Migration

Let's not waste any time with Migration. It's not a bad film, but the New Year is hours away and this film is just 83 minutes long. Let's see how Illumination did with its 14th film.

We find a family of Mallards somewhere in New England. Dad Mack Mallard (Kumail Nanjiani) is a worry-wort who refuses to leave the comfort of his forest. That doesn't sit well with mom Pam (Elizabeth Banks), and kids Dax (Caspar Jennings) and Gwen (Tresi Gazal), who want to see the world. One day, they meet another flock of ducks on layover for their migration to Jamaica. The prospect sounds fun for Pam and the kids, but Mack only agrees to migrate after a talk with cranky Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito). They accidentally migrate to Manhattan, where they have misadventures with a flock of pigeons and a vicious chef. They'll have to toughen up to get in the right direction. 

That's basically it.

Since the film's been trailered, often, since April, quite a few of the gags aren't that fresh. A few of them are amusing, such as pigeon boss Chump's (Awkwafina) difficulty crossing the street, but you'll have persistent deja-vu as you watch it. That doesn't mean there are surprises. Its darkly-funny opening has Mack tell the kids a morbid bedtime story, while Pam tries to overrule the downer ending. The creepy Erin the Heron (Carol Kane) ends up being more eccentric than dangerous. The Mallards' approach to Manhattan includes a pretty fun cloud fight. Salsa figures into the plot in an amusing fashion. My biggest surprise is realizing that its director, Benjamin Renner, is the same man who directed the Oscar-nominated Ernest and Celestine. Anyone more familiar with the film will see his influence in the water-colored bedtime story.

The Mallards are pretty basic archetypes but are still likable. Mack's cynical personality is amusing to listen to thanks to Nanjiani's animated voice work. Pam's a good voice of reason, while Uncle Dan's motivating speech for Mack is a brutal and unironic bait-and-switch. The Kids are fine, but it's decently compelling to see them mount the climactic rescue of their parents. The Chef only vocalizes with growls to the point there's no actor listed for him in the credits. It doesn't take long to know who he is when he violently tosses a quivering cook's duck a l'orange on the floor. Its most compelling character is Delroy (Keegan Michael-Key), the Chef's homesick parrot who jumps at the chance to guide the mallards. 

Its avian cast is aided by a strong visual team. You'll remember the vivid color palette as much as you'll remember its cast's eclectic designs. The Mallards' home forest is simply stunning in fall, while the layover flock's blue feathers are striking. Its version of Manhattan is grittier than that in The Secret Life of Pets, but it's still appealing in its own way. Its most appealing locale is, ironically, the creepiest. It's a duck "paradise" whose actual purpose is beyond obvious. The flying scenes look good, but John Powell's score makes them as majestic as those in the How to Train Your Dragon films. You gotta see the cloud fight scene.

Migration will make for a quick and easy family matinee. It's clearly made for kids, but I think adults will find some fun with it. They'll find even more fun with the opening short, Mooned, in which Despicable Me's Vector (remember him?) tries to escape the moon where he ended up in that film, only for the oblivious Minions to get in his way. His wacky gadgets are hilarious, and he's almost pitiable in his failures. It's a great opening for a harmless animated film. That's it for this year.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire

 It's time to get the last few reviews out for the year. 

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, Zack Snyder's reworking of his Star Wars movie pitch, is the first up at bat. It's essentially a sci-fi Seven Samurai as much as Star Wars was essentially a sci-fi The Hidden Fortress. Of course, some may recall that 1980's Battle Beyond the Stars was also a sci-fi Seven Samurai. But I'd imagine the older film is better than this.

As Jimmy the Droid (Anthony Hopkins) narrates, the galaxy is ruled by the evil regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) of the militaristic Motherworld. The Motherworld's been at a civil war with rebels ever since their former king (only referred to as "The Slain King" and cameoed by Cary Elwes) and his family were assassinated. Balisarius dispatches the evil Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein) to the farming moon of Veldt to get some grain. The Veldtians balk at Noble's high quotas, so he makes an example out of their elder, Father Sindri (Corey Stall). He promises to come back for his grain, though he doesn't promise to leave them in peace.

