Flow

2024 ‧Animated Drama‧ 85m

Lativan filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis follows up 2019’s Away with a tale about a cat and a flood with Flow (Straume). The animated adventure features no dialogue, but words are not needed for this multi-layered story.

The film’s protagonist is a black cat who lives in a house near a large forest. The cat spends the day roaming and meets a band of dogs that chase them through the woods. The cat evades the dogs, but soon sees them again, running away from a large herd of deer. The deer are themselves running away from a large tsunami that sweeps up the cat and the dogs. The cat finds their way back on land and to their house. However, the water is still rising. Soon the cat must flee its home, climbing to higher and higher ground. Eventually they climb aboard a boat with a capybara, no explanation as to how they got the boat, and together they navigate the calamity gaining other animals along the way in their makeshift ark: a lemur, one of the dogs, and a large secretary bird.

Zilbalodis does a good job of making a world that is believable and interesting to watch. The animation does not have that major studio sheen, but perhaps that serves the story best. There is a notable lack of humans in this world, and it is no reason is given. Ultimately it is not important because this story is focused on how nature itself reckons with disaster, albeit through the lens of a domestic cat. Said cat goes on a well constructed hero’s journey with their fellow animals on the boat. The flood is a call to adventure, and one of the boat mates serves as a mentor. Zilbalodis hits the familiar beats, but the cat is a fascinating hero to follow.

The animals are not anthropomorphized, and the lack of humans and dialogue allow for the audience to consider various metaphors and allegory that Zilbalodis may be making. What does the band of dogs represent? The lemur keeps hoarding even in times of crisis, what could be the idea there? This is one of the better aspects of the film, it invites the viewer to make up their own mind. It could just be a simple Incredible Journey-esque adventure, or an allegory for how humanity responds to a crisis. The films multiple layers means that children seeing this can revisit as they age and find something new. In many ways Flow could be a gateway art house film for the young. It is perplexing that this is rated PG, when it could easily have been G.

Latvia has submitted Flow as their entry for Best International Film at the Oscars this year. It likely stands a chance in that category, but one hopes it can snag a nod for Best Animated Feature as well.

Grade: B+

~Andrew

Anora

2024 ‧Drama/Comedy‧ 139m

Director Sean Baker makes movies about people in the margins. The Florida Project and Red Rocket have been praised for their humanity and interesting characters. His Palme d’Or winning Anora follows that trend.

Mikey Madison plays the titular character, preferring to be called Ani. She is a dancer and occasional sex worker at a Manhattan strip club. She seems popular with the clientele. One night she meets Vanya, who came to the club asking for a girl who speaks Russian. So begins a whirlwind romance where Vanya pays for several dates at his large mansion. He solicits her services for a whole week and flies her and his friends in a private jet to party in Las Vegas. While there, Ani and Vanya get married in a classic Vegas ceremony. They go back to New York, to his large mansion where soon word of his marriage have gotten to his rich and public Russian family. They are not happy. They send Vanya’s godfather and two goons to solve the problem. Ani’s whirlwind storybook romance becomes less fairy tale.

Mikey Madison’s performance quite exceptional as Ani. Though the character is not always “likeable” in the traditional sense, the audience is quickly on her side. Baker treats her life matter-of-factly and does not glorify or particularly judge. Madison adds an additional layer of empathy to a character that already has a lot of humanity written. The other standout performance is Yura Borisov as Igor, one of the goons. He too is adding an interesting layer to a typically one-dimensional brute and Baker plays around with their dynamic in a fascinating and funny way.

The pacing is going to be jarring for some. The first act of the film goes along at a nice clip, but once Vanya’s godfather and his goons show, things slow down.  Ani and Vanya’s meet-cute, subsequent romance, and marriage, something that takes the better part of a month, is the first act. The rest of the film, Ani dealing with Vanya’s family, takes two days in the world of the film. Baker slows down the pace here, but also brings up the screwball antics with the goons and godfather. This change is deliberate and reflects what Ani is experiencing. A wild ride with a drawn out decrescendo.

It is easy to see how this made such an impression at Cannes. Anora touches on economic disparity and the desire to better one’s life while subverting romantic-comedy tropes. Baker here, as with his other films, seems to be an anti-Horatio Alger. Though there is still a lot of hope in Anora. The last scene will likely cause a lot of debate. The good kind of debate that asks for deep analysis and understanding, something both Anora the character as well as Anora the film deserves.

Grade: B

~Andrew

Saturday Night

2024 ‧Historical Comedy‧ 109m

Saturday Night Live has gone down as one of the most important shows of all time. It just started it’s 50th season this year, and all that time has brought many legends. Lorne Michaels has been at the helm of all but 5 years of the show, and he too has reached a legendary status. Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night gives us the chaos and anarchy leading up to the first episode of SNL.

Lorne Michaels has been given a shot. NBC, who is currently quibbling with Johnny Carson, has decided to let him have a chance at 90 minutes of live television. Michals, his wife Rosie, and his producer Dick have gathered a rag-tag group of funny people. The idea isn’t fully formed yet, it feels like a collection of random bits: musical performances, sketches, stand-up, fake commercials, and Jim Hensen’s Muppets. Several things are not ready for the show. They don’t have a studio audience, the lighting hasn’t been figured out, the Muppets don’t have pages written for them yet, and John Belushi hasn’t signed his contract. To name a few. During all this, a network exec is there ready to pull the plug and rerun Carson if Michaels can’t convince him he knows what he’s doing.

Rachel Sennott and Gabriel LaBelle have good chemistry as Rosie Shuster and Lorne Michaels respectively. The only flaw is that LaBelle seems a little young compared to his peers. Something that is easy to get passed, but it is there. LaBelle is still great to follow throughout the chaos. Reitman does well to not completely glorify Michaels much here, he often shows him over his head and floundering. Undoubtedly much of this has to be exaggerated, didn’t happen that night, or at all. However, Reitman still makes it believable.

Though Michaels is who we follow the most in the film, it’s the ensemble that really makes the film work. The cast might be the film’s greatest success. Not only do the players look like and sound like the Not Ready for Prime Time Players when they rehearse sketches before air, they also nail the quiet calm parts. As with most ensemble films, no one quite gets to shine here, and the audience is probably bring more depth with previous knowledge about the early SNL cast than what is provided by the film.

