Sympathy for the Devil (2023)

Nicolas Cage has gone from being a character actor to being an Oscar winner to being an action star to being a campy joke to finding a way to merge them all into his persona and roles and this might be my favourite Nic Cage of all. In 2023 he played Dracula in an inspired, campy, and complicated performance and now he's playing.. well that's for you to see, in a film that takes full advantage of all his skills as an actor and gives a ride that is both a whole lot of fun and thought provoking at the same time. 

Paradise's script is just the right balance of character examination, suspense, and crime thriller. Director Adler handles the specific challenges of the story quite well. Much of the story happens in a car with two men talking - not an easy thing to film effectively - but Adler runs with it well. And when he gets a chance for a set piece, he finds a very cinematic way of bringing to life. And the film is a little game of bait and switch, subverting very specific expectations, in a way that I appreciated. 

But what really makes it all work is the charisma and interplay between Kinnaman's stoic everymanness and Cage's complex balance of, well all things Cage. It is a winning formula with a story and script just sharp enough to give them the weight they need and Alder's stylish means of pulling it all together. Sympathy for the Devil turns out to be a nice treat that delivers on its premise and promise and perhaps surprises a bit too. 

Sympathy for the Devil

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman

Director: Yuval Adler

Writer: Luke Paradise 

 

Steamboat Silly (2023)

As part of Disney's 100th anniversary celebration, Disney has released a new short which also functions as the finale to their series The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, a series which modernized the idea of Mickey Mouse shorts, the staple that built the studio that has become such a force. This short pays tribute to the history of the famous character and has a charming lightness to it which perhaps misses some of the chance to release something truly sentimental but does still capture the optimism of the Mouse. 

Much of this series' energy has recaptured the rapscallion nature of Mickey from his earliest days and this film plays into that. Today's thoroughly modern Mickey encounters his original version (from his very first film Steamboat Willie 1926) who is then unleashed on the world (well hundred of them are) and Mickey is torn about whether to revel in this development or stop the rampage. Many references to his earlier pictures are explored creating a lot of fun for long time fans and eventually further versions of Mickey (from Fantasia to the Beanstalk, to The Prince/Pauper, and everything in between) are unleashed and it is a glory for fans. 

The story is very light and is easily wrapped up, even if the ending has a bit of self-aware warning of Disney's global dominance. Wink wink. But it is lovely as it is and a reminder of just how much this character has contributed over the years. 

Steamboat Silly

Starring: Micky Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck

Director: Eddie Trigueros

Writers: Darrick Bachman, Kristen Morrison, Paul Rudish, Eddie Trigueros 

Haunted Mansion (2023)

I need just two things from a movie based on a Disneyland ride: for it to entertaining enough as a movie that I can enjoy it and that it evokes the feel of the ride. Haunted Mansion does just enough of both. Screenwriter Dippold has crafted a fun story that fits in with the well loved elements of the famous ride. It also manages to have just enough weight to feel more than trivial while being just scary enough to live up to the property's haunted spirit without being too much for the children the movie is aimed at... again, like the ride. While it may not transcend any of its tasks to become anything more (perhaps in the way the first Pirates of the Caribbean film did) it is a step up from the first time Disney tried to make a movie out of this ride. 

Haunted Mansion isn't perfect and it's not quite the sort of film adaptation of a corporate property that is anything more than what it purports to be. It's plot jars a little bit in the first act until it finds its groove. Once it does it capitalizes on its cast as Haddish, DeVito, and Wilson make for a good comedy team. But the real asset of the film is Stanfield who commits to the film and delivers a layered performance that rounds out his character to depths that a film like this doesn't usually go. He is the MVP in a stand out cast who go the distance despite the film's shortcomings. 

So little about the film reaches greats heights but all its elements come together to be fun enough, and connected enough so that fans of the ride can see that experience in the too. 

Haunted Mansion

Starring: LaKieth Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Chase W Dillon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, Winona Ryder, Dan Levi, Hasan Minhaj

Director: Justin Simien

Writer: Katie Dippold

 

Happiness for Beginners (2023)

While I am excited to see Ellie Kemper play against type (she's not bat shit oddball in this one) the movie is just so hapless in its pacing, it struggles to create any real characters that aren't cliches, and it never make any of its supposed romance feel real, so in the end Happiness for Beginners is dull and lifeless from the get go and never finds its footing. 

