Category Archives: 2022 Films

2022 Films, Ben Aldridge, Bill Irwin, Drama, Jim Parsons, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ Romance, Michael Showalter, Romantic Drama, Sally Field

Spoiler Alert-2022

September 15, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Spoiler Alert-2022

Director Michael Showalter

Starring Jim Parsons, Ben Aldridge, Sally Field

Scott’s Review #1,399

Reviewed September 15, 2023

Grade: A-

Spoiler Alert (2022) comes dangerously close to being classified as a Hallmark Television Movie of the Week tearjerker with standard cliches and a predictable storyline. While the ending is no surprise, the film works incredibly well and fires on all cylinders.

I laughed, cried, and felt an enormous connection to the central characters in what could become a seasonal holiday watch.

I recently reviewed another film that, on the surface, sounded saccharin and contrived but pulled me in nonetheless. The lesson learned is not to make assumptions about the quality of films.

The direction is conventional, but the story and characters are absorbing and heartwarming with spectacular acting, especially among the two lead actors, Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge. An added gift is the appearance of Sally Field in a supporting role as an overbearing but lovable mom.

In 2001, Michael Ausiello (Parsons), a writer for TV Guide, begrudgingly goes to a gay nightclub with his best friend in Manhattan. There, he meets photographer Kit Cowan (Ben Aldridge), and the two instantly connect.

As they begin dating, Michael struggles with insecurities about not being attractive enough for Kit, since he was an overweight child. Kit is athletic and good-looking, oozing confidence. Michael was a ridiculed kid watching soap operas with his mother and creating a pretend sitcom family.

He also overindulges in the Smurfs collection.

They both admit their fears of being in a long-term relationship since neither of them has been in one before, but they decide to continue dating.

Hurdles then plague the couple as Kit must come out to his parents, Bob (Bill Irwin), and Marilyn (Field), to explain who Michael is, and ultimately they all must face Kit’s stage IV cancer diagnosis.

I recognize how Spoiler Alert doesn’t possess the most original screenplay, written by David Marshall Grant and LGBTQ+ advocate Dan Savage, and based on a story written by real-life Michael Ausiello.

The tried and true story point of a gay male character struggling to come out to his parents has been done for decades in LGBTQ+ films.

The insecure partner feels inferior to the more confident partner, and it affects their relationship. This point has also been discussed before. Michael is convinced that Kit will dump him for someone else.

Hell, we’ve seen both of these cliches as recently as 2022 in Bros., a fantastic LGBTQ+ mainstream film that used both.

In Spoiler Alert, they work because of Parsons and Aldridge and the chemistry they have together, and the nuanced delivery of the characters separately.

While they each want love and a relationship, neither is desperate. As they banter back and forth, Michael awkwardly removes his clothes during their first intimacy, and the actors playfully frolic immediately at ease with one another.

Many cute scenes follow.

Events then grow serious as we move beyond Kit’s uneven coming out to his parents (of course, they embrace Kit and Michael instantly!) and dive headfirst into Kit’s cancer battle.

The film makes no secret that Kit will die of cancer. It’s practically shown in the opening scene as he and Michael lie in a hospital bed together, and Michael narrates the story.

It’s called Spoiler Alert for a reason. But instead of ruining the film, it only enhances the love story to come. We know that Kit and Michael become soul mates, and the pleasure is watching them grow and flourish together.

Since Michael’s mother, and presumed best friend, died of cancer, it only strengthens the investment in the character.

As Kit becomes weaker, my fondness for the two men becomes stronger. The maturity and love for one another are apparent, especially when Michael selflessly invites a man whom Kit had an affair with to say goodbye to Kit.

It’s a touching scene, but not as touching as the scene where Michael and Kit’s parents sob over Kit’s hospital bed.

Yes, Spoiler Alert (2022) may have manipulated me with a conventional film, but Parsons and Aldridge have better chemistry than most opposite-sex couples.

I thoroughly enjoyed my way through the film without dry eyes.

2022 Films, Comedy, Drama, Marc Forster, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, Tom Hanks, Truman Hanks

A Man Called Otto-2022

September 13, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

A Man Called Otto-2022

Director Marc Forster

Starring Tom Hanks, Mariana Trevino, Truman Hanks

Scott’s Review #1,398

Reviewed September 13, 2023

Grade: A-

I hedged slightly on seeing the film A Man Called Otto (2022) because it looked like an overly sentimental, predictable melodrama. It also missed out entirely during the 2022-2023 awards season, which means that the film had its share of critical detractors.

But I do love and admire Tom Hanks, both professionally and personally, even though he can be accused of choosing marginally safe material.

Though the film explores a tried and true formulaic setup, my heartstrings were immediately and severely pulled by the events in the movie. I may have been manipulated into teariness, but in the best of ways, and I didn’t mind a bit.

I enjoyed A Man Called Otto much more than I ever thought I would.

It is an American remake of the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove, based on the 2012 novel by Fredrik Backman.

Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is a grumpy widower whose only satisfaction comes from abiding by and enforcing his neighborhood rules and regulations and criticizing and judging his exasperated neighbors.

When a young Hispanic family moves in next door, he connects with the no-nonsense and very pregnant Marisol (Mariana Trevino), leading to an unexpected friendship that softens and unnerves the crotchety man.

As the pair bond, the audience learns more about Otto and his deceased wife Sonya (Rachel Keller) through flashbacks. The once youthful and determined couple faces terrible obstacles as we realize why Otto has become so depressed and irritable.

A Man Called Otto is very conventional, polished, and sentimental, and could arguably be accused of being a tad dramatic. It’s not a dangerous film, nor does it present material viewers have never seen before.

Nonetheless, it works!

The reasons it works so well start with Tom Hanks. A two-time Oscar winner who has played many types of characters before, he portrays his character with flourishing comedy and dramatic gusto.

We like Otto even though he could be classified as an asshole.

Despite Hanks’s acting ability, he is only part of the enjoyment of the film.

Worth mentioning is that the very liberal Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson co-produced the film, and I’m glad they did.

A heavy dose of diversity and inclusivity is plopped into the film. Otto’s neighbors are a black couple who have been Otto and Sonya’s best friends for decades.

Otto confronts a teenager named Malcolm for delivering advertising circulars, and the boy recognizes Otto as his former teacher’s husband, recounting that Sonya supported him as a transgender student when nobody else did.

Sonya courageously led an effort to convince the other teachers to call Malcolm by his desired name respectfully.

Another win is the frequent flashbacks to when Otto and Sonya first met. A nervous but smitten Otto intentionally gets on the wrong train to bring Sonya a book that she has accidentally dropped on the platform.

They eventually dine in a nice restaurant, where he encourages Sonya to have a lovely entrée while he dines on a meager bowl of soup because of financial issues.

Truman Hanks (Tom’s son), Rachel Keller, and Mariana Trevino deliver outstanding performances in supporting roles.

Finally, a feral cat that reminds me of my darling cat Zeus stole my heart. He also steals Otto’s.

It’s these trimmings that make the film a crowd-pleaser and a charming sentiment. The story feels fresh even though other films have had the same type of message. A case could be made that Otto is Ebenezer Scrooge in a non-Christmas film.

I may not necessarily need to see A Man Called Otto (2022) again since it’s a one-shot deal type of movie, but I’m glad I did. The film reaffirms that there are good people in the world who selflessly look out for each other without needing personal gain.

2022 Films, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp, Bill Nighy, British, Drama, Oliver Hermanus, Tom Burke

Living-2022

July 20, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Living-2022

Director Oliver Hermanus

Starring Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood

Scott’s Review #1,380

Reviewed July 20, 2023

Grade: B+

Living (2022) is a British film remake of a Japanese movie named Ikiru, made in 1952. That screenplay was partly inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich. I have not seen that film, but my best bet is that it is either equal to or superior to Living.

The remake is quiet yet powerful. It teaches a poignant lesson about living life to its fullest and not wasting time on trivial and meaningless things that most people stress over.

Before you know it, life is over.

The brilliance of this message is that it can be applied to anyone’s life at any age and in any given situation. At least that is what I took from the film, and therefore, the film is inspiring to me personally.

In this particular case, the focus is on an older man who has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a maximum of six months to live.

With high reliability, Living tells the story of an ordinary man named Rodney Miller (Bill Nighy) who has so far lived years of dull office work and a careful routine. In other words, he has led a bland existence and rarely does anything exciting.

To be clear, he is not a loser but is quite polished, prim, and proper. Well-dressed, has a good job, and is highly responsible. He resides with his son and daughter-in-law.

Once his doctor gives Mr. Miller his diagnosis, he becomes determined to turn his dull life into something extraordinary with the help of a young office worker, Miss Margaret Harris, played by Aimee Lou Wood.

While the supporting actors are fine, they are not given much to do or explored deeply, except perhaps Wood. She is compelling as a girl-next-door type who bonds with her much older boss. We root for her to find happiness, and she does.

Living works best as a character study, and Nighy quietly takes charge with a ferociously understated performance that justifiably landed him with an Academy Award nomination.

The actor has a gorgeous voice, so very poised, deep, and oozing with polish and sophistication. I fell in love with the character right away, even before his diagnosis with deadly cancer.

He’s not an evil man, just a boring one, and Nighy is successful at showing his appeal. This is evident in his personal life, where he is unable to communicate with his son, despite his desperate desire to do so.

His life has so far avoided any ruffling of feathers that he cannot even adequately express himself.

The film avoids exploring much of Mr. Williams’s personal life, and he has no designs on Miss Harris other than his envy of her joy and passion for life. He does not seem to be gay, but nothing is said about a wife or ex-wife.

The film’s overall pace is slow, which may not appeal to some viewers. Since the running time was merely one hour and forty-two minutes, I wasn’t bored, though I wasn’t energized either, until the ending, which I found moving.

The experience is not a downer despite the subject matter, and no scenes of Mr. Williams dying a painful death or any hospital scenes are featured.

Instead, it portrays life.

The filmmaking is clean and polished, much like Mr. Williams, and there is a rich London texture. Rainy days, a sophisticated swagger, and crisp, structured sets and art design are what I mainly notice.

The title “Living” (2022) is apt for the lesson being presented to the audience. Spend an enormous amount on that savory dinner, eat a giant ice cream sundae, or help someone before looking the other way.

Because one day it will be too late.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-Bill Nighy, Best Adapted Screenplay

2022 Films, Charlbi Dean, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Dolly de Leon, Harris Dickinson, Independent, Independent Comedy, Ruben Östlund, Satire, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Burić

Triangle of Sadness-2022

July 2, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Triangle of Sadness-2022

Director Ruben Östlund

Starring Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson

Scott’s Review #1,374

Reviewed July 2, 2023

Grade: A

When I realized the director of Triangle of Sadness (2022) had directed Force Majeure (2014) and The Square (2017), I became very interested in seeing it.

