Hocus Pocus 2

How about for something fun?

That something is Hocus Pocus 2, the sequel to Disney's 1993 supernatural cult classic. A lot has changed since the witchly Sanderson sisters - Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) - haunted the cineplexes. They now take to Disney Plus to run amuck, amuck, amuck ...

Moving on ...

It's Halloween in Salem. Becca (Whitney Peak) celebrates her birthday with her BFFs, Cassie (Lilia Buckingham) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo). It usually involves a bunch of, well, Hocus Pocus. But since Cassie now has a boyfriend, a doofus named Mike (Froy Gutierez), Becca and Izzy will have to do it alone. They get a special candle from Gilbert (Sam Richardson), their local magic shop guy. It's a Black Flame Candle, like the one that brought back the Sandersons last time, and sure enough, this one does too.

The Sandersons set out to steal the lifeforces of Salem's kids. They also plot to take revenge-by-proxy on Mayor Traske (Tony Hale), Cassie's dad and a descendent of the Reverend who drove them out of Salem. That involves casting a spell so dangerous that not even their living spellbook will let them read it. Becca and Izzy have to save Salem and reconcile with Cassie tonight. It's a bit easier since Becca is coming into her own witchly powers.

The stars are much older, but they haven't lost their charms. Midler, Najimy and Parker are having as much fun now as they did then as the laughably wicked coven. Their rediscovering the modern world (including a Sandersons costume contest) provides much hilarity. They're legitimately terrifying when they need to be, though. They also get some surprisingly endearing sisterly bonding time. Anyone who didn't grow up with the first movie will get their appeal in no time.

 

The film's prologue helps out a lot. Taylor Paige Henderson as young Winnie perfectly nails her older counterpart as she storms through Salem after rejecting an arranged marriage. One that even the Reverend (also Hale) and the arranged match are legitimately grateful that she did. It turns sufficiently dramatic when she and her sisters run off into the woods and meet their "Mother Witch" (Hannah Waddingham), who makes the most of her one scene. It's a strong distillation for what we're in for.

The film's actual protagonists are quite likable. Becca and her BFFs are put through a compelling arc as they reconnect. You'll be on edge as they try to outmaneuver the Sandersons. You'll cheer for them when they share in Becca's magic. Their final scene together is so nice when they walk a familiar walk. Gutierez, Hale and Richardson are delightfully goofy supporting players. Richardson shares his best scenes with returning zombie Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones).

I saw the first film back when it was new in theaters. Its opening aerial shot is such a vivid memory. That experience is perfectly replicated by Elliot Davis's similar opening shot. His cinematography gives the film's spooky locales their edge. The Sandersons' magical powers are both practical and CGI wonders. Mary's magical roombas make for the film's funniest surprise. Gilbert's flashback to the Sandersons' first defeat seamlessly blends new footage with the first film. John Debney's score is just as grand as his work on the first film. The Sandersons even get two musical numbers that'll make you yearn for a Broadway musical (like one that just got announced).

This is a good way to start the Halloween season. I haven't thought of Hocus Pocus that much in my adult life. But its sequel suddenly stirred some nostalgia for that movie. I'll bet Hocus Pocus 2 will work that spell on you whether you watched its originator yearly or not. Press play and find out. 

Blonde

 Marilyn Monroe was easy on the eyes, but her new biopic, Blonde, isn't. She suffers through nearly three hours of tragedy and abuse. Then there's the stuff that earned it an NC-17 rating. Shockingly enough, it's not that much of a slog to sit through.

Let me explain.

Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford) wrote and directed this adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates's fictionalized biography of Monroe (which also inspired a far tamer miniseries in 2001). Monroe - real name Norma Jeane Masterson - is played here by Ana de Armas. To cut to the chase, de Armas is why the film isn't a slog. She nails Marilyn's signature voice and never lets the audience lose their sympathy of her. That's essential for what she goes through.

