Luce (2019)

If you don't leave the film Luce with a broken heart, a sore head, and a question about everything you think might be true you aren't paying attention. This is a complex heady film which rips your heart out and reminds us just how little we understand anything about ourselves.

Luce never gives you the luxury of knowing what side to be on. Luce never entertains the idea there might be a right answer. Luce never lets you feel there are good characters or bad ones, at least not for very long. Just when you start to feel like you are getting a handle on whats going on the film makes you see another perspective. And then it ends leaving you in the exact same place.

Young director Julius Onah is still early in his career but Luce is an achievement usually reserved for more seasoned directors. He handles the film's complexities with grace and dexterity. The film never drags or becomes predictable. He doesn't play any tricks, just tells us his story without holding our hands. He casts a trifecta of talented vets in Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, and Tim Roth who all play their difficult parts well making us love, hate, resent, pity, and empathize with. A film like this wouldn't work without such a strong cast. But it's Kelvin Harrison Jr. as the title character who truly shines, giving one of the most complicated performances of the year, and showing a real potential. He's certainly one I want to watch.

Luce is described as "provocative" but I find that word can be misleading. Sometimes it evokes the idea of provocation for the sake of provocation. I didn't get that with Luce. Instead I got a story which challenged me to see all sides of an issue, to understand why people do bad things, and question what being good and bad even means. It's a rumination on how difficult, no impossible, it is to live up to our ideals and what failure looks like. Luce is riveting if completely discouraging while at the same time feeling utterly human.

You need to be ready for a film like Luce. It's not passive, escapist viewing. This film is a challenging watch but worth the payoff. When the last scene abruptly ends, you just sit there with the weight of it. And you need a good discussion after.

Luce
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, Tim Roth
Director: Julius Onah
Writers: JC Lee, Julius Onah

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

Born out of a collaboration between the writers/directors and the actor who all desired to make a film centering the actor living with down syndrome. Setting his tale as a retelling of Huckleberry Finn, they have put together a completely entertaining movie which showcases the talent of all three as film makers to watch. But in some ways they undercut this by making the film more about the people around Zack than about Zack himself.

The Peanut Butter Falcon is funny and entertaining all the way through. It manages to be a crowd-pleaser without patronizing its audience or its subject. Falcon is beautifully shot and its story is told efficiently and with a spirit of adventure which is infectious.

But a film like this faces a specific challenge. It is easy for the film to end up being more about LaBeouf's character, making him a hero for taking Gottsagen's under his wing. It shows that even with all the input from Gottsagen as part of the creative process, our ableist culture still makes us focus on the average guy over the guy with down syndrome. As much as Falcon tries to centre Gottsagen and making him into the hero his character wants to be we still see LaBeouf as the character with the true journey.

And it's too bad because young actor Zack Gottsagen truly makes the film. He gives the kind of performance that makes a new star.  Hollywood likely won't have a lot of rolls for him which is too bad because he shows so much potential here. But the film centers the interactions of LaBeouf and Johnson. Even as it argues for Gottsagen's character's agency.

As a rather well made film it is, I guess, a step forward. But perhaps it just shows how much further we still need to go.

The Peanut Butter Falcon
Starring: Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern, John Bernthal, Thomas Hayden Church
Writers/Directors: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (2019)

When Won Kar Wai released his (so far only) English language film critics were not kind.  While I loved much of his Chinese work, I truly enjoyed and loved My Blueberry Nights even though Nora Jones' performance is admittedly weak. American audiences often aren't overly accepting of non-English language directors making English films and it appears the same has happened to Canadian film maker Xavier Dolan.

While I enjoy many of Dolan's films I am not a blind fan. There are some of his films which are miss for me. But I have been excited for his English film debut, the complicated and enigmatic (naturally) story of a closeted actor's pen pal correspondence with a young boy. When the common festival reaction was one of derision, I was a bit nervous. As I said I have not loved all his work. But when he hits it for me he truly hits it. And it wasn't long into John F. Donovan that I knew he had delivered for me again.