I’m not sure I ultimately ‘got’ The Square, but Force Majeure was a thought-provoking slice of cinematic brilliance that I still think about from time to time.

Sure, Triangle of Sadness was rewarded with three Academy Award nominations, which it deserved. Still, Ruben Östlund has a knack for challenging his audience to think outside the box, both cinematically and otherwise, with a robust examination of social classes.

He crafts a subject matter about class systems and the haves and have-nots that has been explored in film many times before. But, in Triangle of Sadness, it feels fresh and fraught with many different possible directions.

The wicked dark comedy explores political talking points such as capitalism, communism, and socialism, and challenges conventional ways of thinking.

It’s on par with the popular HBO series The White Lotus, but on steroids.

I cannot recommend the film more highly, primarily geared toward those seeking expressive and deeply textured films with some meaning.

Despite the dreary title, it’s far from a dour experience. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, especially in scenes featuring severe vomiting amid seasickness.

The rich and famous embark on a luxury cruise with fine dining and servants galore. But after a devastating storm leaves several passengers and staff stranded together on a deserted island, the power exchange begins to shift, and the social hierarchy is turned upside down.

Events mainly surround a celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), who are invited on the luxury cruise for promotional purposes. Yaya is a social media influencer.

They are joined by a Russian oligarch, Dimitry, and his wife, Vera, as well as an elderly couple, Clementine and Winston, who have made their fortune manufacturing grenades and other weapons. Therese, a wheelchair user only capable of speaking a single phrase in German following a stroke, and Jarmo, a lonely tech millionaire who flirts with Yaya.

Besides possibly Therese, there is no a sympathetic rich character to be found.

The yacht staff are more sympathetic, although we don’t get to know all the characters very well.

Highlights include the head of staff, Paula, who demands that the staff obey the guests without question, Abigail, a cleaning woman, and the yacht’s captain, Thomas Smith (Woody Harrelson), who spends his time drunk in his cabin and despises the absurdity of the guests’ wealth.

The main events on the ship take a while to get to, and the film is divided into chapters. Part 1: Carl and Yaya, Part 2: The Yacht, and Part 3: The Island.

I realized after the fact that the point of the slow build is to show the dynamic between Carl and Yaya, the main characters. Both models and living life based on their looks, they are wildly insecure, bickering over money and gender roles.

While not likable nor complete assholes either, enjoyable is a chance to get a fleshed-out perspective on where they are coming from.

My adoration for the film largely stems from not knowing what is going to happen but knowing that at some point the shit is going to hit the fan.

The setup is perfect, especially the put-upon staff. While they are not abused, the relationship is clear. The passengers are in a position of power; the staff is not.

This will soon change.

Late in the game, I unexpectedly found myself rooting for a minor character who takes center stage in the last chapter, turning events upside down.

Comparisons can also be found in the recent Best Picture winner Parasite (2019) and classic international films such as Swept Away (1974) and L’Avventura (1960).

These are all brilliant films, and my hunch is that Triangle of Sadness (2022) will hold up well, perhaps achieving even greater acclaim as the years go by.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Ruben Östlund, Best Original Screenplay

2022 Films, Chris Pine, Florence Pugh, Gemma Chan, Harry Styles, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, Olivia Wilde, Thriller

Don’t Worry Darling-2022

June 9, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Don’t Worry Darling-2022

Director Olivia Wilde

Starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine

Scott’s Review #1,368

Reviewed June 9, 2023

Grade: B+

Don’t Worry Darling (2022) plays like a modern version of The Stepford Wives (1975) meets Pleasantville (1998) but with a supernatural spin and lots of much-needed modern diversity.

Not set in present times, the characters all feel very 2022 but are transplanted to a different period that only enhances an already unsettling feeling.

The sophisticated 1950s set design and art direction are a significant score, as well as the mysterious happenings that continue to shroud the central character and her surroundings.

The film never lags and, in fact, fascinates throughout. There is a continuous feeling of uncertainty, dread, and controlled chaos that assuredly will explode in the finale.

I’m not sure I quite got the conclusion right away until I read through the summary, and something about an alternate universe and different lives outside of the primary setting was revealed. Regardless, it felt unsatisfying, especially compared to the rest of the events.

But, small potatoes, I still enjoyed Don’t Worry Darling immensely.

The premise is thrilling from the start. A 1950s housewife named Alice, played by emerging star Florence Pugh, is living with her husband in a utopian experimental community. They mingle with neighbors, host lavish parties with delicious food and drink, and enjoy each gorgeous sunny day.

Daily, the men dutifully drive off to work in the distinguished Victory Headquarters while the wives cheerfully clean and scrub the windows and prepare a savory dinner, counting the minutes until their husbands return for a romp in the hay.

It all sounds too good to be true.

When a close friend Margaret (KiKi Layne) experiences a psychotic episode witnessed by Alice, she begins to worry that her husband’s glamorous company may be hiding disturbing secrets and that everything may not be as perfect as it seems.

I am becoming a big fan of Florence Pugh, who effortlessly carries the film. Impressive in both Midsommar and as Amy in Little Women, both in 2019, she possesses a specific ‘it’ factor showcased well in Don’t Worry Darling.

Pugh has many scenes with no dialogue. Ranging from a soak in the bathtub, a bizarre episode where she wraps her head in Saran Wrap, and witnessing her friend’s death, she does so much without speaking.

Successfully, the audience is taken along for the ride. We know as much as Alice does, which is nothing. It’s not that Alice hates her life; hell, she’s got it pretty good. A scrumptious roast and carrots alongside hot sex on her dining room table, the girl could do much worse.

But she knows something is off and is determined to find out what it is. Why are the women forbidden from seeing the Victory Headquarters? Why does a plane crash that only Alice sees? Why does Frank, the alpha male leader of Victory, wonderfully played by Chris Pine, keep eyeing Alice?

Impressive is the direction by Olivia Wilde, who also appears as Alice’s friend, Bunny. Along with the screenwriter, Katie Silberman, the duo crafts a piece of work with a feminist perspective turned topsy-turvy, and it’s a good angle.

Not to harp on the ending again, but the message of female empowerment, which I think is the intention of Wilde and Silberman, is unclear. A bolder message and a more finite ending would have helped cement the deal.

Still, in Wilde’s only second film, the first being the vastly different Booksmart (2019), she should only be proud of herself and the product she created.

If one is seeking an emboldened psychological thriller with twists and turns to savor, Don’t Worry Darling (2022) is a fine pick. It creeps along with appropriate plot points and a stylized visual canvas.

2022 Films, Brad Pitt, Chloe Fineman, Comedy, Damien Chazelle, Dark Comedy, Diego Calva, Drama, Epic, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Flea, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Lukas Haas, Margot Robbie, Olivia Wilde, P. J. Byrne, Period Drama, Samara Weaving, Spike Jonze, Tobey Maguire

Babylon-2022

June 4, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Babylon-2022

Director Damien Chazelle

Starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt

Scott’s Review #1,365

Reviewed June 4, 2023

Grade: A-

Babylon (2022) is a film that will likely divide audiences broadly. Slightly late to the table, I viewed the film after the awards season hoopla had ended, and the film came up empty-handed.

Sure, a few nominations were received, but much more was expected from the epic Hollywood-themed venture.

I’m a fan of director Damien Chazelle, most famous for the similarly set Los Angeles film La La Land (2016), which I adore.

His direction style reminds me a great deal of Baz Luhrmann’s, with the incorporation of intense musical numbers during many scenes and a strong, chaotic, and frenetic nature.

I realize this style is not for everyone, so I’m not surprised that Babylon is both revered and reviled. This isn’t always a bad thing, as a good film debate can be fun.

I adore Babylon primarily for the potent silent-era Hollywood story and the terror stars of the 1920s faced with the realization that sound had entered their pictures and they were expected to keep up with the times.

Sadly, many careers ended devastatingly, sinking one-time big stars into depression and despair.

The acting is superb, and major props go especially to Margot Robbie as debaucherous film star Nellie LaRoy and newcomer (to me) Diego Calva as handsome Mexican immigrant Manny Torres.

Both actors elicit superb performances that should have landed them Oscar nominations.

The major themes that Chazelle incorporates into Babylon are those of ambition and outrageous excess, as well as belonging and acceptance. The rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood are explored.

As Hollywood transitions from silent films to talkies, ambitious up-and-coming actress Nellie and aging superstar Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) each struggle to adapt to the new medium, as well as a rapidly changing world.

And Manny wants a seat at the table.

Another reason I love the film is the dedication and exposure given to pre-sound Hollywood movies, which are often forgotten. I struggle to recall ever having viewed a film from that era, with my earliest film being the 1930 film “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

The hit film The Artist (2011) may have paid tribute, but it’s not the same, and Babylon goes for the jugular in showcasing an entire movement that is now largely forgotten.

Cinema fans will respect Babylon.

Besides the film’s characters, there is much to appreciate in the movie itself. A Hollywood movie set, repeated takes, scripts, dialogue, lighting equipment, and rehearsals make for a feast of riches for any cinephile.

The weak point is the film’s excessive length. At three hours and nine minutes, an epic length, the erratic structure is a challenge to get through. A piecemeal approach can sometimes affect the continuity, and it did detract a bit in this case for me.

If one can sit still long enough, the final thirty minutes are superb. A tidy wrap-up and truthful storytelling give several characters a proper sendoff.

The film ends in 1952, so a fitting conclusion is in order.

Before we get to this point, though, a nailbiting sequence involving Manny and a fiendish Los Angeles gangster played by Toby Maguire is second to none. Fake money, a rat-eating entertainer, and pornographic dwarves make for an odd adventure that one can’t look away from.

A fascinating and bombastic experience, Babylon (2022) delves loudly into the silent film world and pays a proper head nod to a long-forgotten era.

The film has made me appreciate Hollywood and its history even more than I already do.

Oscar Nominations: Best Musical Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design

2022 Films, Adventure, Animated, Antonio Banderas, Children, Comedy, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Florence Pugh, Harvey Guillén, Joel Crawford, Olivia Colman, Salma Hayek

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish-2022

April 14, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish-2022

Director Joel Crawford

Voices: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault

Scott’s Review #1,357

Reviewed April 14, 2023

Grade: B

There is a connection between the Shrek film series and Puss in Boots, which I didn’t realize until researching this review.

The title character appears in Shrek 2 (2004) and a film called Puss in Boots (2011), which I think I’ve seen but don’t remember well, precedes the 2022 film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

I’m not a big enough fan.

The film is an entertaining adventure, laden with bright, colorful animations and Skittles- or rainbow-type colors, marred by blacks and greys. This works well and provides energy.

