Family Plot (1976) REVISIT

Hitchcock's final film, made 4 years before his death, is a macabre comedy full of fun twists and turns. It follows a mystery to find a missing heir to a fortune and interests the lives of some unscrupulous individuals. While fun and dark it is not in the league of his best films but it shows he was still up for making wickedly clever films even near the end. 

The real strength of Family Plot is is handling of the dark humour. The film has a very macabre sensibility and often you might feel guilty laughing. But the film is quite funny, not in a joke sort of way but in a situational manner. This keeps its twisty plot on track as it may have been hard to take without that relief. There is an excellent sequence when the brakes don't work on a car that is played very effectively both for laughs while also keeping us entirely on the edges of our seats. The tension is handled expertly while also inspiring som very funny moments. 

Movies about con artists are often fun and following their machinations can be a hoot. Hitchcock captures this spirit well. The cast is up for the fun too. Bruce Dern the most famous today of the group has the same energy he brings to his more recent roles. 

While we may want to see great artists end their careers on a triumph, that's often not the way these careers work out. But while Family Plot may not live up to the Psychos or Rear Windows of his past it remains a very watchable and enjoyable farewell from one of the 20th century's masters.

Family Plot

Starring: Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, Willam Devane, Karen Black

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writer: Ernest Lehman

 

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Before I talk about The Lost Daughter I'm going to gripe first about trailers. I hate trailers that tell you the whole movie. But I also hate trailers that sell you a completely different movie. The Lost Daughter is nothing like the trailer that is going around for it. Ignore that. Pay no attention to it. The Lost Daughter is a much better movie than the trailer would make it seem. Go in knowing nothing. 

What you can know is The Lost Daughter is about loss, about how difficult our choices are, about how often there is no good choice. It is about how parenthood, especially motherhood specifically, can be nothing like it is romanticized to be. It is about a lot of things, very little of which is in the trailer. 

The Lost Daughter is another tour de force for Olivia Coleman. Is it possible for this woman to give a bad performance? She is spectacular in this, being all sort of complicated things. Jessie Buckley is also brilliant and together the two craft one of the most interesting and intricate characters in any movie this year. 

The Lost Daughter shows that Maggie Gyllenhaal has as much talent as a screenwriter and director as she does as an actor. This isn't a simple or straightforward adaptation but a truly innovative film that is compelling as hell and never quite gives us what we expect. 

The Lost Daughter is a great film, a truly strong debut for Gyllenhaal, and just a pleasure to sit back and savour. 

The Lost Daughter

Starring: Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Harris, Paul Mescal, Dagmara Domińczyk, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jack Farthing

Writer/Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal

The King's Man (2021)

Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman series is always just a little off. There are some interesting ideas but Vaughn always takes them just too far, off the edge really, and takes me out of his movie. Unfortunately despite a lot of what I felt The King's Man had going for it, it fell into the same traps as the previous films in the series. 

I really liked the historical aspects of the film, tying real world events into a narrative about the creation of this clandestine fictional organization. The idea of one evil organization destabilizing the world is an interesting one, but is problematic too. It ends up making it seem like the world's devastation can be laid at the feet of a "few bad apples" instead of looking at how political and economic systems lead to violence and war. The King's Man attempts to be an anti-colonialist film and advance values of pacifism yet ends up due to this approach being rather imperialist in its view. 

The idea of a governmentless organization taking on the wheels of power and corruption could have been truly interesting in a revisionist historical way but the film eschews that for a more straight forward approach. As long as the "good guys" win (in this case the good old UK but by extension the US and the rest of the western allies) then all is good. The film posits individual historical actors as part of a cabal of evil letting western freedom be the real heroics. While Vaughn plays fast and loose with challenging notions like it's cool to die for your country in the end he falls in line and the film loses any real insightful approach it could have had. 

But that isn't my only issue with the film. Like the Edgerton vehicles before this, The King's Man errs on the side of absurdity. This is mostly summed up in using Rasputin as one of the main villains. His characterization by Ifans is so completely over the top he is more disgusting than frightful. I might have preferred the latter. There is the weirdest ass scene in the middle where Vaughn channels James Gunn and has Ifans go off as a raging lunatic. The whole scene is designed to make the audience go "what the fuck?" but I'm not sure it works out doing so in a good way. 

I will give Vaughn credit. He pulls some interesting surprises. Who lives and who dies ends up being rather surprising and there are some clever turns in the plot. But all that did was make me wish the film wasn't so silly. I think for me I'm more attractive to fantastic movies that take themselves more seriously. It doesn't mean there can't be humour or things that are rather impossible. But always winking at the audience as if we're just here having a laugh takes me too far out of the film to really enjoy it.

The King's Man

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou, Harris Dickinson, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander,  Daniel Brühl, Charles Dance, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Stanley Tucci, Valerie Pachner, Joel Basman, August Diehl, Ian Kelly

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Writers: Karl Gajdusek, Matthew Vaughn

 

The Card Counter (2021)

Veteran film maker Schrader tells a classic little tale we've seen before, about a broken man who, as he tries to get himself out of the life he has chosen, has the chance to save a younger man from such a life. But he blends together a few interesting and surprising elements to give it a unique spin that makes it something more than one might expect. And at the centre of this is Oscar Isaac, one of the most fascinating actors to watch right now giving another excellent performance and giving the movie the right amount of power. 

Schrader sets his story in the world of poker, but the less glamorous end of it. This is a work a day circuit kind of gambling world. It allows him to imbue his story with just enough desperation to put us on edge but also a sexy enough energy to keep us hooked. Then he adds in a background of American imperialist war crimes to raise the stakes into something truly upsetting. And in the middle of all this he builds a trio of characters who we can connect with, and to each other, to make it personal. He films each element slightly differently, from a nightmare approach to the torture prisons run by the US around the world, to the softer, dimly lit world of poker tournaments, occasionally finding moments of electric colour to highlight when there might be a moment of hope. 

The Card Counter has a great little story with good characters and a very satisfying gut punch ending that eschews the blood and gore that other film makers might have used to keep the violence off screen but the emotions front and centre. Schrader tells this story smoothly with creativity. It may follow an arc that we can see coming but it does so in a way that delivers on its promise. And it gives us another opportunity to see Isaac practice his craft which is always enjoyable. 

The Card Counter

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe

Writer/Director: Paul Schrader

 

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Paul Thomas Anderson's aesthetic just clearly isn't for me. No matter how many times I watch his films they leave me feeling flat. Licorice Pizza, his straight teen boy fantasy film, made little sense to me and I kept finding myself asking why?

