The Man From Toronto (2022)

Take the premise of North by Northwest, but make it a comedy, but make it not very funny, and you end up with The Man From Toronto, a film that ends up being rather boring and rarely illicits much of a laugh. 

Hart plays... well, Kevin Hart, as if he was a suburban loser. Harrelson plays... well, Woody Harrelson as if he was... well Woody Harrelson. The story follows a silly plot that is mostly there just to allow the next "comic" moment to happen. I put "comic" in quotes cause, as I said, they are rarely funny. The movie wants to be edgy by making jokes about the kind of jokes that people argue about being "able" to make, you know about gender and masculinity. Oh. Ha. Ha. 

Anyway, This film is part of a deal between Sony and Netflix that allows Netflix exclusive rights to stream Sony films after their theatrical window since Sony doesn't have its own streamer like WB or Disney. But instead of the theatrical window, this one went right to Netflix. Sony didn't want to bother with a run in cinemas unlike many of their other upcoming releases. That explains what we're watching. 

Honestly if you are a die hard fan of Kevin Hart you might enjoy it enough but on the other hand you might be disappointed to see this slumming. But at least if you already subscribe to Netflix it won't cost you anything but 112 minutes of your time to sit through it. 

The Man From Toronto

Starring: Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, Kaley Cuoco, Ellen Barkin

Director: Patrick Hughes

Writers: Robbie Fox, Chris Bremner

 

Elvis (2022)

No one makes movies like Baz Luhrmann. I adore his impressionistic storytelling style and the way he uses anachronistic elements to ground a historical drama firmly in a modern audience's experience. He seems perfect to be the one telling the story of the larger than life Elvis Presley and he pulls it off with this bombastic and emotional biopic. 

Luhrmann takes us on a ride. He starts out full tilt and rarely takes moments to breath. But when he does those moments hit hard. His approach is to give us the feelings of his narrative, even if the details are fudged or glamourized. He isn't making a documentary. He's possessing us with the spirt of the King of Rock and Roll. This is a séance and we are witnessing a spirited return. 

Austin Butler truly inhabits Elvis, truly brings him to life, playing part parody, part melodrama, part tribute, part subtle inspiration. He both rises to the operatic level of Luhrmann's film and grounds it in a real human under the layers of make up and sweat. And while Hanks' portrayal of the Colonel is controversial, for me it worked 100%, letting Hanks play against type as a complicated antagonist that wasn't always despicable but also unredeemed. Yes he plays him as a comic villain but he does so in a way that allows him to be both larger than life and in no way a simple portrait. Hanks does wonderful work here unlike we are used to seeing him. 

But this is Luhrmann's show, and he delivers by capturing the rapturous emotion of the Elvis phenomenon in a visual and musical language the 21st century can understand. As he did with creating the roaring 20s for his Gatsby retelling,  he takes Presley's music and gives it the kind of post-modern explosion it needs to have the effect on us as an audience that he had on audiences of the time. The musical pedigree here is amazing from Gary Clark Jr. in the film to the incredible artists interpreting Presley's work on the soundtrack. What a spectacular spectacular!

And it is a simply beautiful film. Gorgeous to watch as it washes over us and overwhelms us as a Luhrmann film does. It wraps us up in an Elvis bedtime story. It is tragedy and warning and fantasy. The film blurs the edges a bit. I wish the film had been more responsible exploring his relationship with the underage Pricilla and the film's timeline is wonky. But its flaws were mostly overcome for me with its sweeping scope that swept me away.  

Elvis

Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thompson, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Kodi Smith-McPhee, Alton Mason, Gary Clark Jr., Anthony La Paglia

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Writers: Sam Bromell, Craige Pearce, Jeremy Donor, Baz Luhrmann

 

Spiderhead (2022)

You’ve probably already heard there is an interesting idea at the heart of the film Spiderhead, but the film never quite capitalizes on that idea in a way that is successful. Director Kosinski never quite balances the humour and pathos in a cohesive way. None of this makes Spiderhead unwatchable; in fact it is quite is quite an easy watch that is moves quickly. But in the end it just leaves you feeling unsatisfied.

I think Hemsworth was miscast. He just never quite captures what his character needs to to truly make this work. The rest of the cast is rather spot on but he always feels out of place, or perhaps just not doing what would hav made it all work together.

But the ending is where I really just gave up hoping it would be able to pull it off. The film incorrectly feels it needs to change the source material’s bleaker resolution for a more hopeful one, one that feels more just. And in that it loses the power it might have had otherwise.