There is also a cool incorporation of familiar fairy tale characters. The names are reintroduced mostly as scheming people intent on capturing Puss in Boots, which accelerates the fun and my interest.

The result is a good but not a great film. I’m not sure what would have made Puss in Boots: The Last Wish a masterpiece, but the target audience is firmly set on young viewers.

My two cats glanced at the screen once or twice before deciding on a cozy nap instead. They were not engaged.

Even the darker subject matters of death and dog abuse somehow fall by the wayside in favor of the other cute, adventurous, and fight sequences.

Surprisingly, they do not pack a deeper punch.

Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) returns as the daring outlaw who discovers that his passion for danger and disregard for his safety have taken their toll, and he is forced to consider retirement.

As a cat, he is on his ninth and last life!

He tries to get those lives back by returning to the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star on his grandest quest yet. At the risk of death, Puss will have to ask for help from his former partner and nemesis, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault).

They are joined in their journey by a chatty and cheerful mutt named Perro (Harvey Guillén). Together, they try to stay one step ahead of the fairy tale villains, including Goldilocks and the Three Bears, ‘Big’ Jack Horner, and the Big Bad Wolf.

I didn’t know the character histories of Shrek or Puss in Boots, despite having seen them, but I’m not sure that’s imperative to one’s enjoyment of the film. I quickly caught on that Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws were meant to be an ‘item’.

The story is a compelling enough adventure, but it becomes meandering a some point. I knew the troupe would ultimately emerge on the Wishing Star and all would end well. It did, and the characters rode swiftly off into the sunset.

That’s how a film like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is supposed to end, and I respect that. Best not to tarnish youngsters too early, especially when reality can sometimes be quite dark.

The fun for me was the visuals and specific moments. Puss in Boots’s stunning, gleaming green eyes are astounding and balance nicely with Kitty’s blue ones.

‘Big’ Jack Horner is patterned after Donald Trump. Bullying, fat, and loud, he is a feared pastry chef and a crime lord who plans to use the Wishing Star to gain control of all magic. Snubbed as ‘Little’ Jack Horner as a kid, he vows revenge and exhibits a pouty, snotty vibe.

The writers must have fun with that character.

Finally, a darling sequence featuring Mama Luna, an elderly cat lady who initially takes Puss in, is excellent. Puss in Boots, more like a human being eating human food and using the toilet, is reduced to cat chow and a litter box, like all the other cats.

Director Joel Crawford and screenwriters Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow carefully tone down the violence and darker themes in favor of a robust adventure and largely succeed.

Perfect for kids, it’s not bad for adults either.

Oscar Nominations: Best Animated Feature

2022 Films, Action, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Beverly D'Angelo, Christmas, Comedy, Dark Comedy, David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Tommy Wirkola

Violent Night-2022

April 9, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Violent Night-2022

Director Tommy Wirkola

Starring David Harbour, John Leguizamo

Scott’s Review #1,355

Reviewed April 9, 2023

Grade: B

Violent Night (2022) isn’t the straight-ahead slasher flick with a holiday theme that I thought it might be. Part magic, part action, and part dark comedy make the film a peculiar yet strangely satisfying experience.

In a warped way, of course.

I’m not sure what director Tommy Wirkola was specifically going for, but Violent Night is an entertaining one-hour-and-fifty-two-minute experience. Best watched around the Christmas holidays, I watched the film on a cross-country flight from Los Angeles to New York City in April and still enjoyed it.

It’s a cool concept with lots of gore, a ritzy mansion as the primary setting, and a pleasing interracial element that adds diversity. The film is also a strange take on a jovial Christmas message, like a Lifetime television movie.

A lot is going on in Violent Night, and it openly patterns itself after Home Alone (1990), which one character has just watched for the first time.

David Harbor plays a not-so-jolly Santa Claus who guzzles beer in a London pub on Christmas Eve just before he is set to traverse the world distributing toys to children.

Depressed at the state of the world and the overwhelming amount of naughty people on his list, Santa arrives in upper-crust Greenwich, Connecticut, and witnesses a team of mercenaries breaking into a wealthy family compound and taking everyone inside hostage.

Led by Scrooge (John Leguizamo), the bad guys, dressed as Christmas characters, take the family hostage, demanding money they know is hidden on the estate. St. Nick must save the day and kick some ass to maintain the spirit of Christmas.

The characters, though mostly over-the-top, are my favorite part of Violent Night.

The audience is meant to like seven-year-old Trudy (Leah Brady), a darling innocent with interracial parents who are separated. Jason (Alex Hassell) is part of a wealthy family, and his wife, Linda (Alexis Louder), is a kind woman who has her daughter’s best interests at heart.

All Trudy wants for Christmas is for her parents to be back together.

The other characters are played for laughs, especially grand dame Gertrude, deliciously played by Beverly D’Angelo. She’s terrific as the queen, rich bitch whose family kisses her ass at every turn, hoping to keep in her good graces.

Leguizamo pairs well with Harbour’s Santa, who is effective as the beefy, boozy man. He is a good fellow, but has lost his belief in the magic of Christmas. The relationship between Santa and Trudy also works well.

A couple of belly chuckles exist, which is always a good thing. As Santa takes off on his reindeer-led sleigh to deliver toys, he promptly vomits on the pub bartender’s head. Soaked with barf, she proudly exclaims, ‘He is Santa!’

Violent Night is good fun, though severely unrealistic. The film gets a bit too hammy towards the conclusion when the bad guys get their comeuppance on the spacious mansion’s snowy exterior. One character’s decision to burn money to keep warm is too far-fetched, and the villains quickly disintegrate into caricatures.

The happily-ever-after conclusion and the resurrection of a character are underwhelming and worthy of a Hallmark television-movie send-off.

The Connecticut mansion is a cool set, and the Christmas trimmings make it flourish with strong design. The plentiful rooms and secret attics are fun to watch.

I’ve never seen the film Bad Santa (2003), but from what I know of it, Violent Night (2022) seems on par. Be forewarned, the ‘violent’ in the title is true to form, and the violence is fast and furious at times, with a snug message wrapped within.

2022 Films, Andre Braugher, Ashley Judd, Brad Pitt, Carey Mulligan, Drama, Gywneth Paltrow, Jennifer Ehle, Maria Schrader, Patricia Clarkson, Samantha Morton, Tom Pelphrey, Zoe Kazan

She Said-2022

April 7, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

She Said-2022

Director Maria Schrader

Starring Zoe Kazan, Carey Mulligan

Scott’s Review #1,353

Reviewed April 7, 2023

Grade: B

Telling a highly relevant story that also happens to be topical, She Said (2022) is a film I champion people to see for its powerful message. The importance of its mere creation, with the added urgency of a female director being tied to it, is critical.

The #MeToo movement and uncovering sexual harassment in liberal-minded workplaces like Hollywood only make this project more relevant.

As dynamic as the story is, the overall package could have been a bit better in my evaluation of the encompassing project. Director Maria Schrader mostly goes the safe route, choosing to craft the message carefully, but hardly in a dark way.

The film, at times, feels almost wimpy and lacks some crucial elements that might have made it more impactful. The screenwriter is Rebecca Lenkiewicz, who deserves much credit but plays softball rather than hardball.

The film is good but not great, and unsurprisingly, it completely whiffed of any Academy Award nominations. There are a few transparent misses that leave She Said with a courageous yet unfulfilling feeling.

Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star as New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, respectively, who together break one of the most important stories in a generation. This story helped propel the # MeToo movement.

The revelations and eventual conviction of multi-millionaire film production mogul Harvey Weinstein shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood and altered American culture forever. This led to a needed examination of the industry.

Mulligan and Kazan are terrific, delivering strong, charismatic lead performances as female reporters with a vested interest in getting to the truth.

It’s tough to say who the lead is, since both characters’ personal lives and their sympathetic husbands run parallel.

I’m a bigger fan of Mulligan’s, and I’m still smarting from her Best Actress loss for Promising Young Woman in 2020. Hers is the more hardened of the two characters, and her one gritty scene in a local bar, when she angrily rebuffs the advances of a jock, is excellent.

Another impressive aspect of She Said is Ashley Judd’s appearance as herself. News junkies will recall that Judd was instrumental in coming forward and telling her story, even though she could have kept it hidden, as other victims did.

Finally, the jarring first sequence sets the tone quite well as disgraced former President Donald J. Trump is examined pre-2016 election, when sexual harassment allegations were hurled at him.

The point of this is to show that powerful men have historically gotten away with sexual abuse against women.

She Said tones down too considerably when it never shows Trump, Weinstein, or the pivotal actress Rose McGowan. Only their voices and the back of Weinstein’s head are used.

This sparks a peculiar feeling and a watered-down approach. It’s unclear why real video footage or actors couldn’t or wouldn’t be used, but it gives off a weird vibe.

It’s nice to see the legendary Patricia Clarkson in any film, but her role as news reporter Rebecca Corbett is limited and one-dimensional.

Finally, the climactic wrap-up, when finally one of Weinstein’s abused victims agrees to go public, feels anti-climactic and is better served for a Hallmark Movie of the Week moment.

Ouch!

The film is overall good, with the message being the most important takeaway. She Said might serve as a warm-up act to the much meatier, yet similarly themed, All the President’s Men from 1976, or the recent Bombshell from 2019.

Based on the vitality of the real-life events that She Said (2022) was created from, I expected something much more than I was served. It’s like trying for a grand slam home run and instead flying out to the shallow center field.

2022 Films, Albrecht Schuch, Best International Film Oscar Winners, Drama, Edward Berger, Epic, Felix Kammerer, German, International, International Drama, War

All Quiet on the Western Front-2022

March 10, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

All Quiet on the Western Front-2022

Director Edward Berger

Starring Felix Kammerer

Scott’s Review #1,350

Reviewed March 10, 2023

Grade: A

With the escalating situation in vulnerable Ukraine, with Russia’s dictator invading the neighboring country, the timing for the release of All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) couldn’t be more perfect.

The clear anti-war message that the film presents remains nearly as powerful as when it was first made in 1930, but the original version wins out by a sliver.

The human destruction, loss of life, and futility of battle still resonate nearly one hundred years later with a very different rendition.

In both a timely and timeless way, the film reminds its audience of the horrors of war through countless battlefield scenes that devastate and scar the main character.

As I asked in my original review, have we learned nothing at all?

The time is 1918, amid World War I. Furious patriotism prompts seventeen-year-old Paul (Felix Kammerer) to enlist in the German Army. He and his peers are duped into believing they will receive a hero welcome and fulfill their duty to the country.

Their perception is shattered as they are sent to the muddy trenches and stinking foxholes, where they receive little food, water, or training.

They quickly learn about the horrors of war.

