Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

It's funny that there are now two films where the big bad's endgame is to essentially start the next ice age. I'm sure it's just a coincidence that Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire both hit upon the same idea. But that's where any similarities end.

So, where am I going with this?

This time, Kong explores Hollow Earth for any other big apes like him, while Godzilla roams normal Earth fighting other Titans. Meanwhile, Monarch scientist Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) tries to connect with her adopted daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the last surviving human from Skull Island. Jia senses something a great disturbance in the Force (so to speak) coming from Hollow Earth. Godzilla senses it too, which is why he gets up looking for power. Kong gets back to normal Earth when he gets a toothache. After that, Jia, Ilene, Titan veterinarian Trapper (Dan Stevens) and podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), follow Kong back to Hollow Earth.

Meanwhile, Kong finally finds a whole tribe of other big apes. These apes are ruled by the evil Skar King, an old enemy of Godzilla who is looking for a way to get back to normal Earth. Kong can't defeat him and his ice-powered attack Titan, Shimo, alone, which is why he needs Godzilla. They're not exactly friends, but Jia might be able to help after she reconnects with survivors of her tribe, the Iwi. They have a prophesy that she'll reawaken the one force that can get the Kings of the Monsters together. That force is Mothra.

Everyone got that?

Director Adam Wingard and his co-writers get to the main event slowly but surely. It didn't take long before Godzilla and Kong met last time, but here, they don't meet until the third act. In the meantime, we go back and forth between Kong and the humans, with Godzilla showing up every so often. We empathize with Kong when his tooth breaks and are moved when he bonds with a young ape named Suko. Granted, their relationship doesn't start out smoothly, since Suko and some of his tribe ambush Kong. It's still awesome and funny to see Kong assert himself in the ape tribe. The Skar King needs little effort to convey how evil he is to the audience. Godzilla spends much of the film pretty grumpy, while Shimo is quite sympathetic. Their final takedown of Skar King makes the long buildup worth it.

In the human plotline, Ilene tries to help Jia adjust to modern civilization. When they encounter the Iwi, Ilene prepares for the possibility that Jia will go back to them. Their relationship is a great anchor for the monster madness, and their resolution is quite moving. Trapper, meanwhile, is a welcome addition for his bravado and his looking out for the big guy. Anyone intrigued by how giant monster dentistry works will get a cool demonstration. Bernie is amusing, while Mikael (Alex Ferns) the Red Shirt is really the only other human character of note.

The visual effects are quite nifty. The monsters are quite emotive, which is useful considering that they alone take up much of the screentime. Godzilla's upgraded magenta glow is neat, while Kong's metal gauntlet for the final battle (long story) is even neater. Mothra's new design is her best rendition since her look in King of the Monsters. The opening panoramic view of Hollow Earth is stunning, but the later battle between Godzilla and the Titan Scylla in Rome is impeded by the opening credits. The music by Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di Iorio is fine, though not as memorable as the monsters' past films. The sound designs for the monsters, however, is quite impressive.

"Welcome to my World," as the Jim Reeves song, and by extension, this movie, beckons. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is sure to satisfy anyone and everyone who just wants to see monsters fighting. Its human story has some nice touches, but its monster story is just as riveting. I got to hand it to them how extensively it sells the monsters on nonverbal communication alone. It's not as deep as the now Oscar-winning Godzilla: Minus One, but it's still effective. See it however you can wherever you can. That's it for this month.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

 I saw Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire on Tuesday, and it took me until now to commit my thoughts to writing. A major factor is that there's a lot going on in this sequel, in which Afterlife's director Jason Reitman cedes the director's chair to his co-writer, Gil Kenan. Ultimately, it's fine, but less could have been more, and less could have been better explained more.

What do I mean?

Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), her beau Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), and her kids Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), are now New York's latest team of Ghostbusters. One particularly destructive bust gets them sent to the mayor - none other than the first film's Walter Peck (William Atherton) - who is looking for any excuse to bust the team. Phoebe gets benched from the team soon after, and later meets a teen ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind).

An aimless dude named Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani) sells original buster Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) a metal orb that once belonged to his grandmother. This orb, as later revealed, houses the demon god Garraka (Ian Whyte), who's out to freeze the world solid. His influence is so powerful that other ghosts are scared silent. Meanwhile, the Ghostbusters' overflowing containment unit is about to burst, and Garraka wants its inmates for his cause.

There's quite a bit of subplots. Phoebe spends more time with Melody and covertly busts ghosts with her former classmate, Podcast (Logan Kim). Trevor discovers Slimer in the attic and tries to bust him. Gary tries to fit in with the Spenglers. Lucky Domingo (Celeste O'Connor) is now an intern for OG buster Winston Zeddemore's (Ernie Hudson) Paranormal Research Center. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) helps Nadeem discover his destiny as a firebender (long story). That sounds like a lot, but they need a lot of help to thaw out the demonic God once he shows up.

That's a lot of subplots for a 115-minute movie. A few other new characters, Dr. Hubert Wartzki (Patton Oswalt) and Dr. Lars Pinfield (James Acaster), are lost in the shuffle. Wartzki exposits on Garraka's mythology in his only scene, and while a fun presence, his role could have easily been given to someone else for streamlining purposes. Pinfield, Winston's lead researcher, barely has much to do in the film. As for the old characters, Trevor's only bits are him trying to get Slimer and permission to drive Ecto-1. Phoebe's tense relationship with her mother and "step-teacher" could have used an extra scene to help it resolve in the third act. Lucky and Peter are just there.

The containment unit breaking down has a bit of odd logic. The film mentions that the unit storing forty-years of busted ghosts is causing it to burst. It mentions that Peck inadvertently released the ghosts when he had the unit shut off in the first film. But did the Ghostbusters recapture them by the time they were sued to bankruptcy before Ghostbusters II? The film never explains that. Speaking of Peck, his first scene seems amiable when he, despite ordering Phoebe being benched, suggests another way to contribute. But all doubts dissipate when he later relishes the Ghostbusters' latest misadventure as his aforementioned excuse. It's quite amusing when the Ghostbusters show him up at the end.

What actually worked about the plot? Melody is quite pitiable given the circumstances of her death, and not even her being revealed to be Garraka's mole is enough to destroy that pity. She and Phoebe's friendship is quite compelling, and their final scene together is moving. Phoebe herself is also compelling as she tries to work around her being benched. It pays off when she uses her gadgeteering to strengthen her proton pack to spectacular levels. Nadeem maybe comical, but his hero's journey is surprisingly effective. The original Ghostbusters get a moment to shine when they team-up to reseal Garraka. The writing maybe imperfect, but you do feel the combined team's comradery, which is amplified once the title song finally kicks in.

I have mixed feelings about Garraka. His unsettling design is spectacular, but he only finally manifests at the tail end of the film. So much for the promise of the premise the title suggests. Then again, Gozer only shows up late in the first film and Afterlife, but her presence is felt beforehand with her minions. Garraka freezes a roomful of guys in the prologue, and his orb manifests his psychic rage whenever someone messes with it. There's some great visual effects and sound design at work here. He proves himself a formidable foe capable of overpowering the Ghostbusters' conventional equipment. Maybe another watch can solidify my opinion of him.

What else worked? The opening chase with the ghostly Sewer Dragon is a great way to kick off the film. The film's other standout sequences are a return trip to the New York Public Library, where Ray is reunited with John Rothman's administrator Roger Delacorte and the Ghostly Librarian, and the final battle with Garraka. Melody's ghostly effects and those for the mini-pufts are impressive (the minis almost look like real marshmallow!). Dario Marianelli does a good job mixing Elmer Bernstein's themes with a new score. I can go on, but I've said a lot.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire should make for a good matinee, particularly with Easter right around the corner. It may take a while to discern the plots, but there's quite a bit to like about this installment. I'd like to see more of the Paranormal Research Center if there's a sequel, for instance. Let's also hope there's a better-balanced plot for its cast, next time, no matter how big it is. Nevertheless, this imperfect round of ghostbusting still makes me feel good. It'll do something right if it makes you feel a bit good, too, even for an afternoon. That's it for now.

Orion and the Dark

Netflix now has the streaming rights to Universal's animated films from Dreamworks and Illumination. What I have now is a film Dreamworks produced for Netflix itself. This is Orion and the Dark, based on a picture book by Emma Yarlett, and it is an interesting film, to say the least. Let's see why.

Orion (Jacob Tremblay) is scared of everything. He fears rejection, dogs, bees, the Ocean, falling off skyscrapers, the school bully and even accidentally killing the school bully, among others. But he's scared of the dark most of all. The Dark himself (Paul Walter Hauser) isn't happy with that. So, he decides to assuage Orion's fears with a global tour. 

The Dark and his friends, Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett), Sleep (Natasia Demetriou), Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel), Insomnia (Nat Faxon), and Quiet (Aparna Nancherla), show Orion how they bring night to the world. All the while, they have to stay one step ahead of Light (Ike Barinholtz) and his daytime. Everything seems fine until Orion's insensitivity threatens the world itself. I think that's it, but...

All of this is actually told by an adult Orion (Colin Hanks) to his own fearful daughter, Hypatia (Mia Akemi Brown). This sudden metafictional twist is revealed within the first half-hour.  Actually, it's not really surprising, considering that Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) wrote the script. His story-within-a-story approach is as intricately surreal as those films. Although Orion assures Hypatia his story is real early on, they both make it up as they go along. Hypatia even inserts herself into the story as a Deus Ex-Machina. That, however, isn't as weird as a second Deus Ex-Machina in the final minutes.

Orion is quite likable. Sure, many of his fears are morbidly ludicrous, but him being afraid of rejection is compelling. His first words narrate not just to us, but his crush, Sally (Shino Nakamichi), about his fearful state of mind. He can't even fathom sitting next to her in an upcoming field trip. Dark, his co-protagonist, shares his feelings of social inadequacy. He first complains about Orion's scaredness, but he's still willing to politely assuage his fears. His first plan is to show him a pitifully short film narrated, by of all people, Werner Herzog. It's quite fun to see them bond over the course of the movie. You'll definitely feel it when they fall out near the end, which I can't elaborate on, but there is a flying turtle involved. 

