Vengeance (2022)

Actor, writer, director, BJ Novack decided to try to knock it out of the park with his first directoral effort tackling the fissures in American society at a time when many feel the nation is more divided then ever while also wrestling with race relations, gender dynamics, addictions, media exploitation, and packaging it all into a mystery/comedy. It's all a little ambitious and not quite always successful but damn is it ever a fascinating watch. 

The premise allows for a Blue State meets Red State discourse but really Novack smartly focuses his attention mostly on the Blue through his own character. He allows his Texas characters to be real and fully realized humans, well the main ones which get the most screen time and he attempts not to trivialize them with a few exceptions for humour, but mostly he saves his biting critique for himself, played by himself, representing Progressive America. His approach is self-depreciating and through that is to in many ways celebrate urban, educated American culture while also doing a pretty good job of taking himself down a peg or four skillfully exposing many faults and weaknesses of his identity group. The liberal in me was both open to the self-awareness raised while also cheering on some of his moments celebrating who we are as well. 

He goes easier on his Red State characters. While he does tap into quite a few of the critiques of that culture and there are quite a few good laughs at their expense, they often feel like the subjects are also in on the joke. Vengeance spends a lot of time letting both sides laugh at themselves in a way that feels rather cathartic. Yet he doesn't let them completely off the hook either. Vengeance does try to be on all sides all at once, laughing at both sides and giving each some reasons to adore them yet in this it doesn't always pull it off. Some of it feels a bit rote or expected at least. And sometimes the punches feel like they are being pulled. But he mostly pulls it off. 

The film wrestles a bit with the fact that its premise requires the "fridging" of a female (basically) off screen character. The film even deliberately names the fictional podcast being made "Dead White Girl." But it doesn't quite go far enough to wrestle with this, even with its ending which taps into the complicity of everyone around, including the audience of this film itself. So while I might have wanted the ending to feel a bit more of an indictment, it still gets the ideas of this across. 

The script itself it mostly entertaining. Some of the plot points feel a bit forced and I'm not sure I bought all of what needed to happen to get from A to B to C to D but the story was satisfying enough I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't quite as funny as I had hoped but there were still good laughs. Generally Vengeance is pretty good and the potential is showing. It just felt like it didn't quite hit the bullseye all the time but got very very close. 

Vengeance 

Starring: BJ Novack, Issa Rae, Boyd Holbrook, Asthon Kutcher, J Smith-Cameron, Dove Cameron, Isabella Amara, Lio Tipton, John Mayer

Writer/Director: BJ Novack

 

DC League of Super-Pets (2022)

So yes, DC League of Super-Pets is one of those animated comedies that is aimed at kids but throws in enough adult chuckles for the grown-ups. And yes, DC League of Super-Pets is based on comic characters I love. I don't just mean the heroes but most of the pets are actual comic characters. Many know Krypto but aren't as familiar with Ace (Batman's dog historically in the comics) and Chip (an actual Green Lantern character) and even The Terrific Whatzit (a turtle with super speed who appeared in comics as far back as the 1940s). And yes it is also a self-aware parody (stick around for the after credits scene that shows just how self depreciating The Rock is prepared to get. But that's not the main reason I loved it. 

You see DC League of Super-Pets has a moral-to-the-story like most of these sorts of films do and that moral on the surface is rather predictably about finding the value of friendship. Yada yada yada. But... it's about something a bit more complex than that. It's all metaphor for sure but the main plot follows Krypto learning that Superman can love him AND love other people/animals. Krypto starts off jealously guarding any affection Superman has for anyone else (specifically Lois Lane) and through the course of the film not only learns that Superman's love doesn't stop or lessen just because he also finds love with Lois, but that Krypto himself can find love with others (the super-pets) and still love Superman. So much of our pop-culture plays into narratives of jealousy and ownership in love and I was quite touched at home this was a story that challenged that uber-narrative in a very accessible way. 

That being said the animation style is fun, just exaggerated enough to be fantastic and with a unique flair. And in all seriousness Kate McKinnon is an absolute joy as a villain, often seemingly channeling the great Andrea Martin. I was here for it. DC League of Super-Pets is a fun, make-you-smile movie. It just also happens to have a great lesson buried in it. 

Seriously stick around post-credits. 