The cast is great but they are all wasted in one note, stereotypical roles that feel more like casting sheets than actual people. And it's all too bad really cause Kemper has potential to be more than just what she's become known for. Yes she's very talented and delightful in the kinds of rolls her Office and Kimmy Schmidt characters have made us know her for, but she needs a better vehicle than this clunker. 

Happiness for Beginners

Starring: Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes, Blythe Danner, Nico Santos, Ben Cook, Shayvawn Webster, Alexander Koch

Writer/Director: Vicky Wight

 

Barbie (2023)

Not since The Lego Movie has film managed to be the perfect merger of corporate brand building, cultural zeitgeist, accessible pop entertainment, and A-list auteur Hollywood. Barbie is all things to all people; pleasing the film twitter crowd who love darling directors putting out unique and innovating "cinema", the four-corner mainstream who line up for the latest blockbuster, and the corporate overlords who are looking to cash in. Barbie will entertain while also giving you something quite complex to think about while also making you want to buy the tie ins. Win! Win! Win?

Director Gerwig and her writing partner (and life partner) Baumbach have pulled off a writer/director masterpiece/blockbuster that helps establish her as one of the most interesting directors working today. Their script is definitely not what you'd expect, truly being an existential reflection on identity and gender, the history of inclusion, and the inevitability of death, while never once compromising on delivering a truly funny script, a star studded event, and a story that will entertain the masses. Barbie also builds love and loyalty to a merchandizing brand. The script, while only in the most subtle ways critiques the product's problematic history, generally sells the dolls on their very best terms. Like all brands in capitalism, Barbie has both positive and negative effects in the real world (and a lot in between) and the film gives nod to this but only in a way that highlights a positive and points her as a beacon to the future in a way that most of the audience will embrace. 

Barbie hits at patriarchy pretty hard, embedding the populist message that not only does it hurt women it hurts men too, but in a way designed to be comfortable with all the but only the most incel amongst us. One of the biggest revelations in the film is when Ken realizes he can be Ken without having to be attached to Barbie. The film posits that perhaps the inversion of gender norms may not be the solution (a welcome yet rather accessible position) and builds a space for everyone outside of rigid gender roles. While the film's cultural focus stays squarely in the gender category and remains rather surface on the complex issues of diversity, Gerwig has filled her film with representation as a way of including all. Her cast is filled with lead actors of many races, features multiple LGBTQ+ actors, a mix of body types, etc. Everyone can be Barbie the film hints without taking the uncomfortable steps of voicing it outright. 

Cause Barbie is a mainstream hit with a soundtrack filled with today's biggest artists and Mattel and Warners need a cash cow. I'm of two minds on this. Cause if you were to strip out the corporate influence Barbie's script is pretty top notch, one of the funniest and entertaining films to come along in a long time and doing a pretty decent job of commenting on our culture in ways that I truly appreciated. It's non-threatening approach has its definite advantages in how that can reach the largest audience possible without alienating the people it's trying to reach. But I can't ignore how this (like the other Hollywood wannabe blockbusters that the other studios are churning out - yes we're looking at you Disney!) is designed to sell toys... and clothes, and soundtracks, and coffees, and well everything. Going to the multiplex is about being marketed to and it's easy to forget that but a movie like Barbie comes along and it's a little more in our face than we are used to. 

But, and this is important, Barbie is good cinema. Gerwig has truly made a great film. Robbie is transcendent here in a role that could have been something less. She reminds us that she is a true talent and... well, a movie star in the old school definition of the term. If this had been unsponsored satire, with the names changed to suggest the famous brand without breaking copyright, it would be the darling of the indie festival circuit. And, cause we know it's true, it would be generating it's own tie in products. Can we escape any of this in our current position in late-stage capitalism?

Barbie manages to be for everyone. Yes it's for little girls. It's for little girls that have grown up. It's for boys and boys who have grown up. It's for all ages and races and communities of all kinds. Barbie is the kind of movie anyone can enjoy (unless you're too busy warring against the woke to be able to enjoy life). It is also capturing a cultural moment while tapping into a longer trends and cultural evolution. This is blockbuster cinema along with some of the best franchise Hollywood has produced. It likely will face a bit more harsh criticism of its commercialism due to it being a "female" centric brand (than maybe the Marvel or Star Wars films which do exactly the same thing) but it does hold up as a great moment in pop culture. 

