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Manhunt: The Final Act (2024) Season 1, Episode 7

The Final Act

[10/10 · 20 May 2024]

The Manhunt series finale, "The Final Act," follows the trial of conspirators led by John Wilkes Booth. The series finale, set in the courtroom, is a departure from the political thriller genre, focusing on a courtroom drama. The episode "Useless" struggles to transition from the pursuit of Booth to the conspirators' trial, but it sets up the "Final Act" well. The trial's drama is the strongest part of the episode, making it suspenseful and tense for viewers who already know the outcome. The episode also effectively brings viewers into the process of building and executing the case against the conspirators, weaving evidence from the season. As a courtroom drama, the finale hits all its marks, narratively and emotionally. However, the rest of the episode lacks the necessary bite to be a powerful call to action. The final scene of the series is Edwin Stanton's death, which is a galvanizing moment for viewers, inspiring them to take up the mantle of people like Edwin Stanton and Mary Simms and fight for a more perfect Union. The episode's final scene, with Stanton dying before he starts his new role, serves as a powerful call to action for the audience. The series effectively portrays the consequences of Johnson's refusal to see reconstruction through, focusing on the Union's victories and portraying the Union with virtuous brush. However, the series fails to show the consequences of Johnson's actions and the unfinished work he left behind. The emotional impact of the series is underwhelming, with an underwhelming ending that undercuts the rest of the episode. The "Final Act" had a chance to tie everything together and make a powerful statement, but it falls short due to not telling the full story, resulting in a disappointing finale.

Manhunt: Useless (2024) Season 1, Episode 6

Booth is not the end of the story

[9/10 · 20 May 2024]

John Wilkes Booth's end is not the end of the story in Manhunt Season 1 Episode 6, "Useless." This is the penultimate episode of the series, and it is surprising to see Booth meet his end halfway through it. Booth has been the main antagonist, and the show's dynamic would be different without him. However, it is likely the right decision, as the series ends with troops closing in on Booth in "A Man of Destiny." The decision to capitalize on the momentum of "A Man of Denstiny's" ending allows the show to shift focus from Booth to the trial of his conspirators during the second half of the episode. "Useless" is a political thriller that consists of two episodes. The first half is a compelling lead-up to Booth's death, which is part of the political thriller that began with Manhunt Season 1 Episode 4, "The Secret Line," and "A Man of Destiny." However, the second half is less effective due to Stanton's incapacitated state during the showdown with Booth, and the lack of viewer investment in the larger conspiracy. The second half serves more as a narrative transition to set up the finale rather than exciting storytelling. The second half of "Useless" has several good scenes, but it isn't as tight as the first half and the stakes don't feel as high emotionally. Stanton's conversations with Mary and David are the two stand-out scenes from the second half. The conversation with Mary is overly sentimental, but the performances of Simone and Menzies make it hard not to be moved. David's inability to let go of his idealization of Booth is sad and pathetic, and he is the only conspiracy member who evokes genuine sympathy. While David was sympathetic to the South before meeting Booth, he is clearly in over his head and was manipulated into believing he was part of something bigger than himself. Overall, "Useless" serves as a narrative transition to set up the finale rather than an exciting storytelling episode.

Manhunt: A Man of Destiny (2024) Season 1, Episode 5

The Destiny of a Man.

[9/10 · 20 May 2024]

In Manhunt Episode 5, Stanton discovers the spy lines used by the Confederacy and leads his team to intercept Confederate soldier Booth. They encounter a band of surrendered soldiers who are on their way to pledge allegiance to the Union. Stanton learns about Johnson's intention to take back the land grants under Lincoln's reconstruction plan. Johnson insists that Black people cannot own land, and Mary Simm and her brother are forced to work at Samuel Mudd's ranch. Mudd brutally whips her in return. Stanton finds Mudd's house on a spy line used by the Confederacy, making the union suspicious of his role in the conspiracy. Mudd claims he took an oath to care for the sick, but Stanton doesn't believe him. Mary reveals that Mudd knew who he was and had been a collaborator with the Confederates. Stanton and his men arrest Mudd and offer shelter to Mary and Miles at a camp in Arlington. Booth and Herold find an opening to cross the river into Virginia, but they end up circling back to Maryland due to cloud cover. They change into Confederate uniforms and sail back into the river. They reach Virginia and take shelter in an empty cottage. They are intercepted by a Black man and his son, who force the father to escort them to a group of surrendered Confederate soldiers. Booth reveals the shocking truth to the soldiers, shamed for killing the defenseless president. Booth's supporters suggest they visit Garrett's lodge to help them reach Richmond, but Booth succumbs to an infection on his leg and collapses. He is treated by Garrett's daughter. Stanton and his team search for Confederate soldiers and encounter a Black man who overhears a conversation Booth had with a local named Willie Jett. They track Jett and reveal the location to Stanton, who is one step closer to catching the man who killed Lincoln. Stanton suffers an asthmatic attack and collapses before leaving. The episode uses vast creative license, but the story is entertaining. Stanton and Booth finally face off, creating a political thriller rather than an action show. The story is entertaining and keeps viewers on their toes, making it a must-watch for fans of the Civil War.

Manhunt: The Secret Line (2024) Season 1, Episode 4

The Secret and the Lies

[9/10 · 20 May 2024]

In "The Secret Line," Edwin Stanton aims to obtain information from George Sanders, a businessman and Confederacy sympathizer, to catch John Wilkes Booth. However, Stanton lacks leverage on Sanders, as he can work the system to get around the law. The series makes it clear that they are trying to draw parallels between then and now, with some heavy-handed attempts to make connections. To gain leverage, Stanton orders a raid on wealthy robber barons who are betting against the US dollar and on southern gold and cotton instead. This is a pretext to pressure them to give up what they know about Sanders. The raid works, and Stanton gets information about Sanders, even if it's unrelated to his connection with Booth. The information is more political in nature regarding Andrew Johnson and his deal with Sanders. Stanton uses this information to set up a meeting with Sanders, pretending to make a deal for information on Booth or the network of Confederate agents he would go to for help. Sanders pulls a gun on Stanton, giving Stanton a reason to arrest him. It's uncertain whether Sanders will evade accountability for his activities again, but it's satisfying to see him led off in handcuffs.

Stanton's arrest reveals Wallace as a double agent and removes security risk. More importantly, Sanders's arrest allows Stanton to search his office and secure a map of the Confederate network Booth is using on the run. Booth doesn't know it, but the walls are closing in on him. "The Secret Line" is much more successful than Manhunt Season 1 Episode 3, "Let the Sheep Flee," because it finally has the tension and intrigue of the political thriller viewers were promised in the series' trailers. The series excels when it focuses on Stanton's search for Booth and explores larger themes through that storyline. "The Secret Line" effectively showcases the white supremacy of the North and the benefits of slavery through the conspiracy with Sanders. It is more effective than the confrontation between Black Union soldiers and white locals on "Let the Sheep Flee." Even scenes not related to Booth or Stanton's search work better than on "Let the Sheep Flee." The flashback scene with Mary Todd Lincoln asking her husband not to let their son join the army is the best flashback scene the series has given so far. This scene is more successful because it feels more like a political thriller than a dramatization of historical events. The conversation with Mary Todd Lincoln captures a truth about these people, their relationships, and what they went through, which might not have happened in the original story.

