A scene from THE BECOMERS. Courtesy of Dark Star Pictures
Start with the classic, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Flip the perspective to that of the aliens who take over human bodies. Then tell the story from the ETs’ point of view in a darkly comedic package. Now you know what you’ll be getting in THE BECOMERS.
The film is narrated in a dreamy, romantic tone by a male voice (Russell Mael), rhapsodizing about its great love for its partner who has also come to Earth, both landing somewhere in the Metro Chicago area. We don’t know what they look like, since they must take over a human’s body, killing the original occupant in the process. The result is a new mind in an old body, with the only visible difference being bright colorful lights emanating from their eyes. Their goal is to blend into that person’s life without being noticed, which is complicated by not acquiring their individual memories or general knowledge. That need for on-the-job training makes it hard to maintain stability in any given flesh bag long enough to find each other.
The host’s age and gender don’t matter to the visitors. They mask their ocular glow with colored contact lenses or dark sunglasses. Most of the comedy comes from trying to cope with what they don’t know in convincing others they are who they seemingly were. Some of the personae come with surprising complexities. And bits of gore, here and there. As Deadpool said through the fourth wall in his first feature, it’s a love story despite all the mayhem about to ensue.
We don’t sense malice in the visitors, but also are kept in the dark about who they really are and why they’re here for most of the running time. Spearheading an invasion, or escaping from some personal danger back home? Among the cast, Molly Plunk gets most of the screen time as the narrator’s temporary host. Writer/director Zach Clark gets admirable mileage from an obviously small budget and a cast of relative unknowns. He also maintains a droll tenor by having most of the gory stuff occur off-camera. I imagine that was a creative choice, not just a way to save money on fake blood and viscera.
Disclosing more would spoil your viewing. I’ve provided the mind-set for optimal enjoyment. The rest is up to you. Now that UFO sightings have been formally acknowledged, this may have become essential preparatory viewing. Insert your own low, eerie moan here.
THE BECOMERS opens in select theaters on Friday, Aug. 23, and on Video on Demand Tuesday, Sept. 24.
First of all, if you’re a vintage film buff who has already seen 1937’s MIDNIGHT TAXI, this new movie one bears no similarity beyond the shared name. This is a surreal indie drama featuring Eddie (Ladi Emeruwa), a London cabbie who likes the night shift with its relatively light traffic. After dozing off in his cab, he awakens to find a murdered woman lying on the street in front of him. After that, he’s so haunted by the memory and the cops’ seeming indifference to finding her killer that he begins his own obsessive investigation.
The rest is a suspenseful ordeal with a few wrinkles and twists. One cop seems hell-bent on blaming Eddie for the crime. We gradually learn more about Eddie’s past and psychological issues that blur the picture for him and the viewer. There are a few moments of peril and violence but it’s mostly conversations with passengers and others that fill the screen. Co-writers/directors Bertie and Samantha Speirs keep the mystery up in the air to the end, while fleshing out a protagonist to root for, even as his good-guy nature becomes questionable.
The surreal part is that there’s hardly any traffic on the roads or the sidewalks in this dense urban setting. Ever. Eddie’s cab is usually the only vehicle in motion. Most of the people on foot are a handful of hookers plying their trade despite the dearth of passersby to solicit. Presumably, budget was a consideration in how to fill the frames but the result is a product that looks like they crept onto film set exteriors after shooting of the studio’s movies wrapped for the day. That does have the benefit of adding an eerie mystique to the proceedings that might have been an artistic choice, rather than financial. But the ending comes so abruptly that it reinforces the thought that they may have been running out of time or money. Even so, it’s an interesting story in a tight little package.
MIDNIGHT TAXI is available in digital formats and VOD starting Tuesday, July 23.
A scene from pandemic-set lockdown dramedy NEW STRAINS. Courtesy of MEMORY
The low-key indie dramedy NEW STRAINS either succeeds or sucks, depending on what you’re seeking. For starters, do you want to recall the early days of the Covid pandemic through the eyes of a few others? That’s what co-directors, co-writers and co-stars Artemis Shaw and Prashanth Kamalakanthan serve up here. They portray, respectively, Kallia and Ram – a young couple staying in her uncle’s New York apartment as a getaway from their recent hassles and frustrations. Unfortunately, rather than explore the city honeymoon-style, the initial quarantine kicks in, sticking them in what becomes an unbearably claustrophobic situation.
She’s more energetic, romantic and sociable than her partner. He plunges into Woody Allen-esque anxiety, with a large dose of Howie Mandel-level germophobia, as this new peril with its unknown parameters shatters their plans… and moods. She’s horny; he’s paranoid. She goes out to breathe to the extent she can. He stays in, obsessing over the news and any unfolding information about the contagion.
As the quibbling and nitpicking escalate, it soon becomes apparent that these two have too little in common for forced prolonged cocooning. Their personalities are so disparate that one may even wonder why they got together in the first place. The film is short at under 80 minutes but will seem much longer to the viewer, as the imposed cloistering grates on the couple. Their different ways of handling this physically and emotionally widen the gap between them. Considerably.
Neither of them remains particularly likable, also adding to the downer factor. She lies about some things due to restlessness and frustrations with him; he gets more clingy. Both creators deserve credit for not making themselves characters who would be anyone’s idea of a role model. Though unrated as I write this, there’s probably enough non-erotic nudity (mostly Kallia’s breasts) for a likely R rating. Very little progress occurs, though there are minimal interactions with others; similar to what we all had to do in the early weeks of the outbreak. About 90% of the running time occurs in the apartment. It’s more likely to make you feel better about how you handled it compared to them than to elicit fond memories of mid-2020.
