A24 Films has released the first preview for director Jesse Eisenberg’s film THE DEBUT.
When Mona Friedman is cast in a bit part at a small community theater, she transforms from a shy, unassuming housewife into a zealous method actor willing to do anything to protect the artistic integrity of her marginal role – even if it means waging war against the show’s domineering director.
Starring Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Jesse Eisenberg, Cara Buono, Craig Bierko, Eldar Isgandarov, and Bernadette Peters, here’s a first look at the brand new trailer.
Giamatti has received two Academy Award nominations throughout his career. He has not yet won an Oscar. He was nominated for Best Lead Actor for THE HOLDOVERS in 2024 and lost to Cillian Murphy for OPPENHEIMER and in 2006 for CINDERELLA MAN and lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to George Clooney for SYRIANA. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, Giamatti was left out of the Best Actor race for SIDEWAYS.
The below-the-line artists for THE DEBUT include Director of Photography Drew Daniels, Production Design by Anne Ross, Editing by Robert Nassau ACE, Costume Design by Stacey Battat, Music and Lyrics by Jesse Eisenberg with Music by Emile Mosseri.
First off, here’s a big warning (or heads-up, if you prefer) to parents looking for family-friendly fantasy flicks: this “ain’t one of those. Yes, I know that “word” in the main title caught your eye, but don’t be misled. The title’s first word should provide a hint, along with the studio producing and releasing it, the “off kilter” current “indie” studio “darling”, A24. No, it’s a satire of current events that involves the mythical title creation, a critter that’s a staple on kids’ clothing and decor (wallpaper, bedding, etc.). And, as with many monster movies, modern-day (wow, 21st century) tech can’t really dominate the magical legends from humanity’s earliest (thousands of years) days. Films have explored this idea in “fairy tale fable fear-flicks” about mermaids and genies (or the djinn). With this week’s release, we find out what kind of carnage ensues after the DEATH OF A UNICORN.
The story begins on a US commercial airliner that’s just landed in the future 51st state, Canada (lil’ joke). On board is a twitchy, nervous middle-aged lawyer and widowed dad Elliot Kintner (Paul Rudd) who’s traveling with his college-age daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega). Naturally, the plane arrived late, and now there are more complications, something about the exit door ramp, which will delay his arrival for the big meeting that afternoon. They finally get to the airport’s rental car desk and get their deluxe SUV for the drive through the mountains to the private estate of his employers, the Leopolds, scions of a pharmaceutical empire. The drive puts more of a strain of the father-daughter dynamic, especially when the speeding and allergy-plagued Elliot hits some animal on the trail. After parking on the side of the road, the duo is stunned that it’s not a deer or moose, but what appears to be a… unicorn. When Ridley grasps the horn, her mind begins a psychedelic trip full of colorful images and…she’s pulled out of it by a splash of purple blood across her face as her dad tries to “end its suffering” with a tire iron. Out of panic, he puts its body into the rear of the vehicle and proceeds to the mansion. Upon arrival, he meets the Leopold heir, the twenty-something “bro” Shephard (Will Poulter), then his mother Belinda (Tea Leoni), and finally the aging patriarch Odell (Richard E. Grant). After being shown their guest rooms, Ridley stays behind as Elliot makes his presentation to the family of a revised company divisional contract needed since Odell’s health is rapidly failing due to several aggressive cancerous tumors. In her room, Ridley is stunned to see that her skin is now smooth, and the acne is gone. She dashes downstairs to tell Dad, who isn’t sniffling anymore (and he doesn’t need his glasses). Could this stem from the splashes of unicorn blood? And then a noise from the outside startles the group. That unicorn is somehow alive and trying to break out of the vehicle. After the house staff subdues it, the Leopolds call in their security and research scientists, who set up a temporary lab. After a unicorn blood injection, Odell appears to be cured and full of vitality. It’s a new health “goldmine” for the Leopold company. But something’s off, as they hear strange guttural howls emanating from the now glowing woods. Ridley does some internet sleuthing and learns the real legacy of unicorns, which are immortal, nearly indestructible, savage killing machines. And it seems that there are more are their way to retrieve their fallen family member. Despite their wealth and power, can the Leopolds, along with the Kinters, survive the attack of these very real and deadly monsters of myth?
This odd mixing of style and genres has, not surprisingly, attracted quite an eclectic cast. Rudd somewhat pushes back on his ultra cool and charming screen persona making Elliot a jittery “basket case’, espcially in the frenetic opening moments. Yet Rudd balances that awkward “pencil-pusher” with an endearing yearning to reconnect with his daughter and be that perfect “girl dad”. As his “drifting-away princess” Ortega uses a bit of her aloof attitude from “Wednesday”, which adds to the dramatic impact as the “unicorn encounter” energizes her and provides a purpose. It’s then that Ortega’s Ridley becomes the story’s passionate voice of reason and empathy as she sounds an “alarm” that most choose to ignore. Grant brings a sneering gravitas to the callous, calculating “robber baron”, disdainful of nearly everyone, particularly his “fam”, as his new lease on life fuels his greed to acquire “more”. In her first big-screen role in a dozen or so years, Leoni combines snark and a sexy, mature swagger as the “trophy wife” whose brain is mostly a cold “calculator “spitting out a “program” to manipulate and dominate. Once again, Poulter gives a splendid comic performance as a spoiled, dim-witted, motor-mouthed “frat boy” as the “hyper-hustling heel” Shepard. Also adding great comic energy is Anthony Carrigan, best known for HBO’s “Barry” and soon to be the “element-hero” Metamorpho in SUPERMAN, as the Leopold’s fast-thinking, ultra-efficient and abused mansion manservant Griff. His wide-eyed manic “takes” are a terrific commentary on the “fiflthy rich”, making him a superb audience surrogate.
