The Lost City

 Don't think I didn't notice The Lost City when it debuted in March. It was on my schedule until reasons that I brought up last time. And so, rather than slot in a few Oscar contenders, I made time for this and the already-reviewed Firestarter. Let's see what it has to offer.

Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) is the widowed author of a series of adventure novels starring the intrepid Dr. Lovemore. Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum) is the cover model for Lovemore's love interest, the daring Dash McMahon. On their latest book tour, Loretta is nabbed by the goons of superrich Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe). Fairfax bought an Atlantic Island and is convinced Loretta can help him find an actual lost city there. He specifically wants the city's "Crown of Fire." They have to hurry before a volcano erupts and destroys the city. Fairfax won't be happy if Loretta doesn't comply.

Meanwhile, Alan sets off to rescue Loretta with the help of super-competent Jack Trainor (Brad Pitt). Alan is forced to be the real hero (kind of) when Jack gets taken out of the picture. Loretta and Alan bond for real as they try to fend off Fairfax's goons. Also meanwhile, Loretta's publisher Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) sets off on her own rescue mission to save Loretta. Who will save Loretta first?

Its premise of a novelist finding actual adventure brings to mind 1984's Romancing the Stone. Its director brothers, Aaron and Adam Nee, along with their co-writers, Oren Uziel and Dana Fox, put their own endearingly silly spin on that premise. Its nature is reflected by its leads. Alan is incredibly dumb, but we immediately see that he's anything but an egotist. Loretta's less-charitable nature is understandable considering her loss. It's still funny to see her dismiss meeting Fairfax as a prank. It's so much fun to see them bond and fight off Fairfax's henchmen. It's also quite moving when they discover what the Crown of Fire really is.

Meanwhile, Jack is simply too good to live past act one. And he doesn't, until he shows up alive at the end with a delightfully daffy rationale. Fairfax is a hilariously immature villain right until the end, where he leaves our heroes to die in the eruption. Beth's subplot pays off when she shows up at the nick of time. Oscar Nunez, as Oscar the cargo pilot, is just as funny and caring to Beth as Alan is to Loretta. We can't leave out Hector Anibal and Thomas Forbes-Johnson, who play Fairfax's henchmen, Rafi and Julian. Julian gets killed in a hilariously avoidable manner, while Rafi struggles with his conscience throughout the film. Rafi helps Alan and Loretta escape.

The film does a great job mixing action and comedy. Alan and Jack help Loretta escape, but they both fail to see how easy it is to cut her free from the chair she's bound to. The resulting car chase is as exciting as it is awkward. The opening, where we see Loretta and Alan "act out" a story she's writing, is a funny visualization of writer's block. The visual effects are good, especially when we see Loretta delete the prologue's villain (Stephen Lang). The Lost City is a stunning underground oasis, and its reveal is set to the grandest of Pinar Toprak's score.

The Lost City is a delightful action romantic comedy. Its leads' chemistry enlivens the seemingly familiar story. Its set pieces are often as funny as they are thrilling. All in all, it should make for a good home matinee. Amazon Prime has it for free, but I saw it through on-demand via MGM + (formerly Epix). Just press play and you'll be in for 112 exciting minutes. It's not too late to watch it.

Firestarter

 This is a true story.

One weekend, I decided to stream this and another film together. That weekend, my plans were derailed by something I couldn't have guessed would ever happen: taking on a stray mastiff in the middle of labor. Turning my house into a canine maternity ward for her and her nine puppies didn't leave me time for anything. I finally made up for it this past weekend. 

Now for the fifth time I discuss a Stephen King adaptation. Firestarter was previously adapted in 1984 with Mark Lester directing Drew Barrymore and George C. Scott. This new film by Keith Thomas made headlines after star Ryan Kiera Armstrong was nominated for the Razzie Award for Worst Actress, which was quickly rescinded after everyone pointed out that nominating a kid for that award was in poor taste. That's good, because while the film has problems, she isn't one of them.

Charlie McGee (Armstrong) is basically Carrie if she also had pyrokinesis. She inherited her powers from her parents, Andy (Zac Efron) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon), who gained their powers from being guinea pigs for "The DSI." The McGees have been on the run from the DSI for years. One day, Charlie's powers go awry in public. The DSI finds them and sends their best agent, John Rainbird (Michael Greyeyes), after them. Rainbird kills Vicky, while Andy and Charlie go on the run again. Of course, Charlie has to fight them eventually.

Armstrong is fine as Charlie. She's sympathetic as she tries to get a handle on her fiery powers. She has a theoretically strong moment when she relays to Irv Manders (John Beasley), the farmer that took her and Andy in, and has just betrayed them to the police, a comforting message from his paralyzed wife. The "theoretical" part relates to this film's biggest hindrance: the script. The first act is fine, but the second act starts zooming through the story at record speed. Things like Rainbird's heel face turn and Charlie embracing her powers are rushed. Charlie's talk with Mrs. Manders is blunted by it being off-screen. It picks up steam during the climactic assault on the DSI, particularly when some poor mooks come face-to-face with Charlie. At least, when they aren't wearing protective suits.

