Cocaine Bear

 Yes, really.

Cocaine Bear is based on a bizarre true story up to a point. What director Elizabeth Banks and writer Jimmy Warden do beyond that point gives us a violently hilarious thriller. Here's how it went down in real life:

In 1985, corrupt narcotics officer turned smuggler Andrew C. Thornton II (Matthew Rhys) offloaded some cocaine over the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. His parachuting to safety went wrong, which the movie attributes to him conking his head on the way out (though the bunch of stuff he had on him in real life didn't help). A few months later, a black bear was found dead in the forest, having overdosed on Thornton's supply.

The movie's Cocaine Bear - whom I'll call Ursa for convenience - instead becomes highly addicted and dangerous. Unaware of this, Thornton's superior Syd (Ray Liotta, in one of his last films) dispatches his fixer, Daveed (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) and his estranged son, Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich), after the cargo. Detective Bob (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) goes on their trail. Meanwhile, middle-schoolers Dee Dee (Brooklynn Prince) and Henry (Christian Convery) skip school for a nature walk. Her mom, Sari (Keri Russell), goes on their trail. A few other characters, including two hikers (Kristofer Hivju and Hannah Hoekstra) and a park ranger named Liz (Margo Martindale), run into Ursa. It's up to everyone else to get out of the woods alive.

It sounds like a lot for 95 minutes. But it makes great use of its time. On one side, we get Henry and Sari looking for Dee Dee when Ursa carries her off. On the other, Daveed and Eddie look for a duffel bag with the help of the hooligan Stache (Aaron Holiday). Ursa's threat looms over them and she makes good use of it as she eviscerates through the cast. You'll be laughing and sweating when, for example, two paramedics (Scott Seiss and Kahyun Kim) encounter Ursa and flee with Liz in their ambulance, with Ursa in pursuit. It doesn't end well for them. All the more incentive to get you hoping the mains will get out alive.

Ursa was played through motion capture by actor Allan Henry. The impressive visual effects help us get to know Ursa more and more. Her addiction is played for laughs - especially when it's met with baffled onlookers - until she attacks. We still sympathize with her as an innocent addict when she first appears stumbling loopily through the woods. Her audience empathy goes up when her cubs appear. Yes, she's a mama bear, and the climax lets her loose on her only deserving victim. There were a few obviously cartoonish shots but those don't detract from her screen presence.

Now for some of the human cast. Rhys's cameo is the standout, as he goes full ham as Thornton before his stupid death. Henry gets the best lines when he essentially explains the film's premise. He and Dee Dee are likable kids, which also helps invest you in their plight. Sari gets her best moment when she stands up to Syd, who himself is a bit sympathetic when we learn about his superiors. Daveed and Eddie's rapport is great, especially when Stache is thrown into the mix. Martindale makes the most of her screentime as Liz, being both funny and sympathetic. I can go on, but I can't.

Cocaine Bear is an outlandish film. That makes it all the more fun and scarier. It helps having a good human cast and a delightful score from Mark Mothersbaugh to draw you in. It also helps that it never loses steam thanks to its efficient storytelling and editing. It really helps that its titular animal is a formidable screen presence. This is no ordinary film based on a true story, that's for sure. See it soon to see what I mean. You won't regret it.

The Sea Beast

It was obvious that Turning Red, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On would fill out this year's Animated Oscar category. What was less obvious was who that fifth contender would be. That turned out to be The Sea Beast, a Netflix release that premiered last July. I'd say better late than never to get to it now. But there's just about two weeks left until the Oscars. So, let's go.

(Pirate voice on)

Ahoy, mateys. This be a tale of sea beasts and the brave hunters after 'em. Our hero be Jacob Holland (Karl Urban), the adopted son of Captain Crow (Jared Harris) of the greatest of all hunter ships, The Inevitable. Their latest hunt nearly wrecks the ship, an' they get a horn to show for it. The King and Queen (Jim Carter and Doon Mackhican) want to replace The Inevitable with Admiral Hornagold's (Dan Stevens) The Imperator. But Jacob proposes they have a contest: whosoever slays the top beast of the seas, The Red Bluster, will keep their jobs. The game is on.

The Inevitable get themselves a stowaway. She be Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator), an orphan lass who grew up with stories of hunters. Her mum and dad were hunters themselves, too. Crow welcomes her aboard over Jacob's protestations. The Red Bluster attacks and Jacob and Maisie find themselves in the mouth of the beast. The two of 'em find 'emselves on monster island, where they find monsters ain't as bad as they thought. This leads 'em wonderin': was the whole hunting profession built on lies?

(Pirate voice off. I don't think I was good at.)

So, how did writer and director Chris Williams do for his first solo movie? He did good. The battles between Sea Beasts and human hunters are spectacular nautical encounters. You'll be on edge as Captain Crow nearly dies fighting the reptilian Brickleback at the start. The later encounter with the Red Bluster is equally tense as Red nearly takes the ship with her. Both Red and the Inevitable are saved when Maisie cuts the line connecting both. Equally tense is the climax when Jacob and Maisie defend a wounded Red from Crow and the Royals. There's plenty of thematic similarities to How to Train your Dragon, but overall, this film is its own beast. The only negative is its excessive runtime of 115 minutes. It takes over a half hour, for example, for the Bluster contest to begin.

Jacob and Maisie make for likable pair of co-leads. His dashing hero exterior is hilariously tested when he spends time with Red and Maisie. Maisie gets a cuddly sidekick monster, Blue, which helps her save the day. She also gets the dramatic arc as her dreams of adventure are shattered by reality. If any scene helped earn the film its Oscar nomination, it's the finale where they rally the citizens to end the conflict between man and sea-beast. You'll feel for Red when she, in a poisoned delirium, thrashes around at the palace.

Crow is the film's Captain Ahab. Like Ahab, he prioritizes hunting over his and the crew's safety. While the hunters expect to "die a great death," his battle with Red would have brought them needless ends. He's so obsessed that he makes a deal with a feared witch (Kathy Burke) for the weapon to poison Red. Still, when he's reasonable, especially in the end, he proves himself a good man. Equally good is his first mate, Sarah Sharpe (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who spends the movie questioning her blind loyalty. She also proves herself a great hero in the end. Hornagold, meanwhile, is a non-presence despite his seemingly important role.

The film is a technical marvel. The Sea Beasts are all magnificent creatures. They're visually appealing with their chromatic designs and are quite scary when provoked. Red exemplifies that duality perfectly. Still, others like Blue and the walrus-like Warmbler hatchlings are unambiguously cuddly. The production design is fine for the mainland and is spectacular out at sea. On the terrifying spectrum, we open with a young Jacob shipwrecked after a sea beast attack in a storm. On the splendid spectrum, we see an alluring underwater world when Jacob and Maisie travel in Red. The sound designers create some great roars for the beasts, while Mark Mancina punctuates the action with an adventurous score.

