Tag: Review

BOY ERASED – Review

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, families across the country will be getting together for that big meal and generally re-connecting. But what about those families that have split, those who are torn apart virtually at the seams? Many will be facing that reality over the next week, perhaps into the following holiday. At the heart of many of these rifts are religious beliefs about sexual orientation. But most faiths put family first? That’s the conundrum addressed in this new film about a young man who feels as though his parents are pushing him away and aside, making him a BOY ERASED. Surprisingly it’s based on a true story.

We first meet eighteen-year-old Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) as he’s attending church services on a warm Texas evening. Next to him is his adoring mother Nancy (Nicole Kidman), and at the pulpit, preaching to the congregation is his father Marshall (Russell Crowe). Cut to the Eamons family home as Jared and Nancy load up the Towncar and drive into the night. What caused this late night trek? We flashback to the previous months, as Jared pulls away from his school sweetheart Chloe, and retreats into his thoughts. At a local college, he strikes up a friendship with another track enthusiast named Henry (Joe Alwyn). But things are more serious for Jared as he realizes he’s attracted to the older student. Before he can profess his feelings, Henry sexually assaults him during a sleepover. Emotionally shattered and confused, Jared comes out to his parents who are devastated. Marshall calls over some of the church elders to the home, and after much praying asks Jared if he will attend a camp that will “cure” him of his leanings. He agrees and its decided that Nancy will accompany him to this “day camp” several miles away. She’ll stay at a hotel, drop Jared off at the camp early in the morning, then pick him up for dinner and back to the hotel. Arriving at the camp, Jared’s cell phone and other personal items are locked away. He meets the camp director, Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton) who convinces him that his “therapy” methods will turn him away from the sin of homosexuality. Sykes is adamant that Jared does not discuss any of the camp activities with family or friends. He’s trained by counselors on how to stand, walk, and throw a ball in a masculine “straight” way. More importantly, Sykes wants Jared to trace his family tree to find the “weakness” that sent him on his path. Jared is soon horrified by the brutal treatment of some of his fellow “campers” and rebels against Sykes. But will his mother and father get him out of the conversation center, and eventually accept him as he is?

The story is firmly anchored by the compelling performance by Hedges in the title role. With a most impressive resume (including this past month’s MID90S and the upcoming BEN IS BACK), this young talent is on his way to being a leading star for the next wave of actors to watch. Through his brooding eyes, he conveys Jared’s inner conflict and turmoil, torn between his family and faith and his true nature. With his body language, we see Jared embracing his manhood, as he stands up to the destructive forces at the camp. Fortunately, Jared has the full unconditional love of his mother Nancy, as Hedges has a real chemistry with Kidman, whose character may be the film’s joyous beating heart. At first, Nancy is there just to make peace in the household, making sure that she doesn’t “make waves”. Though Jared tries to push her aside, Nancy is able to pick up on his mood. It’s then that Kidman shows us the formidable, fierce “mama Grizzly” that will protect her child at any cost. Crowe is her stubborn “papa bear”, though not nearly as intuitive as his missus. His Marshall is deeply committed to his faith, which blinds him to understanding his son’s struggles while convinced that the camp will work. The later scenes in which the patriarch slowly opens up his heart are quite moving. The real unmovable heart may belong to the camp’s chief played by Edgerton as an unyielding tyrant, unwavering in his devotion to his “tough love” tactic and therapy. Edgerton shows us his indifference as Sykes refuses to acknowledge anyone else’s opinions or thoughts. Red Hot Chilli Peppers frontman Flea is truly effective as the most intimidating of the camp instructors (basically an enforcer for Sykes). And there are effective supporting performances by fellow camp kids Troye Sivan (who gives Jared the mantra “fake it till you make it”), Xavier Dolan, and Britton Sear, heartbreaking as the abused, doomed Cameron.

Cast member Edgerton expertly wears several hats on the film as director, producer, and screenwriter adapting Garrad Conley’s memoir. Aside from getting wonderfully subtle work from his fellow actors, he maintains a mood of warm hazy melancholy echoing the quiet sadness in Jared. Edgerton knows just when to cut away for a flashback, doling out the information slowly. It’s a soft slow build-up to the story’s centerpiece, a therapy utilizing brutal violence, which adds to the horror of the sequence. And unlike another conversion camp film from last Summer, THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, the focus is on both the subject and his parents, rather than just the other campers (who get plenty of time here). And the film ends on a note of hope while also being a rallying cry to action, telling us that far too many of these centers are still in operation, and filled with children barely in their teens. BOY ERASED is a compelling drama that will hopefully spur many family conversations.

4 Out of 5

BOY ERASED plays everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

INSTANT FAMILY – Review

So the family’s all together for the big holiday, well why not head over to the multiplex to enjoy a family film? And hey, “family” is even in the title. That’s what the studios are counting on, hoping audiences will go for a breezy all-ages comedy in between those somber awards contenders. Most of the time, the studios will go a couple of different ways with a “family” comedy/drama. Either it’s a multi-generational gathering of uncles and cousins like PARENTHOOD and more recently, the reviled LOVE THE COOPERS, or it’s about a family with lots and lots of kids like CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (original and remake) along with blended families like YOURS, MINE, AND OURS (ditto), which begat that iconic TV show and its feature film THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE. But this new flick has fewer kids and a message. The filmmakers want to give us a look at the foster parenting system (which often leads to adoption), and perhaps inspire viewers to get involved. The movies have tackled the subject, usually in “tearjerkers”, notably in 1941’s PENNY SERENADE. The kids here aren’t the typical movie kids looking for parents. They’re not plucky orphans like ANNIE, because, well, they’re not technically orphans. Lots of heart-tugging and comic complications occur when they join a couple and become an INSTANT FAMILY.

Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) are a fun-loving married couple in their thirties (can we still call them “yuppies”) who work together as “house flippers” (buying run-down homes, fixing them up, and selling them for profit). As they’re showing off their newest property to Ellie’s pregnant sister and her hubby, a causal comment gets them pondering. Ellie and Pete think that maybe they should start a family. Or maybe not, as Pete wonders if he could keep up with a newborn. This prompts Ellie to consider fostering a child. After scanning and viewing countless adorable tykes online, they call the local fostering center. There the duo meets another duo, social workers Karen (Octavia Spenser) and Sharon (Tig Notaro), who welcome them into a class for prospective foster parents. After several sessions with the other couples, it’s time to meet the kids at a big foster parenting picnic, sort of a mix and match. Pete notices that the tots and pre-teens are getting all the attention while the teenagers are left to mingle amongst themselves (as Pete crudely comments, “People are avoiding them like they’re dipped in s#*t!”). One of the teens, Lizzy (Isabela Moner) overhears this and fires back with a snarky retort. That seals it for Ellie and Pete, they want to foster her. Ah, but there’s a hitch! Lizzy doesn’t want to be separated from her two younger siblings. A “package deal”. No problem as the couple takes in Lizzy, her twelve-year-old shy, insecure brother Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and high-spirited six-year-old sister Lita (Julianna Gamiz). This “instant family” endures many highs and lows as Ellie and Pete hone their parenting skills. The main challenge is Lizzy who pushes back against the duo. Then things get really complicated when the kids’ birth mother is released from a court-ordered drug rehab program. Will the kids go back to live with her? And will Pete and Ellie be able to let go and do what’s best for the trio?