Despite the fact that the audience will already know the outcome, Reitman still creates and maintains this palpable tension all the way to the end. This tension and anxiety are greatly aided by Jon Batiste’s score, who also plays Billy Preston in the film. The comedy juxtaposed with the tension rivals another Rachel Sennott vehicle, Shiva Baby.  There are many “troubled production” films and audience members may be reminded of The Disaster Artist, Ed Wood, and Noises Off!  Saturday Night is like those films, but more like Altman’s Prairie Home Companion mixed with Scorsese’s After Hours. And given the importance of SNL, the ensemble nature, and all the walking-and-talking, we should be thankful that Aaron Sorkin was not involved in the making of this film.

Though likely not entirely historically accurate, Saturday Night is a fun and fascinating look into the beginning of a cultural phenomenon. Reitman walks the difficult line of tense and hilarious with ease and the performances make this a fun history lesson.

Grade: B

~Andrew

His Three Daughters

2023/4 ‧Drama ‧ 101m

One of the more lamentable aspects of this era of streaming is when well received festival fare debuts for regular audiences, a film can feel more disposable. Hopefully His Three Daughters, a new Netflix release from last year’s TIFF, does not suffer such a fate.

The titular daughters belong to Vincent. Mostly unseen, he is slowly dying. His monitor beeps informing the audience that he is still alive. Having taken a turn for the worst, his three daughters, Katie, Rachel, and Christina have all gathered at his apartment to be with him when he passes. Hospice workers come to give the daughters a break and to give updates on Vincent’s condition. The film begins with Katie saying that they need to get along during their father’s last days. That anything between them can wait. Rachel, his only non-biological daughter, has been taking care of him while Katie and Christina have been with their families. Inevitably familial tensions rise, and we see if these daughters can also become sisters.

The film is written, directed, produced, and edited by Azazel Jacobs. An independent director probably best known for 2020’s French Exit. Jacobs places the film’s action almost entirely in the apartment, so we are given a rich character study of the three daughters. Though Jacobs is a man, and neither daughter or sister (as is this reviewer), he creates genuine relationships that are engaging and ring true. His characterizations of them walk the thin line between archetypal and cliché but that nuance is readily served by the film’s ensemble.

Katie, the oldest daughter played by Carrie Coon, is the put-together one. Though we hear through one sided phone conversations that she is having difficulty with her own daughter. Rachel, the middle step-sister played by Natasha Lyonne, is portrayed as the screw-up. Often getting high and making sports bets to eke out a living. Her name is also on the lease of the apartment, so she is set to get the place when Vincent dies. An element that adds to the familial rift. Finally, Christina is the youngest daughter played by Elizabeth Olsen, with her own small child across the country. The actors take to their roles rather authentically, and one wishes there could be another vehicle for the three of them to act with each other again.

Jacobs does direct well, but the film does feel like a play. Or perhaps an adaptation of an “important” New York play that actors do scenes from in classes. Something college theater groups perform between semesters, like Three Tall Women. This is not a critique, it is the type of story Jacobs is telling and he does tell it well. There are some interesting choices in editing, that help illuminate the things not said between the characters. The only real fault that the film has is when the characters spell it out, instead of letting the audience get there on their own. These scenes give the film a 10th grade English class feel, but thankfully it doesn’t happen too often.

His Three Daughters is not easy viewing, and is likely not something one would readily select when cruising through their options on Netflix. It is still worth the watch. If not for the story itself, but for the performances of the main three actors.

Grade: B-

~Andrew

Classic Review: A Woman Under the Influence

1974 ‧Drama ‧ 147m

Though lately this site has been focusing on films from 1984, 1974 had its fair share of great films as well. Many films celebrating their 50th anniversary are currently playing in cinemas. John Cassavetes’ A Woman Under the Influence is seeing such revival. With the recent death of the film’s star, Gena Rowlands, now is a great opportunity to view the 70s masterpiece.

Mabel Longhetti (Rowlands) is a suburban housewife in southern California. She is married to Nick (Peter Falk), a foreman of a construction team, and they have three school age children. Nick works long hours and often Mabel feels neglected. Early in the film, he gets called into an all-night job and will thus miss a date night with Mabel, who has sent the children to her mother’s for the occasion. Annoyed, Mabel goes out for a night of drinking. The next day, Nick returns home with his team and has Mabel make them a spaghetti dinner. Mabel’s behavior seems unusual and strange during the meal. This behavior continues, reaching to a more concerning level at a children’s birthday party. After a night of further erratic behavior, Nick has a doctor friend come to sedate Mabel and she is committed to a mental health facility. The film’s crescendo is centered on her return home.

The film had its origin as a play for Rowlands, Cassavetes wife, but she didn’t think she could put herself through that kind of role 8 times a week. Cassavetes would finance it himself, with friends such as Falk investing. Eventually he would also distribute it himself. Sending it to film festivals and college campuses, often accompanied by Falk for post screening Q and As. A Woman Under the Influence is one of the few films that really can be called “fiercely independent.” That alone cements its importance to cinema, even before showcasing one of the greatest acting performances in film history.

The late Rowlands is the reason to see this, of course. Despite the limited release, Rowlands would be nominated for best actress. The limited release probably kept her from winning. When compared to what won best actress that year, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, both films deal with mothers and complex relationships. Rowlands’ role however gets to go to darker depths than Ellen Burstyn’s titular role in Scorsese’s film. Rowlands gives the performance of her career, in a role tailor made for her. Though great throughout, she really shines when Mabel returns home. A truly devastating and moving last 35 minutes.

In many ways this is a fascinating, if disturbing, snapshot into mental health and misogyny of the era. 50 years later, one wonders how this would have played out differently today. Mabel has symptoms that suggest a bipolar disorder, but it could just be that the banality of domesticity and neglect is crushing her. Though Rowlands likely contributed, Cassavetes is the writer of the film and there is a noted feeling of focus on how this is affecting the men in Mabel’s life. That is one of the more dated aspects of the film. For what it is worth, Cassavetes treats Mabel with utmost empathy, and just because there is a focus on how it is affecting the men, does not mean he is condoning or saying it is Mabel’s fault.