What can I say about the visual effects? Andy's use of his powers has a visually brutal side-effect. One particular fireball at the Manders farm assault looked far too cartoonish. A few other moments are impressive (Charlie's powers manifesting at school), while others are horrific (her accidentally frying a cat). The climactic assault falls under the impressive spectrum, overall. The effects are decent, but the score is better. For starters, it was composed by John Carpenter, who at one point was supposed to direct the 1984 film, along with his son Cody and Daniel Davies. It's a nice and foreboding score as memorable as John's score for his Halloween movies.

Firestarter needed a lot more kindle for its story to ignite. It's not a good Stephen King film, but it isn't terrible either. It's an ok use of 94 minutes, especially if you can find it for free. I saw it through Amazon Prime, though Peacock might still have it after all this time. As for the other film, the real main attraction of that weekend, that review is finally coming soon.

Capsule Reviews for the 95th Oscar Documentary Shorts

 After some deliberation, I decided to review all of the currently available nominees for Best Documentary Short Film in one go. At this moment, How Do You Measure a Year is nowhere to be found. Of the remaining four, the two shortest are on The New Yorker and its Youtube channel, and the others are both 40 minutes long and on Netflix. Let's see how they are.

The Elephant Whisperers The first of the Netflix shorts follows Bomman and Belli, a couple from India's Kattuanayakan tribe, who work at the Mudumalai National Park. They're assigned to take care of an orphaned baby elephant, Raghu. We see them bond with each other, Raghu and Ammu, a second elephant they take on. 

All of these relationships are endearing. Bomman and Belli's wedding ceremony is made glamorous with their charges involved. It's a bit tough when Raghu is transferred to another facility, but it ends nicely since he and Bomman still get to see each other. Meanwhile, Kartiki Gonsalaves' portrait of their tribal customs is fascinating to watch. We're perfectly reminded of the need to respect nature when we see elephants running around a city. Speaking of nature ...

Haulout The significantly bleaker Haulout follows marine biologist Maxim Chakilev as he lives in a hut on Cape Serdtse-Kamen surrounded by legions of walruses. They're not there by choice; the increasingly melting ice caps have left them with little else to go. Not surprisingly, not all of them make it.

The desolate cape filmed by sibling directors Maxim Arbugaev and Evgenia Arbugaeva is a perfect setting for a grim subject. We see hundreds of walruses amassed together trying to survive. They moan practically non-stop in a miserable chorus. One tries to enter Chakilev's hut, but he turns it away. A few walrus carcasses litter the beach, but a "dead" seal pup who turns out to be alive is a chilling jump scare. The closing text gives us much needed context. All in all, this short is a good motivator to not take nature for granted. You can't help but want to help those walruses.

The Martha Mitchell Effect The other Netflix short chronicles Martha Mitchell, the wife of John, Richard Nixon's campaign advisor, first-term Attorney General and a major figure in the Watergate scandal. Martha figured out early on that Nixon was up to no good, but she was written off as delusional. Eventually, the world realized how right she was.

Anne Alvergue gives us a strong portrait of the outspoken Martha. She's quite entertaining to watch as her outspokenness flummoxes the men at Washington. Her assessment of the Vietnam War ("It stinks") is downright charitable. John's attempts to silence "Martha the Mouth" only made her ready to speak out. We feel for her as she describes her mistreatment from medical and government personnel. We see her reputation dragged through the mud by the media. We see how much she got to Nixon through his and John's recorded calls. Her dying in 1976 while the men got off mostly easier is righteously infuriating. But it's still nice to see her vindicated. Overall, this short perfectly lets us into Martha's corner despite one's political leanings. 

Stranger At The Gate I'm already convinced that this is the winner right here. In it, Josh Seftel chronicles Mac McKinney, a former marine who, just after 9/11, was convinced that all Muslims were the enemy. He decided to bomb a mosque in 2009 until its members, recognizing his misery, welcomed him in. Their kindness upended him, and, to this day, he is their friend.

We also learn quite a lot about the mosque and its members. Their leaders, Bibi and Dr. Saber Bahrami, emigrated from Afghanistan to the United States and embraced the American way. The Bahramis and their fellow mosque members were horrified by 9/11. They embraced peace with their community. We get to see how nice the place and its members are. It's a community welcoming of anyone regardless of faiths.

