Way Too Early Oscar Predictions: 2022 Edition

Making Oscars predictions immediately after the big 3 festivals (Venice, Telluride, Toronto) wrap up isn't a great idea. Critics and cinephiles are so drunk on the power of cinema that they're crowning new winners on a near daily basis without taking the time to weigh the options from the entire field of prospective contenders. Is making early predictions a month later much better? Probably not but allowing the peak of the hyperbolic buzz from the festival circuit to die down definitely leads to a crop of picks that are least a bit less knee-jerky in nature. The delay also provided clarity on whether some performers including Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Margot Robbie, Brendon Glesson, Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan and Rooney Mara would be entered into the lead or supporting races (the answer for all of them save for Dano, Glesson and Mulligan was lead).

Although the list is far shorter than usual as a result of me waiting until Halloween to do this, it does need to be noted that there are a handful of potential contenders (Babylon, Avatar: The Way of Water, Spoiler Alert, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, A Man Called Otto) that haven't widely screened yet and the forecast for all of these races could significantly shift once they do. Without any further delay, here are my early Oscar predictions. 

 *Indicates my current predicted winner 

Best Picture:

Babylon

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All at Once*

The Fabelmans

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio 

TAR

Top Gun: Maverick

The Whale

Women Talking

Best Director:

Damien Chazelle, Babylon

Daniels, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin 

Sarah Polley, Women Talking

Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans*

Best Actor:

Austin Butler, Elvis

Diego Calva, Babylon

Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin*

Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Hugh Jackman, The Son

Best Actress:

Cate Blanchett, TAR*

Danielle Deadwyler, Till

Margot Robbie, Babylon

Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Supporting Actor:

Paul Dano, The Fabelmans

Brendan Glesson, The Banshees of Inisherin

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once*

Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse

Ben Whishaw, Women Talking

Best Supporting Actress:

Jessie Buckley, Women Talking*

Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin

Claire Foy, Women Talking

Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Sadie Sink, The Whale

Best Original Screenplay:

Babylon

The Banshees of Inisherin

Everything Everywhere All at Once*

The Fabelmans

TAR

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio 

Living

The Son

The Whale

Women Talking*

Best Animated Feature:

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio*

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Strange World

Turning Red

Wendell & Wild

Best Documentary Feature:

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Descendant

Fire of Love

The Janes

Navlany*

Best International Feature:

All Quiet on the Western Front

Close*

Decision to Leave

Klondike

Saint Omer

Elizabeth Banks Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Elizabeth Banks-whose latest project "Call Jane" releases in theaters tonight. 

Elizabeth Banks' Filmography Ranked:

32.Swept Away (F)

31.Movie 43 (D)

30.Brightburn (C-)

29.Meet Dave (C)

28.Love & Mercy (C)

27.Spider-Man 3 (C+)

26.Pitch Perfect 3 (B-)

25.Definitely, Maybe (B-)

24.The Happytime Murders (B)

23.Charlie's Angels (B)

22.People Like Us (B)

21.Our Idiot Brother (B)

20.Man on a Ledge (B)

19.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 (B)

18.The Hunger Games (B)

17.Invincible (B)

16.The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (B)

15.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (B)

14.Magic Mike XXL (B)

13.Pitch Perfect (B)

12.Slither (B)

11.Power Rangers (B+)

10.Pitch Perfect 2 (B+)

9.Spider-Man (B+)

8.Role Models (B+)

7.Catch Me If You Can (B+)

6.The Lego Movie (B+)

5.Zach and Miri Make a Porno (A)

4.The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (A)

3.Spider-Man 2 (A)

2.Wet Hot American Summer (A)

1.The 40-Year-Old Virgin (A+)

Top Dog: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

The 40-Year-Old-Virgin is a movie that has everything. Veteran comedy writer Judd Apatow making his directorial debut! Steve Carrell in his 1st leading movie role! Paul Rudd before the world grew to love him! Young Seth Rogen holding his own with comedy heavyweights! A winning mix of raunchy sex comedy and sweet, heartfelt romance! Drunk Leslie Mann violently demanding French toast! The single funniest Michael McDonald joke ever told! It's simply perfection and I'm pretty confident that I'll always feel that way.     

Bottom Feeder: Swept Away (2002)

Somebody should've stepped in and prevented Madonna and then-husband Guy Ritchie from making Swept Away. Not only is Ritchie asleep at the wheel as a director (the lack of urgency or energy in this film is alarming) and Madonna unbelievably awful in the lead role, but its central love story is built on a foundation of abuse and predatory behavior-which adds a nice layer of moral decay to this overwhelmingly inept "romantic" dramedy.  