The Sea Beast is a good family adventure film. The human leads are likable, while the beasts are impressive. It's a bit long, but its Aesop is welcome for this day and age. There's currently a sequel in-development and I'm all in for it. I hope this franchise stands out as its own beast with aplomb. Set sail for Netflix to see what all the hype is about. I think it earned plenty of it.

Capsule Reviews of the remaining 95th Oscar Live-Action Shorts

I promised last time that I'd get to this year's Live-Action Short Oscar package next week. Guess what? Next week is now today. Without further ado, here are the remaining nominees.

Ivalu - Anders Walter, a previous winner in this category for Helium, directed this adaptation of a Danish graphic novel. In it, Pipaluk (Mila Heilmann Kreutzmann), a Greenlandic Inuit girl, wakes up to find her sister, Ivalu (Nivi Larsen), missing. Pipaluk sets out on her own to find Ivalu since their father (Angunnguaq Larsen) isn't interested. Over the hills, and the fjords she goes. And then she realizes what happened ...

What can I say about it. Cinematographer Rasmus Heise captures Greenland in all of its icy glory, while Rasmus Walter Hansen accentuates it with his majestic score. What we see of Ivalu and Pipaluk's relationship is endearing, which makes the mystery plot all the more compelling. Whatever sympathy you may have for their father evaporates once the reveal hits. It's a brutal twist for sure. It all leads to an abrupt ending. Kreutzmann's performance is great, but if you want a happier short, look elsewhere.

Afterwards, the package played Night Ride and Le Pupille (Which I already looked at). As for the other shorts ...

The Red Suitcase - This Luxembourgian short follows Ariane (Nawelle Ewad), an Iranian girl on her way to an arranged marriage with a much-older man (Sarkaw Gorany). She has everything packed in a single red suitcase. But she cannot bring herself to get past customs. She knows what kind of life awaits her with the man. So, she removes her hijab and makes her way for the nearest bus out of the airport. She'll have to make a sacrifice to get to freedom.

This is, by far, the tensest of this year's batch. The film uses little dialogue, but it spells out what awaits Ariane past customs enough. Her life is established with text messages from her father and his phone calls to the man. Her fear is palpable when she glimpses the man.  We understand how desperate she is to avoid this marriage. We're on edge as she avoids getting caught by the man. It only intensifies when he gets on the bus at the climax. Her evading her unwanted fiancé is nothing short of admirable. The final shot is seemingly odd until it pans up further. Director Cyrus Neshvad keeps us involved in her plight over the course of 18 minutes. This short and the next one are both worthy of getting feature length remakes.

An Irish Goodbye. - Tom Berkeley and Ross White won the BAFTA last Sunday for this dramedy and are likely to repeat their luck at the Oscars. In it, brothers Turlough (Seamus O'Hara) and Lorcan (James Martin) reunite for their mother's funeral. Turlough wants to sell the family farm and have Lorcan, who has Downs Syndrome, move in with their aunt. Lorcan presents him their mother's bucket list and asks that they complete it. Turlough agrees. 

23 minutes isn't enough to fill up the bucket list. But it is enough to show us how Turlough and Lorcan mend their relationship. They bicker audaciously, but when Lorcan seemingly goes missing, Turlough is worried sick. The bucket list items range from sensible (learn tai chi) to silly (go on a hot air balloon, which they accomplish by strapping her urn to balloons). There's one final disagreement that's solved with the help of their pastor, Father O'Shea (Paddy Jenkins), and it leads to a moving ending. It's formulaic, but its two leads' relationship gets us interested in where it's going. Stream it as soon as possible if you can't make it to the package film now.

That's it for this year's crop. I'll do my next rounds of shorts once next year's short list is announced. That's right, before the actual nominees are announced. If I'm lucky, I'll get to the nominees before I know what they are.

If only.

Capsule Reviews of some 95th Oscar Animated Short runner-ups

 Hi.

So, I actually found an upload of the last of this year's Oscar-nominated shorts, An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It. It's on Vimeo, but I'm not sure if the account is official or not. I don't want to review films on unofficial channels. So, sorry.

As compensation, though, I also found a few of the animated shorts that were also for Oscar's consideration on official channels. You'll also get a short I found while perusing the Annie Award nominations. That short wasn't considered at all this year, but maybe next year (that's what happened with one of this batch). These shorts are all on The New Yorker's YouTube Channel unless noted. Here they are.

Save Ralph - This short on the Humane Society's YouTube channel is a mockumentary about a test rabbit named Ralph (Taika Waititi). His cheery attitude about his "job" brutally contrasts with the side-effects. It's not pretty.

Ralph and his fellow test subjects are appealing stop-motion bunnies, but his physical condition isn't. He's already blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. Let's say it gets worse. I'm grateful that this wasn't any longer than four minutes. Any longer than that would have been a trek into despair. 

The Black Slide - This slightly more upbeat Israeli short follows a day in the waterpark with Eviah (Ivri Shai) and Tsuf (Rom Shemesh). They sneak off to ride the park's most imposing attraction - the titular Black Slide. But Eviah has second thoughts. Meanwhile, we see him at home as he becomes aware of a looming family tragedy.

Its visual aesthetics are quite appealing. The water park's exaggerated production design is personified by the Black Slide itself, which is a mess of tubes. It gets pretty surreal inside when Eviah takes that plunge. The film's CGI stop-motion style is an appealing one. Tsuf is likable enough, but Eviah is wholly sympathetic. We feel for him when he accidentally scrapes himself on the slide's chain-link fence and when he listens to a certain phone call near the end. 

The Garbage Man - This Portuguese short has the most interesting story to tell. In it, director Lisa Goncalves chronicles her uncle, Manuel Botao, through a family dinner. He's long gone, but his family is here to tell how he fled the Portuguese civil war and became a Parisian garbage man. One man's junk was his treasure, and he had a lot of it thanks to his job. He had a good life with what he had.

The sketched-out aesthetics were actually animated with the TV Paint program. This simple style is made stellar by its cinematography, which has some impressive one-takes (including one through the family dinner). Characters frequently step in and out of portraits, including Botao's monkey, the most striking character here. Botao's story is compelling and from what we hear of him, he sounds like he was a cool guy. The pineapple story is a highlight. Now from one dinner to another ...

Steakhouse - Short of the Week, an online film festival, hosts this Slovenian short on their YouTube channel. In it, Liza (Marusa Mejer) and her husband, Franc (Marko Mandic), have a contentious dinner. He let the steak burn as he waited for her to come home from her birthday party. Things soon take a turn for the gruesome.

You can tell during the dinner scene there's no love between Franc and Liza, especially when he "thanks her" for cooking the steak. It's a rough scene to watch with his exaggerated chewing and them eating amidst their dinner's smoke. You'll be puzzled when something happens to Franc. The actual truth will hit your stomach. Overall, the smokey watercolor aesthetics are fine and the story telling is efficient. But beware your appetite.

Love, Dad - This is the short that made it onto this year's Annie Awards list, but not this year's Oscar list. This Czech short follows the correspondence between a Vietnamese immigrant and his daughter, the director Diana Cam Van Nguyen. He spent a year in prison, where he wrote some letters, then left the family when he couldn't get a son. Nguyen found those letters years later. She narrates a letter she wrote back, where she hopes to reconnect with him.