Wahlberg and Byrne have an effortless chemistry, making you wonder why these two talented actors haven’t been paired up before. As the energetic, firmly focused Pete, Wahlberg has smoothed out some of the rougher edges of his usual screen comedy persona, as in the often coarse TED and DADDY’S HOME, film to give us an affable everyman, a “good Joe” eager to accommodate though his enthusiasm often gets the better of him. The same can frequently be said for Byrne’s Ellie who’s just as smitten with these new additions to her life. And she can “go off the deep end” at times adding a little bit of zany spice to the couple’s partnership (they each know just when the other is losing focus). The duo has a formidable sparring partner in Moner as the strong-willed teen Lizzy. She’s not as easily won over as her siblings and rankles when the “pretend parents” doubt her method of dealing with the wee ones (Lizzy’s been their protector for seemingly quite a while). But Moner also shows us the vulnerable side of Lizzy, as she starts to let her guard down and embrace this home before “catching herself’ and “shutting that door”. It’s a complex role that this impressive young actress handles with great skill. There’s another great duo in addition to Pete and Ellie, and that’s Spenser and Notaro as the Oscar and Felix of social workers, Karen and Sharon. Spenser “shoots from the hip” with a boisterous “no B.S.” attitude while Notaro is the quieter, “by the books” guide to fostering challenges. Though their methods differ, both are committed to the same goal and provide some of the film’s best laughs. Speaking of inspired match-ups, kudos for casting the stars of the two biggest comedy hits of 1980 as Ellie’s parents, Julie (AIRPLANE!) Hagerty and Michael (CADDYSHACK) O’Keefe. Hagerty has an ethereal child-like, loopy air as Jan in stark contrast to Margo Martindale as Pete’s “steamroller” mother, Sandy. This “force of nature” provides another source of comic conflict as she tries to get everything and everyone back on track. Quiroz is endearing as the jittery Juan who over-apologizes as he frets over any misstep, while Gamiz is adorable and often exasperating as “I only eat chips” Lita. Aside from Notaro, several other stand-up comedy stars pop up in supporting roles, such as Tom Segura as trouble-maker Russ and particularly Iliza Shlesinger as the single parent foster candidate October, who has a very specific list of requirements for his desired child.

Comedy film veteran Sean Anders (HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 and the DADDY’S HOME flicks) gets the most of the slapstick situations and keeps the pacing fast and frantic for funny “throw-downs” and verbal fights. But he handles most of the dramatic scenes with equal ease. making a simple scene of Ellie gently brushing Lizzy’s hair very moving and warm. The film’s main flaws seem to come from the script he co-wrote with John Morris. As we many comedies, especially domestic life sagas, the story feels like several episodes of a TV situation comedy crammed together, though with the fostering classes and at home adjustments and problems, it could be two separate sitcoms thrown in a mixer. There are the wacky potential parents butting up against Ellie and Peters’ challenges and triumphs. Big conflicts are brought in (Lizzy is “sexting”), then quickly dismissed with a gag and forgotten. The birth mother is introduced for the climactic final act, but she has little to do other than acting uncomfortable and staring listlessly. The biggest misfire is the film’s big emotional finale. As the principals are pleading and pouring their hearts out, the wacky down-the-street neighbor wanders in, almost as if from another movie, to sabotage the pathos with some awkward (I really enjoy this comic actress, but her annoying role baffled me) asides. This scene is immediately followed by an uplifting epilogue that brings in almost the entire cast for a feel-good finale that would’ve seen cloying and contrived in a 60’s sitcom. I will give them points for discussing the “white savior” aspect of this and even name-checking THE BLIND SIDE, but this doesn’t excuse the many loopy bits of whimsy (who tries to douse a fire with ketchup when several glasses of water are within reach). This movie is full of good intentions as it encourages childless couples to consider the foster system, but it doesn’t make for a consistent comedy or drama. INSTANT FAMILY isn’t instantly forgettable, but it’s not the movie that the noble subject deserves.

2.5 Out of 5

THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB: A NEW DRAGON TATTOO STORY – Review

It’s reboot time once more, but this one’s not another entry in the horror genre, as the recent HALLOWEEN and SUSPIRIA, but it does have a connection, though slight. The source flick doesn’t go back 40 years, merely seven. That’s when Hollywood decided there needed to be an English-language film adaptation of a book series that was an international sensation. Steig Larsson’s THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was a huge hit inspiring a film version of that and its two sequels in his native Sweden. Ah, but America could certainly make it into a monster hit, and even though that foreign language trilogy played here at the “art house” cinemas, Sony Studios brought in director David Fincher (FIGHT CLUB) and screenwriter Steve Zaillian (SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISHER), and cast Bond himself Daniel Craig along with relative movie newcomer Rooney Mara. The results were…tepid. This was not to be the start of a franchise, so the plans for a US trilogy were scrapped. But much has happened since 2011, mainly the MeToo and Time’sUp movement making headlines with horrific stories of sexual intimidation, harassment, and abuse of women. Perhaps the time is exactly right for the story of a lone female swooping in to exact justice on the powerful men that pummel and degrade. Maybe audiences are ready for the return of Lisbeth Salander, in a different tale, now known as THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB: A NEW DRAGON TATTOO STORY.

This “new story” actually starts with a flashback. In a dark mansion, far from the cities of Sweden, ten-year-old Lisbeth Salander plays chess with her slightly older sister Camilla in their gloomy nursery. A servant breaks the silence, summoning them to their father’s master bedroom (mother is out of the picture). When Lisbeth realizes his demented intentions, she backs away toward the balcony, several stories above the snow covered grounds. She gives her sister a pleading stare, but Camilla will not join her escape. Lisbeth tumbles into the nearby woods and disappears. In the present day, she is wanted by the Stockholm police for a series of attacks on prominent men, who were usually beating and raping their wives, co-workers, and daughters. After her latest job, she speeds her motorcycle back to an empty old warehouse and awaits her next “assignment”. Meanwhile, her crime-fighting aide, reporter Mikal Blomkvist (Sverrir Gudnason) complains to his married/editor lover Erika (Vicky Krieps) about their news magazine’s arrogant current owner. Lisbeth (Claire Foy) is not waiting very long. She must use her considerable computer hacking skills to retrieve a dangerous piece of software from the US and return it to its creator Fran Balder (Stephen Merchant). Balder’s work, dubbed Firefall, can give a single user complete access and control of all nuclear missiles and rockets hidden in silos around the world. She is so skilled that only Edwin Needham (Lakeith Stanfield) is alerted of the program’s removal from the US security systems. Somehow word leaks out and Lisbeth’s home is set afire by masked gunmen who grab her laptop with Firefall installed. The same gunmen go after Balder and his pre-teen son August (Christopher Convery) when they are given protection by the local police. With intel from Mikael, Lisbeth learns that she was the target of the Spider Gang, a brutal band of Russian assassins. Can she keep two steps ahead of them, the police, and Needham and take back Firefall before it gets into the wrong hands. And just who is the mysterious leader of the Spiders?

