Seriously Red (2023)

Seriously Red is a bit of a showcase for star and writer Boylan who delivers a fun and boisterous performance as the title character who is making her living as a Dolly Parton impersonator. The film is on the light side but it is rather fun and its message, about being yourself, fits perfectly as a foil for the the impersonator trope. 

Filled with Dolly's songs (and references to many of her lyrics) Seriously Red is joyous even as it explores its main characters struggles to find herself. The famous Dolly quote, "find out who you are and do it on purpose" is the centre piece of this story about a women coming into her own by imitating someone else. 

Boylan is supported by a great cast, including Byrne in an almost unrecognizable role (you'll see), but mostly this is her show which she fills with great energy just like the icon she is performing. The script is on the thin side and has a lot of filler, but mostly the charming nature, universal story,  and Boylan's performance fills it up well enough. 

Seriously, Red is fun and well intentioned and ends up being a pretty darn good time. 

Seriously Red

Starring: Krew Boylan, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Celeste Barber, Thomas Campbell, Daniel Webster, Jean Kittson, Nell Campbell 

Director: Gracie Otto

Writer: Krew Boylan

 

Alice, Darling (2023)

A slow burn, Alice, Darling tells the story of a woman struggling to break out of an emotionally abusive relationship, the barriers erected even between her and her closest friends, and the ways victims internalize the psychological violence done to them. At the centre of this is a strong performance by Kendrick who nails all the complexity in her character. Recognizing the complicated ways this sort of abuse manifests, and the ways it can alienate its victims from their networks and themselves, Alice does a very good job of painting a portrait and making it all make sense. The film's tensions arise less from the threat of her abusive partner (although that is there) and more in Alice's struggle to be honest with herself and her friends. The climax of the film is less "thriller" style (the film doesn't devolve into a cinematic chase by a "bad guy") and more of the coming together of the women to end the abuse that has been happening. It remains triumphant even if the film recognizes that Alice still has a way to go to repair all the damage done to her. But Alice, Darling succeeds by being truthful and realistic and not erring on the side of sensationalism. 

Alice, Darling

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Kaniehtiio Horn, Wunmi Mosaku, Charlie Carrack

Director: Mary Nighy

Writer: Alanna Francis

 

Landscape With Invisible Hand (2023)

For high concept to really work it has to be crafted in a way that the audience can buy in completely. Landscape, with its interesting premise and complex set of issues it explores, is unfortunately cumbersome and spends so much time explaining itself. Little of the plot is engaging as story as the film gets bogged down in its messaging. It mostly ends up not being enjoyable despite all that its trying to do. 

What the movie should get points for is the performance of Asante Blackk in the lead role. He is captivating throughout and brings so much introspection to the character. While the film awkwardly handles most of its cast, he finds a groove that allows his character to shine. 

But so much of the film just falls flat, never giving life to its absurdist setting and never really sticking the landing on any of its points. 

Landscape With Invisible Hand

Starring: Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, Tiffany Haddish, Willam Jackson Harper, Brooklynn MacKinzie, Josh Cole Hamilton, Michael Gandolfini 

Writer/Director: Cory Finley

 

Blue Beetle (2023)

Can a film be both family friendly superhero adventure and social analogue for the (specifically) Latinx American Immigrant experience? Blue Beetle, it turns out, is. Aimed at an all ages audience, Beetle tells a fun if simple superhero origin story while tying its story beats into a narrative that explores the exploitation of immigrant workers by American capitalism, the importance of family and community, and the persistence of marginalized communities in the faces of oppression. 

For me I felt it did the latter better than it did the former. As a superhero story Blue Beetle is fairly one note. It’s good but it doesn’t stand out from the crowd on that level. But where it does shine is in how it weaves in the allegories. The story of Jaime Reyes is the story of a first generation American and the film doesn’t shy away from that. 

But don’t worry. Blue Beetle remains a lot of fun even as it weaves these ideas together. In fact much of the films best social commentary comes in its humour. The film is an accessible adventure that is generally entertaining for most ages and can be watched intergenerationally. It sometimes goes a little heavy handed into some of its jokes, especially around Nana, and the film takes a few shortcuts with logic around its world building. But it still delvers a fun movie and proves again that representation matters. 

Blue Beetle

Starring: Xolo Maridueña, George Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Raoul Max Trujillo, Harvey Guillén, Becky G

Director: Ángel Manuel Soto

Writer: Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer

 

Marry My Dead Body (2023)

I've seen a lot of bizarre films, but nothing quite like the Taiwanese comedy Marry My Dead Body. Yes even the title is extremely odd. It's a comedy, and a mystery, and it's supernatural, and it's a film raising awareness about the queer experience, and it's... well, it must be seen to be believed. Here is the premise; a homophobic cop is reluctantly married in a ghost marriage ceremony (a traditional Chinese practice of a living person marrying someone who has passed away) to a man whose ghost then haunts him until they solve the mystery of who killed him. 