Spiderhead

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett, Tess Haubrich

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Writers: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick

 

Lightyear (2022)

Lightyear starts with a little message about this being the film young Andy saw in 1995 that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy and honestly something about that just sunk into my heart and gave me a tonne of feels. Maybe because the young me had favourite movies as a child and had toys that helped me relive those movies and maybe just maybe it struck something about my life long passion for movies.

I found Lightyear had a sense of wonder like a classic sci if adventure, capturing the spirit of a genre that has given so much pleasure. There were a few times I felt the film’s story cut corners to get to where it wanted to go but there was enough good will built up for me to forgive and just let myself enjoy it. Lightyear has some of the hallmarks of Pixar film making such as the connections in chosen family and the valuing of lived experience over what is supposed to be. Overall it was a solid adventure. 

I will admit that after Pixar’s strong streak of Soul, Luca, and Turning Red, Lightyear is more... well, light. It doesn’t reach the heights of the best Toy Story movies or the originality of the recent Pixar films. But it is a solid adventure that is thoroughly entertaining and offers a perspective that is quite important. 

And it brings me back to my childhood discovering a love of cinema. In that it took me beyond indeed. 

Lightyear

Starring: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, James Brolin, Taika Waititi

Director: Angus MacLane

Writers: Jason Headley, Angus MacLane

 

Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)

I love it when a movie surprises me, exceeds my expectations. I hadn’t seen the debut film by wunderkind writer/director Cooper Raiff so I wasn’t quite prepared for exactly what he could deliver. Cha Cha Real Smooth touched me on a few levels which all came out of left field and left me feeling very moved, excited to see what Raiff can do next.

Smooth is about growing up, not in the “coming of age” way we are used to, but in coming to terms with deeper understandings of relationships and connections in ways that one has to have lived to truly understand. Raiff’s Andrew is a romantic soul who has so much love to give and this is the story of one of his first stumbles into maturity. He is the sort of charismatic young man who has a positive influence on those around him, and his rom com ideas of how love is supposed to be are noble but imperfect. We see that in how he watches his mother move through her second marriage, how he encourages his younger brother’s first adolescent feelings, and how he pursues love for himself. Smooth is about him coming to understand a deeper and more real experience of love in all its complications.

I also appreciated how the film explores heterosexuality in a way that eschews much of the toxic masculinity that pervades our straight romantic narratives. I observe so many heterosexual men in how they truly do not like women, not in a wholistic way, but in a way that is about using their parts. But every now and then we get pop culture narratives that explore heterosexual men who truly admire women, see them as partners in their explorations of connection, and become better humans for those connections. Smooth is one of those stories. Andrew see the women around him, from his crush (I don’t mean that word in a reductive way), to her daughter with whom he makes another real connection, to his mother as full humans with whom he is in relationship with. They are not there to satisfy his needs or deliver on some sort of birthright. And this makes Smooth be something greater than the traditional romantic stories. 

This is Andrew’s story. His journey. But it is about him becoming a man because of how he makes his connections in the world, both with the women in his life and the other men, like his step father, his younger brother, and the man who love the same woman he does. There is a moment where he apologizes to that character and says “I’m just a dumb kid” and that man responds with respect and caring. Real Smooth is one of the best explorations of masculinity I have seen from heterosexuals in a very long time. And in many ways it gave me hope that. Maybe they aren’t completely lost after all.

Raiff’s performance is mostly successful due to his enduring charm and presence but his cast is giving A game work here. Johnson give a subtle but complex performance and Mann is equally compelling. Everyone is required to be both funny and moving at the same time and they all succeed. Smooth feels like a real collaboration despite it also feeling like Raiff’s vision.

I am very interested in what Raiff will do next. I hope he can maintain the insight and honesty along with the just delightful whimsy that he displays here. 

Cha Cha Real Smooth

Starring: Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Raúl Castillo, Vanessa Burghardt

Writer/Director: Cooper Raiff

 

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)

Emma Thompson remains one of the best actors working today and her turn in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is one of her stronger performances, a complicated portrait of a woman making choices for herself she never allowed herself before. The story, which takes the trope of an older woman's sexual awakening with a younger man, and makes it feel honest and real. Thompson brings a real strength to her Nancy, a real depth so she isn't a cliche. And watching her is just remarkable.

McCormack is delightful, first as the mysteriously nurturing and incredibly hot sex worker, and as the film progresses, as a vulnerable and complicated young man who doesn't magically fix Nancy, but in partnership with her find each other.

I loved how the film allows its characters to find connection through their intimacy, and how it explores the way there are complications to that as well. The film's depiction of sex work is refreshing. The film affirms connections found through means that are often reduced to scorn. There were some moments I wish the film was braver but it does give a wonderful role for a great actor to remind us just what a presence she is. 

