This Is a Movie Review: Blair Witch

September 17, 2016

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Alas, Blair Witch does not reinvent the found-footage wheel. But perhaps it was unfair for me to ever expect it to. Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett’s previous genre-bending work on You’re Next and The Guest primed me to think it would, as did the hot buzz from early screenings. But nothing about the film itself ever made such a promise. The lack of that particular ambition may hold it back from being a masterpiece, but I cannot fairly call it a failing. What Blair Witch actually cares to do, it mostly does well. It has a fine grip on temporal and spatial disorientation, plus a killer sequence involving claustrophobia. But ultimately, the arrangement of scares is too haphazard for a film that really could have benefited from an overarching through line. It flirts with a summary thesis on terror, but it does not quite get there.

I give Blair Witch 3 Witchy Pranks out of 5 Circular Walks.

This Is a Movie Review: Morgan

September 14, 2016

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morgan-2016

I missed the first 10 minutes of Morgan (train traffic), but I think I got the gist: the titular artificial human being randomly attacks one of the scientists who created her, and now it must be decided what to do. This is not groundbreaking as far as sci-fi premises go, but it offers a sizable sandbox to play around with fruitful ideas. Unfortunately, much of the movie is spent on characters discussing vague relationship drama instead of exploring this speculative field of study. Eventually, it does get going, evolving into a fairly involving tête-à-tête between Anya Taylor-Joy (Morgan) and Kate Mara (the risk assessor).

It all culminates in a twist ending that some people may see coming from a mile away. I didn’t figure it out until about five minutes before it was revealed, mostly because I wasn’t trying to figure it out. When I assess the quality of twist endings, I ask: does keeping this information hidden from the audience add, or meaningfully alter, anything? In this case, it feels adequately appropriate, as it makes the audience and the characters equally in the dark. But that is pretty much the bare minimum, and Morgan in general only accomplishes the bare minimum of what it seems primed to do.

I give Morgan an “It could have used a lot more Paul Giamatti, but also in a way that made sense.”

This Is a Movie Review: Don’t Think Twice

September 14, 2016

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dont-think-twice

As someone adjacent to the entertainment industry, a film like Don’t Think Twice feels oddly intimate, and I think that is just the way it likes it. Several of the actors are acquaintances or friends of friends of mine, and the improv-devoted characters they play are close enough to the real thing, such that I feel confident saying, “It all works out in the end.” Thankfully, Mike Birbiglia and his film believe that as well.

I give Don’t Think Twice 3 Healthy Perspectives on an SNL Stand-In out of 4 Bouts of Darkness.

This Is a Movie Review: Suicide Squad

September 3, 2016

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Suicide Squad

There were so many hands on the final edit of Suicide Squad, so it is no surprise that it is as disjointed as it is. At least this makes it fascinatingly ridiculous, but only for the first half or so. The classic rock jukebox starts up, letting us know it is time to kick things off. Then a few minutes later, another headbanger picks up the tempo, letting us know it is time to kick things off. Then a little later, is it time to once again introduce our characters to the tune of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath? Why yes it is!

Once that pattern sputters out, what are we left with? A race to a fairly ordinary battle royale climax. Could Suicide Squad have found success with more focus? An artistic vision would have been clearer, but the bigger issue is more fundamental. The concept of assembling the worst of the worst to fend off the even worse is ridiculous, and Suicide Squad’s fatal flaw is that it never realizes that. There is not even yet a villain for the squad to fight as it is being formed. Once that adversary emerges, there is no legitimate reason why Batman, the Flash, or Wonder Woman is not available. This may sound like nitpicking, but with its unearned and inexplicable self-seriousness, Suicide Squad invites the criticism.

I take away half of Suicide Squad’s soundtrack, and ask it to reflect upon itself.

This Is a Movie Review: Sausage Party

September 3, 2016

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Sausage Party

The conventional wisdom on Sausage Party seems to be that the satire is surprisingly effective, but it could be even better without all the juvenile humor. I say the opposite is true. Jokes are the strong suit, and the message-mongering gets in the way. The film is certainly anti-religion, but ultimately concessions are made to the “all beliefs are bad” position. The trouble is, just about every character is a stereotype, which is not necessarily a problem in and of itself (poking at stereotypes is a fine comedic tradition), but when you want a nuanced message, the characters ought to be nuanced as well. When Sausage Party gets messy and metaphysical, it is looser, more comfortable, and more satisfying. Your mileage may vary on the humor value of a literal food orgy, but the creativity therein cannot be denied.