Now for a few others. I liked the other night entities, particularly Sleep and Quiet. Sleep's somnolent weapons are morbidly funny, while Quiet's barely legible voice makes for some impressive sound editing. It helps that they have character designs as appealing as their personalities (practically everyone does, though I wouldn't call the bully Richie's personality appealing). Sweet Dreams's ethereal visage is striking and she makes for a good voice of reason, while Unexplained Noises and Insomnia are both pretty amusing. Dark and Orion falling out in act three is precipitated by them joining Light, though that plot thread (intentionally) goes nowhere. Light is the closest thing the film has to an antagonist, but he still respects Dark as his equal. On the human side, what we see of Sally and Orion's relationship is nice to see.

Who knows if Orion and the Dark will make it onto next year's Oscar ballot? I think it should, considering its cuddly animation and intricate storytelling. Anyone too young to see its screenwriter's usual works will get plenty to think about over its 93 minutes. Anyone who is old enough will somewhat understand its intricacies once they see his name. I don't think either age group will lose any sleep over this film. It's just an appealing, yet weird, film. Press play and you'll see what I mean.

Kung Fu Panda 4

Where was that marathon Oscar reviewing you promised, Jethro?

I had a migraine a while back and with it, some insight. I figured I've seen all of this year's winners (and I was right), so maybe, I could afford to skip some. I think I should spread out next year's Oscar crop over the course of this year. I got to avoid the overload.

Fair enough.

But I think I can say with confidence that Kung Fu Panda 4 won't figure in the Oscar race at all. It's a fine film, but there are plenty of ways it could have been better. 

How so?

This time, Po (Jack Black) is commanded by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) to retire as the Dragon Warrior and become the valley's new spiritual leader. Po doesn't want to retire, but he agrees to hold auditions for his successor. But, in a stunning upset, he picks himself as successor. Yay?

Po is soon called into action when Tai Lung (Ian McShane), his nemesis from the first movie, seemingly comes back. In actuality, this is The Chameleon (Viola Davis), a mob boss sorceress, from the distant Juniper City. She's looking to bring back Tai Lung for real, along with several other villains, to steal their kung fu skills. Po recruits Zhen the Fox (Awkwafina), whom he caught stealing artifacts earlier, to help him stop her. Nobody in the city recognizes Po, but everyone there recognizes Zhen as a notorious criminal. Po soon thinks Zhen might be the next Dragon Warrior, but this fox has secrets of her own.

You didn't answer my question.

I'm getting there, Vance.

It's got a few good gags. There's an amusing bull-in-the-China shop skit when Po and Zhen get chased by Juniper City guards. Anyone familiar with Avatar: The Last Airbender will get a kick out of a recurring merchant in that scene. Po listening to his inner voices leads to some silly results. Po and Zhen visit her local Den of Thieves, whose denizens (led by Ke Huy Quan's pangolin Han) are weirdly amusing when they "do the right thing for the wrong reasons." Nobody there is weirder than the killer rabbit trio, that's for sure. Po's two dads, Li Shan (Bryan Cranston) and Ping (James Hong), get an amusing subplot as they follow Po and get into slapstick. Their chemistry is surprisingly good.

Po and Zhen make for a pretty good main duo. It's fun to watch them bicker and banter, but you'll especially feel it when they have their third-act fight. To spoil it, Zhen's betrayed Po to The Chameleon and feels bad about it, so she tries to stop Po from fighting The Chameleon. Zhen's sincerity is sold by the great animation and Awkafina's voice work in that scene. There's also great voice work from Black as we feel how angry Po really is. It's no secret that they reconcile, but it's nice when they do. 

What else can I say about the technicals? The fight scenes are good, the production design and cinematography are good, while the Chameleon's shapeshifting abilities are pretty nifty. The final fight gives Po a few inventive workarounds to The Chameleon's indestructible cages. The Chameleon's goons provide our heroes with a few good fights, and us a few good gags. Hans Zimmer, this time collaborating with Steve Mazzaro, gives us another great score. And ...

Jethro!

Which finally leads me to the problems. The first is that Po's mandated retirement seems awfully sudden and unnecessary. Why does he need to retire and take the new job? It could've been understandable if, say, the current leader, whoever that is, isn't long for this world. Second, The Chameleon is underutilized as a villain. She just sticks to Juniper City after impersonating Tai Lung and waits for Po to show up. That's it. Third and worse, the classic villains don't show up for real until halfway through the film. The only other villain besides Tai Lung to talk to Po is a new guy named Scott (Harry Shum, Jr). They and the other villains are just there to be there. These problems help muddle its message that change is a good thing. 

Kung Fu Panda 4 has plenty of the "skadoosh" from its past installments. Unfortunately, its unrefined plot squanders the potential of its inciting incident. It recovers somewhat with Po and Zhen's double-act, which makes me mildly curious for a fifth movie. This should be enough to entertain the kids if Dune: Part Two isn't for them. It's just 94 minutes, so that might be a plus to them. Make sure you get them to see the first movie. It's surprisingly still great after all these years.

Dune: Part Two

Thankfully, Dune: Part One wasn't a case of tempting fate, for we now have the other half of Denis Villeneuve's cinematic adaptation of Frank Herbert's career-defining novel. While I failed to follow through on the plans within plans to watch Part One theatrically, I didn't skip the opportunity for Dune: Part Two. Let's see how it is.

When we last left our hero, Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), he and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebeca Ferguson) were exiled from their dukedom on the desert planet of Arrakis and had joined the native Fremen population. A few Fremen believe that Paul is their prophesized messiah, the Lisan al Gaib, though his love interest, Chani (Zendaya) is among the several skeptical. Paul, fully aware that his mother's former sect, the Bene Gesserit, invented the prophesy, is further haunted by visions of a galactic holy war should he embrace his messianic role. Jessica, meanwhile, assumes the role of the Fremens' religious leader with a dangerous ritual. Paul and the Fremen launch guerilla attacks on his family's enemies, the Harkonnens, and their spice-mining operations.

The Fremen attacks get Universal Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) breathing down the neck of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard). The Baron calls for his blood-thirsty nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), to take over for his elder brother, Rabban (Dave Bautista), as the boss on Arrakis. This forces Paul and Jessica to travel further south to recruit the more fundamentalist Fremen living there. That would only hasten the holy war that Paul doesn't want, but Fremen leaders like Stilgar (Javier Bardem) do. That's not going to end well in a later instalment.

Villeneuve and cowriter Jon Spaihts once again weave a strong narrative out of half a novel. Paul's reluctance to take on his messianic role is beyond understandable, while Stilgar's devotion to the prophesy is amusing. One scene that says that much may have you thinking of Life of Brian, of all films. It takes quite a bit of effort for Paul and Jessica to persuade the fundamentalist Fremen of him being the messiah. But they accept him with open arms once he proves himself. This and Part One show us the hows and whys of a society ready to follow their messiah even to galactic war. Hope is a dangerous thing, after all. This film proves it.

Chalamet's deconstructed messiah is still compelling here. Paul and Chani have a compelling relationship, one where their devotion is tempered by her skepticism of his messiahness. She's not wrong for her skepticism, as Rev. Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) makes clear. She still helps him integrate into Fremen culture; it's from her that Paul gets the idea for his tribal name Muad-dib. When he finally, albeit reluctantly, becomes the dark messiah, it's a tragic moment for both of them. I'm even more intrigued to see how Dune Part Three handles their relationship after this film's tweaked ending.

Now for much of the cast. The Baron and Rabban are even viler than they were last time, while Feyd-Rautha's twisted sense of honor makes him a memorable new villain. The Rev. Mother Mohiam's subplot has her desperately try to salvage her sect's collapsing plan to cultivate their preferred messiah. So, her cold treatment of her acolytes, Margot Fenring (Lea Seydoux) and Shaddam's daughter Irulan (Florence Pugh), to secure that plan, is quite unnerving. Shaddam himself is fine, but Mohiam makes a greater impression as a greater scope villain. Josh Brolin is once again great as Paul's mentor, Gurney Halleck. The one-scene wonder has to be Giusi Merli as Jessica's predecessor, Rev. Mother Ramallo.

Villeneuve brings back much of his Oscar-winning (and nominated) crew on his return to Arrakis. The most notable new addition is sound-designer Richard King, whose work gives the Bene Gesserit "Voice" technique a piercing oomph and the monstrous sandworms their thunderous roars. Hans Zimmer's thunderous score is put to good use in an early scene with Paul and Chani. The score overwhelms the dialogue a bit, but it's intentional, as he's clearly distracted by her.

Its visual effects are stunning, but its standouts are when Paul mounts a particularly large sandworm, and when he and the Fremen ride several into the final battle. Cinematographer Greig Fraser's most memorable work is his infrared rendering of daylight on the Harkonnens' home world, Giedi Prime, particularly during Feyd-Rautha's gladiatorial games. Special attention must be given, then, to production designer Patrice Vermitte and costume designer Jaqueline West, for their artistry here. Even the makeup work for Feyd-Rautha is even more disturbing in this literal new light. It's too early to talk Oscars for this film, but hopefully, the Academy will notice later this year.

Dune Part Two is 165 minutes long, which is an astonishing two-hours longer than the corresponding events in David Lynch's 1984 Dune film. The worldbuilding and character development leads to a more thorough ending than even Part One had. As I said, I'm all the more interested to see how they adapt the first sequel novel, Dune Messiah, into Part Three. It would make a satisfying ending to this film series even if there's four other novels (and dozens of spin-offs) left. See it on the largest screen you can find. It's worth the cinematic space journey. That's it for now.

Capsule Reviews of the 96th Oscars Animated Shorts

As promised, here are this year's Oscar nominees for Best Animated Short.

Our Uniform (From Iran. Dir. Yegane Moghaddam): The narrator tells us about her upbringing in the Iranian school system, which forces her and her classmates to conceal their hair in hijabs. She relishes the opportunity to let her hair loose in private, and even abroad. Abroad, she admires the different colors and textures of the people around her. 

The short is animated directly onto the fabrics of Iranian school uniforms. It's a unique art style that lends itself to a few good gags. That the narrator and her classmate relish the opportunity to act like kids is rather optimistic. It's a lighthearted story about how good it is to express oneself with clothing - even if it opens with a disclaimer that says it's not against the hijab or anyone who wears it. It's also the lightest short by far; buckle up, we're about to hit heavy storytelling turbulence.

Letter to a Pig (From France/Israel. Dir. Tal Kantor): This seems like the obvious winner. In it, Haim, a Holocaust survivor, recounts how he survived the Nazis by hiding in a pig sty. One specific pig obscured him from the Nazis until they left. The titular letter is to that pig. Alma is the only student thoroughly invested in his story and is soon drawn into a creepy daydream. 

