Cinema_Kane Reviews

Criminal (2016)

Another good movie critics got wrong!

[7/10 · 31 March 2023]

This film is a perfect example of why movie critics are completely irrelevant. Solid acting, well paced, an interesting story (while somwhat implausible) with relatable character dynamics, and of course Costner is great ... so why the Metacritic score of 36? WTF? It's at the point where I'll take the User opinions over the critics every damn time, because clearly there's some underlying bias that comes with being a professional critic of something as subjective as filmmaking. Is it Costner? Is that it? Because they roundly hated "3000 Miles To Graceland" too, another fun movie which may not be Oscar worthy, but nevertheless. And there are definitely some Costner duds out there (Waterworld, The Postman), but I can tell you this, I would watch "Criminal" 100 times before I'd ever force myself to watch "Nomadland" again!

Yellowstone (2018– )

Surprisingly Bad

[4/10 · 7 November 2021]

I was expecting this to be a lot better. This is essentially 'The Sopranos' in cowboy hats, but with mediocre dialogue, over the top acting (probably to make up for the dialogue), and psychopaths who are far less engaging and likeable than those homicidal New Jersey ne'er-do-wells. This slow-paced series feels like a soap opera at times, with every line of dialogue from Costner delivered as long, self-aggrandizing speeches (which typically you may encounter once in an entire movie) from an aging, murderous sociopath pontificating / moralizing about family values and his megalomaniacal entitlement to half the land in Montana, whilst branding his employees and wantonly killing people they don't like. You'd be hard pressed to find a single character in the whole show who's not completely reprehensible, or even remotely interesting. The genius of shows like 'Breaking Bad' and 'Ozark' is that while the characters are deeply flawed, morally conflicted and mired in criminal activity, you find yourself rooting for them because they come across as sympathetic underdogs, unlike this deplorable band of unsavory narcissists. I've always liked Costner, even when critics didn't (3000 Miles To Graceland, Three Days to Kill, Criminal) but it feels like he's mailing it in here, and no amount of postage is likely to redeem this hollow protagonist, and I'm flummoxed that Taylor Sheridan is a head writer on this (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River). Coupled with his last movie 'Those Who Wish Me Dead' starring Angelina Jolie, I get the disheartening sense his mojo streak as a writer is waning. The edge has dulled. All hat, no cattle? Anyway, here's hoping Yellowstone's 4th season is mercifully its last, in the interest of emancipating Costner, Sheridan, and a legion of concerned fans who would like to send this show to "the train station".

Beckett (2021)

Uuhhh ... okay, sure.

[7/10 · 2 October 2021]

NOTE TO DIRECTORS (and perhaps meddling producers): Anytime you insert a completely implausible action-sequence into an otherwise compelling story, you are potentially ruining what may be, to that point, a satisfactory movie. (Sigh) Anyway, it was refreshing to see a film that honestly depicts U. S. involvement in propogating right-wing political movements to service a neo-liberalist economic agenda. Yeah, we're lookin at you Obama. And the seemingly sloppy, amateurish pace actually provides a welcome air of unpredictability and realistic charm, something I'll gladly take over an absurdly slick and boringly pretentious Michael Bay film. I was pleasantly entertained throughout, despite the absence of a fully articulated story arc, and, well, there was that ridiculous parking garage scene.

Anna (II) (2019)

Been there, done that . .

[5/10 · 4 August 2021]

There's some solid acting here, but the story? Meh. This movie' derivative of "Nikita" and "Point Of No Return", far superior films also written by Luc Besson in the 90s with a story that felt original and complete, and not another in the ongoing series of imitative, John-Wicksploitation, segue-to-video-game vehicles. And this is definitely not a misogynist-driven criticism of a female in a previously male-dominated genre, because in my opinion the best spy-assassin action thriller of the last decade is "Atomic Blonde" with Charlize Theron. Rather, this is an indictment of lazy, unoriginal storytelling from someone who has clearly demonstrated a flair for intriguing action films in the past. Give me another "Lucy" any day over this uninspired retread.