Cassavetes films are generally character driven, and he was often seen as an “actor’s director.” He is known to general audiences as an actor, famously playing the husband in Rosemary’s Baby, so his focus on acting tracks. His directorial work can be difficult for audiences. His films tend to eschew traditional plot and pacing and instead focus on raw realistic portrayal. Not that his films lack plot and pacing, they are not as important and verisimilitude, nuance, and personal relationships. With this in mind, it is no surprise that many find his films difficult to get through. At 2 and a half hours, the high drama of A Woman Under the Influence might be difficult. It is, however, quite rewarding.

Grade: A

~Andrew

Longlegs

2024 ‧Horror/Crime ‧ 101m

Director Osgood Perkins returns with the serial killer thriller Longlegs. The film follows the investigation of a cold case going hot again, with the aid of a new FBI Special Agent.

For almost 20 years, a killer has been murdering entire families and leaving no trace. The only thing telling the FBI they are connected are the coded letters he leaves, signed Longlegs. In the mid-90s, Special Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), who seems to have a second sense when it comes to killers, is brought onto the case after just “knowing” where the perpetrator was in her last assignment. Her superior, Agent Carter (Blain Underwood), shares everything he knows and soon an ice cold case is flowing again. As they delve deeper into the mystery, Carter starts to wonder if there is something deeper than just Harker’s hunches going on.

Atmosphere is something the director has a noted skill in. The film takes place in the winter and the icy atmosphere can be easily felt through Perkins’ direction. Though different in theme, Longlegs does share a similar mood and tone as Perkin’s 2015 film The Blackcoat’s Daughter. They could be easily viewed back-to-back. Kiernan Shipka from that film cameos here, and both films share a satanic panic element.

The performances pair well with Perkins’s atmosphere. Nicholas Cage is, as expected, quite creepy as the titular killer. Though Cage is barely recognizable as Longlegs, his voice is pretty unmistakable, so there is an added uncanny layer to the character. Cage is good, but one can’t help but wonder if someone with less of a name would be better, it’s difficult sometimes to separate “Nic Cage” from a performance. That said, why gamble when there can be a sure bet? Maika Monroe as Special Agent Harker easily brings the audience into the story. Her performance is haunted and understated.  Blair Underwood helps ground everything, as Harker’s likeable mentor and superior. Alicia Dewitt plays Harker’s mother, and adds another layer of dread, that gets somewhat undercut during the film’s resolution. Cage and Dewitt, and to a certain extent Monroe, create a compelling strangeness to Longlegs that makes it a unique experience. Perkins is able to take all of this and fashion a deeply scary film that maintains its formidable chill even through the underwhelming  resolution.

It is hard not to think of Silence of the Lambs given the subject manner. There are also some shots similar to Demme’s close-ups. Elements of Fincher’s Se7en and Zodiac as well come to mind, especially with the coded messages. The Special Agent aspect and the inclusion of Alicia Dewitt will no doubt remind folks of Twin Peaks. Longlegs does have enough originality to stand on its own, though fans of the aforementioned will undoubtedly get more enjoyment.

Longlegs probably won’t become a classic like the films it found influence, but it pays offs well for those looking for a horrifying, if often weird, serial killer procedural.

Grade: B-

~Andrew

Thelma

2024 ‧ Crime/Comedy/Drama ‧ 98m

After well-received screenings at Sundance, Thelma has now gone wide. June Squibb, Academy Award Nominee for Nebraska, leads the film as the titular role.

Thelma is 93 years old and lives alone, much to Daniel, her 24-year-old grandson’s worry. Daniel (Fred Hechinger) helps her out with computer needs, but like many her age it isn’t her strongest suit. One day she gets a call from someone pretending to be Daniel saying he’s been in an accident and needs money for a lawyer. She gathers up the $10,000 requested and calls everyone in her family, but they are all too busy or, in Daniel’s case asleep, to answer. Her family eventually does get back to her, but not before she mails the money. The police offer no help, and the next day she decides she is going to get her money back. Reluctantly enlisting an old friend, Ben (Richard Roundtree), they travel on his scooter to go where the PO box she sent the money to is located.

There have been a lot of films about seniors taking justice into their own hands, dominating despite age, but Thelma is not an action movie.  Instead, it focuses quite a lot on what aging does to someone. It often takes the time to show how difficult it can be to be older in modern society. Memory and body issues are always there in the background if they don’t make it to the foreground. Though this may sound somewhat dire, the film has a light tone that is quite enjoyable. The film is more comedy than anything else, but there are some moments of drama that are affecting. When looking to find help in her mission, Thelma goes through the contacts in her phone and realizes that many of her friends are dead. Though the scene is comical, it does have a dark bite that is consistent throughout the film.

Family relationships and generational divide are major themes in Thelma. Her Gen X daughter and son-in-law, Parker Posey and Clark Gregg, are often worried about her and the arrested development of their Gen Z son. In a more action driven version of this story, Thema’s family would have been an after-thought. Here them trying to find her and their relationship with each other are a secondary plot. Though heightened and humorous, it gives a sense of verisimilitude. Most filmmakers would just focus on Thelma’s mission, but having the caring family involved makes the stakes higher. First time director, Josh Margolin, offers a different layer to what could be a typical crime narrative.

Squibb’s performance is obviously the standout here. She is doing much more than the standard “Grandma” role or “old person out for revenge.” It is a comedic performance for the most part, but Squibb easily shows up her range throughout the film. Richard Roundtree gives his final feature film performance as Ben, who Thelma allows to join her mission. If only to use his scooter. His performance is the other standout. Oftentimes, casting someone who played as iconic of a role as Shaft could be a bad idea, but here it adds an extra layer to the story. Even John Shaft can get old and infrim.

Thelma plays like the sort of film you expect from Sundance, and fans of that will not be disappointed. Those looking for a funny, layered, and exciting film won’t be disappointed either.

Grade: B-

~Andrew

I Saw the TV Glow

2024 ‧ Horror/Drama ‧ 100m

I Saw the TV Glow uses fandom, otherness, and coming-of-age tropes to horrifying affect. Jane Schoenbrun’s follow up to We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is not as internet focused, but still has a creepypasta feel.