Manhunt: Let the Sheep Flee (2024) Season 1, Episode 3

Let the sheep Flee

[9/10 · 20 May 2024]

The search for John Wilkes Booth continues on Apple TV's limited series Manhunt, with the episode "Let the Sheep Flee" focusing on the political landscape of the early days after the war. Andrew Johnson gives Stanton an ultimatum to find Booth or forget him, as he wants wins in his first days as President. Stanton's efforts to catch Booth take a toll on his health, and he is remanded to bed rest after a nasty asthma attack. A violent confrontation between Black Union soldiers and white locals near Stanton's home occurs, and Stanton rushes to the scene. When one of the soldiers offers a possible lead, Stanton jumps full force into the investigation, even if he faces threats from his wife to leave him. His single-mindedness and questioning methods are questionable, but he makes progress on "Let the Sheep Flee," even at the cost of his health and family. By the end of the episode, Stanton is closer to finding another conspirator who could lead to him, and his team cracks the code that should expose the Confederate network Booth needs as a fugitive. The progress on the search for Booth is the most significant development on the episode, but it is just one of many developments that happen on "Let the Sheep Flee." The episode also explores the political landscape of the early days after the war, highlighting some of the racism among non-Confederates that is missing from Manhunt Season 1 Episode 1, "Pilot," and "Post-Mortem." However, the believable events in the confrontation feel too modern and inauthentic, and the creative license of the series is too expansive for historical fiction. Manhunt is a series based on actual events in US history, focusing on significant events that have shaped who we are today and continue to impact modern politics. The series aims to remain faithful to the political and cultural tensions of the time and the people involved, addressing the increasingly antagonistic relationship between Stanton and Johnson in an authentic way. However, the series can be undercut by scenes like the confrontation with the soldiers and flashbacks with Lincoln, which change the nature of these men's relationships in a way that doesn't stay true to the dynamics between them. The best moments of the series thus far focus on Stanton's search for Booth, Booth's time as a fugitive, unraveling the conspiracy, and Stanton's interactions with Johnson. These scenes are gripping and excellently executed, even if they stray too far thematically from the truth.

Manhunt: Post-mortem (2024) Season 1, Episode 2

The cinematography is so beautiful and the writing is phenomenal

[9/10 · 20 May 2024]

Manhunt Episode 2 begins with Powell claiming to be called by Mrs. Surratt to clean the gutter, but she denies knowing him. They are arrested, and Stanton discovers Booth had called Johnson on the night he was supposed to be killed. Johnson was surprised to find out he had no connection to Booth and was the only target who wasn't attacked. Stanton's team discovers Johnson was too drunk and chose not to act on his plan. Johnson's beliefs didn't match Lincoln's, and he was sworn in as president. A Union Army spy named Lafayette Baker suspects Wall Street investors and Johnson could be behind Lincoln's murder. Johnson benefited the most from Lincoln's death, making him a potential suspect. Booth and Herold stay at Dr. Samuel Mudd's place before heading to Richmond, Virginia. Mudd decides not to gather supplies and Herold advises Booth to remove his moustache as his sketch is up everywhere. Booth, a man with a distinctive moustache, refuses to shave and asks Herold for whiskey and horse feed. However, Herold discovers horse feed is banned in Maryland, so they must leave for Virginia. Booth is displeased with Mudd's housekeeper Mary, who shaves him too close to his neck. Stanton discovers that John Jr. Surratt, the son of Mary Surratt, applied for a clerk position in his department and was suspected of being a Confederate agent. Stanton's team finds evidence that Booth had approached Wall Street to invest in an 'oil rig' in Pittsburg, which was code for the assassination. Booth's involvement with the Confederate Secret Service is also proven, suggesting he received protection from them. Stanton doubts Weichmann's connection to Confederate sympathizers and admits to being friends with Booth before the war. They had no idea Booth was planning to assassinate Lincoln. Stanton meets with Mrs. Surratt in prison and offers her the option of facing trial or helping him find her son. She refuses to cooperate and denies any involvement in the murder. Stanton sends his men to search for Booth at Dr. Mudd's residence in Maryland. Mudd admits to helping a man with a broken leg, but lies about not recognising him. Stanton questions Mary and her brother about Booth, but Mary answers Mudd's way. Shoe prints on Stanton's house are thought to be from John Jr. Surratt, who sought refuge at Mudd's place and planned to help kidnap Lincoln. Mudd is scared of being linked to the assassination but denies his involvement. Surratt is planning an escape from the United States due to the manhunt, and the Confederacy is assisting him. The Confederacy is hunting for Stanton, proving they are on the right track. Booth and Herold head to Rich Hill, where a Native American offers to guide them in exchange for money. They agree to the deal, even hesitantly. The episode ends with Lincoln's funeral train heading to Springfield, Illinois. This new crime drama series is refreshing, with a protagonist using his hunches and old-school skills to track a murderer.

Manhunt: Pilot (2024) Season 1, Episode 1

History has been written

[8/10 · 20 May 2024]

Manhunt Episode 1 begins with a man named Powell breaking into Secretary Seward's house, stabbed in the face, and fleeing the scene covered in blood. Edwin Stanton visits Seward's house, who survived the stabbing due to his braces. Five days before Lincoln's murder, Robert E. Lee and his army surrendered to the Union Army, marking the end of the battle between the Union and the Confederacy. Stanton invited Seward to celebrate the surrender, but Seward advised him to refrain until it was clear to every Confederate officer that the war was over. John Wilkes Booth, a theatre actor known for supporting roles and stunts, decided to become a national hero by murdering Lincoln. He met Lincoln's guard, Parker, in a bar and discovered that Lincoln would be left unguarded once seated. Booth entered the theatre with a gun and a dagger in his pocket, waiting at the back of the theatre to shoot Lincoln in the head. After the assassination, Booth heads to Virginia but is stopped at the Navy Bridge. His fame as a theatre actor helps convince the guard to let him in. He meets David Herold on the way to Charles County, Maryland, and they head to Samuel Mudd's place to treat Booth's broken leg. Booth reads the morning newspaper and is proud to be called the symbol of the cause, believing he has succeeded in becoming the most famous person in the world. Stanton investigates the murder of Abraham Lincoln at Seward's residence and discovers that he was in a coma. He learns that Mrs. Mary Lincoln blames Parker for the incident and that Booth planned to attack three significant figures simultaneously to dismantle the Union. Lincoln's death is announced on April 15th at 7.22 a.m. Stanton regrets not being by Lincoln's side that night, knowing he might have prevented the assassination. Stanton investigates the crime scene and finds the gun used to kill Lincoln on the ground in the theatre box. He interviews the theatre staff and discovers that Booth was in Maryland. Stanton decides to ban horse feed in Maryland until Booth is found and arrests Ned Spangler for his involvement in the assassination. Lincoln's death leads to rumors about the downfall of democracy in America, but Stanton reassures the media that the laws and institutions in the United States were designed to protect democracy. He uses the media attention to get sympathy from Lincoln's supporters for the crimes committed and photographs his blood-soaked pillows and sheets for the front page. In the end, Stanton discovers a coded message in Booth's hotel room, suggesting that Booth could have been a Confederate spy. He also discovers that Booth had deposited money in the same account used by the Confederate Secret Service to launder money, suggesting that the assassination was a planned one by the Confederacy.