His central character is the kind of guy for whom everything happens. He has not discernible special qualities, he's pretty average in every way, but that doesn't stop the world stopping for him. He is a teenager of modest means who is also somehow an actor going on tour around the world, somehow able to start a waterbed business and then a pinball business, and for some reason women (both young and old) throw themselves at him. I get that PTA is imagining the world he wants, or maybe that he had to a certain degree as a white kid growing up in southern California, but it little of it has an air of reality to it. 

The film opens with him winning over a woman 10 years older than him while he is ON HIS HIGHSCHOOL CAMPUS. I actually don't have as much of an issue with the age gap things as many do. This is, as I've said, a straight kid fantasy film, it is the gaze of the young man, but I never once believed she would fall for him yet from the first moments she is putty in his hands despite everything she tells herself to resist. 

The film then progresses through a series of rather episodic vignettes which rarely feel realistic from an absurd encounter with Barbara Streisand's violent and narcissistic boyfriend, a nightmarish date with Sean Penn playing a lecherous actor, a cringey racist restaurant owner, and an out of place sequence featuring a closeted politician played by director Benjamin Safdie. Little of it feels connected to each other, the characters often feel separated from how they were in different scenes. It often feels like PTA just wants to put someone in his movie so he writes a scene for them that isn't organic. And with Haim's family playing her character's family much of the film feels overly meta. 

Perhaps that's part of the problem for me. The film feels less like a story being told to me and more like an exorcize in references to other things. The central characters are played by actors whose real world relationships take us out of the movie and they keep interacting with other take us out of the movie cameos. I never felt there was a story being told here... at least not one I could buy into. By the end when the fantasy is fulfilled and the boy gets the woman none of it felt earned. 

I kept thinking in my head maybe the film isn't trying to make this a "romance" film but is trying to comment on how unhealthy the relationship is but I could never find evidence of that within the film itself. I mean it felt very much like a teen boy's fantasy about an older woman he really has not hope with shoehorning the ending he wants into the story. But for all the film's meta-ness it never seemed self aware enough to be making any comment on that besides just letting it happen. And while that might be a story other's find entertaining it just doesn't speak to me. 

Licorice Pizza
Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benjamin Safdie, Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, John Michael Higgins, Christine Ebersole, Harriet Samsom Harris, Maya Rudolph, George C. Reilly

Writer/Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Here Today (2021)

I'm going to go to bat for this little film which may not be the greatest thing ever but is remarkable for a few reasons. First Here Today is damn funny. Haddish and Crystal bring two different generational styles of comedy together into something that will make you laugh out loud, often. One part had me in tears laughing so hard. That rarely happens. 

Second Here Today is a touching story about the threat of losing all your memories. Many films have done this, and many have been better. But Here Today doesn't fail in this. Crystal's performance has enough gravitas to pull this off. And while it is about the onset of dinaemsia it's also just about the fear of losing relevance. And it does it well if maybe a little formulaic. 

But I think what I liked most is the way it's a love story, a traditional rom com style love story, about people who are falling in love but not in a romantic or sexual way, but in a true and deep way. Whether this is affirming for asexual people or for people who have deep and committed non-romantic/sexual relationships, these sorts of stories don't get told in Hollywood. The connection between Crystal and Haddish's characters is real and lovely and the two actors make it a joy to watch. 

Here Today is the sort of film you won't regret making a little time for. 

Here Today

Starring: Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish, Penn Badgley, Laura Benanti, Louisa Krause, Anna Deavere Smith, Audrey Hsieh, Sharon Stone, Kevin Klien, Barry Levinson, Bob Costas

Director: Billy Crystal

Writers: Alan Zweibel, Billy Crystal

 

The Hand of God (2021)

Touching and romantic, The Hand of God is a lush lovely remembrance. The story of a young man's coming of age, there are quite a few hallmarks of this genre, perhaps not finding a great deal of originality, but the charm comes in how lovingly the moments are rendered. From the humorous to the tragic, Sorrentino finds a truly engaging way to tell his story of the end of youth. 

The film is far funnier than I expected. The Hand of God finds quite potent humour in the little moments it chronicles. A lot of this contributes to the idealized memories of childhood and family which makes the sad turn in the middle so much more impactful. But even then the film still finds hope and optimism going forward, even in loss.

The film does hit a lot of standard beats for the typical coming of age film including sexual awakening and the pain of loss. Sorrentino ties it all to actual historical football games watched by the characters which helps ground it in place and time, and also evoke a strong emotional resonance. The film ends with both sadness and a hope for the future. 

And The Hand of God is a beautiful film to watch. Sorrentino doesn't hit us over the head with a look-how-beautiful-Italy-is approach but films his story if tones that soften the edges and bring out a glow to everything that is lovely to see. 

The Hand of God

Starring: Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Louisa Ranieri

Writer/Director: Paolo Sorrentino

 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Back for Christmas (1956) REVISIT

One of the few episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that the titular film maker directed himself, Back for Christmas is a dark tale for sure, while being played mostly for laughs. A man kills his wife and buries her in the basement before leaving for California only to have his plans to cover it up unravel while he's out of the country. 

John Williams is fascinating in his role as a quintessential Englishman of the era, stiff upper lip and all, who fumbles his way though a murder/cover-up. He's almost adorable if he wasn't such a cold blooded murder. His characterization through the crime and into a California montage is charming. We almost root for him to get away with it. He has a great plan and a new life in L.A. that all feels so, well, jolly.

This really isn't a holiday story, Christmas is just a looming deadline haunting our protagonist. It's an irony that plays out so cleverly, a season of joy that instead brings this man's plans crashing down around him. 

The story relies a little on previous generations' comfort with the whole "take my wife please" trope but the film doesn't belabour this point too much. And as per the program's conventions, Hitchcock's silly little into and outro are a little cringy when viewed today. But the concise little morality play is enjoyable and perhaps, like other holiday tales (A Christmas Carol) there is a lesson to be learned about trying to get away with something. 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Back for Christmas

Starring: John Williams

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writer: Francis M. Cockrell

 

Don't Look Up (2021)

Adam McKay, the director of Talladega Nights and Anchorman, knocked it out of the park with The Big Short, a funny, entertaining, and insightful film, then followed it up with the masterfully crafted Vice, which makes it disappointing that he has struck out with Don't Look Up. There is so much potential in this satire but it feels so cliched and... worst of all, not funny. The humour isn't like the subtle, biting wit of his award nominated films but more the hammy caricature of his earlier films. For me this approach saps the power of the story and barely made me laugh. 

The film is trying to make a point, and it's a really interesting one, and makes quite a few prescient arguments, but the film hitting us over the head with its absurdist approach takes away the impact of much of it. Whether it is how political maneuverings prevent the best interests of citizens from being pursued, or how short term profit is prioritized over long term sustainability, or how smart women get sidelined for less accomplished men, or how celebrity distracts from issues of real weight in the world, Don't Look Up hits it all. But the story becomes more and more absurd in a way that loses the power of what it's trying to say.

