Nimona (2023)

I am a fan of animation because I believe it can do what live action cannot, even in the age of CGI "live action." We can enter stylized worlds that don't have to conform to realism and in doing so (as if often the case in written fiction) we can set ourselves just outside our lived experiences enough to examine our real world in ways that are too difficult in real life. The new film Nimona, a film that was almost not made, is a breathtaking and beautiful examination of how outgroups are scapegoated to maintain corrupt power structures, and while it works as general allegory it is also beautifully specific. This is a story about queer and trans characters and how their existence is villainized to advance specific ideologies of control. 

Thank goodness Nimona was made as it likely is more relevant today than it has ever been. 

The road to this film was fraught with the animation Studio Blue Sky (a studio I am not a big fan of) struggling to get it together, only to be purchased by Disney who cancelled it due to concerns over its 2SLGBTQ+ themes. But Annapurna and Netflix swooped in and saved the day, crafting a gorgeously animated film with a rollicking adventure plot, that centres explicitly a queer man and a gender diverse character by making the story about their lived experience as outsiders. Disney recently included their actually first explicitly gay character in Strange World which was great but the character's queerness wasn't central to the plot and therefore non-threatening. Nimona's central thesis is that queer and trans people are essential to the overthrowing of corrupt power structures, outlining exactly how homogeneity is used to oppress and control populations. 

The film is gorgeously animated and expertly structured. The story blends futurism and medieval fantasy to create the kind of world rarely seen in mainstream films which sets a powerful backdrop for it's adventure plot. And a fun adventure it is. Even if you ignore the moral-to-the-story aspects of Nimona, the film is inherently watchable both narratively and visually. The lead performances by Moretz and Ahmed are wonderfully fleshed out. And it's all accessible to any age despite the heavy themes being examined. This is the sort of story that children will see and understand inherently the good and evil being portrayed. 

And for queer and gender non-conforming people, including young people, Nimona gives them not only a place to be seen, but validated because, like I said, the message isn't just that queer and trans people are okay but that they are essential. Very big thanks to Annapurna and Netflix for getting this film made and making it available. 

Nimona

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, RuPaul, Indya Moore

Directors: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane

Writers: Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

When a legacy film doesn't live up to the original it is often dismissed as a failure. We hear it all the time about a film "isn't as good as the first". It is such a dumb way to evaluate a film. For me, I ask myself, did I enjoy it? Did I have fun? Would I watch it again? For me the answers to all of that in regards to the "final" Indiana Jones film are yes! The Dial of Destiny isn't the best Indiana Jones movie but it is a fun time at the movies and that's what I went in for. It never lagged. The story and characters were compelling. And the arc fell nicely into the legacy of the series. 

I'll admit I was looking for a little something else. I wanted Ford and his iconic character to have a good send off. What I appreciated about The Dial of Destiny is the way it asks questions about legacy, the past/history, and living in the present when so much has changed. Ford gets to have some truly moving scenes where he reminds us that he was not just one of the biggest action stars of the last century but he was, and is, a tremendous actor. Indy himself gets a strong arc from a man who felt everything he lived for was in the past to someone who finds reasons to go on. There can always be another chapter and it doesn't have to be what the previous ones were. 

Waller-Bridge is a delight. She brings her own idiosyncratic wonderfulness to her role as Helena and brings the sort of next generation swashbuckler energy that perhaps was missing in Shia LaBeouf. Not only does she get to be complicated in her motivations and emotions, she gets to be a fully rounded character. I especially appreciated how she got to be a sexual human being in ways female characters in these sorts of movies never do, not as the object of men's affection but as someone with her own playful desires and energies. 

I am going to comment on the de-aging. It was frickin' amazing. This looked so much better than how we've seen this done in other media. The only problem was the Ford's voice was still "old man" voice. He didn't sound like a younger Indy. They needed to de-age his vocal chords as well. As for the rest of the film's spectacle, I was on the edge of my seat through the classic traps and shenanigans. Jones barely makes it out by the skin of his teeth time and again and I was hooked. I felt the script took little downtime from it's adventure and when it did it used those quiet moments quite effectively to develop character and invest us in this journey. 

