This Is a Movie Review: Monster Trucks

January 11, 2017

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monster-trucks-movie-lucas-till-creech-smile

This review was originally published on News Cult in January 2017.

Starring: Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Barry Pepper, Thomas Lennon, Danny Glover, Rob Lowe

Director: Chris Wedge

Running Time: 104 Minutes

Rating: PG for Mild Supernatural Danger

Release Date: January 13, 2017

Have you guys seen the poster for Monster Trucks? I mean, have you seen it?!

A quiet squid-like creature from the bottom of a lake wanders into a junkyard, where he practically becomes an automobile-fish hybrid as he finds shelter in the monster truck built by high school senior Tripp (Lucas Till). This could very easily be the setup for a horror movie in the vein of Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the character design of the squid-thing (dubbed “Creech” by Tripp) is kind of disturbing: long gooey tentacles and a full set of sharp, ever-present teeth. Plus, he subsists on oil, which suggests a sort of Chekhov’s Flammability that is commented upon but never delivered.

But this is indeed a Nickelodeon movie and not a classic Universal monster movie, and it bears the hallmarks of many a kids movie. There are the adults playing teenagers (Till is 26 and could pass for 30, while his tutor/love interest Jane Levy actually makes for a convincing high schooler even though she’s a year older), which is especially exacerbated by all the age-appropriate extras. There is the evil corporation whose actions set the creature loose in the first place and practically owns the whole town. There is the absentee father, plus an authority figure (Barry Pepper as Sheriff Rick) serving as Mom’s (Amy Ryan) new boyfriend. And of course there is the whole “boy and his pet” vibe between Tripp and Creech, with E.T. as a clear supernatural precedent.

Monster Trucks is worth watching if you ironically or genuinely appreciate all entries in this genre, and this particular example is due to spark unusual enthusiasm because that poster image of CreechTruck is just so striking. Does the film live up to that promise? Yes, but only in fits and starts. This is basically Fast and the Furious, Jr., and thus there are a few transcendently gravity-defying moments of Creech and his crew flying through the air. But there is weirdly little time spent freaking out over how strange this whole situation is. Most characters accept Creech’s existence remarkably quickly, which is frankly a sign of maturity. And in fact this movie is rather adult in a lot of ways. That is true in terms of the good (the acting is strong across the board – Levy is her typical delightful self, half of Thomas Lennon’s career is as a ringer in assembly line crap, and Rob Lowe is perfect, though underutilized, as the face of corporate evil), the bad (Creech has as much of a knack for collateral structural damage as any superhero), and the underwhelming, which this not-bizarre-enough head-scratcher all too often is.

Monster Trucks is Recommended If You Like: The Fast and Furious series but wish it were more kid-friendly, Mac and Me, the Evil Dead remake

Grade: 2.5 out 5 Twentysomethings Playing Teenagers

This Is a Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

January 8, 2017

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fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-core-four

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has basically three elements on offer: the beasts, the evils of wizardry, and the magician/No-Maj relations. The beasts are generally fine, not especially super-duper, but there is a fun payoff at the end. The fight against evil is thoughtful, though not fully satisfying, because it is obviously built to last into sequels.

But those relations between magical and non-magical folk are where Fantastic Beasts has the most of value to say. Wizards are boogeymen obviously meant as metaphorical stand-ins for immigrants. That has been a big theme for J.K. Rowling since the beginning of her career.

In this particular case, it is most intriguing in the example of Queenie (Alison Sudol) and Jacob (Dan Fogler), a witchy/no-maj combo whose chemistry is off the charts, though any pairing between them is forbidden by American wizarding laws that shun such fraternization. Their story reminds me of the interracial real-life couple at the heart of Loving insofar it makes me declare, “Let love conquer all!”

I give Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 7 Pieces of Collateral out of 10 Bakeries.

This Is a Movie Review: Toni Erdmann

January 1, 2017

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toni-erdmann

The German comedy Toni Erdmann focuses on the relationship between Ines Conradi (Sandra Hüller), an ambitious, high-strung business consultant and her dad Winifried (Peter Simonischek), a music teacher who can apparently take off as much time off as he pleases. Winifried is worried that Ines has lost all the joy in her life, so he deploys his persona disguise known as “Toni Erdmann” (complete with fake teeth and Tommy Wiseau-style wig and sunglasses) to subtly invade her professional life. She is at first unsurprisingly horrified (though she does passively-aggressively play along a little bit), but eventually he wins her over and she hugs him with all her love and gratitude.