For a shoestring budget, they do a pretty good job of presenting a slice of life from that time – especially for a pair wearing so many hats despite little feature-length experience. The title serves double duty as the new strain of virus puts new strains on relationships. Whether audiences find it entertaining will vary widely.
NEW STRAINS debuts exclusively on the Memory VOD platform as of July 19.
Tim Blake Nelson in the Western OLD HENRY. Courtesy of Shout! Studios and Hideout Pictures.
The classic Western rides again, with Tim Blake Nelson playing a quiet widowed farmer with teen-aged son on a hardscrabble Oklahoma farm, who takes in a wounded man found with a bag full of money and soon finds trouble follows. Writer/director Potsy Ponciroli’s low-budget indie Western action film OLD HENRY sports a much better than expected cast, and is elevated greatly by Tim Blake Nelson in a rare lead role.
OLD HENRY evokes classic Westerns, with its tale of an aging widowed farmer with a teen-aged son, defending his homestead when a group of armed men come looking for the wounded stranger they took in, and the bag of loot he had with him. Both the stranger and the men who have come looking for him claim to be lawmen, leaving the farmer to decide who to believe. But this farmer proves to have both more determination and surprising skills once the shooting starts, raising questions about his identity.
It is the classic lone man against many Western. In 1906 Oklahoma, Henry (Nelson) and his son Wyatt (Gavin Lewis) are working their little farm alone, struggling to get by without the help of a then-new invention, a tractor, but with a little help from the farmer’s late wife’s brother Al (Trace Adkins) who has the neighboring farm. Young Wyatt is itching to go off and leave farming behind, and chaffing under his stern, Bible-quoting father’s over-protectiveness. When the farmer spots a rider-less horse with a bloody saddle wandering onto his property, Henry feels bound to investigate. In an nearby creek bed, he finds an unconscious, nearly-dead stranger with a bag full of cash. Old Henry knows it is trouble as soon as he sees that money and his initial impulse is to walk away. Instead he slings the unconscious man across his saddle and brings the wounded man and the bag of loot back to his homestead.
Back home, Henry quickly hides the loot. He tends to the stranger’s wounds with skill but ties him to the bed, showing a level of wariness that surprises his son. When the wounded man, Curry (Scott Haze) awakes, he tells them he is a lawman but Henry remains suspicious. Soon a posse of three men show up, led by a man named Ketchum (Stephen Dorff) sporting a badge, and also claiming to be lawmen, looking for the wounded man.
Earlier violent scenes have raised our doubts about the claims of Dorff’s Ketchum and his companions Dugan (Richard Speight Jr.) and a Mexican tracker named Stilwell (Max Arciniega) to be the law. But it is the farmer’s cool, steely nerves and skilled response suggesting a hidden past that really intrigues. When the shooting inevitably starts, Henry’s skill with a gun raises questions about who he really is.
The heart of the film is about the father and son, although there is plenty of action too. There is a lot of classic Western here, including the combination of gruffness and tenderness in the father-son relationship and the son challenging his underestimated father, but also a touch of “a special set of skills” contemporary action thriller. However, it takes awhile for director Ponciroli to get around to the action, despite the film’s fairly brief running time.
The story is set in Oklahoma but looks more like Tennessee, where it was actually shot. It is not the usual movie image of Oklahoma’s dry grassland plains, although eastern Oklahoma is a likely match. The director reportedly found this location in Watertown, Tennessee, and was taken with how hidden and forlorn the old homestead looked, and took the location as the inspiration for the story. However, the writer/director decided to relocate the story in Oklahoma. Mismatched location aside, the cinematography by John Matysiak is strong, effectively giving a sense of isolation to the farmstead and a kind of rough beauty, while the costumes and production design gives the proper period feel.
The director seems to go out of his way to make the slight Nelson look even smaller, with an over-sized hat and casting a young actor as his son who fairly towers over him. It just sets up the audience to further underestimate the quiet unassuming farmer before the fireworks begin. Once unleashed, Nelson is masterful in the shootout sequence against the even-larger group that eventually shows up to the fight, surprising his son most of all.
What is not surprising is that Tim Blake Nelson’s performance makes this film, supported well by Stephen Dorff as the principle baddie and the other cast members. A long-time character actor, whose breakout role in the Coen brothers’ O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU brought him a level of stardom, Tim Blake Nelson truly delivers in this too-rare lead role.
OLD HENRY opens Friday, Oct. 1, at theaters in select cities.
Orion Lee (left) as “King-Lu” and John Magaro (right) as “Cookie” in director Kelly Reichardt’s FIRST COW, released by A24 Films. Credit : Allyson Riggs / A24 Films
Kelly Reichardt’s FIRST COW offers a tale of friendship and American dreams, set in a hardscrabble frontier outpost in early 19th century Oregon territory, place that is less a community than a microcosm of the flaws of capitalism carved out of a green, lush wilderness. Two friends, a quiet, gentle baker known as Cookie (John Magaro) and a talkative, ambitious Chinese immigrant named King-Lu (Orion Lee) hatch a scheme to sell baked goods made with milk pilfered from the area’s first and only cow, the property of the wealthy local bigwig, known as Chief Factor (an excellent Toby Jones), who rules the outpost like the British lord he fancies himself.