Dolan is the kind of film maker that I appreciate because he embraces the visual and narrative natures of the medium making films which are electric to watch visually while challenging to follow in their stories. He doesn't just lay out the plot and then this happens and then that happens. He finds a way to tell a story that focuses on how his characters are feeling and experiencing the world, and films his stories so that we as the audience are flush with emotions as well. All of that is here in John F. Donovan. I personally appreciated the way he frames his main story through an interview with a jaded journalist and a precocious rising star. It gives a (The Usual Suspects-y) air of distrust to the narrative, that we are being told a story that may or may not have happened this way. It allows a sense of mystery to permeate every scene. We question what is being shown to us. Because do we ever know the truth in these things, the lives of our matinee idols?

Written by Dolan and another Canadian I am a fan of, Jacob Tierney, they find a way to express a range of queerness from Tremblay's pre-adolecent otherness, to Harrington's closet, to Schnetzer's confidence. I appreciated the way the film shows us glimpses of the experiences of queer men without making it a gay man 101 experience. The film also creates relationships and connections in a way that isn't typical and straight forward. Both Donovan and Turner's relationships with their families (especially mothers) is opaque, we aren't lead into it obviously. There is stuff to ruminate on here.

Maybe the film isn't perfect. I don't feel Harrington is a strong enough actor to make his central figure completely honest. Dolan has famously said he had a 4 hour cut and while I feel the film works at this length and leaves enough bread crumbs for us to find our way through there are times I wanted more. perhaps there is a director's cut out there that gives even more of an emotional punch to the story. But despite this the film worked for me, the film moved me, the film entertained me.

I would recommend this film to people who want to see films to discuss after, to reflect on. Dolan gives us enough to enjoy but leaves enough out for us to wonder about.

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan
Starring: Kit Harrington, Jacob Tremblay, Natalie Portman, Thandie Newton, Ben Schnetzer, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Jared Keeso, Michael Gambon
Director: Xavier Dolan
Writers: Jacob Tierney, Xavier Dolan

Ready or Not (2019)

Ready or Not is dark satire more than horror. It's premise is ridiculous, a rich family plays a deadly game of hide and seek on the night their youngest son is married as part of a satanic ritual. But this is just the gimmick to get at the real moral of the story, that being wealthy is a bit of a devil's bargain and there may not be a moral way to be rich.

The film sticks to its premise fairly simply which is its strength. it doesn't try to flesh out to much, just giving us enough of the basics to get us through it story without getting bogged down in distractions. However it never quite makes its plot believable enough. Maybe with a plot like this that is asking too much. But the film doesn't feel like it's trying to be real, instead it knows its a morality play, a satirical look at the evils justifying any bad behavior in the name of securing wealth. So instead the film just runs with it and in that it makes for a rather entertaining time.

Film makers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett use sepia tones and warm lighting to give the film an elegance which they quickly disrupt with the evil of the family. Their message isn't a subtle one but it is cogent. The direct link is made between earning wealth by engaging evil and maintaining it by sacrificing the poor. It is clever satire if not nuanced, and as the film continues they embrace more and more absurdity until the audience is laughing, uncomfortably, with the film.

Ready or Not probably could have been a stronger film and even darker but for what it delivers it is surprisingly cohesive within all its absurdity. One has to take it with a bit of salt but don't underestimate its relevance.

Ready or Not
Starring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Andie McDowell, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny, Nat Faxon
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writers: Guy Busick, R Christopher Murphy

Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019)

Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Maria Semple’s novel of the same name isn’t really a good film it is a showcase for a great performance. Basically it shows off just what a talent Blanchett is and what she can do with a role.

Unlike the book, the film doesn't deliver no the mystery in the title. Its approach to the story of a brilliant mind constrained by her own ways of interacting with a world not ready for her, and her escape from that is presented here in a very straight forward way leaving out the sort of delicious mystery the book offers. A story like this requires a certain unconventionality yet Linklater sticks to a fairly common approach, which almost makes Bernadette’s tale seem far fetched and somewhat ridiculous. the game of chase at the bottom of the world just feels forced and coincidental in a way that is unbelievable. If Linklater had found a way to give magic to his story, he could have pulled this off but he doesnt.