The film is about both moving forward and looking back so its nods to nostalgia (which are not heavy handed or overbearing) are part and parcel of the story it is telling. For me this end chapter for Indy is a nice way to say goodbye. It harkens back to his glory days by evoking feelings we had in his older stories, while giving him more age appropriate adventures to get up to. And he gets to heal a bit, suggesting that our hero had fairly pleasant golden years. I'll take it. 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Starring: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Renée Wilson, John Rhys-Davies, Thomas Kretschmann, Antonio Banderas, Karen Allen, Nasser Memarzia

Director: James Mangold

Writers: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, James Mangold 

Asteroid City (2023)

We may have reached peak Wes Anderson. He has taken his structured, artificial aesthetic, his actors' flat, stoic affect, his over literalized dialogue, and his technicolor sets, and crafted the most meta wink-wink film he has ever made. His story is presented with a framing sequence which implies it is a play crafted by an off screen playwright (only seen in the framing sequence) and we are lectured at the beginning that what we are seeing is fictional, with the cast playing both the actors playing their roles and executing the roles themselves. None of it is to be seen as real, an idea he has played with and evolved towards overtime through his entire filmography til we are here, in this completely constructed, artificial world. 

I've heard a general consensus that Asteroid City will not win over new converts to Anderson's fan base. No shit. Asteroid City takes all that is Wes Anderson and amplifies it ten-fold. And this includes the hollow, emotionless sentiment that pervades his films to the extreme as well. By the end of Asteroid City one is asking themselves, why? I find Anderson's films often leave me feeling a little used, like the whole exercise is just pretension and smarm but at least The Grand Budapest Hotel had jokes and slap stick, and at least Moonrise Kingdom feigned a love story.  

But everything about Asteroid City just feels like the facade that he often presents his stories in. None of the character arcs feel fleshed out. The jokes all feel a little on the throw away side. And by the end little to nothing has changed. And since it's all "just a play" anyway, none of it is real. And I sat there asking myself, why?

I get that Anderson buffs eat up this sort of shit but if there was ever a the-emperor-has-no-clothes moment, Asteroid City might be Anderson's. 

Asteroid City

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Ryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Stephen Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hung Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jeff Goldblum, Sophia Lillis, Rita Wilson

Writer/Director: Wes Anderson

 

Elemental (2023)

Pixar has done it again. Their original films remain quite truly original and unlike anything else being made anywhere. This, their first romance (most of their quite powerful love stories are about non-romantic kinds of love), is a creative yet clear analogue for the immigrant/second generation experience that is fun and charming but doesn't shy away from the message it is sharing. 

Elemental is also visually gorgeous. The world they've created for the personifications of elements to live in is reminiscent of Disney's Zootopia and as vibrant and alive as can be. The character designs are delightful but a bit more abstract than Pixar usually does which I appreciated. A lot of Elemental's visual presentation is more artful and impressionist that they have done before. While the story may be a bit more straight forward, this helps them achieve this new gorgeous approach on screen. 

And even if the story is more plain, it remains just a delight. The whole things comes together in quite a lovely way. 

Elemental 

Starring: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Catherine O'Hara, Ronnie Del Carmen, Wendy McLendon-Covey

Director: Peter Sohn

Writers: John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, Brenda Hsueh

 

Extraction 2 (2023)

The Extraction franchise (cause that's what this is now) knows exactly what it's doing and does it well. It delivers heart pounding action in a sincere and serious way. Unlike the Fast and Furious franchise for example, which leans into the silly and over the top aesthetic it has become known for, Extraction takes a stoic approach, treating its subject with reverence without relying on laughs to make it more palatable. It is a capital A Action movie delivering the thrills in its know infamous set pieces with just enough plot to get it from one to the next without feeling disjointed. 

People who have read my reviews know I am not a fan of the Russo's film making or storytelling and I honestly didn't think much of the first Extraction. I thought it was a great set of action scenes but little more. I do think they've upped their game here. The story is a little more solid (if still thin) and I do appreciate the cast is strong helping the story feel a bit more grounded than this sort of action movie should be. 

