Tuesday 28 November 2017

Loving Vincent (2017)

Hand painted by oil painters instead of animators, Loving Vincent is designed to look like the work of Van Gogh has come to living, breathing life, and it succeeds. What may be the most beautiful film of the year also looks like nothing we expect from an animated film. It is a moving painting. As animation continues towards homogenization, a little film like Loving Vincent is a breath of fresh air and just the sort of thing that we need to breathe life into the genre again.

The film tells a charming little story about delivering a letter written by the dead artist to his brother's family. It evolves into quite a compelling little mystery, the veracity of the story I have no idea of. The film sets its scenes within Van Gogh's paintings (for example two characters sit on the terrace depicted in Cafe Terrace at Night and have a conversation early in the film) therefore leading the film to be a way of bringing his paintings to life.

125 painters laboured to paint each scene and the textures, the colours are so rich that watching the film becomes compulsive for the audience. How do you take your eyes away from such a beautiful sight? This is the sort of film which reminds me why I adore animation so much. It is a reminder of what can't be done in live action and why animation remains such a vital part of film making.

Loving Vincent is a must see, a film that will stay with you and give you something you won't find in anything else this year.

Loving Vincent
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Chris O'Dowd, Aiden Turner, Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Helen McCrory
Writers/Director: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman

Sunday 26 November 2017

Wonderstruck (2017)

Todd Hayes makes beautiful films which often feel somewhat awkwardly clunky in gorgeously unique ways. Carol and Far From Heaven are lush, rich tragic love stories that break your heart while I'm Not There and Velvet Goldmine are odd brainstorms that give us an experience unlike what we've seen before. Wonderstruck is another. It is a rare mashup of styles and relationships which mostly captures a romantic imagination.

The story is oddly coincidental yet is easy to forgive despite how unlikely it remains. The forgiveness comes from Hayes' ability to make it feel uniquely magical. Perhaps his most awkward film yet, he pulls the rabbit out of the hat with a film that will make you smile and feel warm in a way that doesn't ever feel forced. Despite how cliched the story is Hayes creates such a lovely world (or worlds) for his story to play out in. From the Cabinets of Wonder to the NYC diorama, Hayes colours his film in sets as fantastic as his story.

Wonderstruck is gorgeous, a lovely thing to watch. Hayes films part of his story as a silent film aping the classics, and finds exactly the right 70s tone for the rest of his film. And it is all beautifully lovely, so much so it will win you over. And the score, with its constantly changing style and tone, fitting for this film, is as lovely as the film it is supporting.

I couldn't get over how much the story just felt too overwrought while remaining underwhelming. But Hayes hits the sweet spots that will make you smile through tears. Wonderstruck is an experimental gift package that adds up to more than just the sum of its parts. Technically and artistically strong while narratively weak, Wonderstuck overcomes its deficiencies with true loveliness.

Wonderstruck
Starring: Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Oakes Fegley, Millicent Simmonds
Director: Todd Hayes
Writer: Brian Selznick

Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)

Denzel Washington is back to making films that are worthy of his talent. After years of slumming, he has done some of the best work of his career lately (ie. Fences) and he continues that with his incredible turn in Roman J. Israel, Esq. the messy yet moving follow up to Nightcrawler by writer/director Dan Gilroy.

Gilroy's Nightcrawler was surprisingly in its strength. Roman doesn't live up to that. Roman meanders, a lot, and never feels completely cohesive. Gilroy's script is awkward, and not in what feels like an intentional way. It's inconsistent. The story rarely grabs us. There are ideas here which are interesting, especially for those of us who are interesting in "progressive lawyering." And the arc, while muddled, has an interesting take on the classic underdog narrative. While the film is flawed in its execution it holds on to some fascainting elements to show us that Gilroy may have missed the bulls-eye here but remains relatively on target.

But at the centre of this is one hell of a performance. Washington shows us why he is considered one of the best actors of his generation by giving the kind of layered and nuanced performance while also creating a remarkably unique and eccentric character. The film wastes the talents of Ejogo and Ferrell but makes full use of Washington's strength.