Its seventeen minutes blend a literally sketchy art style with some live-action elements. This mixture is haunting when we get close-ups of Haim as he goes deeper into his memories. Its climactic daydream is as disturbing as it is confounding. I thought it would be the most emotionally devastating short, but no, that comes later.

Pachyderme (From France. Dir. Stéphanie Clément): The narrator recounts a summer when she stayed with her grandparents. Their house is creepy, with a creaking roof and a broken pachyderm bone as Grandpa's centerpiece. He's an imposing figure, but he seems like a good grandpa. He gets creepier until a later scene that all but directly states what a scumbag he is. The implications are disturbing, and it's made creepier by its elegant storybook-esque CGI. We empathize with the narrator as she ends the short by confronting her past. It's not a grand ending, but it's still a memorable ending.

Ninety-Five Senses (From the USA. Dir Jerusha & Jared Hess): The creators of Napoleon Dynamite bring you the tale of Coy (Tim Blake Nelson), an old guy who recounts how his five senses shaped his life. He's a death row inmate and is about to lose all five senses in an hour or so. 

The short is divided into six segments, one for Coy and the other for the five senses. Each of them was animated by a different animator with their own style; Coy's segment is rendered with smokey charcoal, while the hearing segment is in Flash. The hearing segment is also the funniest segment ... right until it leads into Coy's crime. Sure, it takes a dour turn earlier once we learn he's on death row, but the mood whiplash is worse once we find out why. His story is especially profound when he meditates on the life he could have had. The title takes in account the 100 senses which Coy theorizes humans have access to five. His uniquely compelling story is anything but a simple explanation. Who knows? Maybe this might win too.

War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (From the USA. Dir. Dave Mullins): John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Christmas classic Happy Xmas (War Is Over) provides the backdrop for this short. In it, two soldiers on opposing sides of World War 1 play chess by pigeon mail. Everything's fine until their superiors force them into one final skirmish. The pigeon, meanwhile, races to deliver one last message. 

Remember me saying I thought Letter to a Pig would be the most emotionally devastating contender? That changed with this short's ending. We spend the short following two likable guys (both nameless and voiceless) carrying on the world's most interesting game of chess. It's quite harrowing when they're both thrown into a bloody skirmish. You will feel it once the bittersweet ending - and the titular song - kicks in. 

WETA FX visualized the short as a moving painting, which is as stunning as it sounds. Thomas Newman gives us an equally magnificent score that would easily give him an Oscar nomination if this was a feature. Letter to a Pig might seem like the obvious winner, but this might also come close. 

As always, you can catch the shorts in one package in theatres or find them wherever they're playing legally. I got to the package film today, which played these shortlisted possibilities:

Wild Summon (From the UK. Dir. Karni Arieli & Saul Freed): This is a nature documentary about the lifecycle of salmon narrated by Marianne Faithfull. The salmon are "played" by human scuba divers. The photorealistic scenery is stunning, while the "salmon" embody the uncanny valley. This might make one reconsider eating meat after they see what the salmon go through. 

I'm Hip (From the USA. Dir. John Musker): Dave Frishberg's cover of his 1966 Jazz number is visualized as a cat proclaims his hipness to the world. Nobody buys it. This is the most enjoyable of the shorts on this program. Its four minutes feature plenty of stylish 2D animation, a snazzy main number, and plenty of slapstick. The Hip Cat may have an ego, but he's still likable, and one might feel sorry when he gets pelted with stuff at the end. Don't worry, he's fine. He's a cartoon. This made a good finale for the shorts program. 

Now to get some other nominees reviewed. Just over a week before showtime. Tick, tock. 

Nyad

I resume my marathon reviewing of this year's Oscar nominees with Nyad, the biopic of a marathon swimmer. Diana Nyad's epic swim from Cuba to Florida took her five attempts over thirty-five years before she succeeded in 2013. Her accomplishments have since been disputed for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, this biopic, which Julia Cox adapted from Nyad's memoir Find a Way for Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi & Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) to direct, is still a compelling sports film.

Diana Nyad (Annette Benning) once tried to make the epic swim in 1978. She decides to try again shortly after she turns sixty-one in 2010. She appoints her best friend and former partner Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster) as her coach. They hire a crew captained by John Bartlett (Rhys Ifans) to help Diana along the way. They finally take off in August of 2011, but her attempts are thwarted by raging currents, thunderstorms and even jellyfish. Diana's stubborn refusal to give up strains her relationships with her crew, Bonnie especially. She still needs their help if she's going to live to survive her epic swim. That pretty much sums it up.

There are plenty of reasons to like this movie, and Benning's performance is just one of them. Diana simply can't "succumb to mediocrity," as she admits early on, which makes her drive quite understandable. Her determination sometimes gives way to egotism, which is most apparent late in the film. Her fourth swim is hit by a thunderstorm which nearly sinks her crew and threatens to wash her away. We may want her to succeed, but we can't agree with her wanting to persist during the storm. She proudly admits to having a superiority complex when she subsequently quarrels with Bonnie. It's still nice when she apologizes to Bonnie and Bartlett for her self-centeredness. Her coming ashore on her successful attempt makes for a rousing finale. 

Another reason is Foster's performance as Bonnie. Bonnie and Diana have such great chemistry together and almost feel like an old married couple (they aren't). When Diana tells Bonnie of her plan, Bonnie is surprised, but is still willing to help her friend out. That includes pulling Diana out of the water when things get too hectic. Her rage over Diana's self-centeredness later on is more than understandable. She's Diana's voice-of-reason, but she still has a life beyond her. Indeed, if you want a reason why both Benning and Foster got Oscar nominations, then look no further than that argument. Their ultimate reconciliation is quite rewarding even if it feels like a typical story beat.

They have a good on-screen crew. Ifans as Bartlett makes for a gruff, yet sensible sea captain, and another good voice of reason for Diana. Dee (Karly Rothenberg), the silent helmswoman, will surely surprise you with her one and only line. The crew's protective protocols are quite interesting to learn about and are made thrilling by a few close calls. Johnny Solo shows up in flashbacks as Diana's stepfather, Aristotle Nyad, who teaches her to take pride in her family name. He also storms out of her life for reasons the film never really explains. Eric T. Miller also appears as Diana's abusive coach, Jack T. Nelson, the film's most reprehensible character.

Diana's swims utilize some great visual effects and ocean cinematography from Claudio Miranda. The thunderstorm that hits the penultimate attempt looks and sounds pretty real. Her previous swim, in which she's stun by jellyfish, even getting knocked cold by the second sting, is equally harrowing. That swim and the climactic one even have some trippy hallucinations. Benning herself is rendered unrecognizable under Diana's sea-worn appearance (how did the makeup team get ignored?). Alexandre Desplat's stunning score accentuates the beauty and the peril of Diana's swims, while the soundtrack includes a few good oldies. 

Nyad is an excellent biopic helmed by two great stars, both of whom earned their spots on this year's Oscar ballots. Its subject's accomplishments have been doubted, but I don't think you'll doubt how rousing its two hours are. It's simply that good. See what I mean when you check it out on Netflix. That's where the next film on my docket is playing. Check that out later this week.

Demon Slayer: Hashira Training

 Since Demon Slayer's third season premiere strategy went so well last year, production company UFOtable decided to do it again this year. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training once again pairs the last season finale with the upcoming season premiere. 

 Unlike last time, both halves (A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light & a currently untitled episode) are both about an hour long. We're not treated to the credits every so often, this time. But anyone who didn't follow the third season won't know what's going on. So, once again, let's give some context.

Our demon slaying hero Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae), his demon sister Nezuko (Akari Kito) and their fellow demon slaying rookie Genya Shinazugawa (Nobuhiko Okamoto) open the story in pursuit of the miniature demon Hantengu (Toshio Furukawa), who can split himself into multiple entities. The Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji (Kana Hanazawa) is already fighting one of the other entities in a seemingly fruitless battle. Tanjiro tries to cut down Hantengu, but he upsizes into the brutish Urami and nearly kills him. Tanjiro finally cuts down Hantengu with a new sword while Nezuko burns up in the sunlight. 

And then she shows up perfectly fine.

To say this is a game-changer, especially for big bad Muzan Kibutsuji (Toshihiko Seki), is an understatement. He decides to use her to overcome his nasty weakness to the sun. Meanwhile, the Hashira are assigned to train the rawhides and themselves for what will surely be the final battle. Tanjiro and his demon-slaying buddies are in for the workout of their lives. But apparently, some of the demon slayers might not survive the upcoming battle.

 Sure, the film gives us a recap of the story thus far. That is, everything except for what happened in the previous episode. The first half had a last time recap that this film lacks. So, you'll have a lot of questions early on into the film. Who is this little demon and why are they chasing him? Who's the bad guy that she's fighting? What's the deal with swordsmith Hotaru Haganezuka (Daisuke Namikawa)? The answers for all of them are "watch the show."

The game-changing moment still works. I was well aware that Nezuko would survive the sunrise. It was still emotional seeing her burn up and Tanjiro agonizing whether to save her or a trio of Swordsmith Villagers from a headless Urami. You'll be as glad as Tanjiro when she stands in the sun and speaks her first words since her demonization. That the Swordsmith Villagers are wearing some incredibly goofy masks barely detracts from the emotions here. You don't need a lot of context to feel something here.

Let's give a few character highlights. Tanjiro's demon-slaying buddies, Zenitsu (Hiro Shimono) and Inosuke (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) are still as fun as ever. Muzan's formal introduction has him murder two of his servants in some shocking displays of violence. Hantengu's final monologue almost makes one sorry for the cowardly villain. Tamayo (Maaya Sakamoto), a sympathetic demon who debuted in the first season, gives us a few good updates since her last appearance. It helps that we're given some context in her recap. It was also nice seeing Tengen Uzui (Katsuyuki Konishi) again after his ordeal in the last film. Gyomei Himejima (Tomokazu Sugita), the main Hashira of the upcoming season, makes quite the impression with his quiet, yet forceful nature.

Once again, the technical standards upheld by the previous seasons & films are alive and well. Everything from the animation, the color palettes and especially the score, are just great. The Demon Slayers' sword techniques, whether it's Obanai Iguro (Kenichi Suzumura) turning his into a snake or Tanjiro setting his on fire, still look and sound great. The battles are still tense and exciting. Other than the Hantengu battle, the film's standout sequence is a Demon Slayer raid against what they assume is Muzan's castle. The illusion dissipating in front of the slayers makes for a stunning reveal. You need to see it for yourself.