Most Underrated: Zach and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Kevin Smith's last great comedy* occupies a similar space as The 40-Year-Old Virgin as it combines silly, vulgar sex comedy with a shockingly sweet romantic undercurrent. The biggest difference between the two is that Seth Rogen and Banks have a nuanced, deeply felt chemistry that makes their transition from longtime friends to love interest effortlessly convincing. I'd also be remiss if I didn't give Craig Robinson's scene-stealing supporting performance as Rogen's best friend/co-worker and Tyler Labine's all-time great single scene performance as a drunk, oblivious Pittsburgh Steelers fan who accidentally walks onto the set of the titular porno shoot their proper due. 

*I haven't seen Clerks III yet 

Most Overrated: Love & Mercy (2016)

While it's an undeniably unique take on the music biopic that is driven by thoughtful, sensitive performances from both John Cusack and Paul Dano as Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson, some sluggish pacing and flat direction from Bill Pohlad prevent Love & Mercy from hitting the raw emotional targets its aiming for.    

A Completely Fine Movie That I Feel Deserves Some Nice Things Said About It: Charlie's Angels (2019)

The 2019 reboot of Charlie's Angels is a pretty entertaining, completely competent action movie. The titular Angels (Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Ballinska) have a good rapport that only gets stronger as their characters get to know each other better as the movie progresses, the fight scenes are well-choreographed and Banks' direction is energetic enough to match the lighthearted tone of the material. 

Best Pre-Superhero Savant James Gunn Movie: Slither (2006)

Well before James Gunn became the 1st filmmaker to make great movies for both major superhero brands, he was Lloyd Kaufman's understudy at the iconic grindhouse studio Troma and a screenwriter-for-hire that bounced around the major studio circuit in the early 2000's- with notable credits that include Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake and both live action Scooby-Doo movies. After Dawn of the Dead became a huge hit for Universal in 2004, the studio gave him his 1st opportunity to direct with Slither. By combining elements of the body horror, zombie and alien invasion genres with his now-signature irreverent sense of humor, Gunn made Slither a uniquely fun B-movie smorgasbord that is equally funny, gross and thrilling.      

2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

 ()=previous ranking 

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) Week 8 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

2.(2) Buffalo Bills (5-1) Week 8 opponent: Green Bay Packers 

3.(3) Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Bye 

4.(4) Minnesota Vikings (5-1) Week 8 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

5.(5) New York Giants (6-1) Week 8 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

6.(6) Dallas Cowboys (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Chicago Bears

7.(7) New York Jets (5-2) Week 8 opponent: New England Patriots 

8.(8) Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Cleveland Browns 

9.(10) Baltimore Ravens (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

10.(12) Tennessee Titans (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Houston Texans

11.(9) San Francisco 49ers (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Los Angeles Rams 

12.(20) Seattle Seahawks (4-3) Week 8 opponent: New York Giants 

13.(15) Miami Dolphins (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Detroit Lions

14.(18) Los Angeles Rams (3-3) Week 8 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

15.(13) Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye 

16.(11) New England Patriots (3-4) Week 8 opponent: New York Jets

17.(16) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

18.(14) Green Bay Packers (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Buffalo Bills

19.(17) Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1) Week 8 opponent: Washington Commanders

20.(23) Arizona Cardinals (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

21.(19) Atlanta Falcons (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Carolina Panthers 

22.(29) Washington Commanders (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Indianapolis Colts 

23.(21) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Denver Broncos

24.(27) Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) Week 8 opponent: New Orleans Saints 

25.(30) Chicago Bears (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

26.(22) New Orleans Saints (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders 

27.(24) Cleveland Browns (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

28.(26) Denver Broncos (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

29.(28) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles 

30.(25) Detroit Lions (1-5) Week 8 opponent: Miami Dolphins

31.(32) Carolina Panthers (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Atlanta Falcons 

32.(31) Houston Texans (1-4-1) Week 8 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

Week 7 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Joe Burrow (Bengals) 

Burrow has definitely shaken off all of his early season rust. The Bengals signalcaller somehow managed to be even better in Week 7 than he was in Week 6, as he lit up the Falcons for a ridiculous 481 YDS and 3 TD's while adding 20 YDS and another TD on the ground. Burrow will look to keep rolling against a Browns defense that has struggled to contain the pass all season long but is coming off a strong showing against the Ravens.