DC League of Super-Pets

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Vanessa Bayer, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwatrz, Keanu Reeves, Marc Maron, Olivia Wilde, Jameela Jamil, Jermaine Clement, Daveed Diggs, Dascha Polanco, Keith David, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alfred Molina, Lena Headey

Director: Jared Stern

Writers: John Whittington, Jared Stern

 

Anything's Possible (2022)

Anything's Possible is sharp in how it eschews the after-school-special feel of movies like this and instead makes a biting critique of Cis reactions to Trans-ness while still remaining firmly in the rom-com genre's boundaries. I was worried Anything's Possible would try to sugar coat the navigations around Trans teens dating but instead it does a great job of breaking down the ways Cis people, from allies to transphobes and everyone in between, make the everyday experience of living more difficult for Trans people. 

Often people who are not in the majority are portrayed in films as heroic for simply being themselves, and their journey is often portrayed as a challenge in itself to be overcome or survived. But Anything's Possible takes a different approach. Kelsa is centred as being human and it is the way those around her interact with her which is what must be overcome or survived. Like all majorities, Cis people create a normative structure that centres themselves so Kelsa, who in being herself wants to just be average, can never be, because Cis people can't see her that way. The film examines this flaw in the Cis-normative world she lives in, even perpetuated by those who love her. 

The film, written by a Trans woman and directed by a gender non-conforming man, explores Kelsa's desires for averageness and her awakening to her own power as special and unique. It is all done through the romantic comedy lens with a witty script and a charming love story at the centre. Reign as Kelsa is cute, sassy, and perfectly coifed while Ali as the object of her affection is as hunky and dreamy as any CW show cast. Their chemistry is palpable and their romance has all the charm and drama that teen romances are supposed to have. But the film doesn't cheat on the ending. It provides Kelsa with the ending (or perhaps beginning) that a young woman just starting out should have while also giving the people around her the wake up they need to be better people. One character says "at least it's not who I want to be" when talking about what she's done. There is a lot of reflection going on here about just how we walk through this life expecting things to be "normal".

I've made the film seem heavy but it's not. Despite packing all of the above into its story, Anything Possible is a light, breezy, rom com that is enjoyable and will leave you smiling. And it's young cute cast has a bright future ahead. 

Anything's Possible

Starring: Eva Reign, Abubakr Ali, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Courtnee Carter, Kelly Lamor Wilson, Grant Reynolds, Lav Ramen

Director: Billy Porter

Writer: Ximena García Lecuona

 

The Gray Man (2022)

Here's a shocker: the Russo Brothers know how to make an extremely standard action movie. Everything about The Gray Man is a cliche and rote. It's a high octane action thriller with over the top stunts and shoot out scenes featuring a cast of beautiful people centred around the classic white male action hero who just succeeds against all odds while pit against a madman almost as lucky and skilled as him. We've seen it all before. But despite being a retread of much better movies it works and is entertaining. Kind of like all the Russo's work. 

If you're going to make a cliched run of the mill Hollywood action pic then why not lean in and just do it all by the book? There is nothing wrong with The Gray Man. For what it does it does it well. Really my only critique is just how unoriginal it is. It's like every Bourne movie, Mission Impossible movie, rolled into one. It's like a bot was challenged to write and direct and action movie and it did a good job. 

Perhaps the film goes on a little too long. The ending might have been more satisfying if it had ended more ambiguously about 10 minutes before it does without the outright victory that it offers. There was a moment near the end that felt a little ominous which would have left a slightly unsettling ending. I wish they had just wrapped it up there. But nope the hero has to win the day in these movies so they make sure that happens. 

But getting past that The Gray Man is extremely watchable. If you're looking for a light watch without having to think much but that won't be insulting, The Gray Man is for you. What more would be expect from the cookie cutter Marvel movie directors?

The Gray Man

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Regé-Jean Page, Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard, Wagner Moura, Dhanush

Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Joe Russo 

 

Nope (2022)

I often find writer/director Jordan Peele's approach to film making is like and "elevated Twilight Zone" style where he tells us a juicy, chilling tale that explores some odd corner of our nightmares while planting the seeds of reflection about our culture into that narrative but in a way that allows them to slowly bloom into our consciousness, never hitting us over the head with them. With Nope he continues this tradition, taking a story we are all familiar with, the UFO trope, and transforming it into a meditation on the human folly of attempting to dominate nature and pursue spectacle, all while narrating his gory and spooky story that is gripping and satisfying. 

And like in his previous films, Peele draws out incredible performances from his cast. Kaluuya is magnetic to watch as he portrays his introverted OJ whose interior world is all playing out behind his incredible eyes. But for me it was Keke Palmer who dazzles as the extroverted Emerald, whose character is explosive and incredibly charismatic while also complex. Palmer reveals so much of who Emerald is through both her line delivery and her body's presence in each scene, taking up the spaces around her while he character's brother sinks into the shadows in her wake. 

