This Is a Movie Review: Me Before You

July 1, 2016

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MeBeforeYou

Me Before You is half romance, half euthanasia PSA. Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) is generally cold, but thoughtful towards the people he likes. Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) is cheery, but forceful. Thus, they are a perfect match, just so long as they can spend enough time to truly get to know each other. Alas, Will has been rendered paraplegic by an accident, and he is convinced that dying with dignity is his best option, so he sets about proving, in his own stubborn way, that he can treat his loved ones well as possible as he works to leave them behind. It is certainly not an easy message to swallow, but there is plenty of charm (watch out for the bumblebee tights) to make it a pleasant viewing experience.

Much of Me Before You involves characters getting to the bottom of things, which translates to a lot of scenes of looking at computer screens and reading books. These are particularly uncinematic activities, but Emilia Clarke does her best to overcome that. Her face acting is unreal. You have never seen someone process information as intensely as Louisa Clark does. It is even more striking than her fashion sense, which is, well, as striking as striking can be. It all adds up to an unusual mix of relentless, upbeat, and ominous. That’s basically a compliment.

I give Me Before You 6.5 Sessions of Physical Therapy out of 10 Overwhelming Outfits.

This Is a Movie Review: Wiener-Dog

June 26, 2016

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Wiener-Dog-Movie

Todd Solondz’ Wiener-Dog­ is a series of vignettes about a dachshund’s revolving set of owners: a contentious couple (Tracy Letts, Julie Delpy) and their sensitive, cancer-survivor son (Keaton Nigel Cooke); a new version of awkward Dawn Wiener (Greta Gerwig) from Solondz’ breakout Welcome to the Dollhouse; a hack film professor (Danny DeVito); and a regretful old woman (Ellen Burstyn). Typical for a Solondz film, each character suffers occasionally ugly physical and emotional upheaval, with the dachshund serving – as dogs do – as a conduit to all the trauma. That connection is also represented through her changing names, ranging from the charmingly literal (“Wiener-Dog”) to the unnervingly symbolic (“Cancer”). While Solondz’ approach is off-putting, his characters’ indignities are not necessarily unusual (save for a few instances that manage an uncanny mix of mundane and extreme). It is a low-key effort, with plenty of incisive moments about what it means to be human that manage to be comforting despite, or somehow because, of the darkness.

I give Wiener-Dog 3 Bones.

This Is a Movie Review: Swiss Army Man

June 25, 2016

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SWISS ARMY MAN (2016) Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano

Swiss Army Man is a lot like the recent X-Files episode, “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster,” in that a human-esque creature learns the rules that govern human civilization and then offers a rejuvenating perspective to a fully human companion. In this case, that creature is the corpse of Daniel Radcliffe,henceforth known as “Manny” (not unlike Rhys Darby as “Guy Mann”), whose presence revitalizes suicidal Hank (Paul Dano), most strikingly with the propulsive power of his flatulence. But there is so much more to Manny. He combines a blank slate, sophistication, and bluntness for a new form of wisdom. As Manny develops the ability to talk, his and Hank’s conversations tend toward the discomfort (both physical and social) of bodily urges and functions, but they are treated with the tenderness worthy of deeply connected friends. Swiss Army Man threatens to lift the veil of its fantasy, but it keeps its corpse fart-engine running, because magic exists.

I give Swiss Army Man 721 New Uses for the Human Body out of 1030 Possibilities.

This Is a Movie Review: The Shallows

June 24, 2016

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the-shallows

The premise for The Shallows – Blake Lively stuck on a rock while a hungry shark prowls around – sounds like a recipe for lean, no-frills horror. Alas, there are some frills, in the form of a fairly standard issue backstory. Lively plays Nancy, a med school student with some doubts about her life’s trajectory following the death of her mother, so she comes to surf at the remote Mexican beach that Mom visited while pregnant with her. These details are sort of superfluous, but they are well-deployed, explaining Nancy’s motivation and resourcefulness as she fights to survive. Plus, it gives director Jaume Collet-Serra plenty of opportunities to show off his knack for cinematizing mobile communication.