And Roman J. Israel the character is a tragic inspiration, again especially to us progressive lawyers who can feel our dreams dying. I was taken aback at how inspiring I found him to be. I left wanting to do better and knowing just how hard that will be. The fact that Washington and Gilroy captured that is enough to make this messy little movie worth a watch.

Roman J. Israel, Esq. 
Starring: Denzel Washington, Carmen Ejogo, Colin Farrell
Writer/Director: Dan Gilroy

Wednesday 22 November 2017

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Three Billboards is one of those meandering movies whose story takes you to unexpected places. The trailers really don’t give away what’s going on in this amazing little gem of a film, a film which will break your heart while making you laugh out loud.

At the centre of this story is a tour de force performance by the incredible Frances McDormand, here out doing her Oscar winning Fargo role. Yes she is that good. But she is just the centre piece of a tremendous cast including Sam Rockwell also giving one of his best performances (which is saying quite a lot). I was often amazed at just how rich their performances were, how layered and complex.

But a lot of that has to do with the magnificent screenplay, a script which takes its time to get us to know who we are dealing with, and allows the story to go where it needs to without fitting any formula or meeting any expectations. Instead Three Billboards is the kind of story that is hard to explain and better just followed, allowing it to take you on its remarkable journey. Again and again it defied my expectations in a way that was completely satisfying.

Three billboards is being sold as a comedy and it is one, but it is gutwrenching too. They don’t let on just how powerful a story this is, and how in only two hours, the film makes such a complete, nuanced odyssey which, as I said, goes far beyond ones expectations. Martin McDonagh very unassuming tells his story of lost flawed people doing the best and worst that they can in the lovely and compelling Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage, Caleb Landrey Jones, Lucas Hedges
Writer/Director: Martin McDonagh

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Coco (2017)


When Pixar is at it's best it does something that no one else does. They have been responsible for some of the most unique and original stories put to screen. Unlike most animation studios who produce formulaic movies, a Pixar movie, most of the time, is a story that takes you somewhere you've never imagined and can't predict (Inside Out, Monsters Inc., Wall-E, Ratatouille). Pixar's been on a sequel theme lately which I haven't responded well to (Finding Dory, Cars 3, Monsters University) and even their most recent original film, The Good Dinosaur, was their weakest yet. I was ready for Pixar to return to form.

And Coco is just that. It reminded me of the best Pixar films. Boldly spectacular, wholly original, surprisingly unpredictable. It is all the things one would hope for and expect from this studio.

The journey Miguel goes on is complex, emotional, and gorgeous. Coco doesn't speak down to it's audience but yet neither speaks over our heads. Once has to pay attention to follow what's going on yet as the story unfolds it makes such sense that one can't help but tag along. Coco speaks to something truly personal, truly meaningful.

It's hard to imagine not enjoying this beautiful story (both beautiful to look at and beautiful to experience) regardless of age, culture, or perspective. Welcome back Pixar. We've missed you.

Coco
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Renee Victor, Anthony Gonzalez, Edward James Olmos
Director: Lee Unkrich
Writers: Adrian Molina, Matthew Aldrich

Monday 20 November 2017

Mudbound (2017)

Two families in WWII America, both hard working poorish families who have their hands on the slippery rail of the promise of the American dream only to feel it slip through their fingers, one white, one black, forced into sharing their journey despite the barriers set up between them. In many ways, Mudbound is the story of America.

Writer/director Dee Rees has created a triumph with Mudbound by balancing her ability to film a gorgeous cinematic treat for the eye which captures as much of the beauty of poor post-war Louisiana as possible, while also showing deft weaving of complicated narratives together into one wonderfully cohesive story. Mudbound is a technical and artistic achievement of a high level.

Mudbound is about exploring intricate layers of intersectionalities. She films her quiet epic in parallel lines, comparing and contrasting the lives and struggles of the McAllens and Jacksons in a way that is quintessentially American. She also takes the story overseas to the war in Europe where her characters encounter a very different way of experiencing the world, only to return to attempt to integrate into a nation which doesn't have a place for them. Mudbound layers gender roles over racial divides over socioeconomic status and never feels forced or anything more than part of her story. And what is amazing is how deftly she juggles all of this into such a complete package.