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Starring: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack

Director: Sophie Hyde

Writer: Katie Brand

 

RRR (2022)

How does one describe RRR? Perhaps approximate what movie made in collaboration between Sam Raimi, Baz Luhrmann, and Quinton Tarantino would love like, throw in Bollywood numbers, and amp it up a few notches. RRR is a gonzo superhero adventure, bromance, musical, historical fiction, brutal action movie like nothing you've ever seen. And it is glorious. 

Like 2021's The Harder They Fall, RRR takes real historical figures (in this case Indian anti-imperialist revolutionaries) and tells a completely made up story. It is a superhero origin story about how these men began fighting for independence. Writer/director Rajamouli runs the gamut here from moments of tender characterization, the wild absurdist (and often brutal) action, to hilarity, to blunt critiques of colonialism. He really does throw in everything AND the kitchen sink. 

But it is all just so engaging and fun. He finds this magical way of both holding up the brutality of colonialist history in a manner that does not let you look away while couching it in a fantastic unreality that allows it to be digested and fully appreciated without being too hard to handle. His stars Charan and Rama Rao are beyond Avengers in their screen presence. They manage the action, the comedy, the relationships all so perfectly. 

RRR remains completely gonzo with all the flourishes that Bollywood is known for. There were times I was a bit overwhelmed by the absurdity that I was pulled out of the film just a bit. Bit it always managed to hook me back in. The film doesn't compromise on selling out to an international audience that isn't used to the heightened stylization that is part of the film culture it comes from. While sometimes it becomes too much you just have to let it happen to get all you can out of it. 

It really is impossible to explain what you are going to experience with RRR. You just have to see it to believe it. 

RRR

Starring: NT Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody, Olivia Morris

Writer/Director: SS Rajamouli

 

Hustle (2022)

I don't like Adam Sandler as an actor or a comedian. I don't find him funny and I think his dramatic roles are overrated. But I will admit it, I thought he was great in Hustle. Hustle might have the plot of every other sports movie ever made but in the hands of emerging director Zagar it becomes completely engrossing. Hustle is better than it should be on all levels. 

As I mentioned, Hustle has a very stereotypical plot. You know exactly what's going to happen at every moment and every character is exactly who you think they are going to be. But the script is tight and hooks you in in a way that doesn't feel insulting or manipulative. This is propped up by how strong the performances are. Especially Sandler who does the best work I've ever seen him do. Yes I liked him in this better than in Uncut Gems. 

Zagar captures the sport well. The basketball scenes are exciting and despite knowing how each scene would end and what purpose each moment was serving the plot, I kept finding myself on the edge of my seat. I don't give a shit about basketball but I was hooked in each moment. And Zagar captures the human drama too. I found myself getting sucked into the ups and downs of the (admittedly predictable) plot just as much, invested in how it was going to go for Bo. When a film can make me feel that when the story is so telegraphed, well that deserves some praise. 

Hustle is smart and engaging and as I said, far better than it should be. 

Hustle

Starring: Adam Sandler, Juancho Hernangómez, Queen Latifah, Ben Foster, Kenny Smith, Anthony Edwards, Maria Botto, Heidi Gardner, Fat Joe, Jaleel White, Robert Duval

Director: Jeremiah Zagar

Writers: Taylor Materne, Will Fetters

 

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

I'll start out by saying the Jurassic franchise is one of the many that are based on one amazing first movie that none of the rest of come even close to approaching. While we each might have one of the sequels we enjoy for whatever reason (I like Jurassic World way more than most people do), none in the series never manages to capture the magic of Jurassic Park. I didn't go into Dominion expecting it would be anything more than it was.  

The film's plot requires quire a few incredible coincidences to meet its points. The film doesn't give the legacy characters a satisfying conclusion to their stories as started out in the first film (with the exception of perhaps Dr. Wu who in his brief screen time gets some redemption). The film better serves the story arcs of the World characters than the Park characters generally who are not necessarily characters I care that much about. But instead of focusing on what doesn't work, I'll instead explain why I still had a good time watching Dominion. 

The dino action is top notch. There I said it. Except for the first film, this is why we buy our tickets. I want to see dino action and Dominion gives it to you in spades. They didn't pull any of the made up dinosaur stuff in this one so you just get to see some of your favourite dinos attack people, attack each other. The action sequences are really quite good and keep you on the edge of your seat. As the film even says outright, you don't get used to seeing dinosaurs roam the earth. It never gets old. 