I know what you’re thinking: “Another Manic Pixie Dream Dad movie?!” Here it is important to note a crucial difference between MPDD and the OG MPD Girl: the calculus is very different when the relationship is not romantic. Winifried’s entire purpose in the film can be making Ines discover how to enjoy life because fulfilling that role is part of the parental instinct. He has known her whole life, so he should have some idea what can lift her spirits. In conclusion, Toni Erdmann is kind of like if in the future Louise from Bob’s Burgers happens to forget her sense of humor and good old dad Bob Belcher has to intervene and remind her of what makes her happy.

I give Toni Erdmann 9 Tommy Wiseau’s out of 10 Europeans.

This Is a Movie Review: Assassin’s Creed

January 1, 2017

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assassins-creed-movie

In Assassin’s Creed the Movie, Marion Cotillard sends Michael Fassbender into the past by having him inhabit an ancestor of his. In premise and execution, it’s a lot like Wolverine being transported to his younger self in X-Men: Days of Future Past. So watching this movie gives me a sense of “Been there, done that” but also “This can be done well.” Also encouraging: the intricacies implied by the secret societies and the prison-like facility that is supposedly not really a prison. There are some sci-fi mystery concepts worth exploring here.

Unfortunately about halfway through, Assassin’s Creed confirms that it will not buck the trend of unimpressive video game adaptations. Plot developments, pieces of mythology, and new characters are introduced with little, if any, explanation. I suppose if you play the games you might have some semblance of understanding, but I have my doubts that such comprehension would actually improve anything.

I give Assassin’s Creed 200 “Why Are They in This’s?” out of 500 Shadowy Figures.

2016: A Year at the Movies

January 1, 2017

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jeffrey_malone_with_umbrella_in_front_of_star_trek_beyond_poster

(Included with the list of titles are grades, dates, showtimes, theatre locations, and folks I saw the movies with.)

Keepin’ it 100: I saw more movies in the theaters in 2016 than I did in any other calendar year.