Peele uses three interconnected story lines to explore his themes here. At first the pieces didn't align (sign of good story building) with one specifically tangential other than to provide some back story for one of the less central characters. But as the final act played out I began to see the threads they were each tying together. Each story explores the human foolishness in believing we exercise dominion over nature or animals in genera, as well as the accelerant nature of of entertainment for profit. Peele sets his story in a fantasy cowboy tableau. This is Hollywood, or at least Hollywood adjacent, and people pretend to be cowboys, a symbol representing the domination of a continent, the domination of land and people. But it is all pretend and the characters must learn to integrate what they have been taught about respecting the power of nature to survive and when they don't the consequences are terrible. 

Peele makes a bold choice to show a little more than I thought he would. There are scenes which explicitly explore those consequences which are quite disturbing but they do remain rather brief and often off camera slightly. The film's gore is mostly suggested but it is felt. It is very much felt. 

Nope does follow the typical horror film trope of which of the heroes survive til the end and defeat the "monster" but this is a tool he uses to get into the meat of his story. He sets up each of this payoffs earlier in the film so nothing feels like it comes out of nowhere. At some point you do start to figure out where it is going and the film doesn't surprise by the end but I was willing to role with that due to the film sticking to its mission in the final moments. The end shot confirms that perhaps we've only learned so much and won't be able to change who we are. An unsettling notion indeed. 

Nope

Starring: Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, Keith David

Writer/Director: Jordan Peele 

 

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is often silly and rather constructed feeling but generally quite delightful with a heaping tablespoon of sweetness. While the plot often feels forced, like things happen specifically so the next thing can happen without feeling overly natural or organic, the film's charm makes this all workable. Plus there is a surprising amount of class struggle messaging that, while maybe a little on the nose, is also just delivered so effectively. 

Lesley Manville fully inhabits the lovely Mrs. Harris who is the epitome of a good person. The movie is a series of bad and good things happening to her, often quite by coincidence, and her own moral character and honest to goodness goodness wins the day time and again. Manville sells this so well with her charming portrayal. One can't help but like Mrs. Harris, just like the Marquis and the staff of the House of Dior. 

I was surprised just how much the film focused on workers' rights. This theme is hammered home throughout and the ending doesn't go to the obvious solution for Mrs. Harris which might have undercut this a bit. Instead it stays true to Mrs. Harris and her spirit. 

So while the film takes some logical liberties it is simply as delightful as Mrs. Harris herself. 

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Starring: Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Ellen Thomas, Jason Isaacs, Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista, Lucas Bravo

Director: Anthony Fabian

Writers: Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson, Olivia Hetreed, Anthony Fabian

 

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2022)

It is hard to imagine that there will be a more delightful, profound, or touching film all year. This story of an anthropomorphic shell who becomes the subject of a documentary made by the man who moves into the house where the shell lives, touches on themes of isolation, connection, and community. It is wonderfully funny, gorgeously filmed, and just such a wonderful story all around that you will watch it with a big goofy grin and a tear welling up in your eye. 

Film makers Camp, Paley, and Slate bring so much love to this project and bring Marcel to life so incredibly. Marcel is a more actualized character than most you see in serious dramas. His journey is a truly remarkable one because in many ways it is so relatable.

Camp has a natural eye for this. Mockumentary films often struggle to balance the needs of the story with a realistic approach to how a documentary on that subject would actually be made. But there is no problem with that here. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On feels entirely honest, especially as it grapples with the documentary genre's own complex moralities such as how documenting something actually does impact it and by its nature changes all involved.

Often the stories which are told outside the mainstream approaches are the ones which hit the closest to home and Marcel is a great example of that. It is also one of those magical films that anyone could enjoy and relate to. Marcel could be watched by children who will respond to his cuteness and his journey. Adults can relate to the insightful and witty scripts. The story is the sort that can be appreciated in many ways by many audiences. 

You'd have to be fairly closed off not to enjoy the story of Marcel and his quest. 

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On 

Starring: Jenny Slate, Isabella Rossellini, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, Lesley Stahl 

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Writers: Jenny Slate, Nick Paley, Dean Fleischer Camp

Don't Make Me Go (2022)

I liked a lot about Don't Make Me Go, especially the connection and performances of Cho and Isaac. The story of a dad with a terminal illness and his teenage daughter going on a road trip is well told and finds lovely little moments. But the film takes a surprising turn in the last act which I'm not sure does the story any favours, which saps a lot of the energy of what happened from the rest of the movie. It doesn't completely ruin the film but so much of what was working for the film is lost by the ending. 