On Election Day 1996, while his mother votes at the local high school, 7th grade loner Owen (Justice Smith) finds 9th grader Maddie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) reading an episode guide for The Pink Opaque. They strike up a friendship and decide to meet up to watch the show together the next Saturday. The show is a Nickelodeon­­-esque horror fantasy about teens who fight evil. The two bond over the show for a couple of years until one day Maddie disappears. The years go by and Owen lives his life, working at movie theater. Suddenly Maddie returns, and she has something to tell him about the show they loved growing up.

Memory and belonging are constant, however toxic fandom and nostalgia are major themes. Schoenbrun is interested in showing how fandom can enmesh into one’s identity. The pluses and minuses of loners finding each other weighed too. Both Maddie and Owen are easily established as being “weird kids.” They share somethings in common, which Schoenbrun shows how that can be a great thing, but not always. Anyone who feels marginalized or othered will likely relate to the two. The performances are somehow both understated and intense, establishing the mindsets of Owen and Maddie. Even though much of the characters’ logic does not hold up to scrutiny, it’s easy to stay invested.

There is a surreal tone that is quite affecting, some calling it Lynchian. However, this term is not the often derisive meaning “so weird it’s hard to understand.” Schoenbrun, like Lynch, uses surrealism as a way to convey feeling and emotion, not to necessarily move a logical plot. Again, like Lynch, you may find yourself absolutely terrified, but you can’t completely figure out why. It gets under the viewers skin and requires one to process it. Those looking for traditional horror scares will likely be disappointed, but existential foreboding is the ambient hum of Schoenbrun’s film. There’s been some comparison with the creepypasta Candle Cove, and both stories share the “haunted by a childhood tv show” trope, but that is about it. I Saw the TV Glow probably shares more DNA with Slender Man. Schoebrun’s first feature was a docu-collage film about that internet phenomenon and one can see similarities with this film.

 Though anyone could get something out of the film, millennials will likely resonate with the popular culture examined. The Pink Opaque scenes certainly have Buffy similarities, but there’s also some Are You Afraid of the Dark? elements as well as The Adventures of Pete and Pete. In fact, the actors who portray the titular Petes cameo. So does Buffy actress Amber Benson. The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight Tonight” has an influence as well, Melies notwithstanding. All these influences almost make the film a sort of 90’s Nickelodeon version of Videodrome. It is PG13, so it doesn’t quite go to Cronenberg depths. And that rating may explain who this will affect more. That is not to say that I Saw the TV Glow is “kiddie horror” like the The Pink Opaque is portraying. More that younger audiences are frightened by different, but no less mature elements.

Schoenbrun makes a fascinating and surprisingly adult film that is haunting and unusual. It will be very interesting to see what they do next.

Grade: B

~Andrew

Twin film review: Immaculate and The First Omen

2024 ‧ Religious Horror ‧ 89m (Immaculate) and 119m (The First Omen)

This review contains light spoilers for The Last Omen.

Twin films happen occasionally. Two films with similar plots or subject matter are released, usually within a year of each other. Some famous examples are Deep Impact and Armageddon; recently Elvis and Priscilla; and on the podcast Dr. Strangelove and Fail Safe were discussed. It is rare though for both films to be so closely released that one could double-feature them in the same multiplex. Such is the case with Michael Mohan’s Immaculate and Arkasha Stevenson's The First Omen.

The twinning aspect of both films can be simply stated as: an American nun travels to Italy and through a church-driven conspiracy, must deal with an unwanted pregnancy. There are some differences, of course. Immaculate takes place in the present day, whereas The Last Omen is in the early 1970s. It needs to align with the 1976 Richard Donner film it prequels, after all.

Immaculate is an independent production with a smaller scale which aids a more gothic tone. Sister Cecilia, played by Sydney Sweeney, has come to a convent where elder nuns spend their last days. The convent is cloistered away in an old building with relics, dark corridors, and secret rooms. Soon Cecilia becomes “immaculately” pregnant, much to the surprise and the joy of everyone there. Sydney Sweeney had apparently been wanting to do this project since 2014, and her performance is quite harrowing. She does an excellent job of conveying the body horror of pregnancy, especially when juxtaposition to the others. Mohan’s director is tight and moody.

The Last Omen is a studio-backed IP connected work, so the scale is a little larger. There is money for scenes of student riots and pyrotechnic effects. There’s more CGI and also Bill Nighy, in a marquee-value only role. Such casting is in-keeping with The Omen franchise. Sister Margaret, played by Nell Tiger Free, arrives in Rome to help at an orphanage. Her childhood priest, Nighy, got her to the position. She learns her way around the orphanage and soon becomes connected with a teenage orphan named Carlita. In-keeping with the franchise, strange things start happening and Margaret starts having hallucinations. Soon she becomes privy to a plan to bring about the birth of the Anti-Christ. Nell Tiger Free’s performance is engrossing and Stevenson’s direction is haunting, particularly the hallucinations.

Both films have intriguing stories, good performances, direction, and mood. One of the places Immaculate excels is runtime. At 89 minutes, it is very lean and impactful. The two-hour runtime for The First Omen feels a little excessive, especially because of the screentime for certain elements that only seem to be for franchise continuity’s sake. We didn’t really need an “It’s all for you” scene again. One wonders what this could have been like if all connections to the Donner film were more muted. Or if instead of The First Omen it was called Sister Margaret and we didn’t get any clues about an Omen connection until Gregory Peck’s picture shows up at the end. Such secrecy is basically impossible today, and would only help the second week box office and not the all-important first.

These two films also share something in common with two other twin films from 2020, the drama Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, and the comedy Unpregnant. Both of those are also about unwanted pregnancies. In those films, both protagonists need to cross state lines to find an abortion clinic. These two films and their horror counterparts show what a difference 4 years can make. Horror is often a reflection of modern societal fears, and these post-Dobbs decision films showcase those fears, albeit in not particularly subtle ways. Not exactly a recommended quadruple feature, but it is interesting to see how very real concerns can permeate into film. Unpregnant and Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always showed how difficult things were before, and The First Omen and Immaculate show how it is now. Both horror films are clearly influenced by the pre-Roe v. Wade film, Rosemary’s Baby. Abortion isn’t really an option for either protagonist.