While keeping the terrible message close to my heart during my viewing of the film, I was nonetheless constantly comparing the 2022 version to the 1930 version, directed by Lewis Milestone.

Especially intriguing is how a film can be remade so well after many decades have passed

The remake significantly alters the final scene, with mixed results. The powerful ‘butterfly scene’ in which Paul reaches for the gorgeous creature from a bloody foxhole is eliminated.

Instead, a scene nearly equivalent is presented involving Paul’s fate. It’s more drawn out but resonates nonetheless.

Both are exceptional endings, but I’ll forever remember Milestones, and neither is a happy one.

Also missed are Paul’s furlough and subsequent visit to his small hometown. Instead of being embraced, he is ridiculed and called a coward for questioning the war.

This is a precursor to the sheep-like support of Adolf Hitler by the German people several years later.

However, the remake introduces a powerful musical score featuring a loud and bombastic drumbeat. Its eeriness and unexpected appearances are foreboding and tragic, assuring that death is right around the corner.

The cinematography is more modern and slickly created, which is beautiful to witness, especially in the wintry France sequences. The snow-coated farmland and cloudy skies perfectly encompass the mood of the film.

Enough praise for Kammerer, an Austrian actor. His clean-cut appearance quickly turns waif-like as he is traumatized by one death after another. His piercing blue eyes offer a mesmerizing depth, conveying a profound pain.

He should have received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

The battle scenes are not softcore, and nor should they be. A heaping amount of bodies are bludgeoned, run over by tanks, self-mutilated, or otherwise torn apart. This reinforces the destruction that war has on lives, especially the young ones.

But the best scenes occur when Paul forms a bond with another soldier. His best friend, Kat, played by Albrecht Schuch, has nothing in common with him in ‘real life’. Coming from different backgrounds, they would normally not cross paths, and yet they became close.

A tender moment occurs when Paul and a French soldier engage in a physical altercation, only to see each other as human beings, and a level of kindness emerges. They wonder why they are intent on killing each other.

Just as its predecessor does, All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) successfully portrays the ravages of war while also highlighting examples of friendship and humanity.

Sadistic and brutal, the film presents the case for a world that is anti-war and wins out in spades. It’s more terrifying than any horror film because of its reality.

In the end, the staggering numbers of human casualties are listed with somber and quiet end credits.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography (won), Best Production Design (won), Best Original Score (won), Best Sound, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best International Feature Film (won)

2022 Films, Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Kerry Condon, Martin McDonagh

The Banshees of Inisherin-2022

March 2, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Banshees of Inisherin-2022

Director Martin McDonagh

Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon

Scott’s Review #1,348

Reviewed March 2, 2023

Grade: A

Martin McDonagh, who directed The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), is known for films such as In Bruges (2008) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

His films typically feature dark humor stories about humanity and unpleasantness, and require some reflection to consider the characters’ true nature.

This film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, who reunite after their collaboration in In Bruges for another turn playing men dealing with depression, loneliness, and the complexities of friendship.

McDonagh is British/Irish, so the period and surroundings likely resonate well with him. The gorgeous islands off the coast of Ireland are integral to the story and serve as a counterbalance to the troubles and tribulations of the characters.

Pádraic (Farrell) and Colm (Gleeson), are lifelong friends and inhabitants of an island off of mainland Ireland. They find themselves embroiled in a feud after Colm one day announces he is ending their friendship.

This confuses Pádraic, who vows to mend the relationship at all costs.

Their reunion is thwarted by severed fingers, a fire, and the mysterious death of Pádraic’s beloved pet donkey, Jenny.

Mixed into the events are Pádraic’s sister, Siobhán (Kerry Condon), and the troubled young islander, Dominic (Barry Keoghan), who have their own problems to face.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a slow-paced and cerebral film, and many questions will be pondered but left unanswered. This will likely disappoint viewers who prefer a clear conclusion to the characters’ lives.

However, this is a key part of the film’s beauty. I might have liked a big, no-holds-barred argument scene between Pádraic and Colm, or more closure in Dominic’s or Siobhán’s stories. Instead, McDonagh challenges the audience to feel perplexed or unsure and use their interpretations.

For example, I wonder if Dominic was being sexually abused by his policeman father, who has a penchant for sitting naked in the living room chair and masturbating.

Or, what does Siobhán leave the island for, and will she ever return?

On a separate note, I wonder if McDonagh was influenced by the epic 1970 gem Ryan’s Daughter, directed by David Lean. The flowing Irish landscapes and unpleasant, embittered townspeople have key similarities.

The winning formula is ambiguity. The audience is treated to terrific acting all around, particularly among the four principals (Farrell, Gleeson, Condon, and Keoghan), all of whom were awarded Academy Award nominations.

Each provides subdued performances dripping with contained emotion and complexities buried beneath the surface.

Audiences can draw their conclusions, but my takeaways were loneliness, longing for new adventures, depression, and begrudgingly accepting a meager existence amid the most lavish countryside one can find.

The 1920s Irish Civil War serves as the backdrop, although those events are not central to the plot.

Since Colm’s desire to create music is a central part of the story, the accompanying music is crucial to the film. The use of fiddles is incorporated rather than traditional Irish music, except in the sprinkling of pub scenes.

A hearty round of applause is due to McDonagh and company for crafting and performing a thinking man’s film. The comic bits are not syrupy but tragic in their honesty and cadence.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) separates cinematic thinkers from passive viewers with a quiet story about the friendship between two men and the layers that exist beneath the surface.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Martin McDonagh, Best Actor-Colin Farrell, Best Supporting Actor-Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, Best Supporting Actress-Kerry Condon, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score

2022 Films, Adam McKay, Anya Taylor-Joy, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Hong Chau, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Janet McTeer, John Leguizamo, Judith Light, Mark Mylod, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes, Will Ferrell

The Menu-2022

February 20, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Menu-2022

Director Mark Mylod

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy

Scott’s Review #1,345

Reviewed February 20, 2023

Grade: B+

The premise of The Menu (2022) immediately elicited my utmost pleasure. A self-proclaimed ‘foodie’ with a long way to go in being an expert, a film about a high-caliber restaurant with an extravagant and sophisticated tasting menu was impossible to ignore.

Throw in the horror and dark humor genres, and you’ve got the icing on the cake.

After all, being fortunate enough to have experienced fine dining, as depicted in the film, makes me repeatedly reminisce about those adventures. Those enchanted by such tasting menus, rich in flavor and style, must see The Menu.

Cinematically, the film reminds me of parts of Saw (2004) and Knives Out (2018), with a dash of novelist Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians story and a sprinkling of a Jordan Peele project for its social commentary.

A young couple Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) travels to a sunny coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant named Hawthorn, where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu.

They are joined by other guests, including a food critic, her editor, wealthy regulars, three business people, a washed-up movie star and his assistant, and the chef’s alcoholic mother.

As the evening commences and the dishes are served, the chef has some diabolical surprises in store for the guests. Secrets are soon revealed as it becomes apparent they have been summoned to the island for a reason.

Mark Mylod, a new director to me, peppers the film with dark, macabre humor, mostly related to the food, which is slyly placed and pairs well. Those who savor fine dining and tasty ingredients will smirk with delight.

The title and ingredients of each course are named, and by the third course, the sins of the diners are revealed on tortilla shells for all to see. The audience knows they are not innocent people, and the chef and his team are intent on punishing them a la carte style.

The revelation that Margot is not supposed to be there is satisfying because, so far, the chef, his assistant, and a guest have been eying her mysteriously. Tyler was initially scheduled to bring another woman with him.

Instead of limiting the story, this only enhances it. Could Margot be convinced to align with the chef, or does she hate him? Jealousy among the staff and guests quickly spirals out of control.

Another win for The Menu is the incorporation of class distinction. The haves and the have-nots, and how they feel about each other, is a crucial sidebar, and it is easy to understand the motivations of the characters.

The Menu loses its way during the final thirty minutes, with an unsatisfying and perplexing ending that hardly wraps up the story for the audience in a neat doggy bag.

I was left with more questions than answers regarding the plot.

The analysis can be somewhat forgiven with a deathly serving of s’mores for dessert, with the bodies of the guests as the marshmallows and their heads mirroring the chocolate tops.

A laugh-out-loud moment occurs when a spoiled guest fails to understand the quality difference between cod and halibut. Every foodie should be aware of the superiority of halibut.

It’s not all polish and high cuisine, as the preparation and consumption of a good old-fashioned greasy cheeseburger are made with such precision that I could nearly smell the wonderful indulgence.

The sizzling meat, combined with the heavenly melted American cheese, made me want to reach for my phone and order Grubhub.

Fiennes and Taylor-Joy are the standouts as their complex relationship and chemistry are palpable. Special notice must be given to Hung Chau, Judith Light, Janet McTeer, and John Leguizamo, who make the ensemble quite good.

With a terrific idea and enough tastes and smells that almost emerge from the screen, The Menu (2022) is a winner. It’s unsatisfying at the conclusion, but the experience is enjoyable and the creativity is championed.

I felt like a guest at a restaurant myself.

2022 Films, Horror, Jessie T. Usher, Kal Penn, Kyle Gallner, Parker Finn, Rob Morgan, Sosie Bacon

Smile-2022

February 8, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Smile-2022

Director Parker Finn

Starring Sosie Bacon, Jessie Usher

Scott’s Review #1,342

Reviewed February 8, 2023

Grade: B+

I was prepared to award Smile (2022), a new supernatural horror film, with an exceptional ‘A-‘ grade until it dissipated during the final act and became too confusing.

The story collapsed mightily, leaving too much ambiguity and a messy plot that turned chaotic, so my initial reaction was one of dissatisfaction.

But then I remembered that I watched some of it with my hand closed to cover my eyes, and my jaw dropped open during other parts.

Smile is one of the scariest horror films I’ve seen in quite a while, with striking visuals and a handful of terrifying scenes. I’ll probably never see someone smirk again without thinking of this film.

Matters get off to a thumping start when Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) witnesses a bizarre, traumatic incident involving one of her patients. The troubled patient claims to see a haunted smile and suddenly kills herself in the presence of Rose.

Shaken, Rose starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain as she turns to white wine to calm her nerves. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

But what does the link to her past have to do with the present?

That’s where Smile does a deep dive south, but I’m willing to forgive Rose’s trip to her abandoned childhood home, where her mother, who has a mental illness, offered herself while a guilt-ridden Rose did nothing to help.

There’s also Rose’s bitchy, self-centered sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser), to contend with.

The implausible storyline can be forgiven by the knowledge that Smile is director Parker Finn’s first feature film! Greats like Hitchcock and Tarantino didn’t knock it out of the park with their first releases either, but the brilliance was noticeably there.

The opening sequence, for example, is one of the best I’ve seen in horror this decade. I didn’t anticipate something so gruesome and palpable to occur right away. Rose’s patient is immediately terrified of Rose, which is a clear indication that something is seriously wrong.