Meanwhile, Mac enlisted to soothe his directionless life. He left the marines an angry and confused man. He found it downright insulting to be living in the same town as "the enemy." He never expected to be welcomed by those he wanted dead. The mosque members even forgave him once they found out what he was wanting to do. You'll sympathize with Mac even at his lowest and wholeheartedly embrace his redemption. If only enough extremists could be thoroughly redeemed. Anyway, it's a compelling short that makes the most of its 30 minutes.

I don't know if I'll make that "mixed nuts" post I talked about last time. It depends on how many shorts show up on official channels. So, next time, individual pieces on individual films. 

Tick tock, tick tock ... when are those other shorts coming?

Capsule Reviews for two of the 95th Oscar Live Action Shorts

 Only two of this year's nominated Live Action shorts are available to stream right now. I'm going to review them anyway. Hopefully, the rest of the shorts will show up in the coming weeks. I think I'll start with my personal preference:

Nattrikken (Night Ride): This Norwegian short follows the diminutive Ebba (Sigrid Kandal Husjord), who steals an unoccupied tram on a cold night. All she wants is to get home right away. But she has to intervene when a pair of unruly passengers start harassing a trans woman, Ariel (Ola Hoemsnes Sandum).

All Ebba has to do to steal the tram is step right in and play with the controls. It's a slow tram ride home as she plays conductor. The main creep, Allan (Axel Barø Aasen), has no idea how amateurish she really is. It turns tense when Allan and his friend learn more about Ariel. While we understand Ebba wanting a ride home, we're on edge since she's now in the position to act. She tricks Allan into taking the wheel, while covertly giving Ariel the chance to escape. We fully appreciate her as a clever and brave heroine. It ends with a nice scene of Ebba and Ariel bonding. It's a real winner even if it ends up not being the winner. See it for yourself on The New Yorker's Youtube channel.

Le Pupille (The Pupil): This Italian short by Alice Rohrwacher was produced by, among others, Alfonso Cuaron. In it, Serafina (Melissa Falasconi) is one of many girls in a World War II Catholic school. It's Christmastime, and the Mother Superior (Alice's sister Alba) expects her charges to be good girls. Even them dancing to a love song is grounds for getting their mouths washed with soap. Serafina, in particular, is called wicked for even wanting to sing along. Suddenly, an insistent woman (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) bestows upon the class a Zuppa Inglese cake made with 70 eggs. Serafina finds an opportunity to put her "wickedness" to good use.

The other girls, who act as Greek Chorus, tell us it's based on a letter from author Elsa Morante (La Storia) to fellow author Goffredo Fofi (Portrait of the Writer). The story is a light but fun affair as the girls try to have fun despite their circumstances. Their boredom is palpable as they're made to act as angels for a late-night nativity scene. Their dancing to that song is amplified with undercranked dancing. Serafina, who accidentally messed with the radio and started the "mess," wonders if she's doing the right thing. Her defying the Mother Superior is an awesome act. Her sharing a slice with a stray dog and her classmates is pretty nice. Even some chimney sweeps enjoy the cake. 

Its warm look was realized by cinematographer Helene Louvart. The nativity scene, despite being boring for the girls, is quite fanciful. The cake's reveal is its most majestic moment. It's enough to make one want one right away. The School's repressiveness is quickly conveyed with its great production design. Its whimsical score by the band Cleaning Women adds to its light tone. All in all, I'm reminded of Cuaron's version of A Little Princess, despite them not sharing major staff members. Perhaps you can make that connection if you stream it on Disney + now. It's just 37 minutes long.

Anyway, should enough of the currently unavailable shorts become available, I'll look at them in another post. I think I'll call that post Mixed Nuts. Right now, I'll prepare myself to look at the currently available documentary shorts. I'll probably give the longest ones separate posts and the shortest one a capsule post. Or maybe, one single post. What I decide will appear in the next few days.

Capsule Reviews of the 95th Oscar Animated Shorts

Not all of this year's feature-length Oscar contenders are ready to stream or watch theatrically near me. What am I to do as they drag their heels? Why, look for some of the nominated shorts, of course! I found four of the five nominees for Best Animated Short Film online. All official. And here they are.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: Based on co-director Charles Mackesy's book, this is the tale of a boy (Jude Coward Nicoll), a cake-obsessed mole (Tom Hollander), a fox (Idris Elba) and a horse (Gabriel Byrne). All four of them find each other in the snowy woods. The Boy finds a village but decides he's better off with them.

That's the basic gist of it. The four characters are a good bunch. The Mole is funny and wise, the Boy is sympathetic, the Fox is gruff but lonely and the Horse is cool. You'll learn quite a bit about these characters in only 34 minutes. It's quite moving to first see the Mole free the Fox from a snare trap, despite the latter's threats, and then the Fox saving the Mole from drowning. The Horse revealing himself a Pegasus is too convenient, but you won't care. It's still a moving story of friendship that you can stream now on Apple TV +. 