Mudbound feels like a very strong ensemble piece but there are a few standouts among the cast. Carey Mulligan always impresses me with her quiet onscreen power and is one of the strongest here, but it's Mary J Blige who steels the show in a lovely, quiet tour de force. As I said, the cast all shines, but it's Rees' heroines who are the most memorable.

If there has to be any criticism at all it is that I rarely connected to any of the characters. I sympathized but rarely empathized. The one hurdle in an otherwise remarkable film was this lack of connection. There is so much going on here, yet none of it felt personal, none of it translated to the audience, at least not in my case. But this is a minor personal quibble and is in no way an indictment of a truly remarkable and beautiful film. 

One day there won't be controversy over a film like Mudbound, premiering on a streaming service instead of exclusively in cinemas, being taken seriously as a big F "film" and it will be films like Mudbound which break those barriers by being as excellent as they are.

Mudbound
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Mary J Blige, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Garrett Hedlund, Jonathan Banks
Director: Dee Rees
Writers: Dee Rees, Virgil Williams

Sunday 19 November 2017

Wonder (2017)

While I loved R.J. Palacio's novel of the same name I was trepidation about the film adaption. "Sick kid" movies can suffer from a high level of sentimentality and schmaltz which make them difficult to take seriously. So I was pleasantly surprised upon viewing the film that yes it falls into all the same tropes but the strong performances of Jacob Tremblay and Julia Roberts along with the charming direction by Stephen Chobsky, make Wonder truly wonderful to watch.

The story of Auggie Pullman may be about a boy whose face is different from the average, but neither the book nor the movie focus on his health issues. We are to assume he is completely out of the woods when it comes to physical ailments. Instead Wonder is more of a universal outside story. Being seen as different and being called out for it is the main point of the story, not just Auggie's journey but that of his parents, sister, and friends, all being identified as different due to their connection to Auggie.

There is a danger in these sorts of films of infantalizing disabled folks by making us pity them. Auggie is nothing to be pitied here. He is a fully rounded character who gets to be honestly human, as does the equally strong Via played by Izabela Vidovic. Wonder, like the novel it is based on, will be the kind of film that will appeal to almost anyone by not condescending or being overly complicated.

Like the novel, the film plays equally well to children and adults. It is accessible for kids while remaining engaging for adults. While Wonder's themes are a bit heavy handed, they are handled in such a welcoming, charming way that it doesn't feel like bitter medicine. Chobsky has pulled of quite the feat here, a real crowd pleaser that is purely entertaining. He holds back the sickly sweet tide and just allows Auggie's story to unfold so that we can just go along for the ride.

Wonder
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Daveed Diggs, Mandy Patinkin, Izabela Vidovic
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Writers: Jack Thorne, Steve Conrad, Todd Lieberman

Tuesday 14 November 2017

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Kenneth Branagh remains one of my favourite directors despite the fact he hasn’t made a good film in a long time. Not only do I appreciate his visual approach, making films which are beautiful things to watch, where his characters inhabit the spaces in fully realized ways, but I also love his operatic style of story telling where the rich emotions of his subjects are reflected in the scope of the film. He has been a fairly active director for hire recently doing bad Marvel movies, silly adaptations of Disney animated films, and even an anemic Jack Ryan film.. Finally, finally he has returned to what he does best, big beautiful literary adaptions. He has reminded me why I have enjoyed his work so much in the past.

As gorgeous, stylized, and richly drawn as much of his best work, Murder on the Orient Express has classic written all over it. Cozy in its winter wonderland setting, while unsettling in the chilly demeanor of its characters, Murder made be smile all throughout by being cinematic magic in the style of the silver screen classics. An all star cast, a loving attention to details, and a kinetic energy to the story makes Murder so much fun.