And perhaps if it had been funny, like laugh out loud funny, it might have worked better. But most of the jokes are smirk inducing at best. I barely actually laughed, like maybe once or twice. The cast, from leads DiCaprio and Lawrence, to the supporting A-listers like Streep, Blanchett and down the line, act more like they are in an SNL skit than in a movie. I kept wishing the film would have been more deft in its approach. 

And it just keeps going on and on, very much overstaying it's welcome. When it finally does reach its conclusion it actually begins to get a little gravitas to its story before erring on the side of Independence Day style spectacle. And just when I thought there was a little poignancy... then it still doesn't end. The film adds a silly little postscript that is likely the least serious thing in the whole movie, undermining any sort of emotional resonance it could have had. 

Movies like this are the most disappointing for me because unlike outright bad movies, a film like Don't Look Up has so much going for it and it often comes close to hitting the mark, but then misses. There are moments in this, embedded deep within the silliness, that were meaningful. I just wish Don't Look Up was more of that and less of the not so funny jokes. 

Don't Look Up

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Himsesh Patel, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Michael Chiklis, Melanie Lynskey, Liev Schreiber, Sarah Silverman, Chris Evans

Writer/Director: Adam McKay

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Not being a fan of the Matrix films I had some trepidation about this new instalment but early on a got a sense that maybe this film would tackles some of the problems I had with the original trilogy and it quickly became my favourite Matrix film. There was a moment, early on, where a character deconstructs the red pill/blue pill binary, one of my major issues with the series' approach to deconstruction, that pricked up my ears and let me get into where this was going. 

We are living in an age of reboots and sequels and revivals. There have always been these tendencies but right now feels like a high water mark for bringing back the stories we loved in new ways with varying success. The Matrix Resurrections is aware of this, establishes itself as entirely meta, and deep dives into the world of what it means to return to the nostalgia. I've always struggled with the original films' failures are effectively deconstructing their subject but Resurrections feels like it has tackled its task effectively and entertainingly. Resurrections feels like it is about Resurrections (itself), and about these sort of sequels generally, in a way that is entirely self-aware yet also lovingly nostalgic. It pulls itself apart before our eyes and asks us to consider what it is we are looking for by returning to the world of The Matrix. In that it accomplishes more than the three previous films combined. 

The film still has the same aesthetic which is one that doesn't do it for me but I know is a selling point for many fans. However Wachowski has become a stronger director than when she attempted the first film and it shows. She crafts this tale a little less simply, a little less conveniently. And while the first one felt revolutionary for its visuals, a step that feels impossible to achieve again at this time, this one feels more insightful and aware. 

Everything about Resurrections was more interesting to me. It drops the concept of "the One" that was so problematic in the previous movies, no "drops" isn't the right word... subverts. It explores the ways binaries fail us in story telling and in life. It still has its action movie plot beats the weigh down some of the more interesting elements. I mean it wasn't able to completely shake off everything Matrixy about it. 

And why would it? This film explores the nature of sequels, especially the nostalgic aspects. So we get all the Matrix beats we expect because we are here for them. The film may acknowledge some of the pros and cons of that but it still lives into what it is delivering and in doing so both provides us with interesting meat to chew on and the familiar stuff that emotionally resonates for us. 

So I will still not be a Matrix fan but I feel for me there is a lot more here to work with that I've been given before, and more to care about as well. 

The Matrix Resurrections 

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson, Eréndira Ibarra, Max Riemelt, Brian J Smith, Toby Onwumere, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Ellen Hollman, Andrew Caldwell

Director: Lana Wachowskis

Writers: David Mitchell, Aleksander Hemon, Lana Wachowskis

 

Being the Ricardos (2021)

I'm not sure Sorkin is capable of writing a script that isn't funny, fascinating, and entirely engrossing. His story about Lucielle Ball and Desi Arnaz is a drama about a powerful progressive woman, her loving if philandering husband who supports all she does, and the world that doesn't quite feel comfortable with them despite being the most popular people in the U S of A. It is outright hilarious and sentimentally touching. Perhaps it is a bit idealized versions of the two and their story, but perhaps there is a reason for the rose coloured glasses in use here. 

Kidman avoids doing the impersonation sort of performance, except when playing Lucy playing her TV character, Lucy. Instead she embodies Ball's strength and commanding presence, her passionate views, and her sensitivity. Bardem does lean into the Desi impersonation a bit but still gives him a complexity that shows his love for his wife even while he lets her down. We know their marriage won't survive much longer but in real life they still came close to the ideals Sorkin wants to imbue. 

The title is Being the Ricardos because while it is about their impact on pop culture it is also about a real relationship, an imperfect one but one that still has meaning, still provides its partners with fulfilment. Sorkin doesn't villainize anyone, instead showing us the humanity in the two. 

Like with many of Sorkins writings, where his weakness lies is in rewatchability. Most of his stories I enjoy very much but rarely do I feel a lot of desire to revisit them. I felt that again here, that little would pull me back into this story. 

I like Sorkin movies because he imagines a world where everyone is intelligent, everyone witty. Yes perhaps this is idealized but it is about maybe how we got here. Ball is one of the most influential figures in Hollywood history and helped to craft the modern cinematic and television world whether it is comedy or Star Trek or whatever. This is the story of how a talented and confident woman's will helped get us all here.

Being The Ricardos 

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Tony Hale, John Rubinstein, Alia Shawkat, Linda Lavin, Jake Lacy, Ronny Cox, Clark Gregg, Nina Arianda

Writer/Director: Aaron Sorkin 

 

8-Bit Christmas (2021)

Part A Christmas Story, part Wonder Years, part Princess Bride, 8-Bit Christmas is the best of the pile of new Christmas movies in 2021. It's a Gen X nostalgia dream that is full on accessible for the Millennials and Gen Zs that grew up on video games. From the director of the classic FUBAR, 8-Bit Christmas is a surprising delight. 

8-Bit Christmas is the story of an 80s boy's quest to get a Nintendo system for Christmas . Along the way he faces all the hilariously nostalgic challenges of being a tween, bullies, entitled rich kids, parents with rules. And it's all told by the grown up version of the kid in this century to his daughter who wants a new smart phone. It is wonderfully charming and despite how much of a rip off of A Christmas Story it is, the film is just so joyful you can't fault it. 

8-Bit Christmas balances its sentimentality with real laugh out loud humour. Sure it may all be quite predictable in the end but it is how it gets there that just is so delightful. Zahn and Raphael are clearly having a great time playing their slightly annoying but purely endearing 80s parents and Fegley is a break out as the oft disappointed every-kid. 

8-Bit Christmas just make make my annual holiday rewatch marathon in years to come. 