Demon Slayer - To the Hashira Training will delight those who can't wait for the fourth season. Both its halves, whether you've already seen the first half or not, have great action scenes and character bits throughout their combined 104-minutes. Everyone else has a lot of catching up to do. The combined project actually feels like a cohesive double feature, rather than a blu-ray on the big screen. That's at least one of my gripes from the last film they addressed here. Still, considering that this is technically the penultimate arc, I wonder what they'll do for the last few once they're animated. I'll be waiting.

The Eternal Memory

I'd keep my Paramount Plus trial for a full subscription, but a vast majority of its content is already covered by MGM Plus and even Amazon Prime. The Eternal Memory, one of this year's Oscar nominees for Best Documentary, is only available for free on Paramount Plus now. So, I made time for it.

Maite Alberdi follows up The Mole Agent with this portrait of Augusto Góngora and his second wife, Paulina Urrutia. Góngora, who died back in May, was a newscasting legend who covered the crimes of the Pinochet regime and later worked at TVN as a host. Paulina is an actress who once served as the Minister of Culture and the Arts. They lived together for nineteen years before they married in 2016, right when Augusto came down with Alzheimer's.

"Pauli," as Augusto called her, actually shot much of the film herself in 2020 during that pandemic. So, we're right with her as she helps him cope with the disease. She continuously jogs his memories of her, his family, and his considerable life. But Augusto's mind deteriorates faster than either of them can exercise it. They still stick together despite the strain of it all.

The film works on multiple fronts. It's a strong portrait of a marriage in its golden years. We see Pauli patiently work Augusto's memories as soon as they wake up together in the first scene. Her subsequent mental curriculum for him is charming to watch. He shows up to watch her rehearse and act in her latest play. We even see home movies of them together in the 90's. It's all the more tragic when Augusto later grows irritable and even fails to recognize his own reflection. He and Pauli are overwhelmed as they realize he's become trapped in his own failing mind. But as I said, they still stuck it out, and their last scene together is quite moving.

It's also an excellent portrait of the daily lives of two interesting people. It's quite amazing to learn about their collective careers. Pauli regarded herself as a public servant with her acting career, of which we see a good highlight reel. I'm sure she made the most of her career as Culture Minister. Augusto covered everything from Pinochet's coup to his regime's various crimes against their people. His account of the Caso Degollados scandal is quite harrowing. He later collaborated on the book, The Forbidden Memory, to make sure the victims wouldn't be forgotten. His later career as a tv host, and occasional actor, brings us the delightful story of him acting in a miniseries directed by legendary filmmaker Raul Ruiz. They've achieved quite a lot, and if you've seen Blade Runner, you'll understand Roy Batty's last words as Augusto's memories fade "like tears in rain."

Who knows if The Eternal Memory will win the Oscar in a few weeks. But you should still check it out if you have Paramount Plus. Anyone unfamiliar with its subjects will learn quite a lot about their lives and careers. It'll especially resonate with older couples or their grown kids. It's only 84-minutes, and you'll be enthralled in no time. Now for the next review.

All of Us Strangers

The Academy Awards may have ignored All of Us Strangers, but that doesn't mean I have to. Andrew Haigh's romantic drama just debuted on Hulu today after its extremely limited release in December. What did they miss?

This and The Zone of Interest both have something in common; they're both based on novels by recently deceased authors. Said novel is Taichi Yamada's Strangers, which was already filmed as 1988's The Discarnates. Yamada died at 89 just weeks before this film came out. Whereas the original novel was a horror story in Tokyo, Haigh's adaptation is a melancholic love story in London. Let's get on to it.

Cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay gives us a memorable introduction to its protagonist, Adam (Andrew Scott). We first see London, before Adam fades in behind his flat window, as he surveys the city. Already, we can tell that he's quite lonely. He's so lonely that his apartment building only has one other tenant. That tenant, Harry (Paul Mescal), offers to accompany him one night, but he declines. Adam is a TV writer, but he has writer's block so bad that his latest teleplay is stuck on a single logline. He goes back to his childhood home for inspiration.

 He finds his mom & dad (Jamie Bell & Claire Foy) are still around, which is awkward because they've been dead since the eighties. They don't look a day older, but they recognize him years later. Adam and his ghost parents spend quality time together. He even comes out to them, which they accept with a bit of surprise. His spirits are lifted after he begins a relationship with Harry. There's a bright future with Harry, though he's still stuck in the past with his parents. How will he move on? Is there also something Harry wants to tell us?

The film doesn't dwell on things like why the ghost parents are around. They're just there to reconnect with their much-older son, who probably couldn't care less on the why's and how's. You'll be enthralled as the family sorts things out together. They get some of their best scenes together when Adam comes out to them. Ghost Mom fears the lonely life Adam will lead because of his orientation, even though he assures her that things are slightly better these days. Ghost Dad, meanwhile, apologizes for his lack of sympathy back then. This is a family metaphorically stuck together in the past and they only move on when Adam accepts their deaths. 

We feel Harry's dejection after Adam initially rejects him. His drunken confidence during their first meeting gives way to a lifetime of loneliness as he rides the elevator down. Things get much brighter when the two of them finally connect. Scott and Mescal have such great chemistry as they bond over their shared loneliness. You'll be happy for them as they find happiness with each other. That makes the climactic twist I alluded to earlier all the more devastating. If I haven't alluded to all ready, I must state that Bell, Foy, Mescal and Scott all make up an excellent ensemble. There's nothing wrong with their performances.

If you're not moved by All of Us Strangers the first time you watch it, then I'm sure you'll get it the second time. I'm sure you'll even feel something just thinking about it. Its tender story is accentuated by its soft colors and Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch's score. You'll never get bored watching its small cast throughout its 104-minutes. It's a pity that the Academy ignored it, but that's probably because of the wealth of other contenders. Press Play on Hulu for a unique love story. Need I say more?

The Zone of Interest

 So, it's finally happened.

The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer's adaptation of the recently deceased Martin Amis's novel, has finally come to streaming. It's only available for purchase, which I did for $19.99 on Amazon. That's not a bad price for a Blu-Ray, but this isn't an easy film to sit through, nor is it easy to think about.

Right off the bat, I must comment on the much-hyped Oscar-nominated and now, BAFTA-winning, sound mix. The film is primarily centered around the humble home of our protagonists, Rudolf (Christien Friedel) and Hedwig (Sandra Huller). They raise their kids, hold parties, and live their daily lives. But we hear something going on all throughout the movie. There are the occasional gunshots, dogs barking, people shouting, trains whistling, furnaces churning, and perhaps most disturbingly of all, screams that blend together into a raging torrent. Mica Levi's droning score sometimes doesn't register as music, and you're not sure what it is instead. Whatever's going on back there, you'd have to be really brave, naive, or heartless, to mind it. That's a point the sound mix makes perfectly well.

The something that's going on back there is Auschwitz. Rudolf is Rudolf Hoss, the camp's commandant, who lives next door to the Nazi death machine with his family. Rudolf still tries to raise his kids like any normal parent would. Hedwig and her friends occasionally relish in the goods the Nazis snatch from Jewish prisoners. Their idyllic family life is disrupted when Rudolf is promoted to deputy camp inspector. This requires Rudolf to transfer to Oranienberg, near Berlin, though Hedwig wishes to stay put in her current home. Oh, pity her. (That was sarcasm).

This is perhaps the most shocking slice-of-life story you'll ever see. Huller's performance as Hedwig is its greatest centerpiece. In one scene, Hedwig and her mother, Linna (Imogen Kogge), have a nice conversation. Linna is proud of the good life Hedwig and Rudolf have made. Hedwig proudly proclaiming herself "The Queen of Auschwitz" in that scene is perfectly revolting. Hedwig also mistreats her housemaid, Aniela (Zuzanna Kobiela), even threatening to have Rudolf incinerate her. She's a loving mother, yes, but casually evil to just about anyone else. Linna, for her part, is actually shocked once she gets a glimpse of the Nazi death machine. The film doesn't take us inside Auschwitz, other than in an epilogue set long after the war, but we and she see smoke rise from the crematorium. Need I say more?

We now get to Rudolf. I'd hesitate to call him sympathetic, but he has a few humanizing moments here and there. He's quite outraged when the ashes of murdered prisoners wash into a river that he and his kids were swimming in. Later on, he meets and pets a schnauzer getting walked in Berlin. But this is a man who mistreats his prisoners, and I don't just mean having them killed, and imagines gassing a party of loyalists at the end. The ending is made all the more ambiguous knowing that the real life Rudolf pretty much repented just before his execution in 1947. Is he sickened by the evil he caused? Does he feel powerless to escape his current path? Or is it something else?

The film's BAFTA-nominated production designer and cinematographer, Chris Oddy and Łukasz Żal, perfectly visualize its casually bleak tone. The Hoss House is splendid, that's for sure, but the pleasantness is eradicated by the background noise. It gets pretty surreal once we meet a minor character, Aleksandra (Julia Polaczek), who leaves food at night for the prisoners. The sudden shift to night-vision for her scenes is a jarring one, for sure. Its most memorable scene, visually, might be its last, when Rudolf finds himself alone in a darkened, gray hallway. After the aforementioned epilogue, Rudolf walks down the stairwell, perhaps resigned to his dark path. That's a scene that'll stick with you for a long time.

The Zone of Interest represents the United Kingdom in the International Feature Oscar race. It's also the inevitable winner considering it's also nominated for Best Picture, among other awards. This is a film that forces its audience to reflect on their own humanity as it denounces its villain protagonists' inhumanity. All it needs to do is to show them live their lives. It doesn't need to do much to say much. It's quite a profound film, but it's not really an easy film to sit through. It's a bit over two weeks before the Oscars, and if you want to see it before then, see it however you can. It took this long before it became accessible to me at all. Maybe you'll be lucky to already have it playing theatrically nearby. Maybe.

Capsule Reviews of the 96th Oscars Documentary Shorts

 Here they are. All five of this year's nominees for the Best Documentary Short Oscar. Let's go.