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Justin Herbert (Chargers)

LVP: Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

The return of Gus Edwards from IR brought on a sudden shift to a run-dominant game script from Greg Roman and that led to Jackson having a very unremarkable showing (120 YDS, 59 YDS Rushing, 0 TD's or turnovers) on a day where he attempted just 15 passes. After an MVP-caliber start to the year, Jackson has put up average-to-below-average numbers in 3 straight games and is at risk of falling out of the top-tier QB1 hierarchy if this troubling trend continues for another couple weeks.

Dishonorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Tom Brady (Buccaneers), Derek Carr (Raiders)

Running Back

MVP: Josh Jacobs (Raiders)

Jacobs picked up right where he left off before the Raiders Week 6 bye by exploding for 143 YDS and 3 TD's on 20 carries versus a porous Texans defense. He'll look to keep his stunning high-end RB1 caliber play going on Sunday against a Saints team that gave up some big runs to Eno Benjamin and Kyler Murray last week. 

Honorable Mentions: Austin Ekeler (Chargers), Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks), Aaron Jones (Packers)

LVP: James Robinson (Jaguars)

Doug Pederson ruined the days of quite a few fantasy mangers when he suddenly switched the Jaguars backfield from a timeshare to the Travis Etienne show on Sunday against the Giants. Not only was Robinson barely on the field, he ended up getting zero touches and just a lone target in the passing game. Fortunately for Robinson's fantasy owners, his usage/workload arrow is already going back up as he got traded to the RB-needy Jets last night. While he's definitely not a terrific starting option for a Week 8 matchup with Patriots team that should be eager to atone for their embarrassing loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football, he should get enough run alongside Michael Carter in a run-heavy offense to at least be a passable FLEX play.

Dishonorable Mentions: Leonard Fournette (Buccaneers), Damien Harris (Patriots), AJ Dillon (Packers)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)

Although he did get outshined by slot receiver Tyler Boyd, Chase was still a major beneficiary of Burrow's passing eruption against the Falcons-registering 8 catches for 130 YDS and 2 TD's. The Burrow to Chase connection is alive and well after a quiet-ish start to the year and the Browns are going to have to bring their A-game to slow it down on Monday night. 

Honorable Mentions: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Chiefs), Mike Williams (Chargers), Tyler Boyd (Bengals)

LVP: Drake London (Falcons) 

A double-digit deficit that lasted from midway through the 1st quarter until the final whistle apparently still wasn't a deep hole enough hole to inspire Arthur Smith to call more passing plays. On an even weirder note, top wideout London-who had received over 35% of the team's passing targets coming into this game-only got 1 look from Marcus Mariota all day. The good news is that he did catch it for a 9 YD gain. As talented as London has proven to be as a rookie, Smith has no faith in Mariota's passing ability and the comically run-heavy system he's using makes London nothing more than a bye week replacement moving forward. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Courtland Sutton (Broncos), Michael Pittman Jr. (Colts), Rashod Bateman (Ravens)

Tight End

MVP: George Kittle (49ers) 

There wasn't a lot to smile about for the 49ers in real life after the Chiefs dismantled them for the final 3 quarters of play in their own building, but seeing Kittle put together his best game of the season so far was a nice silver lining. The oft injured yet electric star tight end lead the 49ers in YDS (98), finished 2nd in receptions behind Brandon Aiyuk (6) and scored a TD before sitting down for the final 8 or so minutes of play after the game got completely out of hand. Kittle has the tough task of going against a Rams defense in Week 8 that has yet to allow a TE to score a TD or gain more than 45 YDS against them this season. 

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Pat Friermuth (Steelers), David Njoku (Browns)

LVP: Mark Andrews (Ravens)

The aforementioned low volume passing attack, constant double coverage from the Browns defense and the potential effects of a knee injury that held him out of practice for 2 days last week rendered Andrews useless against the Browns as he failed to catch either of his 2 targets. He was however able to pick up 4 YDS on 1 carry that prevented him from finishing the day with a dreaded donut. Fantasy owners and the Ravens offense will be hoping for Andrews to make much more of an impact in Thursday night's critical showdown with the Buccaneers. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Hunter Henry (Patriots), Robert Tonyan (Packers)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Cowboys

A date with the suddenly reeling Lions offense was just the pick me up the Cowboys defense after a so-so showing against the Eagles in Week 6. Dan Quinn's troops made life miserable for Jared Goff and co., finishing the day with 5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 INT's in a 24-6 victory for the 'Boys. Look for the Cowboys to return to the top 3 this week when they face off against a Bears offense that has struggled with pass protection and turnovers in nearly every game this season. 