One of the Veldtians is actually Kora (Sofia Boutella), a former Motherworld soldier, who, along with her friend Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), decide to round up the magnificent space samurai. There's the Han Solo-type, Kai (Charlie Hunnam), beastmaster Tarak (Staz Nair), gladiator Titus (Djimon Hounsou), cyborg swordswoman Nemesis (Doona Bae) and the rebel leaders Darrian & Devra Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher & Cleopatra Coleman). They naturally have to stay one step ahead of Admiral Noble and his forces. But can all the magnificent space samurai be trusted?

The film's biggest problem is its storytelling. It takes about forty minutes before Kora and Gunnar set off to find the magnificent space samurai. We soon see them gather the warriors, after which they have final battle with Noble and that's it. It's rather easy to zone out during its tedious exposition dumps. I was reminded during them how George Lucas's original lengthy title crawl for Star Wars had to be edited greatly; imagine if there was no oversight and you have this film. It draws out scenes like Kora rescuing her friend, Sam (Charlotte Maggi), from Motherworld goons, to an annoying crawl. It's a somewhat short epic film at 134-minutes, though it certainly felt longer and incomplete. 

This is actually an incomplete movie. It has a director's cut coming in a few months right when Part Two, The Scargiver, comes out. This is a Netflix movie, which is rarely bothered by showtime restrictions, so why not make a full version the first time? This arrangement leaves it with a few oddities. Kora saving Sam is obviously edited for violence until she whips out a blaster. Nemesis's debut has her rushed into a contextless battle with the spider-woman Harmada (Jena Malone). That sequence looks good, and it heavily justifies it being shortlisted for the Visual Effects Oscar, but a bit more development could have helped. Jimmy and Aris (Sky Yang), the latter being a sympathetic Motherworld soldier, are not only likable, but are glorified extras. I can go on, but I won't.

But I will go on about what worked. Noble's dialogue with the Veldtians is affable, but tense, considering that this is a man who could have a planet flash-fried if he's angry. His murder of Sindri is a tense outburst of violence. We barely see Balisarius in this instalment, but when he first appears in a flashback, he welcomes the possibility of young Kora shooting him. It's as chilling as it sounds. Tarak's debut has him tame a space griffin, Bennu, to win his freedom from Hickman (Ray Porter), the farmer holding him in debt. Tarak's brutal surprise for Hickman makes him the most memorable of the magnificent space samurai.

 Let's not forget the visuals, as everything from the production design to its creatures are as wonderfully eclectic as Star Wars's. Jimmy, played on set by motion capture actor Dustin Ceithamer, looks like a real animatronic at times. Its creepiest crawlie is a parasite that talks by possessing an unlucky corpse (James William O'Halloran). It's also pretty cool how Nemesis's lightsabers look like molten magma. Its CGI is great, overall, but its makeup team deserves major credit for its practical aliens. Its grand tone is accentuated by another memorable score by Tom "Junkie XL" Holkenborg. 

What do I think of Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire? It's an OK movie; it could have been told a lot better but it's not really awful. It still looks great, and I wouldn't mind it being placed on the final ballot at the Oscars. Let's hope The Scargiver sets this new sci-fi universe's momentum to lightspeed. I don't think I'll put the director's cut on my docket, even if Snyder says it's going to be a different movie, but that's just me. I'm sure others will put it on their playlists in no time. That's it for now. 

Maestro

It's been five years since Bradley Cooper made his directorial debut with the remake nobody knew they wanted. He makes his encore with Maestro, in which he embodies the one and only Leonard Bernstein himself. Let's see how he did.

Actually, let's first see how the makeup team, supervised by the twice Oscar-awarded Kazu Hiro, did. When we first see Leonard, he's about seventy and playing piano for a news crew. I've seen videos of him conduct the 1984 recording of West Side Story, and the 1989 Candide concert (which, as of this sentence, I'm listening to now), and when I first saw stills of Cooper in old man makeup, I legitimately thought it was Leonard himself. He also ages Carey Mulligan - as Leonard's wife, Felicia Montealegre - to stunning unrecognizability. Do your own comparison and you'll understand why Hiro's third Oscar is pretty much inevitable.

The movie formally begins in 1943, when Leonard is asked to fill-in at the last minute for the Philharmonic's Bruno Walter for a concert. His triumphant debut is followed by him meeting Felicia at a party. They get married in 1951, though he has to break it off with his longtime boyfriend, David Oppenheim (Matt Bohmer). Felicia is understanding of Leonard's bisexuality, but not of his continuing affairs and his towering ego. By the 1970s, Leonard and Felicia's marriage is on the rocks, though they eventually affirm their love for each other before it's too late. That's basically it.