The Goldfinch (2019)

The Goldfinch has been criticized for its unwieldy and digressive aspects.

[9/10 · 17 May 2024]

The 2013 adaptation of Donna Tartt's Pulitzer-winning novel, directed by John Crowley, has been criticized for its unwieldy and digressive aspects. The film makers have mislaid or underplayed the straightforwardly exciting set pieces that could have added some voltage to the film. The story is co-financed by Amazon Studios and could have worked better as an eight-part TV drama. The story is effortfully squeezed into two and a half hours, with key moments suddenly whizzing past and the most explosive part relegated to flashback fragments. The casting and performances are also off, with a gambling addict deprived of money doing a lot of histrionic screaming. The Russian characters are also not well-portrayed, with non-Russian actors having to do something more than spying on the Ryussian accyent. Oakes Fegley plays the role of 13-year-old Theo Decker, a broken-hearted child from New York who visits an art museum with his mother. They encounter Carel Fabritius's 1654 painting, The Goldfinch, which symbolizes beauty and imprisonment. A terrorist bomb hits the museum, leading to a tragic chain of events, including Theo's mother's death. As he recovers, a dying man entrusts him with a ring and gives him a place to deliver it. Theo impulsively takes the Goldfinch off the wall and staggers out of the building, leaving behind a ring.

Theo is taken in by his friend's elegant mother (played by Nicole Kidman), but is sent to live with his louche and grasping dad (Luke Wilson) in Las Vegas, where he befriends a Ukrainian kid, Boris (Finn Wolfhard). Theo grows up to be a damaged and Vicodin-addicted adult (played by Ansel Elgort), hiding his hurt under a veneer of sophistication. The priceless painting, secretly wrapped in a storage depot, throbs like a second unexploded bomb, and he is destined to meet up again with grownup Boris (Aneurin Barnard). The movie does a fair amount of justice to the painting's MacGuffin-ish properties, but long episodes clunk past rather laboriously and Elgort does not give us much access to his character's emotional tumult. Nicole Kidman plays her character arc well. The movie's success comes down to the extraordinary scene that triggers everything else: the bomb in the art gallery. While the book is a riveting, complex, detailed affair, the film defers and disperses the story as flashback glimpses and carpark shootouts, making it seem like the film wishes to rise above mere action entertainment.

Tangled (2010)

A movie in every aspect for s Disney Film.

[9/10 · 16 May 2024]

"Tangled" is a tastefully modernized version of Disney's 50th animated feature, resembling a familiar old neighborhood with a castle tower garlanded with clouds. The film features a crew of princesses, emotive beasts, villains, and buffoons, with ambient noises by Alan Menken. The décor is shinier, the pace is faster, and the atmosphere is slick and efficient. The film, directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, from a script by Dan Fogelman, is a lavish, romantic musical fairy tale. It follows the company's current Pixar-dominated aesthetic, with a story that takes some liberties with the genre, a nimble, kinetic visual style, and a willingness to marry complex psychology with storybook simplicity. The film is a pleasant place to visit, despite its recent decline. "Tangled" is a glorious touchstone of American popular culture and a testament to Disney's commitment to tradition and modernity. "Tangled" is an animated feature that begins with a charming rascal named Flynn Rider, who temporarily hijacks a princess's tale. This may be a commercial calculation, signifying a Disney-style attitude or a desire to avoid being too girly. However, Flynn eventually shuts down, allowing the story to find its proper center of gravity, which belongs to Rapunzel (Mandy Moore). Rapunzel is an exiled princess living in a tower with her magic hair and pet lizard. Her mother, the evil sorceress Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), has raised her in cruel, passive-aggressive captivity. The film had several different titles, but its portrayal of maternal monstrosity may remind viewers of "Precious," albeit without the incest, poverty, or violence. The weaponized frying pan does come into play, but not as an instrument of domestic abuse. Mother Gothel, a villainous stepmother in the Disney world, is known for her sadistic intensity and brutal selfishness. She brainwashes Rapunzel into loving her, disguised as a sweet-voiced solicitude. However, she keeps her around due to her golden hair, which can heal wounds, cure sickness, and reverse aging. As Rapunzel approaches her 18th birthday, she embarks on a heroic journey with Flynn, her mother, Flynn's former partners in crime, and a police horse. The story combines Pixarian technical bravura with Disneyesque expressive cartooning, showcasing the power of love and societal manipulation.

Finch (2021)

A Dog, A man and a Robot that's all U need

[10/10 · 11 May 2024]

Finch, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film co-written by Ivor Powell and directed by Miguel Sapochnik, stars Tom Hanks as Finch, an aging inventor who survives a human-made environmental catastrophe. Finch scavenges for canned food and builds an android called Jeff, which has a Borat-slash-Stephen-Hawking electronic voice. Jeff learns to walk, drive Finch's RV, and understand the world, with the main task of looking after Finch's dog, Goodyear, when Finch is dead. The film showcases impressive visual effects work and showcases the potential of post-apocalyptic films. The film features a unique character dynamic between Finch, Jeff, and Goodyear, with no other humans except for those Finch remembers in flashbacks. The film lacks the usual danger and threats, with the heroes never running out of water or food, and Jeff's battery-life issues are not present. The film's central question is whether Goodyear can learn to love and trust Jeff the way he loves Finch. Jeff is supposed to be sympathetic and relatable, unlike the creepy robots from 2001: A Space Odyssey or Dark Star. The film also changes Jeff's voice from an ironically affectless robot voice to a more human tone, creating an anticlimactic and bland atmosphere. The movie, originally set to open theatrically through Universal in October 2020, was pushed back due to the COVID lockdown and sold to Apple TV+. The screenplay, written by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell, combines elements from postapocalyptic survivor movies, heartwarming man's-best-friend tales, and robot buddy scenarios. The narrative spine is similar to The Road, with a feel more like Cast Away. Hanks plays ailing former robotics engineer Finch Weinberg, whose only company is Goodyear and the sentient robot Jeff. The movie's balance of technology and tenderness gradually wears down resistance, with Gustavo Santaolalla's gentle score helping the case. Finch has been living alone with Goodyear in the underground St. Louis laboratory of the company where he once worked. He wears a UV suit and goes on regular foraging expeditions accompanied by a modified lunar rover named Dewey to retrieve canned goods from the few places not ransacked by desperate and mostly unseen human survivors. In the film, Finch builds a scrap-heap droid, programmed with encyclopedic knowledge, including a manual for dog training and care. The robot's primary directive is to protect Goodyear in Finch's absence. However, the AI family addition forecasts a 40-day superstorm, forcing Finch to load up Goodyear, Dewey, and the unnamed new droid into a solar-powered RV and head west. The script feels very well done, with Finch's cough and weak spells escalating to the level of Mimi in La Bohème. Perilous interludes like a narrow escape from human scavengers play out in chase scenes, while a tornado strike packs a slightly more visceral rumble. Director Sapochnik seems to have misheard the PG-13 mandate and instead opted for treacly PG. The main focus becomes the efforts of the increasingly ruminative Finch to teach Jeff human values such as trust and affection, which he does in a series of personal anecdotes. His other aim is to forge a bond between Jeff and the stubbornly wary Goodyear. The film's other prime asset is Jones' superbly expressive vocal and physical work as the robot. Speaking in a mechanical voice that sounds vaguely Russian at first but steadily gaining in fluency and conversational ease, Jeff is constantly questioning, bowing his head in solemn acknowledgment of some new discovery or staring off into the vast empty skies in quiet contemplation. While Finch wins no prizes for subtlety or originality, there's always an audience for this kind of sweet assault on the tear ducts, especially when there's a cute dog involved.