Hard to believe this is the first feature film directed by screenwriter (he did the script, too)/ producer Alex Scharfman, as it has the feel of a film by a seasoned genre veteran. But then, he confidently blends the horror themes with a sharp biting social satire (hmm, I wonder where he got the idea for such a corrupt “pill-producing” family empire, eh). And there are the two, almost polar-opposite family dynamics, with the warmth of the Kinter’s almost destroyed by the avaricious Leopolds. Scharfman also shows a skill for broad slapstick comedy with several terrific visual gags (often with the great Griff) and rapid, bombastic verbal “burns”. Speaking of visuals, much like last year’s THE SUBSTANCE, Scharfman showcases some great “practical effects” along with bits of CGI to bring the title critters to rampaging life, making a film almost an homage to the monster movie mania of the 1980s (complete with Ridley’s “green screen” “head-trip”). Unfortunately he gets a bit too self-indulgent letting the scares and stalkings continue for too many “jump scares’ and multiple endings complete with the old “they’re dead…or not” cliche “twists”. It doesn’t negate the superb comic performances of the actors, or the joy of exposing and eviscerating the “one-percent”, but a tighter edit may have given the flick a greater imapct. This would’ve injected much more laughs and life into the comic chaos ignited by the DEATH OF A UNICORN.
2.5 Out of 4
DEATH OF A UNICORN is now playing exclusively in select theatres
Maybe it’s a bit of unintended “synergy”, or just a result of a scrambled post-strike release schedule, but 2024 is proving to be quite a busy year for the current “indie-studio darling” A24. Could they repeat their Oscar dominance from two years ago with their recent ‘slate”? Who knows, but this new film flying (wink to the themes of the story) into theatres this weekend could snag a few nominations. A big factor for that is the lead actress, who is really bursting out of her “comfort zone”. That’s because she is the most nominated actress for TV comedy (in three different shows) in Emmy history (and she has taken home lotsa’ gold). And though there are a few laughs, she showcases her dramatic “chops’ in TUESDAY.
This story starts as the “grim reaper” makes its “rounds”, crisscrossing planet Earth and encountering some folks pleading for its embrace, others greeting it with a spit at its beak. Yes, beak. This isn’t the familiar bony-cloaked ghoul, but a rather a brightly colored (now dimmed by dirt) maccaw. Plus it can change its size, from tiny (close to a pea) to scary big (towering over his “chosen”). Oh, and he can speak (voice of Arinze Kene), not merely repeating like a parrot but engaging in conversation, even mimicking voices ( a feathered Rich Little). The next “stop” is the bedroom of a terminally ill fifteen-year-old named Tuesday (Lola Petticrew). While Nurse Billie (Leah Harvey) putters in the next room, Tuesday disarms Death, first with a joke, then with a bit of kindness by helping it bathe in the sink. But where are her folks? There’s only a mom, Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who spends her days selling off family heirlooms and eating cheese in the park, returning home to keep up the lie of a busy career. And she stumbles upon quite a scene after dismissing Billie. After sharing a CBD vape, Death got very “small” and is resting inside Tuesday’s ear. When it awakens and flies out, Zora goes to extreme lengths to protect her only child. The ensuing battle not only changes the mother/daughter dynamic, but its consequences could throw the world into complete chaos.
So yes, the big draw is seeing our favorite ex-girlfriend from a classic sitcom go for the tears rather than the guffaws. And as I mentioned earlier, there are brief bits of levity but Louis-Dreyfus really dives into Zora’s almost-constant agony. Though it’s not apparent to many, as she wears several kinds of masks to obscure the impending loss. In public, she’s donning the disguise of a busy exec, shouting into a powered-off cell phone while doodling in a tiny notepad. With antique dealers, she’s an aloof though a tad zany socialite looking to “clear away the clutter’ as she haggles over silly “knick-knacks”. Returning home she slips on the face of happy optimist, first with Nurse Billie then with the somber resigned Tuesday. And then Louis-Dreyfus shows us Zora as fierce “Mama Grizzly”, out to destroy the monster that wants he beloved child. There’s even a touch of acceptance, as the “tables are turned” somewhat, making her finally connect intellectually with her daughter. It’s an often conflicted, even infuriating character, but Louis-Dreyfus imbues her with noble humanity and gifts us with another piece of her formidable talents.