Cooper's performance isn't completely overshadowed by the makeup artistry. He greets his last-minute gig with infectious elation and his love for his craft is palpable when he conducts. On the downside, he can get pretty cold with his loved ones, including his daughter, Jamie (Maya Hawke), when he tries his hand at rumor control. I'll discuss him a bit more when I get to Felicia, but I'll skip ahead to some pivotal bits. While she accuses him of conducting "with rage in [his] heart," his reaction to her terminal diagnosis and his climactic conducting of The Resurrection Symphony shows the genuine love. 

Mulligan's performance perfectly complements Cooper's. Felicia and Leonard's relationship is initially radiant - a bit ironic since Matthew Libatique films their early years in stark black-and-white - and it's quite enjoyable to see them fantasize themselves in On The Town. It's also nice to see them rejoice over her Broadway debut in If Five Years Pass. The honeymoon years officially end once the film switches to color. By then, she's worn down by age and exhaustion, which finally explodes during a Thanksgiving argument where rips his ego apart. Still, they get a nice reconciliation after The Resurrection Symphony. 

Does anyone else get time to shine? Sarah Silverman stands out as Leonard's sister Shirley, who gives him and Felicia much needed emotional support. Michael Urie, Nick Blaemire and Mallory Portnoy make the most of their cameos as some of Leonard's future musical collaborators, Jerome Robbins, Adolph Green and Betty Comden, respectively. Let's not forget Hawke, who as Jamie, tries to make sense of her parents' rocky relationship.

Naturally, the soundtrack is populated by a setlist of Leonard's accomplishments. They all sound great as conducted by the London Symphony Orchestra. His musical debut, accompanied by his overture to On The Waterfront, is a small sample of the spectacular work of the now Oscar-shortlisted sound designers. It's not just the music, but the busy chatter, that perfectly accentuates the scene. Libatique also gets points in that scene with his long take of Leonard making his way to the theatre. The rest of the film spotlights a few of Leonard's lesser-known works like A Quiet Place and Trouble In Tahiti as much as his crowning achievements. 

Maestro is a film that resonates with repeated viewings. Its rather familiar plot - I was repeatedly reminded of the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely - was just fine on the first watch. I genuinely understand its intricacies as I watch it a second time while I type this review. Its central relationship is decently compelling all the way through. It's ready for you to stream on Netflix. Who knows, it might resonate with you much quicker than with me. That's it for now.

The Color Purple

Alice Walker's literary magnum-opus, The Color Purple, already made its cinematic way in the form of Steven Spielberg's 1985 film. That film saw both Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey in their first film roles and ultimately tied with the 1977 ballet drama The Turning Point for the biggest Oscar shutout of all time: no wins out of 11 nominations. 

Hopefully, this new adaptation, which is primarily based on the 2005 musical by Marsha Norman, with songs by Brenda Russell, Alle Willis and Stephen Bray, will fare better in the upcoming Oscar race. It certainly deserves an award or two.

The story follows roughly forty-years in the life of Celie Harris (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi), who, at the turn of the 20th-century, lives in Georgia with her sister, Nettie (Halle Bailey) and their abusive father, Alfonso (Deon Cole). Celie is already twice pregnant by her "Pa," who gives away both kids to be adopted, and her away to be married to a farmer, Albert "Mister" Johnson (Colman Domingo). Albert is no better than Pa; when Nettie runs away to live with them, Albert tosses her out, but not before she promises to write to Celie. Cinematographer Dan Laustsen then inventively shows the years and seasons progress in a single shot around Albert's house, which ends with Fantasia Barrino taking the stage as the older Celie.

Celie's unhappily married life gets a bit better when Albert's mistress, blues singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), comes to town. Shug shows Celie the first bit of friendship she's had in years, which eventually grows romantic. Celie also befriends Sofia (Danielle Brooks), her stepdaughter-in-law, who refuses to let anyone push her down. Her new friends help Celie stand up to Albert and to reconnect with her past. 