I give Sausage Party 5 ½ Franks in 8 Buns.

This Is a Movie Review: Indignation

September 3, 2016

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Indignation 2016

For anyone who is not an angry neurotic Jewish kid, exposure to Indignation (or, I’d imagine, just about any Philip Roth), is likely to result in severe culture shock. Why can’t Newark native Marcus (Logan Lerman) just enjoy sex without agonizing over it? And the dean (Tracy Letts) at his small Ohio college may be a blowhard, but why must he rebel against him with every fiber of his being? These are not criticisms, just observations. All of Marcus’ harrumphing and allergy to compromise, combined with his inability to fight back against true injustice (like his mother forbidding him to pursue a troubled classmate beguilingly played by Sarah Gadon), make for a small-scale, personal tragedy.

I give Indignation my respect and my sympathy.

This Is a Movie Review: Don’t Breathe

September 3, 2016

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Don't Breathe

The camera scans the entire house marked for robbery in Don’t Breathe, foreshadowing every possible twist and stumble. The motivations and character of the thieves and the victim are just as thoroughly examined, playing around with viewer sympathy in unambiguously ambiguous terms. Is Don’t Breathe making a statement about how crumbling metropolises like Detroit pit its residents against each other? The advantage of horror movies, especially ones as economical as this one, is that they do not need to underline this message for it to be effective. The genre thrills are professionally crafted, and the theses are there for the taking.

I give Don’t Breathe 2 Full-Lung Gasps per Minute.

This Is a Movie Review: Café Society

August 15, 2016

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Cafe-Society

Latter-day Woody Allen films have a tendency to use narration as a crutch to make their themes obvious and their plots overly clear. But somehow the voiceover of Café Society (courtesy of Allen himself) won me over. As the story moves away from the glitz of 1930s Hollywood towards the gangster-run business of New York, the compressed approach that results from the heavy narration allows the deadly violence to work as comedy. Indeed, Café Society works best when it focuses on Woody’s specialty of nihilist existentialism. (A conversation about fear of death, or lack thereof, is a highlight.) And with Jesse Eisenberg managing the best Woody Allen impression of any Woody avatar, the connections to the classics are enough to get by.

I give Café Society a B- in Jewish Philosophy 201.

 

This Is a Movie Review: Florence Foster Jenkins

August 15, 2016

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Meryl_Streep_Florence

It is hard to pin down Florence Foster Jenkins the film. Is it inspirational biopic, goofball comedy, relationship drama, tragedy, or even horror? Florence Foster Jenkins the woman is just as tricky. The true story of a tone-deaf singer who was celebrated as much as she was mocked is indeed a tonal challenge, and the result is confusing and fascinating in equal measure. This is hardly a surprise, as director Stephen Frears has a knack for transforming what initially seems like a simple prestige picture into something subtly challenging.

The performances embody the multifaceted whole. Meryl Streep alternately plays Jenkins as guileless and take-charge. It might be among her best performances, but it is so unusual for her that I can’t say for sure. As Jenkins’ husband, Hugh Grant is intensely loyal and intensely conflicted. And Simon Helberg (relishing the freedom from the stereotype-heavy Big Bang Theory) is a tic-filled delight as Jenkins’ pianist, won over by her charms despite the laughs he holds back and the worries for his reputation. Your reaction to her is likely to be just as mixed, in a good way.

I give Florence Foster Jenkins a hearty round of applause.

This Is a Movie Review: Nerve

August 5, 2016

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Nerve-movie

So many reviews of Nerve have compared the titular online reality game to Pokémon GO, and rightly so. Rarely does such a perfect real-world analogue serendipitously appear, and with such uncanny timing to boot. Obviously, the team behind Nerve could not have been unaware of the latest augmented reality sensation during production, but they end up so close to it because they are thoroughly attuned to the aesthetics of all the modern major online channels.

As a sort of mixed media collage, Nerve is somehow both disorienting and natural, which is how the adoption of new technology goes. The players of Nerve must film themselves performing their dares on their cell phones, which is both awkward (often dangerously so) and second nature.

The film zips along with just enough believability until its conclusion, when everyone suddenly develops superpowers. But while it falters plot-wise, it remains thematically strong (a sly moment of mass implication hits hard). This is an exaggerated world, but it feels unnervingly plausible. While Nerve goes down easy, it does not really let anyone off the hook.

I give Nerve $50,000, plus a $1,000 bonus for not bailing when it probably should have.

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