The title pretty much sums up this thriller, mainly that Lisbeth played by the very talented Ms. Foy is “front and center”. Just weeks after her stunning supporting turn as Mrs. Armstrong in FIRST MAN, she proves her ability to carry a film as a dynamic action star. Her character is an avenging angel in black, in her first adult sequence literally wrapping up a bully in her web, submitting him to physical (and financial) punishment. But Foy makes this super-heroine very human. We see the fear in her eyes as she realizes that the odds against her may be overwhelming. And she pays a price for her actions in pure pain, whether stapling shut an oozing wound or careening off her cycle. Foy shows her as a haunted, lonely soul who can barely exist between “jobs”. It’s a complex, compelling performance. Unfortunately, her supporting cast are saddled with very simple, sometimes cliched characters. There’s not a strong connection between Lisbeth and Mikael, who’s played by Gudnason like a sullen co-worker, reminding me of Beck Bennett playing a befuddled Nordic tourist in an SNL sketch. Sylvia Hoeks, so good in BLADE RUNNER 2049, is pure deadpan banal evil as an enigmatic woman in red. Comic mastermind Merchant is quite compelling as the guilt-ridden scientist and divorced dad, sort of a modern internet Victor Frankenstein, trying to recapture his monster before it devours the planet. Stanfield is cool and confident, a man on a mission, who slowly begins to admire Lisbeth and her crew. And there’s some good comic relief from Cameron Britton as Lisbeth’s computer consultant/tech wiz only known as “Plague”.

So, you recall my mention of a “horror connection”? Well, that’s because the film’s director, Fede Alvarez, made a name for himself for the one-two box office punch of the 2013 EVIL DEAD reboot and the very entertaining “sleeper hit” of 2016 DON’T BREATHE. Now he’s made his debut as an expert action director, though there are several chilling scenes. Most notably, it’s the reveal of the Spider Gang’s stomach-churning retaliation against a former member who got too “chatty”. Whew, that’s the stuff of nightmares, along with a skin-tight back leather cocoon (hooked up to a device sucks in any air). Fede also co-wrote the script with Jay Basu and Steven Knight (basing it on the book by David Lagercrantz using Larsson’s characters), which has a definite Bond/Bourne feel with its software “MacGuffin” that turns deadly weapons against their makers. But unlike those “super spies” Salander, in the opening scenes, is a champion for individuals rather than countries. With her black hood and jumpsuit, accented by a white makeup mask about her eyes, she’s a near unstoppable “bat-woman” or even a “lady Punisher”, who’ll give these very very bad men “just what they got comin’ to ’em”. We do see a few of the plot twists “coming across the fjords” (another faked suicide, eh), but Foy is so terrific and the action set pieces are so nail-biting, that we can forgive and almost forget as we wonder whether she can survive. It’s not much of a spoiler to say that this will hopefully spark another (not saying franchise or even trilogy) thriller involving THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB.

4 Out of 5

DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH – Review

While you’re still finding bits of the jack o’lantern in the front yard or porch, and probably still munching from the big bowl of “fun-sized” candy, Hollywood is dashing right past Thanksgiving (much like retail stores and the remaining malls) to present us with the first big Christmas themed feature film. Yes, though it’s over six weeks away the multiplex hallways will be filled with some familiar carols. And it’s an animated feature, since the end of the year is a major release time for those, too. It’s been well over a year since we’ve seen a new flick from the fine folks at Illumination, home of the DESPICABLE ME franchise along with SING and THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS. So, is this a story of the Minions getting all merry (you can just imagine their bug eyes appearing in the eggnog pitcher). No, that’s because the Universal-based animation house has a deal with the Dr. Seuss estate (going back to their 2012 treatment of THE LORAX). So Seuss and Christmas can only mean one thing: the return of that grumbling green “meanie” who despises all the icons of yule time. And now he’s come somewhat full circle. The children’s book curmudgeon was first brought to life via 2D cell animation for TV in 1966, then Ron Howard directed Jim Carrey (in terrific prosthetics and makeup from Rick Baker and his team) in a live-action feature in 2000, and now he’s back in animation, computer generated with optional 3D, with the title shortened considerably (perhaps to not give away too much of the well-known plot). The holiday tale is now simple DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH.

The story’s narrator whisks us away to the snow-covered town of Whoville as the citizens happily begin three weeks of preparation and decorating mania in anticipation of the big December holiday. Getting caught up in the frenzy is harried working (in and out of the home) single mom Donna Lou Who (voiced by Rashida Jones). As she catches a quick snooze on the trolley, someone else is just waking up. In cave inside a mountain overlooking the village resides the green, furry, ill-tempered Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch), who’s about to enjoy a breakfast served by his tiny dog, Max. But wait, the shelves and fridge are bare. Ah yes, the holidays cause him to “stress eat”. Now, he’ll have to go into town for supplies. Meanwhile, Donna is also about to have breakfast with her twin toddler boys and her pre-teen daughter Cindy Lou (Cameron Seely), who’s focused on a letter she wants to send to the North Pole, home of, ya’ know. As she dashes off to catch the letter carrier, Cindy nearly collides with the Grinch and Max. He sneers that the letter, no doubt with a huge wishlist, will be lost in Santa’s mountain of mail. Leaving the grocery store, the Grinch tries and fails to avoid the number one Whoville holiday enthusiast Bricklebaum (Kenan Thompson), who believes the green guy is his best buddy. Back at his cave, the Grinch comes up with his own Christmas plans, not celebrating nor decorating, but “stealing” the happy day from the town. This just as Cindy Lou, with the help of her pals, hatches her own plan to get in her request to the jolly ole’ elf. With that December deadline approaching, the Grinch, along with his over-worked pooch, goes through his checklist (sled, costume, reindeer?), and delights in getting revenge against that magical, merry day.

For some inexplicable reason, the filmmakers have insisted that Cumberbatch, yes the definitive modern-day Sherlock (sorry Jonny Lee), perform the lead role with an American accent. Hey, his natural speech worked for Karloff over 50 years ago, so why must the “mean one” sound like he’s applying for Harvard (or any of the Ivy League)? Mind you, the right tone of snark is there in his contempt for the happy goofballs that live below him, but he sounds like a cousin of Dr. Steven Strange with a case of the “hangries”. It’s an odd choice that takes some getting used too. Fortunately, he still has a great chemistry with Thompson who brings the same zany energy to the affable, but clueless Bricklebaum that he has for the last fifteen (wow) years as a regular cast member on TV’s “Saturday Night Live”. With his bushy beard obscuring his mouth, he tosses off hilarious jokes much like the masterful Jack Mercer did as Popeye in countless cartoons (I wonder if they might have been added in post, much like Mercer did). Jones as Donna doesn’t have nearly as much fun as that duo. She’s there to be the dutiful, tired, but noble matriarch who says just the right things to encourage and inspire her daughter. As the said daughter, Seely is sweet, but not saccharine with just the correct dose of spunk without becoming obnoxious. I also couldn’t “get” the use of Pharrell Williams as the narrator with his rather listless line reading. Now maybe if Cumberbatch had told the tale in his smooth British baritone. And they bring in family film superstar Angela Landsbury for one scene as the town’s mayor? Talk about under-utilizing an extraordinary talent! that’s “Mrs. Potts” for gosh sakes!