But what he does is stand back and let his lead find her way. Blanchett is, as usual, gripping to watch and she makes her remarkable character into someone unstoppable. Her Bernadette is a force of nature and fully realized, with nooks and crannies of character and personality that make it impossible to take your eyes off her.

So while Where’d You Go Bernadette isn’t a great film it remains watchable for Cate.


Where's You Go, Bernadette
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer, Laurence Fishbourne, Steve Zahn, Megan Mullally
Writer/Director: Richard Linklater

Blinded by the Light (2019)

While the real life story of a young Pakistani first generation Brit finding his voice through listening to the music of Bruce Springsteen is crowd pleasing, the film with its clunky pacing and mostly simplistic story beats often feels rather dull. But director Gurinder Chadha find some powerful moments in a movie that would otherwise feel rather paint by numbers making it more inspiring than it would be.

There are a lot of relationships in this film which feel forced and cliche. They often aren't developed organically, instead the film relies of our assumptions to make the relationships work. Javed’s childhood best friend is never shown to be anything more than an accessory yet certain emotional beats rely on their connection. I never felt Javed’s romance was built in a believable way. And Hayley Atwell as his teacher is the prototypical inspiring teacher trope. Fortunately the film spends the time more on his connections to his parents and since this (rather formulaic) journey of clash between first generation child and his immigrant parents mostly works and is the heart of the film.

And if it was jus that Blinded by the Light might feel like a rather typical film in this genre. But what Chadha does that takes it just a bit higher is help make Javed’s experience of racism and rising racism in 80s Britain feel authentic and real. It is often in these moments that Chadha’s film comes together and delivers its best punches. Also she finds a way to help us feel Javed’s love of music in a way that is both cinematically beautiful but emotionally strong and, as with any music based film, the connection wth the songs is essential.

So while Blinded by the Light is fairly typical it does manage to offer something a it special.

Blinded by the Light 
Starring: Viveik Karla, Hayley Atwell
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writers: Paul Mayeda Berges, Sarfraz Manzoor, Gurinder Chadha

Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)

Dora and the Lost city of Gold finds its way to balance making a movie for young kids that also manages to be entertaining for adults by being all wink wink tongue in cheek. Director James Bobin of Flight of the Concords and The Muppets knows how to achieve that. Dora quite appropriately falls on the younger side of the entertainment spectrum being best for elementary school kids the most (probably too intense for toddlers but a little too childish for pre-teens). But it ends up being charming and entertaining enough that adults can enjoy it too.

Sometimes Dora felt like it was trying a little too hard to make the adults laugh. There is a rave joke at the beginning that started out okay but went on a little too long. And really? Raves? What year is this? And Danny Trejo as the voice of Boots and Benicio Del Toro as Swiper are probably the biggest feats of stunt casting I've ever seen. Still, Dora never felt too boring, moving along with its basic but satisfying if predictable plot at a quick pace.

Isabela Moner is a young actor to watch. I've seen her if a few films so far and have always been impressed, often rising above sub-standard material. Here she manages to do a good impression of what a teen version of the classic cartoon character would sound/act like but also making her character feel like a real enough person. 

Little ones will love and their parents won't hate it. But does it have the cross over magic that would let teens and young adults enjoy it ironically or with a nostalgia for their childhoods? Hmmm, not sure. I'm not convinced it pulls of that trick.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold
Starring: Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Pena, Eva Longoria, Jeff Whalberg, Benicio Del Toro, Danny Trejo, Temuera Morrison
Director: James Bobin
Writers: Nicholas Stoller, Matthew Robinson

The Kitchen (2019)

Sometimes a great idea just doesn't come together.

Casting McCarthy and Haddish, both great actors, against type and telling the story of mob wives who run things when their husbands go to jail should have been a great movie. Exploring the way domestic violence and gender/race politics played a hand in organized crime in the 70s should have breathed depth into a stylish crime movie. But none of this happens.

The Kitchen feels paint by numbers. This happens then this happens then this happens. Characters walk into rooms, explain what they are feeling instead of showing us. The plot/motivations/details are all handed to us on a silver platter as if we aren't smart enough to understand so we have to have it all explained to us. We never get to feel the scenes as they never have a chance to breathe. The film never feels organic or authentic. During the film I was trying to guess if there was a longer, more fleshed out movie in here which was slashed to pieces or if this is all we would have gotten. Whatever the reason The Kitchen is anemic and oversimplified.