Happily, screen newcomer Petticrew proves to be a deft, compelling scene partner for her. As Tuesday she balances a tough, world-weary pessimism with a snarky sense of her mortality, truly a dark, nearly pitch-black, sense of humor. But when she’s staring down death, mesmerized by that feathered beady eye, Petticrew conveys her sense of panic, scrambling to think of anything that will delay the “endgame”.And by the big finale, she becomes a maternal-like comforter to her miserable mum. This could be the start of a truly interesting acting resume. Harvey is an endearing comic “straight woman’ as the health care worker connected to this fantastical “madhouse”, not “getting” the gallows humor of the family and later overwhelmed by the insanity flooding the nearby streets and homes. Kudos must also go out to the vocal performance of Kene who strikes the right balance of gravelly menace and pathetic yearning as he seems to desire a friendship but cannot turn his “tail’ on his dreary duties.
This film is the feature debut of writer/director Daina Oniunas-Pusic, who has somehow mixed a heavy family tragedy with a bit of magical realism that often feels like a modern fairy tale, especially as it harkens back to the ninety-year-old romantic fable DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, This underlines the wisdom that without “endings” humanity would fall into ruin, And not to fear that inevitable finale. And the locations, always-overcast Britain, drive that point home, especially when Zora “camps out” on a park bench to avoid her “house of doom”. The visual effects are nearly seamless, from the motions (and emotions) of the “big bird” to the quiet power of the mother/daughter duo joining on a journey as they begin a new “purpose” with more reliance on practical makeup “tricks” than flashy CGI. Many audiences will be confused and perhaps annoyed by the disorienting first moments as we follow death, and even later as it battles Zora. But if you can get into the flow of the pacing and the overall “oddness” the powerful performances are a bountiful reward for adventurous filmgoers. It’s the “big ideas” and talented cast that create a whimsical and often tearful TUESDAY.
Okay, the big Summer blockbusters are coming in “hot”, but there’s no reason for the offbeat “indies” to sit on the sidelines till the Fall. At least that must be the intent of the fine folks at A24, who are still basking in the box office of their biggest hit, CIVIL WAR. Ah, but this one is a true “test” for the studio’s fervent fans. It’s a truly “out there” ode to several small screen touchstones for ” 90’s kids”. In fact, you could probably have an interesting game (just not in the theatre, please) of “checking off” winks and nods to some “cult faves”. Oh, but there’s much more happening in this exploration of suburban teen life as its young hero seems to be energized by the tube’s warmth as he swears that I SAW THE TV GLOW.
That “hero” is the main focus, twelve-year-old Owen (Ian Foreman), who lives a fairly sheltered life in a small town in New York state. Due to his social awkwardness, stoked by over-protective parents. he’s glued to the big tube TV on weekends in 1996. While “binging” the shows on the “Young Adult” cable network. Owen absorbs several promo commercials for the tween supernatural serial “The Pink Opaque”. This bit of “forbidden fruit” (it airs past his bedtime, at 10:30 p, before the channel reverts to old black and white shows), He’s obsessed with it. Then on election day, he finally gets his wish. Tagging along with his mother Brenda (Danielle Deadwyler), Owen meets a slightly older young woman (he’s 7th grade, she’s 9th) who is a “super fan” of “TPO”, the dark moody Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine). Though at first dismissive (“You’re a baby!”) she takes pity on him and allows him to sneak over to her home for a Saturday night “sleepover” (Owen tells Mom that he’s at the home of an old male buddy). Owen is hooked, and when the story jumps two years, high school freshman Owen (Justice White) is “devouring” VHS tapes of TPO that Maddy leaves for him in the school’s photography dark room. After the death of his mother Brenda, Owen’s only relief from grief seems to be the passion for the program’s “mythology” he shares with Maddy. But when the series ends its run, she begins to drift into that fantasy world. Could Owen eventually join her in an escape from the cruelties of the upcoming 21st century?
Taking leave of his role in two big film franchises (“Jurassic World” and “Dungeons & Dragons”), Smith delivers a compelling performance, effectively going from 15 to 23 to a frail 43 (health issues take a real toll) as the shy, unsteady Owen. Smith conserves his energy in order to show that the real joy in Owen’s life comes from his escape into the world of TPO. But there’s still that child-like clumsiness and an aching vulnerability when he is humbled by the true monsters lurking around his life. In a way, Smith shows us that Owen is a true hero just by surviving and making it through every day. Plus he builds on the great work in the first act, by his young version played with a sweet sadness by Foreman, who yearns for any connection outside his stifling home life. His lifeline comes via an unlikely “big sister” Maddy, who is given a real rough edge by the talented Lundy-Paine. Though she is kind to Owen, there’s an underlying anger oozing from Maddy’s dark eyes. Lundy-Paine, through her often rigid body language, conveys the character’s disgust with her settings ignited by her mania for the show she wants to enter. Deadwyler, so wonderful in TILL, is another loving matriarch here, though her screentime is far too brief. It’s an extended cameo, though much longer than the scenes with actors from the original shows that inspired the story (Nice to see you, A.B.).
Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun has crafted a sometimes engaging, but often baffling exploration of teenage loneliness and the ways that the media can reach into their psyche. The time period is expertly recreated with exacting homages to several TV shows from 25 years ago. Many viewers will latch on to the details of TPO that are inspired by Nick at Night (here called the YAN) and their half-hour tween supernatural series. An even bigger influence seems to be the video version of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” even down to the credit font, the name of its creator (Joss Whedon becomes Josh Pemberton), the Tara character (with a baseball bat rather than a stake), and the fandom “catchphrases (“big bad”, “monster of the week”). all given a VHS grain and static. This is somewhat fun, but the story gets bogged down by the oppressive smothering atmosphere of the late 90s “Anytown USA” with empty shopping carts hovering outside to a loud garish kids’ arcade and pizza palace. The story meanders, stopping the drama for a self-indulgent music performance, and baffling bits of weirdness (is this really happiness are we inside somebody’s head). Plus there seems to be no life for Owen and Maddy outside their media mania, no insight about their classes, and just a glimpse of family. The sequences of Owen breaking the fourth wall to narrate and update feel clumsy, as do the extreme time jumps and the abrupt ending, making this feel more like a filmed foray into experimental theatre (especially as extras “froze” in the finale). The “tele-tributes” are fun, and the lead performances are very good, but I SAW THE TV GLOW frustrates more than it enlightens, though I wouldn’t mind seeing a full “ep” of “The Pink Opaque”.
2 Out of 4
I SAW THE TV GLOW opens in select theatres on Friday, May 17, 2024
Writer/director Alex Garland explored the near future in two of his previous three features. In EX MACHINA he pondered the possibilities of emerging technology and the rise of sentient artificial beings. Then in ANNIHILATION, he tackled the results of alien contact and the impact on the ecology and the military response to it. With this new film, Garland goes “back to the future”, though it’s not centuries ahead, but rather a time that could be “just around the corner”, spawned from events happening right now. And it’s not gizmos or ETs that propel the cautionary fable. No, it’s the dangers of hatred and intolerance that divide the country and lead to a CIVIL WAR. It’s not the first time, but it could be the last…
We’re not shown the causes or origin (no “first shot heard ’round the world” flashback). Instead, we’re “backstage’ as the “third-term” President (Nick Offerman) readies himself before a televised address to the fractured United States. War is already raging between the federal military and the Western Forces (WF) of California and Texas, and some other states may be joining them (Florida is mentioned in the speech). And where there’s war, there are journalists (writers and photogs) on the ground. In NYC, celebrated “shutterbug” Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) is at the front lines with scribe pal Joel (Wagner Moura) during a violent clash between citizens and soldiers. During the mayhem, Lee assists a battered young woman named Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), who has a dream of following in Lee’s footsteps. However, Lee strongly discourages her and insists that she return home. Later, at a local hotel filled with press from around the globe, Lee and Joel meet up with an old pal, veteran New York Times reporter Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), who gets the duo to share their big plans, They’ll go the “long route” to get into the now fortress-like D.C. and somehow get an interview with the President (who has been “unavailable”). They give into Sammy’s pleading and decide to take him along. Early the next morning Lee is shocked to discover that Joel has taken on another travel partner, Jessie. After some bickering they hit the trail, making a “big circle” to enter the “back door” of the Capital. But can they survive the horrors and threats that await them down every highway and side road?
Her role as the veteran photojournalist proves to be a “high-water mark’ in the now 35-year feature film career of Ms. Dunst. The early street riot sequence gives us an insight into Lee’s character with merely Dunst’s “coiled” body language and her “taking in everything” glare under heavy “seen it all” eyelids. it appears she’s trying to file this with the far-flung conflicts she’s covered until the realization that this is happening in her “old backyard” truly hits home (it nearly paralyzes her in the big finale). A “fun” visit to a dress shop reminds her of a life she could have lived. The same is true in her relationship with Jessie as Lee tries to push her aside, then experiences a maternal joy (or perhaps as a “big sister”) in protecting and mentoring her. This film, coming off her splendid work in THE POWER OF THE DOG, really showcases Dunst’s mature acting skills. Interestingly, Ms. Spaevy’s career trajectory is so similar to the first decade of Dunst on screen. So terrific in last year’s PRISCILLA, Spaevy captures the dichotomy of Jessie, bouncing from young wide-eyed innocent to devious “climber” to headstrong post-teen making very dangerous choices to get her “props” from the seniors. We want to shield her while she still annoys us. And we finally see her ‘take the reins” as Spaevy shows us that Jessie is now a true battlefield daredevil. Much like Moura’s aspiring “swashbuckler for truth” Joel who plunges into the thick of “it”, then must try and bluff his way out of the consequences. On the opposite end is Henderson, who has also seen too much but can’t shake the “rush” even as he becomes more frustrated by his failing physicality. He knows he has his cohorts’ respect, but he fears becoming a burden and slowing them down. Offerman uses his stern gravitas to give a sinister spin on the typical blustery lying politico. But the film’s big scene stealer may be Jesse Plemons as a taunting militia bully who becomes the biggest “poster boy” for the erosion of humanity via callous banal acts of evil.