Honorable Mentions: Titans, Ravens, Dolphins

LVP: Buccaneers 

Tom Brady and the offense aren't the only underperformers in Tampa Bay right now. Just a week after they failed to score an offensive TD against the Rams and a mere 4 days after they traded offensive cornerstone Christian McCaffery, the P.J. Walker-led Panthers scored 21 points against their vaunted defense while getting 0 takeaways and only 1 sack in what was arguably the most shocking lopsided loss in a week that had a few of them. Although they haven't been playing to their usual level over the past few weeks, starting the Bucs D on a short week against the Ravens seems like a bad idea.    

Dishonorable Mentions: 49ers, Bengals, Broncos

Movie Review: Black Adam

World class salesman Dwayne Johnson has trotted out one hell of a pitch to the world on the virtues of his long gestating superhero vehicle Black Adam. Every interview, social media post and talk show appearance has featured some variation of one or both these statements. 1: THE HIERARCHY OF THE DC UNIVERSE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE!!!! 2: THE FUTURE OF THE DC UNIVERSE IS NOW!!!! If Black Adam is really the beginning of a new era for the DCEU, then that shit will be in a heap of trouble that they haven't seen since they released Josstice League.

Another point Johnson has hammered home through his various media outreach channels is that Black Adam is a passion project that he's been developing for 15 years to make sure they got it right. At no point during Black Adam did it feel like I was consuming a carefully curated labor of love. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I don't think there has been a single superhero movie in recent memory that has felt more like the product of endless corporate boardroom meetings than this. Since they put zero time or effort to creating something with its own spirit or even just a shred of reverence for its characters, Black Adam just sprints through cliches at warp speed like it's a fucking Olympic sport to try and cover up its complete lack of personality or meaningful worldbuilding.  

Conflict that's rendered basically non-existent through a combination of an indestructible protagonist and villains that aren't really all that bad or imposing in the first place? Check. Constant, interchangeable action sequences that feature CGI creations smashing into each other in the air at high speeds? Yep. Every single bit of the minimal character development that's present here getting jammed into a few flashbacks and/or the occasional expositional monologue? You sure are changing superhero movies forever with these revolutionary ideas Dwayne!!!!

What makes the mind-numbingly monotonous execution of this film kind of comical is that the character of Black Adam is being sold as this morally ambiguous antihero that poses a significant threat to life on Earth. What passes off as the main plotline involves a superhero police force known as the Justice Society (Aldis Hodge's Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan's Doctor Fate, Noah Centineo's Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell's Cyclone-whose main purpose is to yell at and get their asses kicked by Black Adam) being tasked by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to arrest Black Adam after he's unknowingly freed from a prison by a teacher (Sarah Shahi) who is seeking an ancient artifact  

Despite being constantly billed as the most dangerous being on Earth and all of the sanctimonious speeches about peace he's given by the Justice Society head Hawkman, Black Adam never feels like even a remotely conflicted or evil character. Sure, he has no problem killing people, but everybody he kills is either trying to kill or enslave others or is on the payroll of said evil people. That's hardly the definition of an anti-hero. Nobody goes around saying that John Wick or James Bond are anti-heroes on account of their willingness to commit murder. Maybe this heroic portrayal of Black Adam is simply an example of the thinktank that Johnson hired to write this movie removing the shades of gray from the character that exist on the pages of the comic, but based on what is present in this film, painting him as this rebellious, uncontrollable force when he's essentially just a cousin of Superman who kills anybody who threatens him or the people he cares about with violent force is really silly.

As stunningly mediocre as Black Adam, there are a few things that are able to cut through its blah-inducing nature and provide a little bit of a spark to an otherwise middling affair. Most of the VFX and sound design are quite good, cinematographer Lawrence Sher (Joker, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) lenses/lights the film in a darkly striking fashion that is reminiscent of 300 and Brosnan brings a sense of wisdom and grace to the prophetic Doctor Fate that make his character significantly more compelling than the rest of the squares that occupy this world. Long after I've forgotten what has occurred in Black Adam-which won't be any later than next week, I'll remember how these brave souls dared to do their jobs pretty well in the face of overwhelming complacency.