Director Blitz Bazawule (Black is King) and his screenwriter, Marcus Gardley, don't directly transplant the original stage play into film form. That much is obvious considering quite a bit of the songs have been cut, allowing a new score by Kris Bowers and a few additional songs to come in. The songs that survived, from Sofia's rousing I Am Song Hell No to the emotional titular finale, are dynamite. The fantasy numbers accompanying a few of the numbers are spectacularly visualized, which is no surprise considering The Shape of Water's production designer, Paul Denham Austerberry, is this film's PD, too. Miss Celie's Blues, the first film's Oscar-nominated song, gets an appealing reprise, while this film's Oscar-shortlisted Keep It Movin', gives Celie and Nettie one last needed bit of levity.

Mpasi and Bailey have such great sisterly chemistry from their first song onwards. We definitely feel for them when they're put through the ringer in the first half-hour or so before their separation. Bailey makes for a strong presence even when that is limited to her voice-over narration. Barrino, as the older Celie, is dynamic as she finds her courage, whether she seriously contemplates murdering Albert or actually standing up to him at a Thanksgiving dinner. Her romantic chemistry with Henson's Shug may satisfy those unsatisfied with the first film's bowdlerized relationship.

Shug, by herself, maybe a diva, but it's her kindness to Celie that puts her on top. She even provides the title drop, her way of telling Cellie that there's beauty in the world. It's just as moving as it was when Margaret Avery played the part in the first film. But little compares to Brooks's screen presence, who, as Sofia, fights to maintain her dignity in a cruel world. That makes it harrowing when she's arrested for slugging a racist mayor and her dignity disintegrates after a ridiculously long prison sentence. You'll still cheer inside when Celie's aforementioned Thanksgiving fight restores Sofia's sense of humor. 

Now for a few other characters. It doesn't take long before we despise Pa, and it takes a bit less before we also despise Albert. Albert, however, eventually realizes how cruel he's been and makes legitimate amends. Him showing his son, Harpo (Corey Hawkins), his approval at the end, is sincerely moving. His final gesture to Celie helps give the film its happy ending. A bit less sympathetic is his father, "Old Mister" (Louis Gossett Jr), who's just a rude old man. Harpo, meanwhile, is fine, while his mistress, "Squeak" (Gabriella "H.E.R." Wilson), is another great member in Celie's social circle. Goldberg even pops in as Celie's midwife at the start, which makes for quite an early surprise.

I've only seen bits of the first The Color Purple, but I think this musical adaptation does right by the original story. Its moving story, phenomenal cast and stellar production values make this a memorable movie musical experience. It's worth seeing it in theaters just to hear your fellow audience members react. Indeed, their reactions made for a lot of joyful noise. See it soon and you might agree with me.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

It has been ten years since Man of Steel, the first of what has since been called the DC Extended Universe, set off countless internet arguments with its debut. These arguments might finally subside now that the last DCEU film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, has washed ashore into theatres after a heavily protracted production.

Or not...

Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) was crowned King of Atlantis at the end of his last movie. He finds the political life boring, particularly with a ruling council who persistently overrule him, while he's in his element as a superhero and father. Meanwhile, David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is still bitter over Arthur having left his dad, Jesse (Michael Beach in the last film), to die aboard the submarine they hijacked. He gets an evil Black Trident and invests in orichalcum, an ancient power source which accelerates global warming to ludicrous speed. Arthur decides to spring his half-brother and Kane's former collaborator, Orm (Patrick Wilson), from prison to help him stop the end of the world.

Oh yeah, wasn't there supposed to be a Lost Kingdom? It's in the title. Well, this Lost Kingdom is Necrus, a kingdom of undead merpeople ruled by Arthur's (several times) Great Grand Uncle, Kordax (Pilou Asbaek). It's his trident that Kane holds and is his conduit to talk to Kane. Kordax promises Kane awesome power if he releases him from his icy tomb. He just needs someone of royal Atlantean blood to sacrifice. So, global warming and fish zombies? What a mixture for our heroes to handle. Everybody got that?

I think I summarized all the essentials of this movie, which has four writers (including director James Wan and actual screenplay writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick) working on it. While Kordax's spirit appears throughout the film to tempt Kane, it's only in the last hour that we fully learn about Necrus. That's just one bit of exposition clearly damaged by the countless reshoots. I didn't mention this in my Aquaman review, but I found it hard to sympathize with Kane there for his extreme moral myopia. It's barely different here, so much that there's barely any difference between his normal attitude and him being possessed by Kordax, though his casualness towards a dissenting minion is quite refreshing. 