Directors Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier have delivered a flick that’s most pleasing to the eyes with colors that pop, clever designs (I like how the tiny Whoville shops spin around to show their wares), and characters close to the original Seuss pen and ink sketches. But, as with the 2000 feature, it’s all in service to a story that was told almost perfectly in 23 minutes in 1966. Unlike the last version, we don’t delve as much into the pre-adult Grinch (here spending 12/25 all alone in an orphanage), but we get new characters that “pad’ the tale (or to sell more toys, if you want to be cynical). As I said earlier Thompson is tons o’ fun as Bricklebaum, but he doesn’t advance the plot one lick (of a candy cane). The same could certainly be said of the cohorts of Cindy (certainly much older than two, this time out). Again, more merch and maybe a chance to be more diverse. Then there’s Fred, the lone waddling, beefy reindeer with a Shemp Howard-styled orange tuft of hair. He drifts in and out of the film (because Max has to pull that big sled solo). Plus Fred helps to eliminate one of the greatest images of the story, that being the Grinch triumphantly lifting the massive, stuffed sled over his head. Yes, really! The blame can rest at the screenplay by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow (it took two), which somehow expands and simplifies the story. Now we get to see the Whovians waking to empty living rooms, along with an explanation of the holiday’s true meaning from Donna to Cindy (that singing circle is not enough). And in one tired gag, the Grinch tries to use a giant catapult (did he have one gathering dust in a corner of the cave, or is the empty Acme Company crate nearby). Oh, and we’re “treated” to a modern take (rap) on those classic, timeless Eugene Poddany tunes (you are so missed, Thurl Ravenscroft). The little ones may be amused by the flick’s first act, but their patience will be sorely tested. Though not a big lump of coal, DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH is not the upgrade that’s on anybody’s wish list.

2.5 Out of 5

SUSPIRIA (2018) – Review

Sure Halloween was a couple of days ago, but I’d wager there are still lots of film fans eager for a new scare. After all, audiences have kept the sequel/reboot of HALLOWEEN at the top of the box office for the last several weeks (probably this coming week also). This week’s new fright flick also has its roots from the same late 1970’s time frame, but it’s no follow-up. We’re talking a flat-out remake, or as the marketers like say, a “re-imagining” (fancy, schmancy I say). The original actually beat the John Carpenter classic to theatres by nearly a year. Oh, and it was made by one of Italy’s most acclaimed thriller directors, Dario Argento. Now, this new take is also by an Italian director, Luca Guadagnino, who last year at this time released the Oscar-winning, coming-of-age romance CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. Oh, that original had one English actress, while the 2018 edition features three (still a few subtitles, though). Having never seen the earlier flick, this is all new gore to me, so let’s enter the nightmare world of SUSPIRIA.

The story’s setting is Berlin, specifically East Berlin, a few years prior to the fall of that wall. A young woman makes her way past protestors to the walk-up office of an elderly psychotherapist, Dr. Josef Klemperer (Lutz Ebersdorf). Patricia (Chloe Grace Moretz) is in a panic and babbles about escaping from her tormentors. Meanwhile, way across the pond in Ohio USA, a young woman leaves her strict religious family farm home as her mother succumbs to disease. Cut to an elite dance academy back in Berlin, where that same young woman climbs the stairs to the rehearsal space. Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) has come there specifically to study with the famous Madame Blanc. Ah, but first she must audition for some of the other teachers. Blanc (Tilda Swinton) arrives near the end of her performance and is wowed. Susie is assigned a room and becomes fast friends with another student, Sara (Mia Goth). Early the next day, Susie joins the rehearsals of Blanc’s lauded ballet “Polk”. The lead actress is upset that she is replacing her friend, the missing Patricia, and leaves the hall. As she departs, she takes the wrong exit and is trapped in another dance space. As Susie performs the lead in “Polk” (she watched the videotape many times back home), the music and vibrations cause the trapped dancer on the floor below to contort, her bones twist and shatter as she literally folds in on herself. As she breathes her last, several of the teachers rush in and brutally move the body out of sight. Soon Sara’s curiosity is aroused when she sees two police detectives (investigating Patricia’s disappearance) are put in a trance by some of the dance teachers. This prompts Sara to visit Josef and eventually venture into the dank basement of the school building. Just what deadly secrets are the faculty keeping from the students? And could Susie be their next target?

As the queen choreographer Blanc, Swinton projects a cold aloofness, deftly alternating between cruel taskmaster and encouraging, sympathetic mentor. With a costume of flowing red robes, hair tightly pulled back, and always clenching a half-sized cigarette, Blanc is like a smoldering crimson manta ray, sweeping in to teach and berate her young charges. Of course, her main focus is Susie, played by Johnson as a fragile, wide-eyed innocent, though at times she seems a tad too mature for this ingenue role. But Johnson has the determined, confident body language of a gifted ballerina. Moretz in her scant screen time (much like PYSCHO’s Marion Crane she sets the events in motion, as her presence is felt long after her exit) helps establish a mood of mystery and paranoia. Goth makes a most diligent Nancy Drew-like seeker of truth, hoping to protect her new “sister” from the school’s secrets. The best work is from screen newcomer Ebersdorf who is almost a Van Helsing in a battle against forces beyond his comprehension. Though age has slowed him…I’ll stop now, since the cat has long been out of the bag. Swinton does double duty as the frail, kindly doctor with his own hidden past. Thanks to some excellent make-up, and Swinton’s skill this becomes more than a mere “stunt”.

Guadagnino envelopes the story, smothering it in gloom and shadows, The colors are muted, the lighting (save for the dance rehearsals) dimmed, often with figures emerging from deep, long shadows. “Old school” horror fans will be pleased that most of the more squeamish sequences rely more on prosthetic make-up effects and puppetry rather than CGI. This is particularly true of the film’s first big death sequence in which a young woman’s face contorts and her bones crackle while pushed against a mirror by unseen forces. For much of the second act, the threat of violence hovers, especially in the big group scenes with the unhinged unpredictable staff and faculty. Their meals and meetings tend to get ugly very quickly. The “Polk” performance is a compelling bit of dark dance with the ladies attired in red strings and strips of clothing and tassels that recall blood streaks. This is just a peaceful prelude to the “go for broke’, bonkers finale, a fever dream orgy filled with hellish deformed creatures and rivers of plasma and bile. There are attempts to explain the connections between events and characters, but we’re left with more questions than answers. Often sadistic and brutal, with haunting oddly lovely imagery, this over-stuffed (152 minutes) nightmare is for “gorehounds” who wants something beyond those lumbering masked madmen. But for the squeamish, SUSPIRIA serves up some pretty sick stuff.

2.5 Out of 5

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – Review

If the multiplex is a rockin’, then DO come a knockin…at the ticket counter and go grab a seat. Just a few weeks ago movie audiences tapped their feet to the big concert sequences in the new version of A STAR IS BORN. And continue to flock to the flick, keeping it at the top of the box office and music charts, downloading and buying CDs (some folks still do) of the movie soundtrack. Yes, Cooper and Gaga are electric as singer/songwriters who fill concert venues (she’s had lots of real-life experience). But what’s out there for film fans still in a musical mood? How about a nostalgic look back at the story of a rock act that sold out stadiums? Not a documentary, like this past Summer’s WHITNEY, but a musical biography. Now, this has usually been a staple of TV, with recent “biopics” of Ms. Huston, her hubby Bobby, and his old group New Edition. This has been going on for decades (you could maybe fill a cable or streaming channel with the just the flicks concerning Elvis). For feature films, rock and roll has been a backdrop for satires and parodies, from THIS IS SPINAL TAP to POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING. Well, now Fox has stepped up with the story of the “real deal”, true “rock and roll” glamor gods of the 70’s and 80’s, Queen. Of course, their name in the title may make some filmgoers think that Helen Mirren stars, so to bypass any confusion the film’s title is taken from one of their most popular and enduring melodies, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.