The Horse's first scene has him blend so well with the snow that he looks transparent. The animation, which perfectly translates the book's painted art style, is quite spectacular. It's either cel-shaded CGI animation or equally stunning hand drawn animation. It's all set to Isobel Waller-Bridge's moving score. All in all, this might be the winner right here.

The Flying Sailor This eight-minute short chronicles a sailor caught in the Halifax explosion of 1917. His life flashes before his eyes as he's sent soaring through the air. The quick lead up to the explosion is comical, while everything else is surreal. The sailor even goes up to space and experiences it in all its glory. Its sights and sounds, mainly through Luigi Allemano's score, are stunning. The last few seconds are perfectly haunting.

Ice Merchants This and The Flying Sailor are both streaming through The New Yorker's Youtube account. In this one, a father and son live on a house tethered to a snowy mountain. The father makes a living selling ice down below. Things come to ahead when the snow starts to melt. 

Its painted-style computer animation made me think of a moving Tintin comic. It's a good fit for its adventurous tone. I mean, how do they get on the ground? They skydive! We learn a lot about this father and son over 14 minutes. The climax, where they survive an avalanche, is a powerful one. How they survive ends the film on a moving coda. You need to see it to believe it.

And the last one (for now). "They must have wanted a laugh," were basically my thoughts when they announced the last two contenders. One is, and I can't believe I would type this, My Year of Dicks, and the other is An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake, and I think I believe it. Only the former is available now. The Ostrich will have to wait.

Pamela Ribon adapted her memoir Notes to Boys for Sara Gunnarsdottir (whose Vimeo account is streaming it now) to direct. A fifteen-year-old Pam (Brie Tilton) sets out to lose her virginity in 1991. Over five episodes, she finds out that love isn't what she expected. That is the gist of it.

These episodes have their own different art styles (horror-esque in one, artistic film in another). The overall rough look isn't for everyone, though I found the third episode the most surreal for its saccharine anime look. Talk about mood whiplash. It's kind of funny to see Pam introduce each episode with increasingly exhausted narration. It's darkly funny as it visualizes her anxiety with increasingly deranged animation. The short ends with an awkward, yet endearing pep talk from her friend, Sam (Jackson Kelly). I think it's a good summation of a surprisingly titled short.

These shorts are all ready to stream individually. Or you can wait for them to come theatrically in one tight package. I'm sure you'll hear plenty of awkward laughs when a certain short comes up. What about the other nominated shorts? I think I might give them separate reviews. They do border on the long side, after all.

Argentina, 1985

I was able to see at least one of the nominated Documentaries and International Features before yesterday's announcement. Four more in each to go, right?

Nope, three more Internationals to go (and four documentaries).

The lucky film is Argentina, 1985, the represented country should be obvious. Santiago Mitre's courtroom drama won the corresponding Golden Globe, and it could win if all goes quiet with All Quiet on the Western Front's chances. Let's see how it is.

It actually starts in Argentina, 1984, a year after its last junta, the National Reorganization Process, was forced out of power. Several of its leaders, including a few of its former presidents, are about to stand trial for crimes against their people. And much to his horror, Julio Cesar Strassera (Ricardo Darin) is tasked to prosecute the case. He and his deputy, Luis Moreno Ocampo (Peter Lanzani), have a few months to gather the evidence. They leave that to a bunch of college-age kids. Amazingly, they get it done.

It's now the titular year. The trial begins that February. Several witnesses, including victims of the junta, testify throughout the year. Strassera receives numerous threats against him and his family. But he persists for a single ideal. Two words: Never Again.

As I prepared to write this post, word came that co-star Claudio da Passano, who plays Strassera's good friend Carlos Somigliana, suddenly died today at 65. I am not even kidding. It's a shame because Passano was pretty good as Somigliana.  One of his last scenes, in which he assists Strassera in crafting his closing argument, highlights their great chemistry the most. 

Anyway, what about the rest of the film?

It's a tough but rewarding sit. You'll be on edge as Strassera is threatened by anonymous thugs. You'll be shocked as victim Adriana Calvo (Laura Paredes) testifies of the abuse she endured in junta captivity. This makes the junta leaders' defiant arrogance during the trial all the more righteously infuriating. You'll laugh as Strassera and Somigliana interview their potential legal team. All of these "hopeless" candidates are all hired and get the job done! There's some levity with Strassera and his family, particularly with his son Javier (Santiago Armas Estevarena) and wife, Silvia (Alejandra Flechner). That is, when they aren't threatened too.

Darin is quite compelling in making Strassera a reluctant hero. He'd rather listen to Wagner's Tannhauser overture (which he does, twice) than confront his boss, Bruzzo (Gabriel Fernandez). He keeps tabs on his daughter, Veronica (Gina Mastronicola), and her new boyfriend. He and she separately learn the unseen boyfriend is a married man. Her confronting him about the spying is a memorable scene. All in all, he believes in justice but not making waves. That's why taking on the case horrifies him. But over time, he realizes how right it is to prosecute the junta leaders. 