But again the real strength here is the action. Hargrave, like he did with the first, delivers a stunning to watch film which is its best when it has us on the edge of its seats. It's an entertaining watch. If they keep this trajectory up Extraction 3 could be the pinnacle of the series. 

Extraction 2

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Idris Elba, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, Olga Kurylenko, Tinatin Dalakishvili

Director: Sam Hargrave

Writer: Joe Russo

 

The Blackening (2023)

Smart, funny, wildly entertaining, pulls no punches... maybe not that scary, The Blackening is a solid entry into the horror genre generally but also into the subgenre that is black created horror which breaks down racial issues in fascinating ways. 

Writer and actor Dewayne Perkins has crafted a truly enjoyable and thought provoking horror satire/homage/critique that also feels entirely rewatchable. On the horror side it might not be that scary but I'm not sure that's the point. It has a few jump scares and some moments of tension but without spoiling the story the actual horror is secondary to what else is going on here. Gore is kept to the side, the focus being much more on the dialogue and nuanced social analysis going on all done with a smart, sassy wit that makes it just so much fun. There is a heightened queer sensibility which is both part of the genre's legacy and somewhat of a subversion of it which amplifies the enjoyment of the film.

The cast is excellent and their chemistry is infectious. Each one has you rooting for them and each has their own unique comedic style that all play so well off each other. The Blackening in many ways feels like a lot of stars aligning to come together to make very entertaining and smart film that doesn't talk down to its audience but also has a great deal of fun. 

The Blackening

Starring: Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharaoh, Yvonne Orji, Deidrich Bader

Director: Tim Story

Writers: Tracey Oliver, Dewayne Perkins  

 

The Flash (2023)

It's hard to describe how much a film like The Flash can mean to a long time DC fan. I could just talk about how tight the screenplay is mixing a perfect balance of humour and pathos and telling a classic comicbook story in a way that is completely accessible to mainstream audiences, how it is a fun and well made action movie that moves along and packs in great set pieces, and how well the film honours the legacy of decades of DC films and TV that came before it while also managing to be its very own story. But I'd be lying if I didn't speak to the impact this film and all of its heart-on-its-sleeve love it exudes for everything DC Comics-y both in terms of film series and the source of all that, the comics. 

For DC fans, stories like this date all the way back to The Flash of Two Worlds story in 1961 but would continue through "Crisis" crossovers culminating in the Crisis on Infinite Earths series which also featured a Flash central to the story of restructuring the nature of the Universe (or Multiverse). Now seeing this film explore this legacy featuring the live action world, and in such a visually and narratively beautiful way, is so completely satisfying for hardcore fans. Some like to reductively call this "fan service", which I've always felt was a fairly arrogant sort of dismissiveness, but really it is about legacy and acknowledges the full set of stories and histories that each audience member brings to their watching of the film. Instead of pretending that we haven't experience multiple variations on the Batman story (for example) this honours that in ways that all that history make the story telling so rich. 

And Hodson's script not only does this for "effect" but it ties those very themes into her story. This is about intersections of our understandings, and the way, in our real world, we are tied to events that have happened, how they contribute to who we are, our responsibilities in dealing with that, and how unhealthy it is to ignore our pasts. The "time travel" trope is a metaphor for accepting who we are and how we get here. 

But yes The Flash is also just a really fun movie that is smart and funny and simply entertaining. It doesn't have to be any of this extra stuff. But for those of us that it is, we get even more out of it. 

A lot of what makes The Flash so damn entertaining is the performance of Ezra Miller. A highlight of the Justice League movie(s) they are just perfect here, completely encapsulating the character(s) they are playing. In many ways this movie is a send off to the interlocking stories started in Man of Steal but also potentially the start of something new. And that ties right into the comic stories this film is paying tribute to, stories that wrapped up older legacies and reinvented worlds and characters for new storytellers to run into the future with. 

It certainly made me excited to see what the future holds.  