The animation style resembles a collage of paper cutouts in motion. It gets its point across in a few scenes where young Diana interacts with a blank cutout of her dad. We can tell how much of a void he left in her life. There are a few impressive one-takes here, particularly one which travels through a swimming pool to focus on Diana's unhappy mother. It then transitions to a still frame of an argument back home. We also get a facsimile of a happier relationship between her and her dad ... with a catch. We see her frustrations in paper form play out over 12 minutes. It's a compelling story of a lost relationship that hopes to be found.

What's more with the shorts? The nominated short film packages are playing now in theaters. I'm going to catch the live-action package next week and review it then. Look forward to it.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

 So, where do The Avengers go after they finally blipped away Thanos? Who can possibly top the Mad Titan? Who's more dangerous than someone who wanted half the universe dead?

The answer was gleamed at during the Disney Plus series Loki, and fully appeared in Marvel's newest movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He is Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), a villain who's been everywhere in the multiverse and left numerous alternate selves in his wake. That's going to be a problem. But how does that affect Ant-Man?

This time, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is no longer a fugitive, but is instead the celebrated superhero Ant-Man and author. His daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), is a political activist and aspiring scientist. She's built a signaling device to the subatomic quantum realm, where the former superheroine Wasp, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pheiffer) was found in the last movie. She's not happy with this development, but too late, as the device sucks her, daughter Hope (Evangeline Lily), husband Hank (Michael Douglas) and the Langs into the realm.

It turns out that Janet met Kang during her time in the Quantum Realm. They were allies until she realized how evil he was. She hid away Kang's power core, a MacGuffin for multiversal travel, but he took over the realm in her absence. Meanwhile, the Langs get involved with the Quantum rebels. Their trek home is disrupted when they're captured by Kang's henchman MODOK, previously Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). Kang enlists him to retrieve the core, or else. Scott's not that keen on getting involved in subatomic politics. But Kang's underhandedness leaves him no choice.

Director Peyton Reed and writer Jeff Loveness quickly get to the Quantamania within a half-hour. That's when the plot gets really busy on both fronts. On the Pym side, they meet Lord Krylar (Bill Murray), an old friend of Janet's, and a very swell guy. That makes it unnerving when he reveals himself to be a sellout to Kang. The Lang side gives them the bonding time Thanos denied them. Him teaching her how to use her special suit to fight is a nice example. Amongst the rebels, the standouts include the leader, Jentorra (Katy O'Brian), the blob Veb (David Dastmalchian) and the telepath Quaz (William Jackson Harper). Everyone else is a visually appealing redshirt. That includes the broccoli guy.

Hope, the deuteragonist of the last film, is basically demoted to extra here. But she still gets a few good moments with Scott. The standout is when she helps him secure the core. How hard is it? Anyone in its center runs into another of them every few seconds. The sheer volume of Scott, and later Hope variants, is nothing short of impressive visually. Her saving Scott from Kang in the climax comes at a close second. Her parents, meanwhile, get the lion's share of focus. Both of them, well past their prime as superheroes, still put up a good fight against Kang. Hank himself calls out the cavalry, a whole ant colony that evolved off-screen, for the climax. And they hurt Kang.

Now for Kang himself. What other villains would call affability ("Have I killed you before?" he asks Scott once) is what he'd call a veiled threat. He makes good on those threats when he tortures Cassie in front of Scott. He later makes redshirts out of some rebels in the climax. He maybe a standard conquering bad guy, but Majors's charisma makes him a formidable villain. Costume Designer Sammy Sheldon dresses him and his variants in a good approximation of their comic counterparts' attire. A few of them appear in the mid-credit and post-credit scenes (the second of which ties into Loki). They're fine, even if I found the variant Immortus's raspy voice a bit much, and I hope the upcoming Avengers films give them plenty to do.

Let's discuss some other stuff. MODOK is quite hard to take seriously unmasked; after all, he's a big head with a little body. Even his character arc is played for laughs. The Quantum Realm is as visually appealing as its denizens. Kang's stormtroopers are neat and not even their modulated voices detracted from their threat. Veb is fine, though his fascination with holes is odd. He still shines when he steamrolls through a few stormtroopers in the climax after a fake-out death. Dastmalchian previously played one of Scott's prison buddies in the first few Ant-Man films. Where did they go? Their presence was sorely missed.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn't the best Marvel film, but it was still entertaining. A few tweaks to the storyline could have made it a quick crowd-pleaser until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits us in May. It's still nice to see our hero treated with the respect he fought for those previous films. Why do I crave a Baskin-Robbins cake all of a sudden? You can probably find out why when you see it in theaters.

Marlowe

It was a boring Sunday afternoon (can't remember which one) when an unusual prospect came my way. One of the all-time greatest pulp detectives, Phillip Marlowe, created by Raymond Chandler and contemporary of Sam Spade, was making his cinematic comeback. The catch was that rather than adapt a Chandler original, director Neil Jordan and his co-writer, William Monahan, adapted a licensed novel, The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black. It's an interesting prospect ...

Unlike the movie.

As usual, the titular Marlowe (Liam Neeson) gets his case from a dame. She is Clare Cavendish (Diane Kruger), heiress, on the trail of her missing lover. The guy, Nico Peterson (Francois Arnaud), turns up as roadkill outside a local nightclub. But she protests that he's still around. Marlowe goes on the trail and finds himself a web of lies. Caught in that web are Clare's mother, Dorothy Quincannon (Jessica Lange), Peterson's sister Lynn (Daniela Melechor), a shady mobster or two (Danny Huston's evil nighclub owner Floyd Hanson and Alan Cumming's flamboyant Lou Hendricks) and a plaster mermaid. 

What do I make of it? 

For starters, Neeson is theoretically fine as Marlowe. I haven't read up on Marlowe or seen his prior films, but the star is fine as a grizzled private eye. The script, however, is verifiably meh. It's a jumbled mess of exposition that will leave you confounded more than shocked. Things like a love triangle between Clare, Dorothy and some dude named "The Ambassador" fall flatter than Marlowe's feet. Nico really being alive isn't as earthshattering as it thinks it is. Neither the film nor its characters care who the actual murdered man is. Marlowe getting drugged and carried to a torture chamber could have worked ... had we not seen a genre-savvy Marlowe pour out his spiked drink straight away. Instead, it was a waste of time. Still, Clare being so much a femme fatale is also theoretically surprising.

What about the supporting cast? The biggest supporting standouts were Cumming as Hendricks and Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbaje as his tommy-gun toting chauffer, Cedric. Kruger and Lange are fine as the scheming mother-daughter duo of Clare and Dorothy, some writing issues aside. But a few names like that of the police chief are forgettable. Not even Nico, the man behind the mystery, makes a lasting impression. So, what will you remember the most?