Nai Nai and Wai Po (Dir. Sean Wang): We begin with this Disney Plus short, in which the director chronicles his grandmas - paternal grandma Yi Yan Fuei (Nai Nai) and maternal grandma Chang Li Hua (Wai Po). It's simply them living their daily lives in their shared home. They admit their "daily lives are pretty ordinary," but it's still fun to see them, for example, arm wrestle, watch Superbad and dress like hip teens. Mortality is on their minds, but they try to make the most of it, however long they have it. It's a simple story that will surely resonate with audiences young and old. Its final line makes for a great punchline. It's enough to make me think of my own Grandmas, who passed away when both were 97. I think this might win on Oscar night, but let's talk about the other shorts first.

The Barber of Little Rock (Dir. John Hoffman and Christine Turner): We switch to YouTube for the next three shorts. The New Yorker chronicles Arlo Washington, a barber who not only founded the Washington Barber College but the People's Trust Community Federal Credit Union, Arkansas's only Black-owned private bank. Both these institutions help combat the ever-widening racial wealth gap. We see Arlo and his staff lend a sympathetic ear to their customers, one of whom has several concurrent medical issues, as they help them out of their financial jams. That 95 percent of their loans are paid back in time is impressive, but it's astounding when Arlo talks about one customer who took out loan after loan and paid them all. The interviews with his staff and customers accentuate this compelling portrait of a great man. 

Island in Between (Dir. S. Leo Chiang): The New York Times bring us this chronicle of Kinmen, the Taiwanese islands just six miles away from mainland China. The Islands are central to the ongoing territorial disputes between China and Taiwan. Chiang chronicles life living in Taiwan amidst these disputes. We learn plenty about his personal family history, the Taiwanese military preparing for the worse, and even about the Kinmen-Ximen ferry. The ferry requires Taiwanese citizens to have a Chinese-issued passport, as if their own Taiwanese passport means nothing. That's just one daunting aspect of living amidst the world's biggest custody battle. Chiang's climactic visit to Mainland China gives him and the audience hope that, perhaps someday, these disputes can be resolved peacefully. It may take some time to discern that message, but once you do, I think you'll feel its impact. It's an interesting documentary, overall.

The Last Repair Shop (Dir. Ben Proudfoot & Kris Bowers): Both directors, previously nominated in this category for A Concierto is a Conversation, are back with this short from the Los Angeles Times. In it, they chronicle the employees of warehouse that have maintained school instruments since 1959. We get to meet its small staff and a few students who have benefitted from their work. The personal stories of its staff form the meat of its barely 40-minute runtime. Paty Moreno, the Brass cleaner, was a struggling single mother; manager Steve Bagmanyan fled Azerbaijan to escape persecution; Duane Michaels, the woodwinds cleaner, once opened for Elvis after being scouted by Col. Parker. I could elaborate on them all, but it would take up a lot of time. The ending gives both staff and students a chance to record a symphony together, which makes for a satisfying ending to a compelling short. This is the category's other likely winner.

The ABCs of Book Banning (Dir. Sheila Nevins & Trish Adlesic): I had to get a Paramount Plus trial, via Amazon, to watch this short, just as I said I would last week. In it, the filmmakers give us the perspectives of multiple kids on recent efforts, mainly in Florida, to restrict or ban certain books from their school libraries. The targeted books mainly deal with racial and LGBT issues. The kids interviewed strongly disagree with these efforts; the targeted books taught them that hate is wrong, we should love one another, among other messages. These are simplistic messages that some people shouldn't be afraid of letting their kids learn.

The filmmakers show us a selection of books "restricted," "challenged" and "banned" in school libraries. Maus is a Banned Book, The Hobbit is Restricted and The 1619 Project is challenged. We get some animated and textual excerpts from a few other books. A few memorable sections are devoted to Little Miss Hot Mess's The Hips on the Drag Queen go Swish, Swish, Swish (a Challenged book) and Meena Harris's Ambitious Girl (a Restricted Book). The former, a parody of The Wheels on the Bus Go Round, Round, Round, is simply too silly to be offensive, while the latter's confidence boosting message is much needed. These books have value, as centenarian Grace Linn, whose testimony at a Florida school board opens and closes the short, asserted when she denounced the book bans. I wonder if it will be enough to change some minds. Maybe not.

The short film packages will play locally starting next weekend. I'll get to the animated shorts then. I got to prepare for my next feature review, and both its price and reputation are massive. That will be tomorrow.

Bob Marley: One Love

 There were a lot of things that I didn't understand when I was younger. One of them was that Reggae superstar and constant radio presence Bob Marley died in 1981, a mere five years before I was born. His was a name I heard quite a bit of as a youngster, and now, he lives again in a biopic, Bob Marley: One Love. Let's see how it is.

It all starts in 1976 when post-colonial Jamaica is threatened with civil war. Bob (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and his band, the Wailers, prepare to perform at the Smile Unity Concert to help bring their people together. Bob, his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch), and the Wailers are targeted by political assassins. They survive and perform a 90-minute set piece at the concert. Bob and the Wailers flee Jamaica for London, while Rita and her kids head off to the United States. The rest of the movie has Bob & the Wailers compose their greatest album, Exodus, while Bob has periodic flashbacks of his pre-fame life. He and Rita argue and reconcile by the time he develops the skin cancer that would eventually kill him.

There's quite a bit to learn about Bob during the film's 104 minutes. In the flashbacks alone, we learn about his white father Norval (Daniel Menville, Jr.), how he met Rita, how he was influenced by his Rastafarian faith, and, my personal favorite, how the Wailers impressed gruff producer Coxsonne Dodd (Jeff Crosley). In the present, we see Bob and the Wailers get the idea for Exodus after listening to Ernest Gold's soundtrack from the same-named movie. Later, Bob and manager Donald Taylor (Anthony Welsh) get into an argument over finances. Anyone barely familiar with Bob's life will be intrigued with what they learn here.

Any negatives? Bob has a recurring nightmare of his younger self running through a burning field. Is that based on something that happened? I don't think it says. A few names get lost in the shuffle, primarily publicist Howard Bloom (Michael Gandolfini), or even the recently deceased Aston "Family Man" Barrett (his actual son, Aston Barrett Jr). I had to look up a few names researching this review, and what I found was interesting to learn. I'm willing to give it another shot when it comes to home media to see what I missed.

Ben-Adir is quite lively and likable as Bob. On-stage, Bob's actual vocals are used on the soundtrack, which makes for a setlist as lively as his dancing. He tries his best to keep a high spirit off-stage, especially when he sings Three Little Birds to his sons (including Ziggy, played here by Xavier Woolry, who also produces the film) a-capella. That he was nearly assassinated by his own countrymen wounds him more than any bullets ever did. His ego-driven argument with Rita tests his audience sympathy, but we're on his side when he's humbled by the grim diagnosis. It may be a familiar plotline, but Ben-Adir's performance helps ease the audience through it all. 

Yes, Bob Marley: One Love covers many familiar biopic tropes. It will still satisfy anyone who came for the music of its long-deceased superstar. It's a good place to introduce someone to his music; both Bob's songs and Kris Bower's score make for great listening. There's some great makeup and hairstyling work that could easily make next year's Oscar shortlist. Don't worry about some bad reviews. It's worth seeing with a good-sized crowd in a theatre, or with a few friends once it makes it to home media. See what I mean when you see it soon.

Madame Web

 While we wait for another Spider-Verse film, it's time to give the cinematic spotlight to another character in Spidey's web. That would be Madame Web, the clairvoyant memorably voiced in Spidey's 90s cartoon by none other than Stan Lee's wife, Joan. Longtime TV director SJ Clarkson's theatrical debut gives Web the superheroine origin story nobody knew they needed ... or wanted. 

It's not that bad, though.

In 1973, biologists Constance Webb (Kerry Bishe) and Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) procure a rare spider specimen in the Peruvian jungles. Ezekiel betrays the research team and claims the spider for himself. Constance is left mostly dead, and later dies delivering her daughter, Cassandra. 

In 2003, "Cassie" (Dakota Johnson) is an EMT partnered with Ben Parker (Adam Scott), the future Uncle Ben himself. During a bridge rescue, Cassie gets trapped in a car when it falls into the river. When she comes through, Cassie soon discovers that she can see the future. These future visions, as edited by Leigh Folsom Boyd, are as perfectly disorienting to the audience as they are to her. These future visions feel real until the film rewinds back a few minutes. One such vision in a diner is the only suspenseless vision, partially because that was the lead-up to the film's one and only trailer.

What about the plot? Well, Ezekiel's been foreseeing his own death at the hands of three costumed Spider-Women. He identifies them as teenagers Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Mattie Franklin (Celeste O'Connor) and Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced). He goes off to kill them dressed like an evil Spider-Man. Cassie gets the three to safety when Spidey-Sims shows up at Grand Central Station. Ezekiel won't quit until the girls are dead, which looks like a job for Madame Web. That's basically it.

One of its weakest aspects is its villain. Ezekiel is anything but a good guy, something we know once he kills his research partners, but we know little about him. We don't know what he's been up to for the past thirty-years. He doesn't necessarily need a sympathetic goal, but he needs a goal, nonetheless. We don't even know why the three Spider-Women want to kill him in the future (off-screen villainy, perhaps?). It's a shame because Rahim is fine in the role. He just needed a better script.

The writing is slightly better for the three future Spider-Women. They have such likable quirky personalities that, when Cassie leaves them in the woods, you can't blame them for running off to the aforementioned diner. They have great chemistry with Johnson and have a few great scenes with her. One is when Cassie leads them out of Grand Central Station and the other is when they reveal their broken homelives to her. Their personalities sell them as teenagers even though their actresses aren't. They only don their Spider-Women costumes in future visions, perhaps saving their real super heroics for a sequel the film thinks it's getting. Still, the costumeless final battle with Spidey-Sims is a good display of ingenuity.

Johnson is fine in the title role. She's quite awkward, before and after she gets her powers, which leads to some hilarity. As I said, we also feel her disorientation with her future visions throughout the film. A pivotal one is when she saves a pigeon that she foresaw smashing into her window by opening it. Her leaving the girls in the woods is somewhat irresponsible, but she gets better later on. Her best scene is when she reconciles with her mother in a vision. It's such a nice moment. She gets some great chemistry with Scott's Uncle Ben and Emma Roberts's Mary Parker (Spidey's future mom).

What else can I say about it? Madame Web's visions and her climactic ability to appear in multiple spots are quite nifty effects even if the CGI isn't perfect. Trust me, you will notice plenty of obvious CGI in the climax. The future Spider-Womens' costumes are practically pitch-perfect recreations of their comic book appearances. It's a pity about their limited screentime. Finally, Disney should hire composer Johan Soderqvist once they hear his soaring score for this film. His main theme would fit perfectly for Spidey himself.