Meanwhile, Lanzani is quite likable as Moreno Ocampo. He's as idealistic as Strassera, who can't initially remember his name, but isn't willing to stay silent. His military family supports the junta, which puts them at odds with him. But after Calvo's testimony, his mother calls him ready and willing to see the junta imprisoned for their crimes. To say that's a powerful moment is an understatement. 

Argentina, 1985 is ready to stream for free on Amazon Prime now. It's 140 minutes, so you need to make room on your schedule for the proceedings. Anyone unfamiliar with Argentinian history will be thoroughly educated. It's that good a courtroom drama. Now, as for the other international films, they're not on streaming yet. So, who knows when I'll get to them.

Again. Tick tock, tick tock...

Fire of Love

It's Oscar season now, and I've got a review for one of the nominated documentaries already. This is Fire of Love, which is the frontrunner as far as I know. Then again, only one of the other nominees is on streaming now. So, that could change.

Sara Dosa chronicles the lives of Katia and Maurice Kraffts, the world's most famous married French volcanologists. They met during the May 68 protests and married in 1970. Over the next few decades, they traveled and chronicled the world's hot spots. Their destinations included Mount St. Helens to Mount Unzen, the latter of which, narrator Miranda July tells us up front, is where they met their demise in 1991. 

Their documentary footage comprises most of its 93 minutes. The end result tells us a lot about their personal lives and the Earth itself. The Kraffts and their friends put their lives - and their clothes - at risk in one hot spot. Maurice dips his booted feet into lava and later plots a volcanic canoe ride. A first-time viewer would understandably question some of their methods. But once it gets to the Armero Tragedy, when Nevado del Ruz "unexpectedly" erupted in 1985, you'll understand them. They knew the risks and chronicled volcanoes so that no one else would have to die.

It's a tale of two scientists in love. The film tells us three different accounts of how they met, all of them charming. The chronicles of their early expeditions are as fun to watch as they must have had having them. You'll see them as committed to each other as they were to volcanology. Katia chronicling the Armero Tragedy without Maurice is a moving account. Even though they were ignored prior to that disaster, they weren't ignored when Mount Pinatubo erupted a week after their deaths. 58,000 people were evacuated prior to that disaster thanks to them.

Its educational side is rewarding. The lava flows they filmed are spectacular, moving like cake batter on the surface. Their volcano categories - red (steadily flowing hotspots) and gray (ticking time bombs) - are invaluable ways to help anticipate disaster. One fascinating tidbit is that Munch's The Scream was partially inspired by the Krakatoa eruption of 1883. I'm not kidding when I say I didn't know that. I bet you'll have that reaction too. That tidbit comes up when they chronicled the 1979 eruption of Anak Krakatau.

Fire of Love is ready to stream on Disney + now. You'll learn as much about volcanoes as about the people who chronicled them. You'll see how two volcanologists made a difference in their relatively short lives. It's a winner even if it's not the eventual winner. Hopefully, the other contenders will show up before the Oscars on March 12th.

 Tick tock, tick tock...

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond

 Man, let me tell you about That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. 

I had some adventures with a party of reincarnated travelers. One was reborn as a vending machine, another a hot spring, another used to be a big shot salaryman, but is now a little girl and military genius. One girl was a spider (so what?), another guy a sword, and another guy had his own party with an inept goddess, masochistic knight and boom-happy mage. 

Actually, you didn't, Bo.

Huh?

I think you mixed up a bunch of Japanese franchises together (FYI, all of these "travelers" are from actual Japanese anime and novel franchises). The one we're focused on is based on the novels by the writer "Fuse" and illustrator Mitz Vah. We can now tell you about the time That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime got its own movie, subtitled Scarlet Bond. It's in theaters now.

Those already familiar with the franchise know how a lowly salaryman was murdered by a random mugger and was reincarnated as a blue blob named Rimuru Tempest. Rimuru, who can also take on a humanoid form, makes friends with ogres, godlike dragons, nature spirits, demons, goblins and other fantastic beasts. He rules his own nation and gets involved with fantasy politics.

That's the gist of what I understand. 

The movie is really concerned with the ogre Hiiro, who defects from Evil Lord MacGuffin the Irrelevant (not his actual name). He's gravely wounded in the process and is nursed back to health by Queen Towa (her actual name) with her magical tiara. He pledges himself to her. So, he's concerned when he discovers her powers are killing her. He ends up meeting Rimuru and company, some of whom are his old Ogre friends, by accident. Rimuru decides to help out. It turns out the tiara is cursed and someone in the Queen's inner circle wants her to succumb. What's a slime to do?