There is, of course, a cow, a beautiful
brown pedigreed milk cow, the first cow in the territory reportedly
but certainly the first at the outpost. Chief Factor intended to
bring the cow, a bull and a calf from San Francisco but only the cow
survived the trip. Reichardt shows the arrival of the cow in glowing
light, as if it is a magical creature.
FIRST COW is a most engaging film, one
that often feels like a fairy tale as it unfolds it’s simple tale but
a film that deepens as it unfolds, thanks in large part to the
wonderful performances by John Magaro and Orion Lee as the two
friends at the center of the tale. The drama was set to debut in
theaters in March, and had opened in some already, just as the
coronavirus pandemic shut theaters down. Still, the film was already
garnering awards buzz, and it is now getting a release on
video-on-demand starting July 10.
Reichardt’s languid, contemplative, unconventional Western opens with a quote from William Blake, “the bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship,” and explores the bonds of friendship, the power of dreams and ambitions, and the flaws in the foundational American myths of capitalism. The film weaves its simple but irresistible tale around dual themes: male friendship and economics, creating an unforgettable tapestry .
Reichardt makes her points about
economics subtly and indirectly, presenting the situation and leaving
us to draw our own conclusions. She is more direct in painting the
portrait of friendship, male bonding in particular, leaving the two
leads to create a human warmth between these two appealing
characters.
Kelly Reichardt is a master of indie
film-making, but this is perhaps her most accessible and story-driven
film. There are a number of parallels to her other films here,
including an intimate focus, the Oregon setting, and a languid pace.
Reichardt co-wrote the script with Jon Raymond, adapted from his
novel “Half-Life.” The William Blake quote (which also
opens the novel) brings to mind another quirky indie Western, Jim
Jarmusch’s DEAD MAN (and in fact Gary Farmer has a small role in this
film) but mostly there are numerous overlaps with Reichardt’s other
films, such as CERTAIN WOMEN, WENDY AND LUCY, and the Western MEEKS
CUTOFF.
The tale of friendship and life
struggle strikes a special, deep chord. The film opens in the
present, with a woman (Alia Shawkat) and her dog wandering across a
partly wooded landscape, until the dog finds something: two human
skeletons shallowly buried side-by-side. The film then shifts to the
past, leaving us puzzled, although the meaning is made clear at the
end of the film.
In the wild frontier of 1820s Oregon
Territory, a man called Cookie Figowitz (John Magaro) is working for
a rough crew of fur-trappers. The meat-hungry trappers are less
impressed by Cookie’s considerable skills as a cook and baker than
angry about his less-impressive skills as a hunter. A quiet, gentle
soul, Cookie is happiest foraging alone in the forest for mushrooms
and berries in the forest, where one day he comes across a naked man
hiding under a bush. The naked man tells him he is being pursued but
a group of Russians, and kind-hearted Cookie takes him in, feeding
him and giving him shelter. It turns out that the man is not Native
American as Cookie first assumed but a multi-lingual, well-educated
Chinese immigrant adventurer named King-Lu (Orion Lee), seeking his
fortune in the new territory. The two part ways but a a friendship is
already taking root.
When the two meet again at the frontier
trading post, their situation is reversed, and it is Cookie who is in
dire straits after the fur-trappers fired him. It is King-Lu’s turn
to offer Cookie food and shelter, in the form of an abandoned shack
King-Lu is living in outside town. Spending time together, the
friendship kindles and they share their stories and their dreams.
Talkative King-Lu is ambitious, dreaming of striking it rich, while
mild-mannered Cookie’s dreams are more modest, mostly a bakery where
he can practice the trade he loves. King-Lu also has a bit of larceny
in him, so when he learns about Cookie’s skill with baking, he
hatches a plan to make money with that talent. All they need do is
steal milk from that precious cow.
This is no small task as the cow is the
closely-guarded prized possession of the town’s wealthy ruling power,
a harsh man known as Chief Factor (Toby Jones), but they come up with
a plan. Soon they are selling what they call “oily cakes,”
a donut-like fritter that Cookie makes with the pilfered milk, served
with a little wild honey. The treats are a huge hit, selling out
daily and pressing the friends to make more.
When a dignitary known as the Captain
(Scott Shepard) plans to visit, Chief Factor is desperate to impress
him with his taste and sophistication, and instructs the baker to
create a particularly delicate pastry as a show piece, putting the
friends uncomfortably close to his scrutiny.
Yes, there is a comic element to this
scheme but there is an ominous feeling as well as we also know this
can’t last. However, mostly this is a quiet, thoughtful drama about
personal individual struggles as well as a portrait of male
friendship. and a study of the rhythms of daily life in this frontier
town. Like other Reichert’s films, it has a languid pace, an intimate
personal focus, and invites leaning-in, rather than the wide-open
spaces and myth making of the typical Western.
The visual aspect is striking, with
scenes tightly framed and a focus on small details, often of the
natural world around them, rather than the usual grand vistas of
Westerns. The images are often quite beautiful, skillfully shot by
cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt.
The key to the film is the friendship
at its heart. There is enormous charm in both of the characters and
feeling of authenticity and human warmth in their unlikely
friendship. As they spend time together, they share bits of their
personal history, although Cookie is more forthcoming than King-Lu.
Cookie was orphaned when his father died, after a life traveling
around, but found a sense of home with the baker to whom he was
apprenticed. We learn less about brainy, resourceful King-Lu, mostly
that he ran away from home when he was young, but there are
intriguing hints, like his obvious education. Yet there is his
telling comment when he hears about the milk cow’s pedigree, that she
has an even more illustrious family history than his own.
