This will sound odd, but if I were in charge of The Church of Latter Day Saints, I would promote the heck out of Heretic. Why? Because it’s a story that depicts Mormons as being a grade above the nerds of organized religion they’re typically made out to be. After the thorough skewering the religion received at the hands of The Book of Mormon, any positive depiction of it should be welcomed by church elders with open arms.
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Super/Man would have been a fascinating documentary even if it had focused only on Christopher Reeve’s acting career. As a young man fresh out of acting school, Reeve nabbed the role of a lifetime: playing the Man of Steel in Superman. Although the part catapulted him into stardom and made him a fortune overnight, he chafed at his success. In an effort to be taken seriously as an actor, he sought out dramatic roles that he hoped would also win his father’s approval. After donning the cape three more times, his career finally appeared to go in the direction he wanted with a notable supporting turn in Remains of the Day. Then, a freak horse-riding accident left him paralyzed, robbing him of his career. For people as famous as Reeve, that incident probably would have marked a retreat from their public lives. Not so for Reeve.
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Although sometimes disorienting, The Outrun is a solidly acted and beautifully rendered addiction drama. Recommended. Continue reading The Outrun
The Substance is a grim fairy tale, a horrific bedtime story with one goal in mind: to show men what it’s like to be a woman and live in fear of the day when they become undesirable. For Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), she’s confident that she hasn’t reached her “best by” date yet and tapes her daily aerobics show as normal. Unfortunately, her incredibly chauvinistic television executive Harvey (Dennis Quaid) decides that Elizabeth is too old and angrily tells a colleague that it’s time to replace her with someone younger. Elizabeth accidentally overhears Harvey’s side of the conversation, and knows that they won’t be discussing new opportunities during their lunchtime meeting. Sure enough, Harvey glibly fires Elizabeth while she sits transfixed by the sight of him devouring a bowl of shrimp. When it comes to men like Harvey, women are the same as food: something to be consumed and tossed away.
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There’s something not quite right with the Daltons. That’s painfully evident from the outset, when they choose to wallow in their own misery despite being in a beautiful part of Italy. They don’t hide their misery, either, wearing it like an irritating jacket wherever they go. Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) is morose, while Louise Dalton (Mackenzie Davis) is edgy and controlling. The two are so clenched around each other I imagined they squeak while walking. Unsurprisingly, the two have unresolved issues between them that will play a consequential role in what transpires.
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Tragedy can strike anywhere, even on Ilha Grande, an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Based on the movie’s depiction of the place, it’s what I’d call a working-man’s paradise, where everyone tanned, smiling and walking around in summer clothes year-round. The beach and the ocean’s shimmering waves are only a short walk from anywhere on the island. If the movie’s depiction of it is to be believed, it’s a happy place for everyone who lives there. Well, almost everyone.
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While watching It Ends With Us, I was reminded of the last romantic melodrama I’d seen, Where The Crawdads Sing. Although the heroines in both movies couldn’t have been more different, they both experienced a similar set of trials and tribulations. Given my admittedly small sample size, is it fair of me to assume that all romantic melodramas follow the same formula? And if so, is that part of the appeal with movies like It Ends With Us?
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I certainly admire Perkins’ Longlegs, a loving homage to the serial killer genre. The movie proudly wears its influences on its sleeve, and those familiar with The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en will have fun identifying all of the ways Perkins references them in this film. Given the movie’s incorporation of encoded messages, I would include David Fincher’s Zodiac in the mix as well.
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The Bikeriders is filled with memorable scenes, and it opens with that immediately grabs our attention. Benny (Austin Butler), a biker, is peacefully enjoying a whiskey and beer at a bar in the middle of the day. He’s approached by two imposing men who angrily tell him to remove his colors. After looking them over, he says with a smirk that they’d have to kill him first. The men are happy to oblige and proceed to pummel him. As the incredibly violent confrontation played out, I found myself asking questions. Why did those guys want to beat up Benny just because of his jacket? And more importantly, why does Benny invite the confrontation?
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After learning that the forthcoming The Strangers: Chapter 1 was basically a remake of The Strangers, I thought long and hard as to whether I should see the original beforehand. This decision was not as simple as I thought it would be, though. Since most of the commentary I’d read about Chapter 1 described it as being an inferior remake of the original, I had a conundrum. Would I be setting myself up for disappointment if I watched the original before seeing Chapter 1? Or would I enjoy Chapter 1 more if I watched it in a vacuum? I finally decided to see the original so that I’d have a basis of comparison between the two. If the two movies are that similar, the viewing experience would present itself as a unique review assignment for myself. This review will focus only on the 2008 movie. The next one will be on Chapter 1 and will compare and contrast the two. I hope you enjoy this little exercise!
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