I always feels a “remake” needs a reason to happen. Especially when an earlier version of the film is very well done. Branagh finds his “reason” in a post-colonial reading of Christie’s novel. His reimagining is modern in how it reflects 21st century values over 20th century ones. For example he starts with a subtle critique of colonialism. The famous hero, played deliciously by Branagh himself, more on that later, solves a crime based on religious factions in Jerusalem, by exploding western imperialist exploitation of those factions. This is a signal that this isn’t your mother’s Christie. the film then speaks directly to issue of racism, sexism, abuse. Due to the nature of this mystery, and who we sympathize with in Christie's tale, there is a real opportunity to let this play out and I felt Branagh’s choices here were refreshing and fitting.

And there is Branagh’s embodiment of Christie’s fan favourite hero. He digs into this character as boldly as his beloved Henry V and Hamlet, even his much maligned Victor Frankenstein. He understands murder mysteries are fantasies, cathartic puzzles to provide an intellectual process of addressing fears (as opposed to horror’s more visceral way of doing that). But it needs to be entertaining, like Downey Jr’s fun take on Sherlock Holmes, Branagh’s Poirot is larger than life and a joy to watch. In the last moments of the film there is a hint we could see him return in another film and I was all onboard for that.

This is also Michelle Pfeiffer’s second commanding return to screens of the year (after her great work in mother!) and she is marvelous. Even with Depp thankfully killed off early, the rest of the cast still has to share a limited amount of screen time but Pfeiffer is a revelation. 

The combo of aping the ear of the silver screen along with imbibing the film with post-colonial critique made for someone like me, a thinking audience which a love for both nostalgia and meaning in my light entertainment, gush with the kind of cinema-fanboy love I remember having for many of his earlier works. He has taken this on like a fun mind boggler, which ends up being sentimental and moving. Lush and downright fun from start to finish, it's a perfect light bigscreen adventure.

Welcome back Mr. Branagh. Now go make Death on the Nile.

Murder on the Orient Express
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judy Dench, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom Jr., Tom Bateman
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writer: Michael Green

Lady Bird (2017)

I was worried for a while during the first two thirds of the critical darling Lady Bird. Everything about its story felt so cliche. High school girls are mean, the adorable boyfriend is gay, teen girl fights with mom, the brooding musician boy is a let down, teen sex is disappointing, suburban life is drab and uninspiring. This vanilla story was offset by this intensely realized relationship between Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. So on the one had I was transported by watching them together but what I found them doing was so uninspiring. 

But the film finds this magical means at the end of finding some spark of inspiration as it winds up. The whole point of the film, this average life piece, finds a beautiful transcendence in a lovely yet quite, small way. And it becomes a bit of a triumph.

Certainly the strongest part of the film is its lead actors who are pitch perfect throughout. There is no scenery chewing, no inauthenticity. Ronan and Metcalf are just a joy to watch, even when there doesn’t appear to be much going on for them. But that is part of the magic of writer/director Gerwig’s script, finding the magic in the mundane and predictable. Everything in Lady Bird felt average, felt expected, until it wasn’t, until it was lovely. The film ends in just the right sort of pitch perfect way that you forgive any tedium that lead to it cause it was all necessary to get where its going.

Truly accessible and crowdpleasing, Lady Bird is clever without being condescending. Its comforting and familiar without being boring. It is a charming film with two remarkable performances at its centre.

Lady Bird 
Starring: Saoire Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Lucas Hedges, Lois Smith
Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig

Monday 6 November 2017

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Director Yorgos Lanthimos sure seems to be a fan of the high concept. He doesn't even try to make his films feel real. It's all about the idea. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is very much in line in tone and mood to The Lobster. I wasn't a fan of the Lobster and I only enjoyed The Killing of a Sacred Deer a bit more.

Lanthimos once again appears to be approximating humaness in his films. He doesn't have characters act in a way that makes them feel real. Instead his performers move around like robots attempting to approximate human behavior. They all speak in dull, emotionless monotones even when discussing killing their children. Their faces emote as little a possible. The whole thing feels sterile, meaningless.