Really. That's really the plot.

But the most remarkable part is that it mostly works. The film leans into the absurd a lot (no kidding) but it's heart is in the right place. Hsu's cop is stereotypically homophobic and to no one's surprise comes around to understanding that love is love, while Lin's ghost is rather stereotypically gay and their odd couple relationship often feels pretty by-the-book. Even the ghost elements feel a bit been-there-done-that. But despite all this, the film remains endlessly entertaining.

The film reflects some of the cultural differences between Western and Taiwanese perceptions of queerness. Often the film jars a Western audience with how often the F word is thrown around (yes in a way that we are supposed to see as a failing of the main character but still it is said A LOT) as we're not used to hearing it used for humour any longer. It would be harder for an American film to give the bigoted main character the redemption arc this film gives him. And Lin's portrayal of a gay man often falls into what feels like parody. But again, in this context the film works. 

A big part of what makes it work is the film's earnestness. The chemistry between Hsu and Lin is great and they comedically play off each other very well. And in the end the story is rather sweet despite some of its clumsiness. But perhaps the thing that sold me was the pure weirdness of the whole thing. The film just embraces its odd premise and runs with it so even when it does something cringy (which is a lot) it just feels so damn forthright. 

And perhaps it is just one of those film that you need to see once just to say you have experienced the truly odd Marry My Dead Body. 

Marry My Dead Body

Starring: Greg Hsu, Austin Lin, Gingle Wang

Director: Cheng Wei-hao

Writers: Sharon Wu, Cheng Wei-hao

Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)

Red, White & Royal Blue surprised me. I had written it off as a cliched romcom with a novel yet rather silly premise. And perhaps it is all that somewhat in the end. But it surpassed that for me in four ways:

First the film doesn't skim over the political nature of its premise. It would be easy for a film like this to take the safe road by not being politically offensive to anyone. But recognizing that queerness remains, even in 2023, hotly political it takes on the polarized nature of American politics (the similar British polarization is pretty much ignored in favour of a "tradition" obstacle) by sneaking in subtle but palpable critiques of political issues. Yes Red, White & Royal Blue does jettison the more overt subplot of the book which exposes the right wing homophobic Republican candidate as a sexual predator, but the film still takes a decidedly progressive stance which is refreshing. 

Second the film exploits the charismatic and quite talented lead in Taylor Zakhar Perez. It is easy to write him off as being cast just because of his obvious poster-boy beauty, but he shines here both mastering the comedic and the dramatic elements of his character. He went from being that sort of actor you'd see in a Hallmark movie to someone who, with the right parts, could break out as a real star. 

Third his character is bisexual and this is handled in a way that is so refreshing for mainstream comedies that often don't know how to manage these things. This is important for the plot (in how he figures out his attraction to his Prince Charming) and yet it isn't used as a barrier or problematic element. He may be attracted to people of different genders but he is all in with his feelings and doesn't hide them as his gay partner does. The film quite deftly handles the dynamics of having a romance between a gay man and a bisexual man and the different ways that manifests itself in their identify building. 

Finally Red, White & Royal Blue is a good example of many of the subtle ways a queer film made by queer film makers differs from when a straight film maker is behind it. There are many little moments that just feel so authentically queer, such as the couple's first (brief) conversation preparing for their first "time" and then the scene that shows it. There is a realness to their interactions that is often missing from films made by straight film makers who haven't lived those moments. This doesn't mean straight film makers can't make these movies, it just shows how it can be different when there are queers behind the camera. 

But don't worry casual movie lovers Red, White & Royal Blue is full on romcom in all the best ways. It follows the traditional arcs of the genre and will satisfy fans who love this sort of film. Also the leads are both simply gorgeous so the whole thing has the warm and fuzzy vibe that the genre does so well. Just noted that it might be a little but more than many of us expected. 

Red, White & Royal Blue

Starring: Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Uma Thurman, Stephen Fry, Clifton Collins Jr. 

Director: Matthew Lopez

Writers: Ted Malawer, Matthew Lopez

 

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

The film makers behind The Last Voyage of the Demeter make a noble effort, taking a short piece of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel and fleshing it out to a full story. It's a good idea; the story of the doomed ship that transported the famous vampire from Romania to England, and whose crew kept him fed until he arrived, should offer some good chills. And generally the film tells a decent story but it just never quite rises to a level that makes it anything more than a side story. 