In 1933, Norma Jeane lives with her abusive mother, Gladys (Julianne Nicholson). Norma Jeane is sent to an orphanage after Gladys tries to kill her one night. One montage later, she's Marilyn Monroe, famous model and soon-to-be movie star. She finds an open relationship with Charlie Chaplin Jr (Xavier Samuel) and Edward G. Robinson Jr (Evan Williams). She marries Joe DiMaggio (Bobby Cannavale), who abuses her, and later Arthur Miller (Adrien Brody), who's a bit condescending. All the while, Norma Jeane longs for her father (Tygh Runyon), whom she only saw a picture of as a girl.

Her father frequently writes to her throughout the film. His letters give her some needed hope. What else is there? She is raped by some prominent men, one of whom is JFK (Caspar Phillipson). Let's say the latter scene earns the film its rating. She also has an abortion they won't let her back down from. She grows disconnected from her real and fictional selves. Overall, the world overpowers her and her audience. A climactic twist concerning her father's letters is a punchline to a cruel joke. 

Dominik renders Marilyn's life as nightmarish. Gladys and Norma Jeane's escape from the Griffith Park Fire is apocalyptic. The premiere of Some Like It Hot is a delirious blur save for Joe E. Brown's last line. People crowd around like maniacs as they watch Marilyn film The Seven Year Itch. We also get some auditory scares, including an imagined conversation with Marilyn's second unborn child. Kudos to cinematographer Chayse Irvin and the sound team. On a lighter note, the film perfectly recreates the Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend number from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes so well I thought it was an actual film clip.

Marilyn finds some happiness with her husbands and lovers. Keyword, some. I'll take them as victories over the trauma conga line she endures in Blonde. Its star saves the film from being a miserable experience. Instead, it's a somewhat indifferent experience. But the climactic twist irks me the more I think about it. It's in theatres and Netflix now; anyone curious about it is welcome to the challenge. It's not for the feint of heart.

Don't Worry Darling

 Don't Worry Darling, it's only a movie.

This is perhaps the most anticipated film of the month. It's gotten a lot of press for having Harry Styles in top billing and his relationship with director and co-star Olivia Wilde. It also has a relatively secret plot involving dangerous suburbia. As Chris Pine's sinister Frank says, "I'm curious to see where [they're] going with this." 

Your curiosity shall be rewarded.

It's the 1950's. Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack Chambers (Styles) live in the town of Victory, run by the aforementioned Frank and his "Victory Project." What is the Victory Project? It's so important that Jack can't explain what it is. He and his fellow workers head off to the desert each day while their wives live in luxury. The only caveat is that they can't leave the city limits.

One of Alice's neighbors, Margaret (KiKi Layne), kills herself in front of her. But the VP guys tell Alice that Margaret tripped off the roof and lived. That and a few other occurrences lead Alice to question her reality. Meanwhile, Jack moves up the corporate ladder and he doesn't want Alice to make him look bad. The VP guys will do anything to keep their super-secret project super-secret. Alice has to find her way out of Victory on her own.

Shane and Carey Van Dyke (grandsons of Dick) share screen story credit with Katie Silberman, who wrote the film's actual screenplay. The film takes time in crumbling Alice's sense of reality; it's fitting that her first clue is a carton of yolkless eggs. Alice's hallucinations - and actual trauma - are legitimately creepy moments. The actual nature of the Victory Project makes all too perfect sense. It's not just in what it is, but what kind of men the VP guys really are. It's a bit overlong - apparent when Jack shows off some awkward dance moves at a VP party - but it buckles when Frank's yes-wife Shelley (Gemma Chan) turns on him with nary a clue. 

Pugh as Alice is compelling all the way through. It's fun to watch her initially happy life with Jack. We're as perplexed as she is as she confronts her crumbling reality. We're invested as she finds the means to escape her suburban nightmare. Styles as Jack is fairly likable through most of the picture. Once the twist hits, we realize how pitifully narrowminded he is. Pine is charismatic as Frank and Timothy Simmons is perfectly callous as VP's shrink Dr. Collins. Wilde's character Bunny is a good confidant for Alice whom we pity by the end. 

Victory is a special kind of town. It's so alluring and so perfect you'll be creeped out before the twist hits. That's how Katie Byron's production design rolls. The characters wear some dazzling period attire visualized by Arianne Phillips. But the red jumpsuits worn by VP's goons will sear into your mind. Matthew Libatique's surreal imagery is sure to bring back memories of his work in Black Swan. Editor Alfonso Goncalves shines during the finale when Alice fights her way out of Victory. It's all set to a perfectly unnerving score by John Powell.