Indeed, the story begins with a very packed arena, as the quartet make their way to the stage. Ah, not so fast, we’re quickly “flashed back” fifteen years to something of an “origin” story (rock stars are kinda’ real-life super-heroes). In 1970, twenty-something Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara (Rami Malek) slaves his days away as a baggage handler at London’s Heathrow Airport. Once he punches his time clock he rushes back to his conservative Parsi family (Mum, Dad, and sis) home, jots down some song lyric ideas, and heads out to a bar where one of his favorite local bands, Smile (could the name have been inspired by the fact that one of the members studied dentistry), is performing. While waiting in the line outside, Freddie shyly flirts with a gorgeous young woman named Mary Austin (Lucy Boyton). She admires his fashion sense and suggests that he visit her at the clothing store where she works as a sales clerk. After the concert, two of the members of Smile, Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy), are stunned when their lead singer tells them that he’s out (“no future in it”). As he exits, Freddie enters, complimenting them, then belting out some songs, ending in perfect harmony with the duo. After a shaky start (darn mike stand), they become a hit on the pub circuit, while Freddie really “hits it off” with the lovely Mary. After leaving the luggage job, Freddie becomes a real creative force in the band, changing his name to Freddie Mercury, and eventually changing the band’s name to the more “out there”, subversive “Queen”. Soon they attract the attention of EMI record exec John Reid (Aidan Gillen) who signs them up for the label and sends them on a worldwide tour, coordinated by Reid’s aide, Paul Prenter (Allen Leech). In the next few years, Queen becomes an international sensation. But Freddie wants to take creative chances, telling EMI head Ray Foster (Mike Myers) that their next album, appropriately titled “A Night at the Opera”, will mix rock and classical music. Foster balks at the end result (“no radio station’s gonna’ play a six-minute single!”). As Queen changes labels, Freddie’s engagement to Mary becomes strained as he struggles with his sexuality. Through squabbles, band changes including the addition of bassist John Deacon (Joeseph Mazzello), and the lure of fame, fortune, and staggering amounts of booze and drugs, Queen continues into the 1980’s. But will Freddie jump ship to another label in pursuit of a solo career? And what about that nagging cough?

This may be the story of the band Queen, but its lead singer is the film’s true focus. That “frontman” who’s really front and center is brought to enigmatic life by the phenomenal Malek in a real “movie-star-making” performance (he’s conquered TV as the star of “Mr. Robot”). Though the dental prosthetics are a slight distraction in the early sequences, Malek captures every conflicting facet of Freddie. Prior to auditioning, he’s shy and awkward, barely connecting emotionally with anyone save for Mary. Oh, but when he takes the stage, Malek projects that flamboyant charisma, shutting down all the hateful heckles and taunts with his talents. Away from the studios and arenas, Malek gives Freddie a haunted, child-like quality, a lonely lad hoping to fill the quiet with parties and indulgences. His kindred spirit seems to be Mary, the one who truly understands him. The beautiful Boyton (so great in an underrated pop music flick, SING STREET) as Ms. Austin adores this quirky, crazy-gifted guy, but knows that she cannot truly be united with him. Boyton shows us Mary’s bravery as she sets him free, but remains as his emotional “rock”. As for the rest of the band, Lee makes May an easy-going peacemaker, trying to keep things running smoothly. We also see his unbridled joy of performing, using his considerable guitar virtuosity in service of Freddie’s vision. Hardy as Taylor is more of a “grumbler” with less patience for Mr. M’s eccentricities. Yet somehow, this hard-rocker can delight in the group’s “off the wall” career directions (as long as he can afford a great car). Mazzello as the more recent member shows us Deacon’s delight to be considered a peer, while barely containing his glee that his audience-including suggestions are used. Leech as Paul is almost the “villain'” of the tale, a two-faced “gatekeeper’ keeping any other influences away from Freddie while supplying him with fresh flesh and pharmaceuticals. And there’s great comic relief from Meyers as the studio “suit” that just doesn’t “get it” along with Tom Hollander as Jim “Miami” Beach, a company “bean counter” freed from his shackles by these rock and roll rescuers.

Director Brian Singer (reportedly assisted by Dexter Fletcher) expertly captures those years of excess and kitchy camp. For a montage of highlights from the worldwide tour, he has the city names in streaming graphics styled after the opening titles of 1978’s SUPERMAN. As many rock and roll historians have said, the script by Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan plays fast and loose with the timeline, injecting songs out of chronological order and adding time to the band’s “estrangement”. Plus it does fall often into biopic cliches where success no bringing happiness, but addiction. As another artist said “Mo money, more problems”. But even with those faults, the film is an exhilerating, often moving entertainment “machine”. First and foremost is the music, the incredible Queen catalog. Those who mostly associate them with the title tune (guilty) will be stunned at their many familiar hits (wow, they did that one and that one, too). One thing the film conveys more than most music (really any of the arts) bios is the effort and dizzying joy of creation. The whole “let’s try it, what the Hell” spirit of collaboration, particularly when the fellows put together “BH” in the farm/studio. The sequence’s “topper” is another terrific montage of mediocre to negative reviews of that iconic song from music critics of the era. But the emotional heart of the story, nearly blotting out seedy scenes that might have been outtakes from CRUISING, is the phenominal recreation of the 1985 Live Aid “medley”. Just as fate has dealt them a fatal “hand”, the band rallys together to spit in the eye of the Grim Reaper. The camera whips about the stadium, then cuts to several TV viewers of the compelling performance. We see that Freddie has grabbed the heart of, not only the thousands at Wembley, but millions across the globe. He’s almost declaring that, though his body may fail him, his talent is immortal. In those final minutes, we see how the power of music can bring much-needed comfort to countless souls. With Malek in command, audiences will be happily “banging their heads” once more in time to BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.

4 Out of 5

HUNTER KILLER – Review

Okay film fans, buy your ticket, settle into your seat, and grab the armrests as you prepare to submerge! Dive, dive, dive into the murky depths of another underwater adventure (and just hope you don’t become “Spam in the can”). This subset of the war film genre has been cruising the cinemas for well over 75 years, longer if you count the movie adaptations of Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo. The gold sub flick standard might have been the two torpedo blasts from 1958’s RUN SILENT RUN DEEP and 1961’s SF-themed VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (which spawned a weekly TV series soon after). Things were quiet beneath the waves (well after THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET scuttled the U-boat menace) until the Cold War set 1989 smash THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER which began a 13-year wave of ocean thrillers including CRIMSON TIDE, U-571, and K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER. After some time away, those atomic leviathons are churning up some more water-spouts in the new, post-U.S.S.R. northern oceans in HUNTER KILLER. Oh, the title designates the type of vessel, if you were wondering.

As the film begins, we’re zipping over some truly brutal snow-capped terrain. Ah, but the real story is in the Bering Straight, beneath the floating chunks of ice. A US submarine, the Tampa Bay, is silently following a Russian sub (they better be quiet since they’re in Russian territory). Without warning the Russian sub explodes. As the Tampa Bay scrambles, they realize that a missile is headed there way. The blast echoes all the way to Navy HQ in the states. CJCS Donnegan (Gary Oldman) wants an immediate rescue/investigation. RA Fisk (Common) informs him that the closest sub, the Arkansas is missing its usual Captain. However, an untested but fully cleared captain, Joe Glass, is nearby. Donnegan gives the OK, and Glass (Gerald Butler) cuts his hunting vacation short. Soon Fisk is briefed by NSA chief Norquist (Linda Cardellini) who informs him that a Navy seal team led by Bill Beaman (Toby Stephens) are parachuting into Russia to observe the meeting between President Zakarin and his main naval Admiral, Durov (Michael Gor). The Arkansas returns to the scene of the “incident”, and after evading a Russian sub, finds the remains of the Tampa Bay and the original sunken Russian sub. Video from a drone reveals that the explosion came from the inside. And just what’s that banging sound? Survivors? Glass brings aboard the nearly frozen Russian sub Captain Andropov (Michael Nyqvist) and two of his crew. Back on land, the Special Forces quartet observe more than a meeting. The images sent back to the states reveal Durov staging a coup and kidnapping Zakarin. Donnegen tells the US president that they should go to “Def-Con 4” which could lead to another world war. Fortunately, Fisk and Norquist sell her (that’s right) on another plan: the Seal Team rescues Zakarin and escapes with him via the Arkansas. But the plan hinges on whether Glass can persuade Andropov to guide them past the numerous mines that surround the naval base. Can they form an alliance and pull off this truly impossible mission before the crazed Durov lights the fuse to pulverize the planet?

