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samuel-bell94
Reviews
Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
An Excellent View, At An Excellent Man
When people think of the great men of the 21st century there is a list of names that everyone comes to, such as Barack Obama, Stephen Hawking and Steve Jobs. Businessmen, politicians and public figures alike. One name often missed, wrongfully so, is Fred Rogers. Won't you be my neighbour? Aims to correct this mistake by showcasing the man and legend in all his glory. At just over 90 minutes, the movie has its work cut out for it trying to explain the entire life of such an influential man, especially to audiences outside of America who likely haven't seen his work or heard of him before. While it may not be comprehensive in its coverage, or particularly nuanced in its story telling, won't you be my neighbour? Is an honest primer to a man who dedicated his life to kindness and love.
For those who have yet to encounter anything the man ever made, Fred Rogers was a TV frontrunner. The face and mind behind the juggernaut, 31 season, 912 episode long children's educational program that was Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood. From 1968 to 2001, the ordained priest and uncanonised saint spoke directly to the children of the world, teaching them about love and empathy as only he could. Never afraid to cover the harder topics, Fred Rogers often devoted entire episodes, if not series of episodes covering the subjects often avoided by most children's entertainment. Nothing was taboo, death, divorce, loss and pain, all the things that children will eventually deal with. The documentary shows how he took each issue, reframed them into a child's perspective and then patiently walked his audience through each of them.
A skilled producer, musician, puppeteer and priest, Fred rogers devoted his life to improving the lives of children around the world. His core message, repeated in every episode is as simple as it is poignant, you deserve to be loved. It was this message of unconditional love and acceptance that defined his life and in turn this film. Won't you be my neighbour avoids the trap of most bio pics of exaggerating their subject to make them either a perfect being or a demon incarnate. It also side steps the common failings of many documentaries, blowing events out of proportion and attempting to find people with as drastically opposed views on the issue as possible. Instead it succeeds in stunning fashion, portraying the life of man, as it happened, without fear nor favour. Fed Rogers was not a perfect man and the film does not pretend he was, there was controversy around him and his crew, he had his own insecurities and doubts that plagued him. Those reminders of humanity are what make both man and film so great though.
In much the same style as the titular entertainer, won't you be my neighbour? Throws itself into its circumstances. It's a low budget, low production value work of art. It doesn't rely on celebrities or star power, there are no scenes of people sobbing over his death or giving standing ovations during his life, though both happened on mass. It seeks to tell the truth of the man and lets you decide what you think about him all by yourself. It doesn't need to trick you into caring, because the fact of the matter is that if by some unholy miracle you leave this movie unmoved by the pure love Fred Rogers had for the world, it doesn't matter, he would have loved you anyway. All this movie really seeks to do is ask its audience a simple question, you don't even really need to watch the movie to hear it (though I highly recommend you do), all you need is the title. As a record of the life and death of one the kindest men to ever live, all this film wants to know is, Won't you be my neighbour?
Winchester (2018)
A Beautiful Train Wreck
There have been many brilliant horror movies in recent years, from IT to Get out and even Lights out made an acceptable showing; the Spierig brothers new film Winchester, will not be counted among them. A dry and dull affair, with all the tension of a wet noodle and the emotional impact of kindergarten musical. Relying entirely on outdated and overused film technics, hoping to catch viewers off guard as they slip in out of consciousness trying make it through its bloated and utterly predictable script. Winchester is a paint by numbers film emphasises all the wrong aspects and contains such little respect for its viewers it seems to actively go out of its way to insult them every step of the way.
The film claims to be "Based on true events" in much the same way that the vomit I had to swallow watching this film was based on the meal I once ate. It tells the story of a rich widower and heir to the Winchester gun company as she attempts to battle the spirits of all those killed by her company's guns through the use of nonsensical architecture and a belief in the divinity of the number 13. Told through the eyes of a painfully foreshadowed phycologist as he attempts to diagnose the aging widow and keep his mind intact through this unrelenting beat down of a film.
The films main stars Helen Mirren and Jason Clarke are both so obviously waiting for their pay check it's astounding that they weren't caught on camera checking their bank accounts. Both actors have proven themselves to be talented and capable of greatness, which just makes watching them phone it in with such apathetic performances you almost feel bad for them having to waste their time so very uncomfortable. The supporting cast range from forgettably mediocre to downright cringeworthy. Mirren and Clarke combined may be enough to carry this film, but it's a heavy burden and without motivation, they don't carry it far.