Overall, this film isn't perfect, but it's not a complete catastrophe. Let's see how Sony's live-action Spider-Verse improves when Kraven the Hunter finally prowls in theaters this August. But until then, here's hoping Beyond the Spider-Verse gets going soon. 

Capsule Reviews for the 96th Oscar Live-Action Shorts

 It's about time I get to the nominated shorts. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is currently the frontrunner for the Live Action short category, but since it's always better to be safe than sorry, I streamed the rest last night. Let's see what I thought of them.

Invincible (From Canada. Dir: Vincent Rene-Lortie): It was hard looking for this short considering that an Amazon animated series, a Mark Wahlberg movie from 2006 and several other works also share its title. I eventually found it on the director's Vimeo account and pressed play.

 In it, Rene-Lortie chronicles his friend, Marc-Antoine Bernier (Léokim Beaumier-Lépine), who died at the age of 14 when he crashed a stolen car into a river. This is depicted in medias res in the short's prologue. A few days earlier, Marc returns to juvie after a weekend stay with his family. He hates it there, though he has friends and a counselor, Luc (Ralph Prosper), who tries to set him straight. He eventually seizes upon an opportunity to escape.

The film doesn't specify what Marc did to get sent to juvie. I don't think it really matters, though. It proves Luc right as it shows Marc playing with his sister, Justine (Elia St-Pierre) in the opening, gently letting a bee out his window, and helping another inmate at gardening. Not even him setting off the sprinklers with a match is enough to get the audience to dislike him. Luc is a reasonable authority figure who only puts his foot down as a last resort. The stunning score by Simon P. Castonguay and cinematography by Alexandre Nour-Desjardins accentuates Marc's tragic story. It seems like the most likely winner if the Academy doesn't go with Henry Sugar.

Knight of Fortune (From Denmark. Dir: Lasse Lyskjær Noer): Who knew that a short about death would be one of the lighter films in this year's lineup? In it, Karl (Leif Andree), a widower, visits his late wife at the morgue. He meets a fellow widower, Torben (Jens Jørn Spottag), who asks him for emotional support to visit his own late wife. They both bond when they discover their wives were fans of the band Rocazino's title song. Things take a turn once Karl learns more about his new friend.

How can a short about death be funny? Well, we have Karl fumbling to replace a failing light tube, how he meets Torben and the morticians' constant reminders of the state of corpses. Its first hint of twist is easy to pick-up once Karl meets Torben's "fellow mourners." It's still pretty nice to see Karl and Torben bond over their wives, paying their last respects and helping the others do the same. Its twist is sure to remind one of, of all films, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, even if superficially. You might understand why once you press play on Youtube via The New Yorker. Get ready, though, for it gets pretty dark in the next two shorts.

Red, White, And Blue (From the U.S. Dir: Nazrin Choudhury): I had to rent this from its official site for just $1.99. In it, Rachel (Brittany Snow) is a waitress dealing with an unwanted pregnancy. She has to cross state lines from Arkansas to Illinois to get an abortion. She takes her ten-year-old daughter, Maddy (Juliet Donenfeld), seemingly for emotional support. It's only once she gets to the clinic that the story is tossed on its head.

I'd be giving away the twist if I worded that last sentence poorly. It's a twist that will send you through denial, rage and horror once it hits. Before hand, we get a decent slice-of-life story as Rachel struggles living paycheck to paycheck. Even her son, Jake (Redding Munsell), losing his tooth and expecting the tooth fairy is cause for financial concern. An understanding customer, Margo (Mo Collins), gives her a humongous tip to help her out. Her and Maddy's "girl's trip" is pretty lighthearted with a matching pop song. How bad can it be? More importantly, how can anyone with a conscience not be horrified by the climax?

The After (From England. Dir: Misan Harriman): This Netflix short was co-produced by David Oyelowo, who also stars as Dayo, a happy business and family man. At least, that's what he'd want to be. He delays an important meeting for his daughter, Laura's (Amelie Dokubo) dance recital, only for a knife-wielding maniac to target his family. A year later, Dayo takes up work as a ride-share driver, constantly listening to his passengers' chatter. His bottled-up grief bubbles over when he drives a family from the airport.

Its prologue is tense as you wait for whatever shatters Dayo's happy life. I knew from the summary that something happened, but I wasn't really prepared for what it was. After that, we go through Dayo's new daily life driving all sorts of passengers. Among the most sympathetic are two nameless women frantically trying to get an ambulance for a loved-one (who doesn't make it). 

The aforementioned family consists of parents Stewart and Emily (Sule Rimi and Izuka Hoyle) and daughter Rebecca (Ellen Francis). Rebecca is the empathetically smartest of Dayo's passengers as she recognizes Dayo's distress. She hugs him at the end while her parents bicker and argue over who lost their keys. Their obliviousness to Dayo's distress, and not only that, assuming he grabbed her, make them quite unlikable. He gets a moment to let out his agony, carries on with his work and ... the end. Anyone looking for a concise ending will be disappointed. But it's still a compelling short, overall.

I'll get to the Documentary shorts next week, though that will require making a Paramount Plus account for The ABCs of Book Banning (I'll go with a trial). I'll watch the animated short film package in theatres once it shows up. Look forward to those reviews. Next up is a feature.

El Conde

Early in his career, Pablo Larrain chronicled life in his native Chile under the rule of Augusto Pinochet in his films Tony Manero, Post Mortem and No. His latest film, El Conde - translated and listed in Netflix as The Count - reimagines one of history's greatest monsters as an actual monster. Let's see how it is.

I almost thought something was wrong with the language selection when I was greeted with an English narration. But no, that's a deliberate choice. The voice belongs to actress Stella Gonet, who appears later as, of all people, Margaret Thatcher. How Thatcher actually figures into the story is an audacious surprise. Anyway, Thatcher narrates how one Claude Pinoche (Clemente Rodriguez) was outed as a vampire during the French Revolution and eventually escaped to Central America. As Pinochet, El Conde rose through the ranks of the Chilean military until he seized power in 1973. 

Historically, Pinochet died on December 10, 2006, at the age of 91. But that's what they want you to think. "Actually," El Conde (Jaime Vadell), who is pushing 250, faked his death by going cold turkey on blood. He and his family retire to the countryside with their ill-gotten gains. He has finally gotten bored of his long life, particularly when he has to share it with his unfaithful wife Lucia (Gloria Munchmeyer), their greedy kids, and their fellow-vampire butler Fyodor (Alfredo Castro). When El Conde seemingly goes on a vampiric killing spree, his daughter Luciana (Catalina Guerra) and her siblings hire Carmen (Paula Luchsinger), a vampire hunting nun, to stake him. It doesn't take long before El Conde sees through her initial disguise as an accountant. It takes less than that before Carmen falls under his spell - or does she?

This may have not been Chile's submission for the International Feature Oscar - The Settlers was - but cinematographer Edward Lachman still earned a spot on this year's Oscar ballot. That it's in black-and-white does nothing to diminish the savagery of its violence. Lachman gets us uncomfortably close as El Conde carves out several unfortunate hearts and blender them for a "nice" smoothie. Its landscapes, particularly when El Conde flies over them like a vampiric Superman, are far more pleasant to look at. It's quite striking to see El Conde in full attire blend into the scenery. The cinematography also accentuates the creepiness of Rodrigo Bazaes's production design, especially the farmhouse. 

Its titular character's villainy easily gets under your skin. Anyone remotely familiar with the Pinochet regime's numerous crimes will cry foul whenever El Conde shifts the blame to his subordinates. He tolerates being called a killer, but being called a thief crosses a line. Carmen later calls him out for his casual callousness when she "audits" him. Why doesn't he let her stake him at the first opportunity? That's something I asked myself a bit, but perhaps she helped renew his lust for life; if so, we're in trouble. Thatcher's narration will make you hate her long before she shows up, or even before you realize who she is. She extols El Conde's bloodlust with one long "Yeah, he's a murderer. So what?" rant. I must say Gonet really nails Thatcher's icy demeanor.

Beware of spoilers.

Yes, the film clearly makes us think that El Conde is the flying heart carver. But it makes perfect sense once you figure out that it's really Fyodor. Him casually confessing to his numerous crimes is just as unnerving as El Conde denying his own. Lucia is just as icy and sinister as The Iron Lady herself. Luciana and her siblings are strangely the most likable characters in the film. Yes, they want the old man staked for selfish reasons, but they want the old man staked. Carmen is fine, though she gets her most compelling moments once you realize her true plans.

End of spoilers.

El Conde is a surprisingly funny film about one of history's most evil men. Larrain and Guillermo Calderan's script has some audacious dialogue during its 111 minutes. How Carmen and Luciana discuss the planned "exorcism" is pretty amusing, for example. There's also some stunning juxtaposition as the film compares the Pinochets' illegal accounts to El Conde's vampirism. Overall, I think that it's worth a watch if you're in the mood for a good horror film but there's nothing interesting in theaters. Lachman's chances of winning the Oscar are slim, but his cinematography makes for a memorable viewing experience. See it soon to see what I mean. That's it for now.

Poor Things

I have a problem. You see, I'm about to review Poor Things, a film that I can't really describe succinctly. Furthermore, it's a film that may involve "sensitive content" (how my 2017 Valerian review got flagged for the same thing last year is an annoying mystery). So, if you can't handle sensitive content or my euphemisms of such ... there's the door.

Let's get started.

Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with a few alumni from The Favourite - writer Tony McNamara, cinematographer Robbie Ryan, editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis, and especially star Emma Stone - for this adaptation of Alasdair Gray's 1992 novel. A few critics have already described the multiple Oscar nominee as a "weird Barbie" (not like that film's Weird Barbie"). Up until I saw it, I preferred to describe it as a weird Frankenstein parody. It's not exactly that, but you'd understand my choice of words once you meet Dr. Godwin "God" Baxter (Willem Dafoe) and his "creature," Bella (Stone).

Bella was born when a desperate woman jumped off the London Bridge. One mad science experiment later, Bella is technically back, for although she looks mature, her behavior is anything but that. She's bratty, inarticulate and devoid of tact, among other things. As such, Baxter confines Bella to his house. But that changes when he brings home med student Max McCandles (Ramy Youseff) as his new assistant. Max soon decides to marry Bella, which Baxter is OK with as long as she stays put. Bella doesn't like it; coincidentally or not, that's when her intelligence and sexuality skyrocket.