Don't Worry Darling is an entertaining suburban nightmare. It's an intriguing mystery film visualized with outstanding technical flair. Its lead character will keep you captivated even when the story drags. At least it's only 123 minutes and not any longer. I'll leave you to decide where to see it. My theatre screening didn't aim its projector all the way on the screen. That left me with most of, but not all, of the big picture. Hopefully you'll have better luck if you choose the small screen option.

The Woman King

 The Woman King seems like a familiar story with historical women. That doesn't change the fact that it's a compelling action film about historical women. Let me explain why.

The aforementioned women are the Agojie, the all-female fighting force of the Dahomey Kingdom in present-day Benin. Their enemies are the Oyo Empire, who collaborate in the slave trade with the Europeans. As the film opens, General Nanisca (Viola Davis) leads her fellow Dahomey Amazons (as they're also called) to liberate Dahomey captives from Oyo slavers. The Dahomey and the Oyo look ready for war, so Nanisca has to train some new Agojie. 

Our heroine is Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a girl dumped at the palace by her father after she rejected far too many suitors (none of whom were nice). She is recruited into the Agojie by Nanisca's right-hand warrior, Izogie (Lashana Lynch). Her rebellious spirit infuriates the disciplined Nanisca. Nanisca, meanwhile, looks to persuade King Ghezo (John Boyega) to end the Dahomey's own slave trade. They'll have to hurry as Oyo's General Oba (Jimmy Odukoya) draws ever closer.

Gina Pryce-Bythewood (The Old Guard, The Secret Life of Bees) realizes a screenstory by Dana Stevens and Maria Bello. It has a romantic subplot between Nawi and Malik (Jordan Bolger), a Dahomean-Portugese man who can't abide with the slave trade like his friend, Santo (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), does. It's an ok subplot as Malik is a fairly likable man. There's a twist concerning Nawi and Nanisca that you'll realize well before they do. The denouement is quite familiar to anyone who's seen Mulan. It's got quite a few surprises waiting for you (including the Agojie's answer to the Oyo's demands). 

It helps that it has a strong ensemble. The Agojie are believable sisters-in-arms on and off the battlefield. We feel it right away as they mourn a fallen comrade from the opening battle. Izogie even greets a young onlooker as they return home. They further bond in sisterhood during the arduous training. The film efficiently gets Nawi into their sisterhood once it shows her established life. Her innovative thinking helps rout the Oyo. Nanisca's methods are harsh, but what she's experienced is worst. It's perhaps exemplified once they realize the aforementioned twist. It's devastatingly awkward. Let's say it involves General Oba, who is a perfectly detestable villain.

The Agojie themselves are sure to make one think of the Dora Milaje. They were indeed models for the Black Panther's bodyguards and costume designer Gersha Phillips dresses them in equally elaborate attire. Production Designer Akin McKenzie visualizes Dahomey as alluring a kingdom as Wakanda. The fight scenes are as brutal as a PG-13 rating allows, which is enough. Polly Morgan's nighttime cinematography is astonishing, as well as its sound editing (see/hear Nawi's dagger-whip). Terrence Blanchard and Lebo M complement the Agojie's sisterhood with their amazing score.

You'll feel the Agojie's triumphs and sorrows throughout the film's 135 minutes. It's somewhat overlong, but you'll be rewarded with some impressive battles. Just don't rely on it for your next history test. The Woman King has arrived and it's sure to enliven a dull movie month. What else is there? There's an Avatar re-release, and the subject of my next review. It's coming soon.

Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris

 Sometimes, it's amazing the width of an author's bibliography.

Like Paul Gallico, for example. His novel, The Poseidon Adventure, defined the disaster movie genre in 1972. He also wrote of one Mrs. Harris and her disaster-free life. Her first book, Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris, was adapted for TV in 1992. It's now in theatres and home media as Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Let's see how it is.