Knuckles (2024)

Phenomenal Message more potential needed

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

The new Paramount+ miniseries Knuckles the Echidna is a thrilling adventure that takes place in Reno, where Knuckles is the next warrior of the Echidna Tribe. Wade Whipple, played by Adam Pally, is a loveable and dim-witted human companion to Knuckles, who is dumped by his team in favor of an 8-year-old girl with rich parents. Knuckles is on hand to straighten Wade out, and they set off for an almost-epic clash of the 10-pin titans. The pairing of Knuckles with Wade is a master stroke, as the bumbling, '80s obsessed man-child serves as the perfect counterpoint to the last of the Echidna warriors. Their unlikely friendship becomes the backdrop for an adventure that inverts Sonic and Tom's relationship in the movies. The show features a never-ending series of daydreams, misadventures, and slapstick gags, with Elba as Knuckles and Pally hammering up every scene he's in. The production value for this streaming series is surprisingly high for a streaming series, and the combat feels chaotic, well-paced, and a lot of fun. The introduction of Wade's family, a killer combo of Stockard Channing as his mom and Edi Patterson as his sister, is a high point, and their disastrous Shabbat dinner culminates in a fight scene that spins around the Wade family kitchen to the sound of "Hava Nagila." Knuckles does a neat variation on the formula from the Sonic movies, with the baddies deriving their power from one of the echidna's own quills. There's enough variety and novelty to prevent things from feeling stale, with a training montage and a kick-ass soundtrack of '80s classics and alt-rock hits from the '90s and early '00s. The new Paramount+ miniseries Knuckles the Echidna is a thrilling adventure that takes place in Reno, where Knuckles is the next warrior of the Echidna Tribe. Wade Whipple, played by Adam Pally, is a loveable and dim-witted human companion to Knuckles, who is dumped by his team in favor of an 8-year-old girl with rich parents. Knuckles is on hand to straighten Wade out, and they set off for an almost-epic clash of the 10-pin titans. The pairing of Knuckles with Wade is a master stroke, as the bumbling, '80s obsessed man-child serves as the perfect counterpoint to the last of the Echidna warriors. Their unlikely friendship becomes the backdrop for an adventure that inverts Sonic and Tom's relationship in the movies. The show features a never-ending series of daydreams, misadventures, and slapstick gags, with Elba as Knuckles and Pally hammering up every scene he's in. The production value for this streaming series is surprisingly high for a streaming series, and the combat feels chaotic, well-paced, and a lot of fun. The introduction of Wade's family, a killer combo of Stockard Channing as his mom and Edi Patterson as his sister, is a high point, and their disastrous Shabbat dinner culminates in a fight scene that spins around the Wade family kitchen to the sound of "Hava Nagila." Knuckles does a neat variation on the formula from the Sonic movies, with the baddies deriving their power from one of the echidna's own quills. There's enough variety and novelty to prevent things from feeling stale, with a training montage and a kick-ass soundtrack of '80s classics and alt-rock hits from the '90s and early '00s.

The Last Witch Hunter (2015)

Witch Hunters, didn't expect much

[5/10 · 10 May 2024]

"The Last Witch Hunter" is a film directed by Breck Eisner, known for his densely over-plotted action-fantasy. The film's success is attributed to its confidence and patience, which compensate for the script's thinness. The film features a superhuman men-of-action, played by Vin Diesel, who are humanity's last hope of maintaining a peaceful status quo. The film is measured enough to make viewers suspend their disbelief. Kaulder, a witch-slayer cursed to live forever by the Witch Queen, is an integral member of the mortal-led witch-hunting organization Axe and Cross. When Ellic, Kaulder's sidekick and chronicler of his stories, dies on his retirement, Kaulder investigates and discovers a plot to revive the centuries-dead Witch Queen. The film is a testament to Eisner's ability to create a captivating and engaging film. "The Last Witch Hunter" is a dorky film that focuses on Kaulder's quest to remember his death, a clue left by Ellic in smudged fingerprints on a book. The film features a Rolodex of enemies and fair weather contacts, including Max Schlesinger, a blind pastry chef-cum-magician, and Belilal, a squat warlock. The film's screenwriters have thought about what motivates Kaulder, with Diesel's cockiness fitting his character. He points out to Dolan the 37th, Ellic's successor at Axe and Cross, and is well-used in the film's unwieldy exposition. Director Eisner manages to sell scenes that are conceptually all-over-the-map, with few scenes feeling rushed. Romantic banter feels genuinely playful in scenes like Kaulder and Chloe flirting at Chloe's hookah bar. The best scene is when Chloe silently tries to ward off a threatening spirit with an array of light bulbs, which teaches viewers how to watch it. The film's best scene is when Chloe comes home and silently tries to ward off a threatening spirit with an array of light bulbs, demonstrating Eisner's strength as a storyteller. Eisner's direction is thoughtful in big special-effects-driven set pieces, and his choreography is strong. While the big action scenes in "The Last Witch Hunter" are not as good as those from his recent remake of George Romero's "The Crazies," flashbacks to Diesel's "Dungeons and Dragons" and modern-day skirmishes with Belial look good. The film is poised in ways that most fantasies should be, with breathing room in scenes where characters seem to be living with decisions made earlier. Michael Caine's explanation of the Witch Queen's plan to spread a human-decimating plague is a typical but well-assembled fantasy. Although it may be corny at heart, it's cool enough to convince viewers that the creators have sold a story they've seen many times before.

Tarot (I) (2024)

Death is the worse fate.