8-Bit Christmas

Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, Steve Zahn, June Diane Raphael, Sophia Reid-Gantzert, Lizzy Doyle, David Cross, Tom Rooney

Director: Michael Dowse

Writer: Kevin Jakubowski 

 

Nightmare Alley (2021)

The world of old timey carnivals is a rich source for horror and metaphor. There are many examples of this setting being used in story and film to teach us something about the way we treat our fellow humans and this adaptation of the novel Nightmare Alley is that, a morality play set amongst those the world sees as freaks. It is the sort of story that is right up director del Toro's... alley.

del Toro's visual aesthetic is all here. Like his spiritual brother Tim Burton, del Toro is able to create beauty amongst the trashy underbelly of fantasy. A dirty yet glorious traveling carnival circa turn of the 20th century is the setting for this tale of a con man's rise and fall. The carnival is exquisitely rendered from costumes to art direction to create both a sense of lived in if smelly home and quite  unsettling unease. It is all a show, spectacle. The film makes it clear there is no magic going on. It's people playing each other. And as Stan, our main character, joins in the game we know this is all an adventure of cons playing each other that will not end well. 

For Nightmare Alley is not just horror but also a con movie which is another delicious genre. This all mixes together for a shiny and exhilarating dark tale. del Toro, as one would expect, doesn't shy away from the graphic bits. But it is all quite organic to the nature of this story. A story which, while powerful, is unfortunately a little predictable. The third act stumbles a bit as one main character's motivations seem a little uneven. But still, as the film reaches the inevitable conclusion we understand the lesson and have learned much from the ride.

del Toro's cast is excellent as he has picked from the pick of the crop character actors, each a joy to see. Cooper at the centre delivers solid work but it's the supporting players, the freaks, who are far more compelling along the way. Dafoe, Collettte, Jenkins, Strathairn, Perlman,  Steenburgen... I mean come on. And especially Blanchett as the femme fetal channeling screen goddesses of the past. The film is enjoyable just for the cast. 

Nightmare Alley may not be del Toro's best work but it is a solid entry into his oeuvre. It is an outsider movie told from the point of view of one who almost got inside and lived to pay the price. 

Nightmare Alley

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, David Strathairn, Ron Perlman, Mark Povinelli, Mary Steenburgen, Clifton Craig Collins Jr., Tim Blake Nelson

Director: Benicio del Toro

Writers: Kim Morgan, Benicio del Toro

Swan Song (2021) Cleary

Sometimes movies that are based on a great premise, such as an ethical question to be explored, have a hard time delivering on their promise. But sometimes they play out beautifully, exploring the nature of that question in ways that are both fascinating and centred in the development of character and story. Swan Song (the second 2021 film to be named that) is one of those films, partially due to the cast's strong performance. 

At the centre of this story, the story of a man who cedes his life and family to a constructed copy of himself once he discovers he has a terminal illness, is the always remarkable Mahershala Ali who delivers another incredible performance, strong and subtle. But Harris is also wonderful as his wife as is Close as the stoic professional walking him through the minefield of emotions. I do love seeing Awkwafina take on dramatic roles for she has a real strength in them that often gets overlooked. The whole cast comes together to walk the difficult line the movie requires to make it feel real. 

And Swan Song does feel real. Films like this can be more mental exercises in morality but when they can also find a sensitive compelling story in that exploration they can shine. Sawn Song finds that balance and keeps us invested in the journeys. 

Writer/director Cleary manages to tell his story well while also finding a beautiful pallet to tell it with. The film is gorgeous with lovely art direction and cinematography that is picture perfect. Again I find many movies focused on their moral story forget they are movies and should be beautiful to watch. Swan Song is a gorgeous film as well.

Swan Song comes together to tell us a compelling story, feature wonderful performances by a great cast, and ask us interesting questions you'll be contemplating afterward. 

Swan Song

Starring: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close, Awkwafina, Adam Beach

Writer/Director: Benjamin Cleary 

 

Spider-Man No Way Home (2021)

I'm not a fan of the Tom Holland Spider-Man films despite being a big fan of Holland's performance as Spider-Man. So far he's been a supporting player in all his films (I know not literally but come on it would be nice to see a film where he isn't propped up by another Marvel superhero) and I wait for the day when Iron Man, or Nick Fury, or Doctor Strange isn't taking up so much of the air in a Spider-Man film. I feel like the weight of the MCU always brings down Spidey in these films and No Way Home adds to this the weight of the legacy of the filmed Spider-Man series as well. And for me the execution of this film was a lot of missteps as well as some successes. I do believe I enjoyed No Way Home the most of any of the Holland Spider-man films. 

The film begins chaotically, careening through plot points like they are signposts along a highway we pass over the speed-limit. Parker is revealed to the world, he is accused of murdering Mysterio, he is cleared (just so we can see Charlie Cox for half a second and let him tell a joke - cause this is the MCU for crying out loud), he tries to get into college, he gets rejected from college (just one of the most ridiculously unbelievable plot points in the movie BTW), and he then finally hits the main plot of the story, trying to fuck with reality to fix the situations he doesn't like. It's not Flash trying to save his mother from a murderer it's trying to get into college. I know...

I won't get into all the problems I had with the story's magic problem, Strange's eagerness, or maybe just disregard, to play haphazardly with the memories of the world or Parker's chaotic fumbling with it while he's doing it. But also the nature of the spells doesn't really make sense in terms of solving the problems they are trying to solve... but the story needs this device so okay I can forgive it. 

But once the movie starts on its main story I actually got into it. I am a big critic of those who don't like "nOStalGIa" as if it's some crime to love things, want to explore them and their repercussions in new and interesting ways. I think returning to some of these characters in this way was both fascinating and redemptive. Maybe they bite off more than they can chew; certain villains get way less to do and grow than others. And maybe they limit themselves by only sticking to characters actually introduced in the previous movies. But the story of Peter's interactions with the villains of the multiverse is well done and Holland with his eager beaver teen approach and his unwillingness to send them to their deaths makes for a good story arc. 

But even more so the idea of the Spider-Men of the different films coming together, sharing their experiences, finding brotherhood they never had, it was all very moving. At one point I thought they were killing Maguire's Spidey which could have taken the film to a whole other level but they backed down at the last minute. I felt there was real pathos here. And yes maybe some of it is nostalgia. Seeing Maguire and Garfield again was touching but for me it was more the idea of exploring the connections they would have. Multiverse stories have an abundance of possibilities. As this is one of the first mainstream films to tackle this sort of story on the big screen despite years, decades, or comic stories like this and TV exploring it somewhat, I was happy to see these dynamics play out. 