Both friends see the danger in what
they are doing but deciding when to get out is hard – the temptation
of “one more time” is powerful. King-Lu pushes to keep
going a little longer, despite Cookie’s fears. King-Lu is burn with
ambition, seeing great possibility in the wide-open new world and
dreaming of setting himself up in San Francisco to pursue great
wealth. The more cautious Cookie just wants a comfortable home, a
life where he can practice his love of baking, and he sees the risk
more clearly. The dynamic of their differing personalities and the
bond of friendship that ties them keeps us involved.
The acting is superb, with Lee and
Magaro working brilliantly together and crafting wonderful,
memorable, layered characters. In fact the film is filled with
remarkable, often odd and other fine performances here too. Toby
Jones is powerful as Chief Factor, a brutal man who both egotisitcal
and insecure. He resents being on the frontier, wrapping himself in
what luxuries he can and acting like a feudal lord of a manor. He
treats others callously and disdains the struggling residents of the
town he rules. Rene Auberjonois, in his last role, plays the
unsmiling, hawk-eyed unnamed man with a crow, charged with guarding
the precious cow. Gary Farmer plays a local Native American leader
whose wife, played by Sabrina Mary Morrison, serves as his
translator. Her translation is sometimes comic but the characters
serve to draw attention to the increasing marginalization of the
Native peoples and other references to racism at the outpost.
Reichert incorporates these details but never comments on them
pointedly.
FIRST COW is an affecting, thoughtful bittersweet tale that warm us with its contemplative portrait of friendship while it chills us with its economic brutality. It is hard to describe but it has a hauntingly wonder to it that lingers, as does the haunting memory of its remarkable characters and their timeless human bond. FIRST COW is available on demand on various platforms starting July 10.
Add another animal star to the ever-expanding movie zoo. Now make room Garfield and Benjy, ’cause he’s a big fella’, part of the equine film lineage. He’s not recreating a true sports legend like SEABISCUIT or SECRETARIAT. No, he’s a descendant of the fictional horses that have had special friendships with their human riders and trainers. It’s a long line going back to BLACK BEAUTY thru NATIONAL VELVET and MY FRIEND FLICKA up to CASEY’S SHADOW and THE BLACK STALLION (plus there’s the sidekick spin-offs such as MY PAL TRIGGER). From the look of this film’s poster art, movie goers might think they’re in for a new version of the sentimental stories of the friendship between a boy and his “four-footed friend”. Well, hold on to the reins, because this tale’s got a curve more surprising than the twistiest of running tracks. Get ready for a bumpy ride when film fans saddle up LEAN ON PETE. And they’re off…
As the story begins, we’re first introduced to the boy in this “boy and his horse” tale. A young man of 16 years actually, one Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer), who’s living with his hard-drinking aimless single dad Ray (Travis Fimmel) in a small Oregon town. The new school year is weeks away, but Charley still jogs in the mornings in order to rejoin the track team. A different running route bring s him to a low-rent horse track. Charley’s fascinated and explores the place. One day he ends up helping out a grizzled, surly horse owner, Del (Steve Buscemi). Del gives Charley a couple of bucks, and hires him as an assistant. The young man is soon loading up the truck, carting supplies, and cleaning the stable of Del’s older horses, the run-down “Lean on Pete”. Despite Del’s warnings, Charley soon becomes emotionally attached to Pete. Back home, Ray is pleased that his son is bringing in some extra money. Then, late one night, an assault from a rival puts Ray in the hospital, and Charley becomes the family breadwinner. Dad insists that he travel with Del on the racing circuit. On the way to a big race, Del picks up his jockey, Bonnie (Chloe Sevigny), who becomes another mentor to Charley. On return trip home, Charley learns of Ray’s passing. His only relative is an estranged aunt, Margy, who lives several states away (and who he hasn’t seen in a decade). Before Family Services swoops in, Charley runs back to Del. The next big race is make or break for Pete. If he doesn’t “place” he’ll be sold to a “business” in Mexico. When the worst happens, Charley decides that he will take Pete with him on the long trek to Margy. Will his love for the horse be enough to see them through their big journey to freedom?
Though the noble steed’s name is the film’s title, this really is the story of Charley played with great sensitivity by relative screen newcomer Plummer, who we saw just a few months ago as the kidnapped heir in ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. He covers nearly the whole spectrum of emotions with great skill. There’s the awkward teenage indifference, suddenly replaced by his curiosity about the almost alien world of the racetrack. This prompts his intense empathy for the title horse, which leads to despair when Pete just can’t cut it in competition. And Plummer exudes the teen’s over-confidence and impulsiveness that lead to disaster. But Charley doesn’t give up , and Plummer conveys that determination, compelling the audience to root for him to triumph. It helps that Plummer is never overshadowed by a trio of screen vets. The always engaging Buscemi delivers as Del, part mentor, part tough taskmaster, and all curmudgeon. He rewards Charley for his hard work, but admonishes him soon after for his horrific table manners (“chew your food, you’re making me sick”). Most of all, Del is a realist, who doesn’t romanizes his work or horses. The same can be said of Sevigny’s Bonnie, who becomes Charley’s big sister. Though only in a few scenes, she delivers the drama as she tries to tell the smitten Charley that Pete is a commodity, not a pet. The film’s third act introduces the energetic Steve Zahn as Silver, a drifter who advises Charley on how to be street smart. His affable nature quickly turns when Zahn shows us his dark, violent side. Fimmel also does great work as Charley’s doomed daddy.
