Here (2024)

Here is an interesting experiment which never quite takes off. The "gimmick" of filming in one spot representing centuries of time actually works better than I had hoped but the problem mostly rests on the script which doesn't quite tell a compelling enough story. The film needed to focus on the connection between the physical space the people walking through it but that connection was mostly superficial. While Here never quite gets boring, it also never quite captures the audience's heart. 

Hanks and Wright are strong enough actors (along with their supporting cast, especially Bettany and Reilly) to pull off the range of the lives they are playing. I had no problem with the de-aging as in many ways it works much better than the aging make up films have put us through for decades. But the real test was how it would feel to watch a movie where the "camera" was placed in one spot the whole time. Surprisingly this worked for me. Zemeckis' use of the "space" along with different zones in the frame depicting different times, made it quite compelling.

As I mentioned it's the script that lost its way. It attempts to do so much and ends up doing so little. It becomes just a surface story for all the many threads it weaves instead of building any one of its narratives to a truly satisfying story. We are to be so moved by Hanks and Wright's final moments in the home but I found it hard to muster up much energy. 

So as an interesting experiment it had me quite fascinated, but as a story it didn't hold my attention. 

Here

Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Dockery, Gwilyum Lee, Ophelia Lovibond, David Fynn,  Zsa Zsa Zemeckis

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Writers: Eric Roth, Robert Zemeckis

The Wild Robot (2024)

Writer/Director Sanders is responsible for one of my all time favourite animated films, Lilo and Stitch. I love how wholly original and unlike anything else it is. He is also responsible for a film that mass audiences love a lot more than I do, How to Train Your Dragon. It's not that I don't like it (although I will pick apart its sequels), it just never resonated for me. The Wild Robot falls between the two for me. It is sweet and beautifully told if rather predictable and overly standard for my tastes. Still, it's hard not to appreciate a story that is so much about finding family. 

If I was going to nit pick anything it would be how little the film surprises you. Honestly anyone who has seen a movie before can tell you exactly what is going to happen at any point. Still, the art direction is gorgeous and the film just sticks to its story earnestly. I am a sucker for found family films, films that remind us that love comes from the least expected places and we can find our place amongst those who aren't anything like us. For that The Wild Robot overcomes any critique I have for lack of originality.  

The Wild Robot

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames 

Writer/Director: Chris Sanders

Conclave (2024)

Conclave is a drawing room mystery without a murder (perhaps). It is like something right out of Agatha Christie, only instead of a detective solving a murder, it is a Cardinal Dean (who happens to be running a Papal Conclave) attempting to solve a different sort of mystery, investigating just like a Poirot or Marple would do. Only this time the answer is something unexpected. 

Berger's work here is remarkable, using the ceremony, costuming, and Vatican setting to film a truly beautiful movie. This sort of Catholic pageantry makes for some incredible film making (as Coppola used it in his Godfather trilogy) and it's well on display here. His story telling is wonderful too. There is intrigue, twists and turns, like the page turner it is based on, without being too pulpy or sensational. Berger finds the right balance to keep us wondering at every turn. 

But for me the best part was the resolution, an ending that doesn't fit the mold. We keep waiting for there to be something nefarious going on and the little deviations along the way keep hinting but end up being more politics than transgressions. So that when we find out what may or may not have been kept hidden, it is something... well... something else entirely that makes us ask other questions about right and wrong, in this case, how this particular historic institution may be right or wrong in how it treats its members. 

So Conclave's strength is in how it uses its plot conceit and genre to make us think about things in a different way while remaining very gripping throughout. 

Conclave
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz

Director: Edward Berger

Writer: Peter Staughan

Don't Move (2024)

Smart premise. Concise execution. Strong performances. This easy formula makes Don't Move an engaging watch. The idea here is a woman tries to escape a killer who has injected her with a drug that will paralyze her temporarily over time and therefore only has limited time and increasingly limited body movement, to make her way to freedom. The writers and directors of Don't Move stick to the idea without straying too far out, keeping the film (ironically) moving forward at a good pace which doesn't over stay its welcome. 

Asbille and Wittrock are both strong in their roles in a film that mostly demands they play off each other. Asbille has the added burden of often barely being able to move anything but her eyes. Yet they both pull it off. The script is able to generate enough pathos to really draw us in and make it all hit home. 

Sticking to a rather brisk runtime and keepings its plot points fairly grounded so that the film doesn't jump the shark, Don't Move still manages to say something grander as part of its tale, something about women's safety and the processing of loss. The film very economically shows us who Wittrock's character is and just how normal of a man he is as he's attempting to do something horrible to Asbille. The weight of this isn't ignored by the film which acknowledges real world dynamics while also telling its traditional thriller story. 

Don't Move is a very satisfying and easily digestible watch which also gives you somethings to mull over after the credits role.  