It's that the film looks good. John Beard's production design transforms Dublin and Barcelona into 1939 Los Angeles rather well. One particular highlight is the neon-lit nightclub, which wouldn't look out of place in Dick Tracy. Marlowe himself nearly completes the look, sans the hat, when he dons a trench coat and infiltrates the nightclub. Betsy Heimann designed that and everyone else's wardrobe here. Despite my complaints about the prolonged torture chamber trek, it is still perfectly surreal as shot by cinematographer Xavi Gimenez. On the downside, the editing falls apart in the fight scenes; the first one is a non-starter, and the others are quick-cut jumbles. At least there's also a good score by David Holmes to listen to here.

This new take on Marlowe is an occasionally interesting revival of a classic gumshoe. Its impressive visual design is paired with a flat and confounding story with two accidental fake-out endings. It's ironic considering Quincannon's sage advice of knowing when to fold 'em. In this case, I think it's the presentation that did them in. Still, it's not a loss if it gets you interested in Marlowe's previous adventures. Maybe those will tell you better than this film why he's a compelling character after all these years.

All That Breathes

 I promised you last week that I'd review All That Breathes, currently the last of this year's Oscar-nominated documentaries available for streaming. Here it is now.

Shaunak Sen chronicles brothers Saud and Nadeem, and their friend Salik, who run a vet for birds of prey in New Delhi. They frequently fall from the sky sickened by the polluted air. Their most frequent patients are the black kites, of which they've tended to 20,000. It's a daily struggle to keep their business afloat. They have to deal with power outages, lack of financial aid, and, with all three of them being Muslim, Islamophobia. But they still believe in their mission.

We learn a lot about them in 91 minutes. They discuss the geopolitical climate, wrestling, and even Salik losing his glasses to a kite early on. They brave a river to fetch an injured kite floating on some trash. We see them struggle to procure bird feed. Nadeem, the narrator, explains how they cared for their first patient. It's interesting to hear how they used their knowledge of bodybuilding to care for the bird. We also see Nadeem apply for college in the U.S., something Saud isn't happy about, though he comes to terms with it in the end. Their brotherly bond is nice to see, and Nadeem relating his late mother's advice leads to a moving title drop.

The cinematographers, including Ben Bernhard, film plenty of strong sights. One shot of birds flocking over a man adds majesty to Nadeem's narration of how feeding kites gives one good karma. Anytime we see these birds flying is a captivating sight. We also see the extent of New Delhi's pollution from the opening shot of vermin scavenging the streets to the polluted skies. In the midst of it all, we see the three of them live in cramped housing living the best lives they can. The close-up on Nadeem as he talks about feeling trapped in his current life makes one feel trapped with him. That they persist in helping these birds makes one admire them more. 

This is a strong documentary about the daily lives of three animal rescuers. This is a film that values even their smallest victories as triumphs. Anyone in their line of work can especially relate to their story. All That Breathes will make for a memorable educational experience on HBOMax. It's a winner even if the Academy goes for something else (I'm especially anxious about All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, whose availability date is up in the air). See what you think if you stream it now.

Triangle of Sadness

Currently contending for multiple Oscars, including Best Picture, Triangle of Sadness has been a critical hit ever since it won the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, as did director and writer Ruben Ostlund's last film, The Square. This also features a posthumous leading lady with Charlbi Dean, who died suddenly of sepsis in August, shortly before its general release in October. It's readily available to rent in case you're interested. If not, here's the review.

Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Dean), world-famous models, are dating. But Carl feels the monetary gap between himself and Yaya. After all, why should he pay for meals if she earns far more than he does? They decide to forget about their troubles aboard a luxury yacht. The passengers are mostly rich morons. The captain (Woody Harrelson) spends most of the voyage nursing a hangover. One of the rich morons, Vera (Sunnyi Miles), inadvertently derails the cruise when she asks the crew to go swimming. That's nice and socially liberating. But who's minding the seafood they're cooking?

The dinner devolves into madness when nearly everyone comes down with food-poisoning. Suddenly, the yacht is flooded with sewage, passenger Dimitry (Zlatko Burić) fools everyone in thinking the yacht's about to sink and the power goes out. All in the midst of a vicious storm. And then pirates in the morning. 

The scant few survivors find themselves on an island. Most of them are out of their depths except for housekeeper Abigail (Dolly de Leon), who takes the reigns as their captain. She's not ready to relinquish command anytime soon. Not even if civilization is easier to reach than they realize.

Ostlund's screenplay is divided into three chapters. The first and bluntest chapter is devoted to Carl and Yaya's relationship. The social problems are laid thick from the opening model audition to Carl and Yaya's restaurant argument. They're pretty vapid, in every sense, though I disliked Carl more when he gets a yacht crewmember fired out of jealousy in the second chapter. Still, him arguing with Yaya over money as the elevator repeatedly closes between them is actually pretty funny. Its politics are still minor stuff compared to the next and longest chapter.

Oh yes, the yacht chapter. The ensemble that joins Carl and Yaya here maybe mostly morons, but only a few of them are unpleasant. Those two are the elderly arms dealers, Winston and Clementine (Oliver Ford Davies and Amanda Walker), who are quite proud of their profession until it literally blows up in their faces. Therese (Iris Berben), being a stroke victim, is the most sympathetic of the passengers. We truly feel for her in the end when she finds, but can't communicate with, a helpful stranger. Jarmo (Henrik Dorsen), a neebish programmer, is quite likable as he eventually grows a spine. The Captain and Dimitry are quite funny when they trade political quotes during the stormy mayhem. It's a shame that much of the crew didn't survive because they were quite likable.

The stormy mayhem is the film's signature scene. Cinematographer Fredrik Wenzel tilting the camera around is sure to make the viewers sick long before the characters are. You'll laugh as much as you'll gag as everything goes wrong. A character comes within inches of getting his head smashed-in by a sliding table. Dimitry's stupid prank gets people hurt, or worst, as they navigate the storm-tossed ship. Chief steward Paula (Vicki Berlin) tries desperately to regain control. Of course, she could justifiably mutiny, but that never crosses her mind.

And finally, the Island, which is where Abigail gets to shine. She was just a face in the crowd in the last chapter. But here, she lays down the law over their first island dinner. She's quite tired of being at the bottom of the social ladder despite her skills. And she won't take it anymore. She soon exploits the same idiots who exploited her. Carl and Yaya start getting more sympathetic when Abigail turns her attention to them. Her journey from nobody to nightmare reaches its peak when she and Yaya find the truth about the island. Her desperation to not return to her former status is palpably scary. That's where it ends.

Triangle of Sadness is a much bleaker Gilligan's Island. It's a nearly three-hour tour (149 minutes, to be exact) of madness and social evisceration. Its ensemble is great, even if their characters are vapid idiots. Its signature scene is a darkly hilarious pile-up of calamities. Anyone looking for a lighthearted affair needs to look elsewhere. Everyone else will be in for a memorable ride. See what I mean if you rent it from your favorite streaming service. That's it for now.