The next best scene happens at Rose’s nephew’s birthday party. On an otherwise lovely afternoon, the boy’s living room is filled with brightly packaged presents from friends and family gathered nearby. He eagerly picks up his Aunt Rose’s specially wrapped gift.

What is wrapped inside is too gruesome to describe, but suffice it to say the party is ruined, the nephew traumatized, and all the party guests in agreement that Rose should be immediately sent to the loony bin.

It’s other aspects that give Smile a significant victory. Any character who dons that sinister smile (see poster art above), whether real or imagined, haunts me in my dreams.

Those who scare easily need not see this film.

An interracial aspect (the Caucasian Rose’s boyfriend is black, and Holly’s husband is Indian) scores major points from a diversity perspective, and more minor characters provide a robust helping of cultural richness as well.

Sosie Bacon, daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kira Sedgwick, may be headed for Hollywood fame of her own as she easily carries the film. She emits a combination of calm, vulnerability, and intelligence, which makes the character relatable.

The film received positive reviews from critics but was criticized for patterning itself too closely after its counterparts, The Ring (2002) and It Follows (2014), but since those films were excellent, I didn’t mind a bit.

I don’t think we necessarily need a sequel to Smile (2022), but I’m anxious to see what Parker Finn comes up with next. He’s got the jumps and the cinematography down, and hopefully, he stays in the horror genre.

2022 Films, Ben Whishaw, Brad Pitt, Claire Foy, Drama, Frances McDormand, Independent, Independent Drama, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Rooney Mara, Sarah Polley

Women Talking-2022

February 7, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Women Talking-2022

Director Sarah Polley

Starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley

Scott’s Review #1,341

Reviewed February 7, 2023

Grade: B+

Women Talking (2022) is a quiet film faithful to its title because it is about a group of women, well, talking. But, instead of idle gossip, these women have something powerful to say. They debate and discuss their fates throughout the film’s one hour and forty-four-minute running time.

It is written and directed by Sarah Polley, a former actress, and adapted from the recent 2018 novel of the same name written by Miriam Toews.

Shockingly, the film is inspired by actual events that took place in the ultraconservative Manitoba colony in Bolivia.

For years, the women of a rural colony have been drugged and raped nightly by demons punishing them for their sins. They have, until recently, acquiesced.

But when the women discover that these “demons” are the men of their community, they boldly decide to take a vote to determine what action to take.

The year is 2010, but the woman’s dress makes it seem like it’s the 1800s. I wasn’t sure of the year going in, save for a 1960s pop tune bursting from the speakers of a pushup truck, so the viewer can easily be misled or unclear.

A male rapist is caught and imprisoned, which leads the men to conveniently be out of town while the women have two days to make a decision. They will either stay and do nothing, stay and fight, or leave.

One male remains with the females; the kind teacher, August, played by Ben Whishaw. There also exists a transgender man who has been raped by men and no longer speaks to adults.

While the film is a slow one, it has something intelligent and interesting to offer. Despite the women being repressed and abused a feminist overtone is readily apparent which uplifts the dire tone.

Hollywood heavyweights like Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt executive-produced and produced, respectively, so Women Talking has big-time backing, deservedly so.

Comparisons to a female version of the classic play, Twelve Angry Men, cannot be overlooked by the astute viewer. The women are divided and not in agreement or harmony…..at first. The lone juror would be most similar to Ona (Rooney Mara), a sensible woman who reasons and weighs the pros and cons.

McDormand also appears in a small role as the grizzled and beaten-down ‘Scarface’ Janz, who has accepted her lot in life.

Mara, Claire Foy, and Jessie Buckley are the standouts; the latter two characters are fueled with anger at the revelations and mistrust of the men.

Liberties must be taken.

It’s mentioned that the women are not taught to read or write, but the characters are wise, cagey, and well-spoken. The ambiguity of what’s to become of the women slightly let me down. A decision has been reached, but what’s next?

Polley has directed a gem and garnered considerable notice for her project, and the kudos can’t come loudly enough. I thought it wise that, besides August, the male characters are either not seen or seen only from a long distance. Some are blurred entirely.

This adds to the mystique and grotesqueness of their actions.

An accurate ensemble picture that could easily be shaped into a stage play, Women Talking (2022), led by Polley and backers, produces a compelling narrative.

The point is well-intentioned and well-received that repression and victimization are alive and well.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Feature, Best Director-Sarah Polley, Best Screenplay, Robert Altman Award (won)

2022 Films, David Corenswet, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, Mia Goth, Slasher, Ti West

Pearl-2022

February 2, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Pearl-2022

Director Ti West

Starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet

Scott’s Review #1,339

Reviewed February 2, 2023

Grade: A-

The follow-up to the superb horror film X (2022) is even better. Ti West directs and co-writes Pearl (2022) with star Mia Goth, who is quickly becoming a household name, especially in horror circles.

The duo creates a macabre and intelligent piece that pays homage to legendary films like The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Mary Poppins (1964) in the most wicked of ways. The film resembles a musical from the golden age of cinema, but it is haunting instead.

A24 is the place to be predominantly in the horror genre, as creativity is embraced and massaged rather than picked apart and recreated by too many cooks in the kitchen.

West and Goth appear to have complete creative control, and it shows in the finished product.

In the second chapter of X, we are introduced to the character Pearl as a young woman living on a farm in rural Texas. Fans recall that Pearl is the old lady in X, but we knew nothing of her backstory until now.

Pearl feels trapped on her family farm. Bored and isolated, she needs more out of life than milking cows, caregiving for her sickly father (Matthew Sunderland), or disagreeing with her rigid mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright).

She lusts for the glamorous life starring in Hollywood pictures, much to her mother’s chagrin. When a church-sponsored audition for dancers needed for a traveling troupe occurs, Pearl sees this as her way out of dodge and anticipates winning the contest. She is joined by her affluent sister-in-law Mitsy (Emma Jenkins-Burro).

The time is 1918, and Pearl’s fiancé is off fighting World War I.

It’s tough to take my eyes off Goth, quickly becoming a modern scream queen turned upside down. She’s not the victim, she’s the villain. With her wide-eyed stare and luscious red lips, she bears a striking resemblance to Dorothy Gale from Kansas.

Her descent into madness is slow yet always bubbling beneath the surface. We quickly get glimpses of her psychosis when she stares down her mother during a disagreement, showing that Pearl doesn’t merely get into a tizzy; she goes full-throttle psycho.

And anyone who has seen X knows that the old lady has some issues.

Initially, there is hope for Pearl, and we take pleasure in her company. She catches the eye of a handsome projectionist played by David Corenswet. Mutually smitten, he makes her forget her fiancé, and they bond over films and aspirations.

But once he visits Pearl’s farm and finds a maggot-covered stuffed pig and hears noises in her house, his interest wanes. Not to be so easily dismissed, Pearl’s actual mental state is revealed.

West and Goth turn the horror genre upside down when the best and most brutal killings occur during the daytime. Standard horror films often take place at night, so this invention raises the stakes when the cinematography and lighting are as bright.

This adds to the horrific nature of the gruesome bloodletting. Pearl calmly follows her prey down the sunny driveway, holding a pitchfork, intent on killing.

She repeatedly exclaims that nothing will keep her on the farm, but we know that she will.

Returning to the Wizard of Oz comparisons, several references can be found. For starters, Goth resembles Judy Garland, mainly around the eyes. Her outfits, most notably her dresses and hair bow, pay tribute to Dorothy. Her bicycle looks like Miss Gulch’s ride.

Goth also resembles American actress Shelley Duvall, whose most notable role is that of the suffering Wendy Torrance in The Shining (1980). Both actors have a mesmerizing stare as if to say ‘I can go cuckoo at any moment now’.

Too few modern films can be watched and re-watched, but my hunch is that my first viewing of Pearl (2022) will not be my last.

A third film is in the works.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Lead Performance-Mia Goth, Best Cinematography

2022 Films, Action, Best Feature- Independent Spirit Award Winners, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Daniels, Favorite Film of the Year, Independent, Independent Comedy, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh, Science Fiction, Stephanie Hsu

Everything Everywhere All at Once-2022

January 26, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Everything Everywhere All at Once-2022

Director Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan (Daniels)

Starring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Kwan, Stephanie Hsu

Scott’s Review #1,337

Reviewed January 26, 2023

Grade: A

Released in March 2022, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a film that built momentum throughout the year, resulting in an astonishing eleven Academy Award nominations.

Traditionally, films vying for awards season attention and subsequent praise and honors are released in the fourth quarter, while earlier releases are relegated to the discount racks.

But Everything Everywhere All at Once breaks the mold thanks to being a visionary, absurd comedy that demands the appreciation it has received.

As of this writing, it is the highest-grossing film released by A24, a champion of independent and quality cinema.

Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) plays a flustered and bedraggled immigrant mother who runs a laundromat along with her goofy husband Waymond (Ke Huy Kwan).

They reside in the laundromat with Evelyn’s irritable father, Gong Gong (James Hong), and daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu), who is gay.

In trouble with an IRS inspector, Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis), Evelyn is contacted from a parallel universe and told that only she could save the world. She must quickly learn to channel her newfound powers and fight through the timelines of the multiverse to save her home, her family, and herself.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is not conventional and is admittedly a complete mess, meant in the finest of ways.

It takes the cinematic formula and tips it on its ass, but intelligently incorporates heartfelt scenes and gripping performances so that the viewer falls in love with the characters before knowing what’s hit them.

I semi-cried when I heard the film was an action mix with science fiction and superhero multiverses, none of which are my genre of choice. The film goes beyond that with a sensory overload, a warped onslaught of colorful wackiness that includes hot dog fingers, butt plugs, and a drag performance.

You can’t make this up, kids.

Michelle Yeoh kicks ass (literally!) and gets the role of a lifetime. At sixty years old, she has played a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and a rich bitch Mom in Crazy Rich Asians (2018), decent roles, but nothing like Evelyn.

Directors, the Daniels, show through Evelyn’s character how her life has disappointed her. Never appreciated by her father and living in a state of doldrums, she becomes an angry and frustrated young woman, but eventually develops into a person who enjoys the small moments of human connection in her life.

We can all learn from Evelyn.

What a treat to see Jamie Lee Curtis chew up the scenery playing Deirdre. Displaying her gut, wearing a bizarre grey wig, she plays part IRS agent, part lesbian lover, depending on which universe she inhabits, and is a hoot.

Ke Huy Kwan is famous as the child actor from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, and not much since. He somersaults back into the acting spotlight in the role of Evelyn’s kind husband.

Finally, Stephanie Hsu is a gem as Stephanie, who wants to be loved by her mother. The actor has a bright future ahead of her.