Again the ending sort of disappointed me as the final spell again didn't make a lot of sense. Nor did Peter's end reaction. Even Fantastic Beasts handled this wrinkle better. I mean there is no reason not to tell MJ and Ned. Still this movie opens the door for more and also opens the door to allow Spider-Man movies in the future to be less weighed down by all the MCU stuff going on in the background. 

Once of the disappointments for me with the Holland films (maybe we could call them the "Home" films) is that I had hoped they would just assume Spidey's origin and then just tell fresh Spidey stories. But they have attempted to work through all the origin beats again, this time with this Aunt May giving the "great power/great responsibility" line. I get that they were using it as a way of connecting the Parkers of different universes but I really want a Spider-Man story that doesn't just retell the origin again but different.

Interesting post-script, I find the Amazing movies the least interesting of all the Spider-Man films but Garfield's performance here really knocks it out of the park and makes me wish we could see more of him... just not in that universe. 

Spider-man No Way Home

Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Andrew Garfield, Toby Maguire, Rhys Ifans, Thomas Hayden Church, J.K. Simmons, Charlie Cox, Tom Hardy

Director: John Watts

Writers: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers

 

Saint-Narcisse (2021)

Maybe it's wrong for me to want to see the B-movie director rise to an occasion and have his film transcend to a new level. Maybe that's unfair. Director Bruce LaBruce's newest film keeps all the camp and ripeness of his traditional work while exploring his latest shocking concept. For me some of his underground film making techniques took away from how fascinating the subject could have been. But perhaps it may not have worked if he had grounded his film in a more realistic structure. Maybe it needs the rough edges to get where it's going. 

So to get to the heart of Saint-Narcisse one has to put up with corny melodrama, ham acting, and overly on the nose dialogue ("go fuck YOURself!"). But underneath that there is a fascinating tale of self-obsession, one that in the digital age of dating apps and bathroom selfies is a needed story within queer male communities if not beyond. 

LaBruce's story is of a man who, like the title's namesake, is a bit obsessed with himself, who discovers he has a twin he didn't know about and... well... this is a LaBruce film. Although, to be fair, the moment the brothers have sex is quite tender and sweet. Like some other daring films of this year (Titane, Black Bear) the gimmicky story is an allegory to explore something deeper and there are times within Saint-Narcisse which get there. The film plays with perception a bit, having the main character wake from dreaming enough to make us question what's real and what is in his head. But the idea of being obsessed with ones own beauty, of pursuing sexual contact with similarly presenting partners or perhaps curating our own image to match that we obsess with, is interesting. "I want to fuck the ones I envy." sings Lil Nas X. It's all very fascinating.

And LaBruce titillates provocatively with his usual power. His monk domination sex scenes are both unnerving and exciting.  As I said the moment the brothers come together is explicit but tame. The energy he creates with actor Félix-Antoine Duval playing his own twin has a surprising energy. Some of this is taken away by his B-movie sensibilities that lean towards making the audience giggle more than soak it all in. Still, the film got me thinking about a lot and that in itself is worth it. Even when it is pushing itself too hard like in the scene our hero stares at his reflection in the water just to remind us of the Greek myth informing this tale. He dares, doesn't always hit the target, but makes the attempt glorious in itself. 

Saint-Narcisse

Starring: Félix-Antoine Duval, Tania Kontoyanni, Alexandra Petrachuck and Andreas Apergis

Director: Bruce LaBruce

Writers: Martin Girard, Bruce LaBruce

 

The Unforgivable (2021)

Seeing the amazing Viola Davis and Sandra Bullock slum in swill like these sorts of movies makes me so sad. This kind of lazy melodrama that plays into cheesy cliches bugs me and bores me. But it's more than that. This sort of story relies on some ugly assumptions, the kind that undermine the validity and strength of adopted families, the kind that require us to prove innocence before we can sympathize with a convict,  the kind that tries to justify violence as a way of resolving issues. But it's also just a schmaltzy mess of melodramatic BS that is designed to make us cry instead of making us truly empathize. 

Unrealistic and corny, The Unforgivable is filled with eye-rolling moments and convoluted plot points. It is just one cliche after another. It's manipulative. It's dishonest. Every character is 2-dimensional (if even). I just kept wondering how we were ever supposed to buy into it. 

But it's not just the poor writing and plotting of the film that angered me. It was the way the film promoted really ugly ways of looking at things. I hated the way Davis' character was suddenly convinced to care for Bullock's only by finding out she was "innocent" of the crime she did the time for, and convinced so easily without any real evidence. Just an oh-I-see-you-really-are-a-hero-my-bad moment. But even more insulting is the way the film undermines the validity of adopted families, once again preference biology over history and real bonding. Katie's parents are presented in ways that undermine the view we have of them as the audience. No real analysis of what is best for Katie is ever presented other than the blood argument. It is frustrating and insulting. I don't like it when a film talks down to me. 

When I see such great talent, like the talent of a cast of like this, wasted on this I get sad. Even the queen Davis cannot save this pile of crap, especially in such a poorly written role. 

The Unforgivable 

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Aisling Franciosi, Rob Morgan, W Earl Brown

Director: Nora Fingscheidt

Writers: Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz, Courtenay Miles

 

Encounter (2021)

With films like Sound of Metal and Mogul Mowgli Ahmed has become one of my favourite actors working right now. Encounter continues this streak of his strong performances in interesting films. It is a creatively filmed take on an important story. I appreciate genre films that find ways into real world issues, ways that help us explore these issues in ways straight forward dramas do not. Encounter may not technically be science fiction but it uses the tools of the genre to tell this story of a struggling man who kidnaps his children and finds the difficult balance between helping us see what he's struggling with while laying out how dangerous he is. 

Often dangerous men see themselves as being right despite all the world around them opposing them. They blame their spouses, or the system, or their "replacements" for the problems they are having and lash out into the world with their frustrations. Men are often conditioned to react this way to opposition. What makes Encounter so interesting is the way it uses an alien invasion plot to get explore this. 

Director Pearce films his story in a way that is both beautiful (his use of colour and darkness is incredible to watch) but incredibly unnerving. The film starts by getting underneath our skin. We are uncomfortable from the beginning. We are immersed in Malik's world. The film then systematically deconstructs this before our eyes, showing us the ways his delusions hurt him and those around him, until we are even more unnerved by his behaviour and view of the world. While this kind of delusion is possible and does happen, leading people to act in dangerous ways, most often it's a more subtle skewed vision of the world that leads men to act in ways that hurt themselves and their families. Encounter is a very engaging examination of all that coming together. 

But the film goes beyond even that. It's critiques of American racism and the American justice system are palpable too without the film feeling "preachy" or hitting us over the head with it. 