Most disappointing are the performances. McCarthy and Haddish have both been better. Great character actors like Margo Martindale are wasted. The thing that made me so sad while watching The Kitchen was how much potential there was and how much of it was wasted. Plots are introduced, resolved, and dropped quickly and expediently so you almost never have a chance to get involved. Characters are thin and shallow so its hard to become attached. It feels like it was all there but just not put together.

As The Kitchen skipped its way to its rather unsatisfying conclusion I wished I had seen a different movie, one which explored the issues brought up here with some finesse and insight, one that gave this remarkable cast something more to do, and one that would have kept me on the edge of my seat.

The Kitchen
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elizabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, Common, Margo Martindale, Brian D'arcy James
Writer/Director: Andrea Berloff

Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

I'm torn. I'm not a fan of the Fast & Furious movies. These holdovers from the 90s when action movies were all about how stupid they could be, how much they could blow up, and how much toxic masculinity they could celebrate. They were all style and no substance. But director David Leitch makes fun and usually not stupid movies... and Idris Elba who I could watch do anything. So this spin off featuring the cheesy but scene stealing characters of, well Hobbs and Shaw, is it going to be as mind numbingly dumb as the movies that spawned it? And can the cast and director find a way to pull this from the dumpster fire?

Well, one can't say Hobbs & Shaw is a good movie, but Leitch has taken this world and basically done the best one can with it. He sets it up perfectly. He introduces us to Elba's ridiculous villain (but it's Elba so who cares?) setting into motion the simple and straightforward plot. Then he shows us who each of the leads are, giving us just enough in case we haven't seen a F&F movie before, so we want to see what they'll get up to. Then he sets up the central conceit of the movie, the odd couple, buddy cop, best of frenemies trope. He lets Johnson and Statham ooze their off the charts charisma (well Johnson's at least, Statham is more riding his coattails). Finally he shoves in a bunch of action. And Leitch knows action. What he delivers is pure dumb action movie gold.

None of it is believable. All of it is formulaic. Its as predictable as they come. It is overblown and walks the line of ridiculous. The climax is so over the top you'd think it was Con Air. These are things that would normally sink a film for me. But Leitch plays to the film's strengths, self aware in the F&F limitations and just playing it straight for fun without succumbing to the genres low rent impulses. The screenwriters know what they are doing. While Hobbs & Shaw has a bit of a script 101 feel to it, it also does a great job of pulling that off. It's rather funny, embraces its action movie cliches, but does it without punching down. Basically Hobbs and Shaw is a good example of being exactly what a movie tries to do, not exceeding that, but doing just that.

Could this be the best F&F movie yet? In my opinion the F&F movies have been too corny, too ridiculous, and too generic, to be enough fun. I was always rolling my eyes too much to enjoy any of them. H&S pushes right up to this line but didn't quite cross it for me, so basically I had an okay time. So yeah. It's the best F&F movie so far.

But that's not really saying much.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren
Director: David Leitch
Writers: Chris Morgan, Drew Pearce

The Farewell (2019)

It's become common for performers we know for comedy to take a dramatic turn so while Awkwafina first dramatic turn may not be novel, it is truly enjoyable. She does a great job with her character and all her struggles through this lovely, touching, entertaining, and often funny look at the life of a family pulled apart by distance and time and brought together by time's inevitability.

Posthumous director Lulu Wang brings us this personal story, based on her own relationship with her grandmother by keeping it feeling very real. She moves through her story unassumingly, just letting her characters exist and interact with each other. The relationship between Awkwafina's character and her grandmother as well as her relationship with her parents and extended family comes to life easily and naturally by Wang's approach. The whole film feels lived in and honest. Wang appears to be putting it all out there for us and sharing with us something meaningful.

The Farewell is uplifting without being purposefully sentimental and although rather quiet it never drags. It's a lovely piece of film making featuring a star in the making and it's story is truly satisfying.

The Farewell
Starring: Awkwafina,  Tzi Ma, Zhao Shuzhen
Writer/Director: Lula Wang