Wherever the DCU ends up heading from here under the very questionable leadership of David Zaslav and whoever he tasks to run DC Films now that Walter Hermada has officially resigned, I'll be hoping that Black Adam isn't being used as a blueprint. This film is nothing more than a plain vanity project from a star who continues to suffocate his own abundant charisma by taking on bland roles in average movies and treating Johnson's influence in Hollywood and commitment to this character as some form of guiding light to shape the future of this massive IP supplier would be another brutal setback for the studio. DC's recent approach of just letting individuals make the superhero movie they want to make without having to worry about its place in a shared universe has yielded mostly positive results for them (particularly in the cases of The Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey and Aquaman) and tabling that approach for a string of sterile, cross-pollinated movies would be the kiss of death for a brand that has finally started to get its shit together over the past 4 years.  

Grade: C

Colin Farrell Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Colin Farrell-whose latest project "The Banshees of Inisherin" opens in NYC/LA theaters tomorrow. 

Colin Farrell's Filmography Ranked:

21.Daredevil (D+)

20.Roman J. Israel, Esq. (C-)

19.The Beguiled (C-)

18.Phone Booth (C)

17.Pride and Glory (C)

16.Ava (B-)

15.Minority Report (B-)

14.S.W.A.T. (B-)

13.The Recruit (B-)

12.Total Recall (B-)

11.Fright Night (B-)

10.Widows (B)

9.The Gentlemen (B)

8.The Lobster (B)

7.Crazy Heart (B)

6.The Killing of a Sacred Deer (B+)

5.Miami Vice (B+)

4.Seven Psychopaths (A-)

3.In Bruges (A-)

2.Horrible Bosses (A)

1.The Batman (A+)

Top Dog: The Batman (2022)

After he's done burning bridges with creatives and firing 75% of the tenured staff, new Warner Brothers CEO/world class clueless corporate dipshit David Zaslav should be thankful that the previous regime hired Matt Reeves to handle the current wave of Batman movies. With The Batman, Reeves commits to a version of the character and the world surrounding him that we've never seen in live action before. The darkness, danger and deep-seeded rot that overruns Gotham is felt in every frame and since The Batman is set at the start of Bruce Wayne's 2nd year donning the Bat Suit, the combination of the people of Gotham largely viewed him as just another faceless menace terrorizing their city and Wayne questioning whether or not his efforts to fight crime in the city are making a difference creates a mysterious, vulnerable aura around a character that has previously been only seen as a larger-than-life symbol of strength and justice. Having a Batman film that deals with the early days of Batman was long overdue and Reeves couldn't have possibly put together a better drawn out or executed vision than this.   

Bottom Feeder: Daredevil (2003)

Time really hasn't been kind to Ben Affleck's inaugural superhero vehicle. Outside of a couple fun villain performances from Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan-who are the only actors here that aren't taking this movie needlessly seriously, the ineptitude of writer/director Mark Steven Johnson shines through brightly when viewed through a set of eyes that don't belong to a child (my prior viewing of the film was in theaters roughly 2 months before my 11th birthday). The plot is more a string of loosely connected scenes than a proper storyline, the dialogue-particularly in the Daredevil (Affleck) and Elektra (Jennifer Garner) scenes-is insufferably cheesy and the CGI-aided martial arts fight scenes are poorly lit, choppily edited messes that are painful to sit through.

Most Underrated: Horrible Bosses (2011)

Some inspired dark comedy writing, a trio of hilarious leads that have a terrific buddy rapport (Jason Batman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day) and over-the-top weird, committed supporting performances from A-list actors (Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Farrell) made Horrible Bosses a really wild ride that remains one of the funniest movies released in the 2010's.

Most Overrated: The Gentlemen (2020)

The Gentlemen is a fine return to the crime comedy genre that put Guy Ritchie on the map. Farrell, Charlie Hunnam and Hugh Grant chew up the scenery really well, there's a handful of really memorable, funny scenes and it holds up well on repeat viewings. However, the whole affair just reeks of somebody trying to regain the spark they once had only to discover their heart just isn't quite in it as much in the present as it was back in their younger days and if last year's much grittier/better Wrath of Man is any indication, Ritchie could be better off if he permanently retires his signature style.

Most Unconventional Triumph: Miami Vice (2006)

In terms of an actual plot, there's not much to Miami Vice. Michael Mann's noir reworking of the classic detective show sees the flashy Miami Detectives Crockett (Farrell) and Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) go undercover as international drug smugglers for a cartel sting operation that slowly gets more complicated once Crockett falls in love with the cartel's money manager (Gong Li) and the suspicious kingpin (John Ortiz) has Tubbs' girlfriend (Naomie Harris) kidnapped. Instead, Miami Vice finds success through the visceral power of feelings and images. Whether it's a longing gaze between Farrell and Li's doomed lovers or Crockett and Tubbs trying to survive a chaotic nighttime shootout with cartel henchmen, Mann creates a vast, spellbinding visual language that allows the viewer to really feel the opulent highs and violent lows that come with sincerely or pretending to live a life of crime. Some people would understandably label this as a style over substance affair, but I view it as more of a story that's told through the gut and the eye instead of the mind or the spoken word and I wish more movies could pull that off as well as Miami Vice does.