And the film holds up the franchise's critique of capitalism quite well, perhaps even driving it home more than the earlier films. This one, along with Lost Kingdom before it, focus heavily on corporate greed and how the profit margin drives immoral and reprehensible, even planet destroying, behavior. We need that in popular blockbusters so I was happy to see they were leaning into it so strong. 

So while the character development was weak and the plot required more suspension of disbelief than most can manage, Jurassic Park Dominion was fun and exciting. Would I have loved to see a legacy sequel that could hold its own with the original film? Damn right I would. But I'll take this silly monster movie if I can't get another masterpiece. I know they said this is the end of the Jurassic series but come on...we all know the only way movie franchises die is when they stop making money and not even then sometimes. We're not there yet. Maybe there is another great Jurassic film in our future. Maybe not. But I'll keep going to see fun dinosaur movies as long as they keep making them and Dominion was enough for me to have fun. 

Jurassic World Dominion

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Campbell Scott, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Writer: Emily Carmichael, Colin Trevorrow

 

Crimes of the Future (2022)

So much about Crimes of the Future got me thinking about the past. It is the second film Cronenberg has made with this title but it has nothing to do with the previous film and intentionally evokes the infamously celebrated films of the director's past, everything from Naked Lunch and Crash to The Fly and Dead Ringers. It is set in a dystopian future that feels like a wasteland, wreckage everywhere, literally and figuratively, a time when the best is all behind it. It almost feels like Cronenberg is looking less to the future and more over his shoulder. 

Despite all the "body horror" elements Crimes of the Future is at its heart a noir mystery. There is a Registry Office that feels right out of a 50s detective story and there is even a character deep undercover who gets sucked into the world he is investigating. The film's mystery focuses on the tension between a mysterious movement and the state attempting to crack down on it, and we are lost between those poles often not knowing who we are to be rooting for. It's all incredibly uncomfortable, like we would expect a Cronenberg film to be, but not necessarily for the gross out aspects of the story, which are deeply uncomfortable but don't live up to the hype, but also for our confusion as to how to react. 

The film's shock value is loaded and in a way numbs us to what we are seeing. The film's story is exploring the passion to feel something, anything, and as the audience we are also left struggling to feel. The characters are remote, their story arcs rather alien; it all remains hard to grasp in a way that denies us the sort of emotional satisfaction we often seek out in cinema. In this story pain has been vanquished (for better or for worse) and we as the audience are also denied the ability to feel too much. From Cronenberg's attempts to gross us out to his deliberately opaque characters, Crimes of the Future dulls the pain. The shocking scenes are there to jolt us into an emotional response. Cronenberg does translate his world into his audience's experience and it isn't always pleasant but it also doesn't always produce much emotion.

Cronenberg's script sometimes feels stiff and awkward as characters feel like they are reciting things instead of actually speaking. There is a lot of dialogue exposition making many conversations feel less like, well conversations, and more like a script. The film drags a bit. The film's approach is less to create a real world and more to give us something to sit with. That's fine but also takes something from the experience. I don't think I felt much of anything while I watched it. I also don't think it's state vs. rebel plot line inspired much reflection in me. In the end I left feeling rather numb.

But the most impact Crimes of the Future had on me is how much it felt like revisiting the past, past Cronenberg films, past film making genres and tropes. Little felt new and innovative. 

Crimes of the Future

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Don McKellar, Scott Speedman

Writer/Director: David Cronenberg

 

Fire Island (2022)

I remember first seeing the trailers for Fire Island, after hearing it was a modern, gay, adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and wondering why there was no P&P in the story. I was wrong. Fire Island follows the major plot points of P&P to the letter. P&P is a great story and this take is funny and fresh. 

Okay so the acting might fall on the camp side a little too much sometimes, otherwise the film is a delight. These actors are funny people and the script is peppered with great lines. It's one of those endlessly quotable films that is just so much fun. 

But underneath that is more. There is this amazing theme of chosen family, so important to queer people generally, that is highlighted so well in this story. It turns out that these Bennet "sisters" bring the true meaning of family to life. The film touches on other themes as well including commenting on body diversity and racism within queer communities, but the main theme, even over the rom com elements, is the theme of family and what that means for people who's bio families are often not there.

And the rom com bits turn out pretty fun too. 

All in all Fire Island ends up being just smart, funny, and sexy. Damn sexy. I loved that the film doesn't attempt to make itself palatable to the straight world. Fire Island is accessible to a straight audience but it doesn't pander, try to make gay culture more straight. Sex positive and romantic, clever and touching. Fire Island is a very satisfying comedy and it's one you should check out right away.

Fire Island

Starring: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, Margaret Cho, James Scully, Matt Rogers

Director: Andrew Ahn

Writer: Joel Kim Booster