As mentioned earlier, Garland dives confidently from the worlds of science fiction, with the detour into horror with MEN, into speculative fiction with a slight hint of satire as he distorts the already twisted political atmosphere of these times. Once we get past some of the wilder concepts (“blue” Callie and “roarin’ red” Texas teaming is a big stretch), he drops us into this nightmarish “what if” fable. The villains are not easily labeled as each side commits truly barbaric acts. In one scene we side with WF who seem hopelessly “pinned down” until the battle takes a turn, ending when we find the “underdogs” take no prisoners. Yes, it is a cautionary tale, but also a tribute to the recently maligned press (we’re told that they kill members of the press on-site in DC). Lee and her team could turn back, but it’s just not in their DNA, even as they use any “downtime” to numb themselves with booze and weed. Perhaps that’s to chronicle the carnage and snap pics of a steaming pile of entrails that was a person mere seconds before. Garland also has elements of a road trip/odyssey as the crew encounters a stadium-turned-tent shelter city and a serene main street that seems removed from it all, until a big reveal. Surprisingly the film is beautifully rendered, whether driving on a highway as bodies dangle from rope tied to the overpass, to that excruciatingly tense encounter with Plemons and his murderous cohorts. Kudos to the sound techs who have crafted an immersive mix of arsenal fire, screams, and nature still being heard. The audio may be at its best, along with the rest of the film, in the dizzying final act assault on democracy’s home which gives us a sense of the chaos and desperation of those “boots on the ground”. Maybe it took a filmmaker from the “mother country” to craft the compelling, haunting, and very sobering “wake-up call” that is CIVIL WAR.
Ready for a cinematic “walk on the wild side”? Perhaps something in the film noir category, but not similar to something you’d run across on one of those nostalgia streaming channels. Maybe something set just before the turn of the century rather than the decade post-WWII. Sure, this new flick is a crime thriller involving multiple murders, but that’s just one aspect. Let’s see, there’s a big (truly huge) daughter/father conflict so it’s a family drama. And it’s certainly a romance ala’ girl meets girl. Oh, and one of them is seeking fame in the competitive world of female bodybuilding events. Now, that’s really different and certainly unique. Mix all those genres and subplots together and you get an insight into the provocative title, LOVE LIES BLEEDING.
Oh, the backdrop year is in the 20th century, way back in 1989. We first meet lonely Lou (Kristen Stewart) who runs a gym catering to weightlifters in a dusty New Mexico border town. After a night of unclogging toilets and dealing with a spacey clingy ex-girlfriend named Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov), she heads back to the dingy apartment she shares with her cat Happy Meal. Meanwhile, across the tracks, JJ (Dave Franco) is “hiring” a new waitress for the tavern at the gun range business he manages…in the back of his car. He tells the muscular statuesque brunette, Jackie (Katy O’Brian) that she can start tomorrow. She leaves the parking lot to sleep under the highway overpass. The next morning JJ introduces her to the gun range owner, his father-in-law, the surly Lou Sr. (Ed Harris). Eventually, Jackie heads over to Crater Gym where she encounters Lou. The two immediately form a connection and spend the night (at Lou’s pad, natch’). Jackie insists that she’ll soon be moving on to a big body-building event in Vegas as soon as she makes enough cash for the trip. A few nights later Lou and Jackie have a most awkward dinner date with Lou’s sister Beth (Jena Malone) and her abusive spouse, JJ! Lou is furious that he’s smacking around her sister. But he doesn’t stop and Beth ends up in a coma at the local hospital. After an uncomfortable reunion with Lou Sr. (they are estranged, to say the least) something…happens. And soon the lovers are nearly in panic mode. Can Lou stay ahead of the FBI agents who are pressuring her for info on her papa’s shady operations? And what about those “off-brand” muscle “enhancers” that Lou gave Jackie? Things are about to get much hotter in that sleepy desert burg…
Add another interesting character performance to the already impressive resume of Ms. Stewart. In the opening act, Lou is a take-no-crap (unless she’s clearing the commode) tough gal whose tough exterior masks her lonely solitary life and very dark past. That all changes when she spots Jackie her “warrior angel’ across the gym floor. Stewart shows us that a spark has been ignited in those “half-mast” eyes. Later on, she’s almost a whirling dervish as she scrambles to “clean and dispose’ all the while Stewart lets us see that Lou’s brain has shifted into “high gear”. The real breakout role may belong to her “ideal” Jackie played with great energy and flair by relative screen newcomer O’Brian, who was one of the few highlights of the last ANT-MAN epic. Jackie is “laser-focused on her sports goal, though she’s elated by the prospect of real love with Lou. But that is somewhat short-circuited by the “boosters’ that spiral her into a scary “roid’ rage’ while dropping her into a nightmare-like netherworld. And even as she’s posing in front of a mirror, there’s still a child-like vulnerability. The “third wheel” of this love “triangle is the manic white-hot mess that is Daisy who Baryshnikov plays as a distracted child who demands attention while engaging in passive-aggressive manipulation. She’s trouble, but is merely an annoying “jack-in-the-box’ compared to the sadistic cruelty of the two dudes hovering over them. Franco is a sniveling mullet-sporting bully as the weasily JJ, who needs the protection of the king of the “wolf pack”, Lou Sr, given a constant sneer by the bombastic Harris who resembles a heavy metal Satan with long curtains of hair framing his scowling pate. They’re “bad dude” and super-bad dude”.