[8/10 · 9 May 2024]

Tarot, is a limp attempt to recreate the sadistic form of magic. The film, which is designed for a tamer teen crowd, is a soft PG-13, replacing hard R with a soft PG-13. However, the makers of Tarot are never quite sure how to master the right tone required. The film is too nasty at times, too silly or too self-serious at others, and too idiotic throughout. It uneasily combines flashes of gore with splashes of comedy, all peppered with laughably unconvincing cry-on-cue moments of so-sad grief. Loosely based on the 90s YA schlocker Horrorscope, Tarot tells the story of a group of college friends renting out a shadowy mansion who happen upon a padlocked room with a sign saying PRIVATE: KEEP OUT. The film is served up lukewarm for undemanding Friday night horror fans, who really ought to be demanding so much more. The film Final Destination follows a group of friends who break into a creepy wooden box of hand-painted tarot cards, with the final girl Haley (Harriet Slater) reading for them. Haley is interested in both tarot and astrology but is nursing a broken heart from a recent breakup and the death of her mother. She gives each of her friends detailed predictions, which are then tied to their astrological signs. The film is a horror film for the kind of person who would tell a stranger they're "such a Libra" after a five-second conversation. However, it lacks anything else, including poorly executed jump scares, suspense-free death sequences, and inane plotting. The writer-directors Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg have no idea how to fill the gaps between deaths, leaving the audience feeling longer than they should be. The characters make dumber decisions and embark on a quest to find someone who might know what's really going on. Irish stage actor Olwen Fouéré plays the Tony Todd role, who has battled this dark force before in 2022's Texas Chainsaw Massacre retcon sequel. Mrs Exposition plays a thankless gap-filler, which allows for a charmingly batty flashback to 18th-century Hungary. While the deaths remind one of Final Destination movies and Hellraiser, there are touches of good design but not enough sticks. The horror genre has been a scary year so far, with a string of worrying under-performers, and it doesn't take a reading to predict that Tarot isn't going to change things. The horror film Tarot, directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, combines tropes from other horror films, with a group of friends playing a familiar game and eventually being picked off one by one. However, the film falls short in the scares department and the unfolding of events. While the concept of a horror movie revolving around tarot cards is intriguing, the execution is hindered by too many elements. The film begins with a group of college students celebrating a birthday at a creepy old mansion, with seven main characters, but few of them are given enough development to stand out.

The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)

So magical will touch your heart and tug at your heartstrings

[9/10 · 7 May 2024]

In recent years, films have explored the experiences of Black people in America, with diversity becoming a priority following Black Lives Matter. Many filmmakers have attempted to capture the magic of Jordan Peele's work, critiquing prejudice while keeping Black characters at the center. Kobi Libii's debut feature, The American Society of Magical African-Americans, struggles to bring its premise to life. Aren, a young sculpture artist, struggles to sell his art and is mistaken for a robber. Roger, a member of The American Society of Magical African-American's, wants Aren to join their newest recruit. Aren's qualities make him perfect for the job, as he is afraid of making white people uncomfortable. The Society, run by Dede (Nicole Byer), has been working in secret for decades, operating out of a secret headquarters. A collection of Black people from all walks of life study the history and technique of Magical Negroes under the tutelage of Gabbard (Aisha Hinds). Aren's first "client" is Jason (Drew Tarver), a young tech guy working for MeetBox. Aren's job is to make Jason feel good about himself. The film is a satirical premise aimed at highlighting the daily impact of white supremacy on Black lives. Throughout the film, Aren, a Magical black people , uses his magic to help a white cop feel confident enough to enter a trendy club. The film also highlights the importance of their mission, which is to make white people happy. However, the film takes the fragility of white people's egos too seriously, which is a miscalculation. The love triangle between Aren and Lizzie, a coworker at MeetBox, and his client Jason, further complicates the situation. Aren must give up his crush on Lizzie and set them up, leading to a depressing situation that drags the film down. Despite the gifted performance of the lead, the film's depressing situation is a shame, as Aren and Lizzie's love story is genuinely sweet and their scenes together are the best in the film. The American Society of Magical African-Americans is a film that fails to make its central joke work, focusing too much on white people's perception of Blackness to the detriment of every Black character. The film's charm is enough to make the unpleasant experience bearable, but the Black actors around him are saying lines that are so retrograde that it almost hurts to hear them. The filmmaker's inability to make the central joke work hinders the film's ability to understand itself. The film is too concerned with how white people perceive Blackness to the detriment of every Black character, leaving the audience with a film that barely understands itself. The film's ironic edge is missing, leaving the audience with a film that barely understands itself.

Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

Not what I was expecting

[6/10 · 7 May 2024]

Drive-Away Dolls is a queer road-movie caper directed by Ethan Coen and co-written by Tricia Cooke. It is Coen's second film without his brother Joel, following his Jerry Lee Lewis documentary in 2022. The film has a flimsy premise that resembles classic Coen brothers films like No Country For Old Men or Fargo. Joel and Ethan Coen, a renowned film-making duo, have a reputation for uncanny synchronization, often giving the same answer to questions even if asked separately. They are known as "the two-headed director," but their respective features suggest a surgical detachment less than a single brain split in twain. However, their works during their brief hiatus have given the impression of a single sensibility divided evenly between them. Joel's austere, atmospheric take on Macbeth is the goofiest and loosest entry, while Ethan's road comedy Drive-Away Dolls is the goofiest and loosest entry. Joel's solo project mines the history of American experimental theater for a bold, charcoal-sketched revision of the Bard's canon, while Ethan's sexploitation send-up revolves around a handful of pilfered dildos. This bawdy Sapphic joyride is far from minor Coen miscellanea, as Ethan and wife Tricia Cooke have marshaled the usual plot devices toward broader, more sophomoric ends. The film features an errant briefcase from No Country for Old Men, a pair of hitmen, and a loquacious wiseacre in the mold of O Brother, Where Art Thou's Ulysses Everett McGill. Drive-Away Dolls is a wild goose chase film set on the eve of Y2K, the twilight of Clintonism, and the eve of a conservative resurgence. The film offers a surprising openness of sentiment, offering the sweetest love story in a filmography constantly charged with a self-satisfied ironic remove from its own characters. The archness of technique that has turned off a vocal faction of detractors has been dialed way back, with the allusive streak more incidental than insistent. The essence of the Coenesque comes through strongest in the pristine dialogue, with its baroque turns of phrase, absurd circular repetitions, and idle philosophical musings. However, this shedding of seriousness has its costs, most noticeably in the directorial rigor a notch or two below the standard. The characters want to get their rocks off, and the Coen-Cooke braintrust likewise get their stylistic kicks, indulging in wipe-style scene transitions so cheesy that a viewer's reaction to the first one determines whether they will come along for the trip or get left behind. Interspersed passages of hazy psychedelia pad a svelte 84-minute runtime, featuring Miley Cyrus as radical visual artist Cynthia Plaster-Caster. Drive-Away Dolls is an essential work in the Coen corpus, an evolution more than a regression or sacrifice, and it's the rare case in which a preponderance of dick jokes heralds a newfound advance in maturity.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Coen Brothers out of control

[7/10 · 6 May 2024]

The Big Lebowski is a comedy film directed by Jeff Bridges, starring Jeff Bridges as an L. A. loafer named "The Dude" and John Goodman and Steve Buscemi as his sidekicks. The film is set in Los Angeles and follows the Dude, who spends his days in his small abode, knocking back White Russians and getting ready for his next bowling-league tournament. When two brigands break into his dump, mistaken for Lebowski, and take a warning piss on one of his rugs, the Dude is befuddled and upset. Inspired by this incident, he seeks out Lebowski, a wheelchair-bound, bitter rich man, to get restitution for his rug. Lebowski, who is wheelchair-bound, has little patience for the Dude, but coincidentally, his trophy wife has disappeared and he receives a ransom note for his wife's disappearance. The Dude is enlisted to make the drop, with 20 grand in it for him. The Dude, a bowling buddy, struggles with his lack of ambition, leading to mishaps and a series of berserkos. The film features a diverse cast, including Bridges, Buscemi, and Reid, all tackling various forms of human screwups. Bridges' tenacious demeanor as the Vietnam veteran is explosive and funny, while Buscemi's befuddlement as the third Stooge adds a fitting Larry-like befuddlement. Tara Reid's performance as the trophy wife is also impressive. The film's screwy textures, from Carter Burwell's music to costume designer Mary Zophres' wiggy duds, make it a richly rancid enjoyment. The raucously rattletrap musical selections add a pungent quality to the delirium, and musical supervisor T-Bone Burnett is praised for the screwy selections in this big laugher. "The Big Lebowski" is a film about Jeff Lebowski's equanimity amidst vicissitudes, including kidnapping, ransom money, pornography, a millionaire, a runaway girl, and the Vietnam veterans and Flower Power disagreement. The film is narrated by The Stranger, who observes that the Dude Abides and hears there is a little Lebowski on the way. The Dude is denied matrimony and seems to have no women in his life, except by lucky chance. The film explores themes of equanimity, societal norms, and the importance of a roof over his head, fresh half-and-half for his White Russians, a little weed, and bowling buddies. The film highlights the importance of a man's attitude and the value of a roof over his head, despite the challenges he faces.