2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 7

()=previous ranking

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) Week 7 opponent: Bye

2.(3) Buffalo Bills (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Bye

3.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) Week 7 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

4.(5) Minnesota Vikings (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Bye 

5.(9) New York Giants (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

6.(6) Dallas Cowboys (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Detroit Lions

7.(15) New York Jets (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Denver Broncos 

8.(12) Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

9.(4) San Francisco 49ers (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

10.(7) Baltimore Ravens (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Cleveland Browns

11.(16) New England Patriots (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Chicago Bears

12.(13) Tennessee Titans (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

13.(14) Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

14.(8) Green Bay Packers (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Washington Commanders 

15.(10) Miami Dolphins (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers 

16.(11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Carolina Panthers

17.(21) Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1) Week 7 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

18.(18) Los Angeles Rams (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Bye 

19.(23) Atlanta Falcons (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

20.(24) Seattle Seahawks (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

21.(17) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) Week 7 opponent: New York Giants

22.(22) New Orleans Saints (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

23.(19) Arizona Cardinals (2-4) Week 7 opponent: New Orleans Saints

24.(20) Cleveland Browns (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

25.(25) Detroit Lions (1-4) Week 7 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

26.(26) Denver Broncos (2-4) Week 7 opponent: New York Jets  

27.(27) Las Vegas Raiders (1-4) Week 7 opponent: Houston Texans

28.(29) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Miami Dolphins

29.(30) Washington Commanders (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Green Bay Packers

30.(28) Chicago Bears (2-4) Week 7 opponent: New England Patriots

31.(31) Houston Texans (1-3-1) Week 7 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

32.(32) Carolina Panthers (1-5) Week 7 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Week 6 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Joe Burrow (Bengals)

The Bengals found themselves in an unlikely shootout with the injury-depleted Saints on Sunday afternoon and when they needed him to step up the most, Burrow delivered. After a slow start to the game, Burrow regrouped beautifully and put together his best game of the year so far (300 YDS/3 TD passing, 25 YDS/1 TD rushing) to lead the Bengals to a hard-earned road victory. Burrow has a date with a beatable but very frisky Falcons defense in Week 7.

Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen (Bills), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

LVP: Justin Herbert (Chargers)

A tough Broncos defense, poor offensive line play and the continued absence of Keenan Allen turned Herbert into Alex Smith. The electric 3rd year pro was hitting his checkdowns on nearly every drop back and it fittingly led to a very Smithian result: unspectacular fantasy numbers (238 YDS/0 TD/1 INT) in a close victory for his team. Herbert hasn't done much from a statistical standpoint since he fractured his rib cartilage late in the Chargers Week 2 contest with the Chiefs and he should greatly benefit from the bye week the Bolts have after this Sunday's meeting with the increasingly stubborn Seahawks.

Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Broncos), Geno Smith (Seahawks), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

Running Back

MVP: Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots) 

While Stevenson wasn't the wire-to-wire force he was the previous week against the Lions, he was still able to take advantage of being the Patriots bellcow while Damien Harris remained out of the lineup-earning 91 scrimmage YDS and 2 rushing TD's on 23 touches (19 carries, 4 receptions) versus the Browns. Regardless of Harris' availability, Stevenson will be a must start this week against the porous Bears rush defense. 

Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Breece Hall (Jets), Deon Jackson (Colts)

LVP: Jeff Wilson Jr. (49ers)

Wilson Jr. owners received a very unpleasant surprise this week when the 49ers had to abandon the run early after the Falcons jumped out to an early 14-point lead. Even worse, a Wilson fumble that got returned for a TD was a large part of the reason why. Ultimately, Wilson only saw 7 carries on the day and since he only turned that light workload into 25 YDS, he had the misfortune of putting together one of the worst games any RB has had in fantasy football this season. If things don't get sideways again, he should be able to put up respectable numbers against the Chiefs so-so rush D.

Dishonorable Mentions: Clyde-Edwards Helaire (Chiefs), Melvin Gordon (Broncos), Aaron Jones (Packers)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)

A return to his home state of Louisiana proved to be the remedy for the slump Chase had been in over the past few weeks. Joe Burrow leaned heavily on Chase in his efforts to keep the Bengals alive and ultimately win the game and that heavy dosage of looks resulted in a robust 7 REC/132 YD/2 TD line for the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. Chase will look to parlay this strong outing into the start of a hot streak when he goes against a weak Falcons pass defense that has allowed the 6th most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season on Sunday.