They aren't helped by the simplistic script and cookie cutter plot of course. With characters being forced to repeat and explain every single detail of the plot to such a minute scale that even the most unobservant viewers feel bludgeoned by the film and it's clearly non existent expectations of its audience. Not that the plot is complicated, philosophical or otherwise difficult to completely understand. The film seems to have a secret agenda, aiming to hit as many horror clichés as possible without being noticed and fails terribly.
It comes down to writer laziness more than anything, and no where is this more apparent than in its supposed "horror" elements. Relying exclusively on jump scares the film is about as nail biting as a double amputee. For all the dark pallet choices, dramatic camera angles and laughable attempts at foreshadowing, the film contains absolutely no tension whatsoever. The film is so predictable that a mere five minutes in, the audience had already begun audibly counting down the seconds until the next jump scare arrived. It's attempts at phycological drama are half assed and lead nowhere, much like the dramatic family angle that was almost built into a solid arc only to completely neglect the payoff at the finale. It's attempts at romance were so unreservedly noxious that it raises the question of whether the directors understand basic human emotions.
A question made further prominent when you consider that aside from writing and directing this abomination they were also responsible for the music. A monotonous, mind-numbingly soporific murmur that pervades the film. While not as terrible as the other aspects of the movie, the constant hum of tortured violins and protracted pianos wears thin very early on and works to further distance the audience from the atmosphere that the film makers seem so desperate to create.
If the film does have a saving grace however it is Ben Nott and his cinematography work. While this film may be doomed to the dumpster fires of history, it will be in no way because of how it looked. The lighting is appropriate to the scenes, the colour pallets are fitting and effective, and camera does the very best it can to portray the emotions and drama that the rest of the film lacks the power to present. Winchester is doomed to become a black spot on the resumes of nearly everyone responsible for this films creation, however anyone who has the misfortune to watch this feature will agree that Mr Nott deserves to hold his head high.
In summary, Winchester is a beautiful train wreck, a ten-a-penny mediocre mess of writing that somehow obtained enough of a budget to lure in a couple of decent actors and a good cinematographer. Is it scary? Most certainly not. Is it enjoyable? Only if you really like seeing handlebar moustaches. Is it worth paying the price of admission? If I still have to answer that question, then who knows, for you, maybe.
The School (2018)
Just Don't
There are many ways to judge a film. Too many criteria to list and far too many to take into account when deconstructing a movie. After all, A film with dreadful acting may possess the year's best soundtrack or cinematography. This is what makes critiquing art such a subjective and strenuous task most of the time. Then there are the rare cases, such as The school. The school is one of the easiest films to review in existence, as it is unredeemable, unequivocally and undeniably bad. On every level, with every metric commonly used, this film is a failure.
Starting with the most obvious metric used, the acting can be described as wooden at best and bordering on sociopathic more honestly. With the single exception of Will McDonald, the film's antagonist who appears to have realized that his co-stars are all overdosing on Botox and has decided to counterbalance them all singlehandedly. He gets credit for trying and for being the most entertaining character in the movie, but it's not nearly enough to save him, or anyone else. Granted, this film does use primarily child actors and as such, it would be wrong to expect the same level of emoting as their adult counterparts. That doesn't change the fact that I shouldn't have to piece together to dialogue and guess at what emotion the characters are meant to be feeling at any time, based on context.
Many a film has survived terrible acting and used cinematography or special effects to carry the film. The school does not do that. What it does do, is use an entire Bunnings worth of LED's in every single scene regardless of how dark the characters claim/pretend it is; as well as seemingly steal all the horror props from a local middle schools Halloween stage performance. If this film were released in black and white during the initial Universal monsters' craze, it would still have coped flack for its character design and set pieces. Though admittedly, the Windows movie maker effects would probably have received much higher praise.
Mockumentaries have shown us that ugly visuals and bad casting isn't enough to sink a film with a good enough plot or message. This is where the school truly showcases just how abysmal a film it is, however. With a plot so unnecessarily convoluted and a theme so needlessly overbearing that the film seems determined to ensure that even the dullest of viewers don't miss out of how smart it thinks it is. Made even worse by the litany of plot holes so grotesquely large and obvious you could use the script to sift boulders if you were so inclined.