And Encounter is a powerful watch. As I said Ahmed delivers another knock out performance, complicated and unnerving. He is both scary and sympathetic. Young actor Chauhan is very strong in the role of his tween son who is juggling an incredible amount of conflicting emotions.  As the film reaches it climax, the two actors together help make its ending feel earned and honest and quite heartbreaking. 

The film has an inevitably tragic ending but it earns how it gets there. It will give you quite a bit to think about and be sad about.  

Encounter

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Lucian-River Chauhan, Aditya Geddada, Misha Coll, Rory Cochrane, Janina Gavankar

Director: Michael Pearce

Writers: Joe Barton, Michael Pearce   

 

West Side Story (2021)

Remaking movies is a tricky business, especially when the original film is so beloved. You need a reason. And that reason needs to be more than just Steven Spielberg wants to make it, even if he is Steven Spielberg. Well it turns out there are plenty of good reasons to remake West Side Story, one of the best is to fill it with perspectives that were missing from 1961 popular worldview and to bring forward to modern audiences a story that is as relevant to today as it has ever been. 

While Spielberg has made some of my favourite films ever, it's been hard to be to be excited about much of his output in the last few decades. His films remain technically great but I struggled to care about many of them. Watching West Side Story reminded me not only of why he truly is one of the best film directors of all time but also how he has manages in many of his films to capture my imagination in ways few filmmakers can. West Side Story is cinematic magic. He has crafted a true thing of beauty and, with the collaboration of screen writer (and another genius) Tony Kushner, he has improved upon the piece by highlighting the voices of those who may not have had a presence in productions before. This is an example of why a film should be reinvented. 

As I mentioned West Side Story is a thing of beauty. Spielberg's use of colour, and how he captures movement is incredible. This is a see-it-on-the-biggest-screen-possible sort of movie. It is a visual feast and like all great film makers he uses his crafting of each scene to further his narrative and build his characters in ways less skilled film makers miss. The film is enchanting in how it creates a very 1950s New York that is both true to its time and stylized to evoke an emotional response from the audience. It is both set in a very specific time but also tells a story of timeless relevance. And it bursts into beautiful vivid life before our eyes. 

Elgort and Zegler both are powerful in their leading roles, juggling the difficult task of selling the audience on a love-at-first-sight love story (a concept that feels unrealistic at the best of times), singing the songs very well, and giving performances that are full of nuance. But for me the standouts and the reasons the film succeeds so well were in some of the showier roles. DeBose's Anita steals the show, not just because the character (Moreno's role in the pervious version) is such a scene stealer, but because DeBose brings such a presence and complicated brilliance to the role. Also captivating is Alvarez' Bernardo who is just oozing with charisma all over the place. Truly the entire cast is strong. Seeing Moreno in a new role is wonderful too, but not just for the nostalgia. She remains an incredible actor and the gravitas she brings to the film is powerful. The trope of the wise elder who is the one who can see how all the younger characters are failing is a cliche but she makes it work with her powerful and subtle performance. 

I want to give credit to Peck's choreography and the way Spielberg films it. They find a way to make it all feel very of the time but also quite fresh. They didn't try to make it street-smart or modern or anything, giving it the old broadway feel while still making it all organic. Dancing is an important element of the great American screen musical and this West Side Story is top notch in this department. 

I truly admired the film's choice to make the dialogue bilingual and not subtitle it. The languages felt feel, like how people truly talk. And the meaning was never lost. It's part of how West Side Story walks a fine line between cinematic fantasy and real world relevance. It employs a heightened reality, made up of nostalgic impressions of the classic American myth, but uses this to deconstruct the way we view our romanticized past and how we can connect this to our current present. 

I think my main appreciation is for Kushner's incredible screenplay. He has taken a piece of classic American theatre and cinema history and breathed new life into it in a way that is far more inclusive, far more expansive, and far more revelatory than I had seen it before. His take is transformative in how it doesn't romanticize gang life, how it calls out male violence against women, and deconstructs the racism of this era to precisely. This film has transformed for me this musical in a way that makes me appreciate it all so much more and I hope it will for audiences as well. 

West Side Story

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Airana DeBose, David Alverez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Brian D'Arcy James, Corey Stall

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: Tony Kushner 

 

Wolf (2021)

Wolf is a bold attempt at allegory that may be a bit heavy handed in what it's doing that I'm not sure entirely succeeds. There were a number of times I worried it was going off the rails or overstaying it's welcome. But in the end it it does manage to make its point and does so in a way that doesn't betray its subject. 

Wolf is atmospheric and upsetting. It is the story of people who believe themselves to be different animal species who get committed to an institution to "cure" them. The techniques used are brutal and abusive. It is clearly using this idea as a way to critique our normative culture's predilection for hurting those who don't fall into whatever lines we have drawn. Sometimes the analogy pushes the line of being somewhat insulting and I worried it was going to err too far in this direction. But generally it works, drawing a very disturbing picture of any conversion therapy. 

The film uses a heteronormative relationship at its centre to convey its critique, which I understand is necessary for this sort of take, a way of shoving the reality under the noses of the mainstream. But it also feels a bit like erasure. I'm not sure Wolf's allegory is perfect but I still found it effective. MacKay at the centre of this is quite strong and commits to his character in a way that makes it work. The film is brutal in its depiction of "treatment" and it needs to be. I appreciated it's unwavering nature. 

The film ends with the line "it's not about surviving, it's about surviving as myself" and in that the film shows us it gets it. 

Wolf

Starring: George MacKay, Lily Rose-Depp, Paddy Considine

Writer/Director: Nathalie Biancheri

 

Frenzy (1972) REVISIT

Frenzy is fascinating and surprisingly horrific. While not as famous as some of Hitchock's other thrillers, his second to last film tells the story of a serial killer but while doing so highlights the generalized misogyny in (in this case) British society as we witness true brutalization of women at the hands of men, both literally (men consistently act violently and threateningly towards the women characters) and rhetorically (men discuss casually violence against women with glee). There is a scene early on when a man discusses how dead whores are good for the tourist trade. Frenzy is a shocking indictment of male violence that is rather unflinching and often difficult to watch. 

Frenzy was Hitchcock's triumphant return to British film making after decades of working in America. The film starts with a celebratory shot down the Thames while the score practically plays God Save the Queen. It is also his return to one of his most popular tropes, the innocent man caught in the frenzy of a hunt for a murderer. All of this returning adds up to what is considered by many to be his last great film. 

Frenzy is remarkably good, continuing to surprise me as it went along with the innovation of how the story is told. There are incredible shots like a tracking shot which is extremely unnerving and a wonderful chase involving a potato truck. But it is how strikingly powerful the film's exposure of male hatred of women is portrayed. The film is intense and often difficult to watch. I was worried the film might blur the lines a bit as it portrays its violence but generally I felt it handled the murders in ways that highlighted their impact and humanizes their victims without sensationalizing those killings. 