Perhaps due to the confined sub set, Butler’s usual action flick swagger is thankfully subdued (not the case earlier this year, where his “mucho-macho” attitude stunk up a fairly decent “B” movie-style heist flick DEN OF THIEVES). Still, his growling, pre-mission “pep talk” (“I didn’t go to Annapolis, but I’ve done all of yer’ jobs”) is pretty grating. But he can still believably bark out commands as though he ‘s leading another 300-type charge into battle. And his glowering focus helps direct our attention from all the flashing monitors in the busy control room. In another screen-filled space, Oldman tosses away all his Churchill subtlety to give us another “angry man in command”, a star-studded bully who’s always throwing a tantrum along with insults when folks don’t see things his way (Yosemite Sam with his finger on the big red button). Much calmer (almost to the point of napping) is Common, who is far too tightly wrapped for, well, a rapper (his role in THE HATE U GIVE strikes a better balance in fewer scenes). It’s always a pleasure to see Cardellini pop up on screen (last time was just a few weeks ago as the tough artist in A SIMPLE FAVOR), though she has little to do besides sharing too many secrets and dazzling the guys with her computer skills. Stevens, so good in the Netflix reboot of “Lost in Space”, does more of that tough guy machismo as Beamen who’s a modern take on the Marvel Comics GI Sgt. Fury (minus several “howlers” and the half cigar jutting from the corner of his clenched jaw). The late Nuqvist, unfortunately, has little to do in one of his last screen roles, while Gor elicits a bit of Lugosi-like madness to his role as the power-hungry Durov.

Director Donovan Marsh checks off the list of submarine movie standards (playing all the “hits”) with workman-like proficiency. Steady-cam dashing POV through the tight, crowded corridors? Check. Multiple leaks with spraying bursts of water. Double check, augmented with sparks and sailors bounced from side to side. Plus there’s the “ping…ping’ off of sonar screens, along with countless count-downs (“20 seconds to impact…15”). In addition, we experience some solid tension as the sub navigates some narrow route while evading lotsa’ floating mines. Some of them are sound sensitive, so the crew must try to be silent (while sweating buckets, of course). Guess the mines don’t pick up on the “whirring” motors. Marsh tries to break up the undersea scenes with frequent cuts to US Navy HQ (mainly lots of arguing and staring at screens) and the quartet who can observe all of Durov’s schemes from a tower just a few hundred yards away, an unmanned tower that the bad guys either ignore or just forgot (sensors couldn’t warn of the activity). That’s not the least of the absurdities. Two different characters take bullets to the mid-section, then dive into the cold water, with little discomfort (one is up and about within minutes). These “war games” make for a bloated two hours, but the effects work is pretty solid, with CGI replacing the miniature work of most previous submarine sequences (underwater explosions are darned cool). If you’re a fan of the genre HUNTER KILLER should “float your boat”. For more discerning fans, well for undersea thrills, Mr. Curry AKA AQUAMAN will be making waves in a couple months.

2.5 Out of 5

MID90S – Review

Whether you grew up in the city or the country, you probably hung out with a group of similarly aged kids. You usually played games, explored, and occasionally got into a bit of mischief. The movies exploited that sensing of bonding and belonging nearly a hundred years ago when slapstick king Hal Roach created and produced the long-running series of short comedies called “Our Gang” (when they were sold to TV in the 50’s they were packaged under a new title “The Little Rascals: since teen gangs were the stuff of parental nightmares). In the late 1930’s, the “Dead End Kids were “B” movie staples right into the 50’s when they morphed into “The Bowery Boys”. More recently filmmakers have used the multi-kid format usually in a nostalgic setting. The 50’s were the backdrop for THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH and THE WANDERERS, the next decade had AMERICAN GRAFFITI and THE SANDLOT. But what’s the setting for this new teen buddy flick? It’s …gasp! No, not already?! Actor turned writer/director Jonah Hill returns to those golden days just a smidge’ over 20 years ago. Is it time to get all misty and nostalgic about the MID90S?

Oh, but this time is not a “golden” one for the film’s focus and hero(?) pre-teen Steven (Sunny Suljic). As the story begins, he’s getting pummeled by his older, much bigger brother Ian (Lucas Hedges). They’re left alone most of the day in the dirty, dingy little house they share with frazzled working single mom Dabney (Katherine Waterston). When Steven can escape Ian’s fists he peddles his bike to run-down Motor Street. He’s immediately drawn to a group of slightly older skateboarding teenagers. The ten year-old finally works up the nerve to enter their main hang-out, a skateboard accessories shop managed by the very cool Ray (Na-kel Smith). Steven is befriended by the slightly older Ruben (Gio Galicia), who becomes sort of an advisor or mentor. And Ruben introduces him to the rest of the group. Aside from Ray, there’s his BFF, the hard-partying, golden-tressed F*#ksh*t (Olan Prenatt) and the continually videotaping aspiring Spielberg, Fourth Grade (Ryder McLaughlin). Of course the moniker Steven’s just not cool enough, so they give him a nickname too: “Sunburn”. Over the next weeks and months, Sunburn hones his skateboarding skills and becomes the unofficial lil’ brother to the guys. But to keep up, he’s got to grow up fast as the long hot days turn into even hotter, more dangerous nights. So will Ian or Dabney ever step in, or will they lose Steven to his new “family”?

Suljic easily handles the burden of appearing in nearly every scene of the film, balancing a sweet innocent vulnerability with a fierce determination. We get that early on when Ian barks “Stay outta’ my room”, which prompts the pint-sized dynamo to barge right in. Sure, he’s a bratty lil’ bro, but Suljic shows us the fear in his eyes as he reacts to every small noise, ready to leap for safety. Later he shields his true feelings with a wall of cool indifference, hiding his need to belong, a yearning that makes him risk his very life. Truly solid work from a relative newcomer. It helps that he holds his own with the two more polished screen veterans. Hedges leaves behind the sensitive youth roles in his impressive resume (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA to the upcoming BOY ERASED) to play this brooding dark menace who seems to feel nothing but anger towards his much smaller sibling. Both actors have a great rapport with Waterston as the overwhelmed and under-equipped (in every way: financially, mentally, etc.) single mom. Her only relief seems to come from the string of “uncles” the sons see leaving her room in the mornings.