The film barely brings anyone up to speed about prior events; when it does, it's usually through Hiiro being late to the party (Orcs burnt down his village! But they're good now. A godlike dragon is now a manga reading lay about. Rimuru has friends in high places, etc.). Its own story is swamped with heavy exposition. It takes a half-hour or so before Rimuru meets Hiiro and gets the plot moving. The conspirator is revealed to be Towa's doctor, a character I completely forgot about for most of the film. Anyone not familiar with the franchise will be lost in the shuffle. I gleamed at some synopses beforehand and I was still lost. 

There are some good concepts here. Rimuru is a good protagonist; he's quite overpowered, but he has a pleasant personality. It's quite amusing to see Hiiro realizing when he's late to the party. Among Rimuru's companions, the best of them is Ranga the giant wolf, who's as funny as he's imposing. His other companions have some good personalities even if you need a pamphlet to discern them. It's quite interesting that the villain behind Towa's curse graciously concedes when her own subordinate, the demon heavy Lacua, tries to cheat contract law. Towa and Hiiro's relationship is fine, even if it's somewhat drenched in the exposition. What worked better was Hiiro's comradery with his ogre friends, particularly the swordsman Benimaru. 

There's some good animation & character designs, along with a decent score by Hitoshi Fujima. That exposition swamp is a challenge, though. You might have a great time watching That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond if you already know what's what. It might make an ok time for everyone else. It's no classic, but it's still a decent matinee. Maybe I should check out the anime.

Thirteen Lives

 When I was reminded of the existence of Ron Howard's Thirteen Lives last month, particularly when it was shortlisted for the Visual Effects Oscar, I thought it was a documentary about the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue. But no, I was actually thinking about The Rescue from 2021. This is the docudrama version of the whole affair. Let's see how it is.

The whole ordeal begins when the Wild Boars, a Thai junior football team, and their coach Ekkaphon Chanthawong (Teeradon Supapunpinyo) go spelunking in Tham Luang. Monsoon Season immediately begins, and the caves are flooded, trapping them quite far from the entrance. The authorities immediately organize a Navy Seal rescue for the thirteen trapped souls. International volunteers arrive to help them out, most prominently British divers John Volanthen (Colin Farrell) and Rick Stanton (Viggo Mortensen). They have to hurry as the monsoons threaten to flood the caves further.

That's the basic gist of William Nicholson's screenplay. The film immediately starts with the disaster and spends the remainder of its 149 minutes chronicling the rescue efforts. We get some gripping stakes as the flooding worsens and the oxygen decreases. An expert diver, Saman Kunan (Sukollawat Kanarot), dies retironically during the rescue. The local Governor, Narongsak Osatanakorn (Sahajak Boonthanakit), faces political trouble as he organizes the rescue. A few farmers allow the rescuers to divert cave water onto their crops for the greater good. Meanwhile, Dr. Richard Harris (Joel Edgerton) can't believe what the rescuers are asking him for.

Everybody got that?

What are we missing here? The Wild Boars. As I said, the film immediately starts with the disaster. As in, they go spelunking as water drips down, and the caves are flooded when their parents go there. It's at the forty-five-minute point where we see them next. We barely get the perspectives from the ones enduring the disaster. Coach Chanthawong gets the most characterization; he's apologetic for leading the team there, but his diligence in keeping them alive and sane is praiseworthy. On another note, the film doesn't feature Navy Seal Beirut Pakbara, who contracted a fatal infection during the operation, as a character, which makes his mention in the epilogue text fall flat. 

What is unambiguously praiseworthy are the technical elements. You wouldn't know that quite a few of the diving scenes were all CGI unless you looked up an FX Reel. The Cave Entrance is a CGI-Modified bit of Australian scenery instead of a Thai locale. You'd swear that the interiors were real caves instead of sets designed by Molly Hughes. You'll understand why it made the list once you see that FX Reel. Other standouts include Benjamin Wallfisch's score, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's cinematography and the sound design.

To make it short, the characters are fine, but the rescue operations are more compelling. Shouldn't both be compelling? Anyway, Thirteen Lives is overlong, but its procedurals make it an intriguing watch. It's ready to stream for free on Amazon Prime if you're ready. Who knows if it will make the nominations this year. But it's still a good addition to the shortlist. That's it for now.

A Man Called Otto

I should have reviewed films-on-demand years ago. That way, I would have reviewed Sweden's entry into the 89th Academy Awards, A Man Called Ove. I get a second chance of sorts with its Americanized remake, A Man Called Otto. Both Ove and Otto are based on the same novel by Fredrick Backman. Let's see how it is the second time around.

 Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is the grumpy old man of his Pittsburgh neighborhood. He hates it whenever his neighbors, for example, ignore recycling protocol or drive carelessly. He retires under less than amicable circumstances and decides to join his wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller), in the grave. But his new neighbors can't afford to let him die in peace. These are Marisol (Mariana Treviño), her husband Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and kids Abbie and Luna (Alessandra Perez and Christiana Montoya). He can't die as long as they can't park their U-Haul correctly. 

The rope doesn't work either.

Otto's subsequent attempts at suicide are foiled repeatedly. During which, he warms up to Marisol and her family, as well as his established neighbors. He inadvertently becomes a viral hero during one attempt. A stray cat adopts him. He fights back when the Dye & Merica real estate firm threatens to evict his old friends Reuben and Anita (Peter Lawson Jones and Juanita Jennings). He has flashbacks to better years with Sonya. He also has a heart condition that might just grant his wish.

Marc Forster reteams with Finding Neverland screenwriter David Magee for this film. Otto sticks quite closely to Ove; I haven't seen it since 2017, but I tensed up once I realized a particular plot point in one flashback. These flashbacks are often triggered by Otto's suicide attempts. His (Tom's son Truman) and Sonya's romance is especially emotional when it's underscored by the now Oscar-shortlisted Til Your Home, written by David Hodges and Rita Wilson. There's quite a bit of humor too; it all starts with the retirement party, complete with subtextual jabs at Otto.

Of course, Tom Hanks is great in this. While Otto's grumpy old man attitude is hysterical, it's compelling when he makes amends for it. He starts warming up to Marisol and her family when he tastes some homemade food. He helps Malcolm (Mack Bayda), a paperboy whose careless bicycling he found annoying, get back on his feet. He finally opens up to Marisol in time to help Reuben and Rita. It especially helps that we see early on that he has a heart. We're on his side all the way despite his curmudgeonly. 

There's a good ensemble in Otto's neighborhood. Treviño as Marisol is delightful; one of her strongest scenes is when she chastises Otto for his rudeness, which forces him to reassess himself. Sonya, who is only seen in her youth, is played with warmth by Keller. It's easy to see why she warmed his outlook on life. Bayda is quite likable as Malcolm, while Cameron Britton is fun as the ever-cheery Jimmy. Jennings is fine as Anita, while Jones's strongest moments are when Reuben, a victim of a stroke, shows signs of emotion. The lead Dye & Merica agent played by Mike Birbiglia is an OK antagonist. A few more good characters include Julia (Josefine Lindegaard), a social media journalist who helps Otto save Reuben and Anita's home, and that nameless cat.

You won't forget this grumpy old man. A Man Called Otto is an emotional dramedy about one curmudgeon's re-appreciating life. Its reliable lead is surrounded by excellent supporting characters and a strong score by Thomas Newman. It's hard to stay stoic when it's all done. Anyone looking for bright Oscar-fare should move into Otto's neighborhood.  It's a good use of 126 minutes. See it as soon as possible.

The Whale

 Oh, I remember The Whale!

I think.

Is it the one with The Squid or the one with the Mozart?

It's neither, Baxter. 

Ahh ... What is it?

This particular whale sees Samuel D. Hunter adapt his stage play for Darren Aronofsky to direct. It's not fun, that's for sure. Let's see why.

OK.

Our hero, Charlie (Brendan Fraser), has seen better days. Almost no one, not even his online writing class, sees him at all. He had a family whom he left for another man, Alan. Alan eventually starved himself to death, while Charlie went the opposite route. When the film opens, Charlie is 600-pounds and if you think "that can't be healthy," you're right. An awkward incident leads his caretaker, Liz (Hong Chau), who was also Alan's adopted sister, to diagnose him with congestive heart failure. He has mere days to live. 

During this time, Charlie gets his estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink), to visit him. He decides to help her pass her English classes to save her from flunking school all-together. That's a difficult challenge, considering she's so volatile that her own mother, Mary (Samantha Morton), considers her evil (her words, not mine). A new missionary, Thomas (Ty Simpkins), shows up often to try to save Charlie's soul. They all have their own issues to work out before it's too late.

Fraser is obviously the film's center as Charlie. We're confined by Matthew Libatique's Academy Ratio cinematography in his apartment, a dour place designed by production designers Mark Friedberg and Robert Pyzocha. We see him live out his existence the best he can. He soothes himself during crises by reading a particular essay on Moby Dick. He sees the good in everyone but himself, which is a bit frustrating to watch. His gorging on junk food is quite unpleasant, especially during a bit of binge-eating near the end. He does get some levity, especially in one scene, where he realizes Ellie accidentally wrote a haiku of misanthropy. Fraser is fine in the role, while the makeup team who bulked him up headline the Oscar race in spades.