Honorable Mentions: Stefon Diggs (Bills), Brandon Aiyuk (49ers), Tyreek Hill (Dolphins)

LVP: Courtland Sutton (Broncos)

Being a part of the Broncos wretched offense finally caught up with Sutton. Denver's top wideout was invisible against the Chargers last night-securing only 2 catches for 14 YDS in yet another ugly, gut-wrenching loss for Russell Wilson and co. Sutton will remain a risky WR2 play when the ascending Jets roll into the Rocky Mountains in Week 7.

Dishonorable Mentions: Mike Williams (Chargers), Tyler Lockett (Seahawks), DJ Moore (Panthers)

Tight End

MVP: Mark Andrews (Ravens)

The Ravens resident target monster was at it again as he turned 7 catches into 106 YDS and a TD in what ended up being another shocking loss against a gritty Giants team that continues to pull wins out of their ass through sheer resilience. Andrews will be in the overall TE1 mix for Week 7 as he's set to face an awful Browns secondary that just gave the world the first confirmed sighting of Jonnu Smith since 2020.

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Hunter Henry (Patriots), George Kittle (49ers)

LVP: Tyler Higbee (Rams)

With Allen Robinson finally showing some sign of life, Higbee took his place in no man's land. The Rams TE caught 1 of 2 targets for 7 YDS in their not exactly dominant win over the listless Panthers. Higbee has been one of only a handful of reliable TE1's to start the year and a single poor performance won't imminently endanger that status.

Dishonorable Mentions: Gerald Everett (Chargers), Dallas Goedert (Eagles), Hayden Hurst (Bengals)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Patriots

Bill Belichick flat-out abused his former player Jacoby Brissett on Sunday. By shutting down Nick Chubb and putting a ton of pass-rushing pressure on Brissett, the Patriots defense were able to make a whole lot of impact plays (4 sacks, 2 INT's, 2 FUM REC) that helped pave the way for an easy 38-15 road win. After a few rough outings to start the season, the Patriots defense has come on very strong over the past few games and should be a viable fantasy play for at least the next month or so while their schedule remains highly favorable. 

Honorable Mentions: Rams, Bills, Eagles

LVP: Jaguars

If you listen closely, you'll be able to hear the Jaguars D hype train flying off the tracks. Mike Caldwell's group was on their heels all game long-surrendering 34 points while getting zero sacks or takeaways to a Colts offense that was without Jonathan Taylor and coming off a comically anemic performance against the Broncos. After this embarrassment, there's no reason to not send them back to the waiver wire.

Dishonorable Mentions: 49ers, Packers, Buccaneers 

Movie Review: Halloween Ends

Over the course of his 20+ year career as a filmmaker, David Gordon Green has proven that he can't be put into a box. He made everything from major studio comedies (Pineapple Express, Your Highness) to tiny indie dramas (George Washington, Prince Avalanche) to mid-budget awards contenders (Our Brand is Crisis, Stronger) before taking on his biggest, most out of left field assignment yet: Rebooting the Halloween franchise. 

With the opening chapter of his planned trilogy, Gordon Green created the impression that he was making a John Carpenter-influenced sequel about a PTSD-afflicted Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) finally getting the opportunity to square off against Michael Myers again 40 years after she narrowly escaped with her life. With the 2021 sequel Halloween Kills, Gordon Green defied expectations by making a brutal slasher flick that focused on not only the rage of Myers himself after he was left for dead by Strode at the end of the previous film, but the residents of Haddonfield who want to make Myers pay for all of the damage he's caused their town. With the already divisive finale Halloween Ends, Gordon Green takes another wildly unexpected detour by making a film that lays out a simple yet loaded thesis: Are killers born or are they made? 

Given that it's being billed as the epic conclusion to the Strode vs. Myers saga, Ends being a film that isn't entirely focused on that pivotal showdown is going to piss a lot of people off. What's going to make people even madder is that a lot of the film isn't even directly focused on the present-day versions of either character. Instead, Gordon uses the ever-present scars of their decades-long battle and the varying effects they've had on the residents of Haddonfield to explore the origins of a new evil force. 