Director/screenwriter Andrew Haigh adapts Willy Vlautin’s novel with a slow, steady hand. As mentioned earlier, this story up-ends all the Animal/human tales of bonding. Charley’s love for Pete is not enough, and he pays a heavy price for his impulsive hubris (this is not a flick for horse-loving tots). Unfortunately, once the duo leaves the racing area (and Del and Bonnie), the film meanders at a snail’s pace. A side trip visit to a couple of video game playing lunkheads has little purpose. Plus the Zahn-street subplot seems to be dropped in from another film. The locations capture the still untamed parts of the country, but the dusty vistas that dwarf the duo also becomes repetitious. Perhaps with a tighter script and unforgiving editing, LEAN ON PETE would “win”, rather than merely “show”.
3 Out of 5
LEAN ON PETE opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas
Hold on to your wallets and purses, here comes the creeps and crooks because it’s crime time once again at the multiplex (and I’m not talking about those concession prices). This week’s flick is more of an offshoot of the crime genre: it’s the heist flick, or more specifically, the heist “gone wrong” flick. Now, this isn’t a sophisticated caper thriller, say like the OCEANS 11 franchise (that all-female “spin” is on its way) or even THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (68′ and 99′). The dudes (and dame) in this movie could never pass in “high society” (like that suave Cary Grant in TO CATCH A THIEF), they’re “working class” criminals. These types have been a very frequent source for “indie” films, from BLOOD SIMPLE and RESERVOIR DOGS to, well, last year’s critical “darling” HELL OR HIGH WATER. This tale varies from the caper formula since they’re not stealing from a bank or a business, though it’s a serious illegal act, a big criminal transaction. Mix in some cheesy nostalgia, simmer over hot tempers, and you’ve got the recipe for a tart and tangy FREE FIRE.
Oh, that scent of nostalgia wafts in from the decade of “primo” kitsch, the swingin’ 1970’s. 1978, to be precise, on the mean streets of Boston. In a grungy van parked near the docks sits two pals, Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) and Stevo (Sam Riley) as they wait for their partners on this “job”. Stevo is still smarting from a beat-down he received hours ago from a dude at his favorite “watering hole”. A car driven by Stevo’s father-in-law Frank (Michael Smiley) finally pulls up. Its other occupants are Chris (Cillian Murphy) and Justine (Brie Larson). She has set up a “buy” for Chris. He’s buying guns to ship to his native Ireland (this being the time of the “troubles”). And now they must wait for her connection. Right on time is the laid-back, smooth-talking Ord (Armie Hammer). After a quick “pat-down”, he guides them to a deserted factory (“Whatever they made, nobody wants it anymore”). Then , following a few more minutes of banter, the gun guys arrive. It’s the strange-accented (“Just where is he from?”) motor-mouth Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and his quiet partner (“Not sidekick”) Martin (Babou Ceesay). Their own vehicle full of weapons pulls up, manned by Gordon (Noah Taylor) and Harry (Jack Reynor). Chris is annoyed that these are not the M-16’s he had ordered, but these powerful assault rifles will have to do (for he is “under the gun” of a tight deadline). He hands Vernon a briefcase full of cash while Stevo discovers to his horror that Harry is the guy who smacked him around last night. Despite his attempts to hide his face, Stevo is recognized by Harry. Weapons are drawn, tensions flare, and soon everybody’s diving for cover. Will any of them make it outta’ there alive? What about that case fulla’ cash? And hey, has a third party joined the fracas?
The cast attack their roles with vigor, relishing the polyester vintage duds and weird facial hair as much as the non-stop gun play and loopy dialogue. In particular, Hammer seems to enjoy a respite from his often bland leading man roles, with a chance to get “down and dirty”. Ord exhibits a sense of stylish grooming, often sneering at the “slobs”, as he delivers snarky insults in a casual “throwaway” nonchalant tone (ala pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds). At the opposite end of the emoting spectrum is Copley, screeching and swaggering as the too often “over the top” Vernon. He seems more concerned about the damage to his hideous “Saville Row” suit than the bullets zipping past. Unfortunately, the talented actor (DISTRICT 9, THE HOLLARS) wasn’t reigned in and his continuous braying becomes more aggravating than funny. Oscar winner Larson is saddled with the “token” female role, there for the goofy guys to impress as she rolls her eyes. And when the battle begins, we’re to be shocked that she’s just as ruthless and deadly as the men. Murphy is the most calming leader, who has little to do aside from hitting on Justine and chain-smoking. Also on the lower end of the energy scale is the subdued Ceesay who has a nice “slow burn” bit as he tries to deal with the bombastic Vernon. Unfortunately this interesting character is reduced to a lumbering, dazed gun-blasting zombie by the film’s middle act. The rest of the actors are merely dim-witted cannon (er, rifle and pistol) fodder, with hair-trigger tempers spouting put-downs and threats. Smiley’s a ball of rage and abuse (slugging his son-in-law) and Reynor (so delightful in last year’s gem SING STREET) is a seething demon of rage and revenge. But they all appear to be having a blast.