Its star's performance is also refreshing. Momoa's boisterousness as Arthur is delightful, particularly in the opening where it switches between him fighting pirates and him narrating the adventure to his son. His chemistry with Orm is pretty decent even if you can see the ending a mile away. The aforementioned minion is Dr. Shin (Randall Park), a character I had forgotten about in the first Aquaman. He's a good scientist distressed by his employer's evil schemes and is easily the film's most sympathetic character. Jani Zhao makes a good impression as Kane's loyal first mate, Stingray, while Martin Short is a welcome surprise in the mo-cap role of the undersea crime-boss Kingfish. 

The undersea creatures, from the returning Brine King (John Rhys-Davies) or the new octopus Topo, are imaginative CGI creations. A few creatures Arthur and Orm meet on Kane's private island, particularly a swarm of ravenous giant grasshoppers, are pretty creepy. Unfortunately, much of the other CGI effects don't mesh well into their scenes. It's particularly noticeable in the climax when our heroes and villains converge onto Necrus, which is hidden under Antarctica. Its best effects turn Orm into a puny prisoner when Arthur finds him. It's so seamless unlike the green smoke and ice we see. 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn't a perfect movie, but its star gives it his all for the DCEU's last hurrah. It's a decently entertaining film that should make for a good holiday matinee. It's a relatively quick and somewhat easy matinee at 124-minutes. So, what do we do now that this continuity is done? Why, catch up on a few other movies, of course!

 Hopefully, James Gunn will make it fun to believe that a man can fly when his Superman reboot, Superman: Legacy, flies in a few years' time. We'll be waiting.

Wonka

Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Jethro and I'm here to tell you about the year's most scrumdiddlyumptious film. So, quiet up and listen down - scratch that, reverse it - as I prattle on about Wonka!

(Barker Mood Off)

So, how did this prequel come about? Well, it all started when Paramount released Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, based on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When Paramount lost interest in the film, Warner Bros adopted it, and eventually re-adapted the book into a Tim Burton film and a direct-to-video Tom and Jerry movie. The Dahl estate soon partnered with Netflix but allowed Warner Bros. some leeway to produce this prequel. That brings us up to here.

Here, we find Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) as an aspiring chocolatier who arrives to make his fortune in an unnamed city. Its Galeries Gourmet is ruled by the "Chocolate Cartel" of Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Gerald Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Felix Fickelgruber (Matthew Baynton), who abhor the poor and competitors alike. These three try to keep Wonka from selling his fantastical wares with the help of a chocoholic police chief (Keegan Michael-Key).

Wonka is also roped into indentured servitude by the crooked innkeepers Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and Mr. Bleacher (Tom Davis). Wonka teams up with the orphaned Noodle (Callah Lane) to free themselves and Scrubbit's other servants. All they have to do is break the cartel's chocolate monopoly with his own shop. It's not easy, for they have to procure certain ingredients, avoid the police and contend with Lofty the Oompa Loompa (Hugh Grant), who keeps robbing him at night. Surely, they can do it, right?

Director Paul King reteams with his Paddington 2 co-writer, Simon Farnaby, for this cinematic confection. They also co-wrote the songs with Neil Hannon, not counting the few classics from Willy Wonka by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse that show up. They're all pretty catchy and if there's any flaw, it's that Wonka's first sale song, You've Never Had Chocolate Like This, is too short. The reprise, thankfully, is longer and just as catchy. The Cartel's villain song and the Servants' work song are the catchiest of the numbers. While we're at it, let's give props to the arrangement for Oompa Loompa and Joby Talbot's original score.

The story these songs accompany blends sweetness with Dahlian whimsy. Never is that mixture most evident in a subplot involving Basil the Guard (Farnaby), which pays off in the climax. Meanwhile, there's some delicious satire as the cartel engages in chocolate bribery and the clergy worships chocolate itself. On the purely sweet side, Wonka and Noodle's friendship is engaging, while Wonka's late mom (Sally Hawkins) gives him a decent motivation. Her parting words on his keepsake Wonka Bar give the ending a surprising pinch of emotion. Trust me, you'll feel something once he shares it.