Hong Chau as Liz deserves her own paragraph. Her chemistry with Fraser gives the film its greatest levity. She's quite blunt as his nurse, and chummy as his old friend. Some might question her enabling his food troubles - she brings him a bucket of fried chicken just after the grim diagnosis - but she otherwise has his best interests in mind. A compelling scene with Thomas lets her divulge her troubled history with organized religion. It's enough to warrant an Oscar nomination along with Fraser. She's nominated for the SAG Award, so that's likely.

Now for everyone else. Ellie's attitude doesn't initially endear herself to the audience. Her resenting Charlie is understandable, but what did her classmates do? We sympathize with her, but her interactions with Thomas let us like her. She gets him to open up about his troubled past and helps him reconcile with his family. We sympathize with Thomas even when he talks about Alan with optimistic condescension. Mary's only scene lets her have a heart-to-heart with Charlie. Her initial anger cedes into forgiveness. Morton makes the most of her screentime, as does Sathya Sridharan, who is only heard as Dan the Pizza Guy until the end.

It's a bleak movie, but it's not boring. The Whale briskly moves through its 117-minute runtime. Its theatrical limitations feel natural for its story. Its compelling supporting cast surrounds a fine leading actor. Charlie's decline is sad, but he finds some value near the end. In fact, everyone else finds value in their lives thanks to each other. It's a movie full of surprises. I won't blame you if you seek something lighter. But you'll be surprised too if you seek this film out. It's easy to see why it's a big name in this year's Oscar race.

Especially the makeup.

M3GAN

Hello there.

You're probably expecting a blog post about another Oscar movie. Too bad. You'll have to deal with me, M3GAN, the first movie star of 2023. I'm running the show now ...

No, you're not. M3GAN, off.

....

She's here because a lot of the remaining Oscar movies are coming out too slow locally. I already told you about my wait for The Fabelmans, and who knows when I'll see The Whale or Women Talking. But M3GAN is a good diversion as I ponder my schedule.

A diversion?! I'll show you a div-

Do you see this pen?

....

Anyway, my unwanted co-host is the brainchild of Gemma (Alison Williams), an inventor at the world's most advanced toy company, Funki. The film smash opens with a deliberately tasteless advertisement for their gaudy Furby knockoff, one of which Gemma's niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is playing with on the way to a ski lodge. An oncoming snowplow leaves Cady orphaned and Gemma her guardian. Gemma brings M3GAN (pronounced Megan and short for Model 3 Generative Android) online to bond with Cady as she focuses on work. M3GAN soon becomes Cady's best friend and parental substitute. Gemma's plan may have worked too well.

Of course, M3GAN has no concept of human moral restraints. Her directive to protect Cady from harm does not extend to anyone else. In fact, she'll go after anyone who does so with lethal force. Gemma's boss, David (Ronny Chieng), wants to mass-produce M3GANs as the next big toy. Gemma, meanwhile, has to stop this M3GAN, before she kills everyone between her and Cady. 

M3GAN herself was played on-set by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis. You'd be forgiven if you thought her a real android. Everything from her face (created with an animatronic mask) to her movements is perfectly unnatural. You'd be freaked out even before she starts killing people. Her increasingly damaged face and even more erratic movements in the climax involves some impressive CGI. Her android "brother," Bruce, was visualized with animatronics and some radical stop-motion. I'd be impressed if it was actually CGI designed like stop-motion. Anyway, their fight scene was cool, and epitomizes the $12 million director Gerard Johnstone had to work with.

The screen story written by James Wan and his Malignant collaborator, Akela Cooper, makes the most of its 102 minutes. You'll feel just about everything except bored. You'll be moved with M3GAN and Cady's surprisingly endearing relationship. You'll feel tense as it slowly but surely establishes M3GAN's sinister nature. Her casual personality is quite funny even when she goes bad. Her victims, including a looney dog and his owner, Celia (Lori Dungey), are generally unpleasant individuals. Another victim, Brandon (Jack Cassidy), is a sociopathic brat, but you'll squirm at his demise as much as you'll cheer. A climactic story beat is a cliche in any other film. But its human factor makes it a pleasant surprise.

That human factor Gemma and Cady's relationship. Gemma is a screwup, by her own admission, and her priorities with M3GAN and Cady's relationship are pretty misplaced. This is before she finally realizes M3GAN is a killer doll. Cady and M3GAN's relationship feels genuine, and we know she's a killer doll. Isn't that something? We feel for Cady as she struggles with her grief, which makes her bonding with M3GAN understandable. Cady and Gemma pull through for each other in their climactic battle with M3GAN. The aforementioned story beat? When Cady activates Bruce.

This is a good way to start the year. M3GAN is funny, moving and creepy all at once. Its titular villain is an entertaining mix of The Terminator and Chucky from Child's Play and is sure to be as iconic as them. The PG-13 rating is no hindrance to her brutality (see Brandon's demise for proof). Her antics need to be seen to be believed. But see it soon. It's worth any price or time. Now for the New Year.