It's the same sort of trapped in a small space with a monster story that has worked well in films like Alien, but unlike that film, Demeter doesn't take too many chances or offer many surprises. It moves through the motions and what it does it does well, creating a creepy atmosphere and offering some scares. I will give the film points for not shying away from killing the kid and dog (usually they are the ones that get spared cause that raises the terror level even more) so I kept thinking maybe the film would surprise me but the rest of the film kept doing exactly what one would expect. 

The film decides not to make Dracula a character, just the threat in the background. I actually think this is the right choice as the Count's story is told in the main tale. and this should be about something else. But the film doesn't take on any interesting themes for the crew to deal with that would flesh out the story other than just trying to survive. There were times I felt the film wanted to take on the undying persistence of racism or the horrors of colonialism (literally importing evil) but it never quite goes far enough down that path to make it be about something. Perhaps if The Last Voyage of the Demeter had opted to tell a story amongst the crew with the threat of the devil lurking in the background it may have become something truly fascinating and terrifying. Instead it remains a simple story. A decent but simple story. 

And that's okay. What it does it does well. It's a nice little companion piece to the more famous story. It's just not anything more than that. 

The Last Voyage of the Demeter

Starring: Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian

Director: André Øvredal

Writers: Bragi Schut Jr., Zak Olkewicz

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

The heroes on the half shell have not had great luck at the movies. Yeah I know the original costumed film has a nostalgia quality but it's hard to argue there is a "good" TMNT movie*... until now. Mutant Mayhem is easily the best movie these tortoises have ever had. Animation just seems to suit them and their world a lot better than "live action" attempts. 

*not considering the animated TV series...

And the animation here is gorgeous. Thank you Spider-Man for showing us that hypo-realism is not necessary for animated feature films. Instead, animation fans can revel in this beautifully crafted film. 

Mutant Mayhem gives us an origin story that doesn't feel like it wallows in rehashing the same old story (the bane of the current re-boot era) while also giving us just a fun time at the movies that is accessible for long time fans, kids of almost all ages, and the more casual movie goer. I'd be happy to see more TMNT movies come from this crew. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Starring:  Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicholas Cantu, Brady Noon, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Seth Rogan Rose Byrne, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Hannibal Buress, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Paul Rudd

Director: Jeff Rowe

Writers: Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Jeff Rowe

Heart of Stone (2023)

Heart of Stone is a perfectly adequate action film, the kind male action stars have been making for decades. It's cast raises its profile a bit by delivering even when the script is rather rote. The action sequences are solid but the script could have been tighter, especially in the character development moments, but if you go in with reasonable expectations Heart of Stone is the sort of film that can be a satisfying if not overly memorable watch. 

The plot features a double agent, but for good. Gadot plays a spy who is working for MI6 but is also working for a secret extra-governmental organization (who are good guys) and she faces off against someone she thought was an ally but is really trying to burn it all down. None of the twists and turns here will come as too much of a surprise. The film flirts with the idea of questioning the actual goodness of any of the players and spy agencies but in the end comes down firmly on a good guy-bad guy dichotomy. To be honest the film could have been a whole lot more but it settles for safe and accessible.

And that makes it no better and no worse than most action films. It gives you just what you'd expect, like most other of its ilk. 

Heart of Stone

Starring: Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt, Sophie Okonedo, Matthias Schweighöfer, Glenn Close, BD Wong

Director: Tom Harper

Writers: Greg Rucka, Allison Schroeder 

Stellar (2023)

How to describe Stellar...

Some films just need to be seen to understand. Stellar is one of those, walking a fine balancing act between experimental cinema and narrative so that it is both accessible and viscerally exploratory. A woman walks into a bar and sits next to a man she apparently hasn't met. It becomes clear as they talk the world seems to be ending/changing and they are both okay with it. The film builds an erotic tension between them that is palpable without being pornographic and as people come and go from the bar the otherworldliness of their circumstances becomes more and more explored. 

Yet it is all grounded in the carefully crafted connection between the leads Tailfeathers and Clarke, both demonstrating incredible screen presence and a sensitivity to the subject matter which makes them impossible to turn away from. They build the film's central connection so artfully it is just joyous to watch. It is their connection which makes all the rest of the film's story, so gorgeously shot by director Naponse, relatable. 

The film takes on a lot of themes from our connections to nature, colonialism, racism, sex... I guess humanness generally, and sets it in this quiet little moment between two people. It is really something to see if you get a chance. 