These actors get to play four or five different characters, showcasing their acting chops.

Stylistically, the film is off the wall. Dizzying special effects and absurd editing bombard the viewer with ‘stuff’ that can be analyzed from a technical perspective for weeks.

But at the end of the film, you will shed a tear or two at the emotion that sneaks up from behind in the most wonderful way. Quiet scenes between the noisy ones show humanity and love for one another.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) has reaffirmed my appreciation of film and the creativity and beauty that can be mastered.

Oscar Nominations: 7 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (won), Best Actress-Michelle Yeoh (won), Best Supporting Actor-Ke Huy Kwan (won), Best Supporting Actress-Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis (won), Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Original Score, Best Original Song-“This is a Life”, Best Costume Design, Best Editing (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 6 wins-Best Feature (won), Best Director-Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (won), Best Lead Performance-Michelle Yeoh (won), Best Supporting Performance-Ke Huy Kwan (won), Jamie Lee Curtis, Best Breakthrough Performance-Stephanie Hsu (won), Best Screenplay (won), Best Editing (won)

2022 Films, Bill Skarsgård, Georgina Campbell, Horror, Justin Long, Zach Cregger

Barbarian-2022

January 19, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Barbarian-2022

Director Zach Cregger

Starring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long

Scott’s Review #1,335

Reviewed January 19, 2023

Grade: B+

Although there are some exceptions, it can be challenging to distinguish many modern horror films from one another. Maybe it’s age catching up to me, but many of them run together or lack a novel subject that makes them memorable past a couple of days.

Supernatural beings seem to be a standard flavor, so it’s pretty refreshing to watch a movie like Barbarian (2022), which offers an original storyline with a straight-ahead premise.

You might say the events could happen in ‘real life’ with some suspension of disbelief to endure.

The twists and turns make Barbarian an edge-of-your-seat experience with some genuinely scary moments. It’s a nice feeling when I can’t predict the ending or am surprised in some way by a horror film’s outcome.

There are major plot points and numerous questions to ponder, but this is forgivable because the film takes the viewer on a fun and unexpected journey.

Horror genre fans alike should enjoy this spooky entry, and I know I’ll never go to Detroit, Michigan, without thinking of this film.

Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell) travels to Detroit for a job interview, having booked an Airbnb in a residential area. But when she arrives late at night in a driving rainstorm, she discovers that the house is inhabited by a strange man named Keith (Bill Skarsgard), who insists he is also renting the home.

Suspicious, but unable to reach her contacts or find another place to stay, she decides to spend the evening sharing a bottle of wine with the stranger.

They retire to bed (separately), but when she wakes to find her bedroom door ajar, she discovers that there’s more to fear than Keith.

A lot more.

I wondered what I would do if faced with the same circumstance. Would I sit in my car all night, sleep-deprived, and attend an important job interview? Or, enjoy an inviting glass of wine, the company of a handsome stranger, and the comfort of a warm bed?

The first section of the film deals with this before spinning into another direction, which is what makes the film so pleasurable.

As an unearthed portion of the house is uncovered, Tess is continually faced with more questions, typically involving whether to flee from the home or stay and save others.

The introduction of AJ (Justin Long), a Los Angeles actor who owns the house, almost makes the audience forget about Keith or the initial storyline, especially when other dubious characters like a rapist and a deformed woman named ‘Mother’ make their appearance midway through.

The dark, foreboding passageways to nowhere, familiar territory in horror, are given fresh life by the use of flashlights and tape measures, making the viewer unsure of who or what could be around the corner.

I love how the current rundown neighborhood, now avoided by the police and forgotten by everyone else, is seen back in the 1980s with well-manicured lawns and freshly painted houses.

This backstory connects to current events, which made me feel invested.

There’s even a shred of sympathy given to the main villain.

Where things falter is when I try to add up the logic of the situation. Nobody eats in this film, as the plausibility of finding food before starvation is nil.

Also, when history is revealed, the many living things residing below the house are nowhere to be found. Where are they, or what happened to them?

Finally, Tess, while an intelligent woman, makes more than one bungled decision that lands her in continuous trouble.

Surprisingly, director Zach Cregger is new to filmmaking and had an idea that spiraled into Barbarian (2022). If he gets his story points straightened out, he could have a bright future in the world of cinema.

2022 Films, Daniel Kaluuya, Donna Mills, Horror, Jordan Peele, Keke Palmer, Oz Perkins, Steven Yeun

Nope-2022

January 15, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Nope-2022

Director-Jordan Peele

Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer

Scott’s Review #1,334

Reviewed January 15, 2023

Grade: B

I excitedly anticipated the latest offering from one of my favorite modern directors, Jordan Peele. Always conjuring some type of message, intrigue, or social issues his projects are laden with meaning rather than a one-dimensional crazed killer or a one-note story.

Get Out (2017) and Us (2019) were riveting efforts able to watch over and over again for deeper meaning and the same was expected of Nope (2022). Peele’s brilliant yet short-lived The Twilight Zone series further cemented his appeal.

While there are moments of mystery, intrigue, and horror and the stories independently are good, they don’t come together cohesively at the end of the film. Nothing was clear or cemented in certainty or fulfillment.

Nope is not a dud and deserves respect for the originality of the premise as well as the sprinkling of nods to past horror films like The Shining (1980) and others.

Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch. After their father is killed by a falling object they become obsessed as they plot to capture the mystery on camera.

Their next-door neighbor Jupe (Steven Yuen), a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster has his own story to tell.

Through flashbacks, we learn of a deadly incident with a chimpanzee who went berserk on the set of a television series Jupe starred in.

The 1998 events involving Jupe and the chimpanzee are the best parts. This is surprising since they are not part of the main action. Peele does wonders with chapter title cards to section the film and haunting camera angles focusing on Jupe’s point of view.

The chimp slaughters nearly everyone on set except for Jupe and tenderly reaches out to him before being shot and killed by police.

OJ and Emerald’s story also has juice. The foreboding unidentified flying object that circles and comes out at varying times provides mystique and wonderment. What could it be and why does it hover only over their land?

Peele wrote, directed, and produced the venture so presumably, he had complete creative control over the entire film.

He even convinced the appealing Daniel Kaluuya who starred in Get Out and just won an Academy Award for Judas and the Black Messiah in 2021 to return.

There are no major issues with the technical special effects, the cinematography, the cast, or the two separate stories.

My beef is with the myriad of questions I was left with when the end credits began to roll and I thought, ‘Why has Jordan Peele disappointed me for the very first time?’

Here are just a few of them.

Why is the unidentified flying object afraid of horses? Why does it viciously attack anyone who looks it in the eye? What does the vicious chimpanzee attack have to do with anything? How does Jupe’s story connect with OJ and Emerald’s? Why is the character named OJ; what is the connection to OJ Simpson?

Knowing Peele, I could venture a guess at the UFO’s anger at being looked at as having a connection to the celebrity or a society of voyeurs but the others are perplexing to me.

I was compelled and fascinated by the events throughout the film but wish the payoff happened but it never came.

Peele creates sophisticated films and Nope has sophistication and a deeper meaning. I wasn’t personally able to put the pieces together like I was for Get Out or Us.

I may not have the energy to rewatch the two-hour and fifteen-minute spectacle to see if I can get more out of it a second time but I probably should.

I will watch whatever Peele creates next with anticipation and salivation because there is always something to ponder and be entertained by but Nope (2022) at first review is inferior to his other projects and more was expected.

2022 Films, Angela Lansbury, Crime Thriller, Daniel Craig, Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant, Janelle Monáe, Jeremy Renner, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Madelyn Cline, Natasha Lyonne, Rian Johnson, Thriller

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery-2022

January 5, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery-2022

Director-Rian Johnson

Starring Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe

Scott’s Review #1,331

Reviewed January 5, 2023

Grade: B

I teetered over grading Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), simply referred to as Glass Onion, a B+ or a B but the hardline critic in me won out on this day.

If I hadn’t compared it so much to the deliciously witty and inventive Knives Out from 2019 I might have given in and awarded it a generous B+ rating but it’s also impossible not to compare the two since the setups and similarities are too apparent.

Rian Johnson who returns to the fold as director, writer, and co-producer pays tribute to the fabulous Agatha Christie murder mystery whodunits and the Hercule Poirot detective inclusion with the delightful Daniel Craig as the lead, reprising his role as master detective Benoit Blanc as he takes on an exciting new case.

A Greek island owned by ultra-billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) provides the setting for the Southern detective’s latest adventure, which unfolds as a group of the tech giant’s friends gather for a murder mystery party, quickly turning deadly.

I couldn’t watch Miles without thinking of Elon Musk, the current controversial social media Twitter chief executive officer in all his juvenile buffoonery.

Appearances by top stars Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, and Leslie Odom Jr., and a surprise cameo by Hugh Grant round out the cast. Along with Craig and Norton, this brings enough star power to create buzz.

It’s also appealing that Benoit, a clear ode to Poirot, is the only character that is the same from the first Knives Out story. His character is immediately developed when we see him soaking in a bathtub in his Manhattan apartment conversing with a male voice offscreen.

He refuses to leave the tub during the very topical COVID pandemic making the entire film feel incredibly timely and relevant.

Let’s see what happens when the film ages ten years.

We later learn that his husband, Phillip (Hugh Grant) lives with him and Blanc is gay. How wonderful to incorporate an LGBTQ+ presence into a main character and icing on the cake is that the studly James Bond actor is all in.

With Blanc’s vague sexuality revealed, the exciting mystery commences with many twists and turns among the characters, led by a wonderful dual performance by Monáe. She plays sophisticated New Yorker Andi and her southern sister Helen Brand.

The other characters are a mixed bag with Hudson and Hahn playing ridiculous, over-the-top roles as a washed-up fashion designer and an aspiring governor, respectively.

But the cartoon character award goes to former WWE professional wrestler David Bautista as the weird, buff guy, Duke Cody who barely keeps his clothes on.

Still, the characters are a hoot, and the anticipation of how they all connect, who has screwed over who, and why, are slowly revealed in fun form.

Not to be outdone there are even revelations of who is screwing who in the bedroom.

The story isn’t as interesting as the story in Knives Out was. The ingenious script is lost and by the end, it’s a case of who cares? All we want to know is who’s dead and who’s alive and what does the Mona Lisa have to do with anything?

The cast undoubtedly had a ball making Glass Onion and the sunny Greek Island locale is a great choice. As the players bask in the sun and saunter around in bikinis sipping a cocktail or three amid peril is great fun for the cast and viewers alike.

It’s unclear if Johnson will create another installment of the Knives Out ‘collection’ but I’m on board if he does. I’ve been fascinated by the whodunit genre for as long as I can remember.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) isn’t quite as riveting or satisfying as Knives Out (2019) but the film is simply fun with superior, glossy production values and a great cast.