Barbie

Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, Hari Nef, Ncuti Gatwa, Alexandra Shipp, John Cena, Emma Mackey, Connor Swindells, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Emerald Fennell, Helen Mirren

Director: Greta Gerwig

Writers: Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig

 

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

Smart, slightly absurd, and centred around a strong yet against type performance by Boyega, They Cloned Tyrone is more than just a throwback to Blaxploitation films and is truly satisfying watch. The film starts out a bit inconsistent but as it moves on it finds its focus and tells an interesting story. 

Parris is another standout, holding her own with her more famous costars and kinda stealing the show. She and Boyega both manage to balance the humour and the pathos quite expertly all while managing the film's cult-classic-like style. 

The film goes a bit wonky in places but that's part of the fun and the style. The ending might be come up on a us a bit quick but its not enough to damped the fun of the film. Overall, Tyrone is funny and thought provoking and the final moments make you wonder if there is more coming...

They Clones Tyrone

Starring: John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris, David Alan Grier, Kiefer Sutherland

Director: Juel Taylor

Writers Tony Rettenmaier, Juel Taylor 

Oppenheimer (2023)

Beloved film maker Nolan has delivered once again, turning what could have been a heady historical biopic into an explosive (pun intended) exploration of the intersections of geopolitical power and personal passions, and the complicated nature of our responsibilities to ourselves, our nations, our lovers, and our world. He layers his stories on top of each other so that they compliment each other quite effectively, interconnecting so that one does not exist without the others, just as our real lives do. While I felt his third act did get too much into the weeds and begin to drag, the film, while long, generally rolls along with an urgency and energy that makes it a fascinating watch. 

Nolan likes to explore issues of time and while Oppenheimer may be one of his more linear narratives, he still plays with timelines by using multiple framing sequences to set up and then drive home the main story which takes the title character from his scientific and professional infancy to his eventual canonization. Much of the film's structure reminded me of Stone's JFK, through filming different perspectives and points in history in different ways, and filling his story with an expansive cast (cameos galore!) to give impact to some brief yet important characters. Visually Oppenheimer is gripping. The first part barrels through with barely a chance for us to breathe as Nolan gives us so much information but does so in a way that is accessible. 

At the centre of this film is a truly career defining performance by Murphy who plays the titular scientist both as complicated and as a character. He creates a unique individual who is not martyr nor hero nor evil but resoundingly human despite all of his remarkable distinctiveness. Nolan does seem fascinated with the man who may have "become the destroyer of worlds" in all his glory and humanity. Murphy gives such life that this version of the man and is just amazing to watch all the way through. 

The second part of the film truly weighs on the audience as the bomb itself if born and the multiplicity of emotions that come with that are rendered so powerfully and effectively. I truly appreciated just how nuanced and sensitive Nolan's depiction of the development of the bomb and the reaction of those involved was. None of it felt heavy handed. Throughout Nolan remembers he is making a movie, and the film is stunning to watch in each frame. Famously made with only "practical" effects the power here is unmistakeable. Oppenheimer is for the big screen for sure. 

But if I am being honest, the final part of the film became a bit of a slog. Nolan gets very interested in some interpersonal relationships and political machinations which are not as successfully rendered on screen and could have been handled more succinctly. When he finally ends the film he delivers with an emotional bomb which leaves you shaken for sure. But he loses us a bit on the journey, but only a bit, before pulling it all back together. I do worry this will effect the rewatchability of this film. But it shouldn't scare you away from experiencing this as big as you can and with a crowd. 

If there was any other criticism I might have it's in Nolan's handling of Oppenheimer's romantic relationships. The film does little to build his connections to the women in his life, often having dialogue tell us rather than having the film show us. I rarely felt convinced of either of his two main loves the film presents us with and we never really get into the head of Pugh's character who's arc seems put there to give Murphy something to react to. Blunt's character is crafted as a complete character but the film does little to make us feel the actual relationship. The film does much better building the nuances and dynamics of Oppenheimer's friendships with male colleagues than it does in handling his romantic ones. 

Overall, Oppenheimer is another triumph for Nolan... and his cast and crew. A film like this should not be as engaging and gripping as it is which is such a testament to film makers involved. 