1. The Good Dinosaur – B- (1/6, 12:45 PM, Regal United Artists Oxford Valley, Langhorne, PA; Walter Wojcik)
2. The Forest – C+ (1/7, 7:15 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens – A- (1/9, 3:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Pat Dansbury)
4. Concussion – B- (1/14, 6:35 PM, Oxford Valley; Mary Claire Dansbury)
5. Daddy’s Home – C (1/18, 9:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
6. Room – B+ (1/25, 6:40 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
7. Joy – B (1/27, 3:20 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
8. The Boy – B- (1/31, 9:10 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
9. The Revenant – B (2/2, 2:30 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
10. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – B- (2/4, 7:50 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
11. Hail, Caesar! – B+ (2/4, 9:50 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
12. 45 Years – B- (2/8, 3:30 PM, AMC Empire, New York, NY; myself)
13. Carol – B+ (2/11, 1:25 PM, Angelika Film Center, New York, NY; myself)
14. The Witch – A (3/3, 8:00 PM, Regal Union Square, New York, NY; myself)
15. Zoolander 2 – C+ (3/3, 9:50 PM, Union Square; myself)
16. Knight of Cups – B- (3/10, 12:00 PM, Landmark Sunshine, New York, NY; Rob Malone)
17. 10 Cloverfield Lane – B+ (3/14, 8:15 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
18. Creative Control – B+ (3/17, 7:30 PM, Landmark Sunshine; myself)
19. Midnight Special – A- (3/18, 4:40 PM, Union Square; myself)
20. Deadpool – C+ (3/25, 7:50 PM, AMC Neshaminy, Bensalem, PA; Walter Wojcik)
21. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – C- (4/1, 7:45 PM, Empire; Rob Malone)
22. Hardcore Henry – B (4/8, 7:50 PM, Regal United Artists Court Street, Brooklyn, NY; myself)
23. Zootopia – A- (4/8, 9:50 PM, Court Street; myself)
24. 2016 Tribeca Film Festival: Warped Speed Sci-Fi Shorts (4/18, 8:45 PM, Regal Battery Park, New York, NY; myself)
24a. Curve – B+
24b. The Tunnel – B
24c. The Last Journey of the Enigmatic Paul WR – B-
24d. Never Happened – B+
24e. Future Boyfriend – B+
24f. Reality + – A-
25. 2016 Tribeca Film Festival: Rebirth – B+ (4/20, 8:30 PM, Battery Park; myself)
26. 2016 Tribeca Film Festival: The Hunt for the Wilderpeople – B+ (4/21, 6:45 PM, Battery Park; myself)
27. 2016 Tribeca Film Festival: Nerdland – C- (4/24, 8:30 PM, Bow Tie Cinema, New York, NY; myself)
28. The Jungle Book – B (4/28, 2:00 PM, Court Street; myself)
29. Rifftrax Live: Time Chasers (5/5, 8:00 PM, Union Square; myself)
30. Green Room – A- (5/7, 7:55 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
31. Captain America: Civil War – B+ (5/8, 9:30 AM, Oxford Valley; Bob and Sue Malone)
32. The Lobster – A- (5/16, 7:00 PM, Angelika; Rob Malone, Erin McGill, and Andrew Parrish)
33. X-Men: Apocalypse – B+ (5/28, 8:00 PM, Union Square; myself)
34. Keanu – B- (6/1, 7:50 PM, Union Square; myself)
35. The Nice Guys – B+ (6/2, 1:30 PM, Court Street; myself)
36. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping – B (6/3, 9:45 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)
37. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising – B (6/10, 7:50 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
38. The Conjuring 2 – B+ (6/10, 10:15 PM, AMC Loews 34th Street, New York, NY; myself)
39. King Jack – B+ (6/11, 9:10 PM, Cinema Village, New York, NY; myself)
40. Little Sister – B+ (6/17, 9:45 PM, BAM Rose Cinemas, Brooklyn, NY; Rob Malone and Marie Bardi)
41. Finding Dory – B (6/18, 9:00 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)
42. Now You See Me 2 – C (6/23, 7:35 PM, Regal E-Walk, New York, NY; myself)
43. The Shallows – B+ (6/23, 9:45 PM, E-Walk; myself)
44. Swiss Army Man – B (6/24, 8:20 PM, Union Square; myself)
45. Wiener-Dog – B (6/25, 8:30 PM, Angelika; myself)
46. Me Before You – B- (6/29, 9:20 PM, Union Square; myself)
47. The Neon Demon – A- (7/1, 7:30 PM, Angelika; myself)
48. The Purge: Election Year – B- (7/2, 10:15 PM, Neshaminy; Walter Wojcik)
49. The BFG – B- (7/8, 8:20 PM, E-Walk; myself)
50. Rifftrax Live: MST3K Reunion (7/12, 7:30 PM, Union Square; myself)