Being the Ricardos (2021)

Love Lucy and Desi so much and We all love I LOVE LUCY.

[10/10 · 4 May 2024]

Watching Being the Ricardos, 3 words come to mind.. I LOVE LUCY. Lucille Ball, the biggest star of the 1950s TV show I Love Lucy, was a hapless TV housewife. Aaron Sorkin's Lucille Ball movie explores the fragility of her stardom, as her real, imperfect self could potentially intrude on the illusion. The story takes place over a week, with flashbacks and flash-forwards, and takes place during a time when the government was hunting down reds, making Ball's career and marriage vulnerable. Lucille Ball, known for her 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy, is portrayed by Nicole Kidman in a film that focuses on her serious side rather than her physical comedy. The film takes place over a single episode of the show, from Monday's table read to Friday's live audience taping. It also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the crumbling relationship between Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz. The film is focused on deconstructing good screenwriting, line lands, and character motivation. Fans of Sorkin's writing will enjoy watching Alia Shawkat and Jake Lacy trade zingers in the writers' room. Sorkin's script explores various themes, including power dynamics, Hollywood misogyny, corporate hypocrisy, and media manipulation. He maintains balance by focusing on Lucy and Desi, a couple with multiple faces, and tries to understand their love but collectively too much to fit into one marriage. The film's witty approach keeps the pace moving. Nicole Kidman, despite her red hair, is a versatile actress who plays Ball's conflicted wife, balancing her power and fear of losing her husband. Bardem's Arnaz provides depth to the character, making her a versatile addition to the cast. Being The Ricardos is a compelling biopic that delves into the Ricardos family's life, revealing an entire industry and a transformative time in history. It requires minimal prior knowledge of its subjects, making it enjoyable for all, even those not fond of Lucy. Critics argue that Sorkin's grand speeches and earnest streak are his best work when the context is right, and the legendary TV couple's drama provides ample material for his best work. Aaron Sorkin's Crocodile Dundee is a comedy-drama inspired by the iconic US TV show I Love Lucy, which starred real-life married couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The movie portrays Ball dealing with tabloid rumors about her husband's infidelity and career-endangering rumblings from the press. Nicole Kidman portrays Ball, while Javier Bardem plays Arnaz. Nina Arianda and JK Simmons play their neighbors, Vivian Vance and William Frawley, while Tony Hale plays their executive producer Jess Oppenheimer. Alia Shawkat plays head writer Madelyn Pugh. Sorkin, known for his situation comedy work, has a reputation for writing films and TV shows. However, his verbose dialogue, often deemed "screwball serious," can be exhausting. This was a major issue in his previous film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, but Sorkin emphasizes that Ball's forte was physical comedy. The film also features a mockumentary framing device, where older actors play supporting characters interviewed in the present day, using the phrase "What you gotta understand is..." This hectoring form of language is particularly hectoring when important subjects, like Ball's current political opinions, are left unexamined.

The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022)

Weddings make the best Comedies

[6/10 · 4 May 2024]

"The People We Hate at the Wedding" is a film directed by Claire Scanlon that explores the consequences of unspoken familial grievances and their dramatic manifestations. The film follows siblings Alice and Paul, their mother Donna, and their tense reunion for the English wedding of their half-sister Eloise. The film does not aim to be revolutionary or experimental with the comedic genre, but rather to be a feel-good film. Kristen Bell, who plays Alice, makes a valiant effort as the standout with her humor and heart. She nails most of her punchlines and sets up the character arc with a seamless transition. Her chemistry with Dennis, her opposite in the will-they-won't-they subplot, is believable even within the context of their overwritten dialogue. Their pairing is the only relationship within the film that feels adequately matched in terms of performance and narrative credibility. Overall, "The People We Hate at the Wedding" is an awkwardly executed film that fails to deliver on its promise of a feel-good film. "The People We Hate at the Wedding" is a film that despite its lackluster performance by Platt, Janney, and Addai-Robinson, offers a compelling narrative about a family confronting their demons. The comedic writing lacks flow and punch, but the film effectively explores the repercussions of aging families and the ways in which protecting oneself or others can become a matter of intention versus impact. The film's core source of tension, Addai-Robinson, feels disengaged with her character, and the film's core source of tension is evident in her eyes. "The People We Hate at the Wedding" is a formulaic comedy that fails to stand out. Scanlon's film reveals its thesis by the credits, but its shelf life is short, lasting about a day before expiring.

Polite Society (2023)

Everyone that made this film should be proud of the film they put out and it was a masterpiece

[9/10 · 4 May 2024]

Polite Society is a feature debut by British writer-director Nida Manzoor, which blends elements of coming-of-age high school comedy, Bollywood movies, and martial arts flicks. The film begins with a refreshing first half, featuring genuine sibling concern over an older sister's engagement and a teenage girl's capacity for self-centered fantasies. The younger sister, Ria Khan, is a London-based Pakistani Muslim girl who dreams of becoming one of Britain's top stuntwomen. She is close to her sister Lena, who is a secret-language sister against the world. Lena, who recently returned home after dropping out of art school, protests and spars with Ria but still films amateur stunt videos for Ria's YouTube channel. The film's first 20 minutes are a charming combination of schoolgirl melodramatics and heightened silliness with a martial arts bent, resembling Scott Pilgrim meets Sex Education or an Austenian marriage plot. The film is a pleasure to watch, especially when Ria meets Salim, a dashing doctor and the only son of the ominously rich and doting Shah matriarch. Salim says all the right things and sweeps skeptical but aimless Lena off her feet, leaving Ria appalled. The film Polite Society is a mix of action movie antics and emotional stakes, with a playful sound design that adds to the tension. The script by Manzoor and the chemistry between Kansara and Arya give Ria's panic over Salim and Lena's courtship real legs. Ria's repulsion to Lena's engagement is both ridiculous and not unfounded, as romantic love and lack of confidence could mean the death of Ria's dreams for both of them. The film's push-pull between the sisters is both compelling and funny, with physical comedy hijinks and a pitch-perfect shot of Ria's attempt to incinerate Salim and Lena's second date. The second half takes on social horror, with a significant leap in tone and real-life stakes that the film never sticks to. The plot to save Lena has real-v-evil stakes, but it is less funny and less distinguishable. Despite this, Polite Society is enjoyable to watch throughout, with Ria's punk attitude, action-wacking, and lighthearted nature. It's easy to root for her transformation into her stuntwoman alter ego, The Fury, but the film handles the ludicrous plot poorly. The first half is energetically surefooted, establishing trust in Manzoor's instincts and hopes for a second feature. However, it struggles to pull off one big swing, similar to The Fury's signature kick.