The director and co-writer, with Weronika Tofilska, Rose Glass has crafted a low-rent, hard-scrabble fable that incorporates lust, love, longing, and brutal revenge while taking many unexpected and often “out there” twists and turns. She makes great use of a vibrant color scheme, switching from a warm “lit by headlights” glow in the wee hours to the shimmering, blazing crimson of a blood-soaked hellscape. It’s all punctuated with a grim “gallows humor” echoing the criminal eccentrics of Tarantino and the Coens mixed with more than a dash of the heroines of BOUND. The big “dividing point” for many viewers will be the sharp detour into “fantasy-land” in the big finale showdown, but after the lean, taut storytelling most will probably embrace and may even be thrilled by the audacity of it. Somehow Glass gets all the diverse elements to jell while making us truly invested in these two unlikely lovers, again played superbly by Stewart and O’Brian. The desert locales project a sense of sun-baked decay while the period is well represented (no cell phones, but lots of answering machines). More adventurous filmgoers will enjoy the “totally-jacked” trip taken when LOVE LIES BLEEDING.
3.5 Out of 4
LOVE LIES BLEEDING is now playing in select theatres
The scary new trailer has been released for TALK TO ME.
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
From a24 Films, the film is in theaters everywhere July 28.
Danny and Michael Phillipou weave together a stylish and blisteringly scary horror film that explores coming-of-age touchpoints with a singular, deceptively simple premise, unwinding the intensity of first love and loss and the thrill and terror of chasing an unforgettable new escape.
TALK TO ME is an ideal first feature for Danny and Michael Phillippou. It draws from each category of their training as filmmakers. It fuses their love of artful, evocative cinema with eye-widening stunts and violence. It looks back at their lives and processes their experiences through art, while ushering them past the next threshold of their careers. It brings together their creative partners of years back with exciting new collaborators. It is all of their layers compressed into one thrilling, audacious package—terrifying and emotional in equal measure, instantly becoming a vital new work in the growing pantheon of smart, sophisticated horror films.
With this film’s release so close to the big “hearts and flowers” holiday, you might think that it’s a modern twist on the old romantic stories of boy meets girl. And you’d be mistaken, except for the “twist” angle. Yes, it does begin with a “meet cute”, but soon the filmmakers take us down a road of deception and devious designs, full of, yes, twists and turns. Now it’s not another thriller built on that cybercrime of “catfishing” as in the very recent MISSING. This tale owes much more to the previous “con capers” like THE STING, BODY HEAT, and, naturally THE GRIFTERS. Ah, but these “players” are aiming for much larger stakes as they go after their NYC high-society “marks”. That’s why they have to aspire to be SHARPER.
Oh, as I mentioned this story takes place in Manhattan and opens on a quaint dusty used book store in one of the quiet upscale neighborhoods. And the literary theme is used with the film being divided into four chapters, each title after a character in this quadrangle. The first is the owner/manager of the shop, a quiet twenty-something named Tom (Justice Smith). His dull afternoon next to the register is ended by the arrival of a lovely college student named Sandra (Briana Middleton). Their conversation leads to his clumsy invitation to dinner and leads to a whirlwind romance that ends in tragedy and heartbreak. In the next chapter named for her, we look into Sandra’s past and her life-changing encounter with the enigmatic “groomer” named Max (Sebastian Stan). This leads to his chapter that gives us an insight into his complex relationship with his social-climbing mother Madeline (Julianne Moore), who has become the fiancee of a Fifth Avenue financial tycoon named Richard Hobbes (John Lithgow). With her chapter, the dots are “connected”, the story comes “full circle”, and the quartet wrestles for control and makes a grab for the “big brass ring”.
With this type of film, it’s tough to get into the actor’s performances without revealing too much of their characters’ secrets (the whole plot peels back the layers). However, I can attest that the talented, always interesting Ms. Moore adds another complex role to her impressive screen resume. Madeline is more than the tortured matriarch as she tries to correct her past while forging ahead toward a lush future. That past, embodied by Stan’s Max, is dark and full of potential danger as Stan projects an air of edgy laid-back cool aloofness punctuated by a snarling intensity. At the opposite end is Smith as the quiet, reflective Tom who’s been beaten down by life but sees this new love as a chance to start over on the road to happiness. As his shining beacon, Middleton dazzles as Sandra whose own dark past threatens to doom this new love as she tries to bury those demons. In a smaller supporting role, Lithgow projects the proper gravitas as the man of “old money” who knows that some “class -climbers’ see a golden target on his back.
The tale’s many curves and turns are expertly guided by director Benjamin Caron in his feature film directing debut. He confidently keeps the drastic time shifts on track in the taut screenplay from Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, which keeps us guessing and baffled till the final fade out (and at just under two hours). The Big Apple locations are superb, from the plush million-dollar-plus “cribs” to the cluttered Queen apartments and the neighborhood “dive bars”. And they’re lit with the story’s emotional shifts in mind. This is the cinematic equivalent to a good “page-turner”, something to devour on a rainy afternoon. As far as most dramatic thrillers go, I’d say that this is much, much SHARPER.