Falling (I) (2020)

Uh, no ...

[4/10 · 2 July 2021]

This was a hard one. I'm a Viggo Mortensen fan (History Of Violence, Appaloosa, Captain Fantastic, Eastern Promises) but this just became painful after an hour. Found myself begging for someone to just smother the Lance Hendrickson character with a pillow, until finally it all just seemed pointless and I began to lose interest altogether. It's okay to have a despicable character, but eventually this became relentless to the point of needless aggravation, and me being thankful I wasn't watching it in a theatre. And I mean, the kid sleeping with a dead duck? C'mon . . .

A much better movie with a similar theme is "Affliction", with Nick Nolte, James Coburn and Sissy Spacek.

Promising Young Woman (2020)

Promising Future For Emerald Fennell

[10/10 · 26 April 2021]

Absolutely Brilliant! Important subject matter, gripping story, some of the best dialogue in ages, and a sublimely transformative performance by Carey Mulligan all make this the best movie of 2020. And the fact that this is the directorial debut for Emerald Fennell is kind of mind-blowing. The film is rife with finely tuned technical craft shaping the tone throughout, such as the specific utilization of music in key areas to build and punctuate the underlying narrative, or the Hitchcockian framing of certain scenes, like when Cassie is admonishing the Dean of the University in defense of her deceased friend (who she's memorializing in a sense), and the camera facing her is panned back to encompass two people in the shot, as though her friend is there beside her . . in spirit perhaps? Chilling. It's not often a movie comes along with an alchemy of cinematic riches as deep as this, but there's no mistaking when it does . .

Collision (2013)

Yet another gem that defies inexplicable reviews/ratings.

[7/10 · 23 April 2021]

There's ample mystery and intrigue here to stoke interest right to the end. Grillo's great again, accompanied by convincing performances all around, and lots of great twists and turns in a story that never feels telegraphed or sloppily contrived. Loved every minute of it!

Stephanie (I) (2017)

Definitely give this a watch!

[8/10 · 19 April 2021]

Creepy, scary, tension-filled and wonderfully acted, this taut thriller never allows you to relax due to its cryptic storyline, guiding you to a Black-Mirror-style conclusion that is dutifully climactic, although graphically and emotionally a little disturbing. But the acting is the real reward here. I'll watch just about anything Frank Grillo appears in (Wheelman, Donnybrook, The Grey), someone who's consistently proving to be one of the best actors in movies today, but also reserve high praise for child actor Shree Crooks who's an absolute natural, and Anna Torv who was utterly convincing in her restrained yet deftly emotive performance as the tormented mother. The mediocre ratings for this movie are, I assume, due to those who find the story wildly implausible or in sufficiently explained, but I submit to you that somewhere on the cinematic spectrum between Jean-Luc Godard and Zack Snyder there is ample justification for a suspense-creep, supernatural thriller like Stephanie, which for me was without doubt an hour-and-a-half well spent!

Calm with Horses (2019)

Brilliant!

[9/10 · 29 March 2021]

Barry Keoghan is always intriguing, but this time it's relative unknown Cosmo Jarvis who brings a riveting humanity to the central role, beautifully complimented by the honest and immersive chemistry he has with Niamh Algar. This is one of those welcome reminders of the visceral impact a well-crafted story can have, one that conveys a meaningful passage of heartbreak, loss and redemption so convincingly... Bravo!

The Morning Show (I) (2019– )

Largely uninteresting

[3/10 · 18 March 2021]

More uninspired storylines about shallow, narcissistic americans and their exasperatingly self indulgent celebrity culture. Aniston and Carell need to be funny, their characters are just loathsome, but there are some memorably evocative and engaging performances by Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Hannah Schoenfeld) and Bel Powley (Claire Conway). Hollywood's efforts these days are largely generic and tiresome. For a truly good episodic show check out the UK thriller "The One".