The Flash

Starring: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdu, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons, Temuera Morrison, Gal Gadot, Nicolas Cage, Jason Mamoa, George Clooney, Teddy Sears, George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Helen Slater, Adam West

Director: Andy Muschietti

Writer: Christina Hodson

 

Monica (2023)

Director Pallaoro has shot a lush and intimate portrait of a woman coming to terms with her family of origin despite the was she has been excluded from them. It is subtle yet powerful, the script doesn't tell us what is happening, instead we interpret the motivations and emotions of the characters from the little things we see on their faces and in their eyes. This is all centred by a truly masterful performance by lead actress Lycette who is extremely vulnerable yet fully realized in her role as the title character. 

I love this sort of film making that focuses on capturing moments in time and letting its story unfold as the audience pieces it together instead of the more pedantic approach where the film shows us exactly what is happening one moment to the next and characters articulate their motivations and feelings in their dialogue. Here we feel everything and perhaps are given more insight into both the experience of being trans without the support of a loving family and the experience of aging while facing a terminal illness. The film refrains from telling us anything and instead we watch as the characters exist and interact and react. The film feels incredibly honest. 

Pallaoro often focuses on small pieces of business (hands massaging, a mirror held up, the faces of a crowd while the national anthem is being played) instead of on the main action. He hear what's going on as the story advances but instead, like we do in much of our lives, stay focused on these pregnant moments of meaning which offer up so much of the story. 

Clarkson is also a standout in her role which defies the stereotypes her character would normally be subject to. I expected far more "conflict" in a story such as this, and so much of what is going on is bubbling under the surface and therefore so much more raw. The movie isn't a series of "award scenes" featuring actors chewing scenery, instead this cast lets you into their characters' inner selves so wonderfully and effectively. Monica doesn't build to some dramatic climax and instead ends in a moment of sheer quiet revelation, that perhaps there will be some peace and release. 

So many queer and trans stories focus on trauma, and there is reason for that. Monica touches on this but it is not the focus. Instead the focus here is healing and survival. It acknowledges there is pain in life but it also looks towards connection and joy. 

Monica

Starring: Trace Lycette, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Browning, Adriana Barraza, Joshua Close

Director: Andrea Pallaoro

Writers: Orlando Tirado, Andrea Pallaoro

 

Master Gardener (2023)

The man who wrote Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, and directed American Gigolo and First Reformed is back with another film that fits his awkward yet fascinating style. This is a story about atonement and redemption which struggles with its premise but hits hard when it lands. Master Gardener is a slow burn that almost fizzles out only to ignite sparks every now and then. 

Schrader employs a very practical approach to story telling here, moving from plot point to plot point, introducing characters one by one and having them speak their points of view quite plainly. In someways it feels as if it was written for the stage but also feels plodding. But his intense moments almost come from nowhere surprising us with a rather jarring power. When Edgerton's clothes come off (literally and figuratively) its a bit of a gut punch (I won't spoil it even if maybe the trailers do). When Weaver goes from 0 - 60 in her rage it takes us aback. When Swindell 180s from fear to sexual desire it is disquieting. All of it feels designed to lull us into a sense of security then pull the rug out from underneath us. 

And mostly that worked for me. Some of the step by step nature pulled me out of the film but I was always brought back in. I appreciated that I was taken off guard a number of times. But the biggest piece I struggled with is how the film never quite resolves the redemption of the main character. So much of that journey was in the past, of screen. He refers to being a "different person" or "somebody else" and it's only the traces of his former self we deal with. Therefore sometimes it feels like pieces are missing from this journey. 

Master Gardener is off putting for sure with moments of intense and fascinating emotion but a lot of missing moments. 

Master Gardener

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quitessa Swindell, Esai Morales

Writer/Director: Paul Schrader

 

Flamin' Hot (2023)

Not every good story makes for a good movie. Sometimes you have to be creative. Longoria has tapped into something good here, by mixing an inspiring but rather rote true story with a sassy yet feel good energy that makes Flamin' Hot a fun if predictable film. 

Actor Garcia exudes charisma and captures the infectious energy of the real life man he portrays, a man whose story is contested by some and celebrated by others. His performance along with Longoria's light spirited story telling style makes this a crowd-pleaser kind of story. The kind that will make you smile and inspire you. Sure the story is a little underdog cliched but there is enough heart to sell it 

The film turns this story of a corporate product development into the American Immigrant story. While it might be a bit rose coloured, it is aspirational in a way that is infectious. 