3.5 Out of 4
SHARPER opens at the Alamo Drafthouse in St. Louis and streams exclusively on AppleTV+ beginning on Friday, February 17, 2023
Alright kiddies, time to gather around the fireplace for another magical fairy tale. Oh, scratch that, this is a movie so you’d need to gather not around but at the local movie theatre or multiplex. And one more thing, this story’s similar to a bedtime tale, but it’s really not for the “wee folk” (unless you want them to cease slumbering for a long time). Now, it is set in a faraway, but very real, land though it may seem that it’s on the edge of the “Twilight Zone”, or perhaps “Castle Rock”. Oh but there are some cuddly animals in the story which is certainly reflected in its simple title, LAMB.
That faraway place is Iceland, and in the opening minutes it’s living up to its name. A herd of small wild horses is tromping through a blinding white landscape. They slow as the leader of the group spies something as his eyes widen. That’s when they suddenly change course, dashing away in the opposite direction of…something. Flash forward to warmer times as the story focuses on a married couple who live and work on a desolate farm. Maria (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Gudanson) barely interact as they work the fields and tend to their sheep, the tiny AM radio as their only background noise. As one of the sheep goes into labor, the duo head into the barn to assist in pulling out the new arrivals. Days later the herd becomes agitated, their cries awaken the couple. Returning to the barn Maria aids in a new birth, but this is quite different. She and Ingvar immediately wrap up the lamb in a blanket, taking it away from its mother as they rush back to their house. They begin raising the lamb as their baby, letting it sleep in an old crib. This causes the mother sheep to stand by the backdoor, bleeting for hours…until Maria “takes care of it”. The next big arrival is Ingvar’s neer’ do well aspiring singer, brother Petur (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson), whose former bandmates dumped him along the road. He is stunned when he sees the new “lamb-child” (a true WTF moment), but he soon settles in to be of temporary help to the couple. Unfortunately, he lusts after Maria (behind Ingvar’s back). But he’s not the only disruption to the dreary routine. Odd noises shatter the tranquil night (though the sun remains out), while their trusted border collie goes missing. Are they being targeted by a mysterious unknown entity, one that may be connected to their “son”?
A talented cast greatly helps in bringing a sense of real drama to the story’s more whimsical aspects. Rapace makes Maria perhaps the most complex and conflicted character of the tale. In the opening sequences the “farmer’s wife’ is simply “going through the motion”, seemingly stuck in “auto pilot’ as she runs the tractor and boils an endless supply of potatoes and beef. Then with the “miracle” Rapace shows us that the light in Maria’s eyes quickly flicker back to life. It’s as though the “mother switch” has been activated, one that also prompts acts of cruelty. Her passion for her hubby is also back, though she half-heartedly deflects the advances of her brother-in-law (in the words of Indiana Jones, “How hard were you trying?”). And in one scene we get a look at the sadness she has tried to suppress, much as Ingvar has. Gudnason as the quiet farmer also sleepwalks through his work and marriage until the “event” jolts him back to reality. He’s quite a contrast to his gregarious brother Petur, who becomes the audience surrogate thanks to the charming work by Haraldsson. He’s just like us when he sees the astounding new family “addition” (the biggest laugh in the somber film), and he even conveys a real “sweetness’, despite his lustful actions.
First-time feature director Valdimar Johannsson creates an uneasy feeling of tension that permeates every scene. The isolation and constant sunshine add to an other-worldly aura that may send the principals into madness, or at least some very poor choices. The script that he co-wrote with Sjon does feel like a modern-day fable, even a cautionary tale, along the lines of “Tom Thumb” via “The Monkey’s Paw”, as a wish is granted, but one with dire consequences. And while such an achingly quiet setting and very stoic characters might send viewers’ minds adrift, instead we’re drawn into this world, so alien yet earthbound. What helps to “sell’ this bizarre “concept” ? I’d offer kudos to a very talented team of artists, with several CGI teams credited along with a throng of puppeteers. Part of me is interested in seeing some “making of” doc-style footage, while another part of me doesn’t want to “peer behind the curtain” and spoil the “magic”. Adventurous film fans were be rewarded for their patience as many scenes will “haunt your dreams” (much like THE WITCH a few years ago). Plus the “outta’ nowhere” ending will keep you in your seat for most of the end credits. LAMB is a nightmarish adult fantasy and a compelling cinema experience.
Over the last couple of national election cycles, a topic of much discussion and often heated debate has been immigration. In light of the impassionate rhetoric, many have neglected the human, personal side of the issue. it’s sometimes called the “immigrant experience”, the old “planting roots in rich new soil” idea that’s been around since our country (and a big reason the USA began in the first place) started. The movies have mined this topic many times during its century or so, from AMERICA AMERICA to MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON. Now audiences will be treated to another family’s fable, told from an often neglected culture’s perspective, and set in the fairly recent past for just a seasoning of nostalgia. And it’s mainly told from a child’s perspective as he adjusts to his new home while trying to cling to his own land, part of which is another arrival, the “wonderful, wonderful” plant called MINARI.