Both The First Omen and Immaculate are entertaining religious horror and are more layered than one might think. If one is edges out over the other, it is Immaculate. It has a better use of its runtime, and has a more satisfying ending. The First Omen’s biggest problem is that it needs to be an Omen movie and not its own thing. Such is the plight of prequels, and thus to the success of Immaculate.

Grades:

Immaculate B-

The First Omen C+

~Andrew

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and a life-long fan’s internal struggle

2024 ‧ Supernatural Comedy ‧ 115m

The Spengler family return to New York City in a new installment of the Ghostbusters franchise. The remaining members of the original team help out as a new threat comes to the big apple.

 The Spenglers have set up shop busting ghosts in the 3 years since the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. After a lot of collateral damage occurs during a routine bust, Mayor Walter Peck threatens to shut them down. Phoebe, a minor at fifteen, is sidelined from the business until she is old enough. She spends time at Ray Stanz’s occult bookstore with her friend Podcast. Ray has started a video series where people bring in their potentially haunted objects and he runs a test to see if it is haunted or not. A Haunted Antiques Roadshow if you will. One day a man comes in with an orb whose spectral presence is off the charts. It is taken to Winton’s lab for further study. It is determined to be imprisoning a apocalyptic ghost wishes to take over the world via fear and freezing. Inevitably it gets out and once again something strange indeed is in the neighborhood and who you gonna call?

This entry has more laughs than Afterlife. The ghosts are creepier, though not nightmare inducing. McKenna Grace is basically the lead again, and she makes Phoebe a fun and compelling character. Dan Aykroyd is probably the heart of the film. You can tell he relishes playing Ray Stanz, even if he isn’t the one in the writer’s chair. Like Stallone in the Creed movies, he is eager to foster and guide the next generation. Other alumni show up as well, like in Afterlife. Ernie Hudson is getting more to do here, which is nice to see. Kumail Nanjiani is quite funny as the orb owner who gets swept up in it all. Paul Rudd does what is expected of him.

Pun intended, but some will find the pacing to be glacial. Though understandable, it is also fun to “hang out” with these characters. Both the old and the new. There are probably too many characters though and it doesn’t quite gel to a real ensemble. Finn Wolfhard and Carrie Coon feel like they are missing from the action often. Pacing tastes aside, the only real issues Froze Empire stem from trying too hard to be the 1984 film. The nostalgia feels a little less weaponized than the last entry, but still overdone. If Afterlife was a 9 on the overly nostalgic scale, Frozen Empire is 7.5. The mini-pufts did not need to return. Nor did the library ghost. The score also could stop being recycled so much.

Frozen Empire is an enjoyable entry for the lamentably contentious franchise. There are laughs and ghosts are busted. And that is probably enough.

Grade: C+/B-

It is difficult for me to be objective when it comes to Ghostbusters. The original 1984 film is my favorite movie. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen it. I had the toys, I watched the cartoon religiously, I have been to Hook & Ladder 8 more than once, and I once saw a print of the original in the cinema twice in one day. I smuggled in twinkies for the second show. In many ways Ghostbusters is my Star Wars.

The ensuing years since Ghostbusters II were not the best for fans. There was a cartoon revival in the 90s, but that was about it. Merchandise would wax and wane. In 2016, the remake happened. I had fun, ghosts were busted, and it was funny enough for me. Though I was a little let down with the movie, I had already ascribed myself to that expectation when Harold Ramis died. Like Ghostbusters II taught us, it was never going to have the magic, so the new cast seemed a fair idea. However, a vocal collection of fans were very unhappy. To say the least. That vocal contengency, though not all fans, hurt the franchise for me. So when the news of Afterlife came about and it was going to be a GB II sequel, I was skeptical. It felt like those fans were being kowtowed to and that bothered me. Nonetheless, I was going to see the next film.

When I walked out of Afterlife I had a bad taste in my mouth. The use of recycled concepts, tropes, and jokes had the film rightfully and derisively compared to The Force Awakens. The villain was Gozer again, and a similar plot happens, just this time in Oklahoma. What upset me the most was the copy/pasting of the score from ’84 film. And perhaps the most disappointing was that Afterlife wasn’t that particularly funny. Not that they didn’t have funny moments, it was just few comparably from previous GB movies, including the remake. At risk of spoilers, I’ll simply say the ending felt exploitative. I know they did the work to make it feel less so, but I found myself thinking of the adage: “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” I did like the new characters though, so much so that bringing in the old Ghostbusters felt more obligatory than necessary. Annie Potts as Janine probably could have been enough. So when I heard that we were going to have a new one, and this time it would be in New York, I was cautiously pessimistic. Pretty sure I was going to be more annoyed than entertained, but I am a die hard fan.

That mindset is probably the saving grace for this entry. Looking at other critiques, that are not wrong, I find myself not as bothered by them. I went in just wanting a funny flick where ghosts are busted, and I got that. It isn’t amazing, but I didn’t expect it. Unlike Afterlife, I find myself wanting to watch it again soon. The highest compliment I can give Frozen Empire, and this really is high praise, is that it made me a little more okay with being a Ghostbusters fan again.

~Andrew

2024 Oscar Nominated Shorts

The short films nominated each year are typically a great way to learn about up-and-coming filmmakers. Additionally, established artists can experiment and expand their craft. The short form nominees can be an interesting glimpse into film innovation. Here is a rundown of this year’s nominated shorts.