51. Ghostbusters (2016) – B- (7/15, 8:00 PM, The Pavilion Theater, Brooklyn, NY; Evan Cardona and Maya Bee-Fairy)
52. Captain Fantastic – B+ (7/16, 8:30 PM, Landmark Sunshine; myself)
53. Lights Out – A- (7/22, 7:20 PM, Court Street; myself)
54. Star Trek Beyond – B in RPX (7/23, 9:00 PM, E-Walk; myself; also 7/30, 3:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone, Rob Malone, and Erin McGill)
55. Nerve – B+ (8/4, 7:35 PM, Union Square; myself)
56. Florence Foster Jenkins – B (8/13, 6:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Pat Dansbury)
57. Café Society – B- (8/14, 4:15 PM, Princeton Garden Theater, Princeton, NJ; Kaity Malone)
58. Rifftrax Live: Mothra (8/18, 8:00 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
59. Don’t Breathe – B+ (8/25, 7:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
60. Indignation – B (8/31, 5:25 PM, Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, New York, NY; Kaity Malone)
61. Sausage Party – B- (9/2, 7:50 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
62. Suicide Squad – C- (9/2, 10:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
63. Don’t Think Twice – B+ (9/7, 7:10 PM, BAM Rose Cinemas; myself)
64. Morgan – C+ (9/12, 6:50 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
65. Blair Witch – B- (9/15, 7:30 PM, Union Square; myself)
66. Sully – B (9/18, 1:30 PM, AMC Empire; Kaity Malone)
67. Kubo and the Two Strings – B- (9/29, 6:50 PM, Union Square; myself)
68. The Magnificent Seven (2016) – B (9/30, 7:30 PM, Union Square; Rob Malone, Erin McGill, and Gabby Nadig)
69. Masterminds – B- (10/1, 7:40 PM, Court Street; myself)
70. Shin Godzilla – B- (10/5, 8:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
71. The Girl on the Train – B (10/7, 4:50 PM, Union Square; Kaity Malone)
72. Ouija: Origin of Evil – B+ (10/21, 7:40 PM, Court Street; myself)
73. Keeping Up with the Joneses – C+ (10/21, 9:45 PM, Court Street; myself)
74. Doctor Strange – B+ (10/26, 11:00 AM, AMC Empire; myself)
75. Always Shine – B (10/26, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
76. Rifftrax Live: Carnival of Souls (10/27, 8:00 PM, Union Square; myself)
77. Loving – B+ (10/31, 10:00 AM, Magno Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
78. The Handmaiden – B+ (11/3, 8:20 PM, Alamo Drafthouse, Brooklyn, NY; myself)
79. Paterson – B (11/7, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
80. Arrival – A- (11/7, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
81. Rules Don’t Apply – C+ (11/10, 6:30 PM, E-Walk; Rob Malone)
82. Manchester by the Sea – B+ (11/14, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
83. The Edge of Seventeen – B (11/15, 10:00 AM, Magno Screening Room; myself)
84. 20th Century Women – B- (11/16, 12:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room; myself)
85. Allied – B (11/17, 6:30 PM, AMC Loews 34th Street; Rob Malone)
86. Hidden Figures – B (11/21, 6:30 PM, E-Walk; Kaity Malone)
87. Jackie – A- (12/1, 6:00 PM, Fox Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
88. Elle – B+ (12/2, 7:15 PM, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn; myself)
89. Nocturnal Animals – A- (12/3, 8:05 PM, Angelika; Kaity Malone)
99. Why Him? – B (12/5, 7:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
91. La La Land – A- (12/6, 2:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room; myself)
92. Hacksaw Ridge – B (12/7, 7:10 PM, AMC Loews 34th Street; myself)
93. Moonlight – B+ (12/8, 6:15 PM, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn; myself)
94. Moana – B (12/9, 7:50 PM, E-Walk; myself)
95. A Monster Calls – B- (12/12, 3:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
96. Passengers – B- (12/14, 4:00 PM, AMC Lincoln Square, New York, NY; myself)
97. Patriots Day – B+ (12/14, 7:00 PM, AMC Loews 34th Street; myself)
98. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – B- (12/16, 8:00 PM, Union Square; Rob Malone, Erin McGill, and Blake LaRue)
99. It’s a Wonderful Life (12/19, 7:00 PM, IFC Center, New York, NY; Rob Malone, Erin McGill, and Orlando Ollier)
100. Assassin’s Creed – C- (12/27, 7:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
101. Toni Erdmann – B+ (12/30, 8:00 PM, Film Forum, New York, NY; myself)