Most striking about The Shallows is the gorgeous cinematography, courtesy of Flavio Martínez Labiano. In addition to the gratuitous cheesecake shots, there are sublimely expansive vistas of the hills and shore overlooking the ocean. This beauty might feel out of place for a film whose m.o. is striking fear, but the widescreen quality is utilized smartly. Visuals that are initially life-affirming eventually serve to viscerally emphasize the isolation and long odds faced by Nancy.

For anyone worried about the implications of the MPAA’s ruling, rest assured that The Shallows is probably the goriest PG-13 movie I have ever seen. From Nancy’s improvised surgery on herself, to the fates that befall some of her would-be saviors, there are moments as intense as any of those from the most explicit creature features. The subgenre of Impossible Odds Thrillers exists to convince moviegoers they can survive life-or-death situations more than they ever thought possible. The Shallows is unrelenting in that belief.

Finally, everything you have heard about Blake Lively’s seagull co-star is true.

I give The Shallows 8 Reservoirs of Internal Strength out of 10 Expressions of Terror.

This Is a Movie Review: Now You See Me 2

June 24, 2016

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now-you-see-me-2

The first Now You See Me did not stick the landing so much as it hit the ground with a sledgehammer, by force of a twist ending that made one of its main characters much more psychotic than the film had any intention of grappling with. It was, in a word, breathtaking. Now You See Me 2 responds in kind with a similarly outrageous long con that is very much in keeping with the spirit of this series – that is to say: maddening, but weirdly satisfying if you have a high tolerance for insanity. The problem, however, is that this time there is not much to tide you over until that ending comes. Where the original had a silly but kinetic Robin Hood-style caper plot to run on, number 2 is a whole lotta lack of clarity.

I give Now You See Me 2 5 Acknowledgements of Its Sexism out of 10 Other Things It Should Have Also Been Doing.

This Is a Movie Review: Finding Dory

June 22, 2016

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finding_dory

A lot of sequels are unsuccessful due to wholly unnatural extensions of the original. Finding Dory has no such problem. Following the events of Finding Nemo, it only makes sense that the blue tang voiced by Ellen DeGeneres would want to swim across the ocean to find her parents. That predictability is definitely not a problem, but it does hold the film back from transcendence. It tightly follows an easily navigable pattern: complete this mission, move on to the next one. Not every plot development is predictable, but every resolution is. That is, except for a truly astounding ending that breaks all sense of believability. True, believability may not be the most important factor for the movies examining the Secret Life of Marine Animals, but one still expects limits. That is not a complaint, though. The entire film could have benefited from this go-for-broke mentality.

I give Finding Dory 5 out of 7 Septapus Legs.

This Is a Movie Review: Little Sister

June 22, 2016

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littlesister

Director Zach Clark’s Little Sister, which played as part of BAMcinemaFest 2016, captures the essence of childhood’s steady grip on young adulthood. In this particular case, the young adult is Colleen (Addison Timlin), a nun who gets back in touch with her teenage goth side when she returns to her parents’ home in North Carolina to visit her war hero brother, who was badly burned by an explosion in Iraq. The transformation from mistress of the night to mistress of God might sound like the kooky creation of a Hollywood screenwriter, but let me tell ya: as someone who went to a Catholic high school, I have witnessed a goth contingent among the faithful. Now, whether or not any of those girls went on to the abbey, I will have to admit my doubts. The point is, this premise is not that far a stretch from reality.

The film grapples with accepting life’s shortcomings when it does not live up to the assumptions and perceptions borne of inexperience. Grown children realize the extent of their parents’ drug use, a pending marriage is challenged by physical disfigurement, and an abbey struggles to fulfill its charity work when the mother superior’s car is unavailable longer than unexpected. Little Sister hits that sweet spot between oddness and familiarity.

I give Little Sister 2 Hugs out of 2.5 Drugs.

This Is a Movie Review: The Conjuring 2

June 12, 2016

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CONJURING-2-Old-Man

The Conjuring 2 tackles head on questions that hound nearly every supernatural horror movie:
-Why doesn’t the family just leave when they relize their house is haunted? (They do, immediately and hilariously. Plus, they are at the mercy of public housing.)
-How can only a few characters recognize the haunting when it is so often so obvious? (Little time is wasted with keeping anyone in the dark, and any skepticism that exists serves a purpose.)
-How do you make a horror sequel that still manages to surprise without alienating your audience? (Keep the same tone, while changing the nature of the beast.)