This Wonka's naive optimism hooks us from the first number onwards. We're in awe of the Galeries Gourmet as much as he is thanks to Chalamet's particularly pleasant singing. We already feel sorry for him when that first number ends as he loses all of his meager savings. He never loses that likability during the rest of the film. We can't even fault him too much when Lofty outwits him during their first meeting. We're even as surprised as he at the depths the villains are willing to go. He bounces back when he finally outwits the Chocolate Cartel.

Let's rundown a few of the cast. Bleacher, Scrubbit and the Police Chief almost had me convinced they were pretty reasonable people. After all, the former two took in Wonka out of the kindness of their hearts, while the Chief shows some integrity turning down chocolate bribes. But they soon prove themselves formidable, yet amusing, villains before long. The Chocolate Cartel also make for funny bad guys, though Slugworth becomes less so once we learn Noodle's backstory. Speaking of Noodle, she's a compelling co-lead and easily the best of Wonka's co-workers (close second is Jim Carter's Mr. Crunch). Hugh Grant is fine as Lofty, while Rowan Atkinson puts in a memorable cameo as the chocoholic Father Julius. Let's just say this ensemble is another good ingredient in this mixture.

No Name City is a splendid place even if it's not that technically perfect. The film's CGI mostly stands out like a sore thumb, particularly when some of Wonka's first customers get an odd side-effect. A bit better CGI is used for a Giraffe who figures into Wonka and Co.'s climactic scheme. The best effects are the flying people and the Hoverchocs responsible for their state. The Police Chief's ballooning figure and the other villains' wacky hairstyles are the makeup team's crowning achievements. The practical sets designed by Nathan Crowley are as spectacular as Lindy Hemming's colorful costumes. Who knows if the Academy will notice Crowley and/or Hemming's work as much as you will.

Wonka will make for a nice holiday matinee. Its likable lead and catchy songs will help make its 116 minutes go by pretty quickly. Its ending might make one question how a sequel would adapt the book, but I think it can get by with a bit of wiggle room. Then again, I also think it won't get a sequel for reasons above. It's still a good movie, though. See it soon and you might agree.

Past Lives

It's been a while, but it's time for another episode of "I Could Have Seen It ... It Was Playing." Today, we look at Past Lives, a romantic drama that played twice in my area since it came out in June. I don't have a good excuse for why I didn't go. I finally made time for it with an Amazon Rental, so let's get on to it.

Playwright Celine Song's first film chronicles 24 years in the lives of two South Korean friends, Nora and Hae Sung. As kids, Nora - then Na Young (Seung Ah Moon) - and Hae Sung (Seung Min Yim), were pretty close, but were growing closer by the time she and her family moved to Canada. Twelve years later, Nora (Greta Lee) is a Manhattan playwright, while Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) studies engineering back at Seoul. Nora reconnects with Hae Sung when she notices him asking for her on Facebook. They soon video call each other but they don't reconnect in-person for another twelve years. How much has changed since then?

Nora and Hae Sung have great chemistry whether they're in the same city or not. They feel like old friends the moment they reconnect on Skype. You'll feel the pleasantness as they catch up on old times throughout their subsequent chats. You'll soon feel their longing for each other as both of them want to visit each other but are unable to go first. By the time they reunite in person, they're quite older and Nora has even married fellow author Arthur (John Magaro), but you'll still feel their mutual attraction. They soon spend the third act wondering what their lives could have been. Overall, the film's story will resonate the most with anyone who's ever had a long-term long-distance relationship. It's quite a splendid story.

What else can I talk about? Arthur, the only other significant character, is a likable guy. We sympathize with him as he worries about being the third wheel, and thankfully, he doesn't turn antagonistic at all. It may be about Nora and Hae Sung's relationship, but the film develops Nora and Arthur's relationship rather well. The MVP on the technical side is cinematographer Shabier Kirchner. His work, whether in close-ups or a long climactic wide shot, perfectly spells out Nora and Hae Sung's mutual longing. His exquisite location filming in New York and Seoul makes for a good travelogue of both cities. I especially liked the serene countryside in Montauk, where Nora and Arthur meet during a writer's retreat. I think you will too.

