a seat watching it. Suspend a bit more than usual of your disbelief and enjoy the fun stuff.

THE BEEKEEPER opens in theaters (or, for England’s Mr. Statham, cinemas) on Friday, Jan. 12.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

MEAN GIRLS (2024) – Review

Avantika plays Karen Shetty, Angourie Rice plays Cady Heron, Renee Rapp plays Regina George and Bebe Wood plays Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls from Paramount Pictures. Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount © 2023 Paramount Pictures.

Get ready for another “full circle film”, an IP (intellectual property) that began in one medium, was adapted to another, and then returns to that original medium. One of the more recent Broadway trends, along with the “jukebox musical”, has been taking an often beloved feature film and adapting it into a big splashy stage musical. And when they’re big hits, then bring the musical take to the big screen. Back in 2005, THE PRODUCERS did the big “whip-around” when the musical based on the 1967 Oscar-winning classic played (briefly) at the multiplex. A couple of years later saw the tune-filled return of HAIRSPRAY. Just a few weeks ago (it’s still playing in many markets) THE COLOR PURPLE did much the same, although it may be more of a “full-square” as it began as a book that became a 1985 Spielberg epic. As the TV hosts might say, “On a much lighter note”, we’ve got a big circle all within the 21st century as an adored (and endlessly quoted) cult comedy from way back in 2004 is now filling the world’s movie theatres with those singin’ and dancin’ divas, the MEAN GIRLS.


In the first of many “tweaks,” we first meet the misfit duo of North Shore High, Janis (Aluli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), who serve as the story’s guide and narrators. Their garage/TikTok studio door opens up to the wilds of Kenya where teenager Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is told by her wildlife-researcher mom (Jenna Fischer) that her homeschooling is done. They’re moving back to the States, where Cady will be part of the aforementioned school’s student body. Principal Duvall (Tim Meadows) escorts her to her first class, Calculus taught by Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey). Seems that Mama Heron has taught Cady well, but she’s not prepared for the battlezone AKA the school cafeteria. Luckily Janis and Damian take her under “their wings” and point out the different “social groups” (“burn-outs”, “goths”, etc.). Oh, and Cady is warned about the “queens” known as “the Plastics”. The trio consists of gorgeous, dim Karen (Avantika), insecure “lackey/sidekick” Gretchen (Bebe Woods), and their “leader’ the imposing goddess Regina George (Renee Rapp). Surprisingly she welcomes the new, “girl from an exotic land” Cady, and puts her in the runnings as a ‘fourth wheel”. Damian and Janis (who also has a history with Regina) encourage her to join and give them “the dirt” on the group. But things take a drastic turn when Cady becomes smitten with hunky Aaron (Christopher Briney), who just happens to be Regina’s ex (gasp). What will happen when Regina finds out? Cady survived the carnivores of Africa, but can she stand a chance against the sharpened talons of Ms. George?

The young cast expertly hits all the comedic and melodic beats of this musical fable. Rice is the story’s focus and quickly has the audience’s support as the wide-eyed innocent Cady. Perhaps because she’s the film’s heroine she doesn’t have as much opportunity to “cut loose”, although we get a hint of her range when Cady goes “dark”. The much “showier” role is the fierce and fiery (literally) Janis given an energetic power by Cravalho, perhaps best known as the voice of Disney princess Moana. With her third-act retelling of a childhood trauma, she truly ignites the screen. Her rival in many aspects of Cady’s character arc is Rapp as the sadistic “queen B” Regina whose sly seductive smile masks her cruel nature. At times she seems to be a bored cat casually taunting a mouse in its clutches, as she manipulates everyone into being pawns in her schemes. Rapp catutes that camp villainy and proves to be a most compelling crooner. Wood elicits lots of empathy as the needy, over-eager-to-please Gretchen while Avantika scores loads of laughs as the bubble-brained Karen, bouncing off the screen in the big Halloween number. Spivey brings lots of energetic charm to the cliche role of flamboyant BFF supporter Damien, while Birney is the required “eye candy” as the affable, but somewhat bland Aaron. But for many, the movie’s big highlight is the return of original faculty members Fey and Meadows who seem to have been “frozen in time” ( the old Captain America “pause”) as Norbury and Duvall, effortlessly hilarious in their too, too brief bits of screen time, making us wish that two other newbies, but also comedy vets, Jon Hamm and Fischer were given chances to shine. Luckily Busy Phillips picks up some of the “slack” as Regina’s too accommodating, wistful mother.

This reimagining is helmed by the first-time feature film directing team of Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., who use several interesting techniques to “open up” the “Broadway staging’, giving the plot a sense of urgency I like the opening number’s quick location transitions), They’re striving to give this remake its own energy and style, though many storybeats feel lifted right from the 2004 original. But unlike that version, the kids must deal with social media which gets an exhausting couple of zippy montages. Ditto for many of the bouncy dance numbers especially an elaboration of the “school is a jungle” sequence from the first flick, with the “beasts” giving Regina her invisible “walkway”. Aside from those big numbers, the power ballads”, and the phone videos and memes, is this one an improvement over the now twenty-year-old gem? Not especially, but the script and setup by Ms. Fey endures and stands the “test of time”. It’s a very different “take” that should engage those “theatre geeks” (just hope that your multiplex’s sound system is up to it, as ours “garbled” most of the lyrics so it’s impossible to judge the quality of the tunes), but it won’t replace that well-worn disc (or maybe you still have a tape) of those marvelous but often malicious MEAN GIRLS.

2.5 out of 4

MEAN GIRLS is now playing in theatres everywhere