Stellar

Starring: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Braeden Clarke 

Writer/Director: Darlene Naponse

Theatre Camp (2023)

In the spirit of the Christopher Guest films of the 90s and 2000s comes a film that both sends up and pays homage to theatre kids. Set as a mockumentary following the machinations of an almost bankrupt theatre camp whose cast of characters (from those working there right down to the campers themselves) are all on the odd side of oddball, Theatre Camp is hilarious and heart warming in all the ways you'd expect.

Clearly this is a labour of love, actors Gordon, Galvin, and Platt are all involved at multiple levels of production on this film and the rest of the cast is clearly having a great time both revelling in and skewering the cliches of the theatre loving experience. Some of the jokes fall a little on the obvious side (one of the kids has to come out as heterosexual) but even when they do there is an earnest feel to it which makes it all just joyous. 

If there is a message here it is in how the film extends queerness to a larger encompassing community, celebrates it warts and all, and spreads the love. Honestly if this troupe wanted to work together again I'd be lining up to see what madness they can come up with next. 

Theatre Camp

Starring: Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Nathan Lee Graham, Ayo Edebiri, Owen Thiele, Caroline Aaron, Amy Sedaris, Alan Kim

Directors: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman

Writers: Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt

Afire/Roter Himmel (2023)

Four people end up staying in a house near a small beach town as wildfires rage around them and their personal lives intersect in this moving yet emotionally stilted drama from German writer/director Petzold. Afire is centred around Leon who is self absorbed and misanthropic making the film's edge a bit uncomfortable throughout, on purpose, as it is hard for us to like our protagonist and yet the film makes us identify with him at the same time. This creates the discomfort, along with the looming wildfires, that make Afire so interesting and also just so confounding. 

Afire is the sort of film where things happen very slowly and then very quickly and then slowly again which adds a jarring feeling to the film which is already prickly. Its tone changes and we can feel the pain of seeing Leon resist what could so easily make him happier. But that's not the plan Afire has for our hero. It does give him his resolution but only at the cost of most of those around him making his journey even less satisfying for the audience. Yet it all still feels so honest and perhaps reveals a lot more about how our own journeys often go.  

I enjoyed that Afire didn't give us an easy protagonist to care for or appreciate, and also that it made us identify with him. This can be a very difficult balancing act and Petzold nails it along with his cast, especially Schubert and Beer in the leads. Afire will feel challenging due to its structure and point of view. And not only is that okay but it's provoking. 

Afire/Roter Himmel

Starring: Thomas Schubert, Paula Beer, Langston Uibel, Enno Trebs, Matthias Brandt

Writer/Director: Christian Petzold

A Good Person (2023)

Returning to his home turf of Jersey, writer/director Braff has made his best film in a long time although it sometimes struggles to be consistent or congruent. The strong performances of Pugh and Freeman raise the film and make it both very watchable and powerful despite some of the script's short cuts. Overall A Good Person ends up being more good than bad, especially in the lead performances.  

As I said, the stars of this show, specifically Pugh and Freeman, truly stand out. The story is one that requires a lot of meandering and some leaps and their performances help smooth this over. Their characters, very realistically, make bad choices, oscillate between emotions and points of view (as real people do), and are sometimes less likeable than other time (again, as real people are). But the film doesn't always make these transitions for them very well and it's only the skills of the cast which help make it all work. The connection between Pugh and Freeman is remarkable and it's great to see Freeman especially get to take on such a meaty and fascinating role, and as one would expect, he excels at it. 

A Good Person is a film about very unpleasant things and being human throughout and I'll give it credit for swinging for the fences in terms of honesty and realism while also balancing that with a hope and humanity that is inspiring. It doesn't always work perfectly but it works more than it doesn't. 

A Good Person

Starring: Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Celeste O'Connor, Molly Shannon, Chinezea Uche, Zoe-Lister Jones, Alex Wolff

Writer/Director: Zach Braff

Talk to Me (2023)

Good horror can be great cinema. It can reach into places and find ways to explore the complexities of life in ways that many other genres cannot. Talk to Me is an example of an impressive debut feature from exciting new film makers who get just how to use horror to tell a fascinating and disturbing story while making a great movie. 

Talk to Me is on the surface about teen experimentation with any forbidden means of self-medication. It is about grieving and risk. And it is a damn scary film that touches some very dark places. It is a satisfying watch that stumbles a little in its final act but sticks the landing in the end. It is a very impressive debut. 

Wilde is a future star. She is remarkable here, although the entire cast is strong. She stands out in a central role that is neither easy or straight forward. I am excited to see what both she and her directors will do next. 

When films like this come along, we should pay attention. They could be the start of something really good to come… and I don’t mean a Talk to Me 2.

Talk To Me

Starring: Sophie Wilde, Miranda Otto, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen

Directors: Danny and Michael Philippou

Writers: Bill Hinzman, Danny Philippou