The next ghost hunting tale from the files of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) leaves Rhode Island behind for London. The thick-as-fog Enfield accents are impenetrable, but essential for pinpointing a sense of place and establishing The Conjuring 2 as its own thing. That sense of particularity serves the film well, especially when it seems to give away all of its tricks less than halfway through. This story could wrap up quite tidily, with the Warrens swooping in to exorcise the house and then promptly moving on their merry way. There is, after all, a whiff of “been there, done that,” with the character designs and demonic motivations quite similar to both the first film and director James Wan’s other supernatural horror series. But wisely, with a nagging sense that there is something else going on, there is a carrot stick promising further mysterious resolution. The ultimate twist is not mind-blowing, but it is far from insulting, and it is in keeping with this series’ m.o. of tension-building and catharsis.

There is also a goopy heart at the center of both Conjuring movies that make them a lot (legitimately) sweeter than any other horror movie. One may quibble with the real-life legitimacy of the Warrens’ methods, but the strength of their marriage is not up for debate. Their flirtatiousness is family-friendly, but playfully passionate. Farmiga and Wilson bring a lot of soul and verve to their performances; even though they are dealing with the wildest of life-and-death situations, they never lose their tenderness or their senses of humor. In conclusion: this is a perfectly scary horror movie that makes time for Patrick Wilson’s uncanny Elvis impression, and it plays that moment completely straight.

I give The Conjuring 2 10 Real Scares out of 8 Fake Out Scares That Turn Into Real Scares.

One more thing: Like the original, The Conjuring 2 is rated R essentially for how scary it is, which is kind of ridiculous. There is no sex, no gore (other than a few cuts and scrapes), and no naughty words. A legitimate case could be made for a mere PG.

This Is a Movie Review: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

June 12, 2016

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Neighbors2

Neighbors 2 is admirably feminist, though it only sporadically deploys that feminism into dynamic filmmaking. It is a sorority instead of a fraternity next door to new parents Mac and Kelly (Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne) this time, and neither side is really villainous. The adults just want their house to look good while they’re in escrow, and the college gals are taking a stand against the sexist Greek system. It is heartening to see a sisterhood embracing fun while rejecting degradation, but the dialogue that directly calls for gender equality is inelegant. As the three main sisters, Chloë Grace Moretz, Kiersey Clemons, and Beanie Feldstein all have their talents, but compellingly explaining exactly what they are doing is not one of them. The comedy is less constrained. For better or for most disturbing, it heads into outrageousness ethically, temperamentally, and geographically. In the end, it all somehow works out, believe it or not.

I give Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising 7 Jokes Involving a Dildo out of 10 Jokes Involving a Toddler.

This Is a Movie Review: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

June 12, 2016

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PopstarNeverStopNeverStopping

Interestingly enough, Popstar is not entirely concerned about crafting a surreal world of excessive celebrity ridiculousness. Nay, in fact, its primary purpose is adding a healthy dose of progressivism to the typical showbiz redemption story. Just consider what is perhaps the film’s most buzzworthy moment: Connor4Real (Andy Samberg) has been tricked into an attempted reconciliation with his Style Boyz bandmates. So far, so typical. As he brags about and demonstrates his female fans’ penchant to ask for mammary signatures, a male fan is actually flopping his member around, with Connor embarrassingly unaware until it is too late to politely decline the request. Popstar demands that the Connor4Real’s of the real music world put their money where their mouths are and not let their egos get in the way of endorsing civil rights.

The specialty of Samberg, Akiva Shaffer, and Jorma Taccone in Lonely Island mode is surreal surprise with just enough accessibility. That element is present in Popstar, but ultimately they are challenging themselves with something more (for lack of a better word) “real.” They do not sacrifice either element, making for an unwieldy tonal mix, and they could use some more idiosyncrasy in the telling of the narrative, but it is a valiant, valuable effort.

I give Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping 250 Stops and 750 Never Stops Out of 1000 Attempts.

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