Five Blind Dates (2024)

5 Blind Dates, which one will work out?

[9/10 · 4 May 2024]

Five Blind Dates is a rom-com film that focuses on the familiar elements of a love story, such as sassy best friends and makeover montages. The film leans heavily on cliches, but once the characters settle in, it becomes a film where familiarity breeds fun. The Chinese-Australian Lia (Shuanh Hu) is a woman who dreams of setting up an artisanal tea house in Sydney but has been running it at a loss. Her best friend Mason (Ilai Swindells) is more interested in love than money. Lia is using seed money left by her grandmother to stay afloat, but her sister Alice (Tiffany Wang) is about to get married. Lia is the maid of honor, which involves spending time with her former best friend Richard (Yoson An), her former best friend turned boyfriend turned ex. The film is a mix of humor and heartwarming storytelling. Five Blind Dates is a rom-com film that explores the intertwined love life and career of a Chinese-Australian woman named Lia. The film is based on the classic love story of a woman who dreams of setting up an artisanal tea house in Sydney but has been running it at a loss. Lia is the maid of honor, spending time with her former best friend Richard, who has turned into her ex-boyfriend. The film is a mix of humor and heartwarming storytelling, with the main character Lia being a Chinese-Australian woman who dreams of setting up an artisanal tea house in Sydney. The film is based on cliches, but once the characters settle in, it becomes a film where familiarity breeds fun. Lia's best friend Mason is more interested in love than money, and she is using seed money left by her grandmother to stay afloat. Her sister Alice is about to get married, and Lia is the maid of honor, spending time with her former best friend Richard.

The film is a mix of humor and heartwarming storytelling, with the main character Lia being the maid of honor and her best friend Mason being more interested in love than money. The film is a mix of humor and heartwarming storytelling, making it a fun and entertaining watch.

How to Date Billy Walsh (2024)

How did we come together?????

[7/10 · 4 May 2024]

Prime Video's How to Date Billy Walsh is a rom-com film that relies on the comfort of seeing two people fall in love. The film assumes that its leads have the chemistry to go the distance, but the scripting becomes increasingly empty as the story unfolds. The main selling point is Sebastian Croft's portrayal of Archie, the lovesick best friend, who narrates. The movie does not evolve beyond deeply-rooted cliches, and the film starts with a disheveled Archie lamenting that "all is fair in love and war." As time freezes, Archie addresses the audience, breaking the fourth wall and taking us back to the first day of the last year of school. Archie has been in love with his bestie Amelia since they were young, but fate has other plans. Billy Walsh, an uber hottie, arrives on a motorcycle and immediately catches Millie's eye. If executed better, the meta-leaning feature of Archie's speeches to the audience would make for an easy recommend. However, the film feels like an easy method to toss out unnecessary exposition to tell and not show the storied past between Archie and Amelia. How to Date Billy Walsh is a film that explores the relationship between Millie, Archie, and Amelia, a young woman who is grieving her mother's death. Millie's social status is significantly impacted by Amber, a bully who mocks her every gesture. Millie's grief makes her relatable on a surface level, but the film struggles to understand why Archie cares so deeply about her. The couple's interactions are minimal, and the audience cannot root for their romance. The film's best part is Grouplove's "Tongue Tied" playing over the end credits. If the film were more focused on romance elements and fleshing out the central relationships, it could be a better film. The best part of How to Date Billy Walsh is Grouplove's "Tongue Tied," which adds a touch of complexity to the film. The movie, a mix of Harry Potter and a Nickelodeon movie, suffers from unflattering sex jokes and constant fourth wall breakage. The script is disorderly and the film's overall viewing experience is ruined by characters stuck in their fairy tale universes. Charithra Chandran's performance is enjoyable, but the film's "influencer" angle is not salvaged. The ending is mildly cute, but it's too late to save the movie. The film's overall viewing experience is subpar.

Stage Mother (2020)

LOVE IS LOVE

[7/10 · 3 May 2024]

"Stage Mother" is a comedy that capitalizes on the popularity of drag culture, but its handling of issues like drug addiction and physical abuse can feel superficial. The film begins with the tragic death of a drag queen at Pandora's Box, a struggling Castro District bar. Rickey, a drag queen, dies, and his estranged parents, Maybelline and Jeb, learn about his death. After losing the bar to Rickey, Maybelline decides to keep it alive by turning a trio of drag performers into singers, in memory of her son. The film's superficiality is mitigated by some sparkling performances. Brad Hennig's script for the film is predictable, with characters like Sienna's abusive date and Joan struggling with addiction being merely templates. Nathan, the main character, has only two moods: resentful or supportive, and Grenier's angry performance feels overdrawn. Sienna, a single mom trying to date, is portrayed as a bad comedian's punchline about San Francisco. The performances of Cherry (Mya Taylor) and Tequila (Oscar Moreno) are also disappointing. The story's direction is predictable, but the actors do their best with what they have been given. Weaver adapts her tough mama person to a level of Baptist nice, while Skordi sells the charming bit as well as he can.

The trio of performers, Joan, Tequila, and Cherry, may not be the best singers, but they work well together. Moreno and MacDonald share the spotlight at different times as the most out-going queens, and Taylor plays the shiest one of the three. Cherry is more soft-spoken but also dealing with her own set of problems as a trans woman, bringing a world of patience to the blow-ups around her. Despite Grenier's angry performance feeling more petulant than nuanced, Liu seems to have fun playing her irresponsible character, making herself look as messy and weary as possible. "Stage Mother" is a movie that focuses on a group of queer men and women who are helped by a straight white woman, Joan, under the guidance of cinematographer Tom Harting. The storyline is not as progressive as it could have been, with the cityscape of Halifax in Nova Scotia being a beacon of love and acceptance that contrasts with the decaying ideals of small-town USA. However, the film's message of unity and hope may have won over even the most cynical viewers. Fitzgerald, a pioneering gay filmmaker from Canada, ensures that his characters take center stage, with the film hitting the high notes when Joan, Cherry, and Tequila Mockingbird are on stage. The film hard-sells Maybelline's suitability for the task, as she has experience overseeing a stilted small-town choir and belting out show-tunes with her son in flashback. The trio blossoms from lip-syncing caricatures to impressive drag divas, with the power to draw a huge crowd.