The film’s lead has several film and TV roles under his “belt”, while his circle of new pals may be best known for their skateboarding skills. Luckily they have an engaging on-screen charisma that smooths out the rough edges. Smith’s Ray is more the somber, father-figure to the group. He’s handling some responsibilities as manager of the shop, but we see that he has his “eyes on the prize”, with a future beyond the neighborhood. Of course Ray is best “buds” with his counterpart, Prenatt as the truly “laid back” F*#ksh*t who only lives in the “now”, perhaps rebelling against any form of adulthood, a true “lost boy” who needs things just as they are, even actively sabotaging his pal’s plans in a gripping third act showdown. McLaughlin’s Fourth Grade is mainly a silent observer, always recording his surrounding and interactions, really “living through the lens”. And then there’s the guy dealing with the most complex character arc, the often surly Galicia as Ruben. He’s the first to warm to Steven, perhaps welcoming someone who’s “lower on the totem pole”. The warmth leaves when the pupil gets more praise and attention than the teacher, and Galicia shows us the sad child beneath the hardened exterior.

Hill has decided to go the small, intimate route with his feature filmmaking debut. It’s shot on 16 mm with a “3 by 4” ratio to give it the “shot on the fly”, immediate look of a documentary. He gets great natural performances from his young cast and captures the feel of the decade (wall posters, CD racks, even a Bill Clinton rubber mask). Unfortunately, much of the script feels aimless with skateboarding montages used to break up the “hanging out” sequences (though many of the discussions are funny). For the over 30 crowds, particularly parents, the odyssey of Steven can be a stomach-churning endurance test, aside from the near-constant barrage of “f-bombs” and “n-words” replacing “bro” and “dude”. He endures some truly gruesome “board bang-ups” (with flowing plasma) that’s nearly as harrowing as his “private time” with an “older girl’ in a locked bedroom away from an ongoing party (thankfully much is in silhouette, but we later get a graphic “play by play”). And the adults are either nowhere to be found or they’re completely ineffectual. from the security guard they boy harass on opposite sides of a locked fence to Dabney who tries to confront Steven’s friends (they leer and make lewd requests) and is later literally shouted down by his son. Still, you can feel the passion Hill has for the subject and makes us hope that he will hone his skills and go deeper, and maybe higher than the MID90S for his next work.

2.5 Out of 5

THE OATH

As October hurtles past the midway point, many folks are experiencing a feeling of dread, one that’s not from worrying over having enough candy for the trick-or-treaters or if your party costume is too scary or sexy (or not enough of either). Nope, it’s because the really frightening events are happening just weeks later. Yes, it’s Thanksgiving, the first of the two big year-end family get-togethers, a day to revel in homecomings and making memories as you pass the stuffing and cranberry sauce (drat, almost left it in the fridge again). But for some of us, it can be an endurance test as old wounds are re-opened (and often liberally salted). One source of heated conversations post meals and pre-football is the political scene. Mom may try and nix that talk, but it settles in like indigestion. With the dining room simmering and smoldering with tension, what would happen if the government, as the old expression goes, decided to toss gasoline on the fire? That’s the premise of a new flick that doesn’t feel that far removed from the current climate. In this story the day after the feast is not focused on shopping, but rather on the final day of THE OATH.

So, what is this source of controversy? The “Patriot’s Oath” is merely a single sentence: “I pledge my loyalty to the president and my country, and vow to defend them from enemies, both foreign and domestic”. You caught the word “loyalty”, right? Just four words in, so it’s definitely a “loyalty oath”. That’s what really disturbs thirty-something middle married middle-class couple (and parents of adorable daughter Hardy) Chris (Ike Barinholtz) and Kai (Tiffany Haddish). Actually, they’re horrified at this event, and despite the press secretary’s assurance of a “tax break” for those who sign, the two believe that all will come to their senses long before the “signing” deadline that’s months away, on “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving. Flash forward to Thanksgiving Eve Eve. The Oath deadline is still happening, and now it has its own squad of “enforcers”, a subset of Homeland Security called the “Citizens Protection Unit”, whose main “goal” is to make sure nobody is prevented from signing up by Friday. But Chris has more immediate concerns as he closes up the office of his “citizens’ action” bureau. His family, parents, and siblings, will be converging on their home for the big feast. Chris’s mom Eleanor (Nora Dunn) and dad Hank (Chris Ellis), are a bit stodgy, but more middle of the road, hoping to keep politics off the Dinner table. Oh oh, there’s brother Pat (Jon Barinholtz), a fervent ultra-right-winger, who sees nothing at all wrong with the Oath. And he brings along his current girlfriend Abbie (Meredith Hagner), who’s even further to the right, boasting of how she likes to “stir up s#*t” on the internet. But luckily there’s the mellow sister Alice (Carrie Brownstein) who shares some “herbal relaxers” with Chris while her hubby (Jay Duplass) rides out a nasty stomach bug in one of the guest bedrooms (and bathrooms). On the street and at a restaurant they witness the rising tensions that lead to altercations, as reports of CPU crackdowns fill the cable news channels. On the big “turkey day” tempers explode when an iconic Civil Rights senator is hauled away in shackles. The big meal is a big bust. But things go from bad to even worse the next day, when Chris returns home from an errand to find two CPU officers, Peter (John Cho) and Mason (Billy Magnussen), waiting for him in his den. Turns out that Pat let them in (“They’re just like cops, right?”). Peter says that they got an anonymous call that Chris was keeping someone from signing the Oath. If Chris will just take a drive with them, Peter’s certain they can “work things out”. Ah, but the spirit of those radical 1960’s is strong in Chris. And thus begins a long and truly bleak, black Friday.

In most films, we could easily point to Ike Barinholtz’s Chris as the “hero” of the story. Protective of his family and his ideals, Chris should be the “voice of reason” for the audience, but Ike makes him complex. Sure, he’s in the “right” most of the time, but he can also be arrogant and self-righteous to the point of aggravation and annoyance. When the “stuff” hits the fan, he’s “flailing about’ mentally and physically, a “smart” guy that’s just as dumb as those he denigrates. Happily, Ike has a great chemistry with Haddish who breaks away from her “party-gal” persona she created with her stand-up comedy and breakout role in GIRLS TRIP. Her Kai is an equal partner to Ike’s Chris, but more, she’s his moral compass and grounding force. Though she may agree with Chris, Kai will not let his stubborn streak endanger the life they have made. The two are a most believable team, particularly in the opening flashback that’s playfully sexy. The other Barinholtz, Jon as brother Pat, matches Chris for pure belligerence, plus an entitled “frat-boy” attitude. And he’s got the perfect mate in Hagner’s Abbie, whose hair-trigger (she goes into a blind rage each time Chris forgets her name) acerbates any minor altercation into a major “throw down”. Abbie is a sneering harpy for the new century. At the other end of the spectrum is Brownstein as the reasoning, calming “Earth mother” whose cool demeanor finally crumbles from dealing with both Pat and Chris. And then there are the two “interlopers” brought into the “safe space” for the suspense-filled second act. Causing more of a conundrum are the two distant personalities of the duo, a riff on the classic “good cop/bad cop”. Cho’s Peter is a new-age “Joe Friday”, there to do his job with the most professionalism. He can assess the “feel” of the room, and will not allow himself to take any of Chris’s insults personally. Cho plays him as the “caring counselor really wanting to help. Then there’s Mason, played with “off-kilter” menace by Magnussen. He’s the “wild card” who seems to be hoping for an altercation in order to finally get his hands “dirty”. As Peter tries to mediate, Mason is seething, his teeth grinding under his perfectly-trimmed ‘stache, ready to abuse and enforce. All the while, the heads of the family, played with numbed bewilderment by Dunn and Ellis, fretfully try to restore the peace. Mom and Pop are pretty powerless in this suburban “powderkeg”.