Anyway, Bella accepts Max's proposal, but she first decides to run off with Baxter's lawyer, Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), for a lavish trip. Duncan's the kind of lawyer willing to indulge Bella's desire for "furious jumping." That makes their first stop in Lisbon all the more memorable. Her growing maturity eventually infuriates him more than her social faux pas. She soon meets a few characters who decimate her naive world view. And then her past comes back for her.

This is a very alien film, technically speaking. Sure, the locations Bella visits are real, but between the steampunk sky trams and watercolory skies, this might be another planet. Baxter's "pets," which include a bulldog with a duck's head, do little to dissuade that notion. Bella might struggle to fit in with "polite society," but her wardrobe, as designed by costume designer Holly Waddington, fits in with the strangeness. Our fascinated disorientation is accentuated by Jerskin Fendrix's surreal score and Ryan's frequent fish-eye lenses. Its first act is mostly black-and-white, but everything else, including the prologue, is filmed in the most stunning color possible. Let's just say everyone who got an Oscar nomination here deserved it in spades.

Bella's story is as oddly fascinating as her world. Her childish behavior, which isn't hyperbole as you'll learn why, is equally creepy and funny. One of her earlier scenes has her poke a cadaver with glee, while a later dinner party with Duncan and a few no-names shows her at her most tactless. It's quite hilarious when she even tells Baxter of her "secret" plan with Duncan. What's most fascinating about Stone's performance is how Bella slowly but surely grows. Her primitive speech at the start gets noticeably articulate near the end of her Lisbon trip. She shows some simplistic, yet sophisticated business sense, when she joins Madame Swiney's (Kathryn Hunter) brothel in Paris. She soon outwits Alfie Blessington (Christopher Abbott), her former self's abusive husband, with some weird science. There is a compelling story if you can get through the weirdness.

 Who else does Bella have in her world? Duncan is a pathetic manchild who goes from a funny cad to a creepily possessive cad who's also a loser. That's highlighted when, during their cruise to Alexandria, he tries to toss Bella's new friend Martha (Hanna Schygulla) overboard, which the old lady finds fun. Baxter is quite overprotective of Bella, but I'm sure his casual descriptions of his abusive father's "science experiments" will disturb you more than his possessiveness or his messed-up face (excellent makeup work there). It helps that he quickly relents to let Max marry Bella and to let her elope with Duncan. He's actually quite pitiable as he lies on his deathbed. Max is quite likable, as are Bella's fellow prostitute Toinette (Suzy Bemba) and professional cynic Harry Astley (Jerrod Carmichael). The only character I truly detested was Blessington, a man who gets his dog to scare a maid into spilling soup on herself and threatens to shoot her if she complains (and he seriously wonders why his servants are planning to revolt!). His karmic punishment is hilarious.

It's just about over a month before the next Oscars. Who knows if Poor Things will be available to stream by then? So, see it soon as you can however you can. This is a long movie, clocking in at 142-minutes, but it's not boring in the slightest. It's a weird movie, but it's still one of the most compelling coming-of-age stories you'll ever see. It's a film that can't be simply described, it must be seen to be believed. If you're lucky. That's it for now.

20 Days in Mariupol

 It turns out I didn't see one of the Documentary Oscar nominees. 

That's changed now that I've seen 20 Days in Mariupol, which doubles as Ukraine's submission for the International Feature Oscar. It also stands as the likely frontrunner considering that a few other favorites such as Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie and American Symphony are absent. Let's see how it is.

Director Mstyslav Chernov chronicles the first 20 days of the 2022 Siege of Mariupol. He and his colleagues with the Associated Press gave the world video evidence of the war crimes committed during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. The film begins in medias res as Chernov and his crew watch Russian tanks fire upon the empty city. It doesn't take much to convey their panic even as the Russian war machine is quite a bit away from them. As the film progresses through the titular days, we see the aftermaths of several bombings, which left people without their homes and/or livelihoods, and even paramedics trying in vain to save several victims. All of it is distilled into 94 harrowing minutes. 

Their reporting pulls no punches. Early on, they spot an older woman fleeing her home to try to find her son. They tell her to head back home, feeling that the Russians won't bomb her neighborhood (they do it anyway, though she lives). Another woman, whose home and beauty supply business were destroyed, tearfully yells at looters. We see relatives of bombing victims weep over their loved ones. People scram when Russian jets fly by; below ground, they try to survive without power. Nowhere it seems is safe. It's just maddening to watch Putin; the Russian State Media and others deny such war crimes not only ever happened but accuse the victims of being actors.

We also learn quite a bit about Chernov and his journalism career. He chronicled the downing of flight MH17, the Russian invasion of Donbas and the annexation of Crimea, among other major stories. His family waiting for him in Kharkiv, which is a bit away from Mariupol, helps us stay emotionally invested in his plight. We're further invested as he struggles to get footage of the invasion, even as short snippets, due to the lack of internet. It's quite rewarding to see his footage used in international news reports throughout the film. It's also rewarding when he and his crew escape Mariupol with a Red Cross convoy. 

Among the few bits of levity in 20 Days in Mariupol is a scene where paramedics have a break and a few laughs between shifts. It's a welcome break from the death and bleakness in the rest of the film. Still, the film wouldn't work if it was anything less than bleak. Its director's personal story is just as compelling as its major story. I wouldn't blame you if you skip out on it, or even see it just once. This was produced for PBS's Frontline series, and as such, it's free to watch on YouTube. So, it's there if you want it. I promise my next reviewed film will be lighter. Look forward to whatever it is.

American Fiction

 That last review was fun, wasn't it? Who's for another?

Unlike my last reviewed film, American Fiction is a film that warrants its Musical/Comedy categorization at the Golden Globes. It also warrants its multiple Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and a surprising one for Best Original Score.

TV Writer Cord Jefferson (Watchmen, The Good Place) adapted his directorial debut from Percival Everett's novel Erasure. Its main character, Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), is an author and literary professor whose life and career have hit rock bottom. His few books are flops, and he has a hard time getting along with students and faculty. The university board sends him on a sabbatical back to his hometown of Boston for some family time. His timing is tragically unfortunate; his sister, Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross), has a fatal heart attack in front of him, while their mother, Agnes (Leslie Uggams), comes down with Alzheimer's. What now?

Desperate to pay for Agnes's assisted living costs and annoyed by fellow author Sintara Golden's (Issa Rae) heavily stereotypical smash hit, We's Lives in Da Ghetto, Monk decides to write a stereotypically "black" book of his own. He writes the piece, My Pafology, an extremely melodramatic gang story, under the pseudonym of wanted fugitive "Stagg R. Leigh." He and his agent, Arthur (John Ortiz), are quite certain it won't sell. But it sells - even after Monk has them change the title into a certain naughty word - and it sells for a lot. He gets a lot richer when producer Wiley (Adam Brody) gets the film rights. Monk resents his unwanted success, which gets worse when he's tapped to judge a major literary award with his book as a contender.

It's entertaining to watch as Monk's lie snowballs out of control. It seems nothing can dissuade clueless executives from embracing Monk's new persona. As he puts it, "the dumber I behave, the richer I get" when his first, seemingly unsuccessful meeting with Wiley, nets him $4 million. It's even entertaining when Monk struggles to maintain his persona when meeting with executives. Its best gag is when Monk first writes My Pafology as protagonist Van Go (Okieriete Onaodowan) and his father, Willy (Keith David), materialize in Monk's office to act out a dramatic confrontation ... only to stumble whenever Monk hits a literary roadblock. It may have been one scene, but David and Onaodowan make the most of it.

There's plenty to think about with all the laughs. What we hear from Sintara's book yields, at best, a nervous laugh or two. A TV commercial celebrating black films - with a bleak montage - is rather morbid. Its most profound scene actually comes when we learn more about Sintara; not only does she detest My Pafology as much as Monk, but her book is based on interviews with real people. That reminds me of the climax in A Soldier's Story when protagonist Davenport asks the abusive Sgt. Waters's killer over who gives him the right to judge who's black. They may have different backgrounds, but as Monk points out to an ignorant bookstore employee, the ink is still black.

The film's supporting cast help accentuate Wright's performance. Agnes and Lisa help Monk mellow out from his insufferable genius attitude, even with a quip or two. Lisa specially makes the most of her limited screentime. Monk's neighbor, and eventual girlfriend, Coraline (Erika Alexander), spurs him into becoming a better man, which hits him right when it's too late for them. Agnes's housekeeper Lorraine (Myra Lucretia Taylor) gets a happier subplot as she dates, and marries, security guard Maynard (Raymond Anthony Thomas). Sterling K. Brown, whose performance as Monk's carefree brother, Cliff, earned him an Oscar nomination along with Wright, is a good foil to the star. He doesn't need to say much when Agnes inadvertently offends him.

I didn't really expect Laura Karpman to get nominated for her score, but it's good she got in. Her score makes for easy listening by itself, but each track perfectly accentuates whatever scene they're in. Lisa's funeral is quite moving (even as Cliff chases off an annoying neighbor), while Boston is introduced with a snazzy jazz number. Editor Hilda Rasula's contributions shouldn't be ignored; while Van Go and Willy are imaginary, their confrontation in Monk's office is perfectly tense. How they materialize in Monk's office is as nice a flourish as the film revealing a metafictional twist. See it to believe it.

Overall, American Fiction will leave you laughing and thinking as Monk's literary hoax spirals out of control. It's also great to watch Monk learn to relate better to people; I especially found his relationship with Agnes compelling. As this was produced by Amazon, it will probably make it there in no time, but see it however you can. But don't see it alone; it's fun to hear others' reactions. That's no fiction at all.

May December

It's that time of year again.

The Oscars are about six weeks away, but it's time to plug in this year's contenders into my schedule. The first on my docket is May December, which is currently nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and is one of the funniest films of the year according to the Golden Globes. Your mileage may vary on that placement once I tell you what it's about.

It's 2015. Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) is a method actress who moves to Savannah to study her latest character, Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore). She is the same woman who, while working at a pet shop in 1992, was caught in an inappropriate relationship with her 13-year-old co-worker Joe Yoo (Charles Melton). She and Joe eventually became married with children; their oldest, Honor (Piper Curda), was born during Gracie's prison term, while twins Mary & Charlie (Elizabeth Yu & Gabriel Chung) are about to graduate high school. Elizabeth spends her time studying Gracie's daily life, which includes interviewing a few of her past acquaintances. This immersion not only upends the Atherton-Yoos' lives but threatens to leave Elizabeth lost in character.