There is also a delicious subplot about the inspector and his wife's disgusting food which is a wonderful counterbalance to the heaviness of the rest of the film. Hitchcock balances it all very well and it all adds up to a very chilling yet entertaining film. Even up to the end, the film keeps you on the edge of your seat and reminds you of Hitchcock's glory days. 

Frenzy

Starring: Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Alex McCowen, Billie Whitelaw, Anna Massey, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Vivien Merchant 

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writer: Anthony Shaffer  

 

C'mon C'mon (2021)

While it may not be a revelation that parenting is hard, when a film can capture the concept in an honest way, especially it if also finds some beauty in that, it can be wonderfully reassuring. C'mon C'mon is a story of an uncle connecting to the human being that is his nephew, his weird, emotionally charged nephew, but it is about that struggle of parenting all the same, because parenting isn't about giving birth to someone. C'mon C'mon explores what it really means. 

Shot in black and white, and with an approach that attempts to capture the intensity of each moment and the way those moments are connected, C'mon C'mon is an exploration of the humanity of both parent and child, and the complicated, messy relationships that form between them. Writer/director Mills has made a touching film about this connection. He may not discover anything revelatory and sometimes it feels like he's just covering the basics, but generally his film is moving and challenging for anyone who has ever had a relationship with a child. 

C'mon C'mon is a beautiful film and part of a trend in 2021 of films embracing the visual medium of B&W film making, showing how truly the silver screen can evoke emotion in ways that colour cannot. 

Phoenix is restrained in his performance which is a change of pace. And Gaby Hoffman who has to act to no one talking into a phone most of the movie, does a wonderful job of bringing all the emotions forward. But it is young actor Woody Norman who shines by making his Jesse a fully rounded little human in ways that make the film work as well as it does. 

C'mon C'mon is a sweet film and a pleasure without sugar coating its story. '

C'mon C'mon

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Gabby Hoffman Woody Norman, Scoot McNairy, Jaboukie Young-White, Molly Webster

Writer/Director: Mike Mills

Philadelphia (1993) REVISIT

I had a lot of mixed feelings when Philadelphia was released as a queer man who had friends who were living with HIV at the time, some who lived long lives afterward and other who did not. There were queer movies of the era (like Longtime Companion) that centered the queer experience in ways that this film felt like it wasn't able to, catering to a mainstream audiences. Philadelphia, as the first "gay" mainstream movie (which isn't entirely true), had a lot of expectations at the time and it felt somewhat like it traded gay authenticity for mainstream palatability. 

Still Philadelphia meant something to me. I remember crying during it the first time I saw it. I remember watching a straight man very earnestly bringing a noble gay character to life and even if he was a bit of a magical gay trope, and even if the celebrations were around straight men and their accomplishments on this gay story, it was still a gay story, one that focused a microscope on homophobia in a way that rarely saw the light of day in mainstream media. 

So rewatching it decades later I approached Philadelphia with a bit of trepidation but also nostalgia. And rewatching it brought back a lot of feelings, if not always the ones I expected. 

Demme is an incredible film maker and having just come off his masterpiece Silence of the Lambs, one that has a troubled history with queerness itself, he reminds me just how much I love watching his work. Like he did in that previous film, Demme likes to put the camera uncomfortably in the faces of its subject, making it so we can't look away. Weather we are forced to look Hanks in the face, look into the eyes of Washington's homophobic character, or into the faces of any of the other characters, Philadelphia doesn't let us look away. On rewatch I was shaken at how much truth telling it does. 

Since originally seeing the film I have often felt that it is Washington's character who is the real protagonist of Philadelphia. We follow his journey. Hanks' Beckett is the instigator that moves Washington's Miller through the real arc of the film. Because the film isn't about a gay man. It's about a straight man who has to confront his own homophobia, wrestle with it, because its audience is in the same boat. This film forces its audience to look in a mirror and see their own homophobia without being able to deny it. That is one of the greatest strengths of the movie. 

Hanks gives a beautiful performance that is worthy of all the accolades he got at the time. It is nuanced and demonstrates the great strength of his character. Again I cried in the moments he shares with his family and his partner, the unbelievably gorgeous Banderas in his younger days. He doesn't just play the sacrificial hero. He gives Beckett all the dimensions. Yes that scene where he describes the aria is as powerful as we remember. 

But again I couldn't take my eyes off Washington who chilled me with his powerful portrayal of bigotry and the very honest path through reformation. Washington has the more subtle moments. There is a moment when he is just watching Beckett with his partner where the way he sees his humanity is just so palpable it chases away all the fear he had before. Because Philadelphia once again turns the tables on us. It isn't about AIDS as much as it is about homophobia and its deep routes in American culture. Just like the AIDS crisis itself was so powerfully coloured by the homophobia and racism of the time. Philadelphia tackles that. It continuously returns to the hatred of gays in America, to the hatred of gays in the character of Miller, of the hatred of gays in the audience. It keeps making us look at it and not look away. And for that the film is bold, especially for its time.

It's also a damn good courtroom drama. Law movies often dramatize the court experience in a show stopping way that takes away its authenticity. Philadelphia isn't completely innocent of this, but it effectively deconstructs the legal profession and the practice of law in a way that exposes the systemic failures of LGBTQ2S+ people. And it makes a very compelling argument for conviction. 

There is a beautiful moment in the court room, a brief moment, when the defence is attempting to imply Beckett's non-monogamy makes him not credible or trustworthy, that his whole life of concealing his sexuality makes him untrustworthy. The camera for a moment focuses on Banderas' face, while they are talking about his partner's infidelity, and Banderas expresses the most loving and supportive look. The script, from queer writer Nyswaner, captures the power and beauty of queer love, even in this mainstream, heterosexual narrative. 

Yes the film is restrained in the way it shows two men loving each other. It isn't a perfect film. But it is beautiful and shows its strengths have held up over time. It is a film of its time and of its audience. But it is relentless in how it pushes those things. 

And Streets of Philadelphia holds up as a truly kick ass song. 

Philadelphia

Starring: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen, Antonio Banderas, Joanne Woodward, Anna Deavere Smith, Robert Ridgely, Lisa Summerour, Charles Napier, Ann Dowd, Chandra Wilson, Bradley Whitford

Director: Jonathan Demme

Writer: Ron Nyswaner

 

Encanto (2021)

Encanto is the 60th film made from Walt Disney Animation Studios, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all the way through 101 Dalmatians, Beautify and the Beast, the Lion King, Frozen, and Zootopia. It is quite the legacy. Sure there is a Chicken Little or an Atlantis the Lost Empire in there from time to time but it remains the best animated track record of any studio ever so there is a lot to live up to. As I watched Encanto I had quite a bit of mixed feelings, some of it impressing me greatly while other parts of it losing me. As I've reflected on it more, it does feel like a bit of a mess that includes some gloriousness and some weakness that keep it from reaching some of the heights of the studio's work. 