Jung_E

I haven't seen the South Korean horror film Train to Busan, but with a premise that boils down to "Zombies on a Train," I'd know what to expect. While its American remake has stalled in development hell, Busan's director Yeon Sang-ho is back with his latest film, Jung_E. Let's see how it is.

What was supposed to have been the theatrical comeback of iconic actress Kang Soo-yeon instead became her final film after her sudden death last May from a cerebral hemorrhage. Here, she's Yun Seo-hyun, the lead researcher for a special mission. In this unpleasant future, humans have left Earth for space colonies, but three of them declared war on the others as "the Adrian Republic." This war has gone on for over forty-years. Seo-hyun's mission is to create the ultimate robot soldier, Jung_E (Kim Hyun-joo), from the mind of a long comatose war heroine, Yun Jung-yi, her mom. 

Each Jung_E model falters at the particular point the real woman fell in battle. A looming peace treaty might make the project all for nothing. Seo-hyun wants to keep her mother's memory and dignity alive. But she faces resistance from her employers, the evil Kronoid corporation, and her superior, Kim Sang-Hoon (Ryu Kyung-soo). She also faces the return of her childhood lung cancer, whose treatment prompted Jung-yi to enlist. She needs to act fast.

I'm mixed on the visual effects. The CGI robots and sets mesh well with the human actors. But the robots in Jung_E's simulation look like those from an early century video game. A repeated shot of girders falling on a spider-bot is the worst offender. The obviousness sometimes works, especially when Sang-Hoon is revealed to be a robot himself. The climax has Jung_E's consciousness transmitted into another droid. Her and Seo-hyun's final scene together is moving even if the new droid body is emotionless. The action scenes, which are mostly repeated simulations, have a good score by Kim Dong-wook to listen to.

It has some good ideas that could have been better. Take, for example, the war plot, which happens entirely off-screen. It would have been nice to know why it's lasted forever and why it's ending now. There's also the point Jung_E fails in her simulations. A plot point is that Seo-hyun gives her mom a lucky toy to take with her to battle. That seems to imply that indirectly led to her condition. But nothing of the sort comes up. The Kronoid guys also track Jung_E's emotions, noticing an unknown factor is driving her to awesomeness. That factor is also unknown to us because the film doesn't fire that Chekhov's gun. Maybe it's love, but Seo-hyun suppresses that factor for her final simulation before the climax. It's a bit odd, really.

A few more aspects really work. The opening battle efficiently establishes Jung_E's wry personality. She's a strong action heroine even if she's actually a supporting player. Seo-hyun, the actual protagonist, is mostly stoic, which makes her emotional moments (like her final conversation with a Jung_E model) impactful. Sang-Hoon is a petulant robot child and too goofy a serious villain. But that's not the case with the Kronoid chairman (Lee Dong-hee), who first appears as an eccentric goof, but turns callous as the scene goes on. In fact, what we learn about robot-clone rights is pretty bleak. I'll take the victories where I find them.

Jung_E is ready for you to Netflix and chill. Its on-screen characters make up for some imperfect world-building. You'll get used to the visuals despite their aged quality. It's only 99 minutes long, and it was rarely, if ever, boring. Check it out if you're looking for another international blockbuster. I think it might fit that need. Now, for the next review.

Bardo

 I guess every filmmaker has the right to put their own spin on Fellini's surreal autobiography 8 1/2. Among the filmmakers who did so were Bob Fosse with All That Jazz, Woody Allen with Stardust Memories, and today's subject, Alejandro G. Iñárritu with Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. Mexico's submission for the International Film Oscar only got noticed for its cinematography. What about its story?

For a while, I thought Iñárritu had cast himself as the protagonist, Silverio Gama. But it's not him. Silverio is actually played by Daniel Giménez Cacho, who bares quite a resemblance to Iñárritu here. Silverio, a famous maker of docufiction, has just been named the first Latin-American recipient of a prestigious journalism award. This involves going back to his native Mexico, where he fears much of its people consider him a sellout. He finds himself torn between his homeland and adoptive country. That doesn't take into account all the weirdness he puts up with.

How weird is his world? Silverio finds himself in a flooded subway car. He sometimes hallucinates, nauseatingly so, his dead son Mateo. He's shrunk down to child size when he confronts his dead father (Luis Couturier). A sprawling reenactment of the Battle of Chapultepec plays out before him. He crawls a mountain of corpses to meet Hernan Cortes, which turns out to be a movie set. He literally mutes another character chastising him. He likes to talk in voiceovers, something everybody notices. Amazon wants to buy Baja California. I can go on, but I won't.

Cinematographer Darius Khondji truly earned his nomination here. Silverio's world is a sprawling dreamscape whether in a city or the open desert. His long takes, including a trek through a trippy TV studio and a later trek through a nightclub, showcase the equally splendid sets designed by Eugenio Caballero. One impressive long take is an argument between Silverio and his son, Lorenzo (Íker Sánchez Solano), particularly because it quickly starts pouring outside. Silverio's hallucinations are perfectly surreal, especially when one of the extras in the Chapultepec reenactment starts slithering like a snake. I told you this film is weird.

Cacho's performance as Silverio is a good centerpiece. We're weirded out as he is when he's surrounded by surreality. The unnerving Mateo subplot makes tragic sense once we learn more about it. His ultimate closure with the death is suitably weird. He gets much needed levity with his wife, Lucia (Griselda Sicilliani); their relationship is nice. We feel for him when he's mocked on the air by a former acquaintance (the same man he later shuts up). We're infuriated as he is when a customs officer gets on his case at LAX. We truly pity him when the tragicomic explanation for the weirdness hits. His only flaw is his hypocrisy - i.e., telling his kids to embrace their roots while also criticizing aspects of Mexican life - something everybody also notices.

Its immense length compounds the weirdness. The film runs around 160 minutes, quite shorter than when it premiered in festivals last fall. Among others, the LAX scene runs a bit longer than it should have. It's a long argument between Silverio and his family, later with an LAX supervisor on their side, against the unrepentant customs jerk that only ends when Chapultepec extras come in. Yes, really. The film waxes so poetic about life and death, befitting its title (a state between death and rebirth in Buddhist teachings), that it becomes overwhelming for most viewers. Including me around the middle.

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, is ready to stream on Netflix now. It has some outstanding surrealness with a good leading performance. It's probably worth seeing once, though you should know what you're getting into. It's a bit unnerving and overwhelming at times, which makes that pause button a welcome tool. Perspectives may vary if you step into Silverio's world.

As for me, I'm going to prepare for my next two reviews. Expect them this weekend.

The Deer King

 Now for another episode of "I Could Have Seen It ... It Was Playing."

That would be the anime epic The Deer King, based on the novels by Nahoko Uehashi, which premiered stateside last July. The film marks the directorial debuts of Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji, both of whom worked on Spirited Away (Ando as character designer and chief animator, Miyaji as assistant director). So, if you're wondering why it seems so thematically similar to some of Studio Ghibli's works, that's probably why. As for the film...