Yes, the backstory is basically the Mary Kay Letourneau affair with the serial numbers filed off. I was old enough to remember when the story broke even if I didn't fully understand what happened. I am old enough, however, to comprehend the intricacies of Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik's screen story. Elizabeth embodies some of these intricacies whenever she immerses herself in character. It's hard to tell whether she's just acting or actually Gracie when she rehearses a monologue at the end. It's easy to believe the latter when she talks to Mary's drama class earlier in the film. That makes the ending, when we actually see the movie being made, especially creepy when you think about it.

A few more intricacies are embodied by the titular May December. Joe and Gracie present themselves throughout the film as a loving couple and we believe it despite their uncomfortable backstory. They're such upstanding citizens that people still come to their house for barbecues. We soon suspect - with good reason - that Gracie just treats Joe like one of her kids. Neither of them sees anything wrong with their relationship at least until the climax rolls around. That scene shows Melton's performance at its greatest as we realize that, despite the facade, he's just a kid in an adult body. It's more disturbing when Gracie blames him for starting the affair, which makes it clear she will never see anything wrong with her actions. Yikes.

Amongst their supporting cast, Curda, Yu & Chung are likable as the Atherton-Yoo kids. Honor's first scene is a joyous reunion between her and Mary at the airport, which is easily one of the most enjoyable scenes in the film. DW Moffett makes the most of his screentime as Gracie's first husband, Tom; his and Gracie's son Georgie (Corey Michael Smith) is a chill guy who soon reveals himself as a bit self-serving. Mr. Henderson (Charles Green), Gracie & Joe's former boss, is quite pitiable considering his place is about to close when we see him. There's some great production design for the creepy storeroom where the "lovers" were caught. That's where Elizabeth starts to immerse herself as Gracie; the creepiness is accentuated by Marcelo Zarvos's score (actually adapted from Michel Legrand's score from The Go-Between). Be careful as it gets surprisingly loud during the opening credits.

May December is a lot of things. It's a deconstruction of May December romances, a deconstruction of method acting and an interesting character piece. Do you know what I didn't find it to be? Funny. Yes, the Golden Globes actually put this in the Musical/Comedy category. A lot of its humor probably flew past me as I watched it. I found the trailer for the actual winner, Poor Things, and the next film on my docket, American Fiction, far funnier than this. This is a Netflix movie, but there might be a rare theatre somewhere that's playing it. Perhaps a good-sized crowd can find the humor that I couldn't find watching it by itself. Again, it's a fine film, but look elsewhere if you want a good time.

Anatomy of a Fall

 It's time to finally dissect Anatomy of a Fall, which won last year's Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and just won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. By that logic, one can deduce that it's the frontrunner for the International Feature Film Oscar, except that France opted for the currently shortlisted The Taste of Things. What other twists can we expect?

Sandra Voyter (Sandra Huller) is a novelist living with her family in a Grenoble chalet. She and her husband, fellow writer Samuel Maleski, have a strained relationship ever since their son, Daniel (Milo Machado Graner), was partially blinded in an accident. When the film opens, Samuel disrupts an interview between Sandra and one of her students, Zoe Solidor (Camille Rutherford), while he plays 50 Cent's P.I.M.P. on full blast. When we finally see him in person, Samuel (Samuel Theis) is dead from a flight out the attic window. Since Daniel was walking his guide dog, Snoop the Border Collie, Sandra is the only possible suspect. That is, unless Samuel actually killed himself.

Director Justine Triet and her co-writer Arthur Harari dissect the case over the course of 152-minutes. I'll say right now that the ultimate answer is deliberately inconclusive, but your own analysis hinges on Sandra and Samuel's bitter relationship. A pivotal trial moment goes back-and-forth in time between the couple's last fight and Samuel's audio recording of the fight (long story) being played in court. Their increasingly violent argument sees them vent their pent-up frustrations to the point either verdict is plausible. In fact, Triet and Harari's Golden Globe-winning screenplay presents enough evidence to sway one either way. After all, Samuel could have fallen on his own, but his head injury suggests someone struck him beforehand. 

Sandra, if she indeed deliberately killed Samuel, is a masterful actress. She's quite distraught as she calls for paramedics and is especially sympathetic during the aforementioned fight. Most of Sandra's dialogue is actually in English, and her life is naturally made difficult by the language barrier. She spends the film mending her broken life, and Huller's resulting performance is compelling. The same goes for Graner as Daniel, who's as equally sympathetic as his on-screen mother even when he conducts a dangerously irresponsible trial-related experiment with Snoop (the dog lives). Samuel, in what little we see of him alive, is quite pitiable.

Now for a few supporting highlights. The Prosecutor (Antoine Renartz) is just a guy trying to do his job fairly, and is thus, surprisingly likable. Vincent (Swann Arlaud), Sandra's friend and defense attorney, and Marge (Jehnny Beth), a court monitor who looks after Daniel, make for fine moral support. Oh yes, let's not forget Messi, who plays Snoop, who's just a good dog. That specially makes the dangerous experiment quite difficult to watch. 

Anatomy of a Fall is ready for you to stream on-demand. Its intricately inconclusive case will have you talking long after this year's Oscars, of which it's expected to get a few nominations, are over. Just be prepared to make plenty of room in your schedule to see it. As for me, I need to make room for a few other contenders, which includes the actual current frontrunner for the International Feature Oscar. It's not playing yet locally, but I still need to prepare, especially with its subject matter. That's it for now.

Mean Girls

 I was nearly done with high school when Mean Girls, the century's first definitive high school comedy, was released. I feel old knowing that it's considered a definitive high school film, period. There's a new generation ready to experience the film's "fetch" lines in a movie theatre with this remake, which is specifically based on the 2017 stage musical. I missed all the quotes the first time around. What do I think of it now?

Tina Fey (who also reprises her role from the film as math teacher Ms. Norbury) adapted the film, the musical and the film based on the musical on Rosalind Wiseman's book Queen Bees and Wannabees. I haven't read the book for myself, which is probably why I'm curious of its similarities to Cady Heron's (Angourie Rice) life. Who is Cady, you ask?

She's the new girl at North Shore High School, ready to rejoin civilization after being homeschooled in Kenya by her scientist mother (Jenna Fischer). Social misfits Janis 'Imi'ike (Auli'i Cravalho) and Damian Hubbard (Jaquel Spivey) introduce her to the intricacies of modern school life and its various cliques. The titular Mean Girls are the Plastics, consisting of Queen Bee Regina George (Renee Rapp) and her drones, Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood) and Karen Shetty (Avantika). Regina takes a liking to Cady, which Janis, Regina's former bestie, decides to take advantage of. 

Janis has Cady infiltrate the Plastics and take them down a peg. Cady commits to the plan once Regina re-steals her ex and Cady's crush, Aaron (Christopher Brinney), at a Halloween party. The plan goes horribly right as Regina is indeed taken down a peg, while Cady becomes the newest Mean Girl. But Regina has a secret weapon, the Burn Book, in which she and the Plastics record all of their school's nastiest gossip. Its contents lead to war, and reconciliation, in that order.

Directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., creators of the FX-series Quarter Life Poetry, make their film debuts here. They bring some inventive flourish to their staging of the musical numbers. That's to be expected when the numbers are mostly all fantasy numbers like in Chicago. To further emphasize this, cinematographer Bill Kirstein widens the aspect ratio during the numbers. The opening goes from a garage to the Kenyan wildlands and whip-pans to North Shore. Regina's Somone Gets Hurt has time stand still between her and Cady after the former flirts with Aaron. The Burn Book's fallout is staged with delightfully silly choreography as the school literally fights it out. The production designers should be commended for their work here.

The songs, by Fey's husband, Jeff Richmond, and Legally Blonde composer Nell Benjamin, are fine, but are hampered by imperfect sound mixing. How imperfect? The overpowering orchestrations make lines like the refrain of Regina's intro song nearly indiscernible. Shouldn't both music and lyrics be equal? A lot better handled, meanwhile, are two jump scares, both involving a speeding bus. Neither you nor the characters will see them coming.

The updated script modernizes the material, both in period and sensibilities, while keeping its most iconic lines. So, yes, Gretchen's obsession with "fetch" is still a thing, but creepy gym coach Carr (Jon Hamm) is less creepy. The cultural modernizations hit the hardest in a few social media montages. We see how easier it is for meanness to spread when Regina's - and later, Cady's - reputations are tarnished. You'll almost want to pity Regina when she's degraded online, at least, until she whips out the Burn Book. Those montages make Ms. Norbury's speech to the student body as relevant now as it was then. 

Now for the cast. Rice makes Cady believable as a naive new student. It's amusingly endearing when she sings about being "Stupid with Love," and her feelings of betrayal during Someone Gets Hurt are beyond palpable. We're initially all for Cady's "Revenge Party" until she fully transforms into the new Queen Bee. Rapp's first number as Regina is a pure showstopper, and her presence never dissipates even after she's dethroned. It's weirdly nice to see the two reconcile at the end. Their fellow mean girls, Karen and Gretchen, are way too likable and sympathetic to be mean. 

Janis and Damian, the film's narrators, give us some funny on-screen commentary. Their Revenge Party number shows the film at its trippiest, while Janis's eleven-o-clock number, I'd Rather Be Me, lets her call out Cady for her meanness in spectacular fashion. Janis's backstory with Regina cements her as the film's most sympathetic character. Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall (Tim Meadows, again from the first film) make for great voices of reason amongst the faculty. Regina's Mom (Busy Phillips) is overwhelmingly vacuous, but even she has her moment when she blows Cady's scheme wide-open. I actually didn't recognize Lindsay Lohan, who played Cady in the first film, in a surprise cameo until I checked the credits. I think you'll do better than me.

I should wrap this up already. Mean Girls is a good update on a modern comedy classic. Its updates help accentuate the original film's points, the musical numbers are impressive, and its cast is likable. A better sound mix would have made the film better, but as they are, the songs are fine. This was actually produced for Paramount + but was upgraded to theatrical during the strikes. It'll be a while before it gets there, so to quote the film, "Get in [the theatre], loser." There's a good matinee waiting for you.