And my problem with his is not aesthetic. There is a quality to this which is interesting. But for me all power of the story, all meaning in the narrative was muted and practically dissolved in this sterility. There is an idea here about how cost is downloaded from the responsible to the most marginalized people and that's interesting. But Lanthimos' approach feels so devoid of context, of emotion, that that area can't be explored in a meaningful way.

What made Sacred Deer more palatable and intriguing that The Lobster, which was so laughably absurd and meandering that I couldn't stay focused on it, was the intricately fascinating performances of its cast. While I find Farrell is right in line with Lanthimos' barren approach both Kidman and Keoghan were revelatory in bringing their characters to life despite being told to keep it all behind the eyes. Keoghan especially gives a rich and powerful performance. Kidman reminded me of some of her best work. They both rise above what could have felt clunky.

Everything about Sacred Deer from it's disjointed minor score to the pale blank canvass it is shot against, is designed to be unnerving. Again, I am not opposed to that, but the story remaining so devoid of pathoes ruined any sense of discomfort we might have. When in the end Farrell shoots one of his family, I felt nothing, except some relief that at least some suffering was over.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Starring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writers: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymus Filippou

Thursday 2 November 2017

Breathe (2017)

Heartwarming biopics can be challenging for me. This one, produced by the son of the subject of the film, clearly is painting the rosiest picture it possibly can of the producer’s father. First time director Andy Serkis films the story beautifully, and drains as much pathos as he can from the story, but it all keeps coming back to how clearly tainted the film is by its own conflict of interest.

Real people make 2 dimensional subjects most of the time. They are either stereotypes of who the person was (as in the case of historical dramas about famous figures) or they are overly flattering portraits in vanity films like this one. They don’t get to live, or breathe, one might say, cause they are too busy being ideal.

That is certainly the case in this seducing story of Robin Cavindish and Diana Blacker, whose personal story provides the opportunity to tell not only their idealized romance but also make a case that disabled people are people too. Cavindish and his family have contributed much to the cause of improving the lives of disabled folks and advocating on their behalf. The movie mostly glosses over that to focus on the romance but it does give Garfield a great speech moment.

But in the world of Breathe, Cavindish’s struggles with polio are almost an inconvenience. Yes it appears the real Cavindish was an inspiring optimist who concealed any pains and was a shining example to others. But the film almost makes it seem like it wasn’t hard at all for him or his never wavering family. It all just felt a bit too convenient to feel real. Despite being beautiful and quite lovely, Breathe remains a bit removed from reality. Perhaps its advocacy argument would have been stronger if it felt more real.

But the legacy of its subject does suggest a more inspiring tone. From what I have read this is likely how Cavindish would have wanted to be remembered. And his contributions appear to have been quite substantial so whose to complain. Serkis has certainly constructed a lovely film which is never boring and quite entertaining.

Even if it feels a bit more like fiction than fact.

Breathe
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Clare Foy, Diana Rigg
Director: Andy Serkis
Writer: William Nicholson

Florida Project (2017)


Sean Baker’s The Florida Project is glorious. It is heartbreaking. It is difficult. It is lovely. His way of finding beauty in the most difficult lives without romanticism and without pity is remarkable. His Tangerine is a triumph and The Florida Project is right up there.

Newcomer Prince is a revelation, carrying an entire film on her small shoulders by being one of the most real characters you will see on screen all year. She is neither loveable nor detestable but manages to win us over without being a victim. And in the final moments of the film, moments that are heatwrenchingly, turbulently beautiful, she gives one of the most complex performances of the year.

Willem Dafoe plays a bit against character as a good tired man. Not a hero but honourable in so many ways. His presence is also a portrait of resiliency and decency.

And for so much of the movie I was exploring that feeling. The power of life to survive despite it all. In the shadow of the “happiest place on earth” we are presented with a silent desolation, and asked how this can happen around such indulgence.

But Baker’s characters are not pitiable. He brings us richly into their lives. And he shoots his magic castle with all the beauty he can find. And at the end I was crying both happy and sad tears. The remarkable ending hits us in the gut but promises something more than just dispare.

Truly magical.

The Florida Project
Starring: Willem Defoe
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker, Brooklyn Prince, Chris Bergoch