Best Movies of 2016

December 31, 2016

jmunney Best in Film 2016, Best of 2016, Cinema , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

This ranking was originally posted on News Cult in December 2016.

Yes, it’s another best movies of the year list, which you are reading perhaps because you know me personally. Or maybe you don’t know me in the flesh, but you follow my writing and want to keep up with my opinions regardless of how much you agree or disagree with them. Or it could be that you have stumbled upon this article by sheer happenstance. In that case, I shall do best to steer you straight.

Is this list more “right” than any other critic’s? It is certainly correct in the sense that it has come from a place of honesty. I feel enthusiastic about these films, and so I have decided to say to the world, “This is my interpretation. Perhaps you will feel the same.”

Enjoy!

10. 10 Cloverfield Lane
An anthology-style cinematic universe grows into itself in its second chapter. Mary Elizabeth Winstead finds herself in a bunker under the iron fist of John Goodman, giving the performance of his career. A drum of acid is even scarier than the monsters supposedly outside. Our pulses adapt to the rhythm of the thrills.

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This Is a Movie Review: 20th Century Women

December 27, 2016

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20th-century-women-cast

This review was originally published on News Cult in December 2016.

Starring: Annette Bening, Lucas Jade Zumann, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup

Director: Mike Mills

Running Time: 118 Minutes

Rating: R for Frankness When It Comes to Sexuality and Drug Use

Release Date: December 28, 2016 (Limited)

In this semi-autobiographical effort from writer/director Mike Mills (Beginners, Thumbsucker), Dorothea (Annette Bening) is a single mom struggling to raise her son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) by herself in 1970s Southern California. The idea that she is struggling mostly comes from her own neurotic self. But regardless of how accurate her worries are, she decides to enlist the help of some of the women in her life in the making of Jamie into a man. Her cadre includes Abbie (Greta Gerwig), a wayward boarder at Dorothea’s house, and Julie (Elle Fanning), a plainly independent teenager prone to sneaking into Jamie’s bedroom (but not doing much else once she gets there). Also on hand is the rugged and sensitive William (Billy Crudup), another boarder.

Your appreciation of 20th Century Women will likely depend on how much you can relate to this living situation, whether via experience or imagination. For me personally, I could not connect with it too deeply because I found the relationships between the main characters ever-so-slightly off-putting. They do not lack for affection, and they are thoroughly observed, but they are uncomfortable in a way that makes this film easier to merely appreciate rather than embrace.

There are a couple elements that I do want to praise without qualification. The film often evokes a dreamy, hazy quality that evokes the liberal atmosphere of the time. Splashes of vibrant color are strewn across the screen, and montages of major incidents ramp up the intensity via manipulation-of-time editing techniques. Then there is the dinner scene, in which everyone in attendance suddenly finds themselves tasked with teaching Jamie the proper way to sexually please a woman. Crudup delivers a soon-to-be-classic line of sage wisdom on that topic (don’t watch the trailer if you don’t want to be spoiled), and those who see 20th Century Women will never be the same again.

20th Century Women is Recommended If You Like: Beginners, The Kids Are All Right

Grade: 3 out of 5 Billowy Shirts

This Is a Movie Review: Paterson

December 26, 2016

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paterson-adam-driver

This review was originally published on News Cult in December 2016.

Starring: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Nellie the English Bulldog

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Running Time: 118 Minutes

Rating: R for Language Apparently, But I Don’t Remember Anything Particularly Harsh

Release Date: December 28, 2016 (Limited)

In Paterson, the latest from director Jim Jarmusch (Dead Man, Ghost Dog, Broken Flowers), Adam Driver plays a bus driver named Paterson in Paterson, NJ who writes poetry in between his routes. Maybe that sounds way boring to you, or maybe it sounds very lovely. Either way, this film will most likely not change your mind. But I urge those who are skeptical to give it a chance. The multiplex culture of cinema dictates that high-intensity action must be going on at all times, which relegates films like Paterson to a ghetto in which they can only be appreciated by “arthouse” nerds. But any living human being can find value in taking the time to appreciate the rhythms of daily life as realized by Jarmusch and Driver.

In addition to driving his routes and writing his verses, Paterson spends his days at home with his supportive wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), who encourages him to publish his poems. (It helps a great deal that we can actually agree with Laura in regards to the high quality of her husband’s literary skills.) He also walks his bulldog Marvin to a local bar and gets a drink alongside some crazy characters. They are not sitcom-grade stereotypes, but real people, you know? But some sitcom-worthy shenanigans do go down, y’all.

Driver’s intense sensitivity (or is that sensitive intensity?) anchors the whole proceedings. As much as I believe in the power of reflective, low-stakes cinema in and of itself, it requires an especially magnetic actor to be particularly worthwhile. Driver is proving himself to be the type of performer who can make anything compelling. What he can accomplish just by listening is evident when he has a chance encounter with a Japanese tourist who also loves poetry. That scene is the apotheosis of Paterson’s entire purpose.

A final note: special recognition must be given to Nellie, the later canine actor who portrays Marvin in a gender-bending performance that was good enough to win the Palm Dog Award at the last Cannes Film Festival.

Paterson is Recommended If You Like: Free Verse

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Sensitive Man Poems

This Is a Movie Review: Hidden Figures

December 23, 2016

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hidden-figures-janelle-monae-taraji-p-henson-octavia-spencer

This review was originally published on News Cult in December 2016.