Past Lives actually opens up with two un-seen people observing Nora, Hae Sung and Arthur at a bar late into the film. They speculate what these three strangers are to each other before the film flashbacks. It's as if the film is saying "Do you want to know? Well, come on in." Enter their world, whether on streaming or physical media, for the most compelling long-distance relationships in modern film. This is a film you will rightly hear more about in the next few months. As for me, I'll prepare for my next review, the first year I will ever make it past 100 posts. 

The Boy and the Heron

 Well, it's finally about time I get to review a Hayao Miyazaki movie. 

A decade ago, I was denied the opportunity to review his "final" film, The Wind Rises, due to a paltry limited release. But now, I get to review his "final" film, The Boy and the Heron. No, I'm not kidding about the "final" film part. I'll elaborate why in the conclusion.

During World War II, 12-year-old Mahito Maki (dubbed in English by Luca Padovan) loses his mother, Hisako, to a hospital fire. He relocates to the countryside with his father, Shoichi (Christian Bale) and his stepmother - previously his aunt - Natsuko (Gemma Chan), who is now expecting his stepsibling. Mahito struggles to adjust to his new living situation to the point he bashes his head with a rock after a schoolyard brawl. One day, he spots Natsuko walk into a nearby tower and disappear. 

A gray heron guides Mahito into the tower, which actually contains a magical world full of talking birds. It seems that Mahito's mother is alive there and it's up to him to save her. At least, that's what the heron, who is actually a squat dude in a heron costume, is saying. He also meets Himi (Karen Fukuhara), a girl with fire magic, and Kiriko (Florence Pugh), one of Natsuko's maids as a younger woman. Mahito even meets his granduncle (Mark Hamill), a famous architect, who offers him the job of maintaining the other world. Will he take the offer?

Its first hour unfolds slowly as we see Mahito adjust to his new life. Several silent scenes, including one where he reads from a copy of the real-life novel How Do You Live? (which is what this film was called in Japan), perfectly spell out his loneliness. Mahito hitting himself with a rock is as unsettling as you can imagine. It takes quite a while before we realize the heron can talk and even longer before he guides Mahito into the tower. In the fantasy world, we get a similarly slow plot and insufficiently explained plot points. The climactic revelation of Himi is, for example, doesn't have a moment to sink in. Maybe I missed the clues, which I'm willing to look for whenever I see the film again.

The film is livened by its titular co-protagonist. The Gray Heron pesters Mahito at the start and him leading Mahito to a fake Hisako is low. But we still pity him when Mahito shoots through his beak with an arrow made from his feather. From then on, he's a likable birdman even at his most cowardly, and he even gets points back for saving Mahito from carnivorous parakeets. His raspy voice is dubbed in English by an unrecognizable Robert Pattinson, and you'll be floored by his range. His Japanese voice was dubbed by 30-year-old actor and singer Masaki Suda, and from what I've heard of him from a teaser trailer, it's another impressive turn.

Now for a few notable supporting characters. Pugh's range as Kiriko is another dub standout as she goes from young mariner to old maid. Her old maid self is another likably sneaky character, though she's effectively serious when she needs to be. The warawara, a bunch of white blobs, are cuddly little creatures whom we pity when a flock of pelicans beseech them. We also pity a dying pelican (Willem Dafoe) when he explains why he attacked them. The Parakeet King (Dave Bautista) is a noble, yet short minded ruler, while his subjects (one of whom is Dan Stevens) are funny even at their most unnerving. Anyone familiar with Miyazaki will see him in the Granduncle as he discusses the perilous state of his world. In other words, is he talking about another dimension or Ghibili itself? That adds plenty of profoundness when he converses with Mahito. 

Ghibli's vibrant art style persists well into the age of digital ink-and-paint. The characters and the actual hand-painted backgrounds are as pleasant to look at as much of Ghibli's past films. It's even alluring at its most nightmarish, particularly with the opening fire and the heron's design. The fire is a haunting blur as people flee the flames while Mahito rushes towards them. The heron, meanwhile, is surreal as we see his human face, most noticeably his teeth, protrude from his beak. It only becomes goofy once he's unmasked. These splendid sights are accentuated by another splendid score by Miyazaki's longtime collaborator, Joe Hisaishi, who got his first Golden Globe nomination yesterday. Is the Oscar next?