Most badly made movies have a saving grace, one aspect of the film good enough to act as a silver lining to redeem the other parts. The school has no such lining, it isn't an interesting look at cinema failure, it isn't even so bad it's good. It is just bad. If you are truly bored out of your mind and there is literally nothing else to do but watch this movie, I recommend having a nap and waiting for things to get better. I wouldn't even recommend this film to my enemies as it would then let them know it exists and opens up the possibility of my having to watch this again someday. That is not a risk I am willing to take.
Tl;dr Do not watch this movie, under any circumstances, unless your life is somehow on the line.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Moments of glory, surrounded by eh.
Mortal Kombat has always been a franchise filled with mixed results. From it's debut in 1992 game arcades, to its eclectic sequels. The franchise has always been hit or miss. Of the two previous attempts of a cinematic adaption. 1995 left the fans slightly disappointed, but happy to be represented, while 1997 saw one of the worst films ever made inflicted upon fans of the series. 2021s Mortal Kombat is far closer to the former, than the latter. However, it seems to have forgotten what it is, and so it loses its way more often than not.
When it is on point, though, Australian director Simon McQuoid does the series proud. Bookending the movie with some of the best and most violent choreography to come out of Hollywood in years. The battle between Hiroyuki Sanada's Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion) and Joe Taslim's Bi-Han(Sub-zero) are incredible and showcase the two actors true skills as martial artists. This doesn't always work in the films favour however, as comparing any of the other actors, however talented they may be to the two juggernauts of hong kong cinema is bound to leave them feeling subpar.
The film does have an excellent cast, with Sanada and Taslim actually filling in relatively minor roles, as compared to the always exceptional Chin Han in his role as Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung, or Mehcad Brooks's Jax, alongside Jessica McNamee's Sonya Blade. But while the movie is based around the newly created character of Cole Young as played by Lewis Tan, the undisputed star of the second act is Josh Lawson's Kano. Tan is a decent actor and he does occasionally get a chance to show his shops, but for the most part, the movie doesn't give him much to work with. Allowing Lawsons utterly shameless comedy relief to shine through and steal every scene he is in.
Even when the actors are able to power through their clunky dialog though, they are always at the mercy of the cinematography. Which ranges from utterly stunning, to downright painful, without any trace of rhyme or reason behind the transition. The movie often uses an amazingly framed, perfectly lit wide shot, to showcase PlayStation 2 CGI and the dissonance between the two elements is enough to give the average viewer whiplash. Emotional scenes of character development, are suddenly interrupted by a CGI version of Goro that makes the 1995 animatronic look good by comparison.
This dichotomy between skill and garbage carries on in the movies numerous fan service scenes as well. Some of them are seamlessly integrated into the movie. With exact quotes woven into the script for game fans to appreciate and make YouTube videos about. Compared to others that have the actors, stop what they are doing and look directly into the camera, to say their game reference, stopping shy of winking, through an apparent sheer force of will. None of this is to say that the movie suffers from its reliance on references, rather the movie is at it's best when it forgets about the new narrative it is trying to tell and revels in its corny and ultraviolent roots.
Overall, this Mortal Kombat gives the fans about 30 minutes of pure unbridled joy and 80 minutes of forgettable nonsense. Leading a 110 minutes of easily roastable, largely enjoyable cheese that cries out for alcohol and crowds to appreciate it. For anyone who is a fan of the series or just of ultraviolent films and doesn't mind a bit of hammed up dialog, gather your friends, get on the beers and make sure the children have gone to bed. This movie is a good time, if you want one, even if it does take itself far too seriously at times.
Justice League (2017)
Coal In Need Of Polish
Let's begin by getting the obvious out of the way. Justice league in neither as good as Wonder Woman, nor as bad as BatmanVSuperman. What it is, is half a rushed movie, chopped up to look like a full film. Imagine watching lord of the rings, but only the scenes with Frodo and Sam. It would still be a OK movie, but it would never come close to what it could have been. In the same way, Justice League was not a bad film, it did however leave me wondering just what was left on the cutting room floor to fit the WarnerBrothers 120 minute limit.
The story flows cleanly, albeit in somewhat strange directions at times. The characters all get decent time to tell their stories; no mean feat considering the number of leads, most with no real histories. The visual are mixed, switching from beautiful scenes of pure Snyder vison, to scenes of unfinished CGI and sloppy backdrops. The music was something of a letdown, with a few notable exceptions, most of the scores and songs used were uninspiring and became background noise.
