Parasite: 2019's most buzzed about movie has finally made its way to the United States five months after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and boy oh boy does it live up to the hype. Parasite bobs and weaves through a cornucopia of genres (dark comedy, family drama, thriller) to tell a deeply absorbing story about class division. The smart, layered script does an excellent job of not completely vilifying or glorifying the characters on either side of the social hierarchy and outside of a somewhat over-the-top climatic sequence where all of the plot threads come together in chaotic fashion, co-writer/director Bong Joon-Ho (Snowpiercer, Memories of Murder) does a tremendous job of organically shifting between genres as this tale about an impoverished family scamming their way into securing employment at the home of a tech mogul embarks on several unexpected detours. While the primary cast will likely get shut out in what appears to be an incredibly competitive field in all four acting categories, I wouldn't be surprised if this became the first South Korean film to gain widespread recognition on the international awards circuit.
Grade: A-
Jojo Rabbit: In a filmography full of unique, daring films, Jojo Rabbit could very well be Taika Waititi's crowning achievement. He takes on the societal menace that is prejudice here in the only way he knows how: With fearless sincerity, heartfelt emotion and a whole lot of laughs. Gracefully poking fun at the absurdity of bigotry while also effectively conveying a vitally important message about how actually getting to know someone from a group that you've been trained to fear can help put an end to hate is a remarkable accomplishment that only a filmmaker with a complete command over their material could pull off. Further aiding Waititi's vision is its cast full of versatile actors (Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johannsson, Roman Scott Davis, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, himself) that were able to flawlessly balance the delicate comedy/tragedy balancing act this film engages in throughout. Going from zany quips to dealing with the pain of an unimaginable loss a few minutes later isn't an easy task as an actor, but every single member of this cast pulls it off convincingly. Jojo Rabbit is an important, hysterical and beautiful movie that will undoubtedly finish among my favorites of 2019.
Grade: A
Dolemite is My Name: Bringing Rudy Ray Moore's fascinating, inspiring journey from failed singer/dancer turned successful DIY comedian/cult movie star to the big screen provided three of the industry's finest talents (Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Craig Brewer) with the perfect comeback vehicle. Snipes dusts off his long-hidden comedy chops for a hilarious turn as the smug Dolemite director D'urville Martin, Brewer injects the proceedings with his signature energy and warmth and Murphy is in his wildly charismatic element as a loveable hustler who finally finds his niche in the notoriously unforgiving entertainment industry playing a boundary-pushing character that slowly morphed into an Blaxploitation icon after decades of failure. Hopefully this gifted trio brings the exact same laser focus and passion for the material to whatever projects they work on next because it was an absolute joy to watch these guys operate at the top of their game after such a long reprieve.
Grade: A
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