Flamin' Hot

Starring: Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Tony Shalhoub, Matt Walsh

Director: Eva Longoria

Writers: Lewis Colick, Linda Yvette Chavez

 

The Wrath of Becky (2023)

Becky was a fun film but suffered a bit through some inconsistent pacing and tonal shifts between silly and pathos which were never quite balanced. The Wrath of Becky also suffers from some of that but remains pretty entertaining anyway, partially because of Wilson's performance and the always satisfying premise of kicking neo-nazi ass. So while not perfect, Wrath ends up being rather fun and a solid follow up while maybe not taking the series to a new level. 

There were a few scenes, including the opening moments, which felt just a little too much. I felt the credit sequence did a good job of getting audiences up to speed on the status quo for our hero and her dog. The denouement is a bit on the absurd side as well but it fits better with the world the Becky films have crafted. It certainly made me want to see where Becky goes next. My other main complaint it that the film lags a bit in the middle and could have benefitted from being a bit more relentless in its execution. Once it does get going Becky's revenge is pretty damn satisfying even if it all culminates in a moment that feels just a tad anti-climactic. 

Still The Wrath of Becky was a fun watch. Short and sweet, these films give just enough power to overcome some of the silliness. I'd love to see a third film be just a bit bolder if they end up continuing this story the way they are going. 

The Wrath of Becky

Starring: Lulu Wilson, Seann William Scott, Denise Burse, Kate Siegel

Directors: Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote

Writer: Matt Angel

 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

The first Miles Morales movie took everyone by surprise with its original visuals and bold narrative and it has arguably become the best Spider-Man film in a sea of Spider-Man films. So yeah expectations were high and topping something like that meant the film makers had their work cut out for them. And they managed to pull it off by basically going big instead of going "home" (yes that's a subtle dig at the MCU). They went for more stylized animation, more multiverses/Spider-People, and such a big story they had to break it into two parts (yes there is a cliffhanger ending on this one so be warned!). And it all pays off.

A big part of why it does is because more than most other Spider-Man movies (especially the recent ones) the Spider-Verse films focus primarily on character. The relationships between Miles and parents, Miles and Gwen, Miles and Peter, are so intricately and richly drawn out that the pathos is more important and more impactful than the set pieces. We are invested in the story not because of some gimmick casting cameos or over the top action sequences. These film makers have delivered a powerful story about true family (yes that might be a subtle dig at the Fast movies) that resonates across the mutilverse. 

These multiverse stories are all the rage right now and we are at risk of exhausting the concept or becoming repetitive. Across the Spider-Verse has avoided this pit fall so far and struck a perfect balance both narratively and visually to ensure this story is cohesive and satisfying, both for casual fans just wanting to be entertained and the nerd elites who are counting references. Full disclosure I am closer to the latter...

I've said it before and I'll say it again I am a huge fan of animation and I want my animated films to not ape live action, but tell stories in ways that live action cannot. The animation here is beautiful and bold, and achieves something that we cant find in other mediums. The film makers leaned into this, delving farther down that rabbit hole than they dared with Into the Spider-Verse. They seemed to have learned the right lessons from that film's success and given audiences not just more of the same, but built on what they were starting to make something even greater. 

Across the Spider-Verse does end in a cliffhanger meaning the film, while managing to stand on it's own (it's story does wrap up a specific chapter of a tale), still relies heavily on how the next film, currently titled Beyond the Spider-Verse, completes the story. How many seeds were planted here to blossom in the next story remains to be seen, and despite how good this is, it does feel incomplete as it wraps up. So some judgement may have to be reserved until we can see how it all comes together. But my confidence level is high after seeing what they delivered here. 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Vélez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, Oscar Isaac, Mahershala Ali, Andy Samberg, Amandla Stenberg, Rachel Dratch, Nicholas Cage, John Mulaney, Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Denis Leary, Cliff Robertson, Alfred Molina

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

Writers: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, David Callaham