Don't Move

Starring: Kelsey Asbille, Finn Wittrock

Directors: Adam Schindler, Brian Netto

Writers: TJ Cimfel, David White

Seeds (2024)

Home invasion horror movies hit a special nerve for me. I find myself somewhat drawn to them yet also quite terrified by them. When they are good they can be very good and really get under our skin. Little hits as hard as having one's sanctuary violated. There is a catharsis in that which can be very wringing. Seeds presents with this idea but uses it in a unique way that makes it almost something else. And by the end, an end which does not go where you expect, it has upended the genre in a smart and very thoughtful way. 

Seeds wears its Indigenousness on its sleeve as it follows an urban woman returning to a family home on the reserve only to face an invader. This very clever way is used to explore far more than just the traditional safety violation ideas of the genre. Instead the film constructs a colonial critique using the familiar horror tropes in a way that is very natural and effective. The film becomes something other than a horror movie at this point in a way that I cannot explain without spoilers. You'll just have to see it. 

The film is also truly funny. As a horror comedy, Seeds succeeds with its clever script and the comedic talent of its cast. Horn's script it tight and smart giving us just what we need to get us where she is going in a very entertaining way. She has quite successfully worn all the hats of writer/director/star and is just impossible not to root for. 

As I said the ending takes quite a fascinating if certainly not comfortable turn so be prepared. Having said that it's also very satisfying despite being not for the squeamish.

Seeds

Starring: Kaniehtiio Horn, Graham Greene, Dallas Godltooth, Meegwun Fairbrother, Patrick Garrow

Writer/Director: Kaniehtiio Horn

Emilia Pérez (2024)

I love it when I know I am watching something special, something that will resonate for me, something I will want to revisit. I felt all of that while watching Audiard's crime saga/musical/epic, Emilia Pérez, a film that is very much a unique experience. 

Audiard tells the story of four women, each trying to find their own way to freedom. His story is about transformation, both literal and spiritual. There is a line early on about how you can change physically which effects your world which effects your humanity. We watch as these women move from one state to another. It is tragic and operatic and gonzo at times. And it is blissful and painful and filled with lovely moments. 

The cast does an amazing job here bringing these women to life. No wonder they won as a group the Best Actress prize at Cannes. For me it was Saldaña who truly shone. She is the centre of this story and perhaps the most transformed in the end. Her performance moved me, shocked me, and thrilled me. Gomez, Paz and Gascón all impressed as well. 

As the film weaved its narratives through their twists and turns, I never truly knew how it would end up but as its explosive climax arrived, it all made sense, coming together completely. There are numerous scenes where each of the women laugh/cry at the same time and the film is commenting on how much joy and sorrow, freedom and loss, can be tied together. 

Emilia Pérez is easily one of the most haunting and memorable films of the year. 

Emilia Pérez

Starring: Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir, Édgar Ramírez

Writer/Director: Jacques Audiard

It's What's Inside (2024)

It's What's Inside is an exciting piece feature debut from writer/Director Greg Jardin who has done mostly TV promos, shorts, and music videos. Sure the premise is fun and the cast does a great job inhabiting their multiple characters, but what really grabbed me here was the way Jardin tells his story, uses the visual medium to enhance the narrative, and generally make for a very fun watch. This is the sort of film that is likely best to watch so stop reading here and just go watch if you don't want to be spoiled. I have a few nitpicks but they aren't really important. Just know you'll be in for a fun time and some really clever ways of making a movie work. 

Okay now that spoilers are warned, I will say I really appreciated how the film visually handles its body swapping premise. I like that it doesn't get deep into the how details (as this usually ruins most sci fi that is based around some impossible technology). I thought Jardin's approach to showing us who is who was very effective, especially featuring a bunch of characters we just met played by mostly unknown actors who don't bring their own recognition baggage to the table for audiences to follow. I also appreciated how he he uses visual language so fluidly to really move his story along and get us invested. It was easy to submerse yourself and not to worry about any of the technical problems this story's gimmick generates. 

My main nitpick however was the film's traditional approach to gender. With the exception of the end (which is more of a dues ex machina problem) the characters never swap bodies into someone of another gender. The characters are all presented as straight and cis which is kind of boring in this day and age. The film seems to want to avoid any exploration of gender switching or dysphoria which is too bad because that could have made it far more interesting. Even when the final twist is revealed, the gender isn't really relevant to the switch not is it explored at all. There is some discussion of some implications from ethnic and cultural swaps but this is mostly handled off handed in rather stereotypical ways, played mostly for laughs. All of this avoidance of some of the more interesting implications of the plot was a bit disappointing in a film that handles its story so well otherwise. 

Still, that is my main problem with a film that otherwise is strong and really fun. It's the sort of film whose twists and turns make you want to watch it again knowing what you now know. Sure I felt there were somethings missing but it still resonated. It also makes me excited to see what Jardin will do next. 

It's What's Inside

Starring: Brittany O'Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Reina Hardesty, Devon Terrell, David W. Thompson, Madison Davenport
Writer/Director: Greg Jardin