Oscar Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay

2022 Films, Darren Aronofsky, Drama, Hong Chau, Independent, Independent Drama

The Whale-2022

December 28, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Whale-2022

Director-Darren Aronofsky

Starring Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau

Scott’s Review #1,328

Reviewed December 28, 2022

Grade: B+

The Whale (2022) is the latest film from director Darren Aronofsky, a filmmaker that I have been a big fan of since viewing the disturbing Requiem for a Dream in 2000. That film made me cringe and squirm in the best possible ways.

His knack for creating psychologically dark yet enthralling films continued with The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010), and mother! (2017).

Any release by Aronofsky will be watched by yours truly though I am well aware I will likely leave the theater drawing deep breaths and trying not to feel disgusted. On the flip side, there is a good bet that I will feel titillated and secure that I have seen something with artistic distinction.

Not an easy watch, The Whale left me satisfied, in an Aronofsky way, but recognizing the overwhelming dirtiness and nastiness of the supporting characters and the pitiful nature of our protagonist, a good, decent guy.

Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is an obese, six-hundred-pound English teacher who makes his living teaching online classes from the safety of his meek apartment. Embarrassed by his weight he refuses to ever turn on his camera.

Racked with guilt over abandoning his family and grieving the loss of the male partner he left them for, Charlie is slowly eating himself to death. Over a week, he tries to find redemption when he reconnects with his angry teenage daughter.

He is cared for by a night nurse and the sister of his deceased partner named Liz (Hong Chau) while visited by a church missionary, Thomas (Ty Simpkins), and his estranged daughter Elle (Sadie Sink, and his ex-wife, Mary (Samantha Morton).

Let’s just give Brendan Fraser the Oscar right now. His performance is a major reason to see the film and he envelopes himself in the role while making a ‘comeback’ to the Hollywood circle.

The actor does more than wear a fat suit. He delivers an emotional turn as a lost soul who has spiraled out of control since his partner’s death. A recluse, he wheezes and struggles to walk to the bathroom while downing two meatball subs with extra cheese for lunch and two pizzas for dinner.

In a heartbreaking scene, he goes on an eating binge fueled by anger, vomiting it all up soon after. Charlie is a kind and decent person, having faced demons most of his life and trying to live out his final days in peace. He is suffering from heart failure and will not go to the hospital.

Fraser seamlessly delivers the best work of his career. He channels the proper emotional honesty that makes the character believable. He is hurting and the audience is along for the ride in his journey to find purpose before the inevitable occurs.

Before I criticize the supporting characters, I’ll stress that the acting by Sink, Morton, Chua, and Simpkins is excellent. Any award recognition provided to any of them will be well-deserved. For upstarts like Sink and Simpkins, this could be the boost to a lengthy career.

With that said, the cruelty heaped on Charlie is astonishing and difficult to watch making the characters of Elle and Mary unlikable. Thomas and Liz are a bit better until Thomas reveals that both Charlie’s weight and sexual orientation disgust him.

Liz is Charlie’s best friend and the most relatable but she is unnecessarily harsh with him when he chokes on food and doesn’t exude much warmth. Of course, she has her demons like the other characters.

A controversy regarding The Whale has emerged and there is a certain ‘fat shaming’ to be endured. If I were overweight I would not see the film since the face stuffing and cruel fat criticisms are part of the experience.

I ruminated throughout The Whale how easily it could be a stage version. Only one set, Charlie’s dark and dusty apartment in rural Idaho is used and only five principal characters exist.

Fraser’s performance is pure genius and worth the price of admission but there is difficulty with some other aspects of The Whale (2022).

Aronofsky fans should see the film but fairweather fans or non-fans should be forewarned that the film is a heavy and depressing journey.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Actor-Brendan Fraser (won), Best Supporting Actress-Hong Chau, Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won)

2022 Films, Chloe East, Drama, Gabriel Bateman, Jeannie Berlin, Judd Hirsch, Julia Butters, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Robin Bartlett, Seth Rogen, Steven Spielberg

The Fabelmans-2022

December 17, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Fabelmans-2022

Director-Steven Spielberg

Starring-Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano

Scott’s Review #1,324

Reviewed December 17, 2022

Grade: A

At seventy-five years old, Steven Speilberg continues to churn out heartfelt films, personal and resonating with anyone who sees them. Rebounding with creative energy with the remake of the brilliant West Side Story in 2021 he continues to impress the older he gets.

In what is certainly his most personal film, The Fabelmans (2022) is semi-autobiographical, telling the story of a young boy’s venture into the world of filmmaking.

The boy is presumed to be Spielberg himself.

The Fabelmans is Spielberg’s thirty-third film and I’d be hard-pressed not to say it’s one of his best. He loses no ground in creating a lovely tale of family, dreams, human bonds, and a bit of scandal.

The director takes a fond look back to his boyhood in New Jersey and the family’s subsequent move to his primary childhood home in Arizona. From there he goes to California to launch his film career.

Of course, obstacles and trials and tribulations of the Fabelman family sometimes get in the way.

Young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ a film about a carnival, in 1952. His life changes forever after viewing the riveting train crash.

Sammy starts to make his films at home, much to the delight of his supportive mother Mitzi (Michelle Williams), who is at heart a dreamer and an artist like Sammy. His father Burt (Paul Dano), who is a computer engineer, sees filmmaking as merely Sammy’s hobby and something he will outgrow.

The story is heartfelt and compelling with sentimentality and emotion that only Spielberg can create without it ever feeling phony or forced.

To my surprise, I was teary-eyed more than I ever thought I would be mostly because the characters feel genuine and filled with humanistic sensibility. They are good people trying to do good things for each other.

Particular standouts are LaBelle, Williams, and Dano, but the cast is tremendous all around. Seth Rogen gives a career-best as Sammy’s father’s best friend and colleague who harbors a family secret.

Judd Hirsch hits it out of the park in the small but powerful role of Mitzi’s uncle. He provides invaluable words of wisdom to Sammy and a bit of understanding about his mother.

I was enthralled the most by Williams and several of her scenes made me choke up. She delivers a beautiful performance as an artist who never saw her dreams realized, instead living vicariously through her son, another dreamer.

That doesn’t mean that Mitzi is unhappy, quite the opposite. She is often childlike in her approach, buying a monkey for entertainment simply because she needs a laugh. When a secret about his mother is revealed to Sammy while editing his film it threatens to ruin their close relationship.

Dano, stoic as the methodical and quiet Burt, has deep-seated thoughts and emotions. The actor is brilliant as his range of emotions remains within himself while brimming to be let out.

Finally, LaBelle anchors the film in his debut effort. Showcasing his talent as the insecure lone Jewish boy living in affluent and white, Christian northern California, he nonetheless finds love and companionship with a classmate.

Besides the wonderful characters and storytelling, Spielberg crafts tremendous editing to reinforce the beauty of the creative filmmaking process.

Technically impressive, it also exudes a passion for creating the film. As Sammy intertwines bits of film and videotapes together to create art it’s inspiring to any lover of cinema.

The Fabelmans (2022) may be a personal story but Spielberg masterfully shares it with his audience as an homage to his own family revealing experiences and secrets held close to him over the years.

The viewer will overwhelmingly connect to his silver screen family and his love of cinema so that they may also conjure a feeling of belonging. The film contains tremendous acting, cinematography, storytelling, and everything else.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Steven Spielberg, Best Actress-Michelle Williams, Best Supporting Actor-Judd Hirsch, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Production Design

2022 Films, Animated, Bill Hader, Children, Dan Scanlon, Disney, Keke Palmer, Lee Unkrich, Pete Docter, Taika Waititi

Lightyear-2022

December 13, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Lightyear-2022

Director-Angus Maclane

Voices-Chris Evans, Keke Palmer

Scott’s Review #1,322

Reviewed December 13, 2022

Grade: B

The popular Toy Story (1995-2019) franchise spawns a new child with Lightyear (2022), the spin-off prequel film within a film. Box office receipts will determine if Lightyear has any children of its own.

It’s a pleasant and more or less conventional offering since it only focuses on one ‘toy’, the masculine Buzz Lightyear, and tells his story. The visuals are delightful and colorful and there is enough adventure to keep the whole family engaged.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of legacy or connection to the Toy Story characters, and even the voice of Buzz is replaced by Tim Allen to Chris Evans.

One’s enjoyment of the film largely depends on their preference for the franchise in general or the hero in question. Better satisfied may be now adults who were kids in 1995 harkening to a nostalgic film featuring a favorite childhood character.

As a semi-fan but not a diehard fanatic of the Toy Story films I found the overall result pretty good but not astounding.

It doesn’t explain why Lightyear went from a living and thriving action hero to becoming a suburban kid’s possession but it also doesn’t matter much, at least to me.

For fans of the series, it’s a nice trip down memory lane type of film more than anything groundbreaking or breathtaking.

Sometimes familiarity breeds comfort.

The film follows Buzz Lightyear (Evans) operating as a space ranger who, after being marooned on a hostile planet with his commander and crew, tries to find a way back home while confronting a threat to the universe’s safety.

His ambitious recruits Izzy, Mo, Darby, and his robot companion, Sox serve as new characters following Lightyear’s every move. As this motley crew tackles their toughest mission yet, they must learn to work together as a team to escape the evil Zurg and his dutiful robot army that is never far behind.

Possibly the most interesting and I’ll confess the primary reason why I saw Lightyear was the notorious same-sex kiss that unceremoniously got the film banned in some Middle Eastern countries.

It also pissed off conservatives who found the kiss too much for them and the potential damnation and ruination of young children everywhere.

In truth, the kiss is timid and a non-issue. The issue is more likely a prominent female lesbian character and her wife, and best friend Buzz. It’s like, how dare the all-American Lightyear has a black lesbian for a best friend.

Alisha (Uzo Aduba) is strong, confident, and black. She is a commanding officer and arguably the most interesting character in the film.

What an inspiration for young girls everywhere to see such representation and potential. The kicker is that she is in a relationship with a woman who produces a grandaughter named Izzy (Keke Palmer), one of Buzz’s recruits.

Despite the addition of inclusion and diversity Lightyear is nonetheless a by-the-numbers offering. The message is one of a robust adventure though I appreciate the social importance of such a good character.

Once Buzz is in flight and soaring for the stars Lightyear turns action/adventure in a hurry. The filmmakers intend to create a popcorn summer blockbuster while having our hero save the day and the intention is fulfilled.

The time travel and aging of characters are interesting because we see their lifecycle and generations to follow. For example, Buzz is close to Izzy. He cares so much for Alisha who he misses terribly because he has been far away and not aging while she has aged like a normal human.