The real star of the show is the characters. Just as well in a movie, existing solely to bring unknown characters to the foreground. Gal Gadot's Wonder woman has more than proven herself to be a fan favourite character and the writers have allowed her to remain unchanged. Her strength and passion drawing the others in and acting a sentinel for the heroes. Ben Affleck's Batman has traded in his previous fury and grit, as seen in BvS and instead become the wise determined father of the group. His dry wit and charisma shining through, to make him into the backbone the JL needs. Ray Fisher's Cyborg fell somewhat under the radar, not because his character wasn't important, but more because it was important for his character. The hidden powerhouse of the group, noticeably sensitive and wounded, seeking refuge amongst peers. Jason Momoa's Aquaman was a standout, at times, funny, sensitive, aggressive and possessive. Momoas acting chops are undeniable at this point and his skills are on full display here. Ezra Miller's Flash surprised me, not only with how comic faithful it was, but also with just how damn funny he was. Absolutely the comic relief, the flash injects the levity the movie needs, when it needs it and keep it from descending into the morose as many DCEU films have done before.
Justice league is a character movie about heroes coming together and becoming a team, in that respect, the movie is an undeniable triumph. The actions scenes are haphazard at best while the tone, music and the pacing were noticeably underpar. For all its flaws though, justice league remains an enjoyable watch, with engaging characters in an enticing story, brilliantly acted and with an unmistakable superhero flare. I don't doubt that reviews for justice league will be brutal and unforgiving, pointing out the films problems and pretending its charm doesn't exist. Don't be fooled, this is a fantastic movie, hiding beneath the veneer of bureaucratic Hollywood politics. When the uncut version of this movie drops, it will likely get the respect it deserves. In the mean time, justice league remains, if not the movie the DCEU deserves, most certainly the one it needs right now.
Hearts Beat Loud (2018)
A Paint By Numbers Success
Stories of the rebellious child being torn between their adolescent fantasy and their parents desire for them to do the responsible thing have been done so many times, in so many ways that nearly all of us could write a barebones script for one without even trying. Replace the parent and child's desires and you have Hearts Beat Loud. While it is nice to see an inversion of the classic trope, it's a perfect reflection, going through the exact same movements and twists, in just as predictable a manner, albeit in an abnormal direction. Not to deny the classic tropes their power and place, they are classic for a reason after all. If you are looking for something new to make you think or give you something you've never seen before though, this is not the place to look.
The story follows an aging, hipster widower (Nick Offerman) and his teenage daughter (Kiersey Clemons) as she attempts to find her direction in life. Offerman's Frank is stuck in his glory days and dreams of being in a successful band and living the life of a musician. To ensure this, he forcibly enlists the aid of Clemons's Sam to form a band with him and abandon her foolish dreams of medicine and responsibility. After they record their first track, Frank uploads it to Spotify without telling her and wouldn't you know it, it's an instant hit. After Frank finally finishes freaking out over hearing his song on the radio he ups the pressure on Sam to use this chance to launch their careers and fulfil his dreams. Unfortunately, Sam, being the rebellious, highly attractive, hipster teenager with a great singing voice who also happens to be a lesbian is far too interested in studying medicine and becoming a doctor to risk it all for a musical career. From this point, everything that you think will happen, happens.
Hearts beat loud is at its core, a paint by numbers film that ticks all the boxes and hits all the milestones a coming of age family drama involving music and commitment should. It breaks zero new ground, but it doesn't make any new mistakes either. Director Brett Haley clearly had a formula he intended to work with and he didn't deviate from it. In the end though, Hearts Beat Loud is an enjoyable, if forgettable romp through the classic emotional rollercoaster we all know and love. If you want something to stay with you, look elsewhere, if you have a couple of hours free on a Saturday and want something light and warm to play while you cook dinner, Hearts Beat loud may just be what you are looking for.
Cats (2019)
An Insult to Fans
In 1939 T. S. Eliot wrote a collection of poetry called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Nearly 50 years later in 1981 Andrew Lloyd Webber managed to tie this whimsical anthology together with a thin and questionable plot combined with some of the best music and costumes Broadway had ever seen. Now 38 years later, that musical is getting a film adaption that tries even harder to force a plot into existence and look as pretty as possible; at the expense of all else. A goal, that if they had succeeded, may have even been enough to save the film. Reality is rarely so kind, however.