The Idea of You (2024)

Age is a number

[9/10 · 2 May 2024]

Women of a certain age feel like they grew up alongside Anne Hathaway, as they experienced her awkward teens in "The Princess Diaries" and her narcissistic addiction in "Rachel Getting Married." As we reach middle age, we no longer feel the need to care about the cringe-worthy perception of millennials by Gen Z. Anne Hathaway, age 41, has come out of the celebrity wringer and has a long list of credits in movies ranging from commercial fare to auteurist masterpieces. "The Idea of You" is a fantasy film based on Robinne Lee's novel, which questions what if Harry Styles, the British megastar and former frontman of One Direction, fell in love with a hot 40-year-old mom. The Styles character is Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the British frontman of a five-member boy band called August Moon. The film is satisfying to see Anne Hathaway's name first before the title credit, as it allows us to settle into ourselves and appreciate the gift of reaching middle age. Amazon's The Idea of You is a glossy pop romance that aims to turn a fanfic favorite into a date movie. The film follows last year's Red, White and Royal Blue, a smartphone screen adaptation of Casey McQuiston's gay romp. The film follows a 40-year-old mom and a Harry Styles-level pop star, a blogpost daydream of love and lust. The movie stars Anne Hathaway and is made with a higher level of craft, from the sturdy studio-level direction of Michael Showalter to a mostly smooth-going script. The romcom genre has been "back" for a while, but it has mostly translated to quantity over quality. The film is on surer footing, almost threatening to be something far greater but settling into being perfectly acceptable instead. Actor-turned-novelist Lee was inspired to write the book while crushing on a YouTube video of a boyband. Solène (Hathaway) is turning 40 and still bruised from her ex-husband's cruel infidelity and the inevitable divorce. The Idea of You is a streaming romcom that follows the story of Solène, a 24-year-old girl who is forced to leave her ex and teenage daughter Izzy behind. She meets the lead singer of August Moon, Hayes, and their relationship takes an unexpected turn when they meet at Coachella. The film is not as explicit as the book, but it acknowledges the importance of sex in relationships and how sexual interactions can define them. The age gap between Hayes and Solène is somewhat smoothed from the book, but it still causes conflict and concern in the story. The film's script, written by Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt, may be written with more thought than expected from a streaming romcom, but it lacks depth and interest in other characters. Solène and Hayes are too dreamily constructed to feel like real people, and there is little interest in any other character in the film. The film has a sizable budget for the genre and treats us to multiple locations, making it look and breathe like the grander films it comes after. Hathaway's charm adds more heart and soul to the film, while Galitzine's believable pop star performance provides enough electricity to power through some underpowered patches. The film's fake music is strong enough to make us believe it, but it's not truly enough to transport us back to the genre's heyday, but it's a damn sight better than what we've been forced to get used to.

Hot Pursuit (2015)

A Classic and made my laugh so hard

[6/10 · 2 May 2024]

Hot Pursuit, a preposterous 87-minute cop comedy by Anne Fletcher, stars Reese Witherspoon as a pipsqueak officer with a Texas drawl and Sofía Vergara as a walking hourglass. The plot is absurd, with Officer Cooper (Witherspoon) working in the evidence room after accidentally setting an innocent civilian on fire. A drug kingpin is on trial, and a key witness needs to be escorted to Dallas. His wife is accompanying him, and laws require a female escort. Mrs. Riva (Vergara) and Cooper run for their lives in a convertible. Sofía Vergara, a Colombian-inspired actress, is a force of nature, gorgeous, hilarious, and ridiculous. When Officer Cooper pieces something together, Mrs. Riva calls her "a Meester Cherlox Homes." The chemistry between the stars is a must-see, and the film has the potential to be a masterpiece. Hot Pursuit is a predictable, hokey, retrograde comedy that features a pair of cops, Mrs Riva and Cooper, who are both trying to fit unrealistic ideals. The film also touches on dirty detectives and settling old scores, but this is shunted aside for more urgent business. The characters cover themselves in a deer carcass to escape a police roadblock and pretend to be quadruped. When a cloud of cocaine accidentally blasts in Witherspoon's face, she hops around like a lunatic in a truck stop, claiming they may need to catch their own food. The timing of the film is not the most clever, but it's great to see her go all out. The writers go all-in on Vergara saying things in Spanish that sound dirty, and a lengthy bit playing up faux lesbianism for the male gaze does not connect. However, Reese Witherspoon delivers the Heimlich maneuver to a dog just two minutes later, making it a great laugh. The film is a shame similar to getting drunk at the office Christmas party, but it's a testament to the joy of campy romps that don't lead to hangovers. "Hot Pursuit" is a comic-filled film that begins with a double murder scene, setting the tone for the film. The characters, Witherspoon and Vergara, spend a lot of energy and time insulting each other's personal appearances, only to outwit the bad guys who want to kill them through guilt power. The funniest part is the most biologically graphic scene, where the duo convince their potential assassins to grant them a bathroom break by describing human female menstruation in detail. However, Powerful Sisterhood consistently eludes Cooper and Daniella, as the script's too-busy plot twists compel Vergara's redeemable Bad Girl to repeatedly stabbing Cooper in the back. The energy, commitment, and good will displayed by the lead performers are the movie's only redeeming quality. Critics compare their interaction to that of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, old-school comic performers who starred in a series of "Road" movies. Despite the lack of substance, the film's story carpentry allows the top dogs to riff, unlike the "Hot Pursuit" set up that was found offensive.

Taken (I) (2008)

The king of Thrillers

[9/10 · 30 April 2024]

Liam Neeson stars in Taken, a film about an ex-spy divorcé who tries to make up for years of parental neglect to his daughter, Maggie Grace. The film follows Maggie's journey to Europe, specifically Paris, where she is kidnapped by Albanian gangsters who plan to sell her victims to Arabs for white-girlie sex. Maggie's father, a paranoid parent and towering xenophobe, is right that a young Caucasian girl is prey to every godless, sex-mad, drug-pushing foreigner. Even his French-spy buddy, Jean-Claude, is not reliable in helping her. Taken is a risible male-re-empowerment fantasy set in a world where a fatal headshot and rescue from a life of inter-racial rape is the best way to win back Maggie's heart. The film features a brutal and violent portrayal of a father who is determined to make amends for his past neglect. The film is a risible male-re-empowerment fantasy that should not be considered for viewers. Taken is a film directed by Liam Neeson, starring Liam Neeson as a divorced father and special-ops superhero who proves his love for his teenage daughter while also exposing her stepfather. The movie begins when the daughter is abducted by sex traffickers in Paris, leading Neeson to become angry and cosplay with Frenchmen, Albanians, and Arab sheiks. The film is slick, dubious, and morally bankrupt, with a scene where Neeson presides over a sex auction, saving the daughter as "the best 'til last" and sparking a bidding war among the pervert connoisseurs. "Taken" portrays Bryan Mills as a skilled CIA agent who would have been an American prisoner since September 2001. Mills is a master of various skills, including laser-eyed, sharpshooting, and karate-fighting. He lives in Los Angeles, enjoying steaks with old CIA friends and spending time with his 17-year-old daughter, Kim. Kim lives with Mills' ex-wife and her wealthy husband, who gives Kim a thoroughbred as a birthday present. The film highlights the skill of CIA agents like Mills in capturing and capturing terrorists. "Taken" raises questions about the existence of secret clubs or covens of wealthy white men who despoil innocent women in perversity. The movie proves that Liam Neeson can bring credibility to most roles and that co-writer Luc Besson, whose actioner-assembly line produced the film, turns out high-quality trash, sometimes even better. The film demonstrates that if you can't wait for the next Bourne thriller, you don't have to.