The film's opening text tells us how the evil Zol Empire conquered the peaceful Aquafa kingdom.  All except for the Fire Horse village, which is essentially guarded by demonic plague-bearing wolves. The film starts as a pack of these "Ossom dogs" race through a Zolian mine and kill everybody. Only two slaves - a former war hero named Van (Shinichi Tsutsumi) and a little girl named Yuna (Hisui Kimura) - survive getting bit by the Ossom. They head off into the world to live in peace.

Meanwhile, eventual Zol Emperor Yotalu (Atsushi Abe) dispatches Doctor Hohsalle (Ryoma Takeuchi) to find the two and extract their blood for a cure. The Aquafaese King (Tessho Genda) and his advisor, Tohlim (Yoshito Yasuhara), dispatch the tracker, Sae (Anne Watanabe), and the wolves' trainer, Ohfan (Shinshu Fuji), to take them out. Also, meanwhile, Van is beckoned to by a mysterious man named Kenoi (Tomomichi Nishimura) to take down the Zol and embrace nature. The film's title refers to the deer-like Pyuika, one of whom becomes Van's steed and whose milk is an important plot point. 

Everybody got that?

I watched it subtitled today on Hulu and I have the English dub on as I type this. The film's cavalcade of subplots makes a lot more sense upon a second viewing. The slow pace is taxing, but there were a few great character moments, particularly with Hohsalle's blowhard assistant Makoukan (Tooru Sakurai). A major subplot revolves around "The Emperor's Eyes," visiting hot-air balloons, and that goes nowhere. It also throws around a few terms faster than anyone can process. It's a major plot point that the "Black Wolf Fever," which was supposed to infect only Zolians, also infects Aquafaese. And there's no comeuppance for Tohlim and the Aquafaese King. The true nature of the disease and why Van gets superpowers from it is quite odd.

A few more great character moments come from Van and Yuna's relationship. Yuna tugging on an unconscious Van's chains at the start is moving. Yuna's innocence starts cracking Van's hardened exterior by the time they're taken in by Tohma (Chad Horii) and his village. His devotion to her is strong enough that, despite being wounded, he goes after the Ossom when they take her. Yuna's optimism is endearing; when she's possessed by Kenoi, that smile is unnerving. It's also quite moving when Yuna, and then later, Van, are broken free from Kenoi's possession. 

 Meanwhile, Hohsalle's quest for the cure would make him a compelling protagonist if the film was centered on him. He's still compelling as a co-protagonist, though. Sae is fine, though not as compelling as the others. Tohma and Makoukan liven up whatever scenes they're in. Yotalu's predecessor and brother Utalu (Yutaka Aoyama) is surprisingly pitiable despite being a bad guy. It probably helps that he's dying horribly in his one scene. Yotalu himself is sympathetic, while the actual villains are serviceably unlikable. Overall, these supporting characters are fine, but what about the technicals?

The visuals are just as impressive as anything in Ghibli's catalogue. The naturalistic scenery - from the pyuika frolicking in the grasslands to our heroes trekking through the snow - is magnificent. The Ossom running wild with a purple fog around them is sufficiently spooky. The towns are neat, while the character designs (by Ando himself), have equally appealing wardrobes. I do wonder why the Aquafaese are dressed in red, but I digress. The music by Harumi Fuuki is fine, though not as impressive as, say, Joe Hisaishi's work on Miyazaki's films. 

Overall, The Deer King looks nice, but its story could have been better. A quickened pace and spread-out exposition could have livened up these 114 minutes. A few characters help out admirably, though. It's probably worth seeing once in either language. Any more than that is up to you. I still found it a breather film to watch as I slide in more Oscar contenders in the coming days. Stay tuned for the next review.

Empire of Light

 In today's exciting episode of "I Could Have Seen It ... But It Wasn't Playing," I look at Sam Mendes's romantic drama Empire of Light. What could have been a heavy contender at this year's Oscars got an apathetic release in December and only got one notice for the twice-awarded Roger Deakins's cinematography. It's ready to stream on HBOMax today. So, is the wait worth it? 

Maybe.

At the dawn of 1981, Hilary Small (Olivia Colman) is the duty manager of the Empire cinema in Margate, England. She lives a monotonous existence, which includes an affair with her married boss, Mr. Ellis (Colin Firth). One day, a new ticket-taker named Stephen (Michael Ward), starts working at the cinema. Stephen's youthfulness charms Hillary and they begin a relationship. 

It isn't easy for the both of them. Stephen, who is black, is subjected to racist mockery from a few locals. Hillary, meanwhile, suffers from bipolar disorder and was previously committed for it. Ellis hangs the threat of a return visit over her head. The Empire is about to host the premiere of Chariots of Fire, and he doesn't want her to ruin it. At least they have a supportive crew at the Empire, including Norman the projectionist (Toby Jones) and Neil (Tom Brooke) & Janine (Hannah Onslow) looking out for them.

 That pretty much sums it up.

What else can we expect from Roger Deakins other than greatness? Of course, you'll get it here. The film's money scene is where Hilary and Stephen wait for the New Year on top of the Empire. The already majestic seaside town at night is made grander when the fireworks start. Deakins brings out the best in the real-life Dreamland Margate Cinema, which production designer Mark Tildesley converted into the Empire. It's a cinema so majestic that its derelict portions look appealing. There's also a grand Reznor and Ross score to set the romantic moods. What else does it have?

I'll work my way up the cast. Mr. Ellis is irredeemably scummy, but it's still amusing to see him storm off in a childish huff when Hilary rebuffs a "meeting" with him. Janine is likable, while Neil is a welcome confidant for Stephen. Norman's an ok character; he gets his best moments when he teaches Stephen how to run the projector, and later obliges Hilary's wish for a private screening - Being There. Stephen's mother Delia (Tanya Moodie) and his friend, Ruby (Crystal Clarke), are warm presences. Let's get to the mains in the next paragraph.

Ward as Stephen is quite charismatic. He's quite affable and he fully endears himself to the audience when he nurses an injured pigeon back to health. He struggles to keep his cool in the face of racism, whether it comes from an obnoxious cinema patron or a trio of skinheads. He gets plenty of levity when he's with Delia and Ruby, though they're not on-screen with him that much. Hilary is sympathetic as we find her trapped by an exploitive boss and her mental health. She shines when she publicly reveals her affair to Mrs. Ellis. Her vulgar Hamlet parody overshadows the equally funny sound of Vangelis's Chariots of Fire theme coming from the auditorium. Hilary and Stephen's chemistry is believable enough, though not incredibly romantic. 

The titular movie palace is Empire of Light's biggest star. It's a marvelous window into the cinema days of old. Learning more about the mechanics of old theater projectors was more compelling than the romance. The overall 113 minutes tell a slow moving, yet surprisingly decent story. It's worth seeing for the illustrious architecture and cinematography. Or you can find something else on HBOMax. Either option's fine.

Navalny

 Navalny was, until today, the only other of this year's Oscar-nominated documentaries to be readily available for streaming. Check back next week for a review of the newly-streamable All That Breathes. In the meantime, I've got a great political documentary to tell you about.