While no one can deny that director Tom Hooper was able to obtain some serious talent, pulling in Hollywood heavyweights like Judi Dench, Ian McKellen and Idris Elba, the script that Hooper and Lee Hall wrote for the film gives the actors so little to work with that even they end up looking like bad parodies of themselves. Combined with what was done to the iconic music of the play, shortened run times, absent pieces, invented inserts, and arbitrary cutaways, even the musical giants dragged into this mess, such as Jason Derulo, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden, and Rebel Wilson were made a mockery of. My own personal thoughts about Taylor swift aside, I can respect the song written for this production, (Beautiful ghosts) as an exceptional song, but its inclusion doesn't make up for what was removed.
All these factors together with the (rightfully) controversial aesthetic of the film. Mean that while this film clearly had a budget that could make any non-Disney producer nervous. It doesn't end up with anything that actually looks good. It's striking certainly, but in the way a defaced print of the Mona Lisa is striking. It draws your attention and makes you look closer in order to work out exactly what the situation is, but it doesn't make you happy to see it and it certainly doesn't inspire a second viewing.
To give credit where it is due thou, Cats does possess one saving grace that may yet secure its place in pop culture as something other than a burning train wreck. The dancing. As anyone who has seen In the Heights or Hamilton can tell you, Andy Blankenbuehler is one hell of a choreographer. With classically trained Ballet stars such as Francesca Hayward, Steven McRae, Robert Fairchild and Eric Underwood working alongside new-age dancers such as Les Twins and others. Blankenbuehler makes use of all their unique skills and puts them all on display one after the other. If nothing else, this film stands a wonderful showcase of dance styles and techniques.
Alas, Cats is not a dance theatre performance, it is a live-action adaption. Here we reach the sliding scale of success vs relevancy. As a performance showcase, it is quite good. As a musical film, it is alright. As a theatrical film debuting alongside Star Wars, it is bland and forgettable at best. As an adaption of Andrew Lloyd Webbers Broadway masterpiece, it is an insult and worthy of a public apology to all those unfortunate fans unlucky enough to have bought tickets.
La daronne (2020)
An Honest Look Into Lies
Whether you call it La daronne, Mamma Weed or The Godmother, Jean-Paul Salomé's screen adaption of Hannelore Cayre's award winning novel is a sight to behold. At times satirical, sometimes serious, a romp as ridiculous as it is romantic, La daronne has created a film about liars that is at all times honest. A true genre bending experience that defies tonal expectations and seems deeply intent on sending its message to all watchers, whether they want it or not. A message as heart-warming as it is controversial. We are all just people.
At its core, this film is a crime thriller, following the exploits of a police interpreter who comes from a family of drug runners, being given the opportunity and choosing to break bad. It runs through all the noir and dramatic tropes. A by the number's cops and robber's tale, with doomed romances and violent standoffs abound. What makes The Godmother unique is that while it uses every cliches in the book, it subverts every one of them. Showing a truly honest reflection of reality, viewers are treated to the rarely seen truth behind the criminal mythos. No one really knows what they are doing. The police aren't just relentless machines of justice, hunting down their hapless prey, they are regular old people, just doing a job and trying to help. Drug runners aren't violent perverts, they are often just kids trying to get by. Even those higher up on the chain don't sit around a warehouse smoking cigars and plotting evil. They take care of their families and hang out with their friends. They run a business the same way any regional manager does. Even our protagonist (Expertly played by Isabelle Huppert), for all that she runs circles around the police, keeps the gangs in line, and makes herself into a criminal boss to be feared, she is just a middle-aged mother, trying to keep my family together and deal with the same life struggles as everyone else.
Jean-Paul Salomé is unafraid to let each situation play out with brutal honesty. He lets interactions become awkward and strained. Romantic gestures go unnoticed and miscommunication runs rampart. There are no seamless handovers, each side walking away without counting the money. There is no honour among thieves and super geniuses don't hang around dark alleys selling weed. The crime is still crime, people get hurt and their actions are inexcusable, but that doesn't mean they aren't understandable. The Godmother walks the tightrope of showing each side of the law, warts and all, without glorifying or vilifying either. There are no heroes or villains in this story, just police and criminals, going about their lives, trying to get though the day.
There are many who take offense to the idea that the people in jail are just as human and relatable as them. Those people are unlikely to enjoy Rialto Distribution's latest offering. For everyone else, or even just those willing to go in with an open mind, The Godmother is a funny, sad, ridiculous look at realism, and well worth your time.