Lightyear (2022) provides a safe flight plan despite being brave enough to include some diverse characters. It doesn’t connect to the origin of Toy Story as much as I’d like it to and feels rather like a stand-alone.

Time will tell if a sequel is made but it would be unnecessary.

2022 Films, Amandla Stenberg, Chase Sui Wonders, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Pete Davidson, Slasher

Bodies Bodies Bodies-2022

December 11, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Bodies Bodies Bodies-2022

Director-Halina Reijn

Starring-Amandla Sternberg, Maria Bakalova

Scott’s Review #1,321

Reviewed December 11, 2022

Grade: B

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) is an admirable attempt at merging straight-ahead slasher whodunit with a good dose of dark comedy and camp. It doesn’t always hit the mark but provides entertainment and is thought-provoking.

The film is never boring and will keep the viewer guessing. There is plenty of diversity with a twist at the end which I’m still not sure is satisfying or not.

While watching the film, I wasn’t always sure if the dialogue was being played for laughs (it’s sometimes terrible). I’m still uncertain if the debut director Halina Reijn was poking fun at 1980s-style slasher flicks or paying homage to them.

The inclusion of Saturday Night Live alumni Pete Davidson provides a bit of humor and pushes the film toward comedy territory though his character is more of an asshole than comic relief. It’s other characters who deliver the funny lines.

Having not heard of the film at all, the premise was intriguing and made me flip it on during a long international flight. I needed to pass ninety minutes or so of time.

When a group of rich twenty-somethings plans a dubious hurricane party at a remote family mansion, they drink and use drugs. A party game goes awry.

I knew right away that an incident would occur that would see them knocked off unceremoniously one by one.

A hefty dose of cattiness between both the male and female characters will make the viewer smirk with pleasure. The backstabbing and fake friends angle is as delicious as the offing of several characters.

I love that Sophie (Amandla Sternberg) and Bee (Maria Bakalova), the central characters, are a lesbian couple. Bee is from eastern Europe while Sophie is of mixed race, and Sophie is affluent and Bee working class. So there are many differences to explore making for an insecure relationship.

It’s suggested that they are a new couple, early on in their relationship, and one of the other girls, Jordan (Myha’la Herrold), has previously had relations with Sophie. On top of all that, Sophie is a recovering drug addict.

I’m not sure the myriad of drama elements is all that necessary but it does reinforce the complexities of the characters. At the end of the day what the audience wants to see is violence and dripping blood and I felt a bit cheated in that department.

Don’t get me wrong, people do die but nobody is shown squealing or running for their life. Because they are playing a game, aptly titled ‘bodies bodies bodies’, the victims pretend to die but then wind up dead.

Besides Bree and Sophie, the other characters are unlikeable. I slowly realized that’s the fun of Bodies Bodies Bodies. Since the characters are whiny, rich, and spoiled rotten, we want them to get their just desserts.

My main criticism of Bodies Bodies Bodies is that it’s not always clear what the intention of the film is which confuses. Is it a message movie, a slasher flick, or an argument over a spoiled and clueless generation?

As the credits rolled I wasn’t even sure who the killer was or why. Turns out, my immediate hunch was right but I second-guessed myself.

In hindsight, I like the ultimate twist but there are so many aspects to Bodies Bodies Bodies. Generation Z hatred, societal clashes, love triangles, and a potential serial killer all rolled into one. That’s a bit much for a ninety-minute affair.

Comparisons to April Fool’s Day (1986) and Scream (1996) come to mind. And, Agatha Christie’s novels where a group of characters flocks to a remote locale for a good whodunit also occur.

As I absorb Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) more and more I realize that Reijn brings a fresh perspective to a sorely oversaturated genre and that’s a good thing.

The film could have been fleshed out more.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Director-Halina Reijn, Best First Screenplay

2022 Films, Action, Adventure, Ed Harris, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Monica Barbaro

Top Gun: Maverick-2022

November 23, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Top Gun: Maverick-2022

Director-Joseph Kosinski

Starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly

Scott’s Review #1,316

Reviewed November 23, 2022

Grade: B

I made the mistake of watching Top Gun: Maverick (2022) in the worst possible forum imaginable- inside an airplane at 35,000 feet! And I wasn’t inside the cockpit either, which would have fulfilled the appropriate thrills and perhaps even elicited terror.

Being chastised repeatedly for not seeing the film on the biggest movie theater screen imaginable, I watched this offering on the plane primarily out of curiosity to see what all the fuss was about.

In a nutshell, I thought the visuals and action/adventure sequences up in the sky were second to none. The use of sound and cinematography successfully provided the peril and anticipation of the events of the film.

Even on a teenie tiny screen with earbuds I could sense and appreciate the bombastic trimmings.

To bury myself even further, I hadn’t even seen the original Top Gun made in 1986. Of course, I was familiar with the popular soundtrack featuring the enormous Kenny Loggins hit, ‘Danger Zone, which is reprised in the new film, and the syrupy ballad, ‘Take My Breath Away by Berlin.

I guess I felt I knew the predictable story enough not to bother viewing the film.

So, I’ll chalk this review up to lessons learned but I can still provide a critical opinion as I asked myself repeatedly over the two hours and eleven minutes running time why people love Top Gun: Maverick so much and why it was such a box-office hit.

But in the end, I’m glad it was because in 2022 we desperately need butts in movie theater seats.

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) pushes the envelope and challenges his superiors as a courageous test pilot. This subsequently hinders his chances of advancing up the ranks of status.

When he finds himself training a group of All-American-looking Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”.

Rooster blames Maverick for his father’s death.

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

This summary equates to a limited story with plenty of flaws but Top Gun: Maverick is about entertainment first and foremost. A cohesive and edgy story is not to be found.

Let’s get the storyline woes out of the way in short order.

I was disappointed that superb actress Jennifer Connelly (if anyone has missed her wonderful turn in 2006’s Little Children check it out asap) was reduced to playing Penny Benjamin, a girlfriend who owns a dive bar role.

I mean Connelly looks amazing but she has no deep story to speak of. She flirts with, sleeps with, and hopes to live happily ever after with him. A single Mom, her daughter frets that Maverick will break her heart.

It’s the romantic angle of the story but quite banal and uninteresting.

The ‘recruits’ are written as one-dimensional. There is rivalry and teamwork to be had but they are all so good-looking that it’s tough not to see a lack of realism.

Finally, Jon Hamm suffers through an uninteresting role as the heavy. Cast as Vice Admiral Simpson, he doesn’t like Maverick and that’s about all there is to his part.

The same can be said for Ed Harris and his role.

On the upside, Cruise has a wonderfully emotional scene that reminds audiences how good an actor he is. He says a teary goodbye to his long-time friend Kazansky (Val Kilmer) and it’s a beautifully written, rich scene that I adored.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) fails in the story department but I realize the main draw is Cruise the action star. The film wins as a loud, thrilling, summer, popcorn visual and sensory treat, and thankfully it was an enormous success.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song-“Hold My Hand”, Best Film Editing, Best Sound (won), Best Visual Effects

2022 Films, Alec Baldwin, Art, Drama, Mark Strong, Noémie Merlant

Tár-2022

November 18, 2022 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Tár-2022

Director-Todd Field

Starring-Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss, Noémie Merlant

Scott’s Review #1,315

Reviewed November 18, 2022

Grade: A

Tár (2022) is a brilliant film that truly belongs to Cate Blanchett. I cannot picture any other actress in this role but her.

I can pretty much watch any film that she appears in with my favorite being her self-titled role in Carol (2015). But Tár is a close second.

In Tár, again in the title role, she plays a brilliant woman whom the audience admires but slowly finds pieces of her personality tarnished and brittle, under the surface. As the film goes on her character’s psyche is peeled back more, like an onion.

This lofty praise of Blanchett is in no way meant to diminish the rest of Tár because it revels in grandiose riches. The pacing, musical score, and other acting performances are to be championed.

When I found out that Todd Field was directing Tár my spirits began to soar.

After all, he directed In the Bedroom (2001) and Little Children (2006), two tremendous films with a quiet, small-town, setting brimming with secrets and scandals which slowly rise to the surface.

The subdued locales are scrapped in favor of Berlin, a busy, behemoth of a city in Germany. Some of the events take place in New York City so there is a large, cosmopolitan vibe. The luminous settings are encompassed by a cold, grey, stark quality.

Tár requires the viewer’s absolute patience to get the biggest bang for the buck. It can be tough to follow with very long sequences but the Field/Blanchett combination makes the film culminate in a muddy and dazzling conclusion.

Blanchett plays Lydia Tár, the groundbreaking conductor of a major German Orchestra. We meet Tár at the height of her career, in high demand, as she’s preparing both a book launch and a much-anticipated live performance of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.

What could go wrong? In Lydia’s case, just about everything.

Over a few weeks, her life begins to unravel. The result is an examination of power and its effect on those who have it and those who don’t.

The timely #MeToo movement is in top form.

The gender flip is also quite interesting since typically it’s males who have and abuse the power, but Lydia is a female and a lesbian.

I spent a good part of Tár feeling perplexed, anxious, and compelled. It’s a slow burn but I always knew, with Field in the director’s seat, that a big payoff awaited me. I happily jumped into his arms and waited for the shit to hit the fan.

The key to Tár is that many of the events have happened off-screen and before the current events of the film. There is a mysterious, suicidal, former student of Lydia’s in the mix. She sends desperate, pleading, emails to Lydia and her assistant.

We wonder how the former student ties into the events.

Lydia relies on Francesca (Noémie Merlant), her attentive personal assistant, and Sharon (Nina Hoss), her sickly wife, and concertmaster for just about everything.

Soon, a new and gifted Russian cellist named Olga (Sophie Kauer) arrives on the scene. With Lydia smitten, how will Olga fit in with the other women?

Francesca, Sharon, and Olga are three pivotal female characters and each actress is exceptional in the role.

Tár reminds me of both Whiplash (2014) and Black Swan (2010) for different reasons. It envelops the world of classical music like Whiplash did for jazz and Black Swan did for the ballet world.

All three films could be watched close together and more similarities could be noticed.

Tár is a film that can be owned and watched again to piece together the jagged puzzle pieces. It’s a rare moment in the modern film where one can be re-watched.

Since it contains music, the orchestra and maestro sequences are wonderfully constructed so the coldness of the events mirrors the song choices.

Stark and boiling over with gems like mystique, uncertainty, and sophistication, Tár (2022) rejuvenates modern film with a bleak yet thought-provoking story of a powerful woman.

It’s a film that engrosses and thrills.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Todd Field, Best Actress-Cate Blanchett, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Feature, Best Director-Todd Field, Best Lead Performance-Cate Blanchett, Best Supporting Performance-Nina Hoss, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography (won), Best Editing

Welcome to my blog!1,498 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my featured films of the month, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.