Just a shame that sense of fun doesn’t seep into the audience. Director and co-writer Ben Wheatley, after last year’s social class satire HIGH RISE, has decided to make a bloody, violent tale to challenge (or maybe it’s a tribute) Tarantino and Guy Ritchie (and Martin Scorsese’s a co-producer), but the result is a tedious excercise in excess. Much like last year’s THE NICE GUYS, he thinks that easy laughs at tacky 70’s junk (Look, it’s an 8-track tape! Playing a mellow country singer during the mayhem! Hysterical, eh?) makes up for compelling characters and an original plot. Happily we’re spared a lengthy run-time, as they gangs think they have 90 minutes tops before they “bleed out”. I’m surprised there wasn’t a plasma red clock in a corner of the screen, ticking away. This a movie for the action flick crowd who thought the JOHN WICK films were way too cerebral (too much “talky-talk”). And the action’s not very well presented. With the quick cuts, ricochet sparks, and screaming, it’s tough to figure out who’s doing what to whom. That also depends on whether you have any attachment to this one-note clichés. And in between the fire fights, there are lots of scenes of the limping and crawling combatants trying to find cover, or the cash. And boy, that 90 minutes feels a lot longer (guess nobody hit an artery). FREE FIRE is a sophomoric, sleazy endurance test for those crooks and for movie goers alike. To quote the much more entertaining LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, “Peww! Pew! Pew!”.
We’ve been through many cycles of cinematic history now, reached many milestones and have given birth to many cliche’s as well, but as time draws forth, where does film take hold to ensure a continued future of innovation? Certainly, technology does, and will always have its part in the creative endeavor of filmmaking, but when it comes to story, are we beginning to see the long, slow death of originality? On some levels, I fear this may be a temporary reality, but much like life and energy itself, never truly dies and will always find a way.
It will come as no surprise that many a studio film is churned out in formulaic fear of stirring the pot, rousing the dormant interest of adventurous viewers, but we still have our independence. Indie filmmakers, the experimenters, the explorers, the balls-to-the-wall, no excuses, just make it happen and make it yours pioneers. These are the artists who take risks and will always find a way to make something fresh, original and entertaining.
WYRMWOOD: ROAD OF THE DEAD is one of these films. I admit, I may sound like a grandstanding fool, but keep in mind this, like so many of the best indie films today, is not trying to please everyone. There truly isn’t a one size fits all equation for filmmaking. This is where Hollywood so often fails. This is where Australia has repeatedly shown its glory, a revelation we first uncovered back in the 70s and a resurgence that has recently become realized by more and more viewers. We may be experiencing the beginning of a renaissance down under, and if you’re a fan of genre film, you’re in for a real treat.
Like so many modern indie filmmakers, crowdfunding has been a crucial and liberating financial friend, allowing artists to reach out to their fans and peers directly, and in turn those fans and peers can have a direct and immediate impact on getting the films they want to see get made. WYRMWOOD was funded, in part, through crowdfunding. Co-writer and director Kiah Roache-Turner has delivered an entertaining, fresh, sick and twisted genre film for the fans and it does not suck.
Co-written by brothers Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner, WYRMWOOD is not just another zombie apocalypse film… well, actually it is, but its much more. We enter into the story as the epidemic has already set in, spreading throughout the Australian Outback, but our journey follows an average mechanic names Barry (Jay Gallagher) who witnesses his wife and daughter turn into zombies. With nothing left to lose, Barry suits up and knuckles down, setting out to locate and rescue his sister Brooke (Bianca Bradey) amidst a chaotic world of flesh-eating zombies and even less-savory human beings.
WYRMWOOD can be viewed as MAD MAX meets DAWN OF THE DEAD, as some marketing suggests — the MAD MAX portion is clearly evident — but the film offers some additional nuances for the seasoned genre buff. Stylistically, the film does display a touch of the Raimi brothers, but more appropriately the visual style and graphic violence of a younger, more raw Peter Jackson, who reigns from the neighboring New Zealand. Such films as BAD TASTE (1987) and DEAD LIVE (1992) come to mind, both of which are far more graphic and violent than this, but whose influence is unmistakable. These are both films that helped pave the way for an entire genre, which is only now firmly taking hold on a wide scale.
WYRMWOOD is a dark film, both in its content and in its humor, but it also melds genres. Horror stands strong as its base, but the film is as much science fiction as it is blood and guts. Without giving anything away, I was pleased to see a film that suggests a twist on the origin of the zombie apocalypse that is new but also based on some level in fringe science. If you’d like a hint, refer to National Geographic’s TV series How to Survive the End of the World, Season 1: Episode 1: Zombie Earth (2013). This twist on the storytelling allows the film to enter new territory, explore new concepts and suggest alternate talking points in the massively popular zombie genre. On a side note, personally, WYRMWOOD is more akin to AMC’s TV Series The Walking Dead than it is to Romero’s classic DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978), but I can see both as influential.
For the true genre fans, the film offers more than it does for the average viewer. Call them bloody Easter eggs if you like, but the characters and scenarios set up in WYRMWOOD are bizarre and eccentric. David Lynch meets Stuart Gordon, with a psychotic mad scientist who loves disco music and Barry’s sister, Brooke, holds a powerful secret one may trace back to being influenced by Stephen King, or Stan Lee, depending on how you choose to interpret her ability.
WYRMWOOD: ROAD OF THE DEAD is a film that holds true to its subtitle in a literal sense. Its a road movie, about a couple of guys trying to survive a long drive through dangerous lands. The film is as familiar as it is enticing as a unique translation of the zombie apocalypse story. There is plenty of action, quality special effects and stunt work, a balanced combination of drama and comedy, believable characters who are relate-able and likable — or easy to hate, when appropriate — and most importantly, features a strong, unpretentious heroine that is more palatable than what has been offered — respectfully — from Milla Jovovich and Kate Beckinsale.