Animated Shorts

Our Uniform

Our Uniform

From Iran, a woman reminisces about her school uniform and other gender related issues in Tehran. It is mostly presented as drawings on clothing. Innovative, informative, and quite real. Of the animated nominees, this is probably the best and most deserving to win. Grade: A-

Letter to a Pig

From France and Israel, a holocaust survivor tells a classroom of children about a time a pig saved his life while fleeing Nazis. One of the children has a particularly artful dream about the story and humanity in general. The art is a mixture of realistic and abstract. Fascinating, but might be a little muddled in the dream sequence. Grade: B+

Pachyderm

From France, a woman recalls a summer visit to her grandparents. It is darker than it sounds, but at the same time not unexpected. The animation is fairly traditional. Grade: C

Ninety-Five Senses

The filmmakers behind Napoleon Dynamite present the story of a man recollecting upon the end of his life through his senses: touch, taste, etc. Tim Blake Nelson narrates as the man and different animators tackle each sense. This is one of the stronger nominees, though it plays a little folksy. Grade: B

WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko

Two men in opposing sides of a war are playing a game of chess via carrier pigeon. The style is typical 3D CG animation, not unlike Illumination or Pixar, but lacks flair. The story is nice, but the inclusion of the titular song really sinks the short. Grade: C-

Live Action

The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar

The After

After his wife and daughter are murdered, a London corporate worker (David Oyelowo) becomes a ride-share driver to support himself while he mourns. On his daughter’s birthday, he picks up a family whose daughter reminds him of his own. Oyelowo acts extremely well, but ultimately it feels like the first part of a longer film. This is something that seems to happen more often with live action shorts. We are given a snippet and not a fully formed story. Currently on Netflix. Grade: C+

Red, White, And Blue

Faced with an unwanted pregnancy, a single mother (Brittany Snow) must drive nearly 8 hours from Arkansas to Illinois to get an abortion. There’s more to it than that, but it would be difficult to explain without spoilers. Shares a lot in common with Never Rarely Sometimes Always. A line of dialogue near the end falls real flat, and some will find it ham-fisted, but like Never Rarely Sometimes Always this short should be required viewing for all men. Grade: B

Knight of Fortune

From Denmark, a man is having a difficult time viewing his recently deceased wife at the chapel. He meets a man who seems to be having the same issue himself. It’s actually quite funny despite the mournful premise. The short shows an aspect of grief that rarely gets screentime: the weird things we do when we grieve. Grade: B+

You can even watch it here:

Invincible

From Quebec, the film shows 48 hours of the life of Marc, a teenager in a detention center. Marc is a bright boy focused on his freedom. An interesting character study that functions great as a short, but could easily expand without becoming too extraneous. Grade: B+

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Probably the most entertaining of the nominees, Wes Anderson adapts Roald Dahl again with a star-studded cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes. This is one of four Dahl shorts Anderson released last year for Netflix. It has that layered narrative that Anderson often utilizes. Anderson fans will find much to love. It is a fun short, but at 37 minutes it may overstay its welcome a little. Grade: B

It is difficult to say which live action short seems the most deserving to win. Each of the nominees brings something to the table that is fascinating and/or thought provoking. With the exception of The After, any of the them could win and it would not be a surprise.

~Andrew

The Boys in the Boat

2023 ‧ Sports Drama ‧ 124m

George Clooney goes back behind the camera to give us a crowd-pleaser. Based on the non-fiction book of the same name, The Boys in the Boat tells the story of a University of Washington junior varsity crew team beating the odds and competing in the 1936 Olympics.

Joel Edgerton gets top billing as the crew coach, but Clooney focuses on Joe Rantz. He is our audience surrogate and the de-facto protagonist in this largely ensemble film. Rantz, played by Callum Turner, is an engineering student who needs a job and finds out that the crew team pays. We see how grueling the tryouts are and Clooney does a good job conveying the physical burden rowing involves. The film’s three acts are structured around important competitions for the team. Folded into the plot is Rantz’s romance with a girl from back home also at UW, which any Seattle local will tell you is pronounced “U-Dub.” Though probably true to life, the relationship seems perfunctory and does not add much.

We’ve seen stories like this before, and the audience knows basically everything that is going to happen from frame one. A ragtag group of scrappy novices overcome the odds. There is no deviation from that formula. Considering Clooney’s previous directorial choices, The Boys in the Boat seems an odd decision. The story does not have the edge of his previous films. When the crew make it to the Olympics in Berlin, there is a moment with Jesse Owens, which feels obligatory. Perhaps Clooney is saying something there, but the film focuses so much on the idyllic past that any message would be muddled at best.

Clooney does succeed in technical merit. The rowing scenes are shot with a good visual flair and the editing is tight and exciting. It excels in the not easy task of getting the average person to care about crew. Though a sports drama, and it has many of the associated tropes thereof, it feels more in tune with 1990s crowd-pleasers like October Sky and Mr. Holland’s Opus. The performances are good, if not exactly award worthy. Turner and Edgerton are engaging leads, but the standout performance comes from Jack Mulhern. Who probably has less than a hundred words of dialogue, but does a lot with what little he has.

The Boys in the Boat is in many ways a standard issue triumph over adversity film. Nothing particularly bad about it, but nothing remarkable either. It’s a nice time at the movies. There are worse ways to spend your time.

Grade: C+

~Andrew

Dream Scenario

2023 ‧ Black Comedy/Fantasy ‧ 100m

Occasionally the genesis of a film can be boiled down to a simple question. Daniel Kwan asked, “What if my mom was in the Matrix?” and that question produced Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. With his third feature, Dream Scenario, Kristoffer Borgli asks: “What if Freddy Krueger was sad?” Joking aside, the Springwood Slasher is name checked a couple of times so the filmmakers encourage the comparison.

Paul Matthews, Nic Cage, is a tenured evolutionary biology professor at a New England university. He has a wife and two daughters and is very non-descript. A generic middle-aged white man. One evening, an old girlfriend runs into him and says she had been lately dreaming of him a lot. She writes a blog post about the dreams and soon many others say they too have been dreaming of Paul. This causes him to go viral. At first, Paul is merely a bystanderin the dreams. Something outlandish will be happening, such as an earthquake or a bed surrounded by alligators, and Paul simply walks in. Paul has to contend with his newfound fame, which then takes a turn as everyone’s dreams with him turn into nightmares.

Fans of Cage’s acting will be treated to a performance of range. Reality Paul and Dream Paul are very different personas and Cage really revels in the roles. It’s essential Cage. Paul’s family has to deal with much of the negative side effects of his fame and their performances add a realness to a ridiculous situation. Michael Cera and Tim Meadows have memorable, if more understated, roles as well. Julianne Nicholson, playing Paul’s wife Janet, gives the best performance of the supporting characters. She brings a grounded sense to the story. The dream sequences are a great feature. Borgli often chooses darker subject manner for them, but there is still a flavor of whimsy in most of them. That whimsy might be what keeps the film from being a little too dire. The film never forgets the absurdity of the situation and has several laugh out loud moments.

