Does ‘Next Goal Wins’ Score Enough Goals of Its Own to Win the Game of Biopics?

November 13, 2023

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

#GOALS (CREDIT: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Searchlight Pictures)

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, Uli Latukefu, Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Rhys Darby, Chris Alosio, Lehi Makisi Falepapalangi, Semu Filipo, Ioane Goodhue

Director: Taika Waititi

Running Time: November 17, 2023

Rating: PG-13 for A Few Mean Comments and Some Boobs Drawn on Someone’s Face

Release Date: November 17, 2023 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: The Soccer Gods Must Be Crazy! That could be an alternate title for Next Goal Wins. How else to capture the kooky cosmic destiny that paired Coach Thomas Rongen with the American Samoan national team? Based on the 2014 documentary of the same name, Next Goal Wins finds Rongen and the Boys from the Territory at the lowest point in their respective careers. That experience is a little different for the two of them, though, as Rongen (Michael Fassbender) actually has some experience on winning sides, whereas American Samoa has never scored a single goal in any of their games. In fact, they’re most famous for losing 31-0 in a 2001 match to Australia, the most lopsided result in international soccer history. They’re desperate for anyone to help move them in a more promising direction, so Rongen ventures out over the Pacific to the tiny American territory. He’s got plenty to teach them, but his resentment at the world threatens to get in the way of all that.

What Made an Impression?: Deep Hurting: For a film positioning itself as an uplifting feel-good sports flick, Next Goal Wins sure is filled with a world of hurt. When he’s not with the team (and even sometimes when he is with them), Thomas spends much of his time numbing his pain with alcohol, or complaining on the phone to his estranged wife (Elisabeth Moss). He also listens to voicemails from his teenage daughter, whom he’s apparently unable to contact. (Some viewers might be able to sniff out exactly why that is before the full truth emerges.) It might seem counterintuitive to put so much agony in a crowdpleaser, but it’s actually kind of essential. A tragic backstory can go a long way towards winning over the audience, and Next Goal Wins would be pretty disposable without it.
Sneaky Trans Visibility: There are already plenty of hooks in Next Goal Wins‘ premise, so I certainly wasn’t expecting the story of a transgender player to make its way in there as well. But Jaiyah Saelua really is a member of American Samoan soccer who also happens to be the first openly non-binary and transgender woman to compete in a World Cup qualifier. Non-binary actor Kaimana plays Jaiyah as a bit of a ditz on the field who’s more concerned about making sure that she looks stylish rather than putting in a consistent effort. But she’s tough and unsparing when cornered, which is about what you would expect for someone who joined the team before transitioning and continued to play after coming out. In Samoan culture, she’s known as a “fa’afafine,” which refers to a third gender or non-binary identity. Jaiyah’s is a type of queer story that’s particular to this setting, so it could very well resonate with potential viewers who’ve yet to see this sort of possibility.
A Perfectly Fine Trifle: Ultimately, Next Goal Wins isn’t revolutionary in any way, but it has a fine grasp of what it’s doing. This is a unique true tale that is going to get the right audiences cheering along to every step of American Samoa’s rocky-but-quirky soccer journey. At times it might get a little too quirky, particularly when writer/director Taika Waititi shows up as a dippy local priest who also serves as a one-man Greek chorus. But if you’re in the mood for some gentle culture shock and straightforward redemption, then Next Goal Wins has you covered.

Next Goal Wins is Recommended If You Like: Cool Runnings, Young Rock, Miracle

Grade: 3 out of 5 Losses

‘Talk to Me’ Invites You to Talk to the Hand and Take a Death Trip

July 27, 2023

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Start talking (CREDIT: A24)

Starring: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen

Directors: Danny and Michael Philippou

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Rating: R for Bloody Possessions and Horny Dialogue

Release Date: July 28, 2023 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Let’s give ’em a hand! On second thought, maybe not. Especially if the hand in question is the one from Talk to Me, the feature directing debut from Australian brothers Danny and Michael Philippou. At first glance, it looks like a harmless, though creepy, piece of porcelain, with a bunch of handwritten messages all screwed across. But when you go in for a handshake and say “talk to me,” suddenly a pus-spewing spirit appears. Then when you add “I’ll let you in,” you’re suddenly possessed. It’s treated like a viral social media challenge, but of course it turns about as deadly as you might expect. Specifically, 17-year-old Mia (Sophie Wilde) takes it too far when she thinks she’s made contact with her mother Rhea (Alexandria Steffensen), who recently committed suicide. Her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) urges at least some semblance of caution, but the opposite is in store when her younger brother Riley (Joe Bird) ends up with a bloody body and a trapped soul.

What Made an Impression?: A New Vision: Horror audiences are perhaps the most seen-it-all breed of moviegoer in the multiplex. So it’s special when you stumble across something that really doesn’t feel like anything else you’ve ever encountered before. Talk to Me‘s individual components are familiar, from the young people foolishly meddling with the supernatural, to the trauma-filled backstory, to the visions that can’t be trusted. But it’s all combined into a package with a new, spruced-up veneer. Maybe it’s all those thick Aussie accents giving me fresh vibes. Or it’s probably that hand – it’s quite a hook!
Young, Dumb, and Very Dumb: Horror movie characters aren’t exactly known for their sensible decision-making, especially if they’re teenagers. But the kids in Talk to Me take it to another level. Every possible warning was there to convince them not to mess with the hand in the first place. A prologue presents an earlier chapter in which a previous handshaker ended up stabbing his own brother and killing himself. The current batch of kids are fully aware of this backstory. It’s not some urban legend, but a well-known cautionary tale. But there’s a certain rush to flirting with death, and they’re all onboard for the extreme risks. It doesn’t make it any less maddening to watch them put themselves in harm’s way, though.
Fully Uncompromising: Talk to Me is not for the faint of heart. It fully earns its R rating with faces stuffed into bloody pulps and unrelenting treatment from demented spirits. It’s of course no surprise for this genre to be as deadly as possible, but it’s still an accomplishment when the demises are as devastating as they are here. Mia and her crew are immature and in over their heads, but their sudden twists of fate are much crueler than they deserve. The Philippou brothers aren’t here to let you get comfortable, though. So make peace with your maker, because if you’re looking for relief, you’ll need to find it elsewhere.

Talk to Me is Recommended If You Like: Sinister, Final Destination, It Follows

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Hands