Perhaps the twist could have worked if the film had earned more of what it tries to do by the ending. It feels like we were just starting to get to the point when the film gives up on that story and goes in a different direction. Sure the film plays its final moments as how they were effected by the first part but because of this it becomes something else. Not the movie we were watching. 

Still the film is a chance to showcase Cho's great leading man charisma and power to carry a film. 

Don't Make Me Go

Starring: John Cho, Mia Isaac, Jemaine Clement

Director: Hannah Marks

Writer: Vera Herbert

 

Persuasion (2022)

Overall critics are rejecting this take on retelling Jane Austin's final novel but I want to stand up for it. Certainly the film makers decided to take a rollicking approach to this tale of love lost and refound and perhaps the film's rom-com sensibilities are turning off the literary snobs. But when this was done with Emma in 1996 people ate it up. So instead of being opposed to the way the film has fun with the story I decided to embrace it and in doing so I had a lot of fun too. 

In this adaptation Anne speaks directly to us as the everywoman character modern audiences relate to and it is through her we see the joys and pains of falling in love and the awkwardness of it all. Johnson does this very well and is delightful to watch. She is really becoming one of the most enjoyable screen presences and here she is captivating. Her pairing with the lovely Jarvis is the kind that make for great screen chemistry. 

Richard E Grant is here for delicious comic relief but that doesn't mean he lowers himself to buffoonary. He elevates his scenes as he is known to do and infused each with an amazing comedic magic. I enjoyed it very much when he made his appearances. 

Yes the script is witty and irreverent and there were many moments that made me laugh out loud. That appears to be a mortal sin for some but for me it just hooked me more. And this also doesn't stop the screenplay from finding lovely little moments of sadness and reflection as well. I disagree with the critics who say the themes of the book are not there. I feel the film touches on the melancholy, the power exerted to convince people to make choices, life in the periphery of the upper classes. It just does so in a way that manages to be playful too. 

So yes this Persuasion is light and fluffy but it is charming and lovely and I don't see anything wrong with that. 

Persuasion 

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Henry Golding, Richard E Grant, Nikki Amuka-Bird

Director: Carrie Cracknell

Writers: Ronald Bass, Alice VIctoria Winslow

 

Brian and Charles (2022)

Brian and Charles may feel more like a sketch, whose idea works better in a short format like the short film this feature was based on. But the sheer charm and wit of the performers and the script make it joyful to watch regardless of any logistical problems. Brian and Charles is funny and touching and a very fun watch. 

This is the story of socially awkward rural Welsh inventor whose inventions usually end up failing who despite all logic invents a robot who not only manages to work but for reason has feelings and eats cabbage. Through their relationship, which mirrors the stages of a parent/child relationship, Brian finds a way to connect with the larger world (or at least the little, and I mean little, village near his property) and Charles finds his humanity despite being, well... a robot. 

What makes it all work is the amazing character of Brian created by David Earl and the perfect way he brings him to life. He also wrote the script with Charles actor Chris Hayward, a script that is dryly hilarious surprisingly touching. The story is short and sweet and has just enough to entertain us throughout.The two of them together are magic as the titular characters. Even if the story doesn't always make sense.

I mean how could a robot like Charles travel the world without attracting all sorts of attention. Now that I say that I want to see that movie. Maybe a follow up is in order. You see with Brian and Charles if you can just through out that sort of logical requirements you can truly enjoy this endearing story. 

Brian and Charles

Starring: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Louise Brealey

Director: Jim Archer

Writers: David Earl, Chris Hayward

 

The Sea Beast (2022)

Netflix's animation studio hasn't impressed me much. Klaus and Over the Moon were rather vanilla and America the Motion Picture was truly terrible. However earlier this year Apollo 10 1/2 was a lovely surprise. But as they tend to collab with other animation studios in each production perhaps it has more to do with their partners than with themselves, or perhaps they just tack on and ride whatever wave they catch. With The Sea Beast the emperor's clothes seem to just be discount bin versions. Everything about The Sea Beast feels like it is cribbed from somewhere else. 

The character animation style feels ripped right from Frozen but with a more mechanical movement style that make it feel more video game than animated feature. Main character Jacob takes his wardrobe directly from Eric in The Little Mermaid. The sea battles and creatures are reminiscent of the How To Train Your Dragon films. But it's the plot that is the most borrowed. 