Miyazaki has said his next film will be his last ever since 1997's Princess Mononoke. Will The Boy and the Heron be his final, for real this time, anime masterpiece? At least one associate basically said "no, he's got plenty of ideas left," and I'm interested to see him realize at least one of them. This idea has resulted in a slow, somewhat confusing film, that might improve upon a few viewings. Still, your first one will be greatly improved by a decently compelling lead, a strong supporting cast, and spectacular voice work. See it subbed or see it dubbed, for you'll still get a decent film overall. That's it for now.

Godzilla Minus One

Let's get something out of the way.

Godzilla Minus One is one of the best films of the year, and perhaps the best Godzilla film ever. There's quite a lot to like about it, but a few commentors like it because it's not a political movie. Did we watch the same movie? Let me spell out a few themes as I summarize it:

Our hero, Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), is a kamikaze pilot who, in the last days of World War II, gets cold feet and detours to Odo Island for "repairs." Godzilla shows up that night and kills everyone except Koichi, who froze up when he tried to shoot at Godzilla, and mechanic Sosaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki). Sosaku and Koichi's neighbor, Sumiko (Sakura Ando), blame Koichi for letting their friends and loved ones die. 

Koichi tries to live in "zero state" Japan, along with his new girlfriend, Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe) and their adopted orphan, Akiko (Sae Nagatani), but his survivor's guilt makes it extremely difficult. He finds some solace as a minesweeper on a dingy manned by engineer Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), captain Yoji Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki) and fellow greenhorn Shiro Mizushima (Yuki Yamada). Godzilla soon returns, bigger and angrier, following Operation Crossroads, and he's out to take it out on Japan. It's up to Noda to rally a civilian army, Koichi included, to deal with the King of the Monsters when neither their own government nor the US are willing to.

What themes did director & writer & co-visual effects supervisor Takashi Yamazaki include? One of the most obvious is the mental health of veterans; some of the most unnerving scenes not involving Godzilla are Koichi's PTSD nightmares. That's sure to bring the struggles of modern veterans into perspective. It takes a needed pep talk for Koichi to take on Godzilla. As with Shin Godzilla, it also stresses the importance of the common man defending their country when their government won't. You'll cheer inside when Shiro, who never saw combat experience, rallies a fleet of tugboats that help stall Godzilla long enough for Koichi to finish him off. 

Oh yes, let's not forget some of the biggest. The film makes it clear that war isn't something to be proud of. You'll sympathize with Koichi for his initial desertion, as him only living to die so others may live is a harrowing prospect. To him, there's no point in fighting when the outcome is obvious. A few other guys are understandably reluctant to put their lives on the line again. You'll still rally behind those that stay and fight the unreasonable force of nature. And, as with the first film, it's very much opposed to nuclear weapons. Have I made myself clear?

Koichi is a sympathetic protagonist, but how about his castmates? His familial relationship with Noriko and Akiko is endearing, which makes the midpoint seemingly devastating. The minesweeper crew is a likable and quirky bunch, and you'll be impressed as Noda lays out his plan to kill Godzilla (sink him with freon, and if that fails, float him back up and let decompression take care of him). Sosaku and Sumiko, as harsh as they are on Koichi, are both sympathetic as they deal with their own losses, and they both help him in the end. Their human drama is so compelling that you'll shake in your seat as Godzilla menaces them.

If there's an advantage to creating Godzilla with CGI, as this film does, rather than a man in a suit, it's the expressiveness. This Godzilla announces his presence by throwing the nearest heavy object (ie, a train) and he views the puny humans in the climax with palpable rage. His rampage across Ginza is accentuated by Akira Ifukube's iconic, booming score and is capped off by his atomic breath vaporizing the district. His initial attack on Odo Island has a spectacular jump scare and his initial form, which kind of resembles his 1998 variant, is as imposing as his final form. Overall, Yamazaki and co-supervisor Kiyoko Shibuya's effects are quite seamless, while the new score by Naoki Sato emphasizes the film's gravitas.

Godzilla Minus One is a very serious film whose storyline hits as hard as Godzilla's atomic breath. It's a film you'll want to stay through the ending credits even as it lacks a post-credit scene. Its coda is instead a stunning display of sound design as his booming footsteps draw closer and closer. If I had time to watch films in theaters multiple times, this would be one of them. It's just that great, and hopefully, Godzilla's return to theaters in April's Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is just as good in its own way. That's it for now.