Daniel Rohmer chronicles Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, a man whom Vladimir Putin refuses to name in public. We first see him rise from a YouTube star to practically Putin's archenemy. Then, we almost see him die. In August 2020, Kremlin agents poisoned him with the nerve agent Novichok on a commercial flight from Siberia. He spent most of his hospitalization in Germany. Once he recovered, it was time to find out his would-be killers.

Navalny enlisted journalists Christo Gorzev and Maria Pevchikh for his investigation. Their detective work uncovered a den of killers, equally dangerous as they were stupid. His triumphant return to Russia led him to be arrested (again) on more-than-likely false charges (again) and he remains in prison to this day.

The film does an excellent job at introducing us to Navlany. His relationship with his wife, Yulia, and their kids, is endearing. He wins public support denouncing the authoritarian Putin and his goons. His rallies inspire citizens to denounce Putin too; no wonder Putin has to perform verbal gymnastics around him. We see footage of emergency workers coming for Navalny after his poisoning. It's quite disturbing to hear him moan in a way you'd never imagine a human could. We sympathize with Navlany as he recovers and side with him when he investigates his near murder. We also side with him when he's arrested near the end. There's no way we can believe whatever he's charged with is factual.

The film's detective plot is its most entertaining section. Navalny's quite bemused when he finds out it was Novichok - which only Putin and his goons manufacture. We see Navalny and his supporters hack their way to a list of names and numbers. Some of whom understandably hang up when Navalny identifies himself. But one of them spills the beans when Navanly uses a fake name. The grand conspiracy he lays out is so shockingly detailed for the world to hear. That call was published online. The Kremlin can deny all it wants. We're still thrilled when Navalny's accusations are vindicated.

Navalny is a strong portrait of a charismatic leader and great family man. We learn quite a bit about him in 98 minutes as he returns from death, stronger than ever. His investigation of his near murder is audacious and thrilling. But perhaps its strongest scenes are footage of others following his example in denouncing Putin. His sham arrest only strengthens his audience sympathy. Don't miss this one. It's ready to watch on HBOMax, which is where I found the subject for my next review. That new one started streaming today, too.

Sword Art Online the Movie Progessive - Scherzo of the Deep Night

Here's that anime film I promised ....

As with That Time I Got Reincarnated as A Slime, Sword Art Online also began as a series of novels before it hit it big as an anime. That TV show got its own movies, two of which adapt the franchise's Progressive sub-series. The first of them, Aria of a Starless Night, didn't play close enough to me in late 2021. I had better luck with the second, Scherzo of the Deep Night, which is out now. Let's see how it is.

As Aria established, highschooler Asuna Yuki and her best friend, Misumi "Mito" Tozawa, found themselves stuck with around 10,000 players in the titular virtual RPG. It's one of those "you die in the game, you die for real " affairs, so they can't mess around. They apparently fell out, but Asuna found herself with a new partner - Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya - the franchise's actual protagonist. As the film opens, Asuna, Kirito and their new friend, the impish broker Argo, co-ordinate a cross guild takedown of the game's fourth boss. There's just ninety-six to go.

The two big guilds plan a big New Year's Eve party (the film's set in 2022). Meanwhile, Argo tells our heroes that whoever slays the next boss will get a special MacGuffin that makes their guild all-powerful. Naturally, the guilds might want to fight for first dibs on the item rather than fight for their lives. So, our heroes and a few allies join forces to take down the boss themselves. Asuna wants Mito to join the raid, but they'll have to fight things out first. Meanwhile, Asuna and Kirito become privy to the Laughing Coffin Guild, who want to kill players for the lols. What are they to do?

For those playing at home, director Ayako Kouno and writer Yukito Kizawa skip directly to creator Reki Kawahara's fourth novel in the sub-series. I bring this up because Asuna and Kirito already know Argo when the film opens. Not only that, but Kirito is quite chummy with the guilds despite being ostracized as a "Beater" (Beta-Tester and Cheater, long story) in the last film. Kibaou, one of Kirito's biggest detractors, is a lot friendlier to him here. This may certainly strike those familiar with the franchise (like me) as odd. What happened between those films? It does bring newcomers up to speed with the previous film, though. So, that's good.

What's better is Argo - who barely appeared in the TV anime at all - in a leading role. Her impish personality livens up whatever scene she's in. She gets some nice character moments with Asuna, including a fight with produce in a hot spring. I did get a kick out of her retort to Kirito's astonishment that the climactic boss - a giant golem - has two arms. She's a likable friend to our heroes even if she's a case of remember the new guy. Mito, a character created for these films, is a good character. She gets her best moments with her duel with Asuna and in the climactic battle, where her chain skills help them win the day. One can sympathize with her aloofness even if they haven't seen the first film.

Asuna and Kirito's relationship is fine. They get some nice bonding moments, especially when they confront some Laughing Coffin goons while treasure hunting. The fight scenes look great, and with series composer Yuki Kaijura at the helm, they sound great too. The climactic fight against the Golem is its standout moment, as our heroes have to strategize to claw at the monster's hit points bit by bit. It was quite tense to see Asuna come close to death in the fight. But only the fact that it's this early in the anime's story detracts from the tension. It was quite a standout that our heroes' first encounter with the Laughing Coffins' leader feels like a letdown.

Sword Art Online the Movie Progessive - Scherzo of the Deep Night is surprisingly not boring. There's a nice mix of action and character moments. Argo is sure to be a fan favorite if she isn't already. Oddly, most theaters are showing this once a day, mostly at night. My screening was a subtitled version in the afternoon. The dubbed version will screen later this week. At nights.  It might not win over any new fans, but it's still a decent way to spend 101 minutes. See it at your earliest convenience.

To Leslie

There was one film that got noticed in the final days before the Oscar nominations. That would be To Leslie, a little film headlined by Andrea Riseborough in the titular role. How little was it? So little, you can imagine the gasps when Riseborough, and not the widely expected Viola Davis or Danielle Deadwyler, made it into Oscar's Best Actress lineup. What was it that got the Academy to notice? You'll see.

Leslie struck gold with a $190,000 lotto ticket. But she blew almost all of it on booze and drugs. As the film opens, she's evicted from her motel room and is forced to room with her son James (Owen Teague). That lasts for about a day before he catches her drinking and stealing money from his roommate, Darren (Catfish Jean). She soon lives with her "friends" Nancy (Allison Janey) and Dutch (Stephen Root), who hate her and eventually lock her out.

Eventually, she makes her way to another motel, whose proprietor Sweeney (Marc Maron), offers her a housekeeping job. She's habitually tardy but is otherwise highly committed. Her former friends and even onlookers still regard her as gutter trash. She's soon determined not to waste this opportunity for a new life.

This time, it's TV director Michael Morris who makes his feature debut. Ryan Binaco's screenplay begins with a montage of Leslie's life up until the lotto win. She's already destitute by the time the film opens. Her abrasive and needy attitude isn't endearing for anyone on or off-screen. Her former friends aren't much better either. It's when Nancy throws her out with little provocation that I started to sympathize with her. At least James was justified after she stole money for booze. What else did she do wrong to Nancy? 