Despite the obvious Elm Street connection and a number of disturbing sequences, Dream Scenario is not a horror film. But perhaps keeping it lean and mean, like an 80s slasher, may have served the story better. The concept might not have enough steam for 100 minutes. This is more of a scripting issue than an editing one. Had Borgli written it with perhaps an 85-minute target, he likely would have had a stronger and more impactful film. There are also some eye-rolling moments about Gen Z sensitivities and cancel culture that sours enjoyment, but it does fit the characters.

Dream Scenario may not totally live up to its core concept, but it is an entertaining and fascinating watch.

Grade: B-

~Andrew

Killers of the Flower Moon

2023 ‧ Western/Crime/Drama ‧ 206m

Based off the popular history book, Martin Scorsese dramatizes a particularly nasty part of American history. Marty’s two favorite leading men, Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio, are together for the first time in 30 years in the film. Lily Gladstone, however, is the film’s real star.

This review contains some minor spoilers.

 In the late 1800s oil is found on Osage land in Oklahoma and into the 1920s the Osage become incredibly wealthy. Of course, people on the outside want to get their hands on the wealth, and that is where it becomes a “Martin Scorsese movie.” At the heart of it, Killers of the Flower Moon is an organized crime flick. The mob is not involved, but there is a crime family. William Hale, played by Robert DeNiro, orchestrates a long con plan for his family to get more and more Osage land through marriage. His nephew Ernest, Leonardo DiCaprio, gets roped into it when he comes home from the Great War. Eventually, Ernest gets married to Mollie Kyle, an Osage member with an ailing mother and much land to inherit.

Over time, more and more Osage die. Some from suspicious reasons, others from health issues. Mollie narrates how many in the tribe perish. But even disease and sickness could be foul play in this situation. Many of Mollie’s epitahs end with her saying, “No investigation.” After several of her family and tribe die, Mollie heads to Washington DC and directly asks the president to help investigate the deaths of the Osage. In the last third of the film Tom White, played by Jesse Plemons, is sent from the newly formed Bureau of Investigation and the screws tighten on Ernest and his uncle. Scorsese takes an epic scope, looking at the lives of the people and peoples involved.

Summarizing the action of the plot however minimizes the real emotion of the film. Reportedly, Scorsese and screenwriter Eric Roth originally focused on Tom White in early drafts of the script. Scorsese realized the importance of Mollie and the Osage people and then rewrote the script with that in mind. That is the right choice. Without it, Killers of the Flower Moon is just another crime drama, albeit a well made one. The relationship between Mollie and Ernest is examined in depth, reminding the audience that these were real people in a real time. Many forget that about history. By shaping the story more around the community as well as the crimes might add to the runtime, but with it Scorsese creates something more visceral, emotional, and though provoking. Lily Galdstone is the heart of the film because of it, and her realness and soul contrasts so well with the banal yet profound evil Robert DeNiro shows in Hale. DiCaprio is stuck in the middle, and does a great job of showing a man tore between Mollie and his own sense of white supremacy. Though to be honest, it isn’t much of a fight for him. But the self-delusion Ernest has is masterfully portrayed by DiCaprio.

Admittedly it would be better if this story was told by a person of Osage heritage, instead of an 80-year-old white man. A filmmaker with a lived experience closer to the people portrayed would have likely added deeper truth, but it is still a good thing that this story is out.

Grade: A-

~Andrew

Cassandro

Another Sundance ’23 title makes it out to the masses, this time via Prime. The first narrative film by celebrated documentarian Roger Ross Williams, Cassandro tells the story of Saúl Armendáriz. A budding luchador, Saúl takes on the titular persona as an exótico. Not just a regular exótico, but one that wins.

In the late 1980s Saúl (Gael Garcia Bernal) lives in El Paso with his mother, regularly crossing the boarder to wrestle. As El Topo, he isn’t finding success. He meets a trainer named Sabrina and she suggests becoming an exótico. Luche libre, like professional wrestling in the US, has its characters and drama. Exóticos are not exactly either heels (villains) or faces (good guys), but a campy characters to liven up the entertainment. They are men in drag performing as gay caricatures. Usually portrayed by straight men, Saúl is an actually gay man, in a secret relationship with a married man who is also a luchador. As Cassandro, Saúl rises in popularity and secures a bout with the Son of Santo in Mexico City. The expected biopic beats occur along the way.

Williams’ direction really excels with the character scenes. The wrestling sequences, though exciting, seem to lack flair. Thankfully, this is more a character study than a sports action film. Cassandro is more Rocky than say Rocky IV. More Rocky than the The Wrestler for that matter with maybe some Raging Bull added in. This is more focused on the life of Saúl, and also Cassandro. As with many biopics, many liberties seem to have been taken, if only to steamline the drama. The film has little fat to it, but the pacing stumbles in the latter part of the film. Some of the family aspects of the drama, particularly Saúl’s relationship with his father, fall flat. Bernal’s performance really makes the film however and Williams’ singular focus showcases this best. It might be his best performance and the best reason to watch the film.

One wonders how this could have done in cinemas instead of straight to streaming. Stories like this deserve a wider promotion, but any distribution is better than no distribution.

Grade: B-

The Adults

2023 ‧ Comedy/Drama ‧ 91m

The relationship of adult siblings is a subject that can become overwrought. Oftentimes, a pair of brothers or sisters go on some kind of adventure that strengthens their bond, or perhaps the family members go through a collective trauma that deeply affects sibling ties. Rarely do we see siblings just being siblings. Dustin Guy Defa’s third feature gives us just that.

The collective trauma has already happened when older brother Eric (Michael Cera) comes to have a fleeting visit with his sisters, Rachel and Maggie (Hannah Gross and Sophia Lillis respectively). Their mother died some years ago and their father isn’t mentioned. Rachel lives and maintains the family home while working at a radio station and Maggie has recently dropped out of college, but is living on her own. The are clearly adults as the title suggests, at least by most measures. Eric travels a lot for work, though it is never really explained how he makes money. He seems to be quite good at poker and calls around to see if he can get a game going with his old friends in town. It's possible that is the real reason he is visiting, and feels obligated to see his sisters through familial guilt. Eric extends and extends his trip in order for him to play more games. This poker angle becomes a bit of a b-plot that doesn’t quite get to the depth one would expect.