WYRMWOOD opens in select theaters on Friday, February 13th, 2015.
I am going to share with you a hypothetical scenario. As I do, imagine yourself in this scenario. You can choose to be any one of the characters involved in the scenario, but I challenge you not to feel the raw emotion of the moment…
Andrew is suffering from the loss of his mother, who recently died of cancer. At Andrew’s request, his girlfriend Hannah, his two best friends Dave and Owen, and their two girlfriends Emily and Zoe, all meet up at a rented house in the rural desert to support Andrew in his time of grief. What they all find out is that Andrew, as a way to cope with the pain and sadness of his loss, would like to sleep with all three women, Hannah, Emily and Zoe, simultaneously, in an effort to help him heal, emotionally, by submerging himself in overwhelming love.
Now, in whose shoes are you standing? How do you feel? Awkward. Embarrassed. Angry. Betrayed. These are all emotions explored in THE BIG ASK. Right in the beginning, it takes no time at all for Andrew to pop the question to his friends, honestly and straight forward, but humbly, he makes his case. Initially, they all think he’s joking, except Hannah, before they realize he’s serious, perhaps even a little crazy. This is why the film succeeds. It immediately gets the baggage out of the way so that the exploration of the characters’ relationships can begin.
Written by Thomas Beatty and co-directed by Beatty and Rebecca Fishman, THE BIG ASK is a fresh comedy that is slightly skewed towards being a romantic comedy in a very unconventional way. However, just beneath the surface of the humor, there are some powerful dramatic themes. Consider the crossing INDECENT PROPOSAL (1993) with BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE (1969) and you have a beginning framework for what’s about to take place, thematically. This is a very well-written film, with a strong moral inquiry, but is approached with an appropriately ambiguous attitude. We would like to think the answer to Andrew’s question would be simple, immediate. In real life, there is no black and white. Whether we expect it or not, there is always a gray area, and that is precisely where this film dwells.
Andrew, played by David Krumholtz, is certainly not the textbook example of the average woman’s dream guy, but he has a certain charm about him that allows us to somehow, somewhat play along with his outlandish request. Audiences may best remember Krumholtz as Barry Schweiber from the TV series Freak & Geeks. For some, this may paint a very vivid picture. Dave, played by Zachary Knighton, and Owen, played by Jason Ritter, are Andrew’s childhood friends. Despite their clear reluctance to Andrew’s proposition, its apparent that their love and concern for their friend overrides and jealously or macho defiance that would be considered commonplace. Dave seems to have the most level head about the ordeal while occasionally having to keep Owen in check, whose emotions and self-control prove to be less mature than Dave’s.
When Andrew is around his male friends, having guy time, he seems to find his inner child and loosens his grip a bit on this far-fetched dream of having an orgy with the three women. However, when Andrew is alone with one of the women — rarely is he alone with them all at once — we get to see a more pathetic, manipulative side of Andrew. His false confidence comes out, disguised in a charming sweetness that borders between nerdy cuteness and uncomfortably forward. Hannah, played by Melanie Lynskey, is quiet and unassuming. As much as can be expected, she is surprisingly patient and understanding with Andrew. Most women would have left, protested or even caused bodily harm to their boyfriend, had he just openly and directly propositioned two other women right in front her.
Hannah may not be a supermodel, but she has a simple, natural beauty that softly radiated whenever she’s on film. It takes some time before she finds the strength to speak up and tell Andrew how she really feels. In stark contrast to Hannah is Emily. Played by Gillian Jacobs, best known for her role as Britta Perry on the TV series Community, Emily is an outgoing, new age hippie kinda girl with a free spirit and boundless energy. Her playful, loving nature shows when she is the first one to admit being open, albeit reluctant, to Andrew’s proposition as she feels obligated to help Andrew, even if she has no physical attraction or desire for a sexual encounter. Zoe, played by Ahna O’Reilly, is new to the group and something of a wild card. She maintains an impartial bias to Andrew’s proposition, fueled somewhat by disbelief. Zoe also maintains a bit more distance from the rest of the group as she contemplates another proposition from Dave. Of the entire cast, Zoe is not only the least engaging of characters, she is also the least significant to the story. Honestly, by simply being there, Zoe ups the ante from being a mere a menage-a-trios to something a bit more risque and taboo. With that said, Hannah and Zoe truly carry a great deal of the on screen chemistry in the film, dramatically and comically.-
Another subtle element to the film’s success is the use of visual storytelling. Little things that make a subconscious impact, such as confining the characters within a relatively small space, juxtaposed against such a vast, seemingly endless landscape like the rural desert. A large nearby rocky outcropping occasionally serves as another setting where the characters take to hiking. From the top serves as a vantage point, a way of looking down at them selves and out over the vastness of everything, themselves being minute in comparison. Even the framing choices in the film are often highly suggestive or contemplative in subtle ways. Where the characters are physically to each other, how they’re positioned or what they’re doing. This all plays into the overall visual storytelling. Adding to the success of the film are the notable supporting cast appearances from Ned Beatty as Old Man Carl and French Stewart as Rich, owner of the house the couples have rented.
THE BIG ASK proposes a simple question in less simple terms. This isn’t just a stranger asking another stranger to have sex. This is one man asking an unbelievably difficult favor of his friends, testing the strength and intimacy of their relationship. There is more at stake that petty high school things like desire and attraction. Andrew’s state of mind and emotional well-being is a very real and legitimate concern for his friends, who also struggle with whether they can help or if his condition goes deeper and requires more professional help. Krumholtz is enigmatic in his role. We’re never sure if this is all a hormone-driven con or deeply seeded cry out for help. Andrew seems so calm about the whole ordeal, albeit unnervingly so, until the final act when tragedy takes his recently befriended local mutt away and Andrew finally shows some sense of normal human pain and emotion.