Oppenheimer

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Matthew Modine, Gustaf Skarsgård, David Dastmalchian, Jack Quaid, Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clark, James D'Arcy, Tony Goldwin, Alex Wolff, Scott Grimes, Tom Conti, Matthias Schweighöfer, Gary Oldman

Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan

 

Wham! (2023)

While I am a huge fan of George Michael I admit I know much less about his Wham! days than his solo career. Watching the documentary from film maker Smith was fascinating. It is about a star on the rise, the everymanish nature of Michael as he transforms into one of the 80s/90s biggest pop stars and the grace by which Wham!'s other member, Ridgeley, bows out of the spotlight.

Smith almost exclusively uses archiver footage and former interviews of Michael along with some new audio commentary from Ridgeley to tell the story of first generation Britons who push their way on to the pop charts. Much of the film really frames the Wham! years (3 albums only) as a warm up band to the real show, Michael's hugely successful solo career, but finds a way to celebrate what was done int eh 1982-1986 period as well. It ends up being a fascinating study of these men, one of whom became a legend and another who faded into a more private, if still very privileged life. 

The story of Wham! doesn't feel like many other bands out there. sure there are a plethora of pop groups who start out strong and split up to see the lead singer build a successful solo career while others flounder. But this specific version feels unique and Smith finds a way to showcase this, being equally respectful to each of the parties and the paths they chose. 

Wham!

Starring: George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley

Director: Chris Stmih

 

 

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Dare I say it? Did Mission: Impossible find it's mojo? Dead Reckoning is absurdistly over the top yet edge-of-your-seat gripping in a way the the films in this series haven't been since De Palma's first instalment. It starts with an inspired moment with Cruise taking his Ethan Hunt character far too seriously, builds through a dramatic set up where Hunt and his IMF team have to face a world destroying AI, and then its one spectacle action sequence after another. With Dead Reckoning, the Mission: Impossible series has embraced exactly what it is, what its strengths are, and runs off a cliff (literally) with it. Good on it!

Once you (choose to) accept the story you are being told it is a no-holds-barred thrill ride with just enough plot to keep it all moving and a cast of characters that make it fun to watch. Atwell makes for an incredibly charismatic co-lead. Ferguson is back to add a certain gravitas to the whole thing in her mysterious ally role. Kirby is back as the amoral yet compelling broker she debuted in the last film (taking over for Vanessa Redgrave). And Klementieff is a standout as a force to be reckoned (pun intended) with. Perhaps Rhames' and Pegg's schtick is beginning to wear a bit but this series has become about family (not in a Fast and Furious way) and the returning characters play a role to ratchet up the stakes which works here much better than in Fallout. 

And then there is Cruise doing all that Cruise does. He does the Cruise run a few times. He rides his bike off a cliff. He jumps onto a speeding train. It wouldn't be a Mission: Impossible film without breaking the bank on insurance for Tom Cruise. 

While these films haven't always been my cup of tea, I have to to appreciate their style and Dead Reckoning does feel like it is a synthesis of all that they have worked for. It's fun, exciting, knowingly preposterous, and chock full of all that is M:I. I know there was some intention of using this two parter to wrap up the series, or at least to Cruise's character and I still hope they have the courage to do that and go out with a big bang. That would be the biggest stunt of them all!

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Henry Czerny, Pom Klementieff, Cary Elwes, Shea Whigham, Frederick Schmidt, Indira Varma, Greg Tarzan Davis

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Writers: Erik Jendersen, Christopher McQarrie

 

Mission: Impossible 1 - 6 (1996 - 2018) REVISIT

I'm going to start out by saying I've never been a big fan of the Mission: Impossible films. I remember seeing the first and being taken aback how the film basically killed off the entire cast early on, which felt like such a blatant ego move on Cruise's part to take a team movie set up and turn it into a star vehicle. I also found that early in the series the films felt disjointed, like little history mattered from film to film. Sure the Bond series worked on this formula for decades and often super hero movies of an earlier age would move in similar ways. But it wasn't my preferred way for a franchise to operate. Certainly we we have now seen the MCU has taken the opposite too far so we can't even enjoy the films without an encyclopedic knowledge of every film that has come before. But I think my preference is for a bit more balance. The M:I films have gotten better about building an ensemble and building off what has happened from film to film, yet they still feel like vanity projects for their star more than narratives that we all care about. Truly people look forward to the set pieces and stunts, not to wonder what will happen next for our intrepid hero. From back when this started and all the way through to today the Mission: Impossible series always felt like it was just about making the biggest spectacle at the time and being a vehicle for Cruise more than it felt like it was about telling a story. So I went into this rewatch skeptical but honestly hopeful I could find some threads to enjoy as we build up to what will likely be some of the biggest films of 2023 and 2024 with the "final" (haha) chapters in this series. 