Things start to improve once Sweeney enters the picture. He's a good man, but he won't let Leslie walk all over him. He nearly fires her when she's late too many times. But he also believes in her potential. He's understanding when Nancy berates Leslie at the county fair for her selfishness. He still looks for her when she runs out after an argument. He also sees potential for her late film idea to run a cafe. Overall, he and his chemistry with Leslie are likable. We also get his business partner, the eccentric Royal (Andre Royo), who's as funny as he is sympathetic.

It improves when Leslie commits to improving herself. She's already proven herself of wasting every good opportunity. But she also proves herself a good worker despite her tardiness. The aforementioned argument starts when Sweeney shows her a tape of her on the news after her win. She later asks a complete stranger if she's trash; the guy doesn't. That scene is surely what cemented Riseborough her Oscar nomination. The film dissects her selfish exterior to show her self-loathing interior. The film shows us the value she has as a person. Her reconciliation with Nancy and James ends the film on a hopeful note.

You can now rent To Leslie on your favorite streaming service, like Amazon Prime (again). Its first act is a bit tough to watch. But it gets better once certain characters are introduced. Its surprise Oscar nomination is understandable once you see its lead's redemption arc. And that's all I have to say about it. 

Next time, an anime film.

Aftersun

This was probably the highest profile of the three films I chose to start the month with. At least, until the next one I'll get to factored in. Right now, we're looking at Aftersun, which sees the feature length debut of short filmmaker Charlotte Wells. She's the likeliest to win the DGA for First Time Director, though only star Paul Mescal was nominated for an Oscar. Let's see why.

In 1996, Sophie (Frankie Corio) and her dad, Calum (Mescal), vacation in Turkey. They spend the summer at the arcade, at the beach, on the pool and having ice cream, among other things. Sophie's DV camera captures a lot of the fun under the sun. But Calum isn't that happy. He and Sophie's mother separated, and he has money troubles. He still tries to put on a happy face.

We see flashes of Calum at a rave throughout the film. There's someone who wants to reach him. Only later do we learn that someone is the older Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall). That vacation was their last together. Sophie tries to make sense of her dad now that she has her own baby. We only learn all of that at the end. What about the rest of the film?

The main draw is Calum and Sophie's relationship. He's so young that strangers mistake him for Sophie's brother. She's aware, though not fully, of Calum's adult issues. Their father/daughter relationship feels real. It's fun to see them enjoy the sights around their resort. They have only a few problems throughout the film's 101 minutes. Sophie accidentally loses an expensive scuba mask; Calum later turns her down for a father/daughter karaoke; he later accidentally locks her out of the hotel room. He apologizes for locking her out and they have a climactic dance to Under Pressure. The film's only real conflict is so subtly psychological that a second viewing is needed.

Mescal as Calum is a warm presence. He tries his best to be the world's best dad for Sophie. He's mostly successful as the trip proves. We see him breaking down in private near the end, shortly after Sophie gets onlookers to sing him Happy Birthday. He tells a minor character he can't see himself at 40; it wouldn't surprise us if nobody did. The film's creepiest moment is when he walks into the ocean at the dead of night for a swim. Gregory Oke leaves the camera running well after he vanishes. No, this isn't where he dies. What happened to him is unexplained.

Corio as Sophie is quite likable in her film debut. The film's in-media res opening has her record a silly conversation with Calum. It's a mix of childish innocence with precociousness. All of their scenes together have such excellent chemistry. You'll have fun as she takes in the sights around the resort. She hangs with older kids, who try to shield her from their fun. Her age-appropriate fun helps invoke nostalgia for the time period. She has a nice subplot where she bonds with Michael (Brooklyn Toulson), a lad she meets at the arcade. Michael is fine, though him suddenly sneaking up behind her at night isn't the wisest move. It's quite bittersweet to see them part for the last time.

Aftersun barely got a theatrical release this past fall. But it's ready to rent on your favorite streaming services. Once again, I went to Amazon Prime. See it soon to see one of this year's most gentle Oscar contenders. It's a slow film, but its father and daughter relationship will draw you in. It's easy to see why this little film made it into the big leagues. Next time, a little film with big headlines. Don't miss it. Both Aftersun and the next review.

Causeway

 It's time to get back on track watching this year's Oscar contenders. The first three I plan to cover all received a single nomination for acting. All of them are directorial debuts. The first of them is Causeway, whose only nomination comes from Brian Tyree Henry's supporting performance. Let's see how it is.

Soldier Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence) served in Afghanistan until an ambush left her with a massive brain injury. After a stay with a caretaker, Sharon (Jayne Houdyshell), Lynsey returns home to New Orleans. Life in New Orleans isn't easy for her, especially with her mother Gloria (Linda Emond). She gets a job as a pool cleaner, but she wants to return to Afghanistan, much to her doctor's (Stephen McKinley Henderson) warnings.

One day, her truck breaks down and she brings it to James's (Henry) shop. James is also physically and emotionally damaged from a car accident on a causeway (hence, the title). They spend the rest of the movie bonding.

Its debuting director is theatre director Lila Neugebauer (Utopia, among others). The screenplay by Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel and Odessa Moshfegh begins with Lynsey waiting for Sharon to arrive at what is likely the airport. Cinematographer Diego Garcia leaves the camera running on a forlorn Lynsey from behind for a long while. We see her despair even before we see her in a wheelchair. Her time with Sharon is spent mainly in a single prologue; she's all (?) better one transition later. It's a jarring development, though the rest of its 94 minutes aren't too disorienting. Slow, yes, but disorienting, no.

The film livens up when James enters the picture 22 minutes in. Henry and Lawrence's chemistry is compelling; they have one of their best scenes when he helps her fend off an unwanted admirer at a bar. His strongest scenes are when he opens up about his troubled past. His mountain of regrets is palpable in these monologues. A late-night swim at one of Lynsey's clients' pools turns awkward when she accidentally acts forthcoming. It's easy to not notice James's amputated leg in that scene in favor of his anguished face. I must say it's a good use of visual effects once I finally did. Their reconciliation leaves the film on a hopeful note.

Lynsey's story arc is all about her enjoying the small things in life. She wants to redeploy to Afghanistan despite her PTSD. She's emotionally distant from New Orleans until James arrives. She and James bond over not just their traumas, but music, their high school lives and even snow cones. She even lounges in a kiddie pool with her mother. Eventually, she meets her brother, Justin (Russell Harvard), in prison for a heart-to-heart. Lawrence's performance helps make Lynsey's arc a compelling one. The film focuses more on her emotional trauma than physical trauma, which is still a good angle.

Causeway is available on Apple Tv +. It's a slow yet captivating drama about life after trauma. Its leads have a good supporting cast, especially Henderson and Houdyshell, surrounding them. The story past the prologue has some issues with its natural progression. But you'll enjoy the leads learning to enjoy life. It's a good contender among this year's Oscar nominees. I've got plenty of films to ready for review.

Especially this year's most controversial pick.