The main focus of the film is the siblings just being siblings. The weird behaviors they will have when no one is around and how adults can revert to childhood roles even in the absence of parents. We are treated to several scenes of Eric, Rachel, and Maggie play-acting characters and singing the silly songs they created while growing up. It is an unusual choice for Defa to make. Eric clearly feels alienated by his family, and these moments of whimsy are a respite. Though it is interesting to compare Cera’s poker player scenes to the ones in Molly’s Game, where he plays a much more scummy card shark, these scenes don’t have the same magic as the sibling ones. Save for a pretty funny scene where The Lion King is wryly retold. The film does not offer exactly much in the realm of plot, but there does seem to be an emotional depth that will resonate with those with siblings.

It is entirely possible this will be some of the strangest behavior audiences will see this year. But there is something endearing and real in this quiet little comedy-drama.

Grade: B-

~Andrew

Talk to Me

2022 ‧ Horror ‧ 95m

It is probably a tale as old as time: teenagers doing stupid stuff. Always a good premise for a horror film. A relatable element in the otherwise unreal situation. Danny and Michael Phillipou’s debut plays with this trope to modest success.

The teens’ aforementioned “stupid stuff” here involves holding an embalmed hand and saying the titular phrase. The holder then sees a deceased person only they can see. The next step is to say “I let you in” and the deceased possesses the holder until the bond with the hand is broken. Don’t go more than 90 seconds, bad things happen if you do that. Naturally, teens film themselves doing this at parties and of course someone breaks the 90 second rule. The concept has a creepypasta/”Bloody Mary” vibe that serves the story well. Talk to Me has a bit more depth than the average internet post.

Sophie Wilde plays Mia, who lost her mother to suicide 2 years prior. She has made a second family with Jade and her brother Riley. They go to a party one night and Mia has a round with the hand, but she stays with it a little longer than 90 seconds. She soon finds herself seeing things and compelled to do the ritual again. This feels reminiscent of Flatliners, but it works for this story as well. During another party with the hand one of her friends has a pretty traumatic experience and then the horror starts in earnest.

The filmmakers seem to be exploring how one copes with grief. There are several references to Mia’s past drug use, and her denying that she is currently using. It might not be the most subtle connection, but the Phillipou’s do a fair job of not making it heavy-handed. Grief has been something horror films have been tackling a lot in the last decade. Talk to Me is not quite up to The Babadook or Ari Aster’s films, but it is on par with perhaps We Are Still Here. It does offer a pretty fascinating form of existential dread, there is a quick vision of the ethereal plane that rivals Event Horizon’s, but it might be more philosophical than overt. More likely to give you chills thinking about the implications later than while watching. This speaks to the film’s staying power.

It is always nice to see R-rated, non-franchise horror. Not that this couldn’t be the beginning of a franchise, but there isn’t much else to really explore after this outing that would not quickly become trite. Heaven help us if some exec wants to explore the origin of the embalmed hand.

 It doesn’t break new ground really, but that doesn’t mean Talk to Me isn’t effective. It is a good, somewhat scary, time at the movies.

Grade: C+/B-

~Andrew

Lynch/Oz

2022 ‧ Documentary ‧ 108m

Alexandre O. Philippe has made a name for himself in film documentaries. 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene, about the famous scene in Psycho, is probably his most well known. His work isn’t just about film itself, but also its cultural and personal impact. Lynch/Oz examines the influence of Victor Fleming’s 1939 masterwork The Wizard of Oz on the films of cult director David Lynch, and to us all.

The documentary is presented in six sections, each narrated by people in the film industry. Film critic Amy Nicholson opens the discussion, and directors take up the other five sections. Nicholson puts forth that there are two archetypal American films that have the most profound influence: The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life. Two films with similar story beats that flopped initially, but found new life on television. Oz, according to Nicholson, might be America’s quintessential fairy tale and an illuminating conduit into understanding the work of David Lynch. There are a lot of red shoes and curtains in his films after all.

The additional segments dive deeper and deeper into this idea. Room 237 director Rodney Ascher speaks of the Kansas dynamic in Lynch’s Lumberton. John Waters speaks at length of his kinship with the director as a fellow cult movie weirdo, but also about how Oz is so inspiring. Karyn Kusama, director of cult favorite Jennifer’s Body, offers a deep analysis of Oz and Mulholland Dr. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, known as Moorhead and Benson (Spring, The Endless), bring up how the Campbell myth in Oz might be the most influential use of said myth as well delving into concept of “Judy” in Twin Peaks. The film ends rather interestingly with David Lowery talking about children growing up into adults and how we understand the world. Lowery and Lynch have a Disney connection that colors his segment.

The fact that Janus films distributed this all but confirms Phillipe’s doc is destined to be a special feature on future 4K release from the Criterion Collection. Lynch/Oz is less a typical documentary and more a collection of visual essays. This is probably the film’s biggest flaw. We never see the contributors, we just hear their voices over various film clips. Though expertly done, it at times feels like one is watching a series of Youtube videos. One could watch each section separately, but to Phillippe’s credit they do seem to build upon one another or at least create a thematic throughline. Redundancy is avoided. The filmmakers resist the temptation to speak at length of all the Oz references in Wild at Heart, but somehow no one mentions that the band who scored Dune is named Toto.

Yes, Lynch/Oz is very much a movie for film nerds to really nerd out on. Some will find that boring or insufferable, and that is understandable. However, Phillipee brings to the discussion an interesting look at how art works and how it influences not just one person but also how it gets into cultural zeitgeist. It is unlikely someone without much interest in film studies would want to give Lynch/Oz a watch, but even those with a passing interest will find something in Phillipee’s documentary. It posits questions and answers, but still leaves that lovely romantic and dark mystery of Lynch’s work. Although Oz might offer a way to understand Lynch’s work, it does not explain it.

Lynch/Oz is a fascinating look at how a seminal work can affect not just one filmmaker but all of us. It is hard to recommend to the uninitiated, one will want a good understanding of Lynch’s work to fully appreciate the film.

Grade: B-

~Andrew