The first film starts out great with its TV style opening and tributes to all the fun gimmicks of the old series. I appreciated that this wasn't a reboot but a continuation of the legacy of the series. It acknowledged that all we saw on the TV series before happened and this was a part of that world. I know many old fans felt betrayed they made a hero character a villain but I thought it was a bold move. The story is enjoyably over the top and designed to be as twisty and turny as possible. De Palma really leans into his heavily stylistic approach so the whole thing has an unreal feeling, intentionally absurd, paying homage to the 60s era silliness of the source material but setting it in a modern aesthetic. The series moves away from this feeling over time which is too bad because truly it is a lot of fun. 

But as I said there is an underlying vanity project feeling to this. Cruise was at the top of his career at this time having come off a bunch of big movies and about to head into Oscar territory with Jerry Maguire. He wanted to be James Bond and so he uses this project as his ticket to that kind of thing ensuring no one else is essential to the story except him. He is young and very pretty and the epitome of a movie star. But I usually prefer to have more from my movies than just a star vehicle and the balance was off for me. 

Mission: Impossible remains an iconic film. The suspension scene is still one of the most famous and copied moments in cinema. Despite all its self-indulgence, or perhaps because of it, the whole thing works and I wonder what the film series would have been like if they had stuck to this approach. 

Mission: Impossible

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voigt, Emmanuelle Béart, Ving Rhames, Venessa Redgrave, Jean Reno, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emilio Estevez, Henry Czerny  

Director Brian De Palma

Writers: David Koepp, Robert Towne

The second film in this series saps almost any of the unique vibes that the first one had to make what feels like a very standard 90s action movie (which came out in 2000). Gone is any pretext of a team movie as anyone who helps Cruise is pretty much sidelined. This is all about Cruise and what a star he is. Long haired and cool like he's Legolas killing the Mûmakil in Return of the King and stepping off it without messing his hair. Most of the cast is forgettable and Newton is miscast as a damsel in distress. Worst of all it's boring through a lot of the middle. 2 feels the most generic of any of them. By Woo standards, the film feels subdued, with less of his signature camera magic that one might expect. Also they rip off scenes and plot points from the first. I'm actually surprised I didn't stop watching the series after this one. 

Mission: Impossible 2

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandiewe Newton, Richard Roxburgh, Brendan Gleeson, Ving Rhames

Director: John Woo 

Writer: Robert Towne

For some unknown reason the movie's name switched from Arabic numerals to Roman?? III has some things going for it including the great Philip Seymour Hoffman in a campy villain role, which was something he was great at. It also starts to move the series back towards a team-theme by utilizing Rhames more, not killing off all of Cruise's teammates, and adding in Pegg who ends up sticking around for much of the remaining series. I still find III a bit dull and cliched but not so much as 2. Honestly the whole plot of this film is one big MacGuffin which the film actually acknowledges in its final scene when the "rabbit's foot" is revealed to not have any in story consequences at all. For me this first trilogy is the weakest of the series and probably why it was hard for me to embrace it at all with such a weak-to-average start. Things start to get better from here on out though. Abrams may have directed one of my favourite Star Wars movies and one of my favourite Star Trek movies, but not one of my favourite M:I movies. 

Mission: Impossible III

Starring: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan, Maggie Q, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Billy Crudup, Keri Russell, Simon Pegg, Lawrence Fishburne, Greg Grunberg, Aaron Paul 

Director: JJ Abrams

Writers: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, JJ Abrams

Here's my hot take: Ghost Protocol is the best M:I movie. It works both as a stand alone story and as part of a series. It both picks up threads from the past, builds a team feeling, and sets up future instalments of the series while also being the kind of film one can watch with no knowledge of the past movies. You get all you need from it to enjoy it. Even if you never watch another M:I film Ghost Protocol works completely self contained. It starts out with the title sequence idea I like, harkening back to the first film, and it's story is compelling throughout with the kind of set pieces that M:I is famous for. I kinda wish Paula Patton stuck around as she has such great screen presence. How she isn't a bigger start I'll never know. For me Ghost Protocol is all I want in this series and if I had to pick only one to watch ever again this would be it. 