The film is set almost entirely within or around the grounds of the rented house. This helps by creating a tangible enclosure of intimacy. There are no fences or barbed wire, but the film still feels as though the characters are bound within an emotional octagon tasked with slugging out this moral dilemma until a victor is born. This match is rigged and Andrew is meant to be the victor, but how that looks in the end will be determined by the players within the ring. The result is a film that feels very real. Despite the initial shock, THE BIG ASK feels like something that could actually happen. This is raw emotion without the melodrama. This is you, me, and the average Joe played out on screen.
THE BIG ASK is available through Video On Demand and opens in select theaters on Friday, May 30th, 2014.
For the sake of full disclosure, I would like to begin by declaring that I am not now, nor have I ever been, a participant of the pot smoking culture. Why am I declaring this, you may ask? Simple. This movie is, essentially, all about smoking pot. Wonderful. Another DAZED & CONFUSED you say? Wrong. With that said, DON PEYOTE is also much more, but the weed certainly plays a major role.
Please, do not misinterpret my opening remarks. I hold no personal or political grudge against anyone for partaking in this extra-curricular activity. I only bring it up to make a point, as indulging in the great green pastime may certainly influence how the film is experienced. So, as you read this review, keep in mind these are merely the opinions of a critic who was not under the influence during the viewing.
In so many ways, watching DON PEYOTE is like watching Terry Gilliam’s FEAR & LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, only a bit more insane and with a definite indie flair. Instead of the central character being a gonzo journalist who thrives on anarchy, Warren is a struggling graphic novelist who thrives on paranoia. Both characters share a relentless taste for getting high, but after doing so, Warren delves into the colorful world of conspiracy theory, sinking deeper into its crippling grasp with each hit on his improvised apple bowl.
I’m sure you can already sense what’s in store with this film. Whatever you’re thinking, you’re not wrong. Or, you are. It all depends on how far removed from reality you currently claim to be. That, my friend, best describes DON PEYOTE and how best to determine where you may stand at the film’s completion. Just food for thought. Beware, and enjoy.
DON PEYOTE is about Warren, played by Dan Fogler, who fills the unknown void in his life with marijuana. He enjoys a relatively modest life, albeit with a borderline career and a relationship built on an unstable footing. His fiance wants a child, but fails to recognize she’s about to marry one, then when she does finds Warren completely surprised by her willingness to abandon their bond. Warren surrounds himself with friends, all of whom are equally out of touch and similarly self-destructive on a subconscious level, as he makes his way through this psychotic warm and fuzzy trip.
Let me stop you here, before we go any further. If you’re seeking a clearly structured, linear film with a concise story in three simple acts and a well-defined, low mess ending… turn around. Just, stop. Go home. Give up now. These things, you will not receive. DON PEYOTE, more or less, breaks all the rules of conventional filmmaking, but does so with such energy and bravado. The film appeals to just about every genre. Comedy, drama, mystery, horror… it even has a musical number.
DON PEYOTE is many things, but it is not a low-budget half-ass mockery designed only to get your money. Well, actually, it is, but the difference is that Fogler’s film delivers instead of just luring you in and then letting you down. The cast alone is as amazing as it is overwhelmingly surprising. Each moment of the film is like finding one prize after another, all within the same box of Cracker Jacks!
Allow me to elaborate. Anne Hathaway. Need I say more? Fine. Anne as a mysterious dream agent. Not hooked yet? Josh Duhamel returns* along side Dan Fogler. [*Please refer to SCENIC ROUTE (2013).] Jay Baruchel plays a drug dealer. Topher Grace plays Fogler’s agent, that’s right. Fogler, not Warren. (See the film for clarification.) Wallace Shawn plays Warren’s psychotherapist. Abel Ferrara plays a taxi driver… alright, this one’s not much of a stretch, but still… Abel Ferrara!
Perhaps my favorite moments in the film occur once Warren is committed. Mentally, not emotionally. For an indie film, DON PEYOTE has some incredibly imaginative imagery and the production value follows suit without straying from the indie core of the film’s appeal. Fogler is clearly having fun with this film, but worked extremely hard at making it so. Aside from starring as the cuddly, yet troubled central character, Dan Fogler also co-wrote and co-directed DON PEYOTE with Michael Conzoniero. Fogler is so confident with his vision that he frequently breaks the fourth wall, addressing the audience directly. Ballsy.
Fogler himself, as an actor and comedian, I am beginning to see him as something of a modern-day Chaplin. Talented, funny and smart, hard working and yet playfully driven. That’s impressions I get from watching his work, but DON PEYOTE really gets to the heart of this notion for me. The film oozes pet project, a labor of love. These are the kinds of films I love to see being made. Kudos, Mr. Fogler.
Personally, I enjoyed the frantic, disjointed nature of this film. I was refreshed by the utter lack of accurate expectations I had for DON PEYOTE, but with that may come a limit to its adoring audience and to the level of its viewers’ understanding. Try and look past this, if you will. Live a little. Enjoy the ride.Warren is a character that endures a lot of chemically-induced hardships for your entertainment.
DON PEYOTE is available through Video On Demand and opens theatrically on Friday, May 16th, 2014.