This is the feature film directing debut for Ike Barinholtz after helming episodes of TV’s “The Mindy Project”, and it’s his second feature script after CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE along with writing for “Mindy” and “MADtv”. That sketch comedy background has served him well, as he’s come up with a bit of satire that pushes reality ever so slightly. In interviews, he’s said that the idea came to him after the last big election, but the film doesn’t come off as a lecturing screed, more as an “off the wall” “what if” combined with “Griswald-like” comedy chaos and conflict. This “else-world” Ike has fashioned feels not far removed, even with its street “flare-ups’ and awkward TV press conferences. The set-up is clever, but the big “pay off” is often too coarse and clumsy. T-day’s feast is quickly mired in a torrent of “f-bombs” (really, two minutes of “F you” “No, f you” and so on) and screaming through clenched teeth over the yams and peas. With the violence and blood, the CPU showdown may be the reason that many (mostly the marketing folks) are comparing this to the politically-inspired horrors of THE PURGE and GET OUT (not in the same cosmos really), but it never maintains any momentum, stopping and starting, till everything is wrapped up far too neatly with a tidy, convenient bow before the end credits. Ike’s idea might have made for an engaging extra-long TV skit or even an hour-long comedy special, but THE OATH turns into an exhausting, irritating 93-minute mess. This I swear (but not as much as the cast).

3 Out of 5

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE – Review

So what’s the ideal setting for a story filled with lowlifes and immoral and often illegal activities? You know, where dangerous dames and dudes can just appear, almost at random? Maybe a haunted house or creepy mansion just doesn’t ring true. Well, Hitch knew just the locale nearly fifty years ago. By 1960 the glamorous days of lavish, lush vacation spots were long in the past. And who could really afford a night or two at the GRAND HOTEL or HOLIDAY INN? But a dusty motel just off the road, why Alfred Hitchcock made it the perfect place murder and mayhem in 1960’s iconic PSYCHO. That dangerous destination has carried on through the decades, from the Overlook Hotel in THE SHINING, to FOUR ROOMS, and most recently HOTEL ARTEMIS (a haven/hospital for the criminal class). This week an all-stars cast checks in, but might not check out. And who is their host/concierge? Handing out the keys is the multi-talented Drew Goddard. TV fans have been enthralled by his writing/producing work on acclaimed series ranging from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” to “Lost” and most recently “Daredevil” and “The Good Place”. As for the big screen, he was nominated for his screenplay adaptation of THE MARTIAN and co-wrote and directed the nifty, clever horror satire CABIN IN THE WOODS. Now, Mr. Goddard serves up deceit and dirty deeds, mixed in with the tiny soaps and fresh linens during some extremely BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.

In the story’s quiet, almost silent flashback sequence, one guest has a really bad time in a room at the El Royale, a hotel that is literally split down the middle by the border seperating California and Nevada. After the title, flash forward to the present day. Well, ten years later is actually the late 1960’s/early 70’s. . The once spectacular vacation mecca has seen much better days. Two guests enter the empty lobby. There’s singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), who wants to rest up in a cheaper place than those in Reno, the site of her next “gig”. The other person looking for lodging is Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who is, well, a priest looking for a place to crash. When he slaps a bell at the front desk, another man pops up from behind the bar. He’s not part of the staff, rather he’s vacum-cleaner sales rep Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm). He’s not been able to raise the clerk but warns the two that he’s got “dibs” on the honeymoon suite. Flynn spies a door marked “employees only” and pounds away, It opens to reveal a dazed, unnerved young man in his twenties, front desk clerk, and pretty much the staff, Miles (Lewis Pullman). As he divies up the keys, a car screeches to a halt near the entrance. It’s guest #4, the rough, coarse “hippy chick” Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson). As they gather their luggage, the black and white lobby TV flashes bits from President Nixon’s press conference interrupted by the latest on some bloody murders in the affluent hills of Malibu. Thus begins a long, long night filled with false identities, double crosses, and a raging thunderstorm that arrives moments before the enigmatic drifter Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth) stides barefoot thorough the front door. No doubt the Royale’s AAA rating will never be the same.

The hotel staff and guests are played by some celebrated screen vets and a couple of relative (in one case) newcomers. As the story’s anchor, there’s the continually grizzled Bridges who tries to float above the sleaze as the calm and collected Father Flynn (perhaps a nod to his role in the cult TRON flicks). His friendly demeanor proves to be as phony as his paper collar, as we notice his eyes dart about the lobby, searching for…something. Now Bridges’s low-watt energy is a stark contrast to the motor-mouthed Hamm, who seems to be attired in own of Don Draper’s more garish West Coast casual sports jackets (hmm, Tron now “Mad Men”). His “go-go” hard-pitching salesman strains to be avuncular while cluelessly offending most everyone in his path. But Hamm’s at his best when he lifts the facade and shows us a man in conflict, torn between his mission and doing what’s right. More single-minded and direct, Johnson shows us that she can be much more interesting than her 50 SHADES damsel in distress (and duress) as the tough-as-nails, chain-smoking femme fatale Emily. She brings the sultry and sexy along with (literal) movie god Hemsworth whose blow-dried charisma, and silky smoothness obscure his true sinister nature. As for the new faces, Ervio is a compelling screen presence as the songbird (really, she’s got terrific “pipes”), who refuses to give in to despair, despite the “guidance” of showbiz gurus. Ms. Sweet has nearly soured, but she remains a smart survivor. Speaking of surviving, Pullman (yes, he’s Bill’s son) is the man in the back who appears to be barely hanging on. Sweaty, twitchy Miles seems to be a prisoner of the place, rather than the employee. Pullman plays the battle-scarred (in more ways than one) man barely past his teens, with lots of energy and grit. Oh, and there’s good supporting work from Cailee Spaeny as a young innocent (?) caught up in the chaos, and indie filmmaker Xavier Dolan as a maniacal music mentor.

Goddard’s dreamed up a terrific setting with that broad, dividing borderline, contrasting the rotting Vegas kitch of this former celeb “sin circus”. Kudos to his art directors, for that and the whole panorama of early 70’s cheese (especially the cars that have clocked many, many miles). And the mysterious quartet are most interesting, especially as they introduce themselves in that first act almost in a much harder, seedier version of CLUE. Then it all kind of “goes off the rails” into Tarantino-like homage (or is it just imitation or over-indulgence). We’re teased with a subplot right out of real-life LA legend, amid bursts of violence meant to shock, but with cartoon consequences (folks pop-up from injuries that should keep them in traction for weeks). And rather than using pop tunes from dusty 45’s, Goddard stops the action for long song medleys by Ervio (she bursts into song nearly as much as Lady Gaga in her current flick), perhaps to cut the tension with humor? In the tradition of Marion Crane one guest checks out far too early, packing up a lot of the story’s high-spirited fun. By the time of Billy Lee’s arrival, the influences shift from QT (the whole stranded in the lobby set-up of THE HATEFUL EIGHT) to the Coen Brothers, as one character lifts the whole “gambling for your life” casual sadism of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN’s Chigurh. And like the old Corman/Price/Poe flicks there’s the cleansing fire unfortunately followed by an epilogue that thumbs its nose at a major plot point (what diagnosis?). What could have been a naughty nostalgic lark degenerates into a goulash of gore and cruelty, a PULP FICTION romp that’s lost its flavor. What began as light-hearted lobby levity truly becomes mean-spirited making for some really BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.

2.5 Out of 5