The time is somewhere in the middle 1980s. The place, a dirt road in rural Arkansas. The Yi family, split between a rental moving truck and the family station wagon, are about to see their new house. In between a big grassy field and the forest sit a mobile trailer home, its wheels held in place by big blocks of wood and concrete. Thirty-something father Jacob (Steven Yeun) is full of hope. His wife Monica (Yari Han)…not so much. For their two kids, pre-teen Anne (Noel Cho) and especially seven-year-old David (Alan Kim), it’s their new locale for adventure. Monica and Jacob met and married in their native South Korea, and after having Anne they emigrated to California. There they amassed a “nest egg” via Jacob’s skills as a “sexer” (separating the male and female baby chicks) at a factory-style hatchery. Now with little David, papa Yi plans to farm out the property by planting the vegetables for Korean foods and selling them to major markets (Dallas, Oklahoma City, Memphis) with big Korean immigrant populations. But to make ends meet the parents find “sexing” work at the local hatchery, as Jacob devotes all of the weekends and spare hours to his farming efforts. Luckily he soon acquires a “hired hand” after purchasing a tractor/tiller from an eccentric (lots of “talking in tongues”) named Paul (Will Patton). Mama Monica though continues to pressure Jacob to move them into a home in town, mainly to be closer to the hospital as she frets over David’s heart condition (a “murmur” that tires him quickly). His compromise, bringing in her mother Soonja (Yuh-Jung Youn). The idea of sharing his room with her upsets David, who has never met his “Grandma”. Slowly they begin to form a bond (mainly a love of mischief, TV wrestling, and Mountain Dew soda pop) as Jacob works hard to achieve his dream. Unfortunately, this adds to the tension between him and his wife. Can the two resolve their many issues and provide a stable prosperous home for the kids and their “Granny”?
A very talented and mostly unknown (to film audiences) acting ensemble breathes life into this 20th-century family fable. TV audiences will recall Yeun as the much-missed Glenn Rhee of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”. Here he gets to truly stretch his formidable dramatic skills (plus he’s an executive producer) as the patriarch struggling to hold his marriage together even as he faces daunting challenges in going for his version of “the American dream”. Through his weary eyes, Jacob looks at his bride with longing and regret, wanting to ease her sadness and reignite the passion they had shared so long ago. Han is a superb sparring partner to him, making her concerns and complaints clear right from the very start (with the mobile home, it’s disgust at first sight), unable to grasp her mate’s optimism, while trying to control her growing anxiety over her little angel’s health (“Don’t run, David” is her main mantra). That sweet smiling guy, David is played with a natural innocence by Alan Kim, still possess an infectious child-like wonder, as the world is still shiny and new full of new places to explore. He’s still a lovable rascal as he pushes for his independence while still often hiding behind his parents when faced with a friendly stranger. Cho as big sister Anne is more tempered as she enters young adulthood, trying to help in supervising her lil’ bro while still joining him in play. However David’s true “partner-in-crime’ maybe be his “grandma” a role that fits Youn like a glove as she steals nearly every scene. Though she hasn’t met her grandson and endures his taunts (“You’re not a real grandma! You don’t bake cookies”) and pranks ( a special cup of “water from the mountains”), she’s his defender and buffer to Jacob’s harch disciplines. But she’s also tough with her own daughter (“Why you make the kid do this crap?’) all while teaching the kids to play cards (and curse) behind her back. Youn’s a delight but she also breaks our heart as her fate instigates a final act tragedy. Also notable is the quirky performance of Patton as the fervent “true believer” Paul, whose odd behavior (his Sunday church service is toting a big wooden cross along the country roads) baffles Jacob, though he’s a big help and even a cheerleader for the farm dream.
Director/screenwriter Lee Isaac Chung brings a warm autobiographical feel to the film, as the events could have happened to any family of any origin. Putting the camera at David’s level, Chung really conveys the child’s eye view of this weird, but wondrous new world. The small patch of woods nearby is another planet, while the Yi family’s visit to a local church seems as though they’ve entered another dimension. This is especially true as the locals innocently offend while trying to be welcoming (“Why is your face so flat?” “Tell me if I’m speaking Korean…ching, chong, choom…”). While the kids have fun, they also must deal with new fears. The first night of tornado-producing storms is true nightmare fuel as is overhearing a loud parental argument (they do respond by inscribing “don’t fight” on paper airplanes they toss into the living room). We can almost feel the baking heat of those sizzling summer days with insects providing a smothering chirping bed of noise. Chung has served up a true slice of life saga, full of triumphs and setbacks, of new friendships and love that is lost and regained through tragedy and unexpected acts of brave generosity. In a word, just like the plant, MINARI makes the mundane magical.
3.5 out of 4
MINARI opens in theatres everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac cinemas and at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. It can also be screened virtually through cinemastlouis.org. via the A24 screening room.