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Léa Seydoux, Josh Holloway, Anil Kapoor, Tom Wilkinson, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan

Director: Brad Bird

Writers: Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec

I enjoyed that at this point the M:I franchise sees itself as a series and not just opportunities for Cruise to boost his brand. With Rogue Nation they have begun to be invested in world building, connective tissue, and character development. I don't necessarily buy Hunt's motivations (a weak point for me) as his connection to Monaghan's character has little to no weight. By bringing in Cruise acolyte McQuarrie they start quite a partnership which benefits the series for the next few movies which have found an enjoyable groove which still maintains Cruise's signature stunt spectacle but builds in a bit more story, even if that story remains generally rather thin. 

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Starring: Tom Cruis, Jeremy Renner, Simon Peg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris,  Zhang Jingchu, Tom Hollander, Alec Baldwin

Writer/Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Fallout continues the McQuarrie/Cruise partnership and narrative. I still find the story a bit on the weak side with this chapter's twists a bit on the obvious side and the emotional stakes a bit on the low end. But rewatching it I was a bit more forgiving then when it first came out. I enjoyed how it's building on the stories from previous movies. I also can't deny the film's set pieces are downright stunning. The addition of Rebecca Ferguson is inspired and her character remains one of the more interesting aspects of the ongoing story. While the resolution all comes together a bit too pat, it remains a very watchable and enjoyable action film. 

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan, Alex Baldwin, Wes Bentley, Wolf Blitzer   

Writer/Director: Christopher McQuarrie

This is certainly a series which has got better over time and as we lead into Dead Reckoning Parts 1 & 2, I hope they find a solid way to give this series a great send off... or perhaps just its star. Will they have the courage to make non-Cruise M:I movies post 2024 or we will be watching Mission: Impossible and the Dial of Destiny in 20 years? My recommendations for the future are to get more twisty and unpredictable again (like the first) and create a real sense of not knowing what to expect with rotating teams of agents taking on the world's greatest terrorists. M:I isn't James Bond or Indiana Jones. You could quite conceivably change the lead spy and continue the story in a myriad of ways (technically that's what the first film did). It just depends if Cruise if ever willing to let this go. 

 

No Hard Feelings (2023)

I was surprised that the raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings had as much heart as it did. The combination of Lawrence with Feldman ended up with a lot of chemistry and both brought to the rather silly and otherwise throw away story a sensitivity that made it just damn watchable. The audience actually gets invested in the characters despite a rather predictable plot which does little more than go through the motions. What saves Feelings is this likability and a truly funny script that generated genuine laughs. For a fun if light laugh You could do a lot worse than No Hard Feelings. 

No Hard Feelings
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti

Director: Gene Stupnitsky

Writers: John Phillips, Gene Stupnitcky

 

Past Lives (2023)

Past Lives starts out unassuming, building its story and characters bit by bit without a lot of fanfare or frills. But by it's third act it reaches a crescendo which wrecks you and delivers an emotional punch that will leave you stunned. It is one of the most mature love stories to be filmed recently, tackling the idea of relationships, love, and connection with nuance and complexity unlike most "romantic" movies. In doing so it hits harder than one is used to with very little to no drama or flamboyance. Writer/director Song has crafted something purely lovely and heart-wrenching. 

Past Lives is neither tragedy or comedy. It asks us to sit with people in their real lived in lives and it allows them to have emotions, to wear them close to their vests, but to experience them none the less. It allows them to hold multiple feelings at once and to live with that tension. We are asked to engage with this story of three people over time and by the end we are rewarded with one of the most vivid and satisfying filmed portrayals of love of the year. 

I don't want to say too much about the story. Song employs a very minimalist approach constructively, in the dialogue, the direction of performances, and in the scene structure. She rarely does anything flashy and never has her actors have "Oscar moments". Instead she draws real power from quieter moments, reflections, and a deep maturity. Her audience must meet her there and if they do they are greatly rewarded. 

Past Lives gives you so much to feel and think about. It finds that space in our emotions that is both sad and happy at the same time and lives in the spaces between. 

Past Lives

Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro

Writer/Director: Celine Song