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Kirsten Dunst

Director: Theodore Melfi

Running Time: 126 Minutes

Rating: PG for the Everyday Realities of Racism

Release Date: December 25, 2016 (Limited), Expands Nationwide January 6, 2017

Hidden Figures tells the true stories of African-American mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who were essential employees to NASA during the Space Race. Let me reiterate: this is a TRUE story, but somehow these ladies are not an iconic part of the fabric of American history. Surely, there is institutional sexism and racism at play here, but less insidiously, there is also the fact that most workers at NASA who remained on the ground are not household names. But also, come on! – Katherine Johnson was John Glenn’s trusty confidant, relying on her for accurate calculations during his time in the stars.

As Hidden Figures kicks off, we know we are in good hands. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe (Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson, respectively) are stuck on the side of the road due to a broken-down car while on their way to work. I think I speak for most of humanity when I say I would happily watch these ladies just hang out and do anything. The white Virginia traffic cop who pulls up to inspect their situation apparently feels the same way. This scene looks like it is about to play out like a typical example of civil rights-era Southern racism, but instead the officer is impressed that these ladies know their science and offers them an escort service.

This is how much of the film plays out. The racism and sexism these “hidden figures” experience are institutional and not personal except insofar as any instance of discrimination is personal. Everyone in this story wants to see America succeed above the clouds, and these women meet resistance only when their efforts get in the way of standard practice. For Henson, that means a hilarious/heartbreaking routine of racing 20 minutes each way across the NASA campus to the nearest colored restroom. Indignities like these are eventually beaten into submission, and the crowd-pleasing meter is constantly at its highest level.

I would be remiss not to mention the wholesome and sweet love story between Katherine, a single mother widower, and her second husband Jim. I don’t know if the real-life Johnsons are as gorgeous as Taraji P. Henson and Mahershala Ali, but I am convinced that they must have been. Otherwise, Henson and Ali are miracle workers.

Hidden Figures is the sort of movie that you take your mother to see because you know she is going to love it. It is also the type of movie whose relatively unambitious filmmaking techniques you might criticize, or at least excuse. But in the case of a story as inspiring as this one, that feels unnecessarily petty. Hidden Figures does not gussy itself up, because it will be inspiring even without all the frills. Besides, putting on such airs would be anathema to its humble origins.

Hidden Figures is Recommended If You Like: Apollo 13, A League of Their Own, The Help

Grade: 3.75 out 5 Hammers to Racism

 

This Is a Movie Review: A Monster Calls

December 22, 2016

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A MONSTER CALLS (2016) Conor (Lewis MacDougall) and The Monster (performed and voiced by Liam Neeson)

This review was originally published on News Cult in December 2016.

Starring: Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Liam Neeson, Toby Kebbell

Director: J.A. Bayona

Running Time: 108 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for Not Watering Down the Rough Patches in Life

Release Date: December 23, 2016 (Limited), Expands Nationwide January 6, 2017

In the fantasy/domestic drama A Monster Calls, adolescent Conor O’Malley (Lewis McDougal) must deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) terminal illness, his grandmother’s (Sigourney Weaver) overbearing presence, a classmate’s (James Melville) frequent torments, and the geographical distance from his father (Toby Kebbell). In the midst of all this arises a humanoid tree visitor (voiced by Liam Neeson) from the cemetery by his house. Is this monster a friend offering relief, or a foe busting in with more troubles? Hard to say. What he does have are stories, but their meanings are either difficult to parse or not as comforting as Conor would like.

A Monster Calls is admirably challenging for a film ostensibly aimed at family audiences. The laws of nature are likely to make the life of any teenage boy turbulent, and that difficulty is piled on via his parents’ separation, mother’s closeness to death, and the oppressive dreariness of England. A more typical “fantasy creature meets boy” story would position the monster as protector or companion, but for Conor the Liam Neeson Tree is mostly a source of frustration, which he internalizes and takes out on those around him – destroying a room at his grandmother’s in a fit of rage, getting back at the bully – and the consequences are confoundingly minimal. Conor expects to be punished, but life does not always make sense.

Making A Monster Calls difficult to embrace fully are the unpleasant sound effects that accompany every movement of the tree monster. They are, in a word, oppressive. Perhaps they are meant to illustrate the lack of comfort inherent in Conor’s story, but that strikes me as a step too far.

A Monster Calls is Recommended If You Like: The BFG, The Mother-Son Relationship from The Babadook, Kid Actors with Fiery Emotions

Grade: 3 out of 5 Snapping Tree Branches

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