The story is a bit of a Moby Dick obsession story but it's also a kid goes on an adventure story. And in both its narratives it follows a script we are all very familiar with. I doubt anything in The Sea Beast will surprise you.  I know, I know, the saying goes there are no new stories, just. new adaptations, but these stories need to find something fresh to tell us and for me The Sea Beast just seemed to be repeating old tropes. 

None of this make The Sea Beast bad. It just doesn't make it that interesting. The sea battles are quite spectacular and I appreciated how the film treats legacy as something that is passed through personal connection and affinity instead of biological lineage. Also it's "who is the real villain" moral to the story is, while over simplified, a good message for kids and for all of us. But the characters are all as bland as the archetypes they are representing and the story feels like one we have seen many times before. It's all been done before and done better. But it's also been done worse.

The Sea Beast
Starring: Zaris-Angel Hator, Urban, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Dan Stevens

Director: Chris Williams

Writers: Nell Benjamin, Chris Williams

 

The Phantom of the Open (2022)

Mark Rylance may just be one of the most watchable actors working on screen. The Phantom of the Open is one of those charming, based on real events, slice of life movies that tells an inspiring story but doesn't excel as a film. The story is just told as one event then the next with little art. But Rylance, supported by the rest of the strong cast (especially Sally Hawkins who also rises above the material), just makes it all so watchable. There isn't much here in this light and fluffy tale but it will certainly put a smile on your face. 

The Phantom of the Open

Starring: Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Jakes Davies, Christian Lees, Jonah Lees, Rhys Ifans

Director: Craig Roberts

Writer: Simon Farnaby

 

The Black Phone (2022)

 

When horror is good it can be really good. So much of the genre is bad for a lot of reasons. But when a good horror movie comes along I get pretty excited, something that can get under my skin, scare me, make me think about themes that pertain to our real world experiences. The Black Phone, while not perfect, is very good and checks all the boxes for what I enjoy in a good horror movie. 

First of all it's scary, which isn't always the case in horror movies. I don't tend to get scared by many movies but I found The Black Phone was able to be somewhat terrifying. It occasionally uses "jump scares" which I normally find cheating. Usually it's a move where the film has something (usually something innocuous) suddenly jump into frame, accompanied by a loud sound or score beat. It turns out to be nothing. I find this sort of thing often saps the fear level in a boy-who-cried-wolf sort of way making it harder for me to be scared next time. But The Black Phone uses this technique quite effectively, to actually foster an unsettling tone. Without spoiling it too much the jump scares are often used to introduce important plot elements and "characters". It is the way the film defies its genre a bit and becomes something more. 

Hawke is scary. He is an unadulterated villain, whose motives appear to be little more than cruelty, seeking pleasure from the suffering of others. While the film's premise suggests we might be dealing with a pedophile the story itself belies that assumption. Hawke's character is a monster whose motivation is pure cruelty. No motivation is provided. The film starts with the assumption that monsters are real. And that in itself is a terrifying notion. Hawke doesn't overplay the character but just lets him be terrible. Yes the mask adds to the chilling nature of his character but it's not a prop. In the film we are given some purpose for its presence. The film doesn't take too many shortcuts, usually providing us in world explanations for why things are as they are. 

And in keeping with the film's bleakness it isn't just about a psychopath abducting children. The film explores how violence runs through our communities including themes of child abuse themes, bullying, and the suburban veneer of safety. The story doesn't pound these ideas over and over but subtly threads them through the story. 

I got a very Stephen King vibe from this story, in how the narrative isn't simply about its presented premise and how it brings in other characters connected to something supernatural. It is a very satisfying film. I haven't found director Derrickson's approach to be very effective in drawing me in or scaring me in the past but here he find a groove that worked for me. 

A problem many horror films struggle with is the third act and for me the resolution was a bit of a mixed bag. Still mostly it worked but there were a few beats (like resolving the complication of the villain's brother) which were missteps for me. But overall I enjoyed how it all resolves, tying together the treads he laid throughout the rest of the movie. And the post-horror ending, the focus on the characters in their real world struggles was very effective. 

The Black Phone

Starring: Ethan Hawke,  Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, E. Roger Mitchell, Troy Rudeseal, James Ransone, Rebecca Clark, Miguel Cazarez Mora 

Director: Scott Derrickson

Writers: C. Robert Cargill, Scott Derrickson