London, 1957. Mrs. Harris (Lesley Manville) is a cleaning lady living the best she can. She's motivated by a client's Dior dress to get one herself. One day, her good luck piles up and she's a wealthier woman. She hops on the first plane to Paris to get one from the Fashion House itself.

Mrs. Harris is met with skepticism by Dior director Colbert (Isabelle Huppert). But she gets support from Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson) and Dior employees Andre (Lucas Bravo) and Natasha (Alba Baptista). Mrs. Harris's outlook helps enrichen the lives of her new acquaintances. That's basically the whole movie, but it's hard to complain with a cast of likable characters.

Colbert and other Dior traditionalists might gawk at Mrs. Harris's goals. But they don't know her like we do. We see her optimism tested spectacularly within the first twenty minutes. Her desired dress is not just a pretty "frock," but a symbol of a better life. Why shouldn't she have it? Manville as Mrs. Harris is likable enough that we easily ask that question. It's endearingly silly when her wealth rapidly piles up and it's quite nice when her new acquaintances come through after a sudden twist. It's a blunt, yet entertaining treatise, on how goodness is eventually rewarded.

What about the rest of the cast? The least likable character is the snobbish Madame Avallon, Mrs. Harris's rival for a Dior. Colbert goes from uptight to pitiable during the course of the film. Lambert is fun as the Marquis, while Bravo and Baptista are fine as Andre and Natasha. Rose Williams is good as Pamela, a client of Mrs. Harris, whose carelessness kicks off the ending. Phillipe Bertin makes the most of his screentime as Christian Dior himself.

The Dior fashion show Mrs. Harris attends is a strong showcase for Jenny Beavan's costume designs. One alluring dress after the other after the other. Her work here is just as splendid as her recently Oscar-awarded work in Cruella. These designs inhabit an equally impressive rendition of 50's Europe visualized by Luciana Arrighi. Rael Jones's romantic score thankfully takes center stage on the soundtrack. Hopefully, we'll hear more about it the next few months.

The Mrs. Harris books always escaped my notice. I barely even remember that the 1992 film existed. But I'll remember this take on Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Its dramedic charms will liven up your post summer - or late summer - boredom. Its optimistic protagonist won't leave your mind after her film's 115 minutes. I'll let you choose where to see it, but I think it's best with company.

Three Thousand Years of Longing

 While the world wishes for George Miller to continue the Mad Max series, it gets to see his newest film, Three Thousand Years of Longing. He and his daughter Augusta Gore adapted the titular short story from AS Bryant's book The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye. Let's see how it is.

Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is a scholar on business in Istanbul. She buys an antique bottle and accidentally releases the Djinn (Idris Elba) within. The Djinn offers her the standard three wishes, but Alithea knows her Djinn stories and how the wishers rarely live happily. The Djinn decides to tell her his life story. A story of how he went from the court of the Queen of Sheba to the court of Murad IV and ultimately, the home of Zefir, a merchant's wife. Each destination led him confined to a bottle. This tale leads the seemingly-content Alithea to fall for the Djinn.

It's all spread out over 108 minutes. The Djinn's history is intriguing enough to make one want to read more on the historical figures mentioned. But the presentation feels more like a stuffy college lecture than an engaging tale. Alithea falling for the Djinn, a good concept for a whole movie, is the last half-hour. The last half-hour even has multiple fake out endings. The tales are jolted by some audacious humor and feature some creepy moments that'll leave you perplexed. That's mainly because they're never elaborated on. The bulk of the movie might make an engaging stage play but it's unusually long on film.

The technical genies conjure up some splendorous results. The sets and costumes are visually appealing and cinematographer John Seale's work is as grand here as it was in Fury Road. The CGI is mostly good, with the exception of a poor composite shot near the start. Tom Holkenborg's score is suitably romantic, and the sound work is perfectly otherworldly. There's not much else I could wish from them.

Three Thousand Years of Longing is a decent fantasy film. Elba and Swinton are fine together, but its story will make you wish for a strong narrative jolt. There are some great concepts that needed stronger elaboration. There's much to marvel at on the technical side, though. It's a mixed bag, but it's a decent option in this slow movie month. You can also wish to wait for something else. There's no harm in that.