The idea is an interesting one. We are introduced to a magical family, they all have a special "gift" or power which they use for the benefit of their village; all except one. Mirabel has no special abilities. The film spends a lot of time introducing us to her family and showing off all their powers and spending time with the amiable Mirabel and highlighting her not doing anything magical, but boy is she a special human being. The film kinda hits us over the head to make sure we get it, again and again. 

And then the family's magic is somehow threatened. They have a candle that symbolizes their magic or is the source of it or something, and they have a magical house which lives and breathes and helps them and the candle starts fading while the house begins cracking. None of this is explained but Mirabel none the less goes on a quest to discover a a solution including at one point "finding a vision" (whatever the heck that means) and singing the kinds of story driving songs that these kinds of musicals tend to have. 

But here is the rub. The story screams dues ex machina in that it never truly establishes what the problem is or how the potential solutions may effect it so it can just have her do whatever is convenient in the moment to fit what they want to put up on screen. None of it feels purposeful or organic so the film's story begins to drag. Despite the visual beauty of the film the story never grabs you. And in the end the story oscilates between two poles, an attempt at exploring generational trauma, which is interesting, and a rather cliched family-means-everything sort of message that just feels forced. The latter undercuts a lot of the former in ways that disappointed me. When the family overcomes their plight it all just feels inevitable, like there was no real chance of failure, because real stakes were never established. 

I did appreciate quite a bit about the film though. It is stunning to watch. The animators pulled out all the stops to make a visual cornucopia for us to enjoy. And I do like the idea of telling a story that doesn't feel cookie cutter, like we know where it is going to go. I was always wondering what was going to happen next which helped hold some interest despite the film taking short cuts and easy answers each step of the way to transition from one scene to the next. I appreciated that unlike most films (with the first Cars film being one of the notable exceptions) there are no bad guys in this film. Encanto's main struggle to overcome is within the main characters and not due to some dastardly villain. I find stories like that so satisfying. But again I'm not sure the writers convinced me there was that much of a struggle to begin with. 

I also appreciated that the songs were complex and rich, both lyrically and melodically. There weren't just catchy little ditties or smarmy pop ballads. They were essential for communicating information, developing characters, and moving the story forward. However with all that being said, they weren't catchy little ditties (other than We Don't Talk About Bruno which has gone on to become a huge phenomenon mostly because it is so catchy) meaning often the failed to truly grab your ear worm by the tail and make you sing the songs on the way out the door. The best musicals do both but there is no Let It Go that will live in your memory for years to come. 

So overall Encanto is a mixed bag. It did somethings I truly appreciated but also often frustrated me with its lack of cohesiveness. Maybe it will take me multiple viewings to truly appreciate but for now I don't feel overly motivated to give that a try. 

Encanto

Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Lequizamo, Diane Guerrero, Wilmer Valderrama, Maluma, Alan Tudyk

Directors: Jared Bush, Byron Howard

Writers: Charise Castro Smith, Jared Bush

 

House of Gucci (2021)

House of Gucci has an A-list cast, A-list director, and a salacious plot but never finds the right balance between camp and high drama, never connects to any real sense of commentary, and struggles to find a consistent tone. It's a long film that feels long, yet feels like its still missing so much. Mostly a misfire, there are elements within it that are fascinating and moments of performances that are stunning, but they are mixed with scenery chewing and sloppiness that takes away from the film. 

Often while watching House of Gucci I had difficulty following the characters' trajectories. They would do one thing in one scene and then suddenly have progressed to an entirely different perspective without the film showing us how they got there. The characters are just poorly drawn, fluctuating wildly and unpredictably between motivations and personalities. We have some of Hollywood's best and brightest here yet they oscillate between playing it straight and hamming it up. I never felt I had a handle on what I was watching therefore it often left me feeling cold. 

The story feels exploitative. Watching the rich and powerful flounder always feels like a cheap passtime. What director Scott did with his All The Money in the World was just so much more complex, interesting, and insightful.  Gucci just feels like watching The Real Housewives of... something. Gucci suffers from American Hustle syndrome. it's all about the hair and costumes and the story takes a sideline. There were moments I was almost getting into it. Gaga or Pacino (or any of them really) would have a tremendous scene and then the film would just slip into something distracting that took me back out of it. Also others are wasted. Why cast Salma Hayek if you're going to give her little to nothing to do? 

And then it just ends. The film takes a really long time to reach its climax, a climax it teases in the first moments, and then it never finds a way to pay it off. The ending is rushed and never capitalizes on the murder or the investigation at its heart. If the film developed a deeper insight into the inner workings of the family perhaps it could be forgiven, but because the film sticks to its melodrama so much it should at least get into the fall. But so much of what happens in Gucci just happens. Dad dies. Uncle goes to jail for tax evasion. Betrayal. Murder. It all just happens without any setting the stage or developing the pathos in each situation. So when the film suddenly jars to a halt and then prints across the screen what happened to each character afterward in "real life" it doesn't feel shocking it just feels predictable. 

This is one of those films that one would imagine should be so much better because of all involved. And maybe that's what makes House of Gucci such a disappointment. 

House of Gucci

Starring: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, Jack Huston, Reeve Carney, Camille Cotton

Director: Ridley Scott

Writers: Becky Johnston, Roberto Bentivegna

 

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) REVISIT

Legend has it this is Hitchcock's favourite of his films. I can see why. It is part screwball comedy, part unsettling thriller, that just comes together very well. Shadow of a Doubt is the story of a young woman who starts to suspect her beloved uncle might be a murderer. It starts out very charming with Wright's family being a delightful collection of characters who are a joy to watch interact. But as the story progresses and the clues swirl around her handsome uncle the story begins to take a dark turn with a thrilling ending. It's an encapsulation of much of what makes Hitchcock's films so compelling.  

I hadn't seen this one before, shadowed no doubt by his bigger more famous films. But Shadow of a Doubt is a surprisingly engaging and entertaining film. Perhaps it is not as shocking or sexy as many of his bigger films but it is a solid watch. And once again I am taken by how well Hitchcock draws the female character at the centre of the film, making her up to the task of taking on the challenges before her. She is clearly gaslit but all going on around her but she doesn't need to be saved. She is a full protagonist in all senses of the word.

Give this one a watch if it's one you've missed, like it was for me. I can see why it held a soft spot for its director and it holds up well to this day. 

Shadow of a Doubt

Starring: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, Hume Cronyn

Director: Alfred Hitchcok

Writers: Thorton Wilder, Sally Benson, Alma Reville