Save for a chilling opening sequence set in 2019 that introduces Corey (Rohan Campbell-who does a really good job with a role that requires frequent subtle emotional shifts) aka the impetus of much of the negative discourse surrounding the film and an accident that made him infamous in Haddonfield, Ends takes place a full 4 years after the events of Kills. When we arrive in the present, Myers-who has been significantly weakened by old age-hasn't been seen or heard from since they tore down his family home following his massacre in Kills, Strode has used Myers' disappearance as an opportunity to gain perspective and commit to no longer living in fear despite all of the despair Myers has caused her and Corey-despite being legally cleared all of wrongdoing-has been ostracized by nearly everyone in Haddonfield.   

With Myers being MIA, the town takes all of its pent-up anger/grief and unleashes it on Cory. He walks through Haddonfield with a giant target on his back as people regularly taunt and threaten him over his involvement in the tragedy. After a string of confrontations escalate to the point of violence, Cory begins to shed whatever remained of his former self and morph into the monster he's long been perceived to be. While this narrative takes some questionable turns once the Strodes (both Laurie and her granddaughter Allyson played by Andi Matichak) get involved with Corey and isn't quite well developed enough to be a home run, it provides a lot of fascinating ideas about the psychology of a killer and the role the behavior of others can play in creating mass murderers to chew on and Gordon Green deserves to be applauded for having the gumption to dedicate a large chunk of the final Halloween movie to creating a sincere character study that is rooted in real word problems.   

In the final act, Ends becomes the movie the fans wanted/expected it to be as Green delivers some crazy kills that rank among the more memorable in recent slasher movie history and the final confrontation between Strode and Myers that the trailers teased is a satisfying battle that has some real emotional catharsis lurking underneath all of the violence. Will this prove to be a too little, too late situation for a lot of people? No question, but I found its combination of being a reflection on the effects Haddonfield's deep legacy of murder can have on its residents and closing the book on Myers and Strode's decades-long battle for survival to be an unexpected yet fitting conclusion for this chapter of the Halloween franchise. And when the legacy of Ends is reevaluated 5-10 years from now, I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot more people out there will have to come appreciate it for similar reasons.            

Grade: B

John C. Reilly Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of John C. Reilly-whose latest project "Stars at Noon" releases in theaters and on VOD tomorrow and on Hulu October 28th.

John C. Reilly's Filmography Ranked:

25.The Little Hours (D)

24.The Aviator (C-)

23.Sing (C)

22.Wreck-It Ralph (C)

21.The Sisters Brothers (C)

20.The Good Girl (C)

19.Holmes & Watson (C+)

18.Cyrus (C+)

17.The Perfect Storm (C+)

16.Anger Management (B-)

15.Boogie Nights (B-)

14.Days of Thunder (B-)

13.Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (B) 

12.Cedar Rapids (B)

11.The Thin Red Line (B)

10.The Lobster (B)

9.Life After Beth (B+)

8.The Dictator (B+)

7.Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (B+)

6.Kong: Skull Island (B+)

5.Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (A-)

4.Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (A-)

3.Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (A-)

2.Guardians of the Galaxy (A)

1.Step Brothers (A)

Top Dog: Step Brothers (2008)

It really sucks that Adam McKay is no longer making straight comedies or has a working relationship with Will Ferrell because their work together often resulted in dazzling comedic fireworks. Outside of the original Anchorman, Step Brothers was the top highlight from their creative partnership. The lovingly chaotic buddy dynamic between Ferrell and Reilly, go for broke supporting performances (Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Andrea Savage) and delightfully dumb, absurd humor came together in perfect harmony to make one of the most consistently uproarious, rewatchable comedies I've ever seen.      

Bottom Feeder: The Little Hours (2017)

On this edition of when Incredible Ensemble Casts Go Wrong is The Little Hours. Jeff Baena somehow put Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Kate Micucci, Dave Franco, Fred Armisen, Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman and Reilly in an R-rated comedy about a 14th century convent of nuns (Brie, Plaza, Micucci) and their superiors (Reilly, Shannon) who begin to act on their repressed sexual feelings that is aggressively unfunny and shockingly boring.   

Most Underrated: Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012)

There are a number of big Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! fans that really dislike Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, but it's without question among my favorite things Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have ever produced. They were able to package the uniquely silly, nutty and surreal essence of their demented beast of a sketch comedy series into something that was bigger and more linear without losing any of the comedy value or toning down their sensibilities with the hopes of reaching a broader audience and that's a deceptively difficult accomplishment that's worth celebrating.    

Most Overrated: The Aviator (2004)

This was the precursor to the indulgent vanity project era Scorsese has been in from Wolf of Wall Street through now. There's a major sense of repetition in the way that film cycles through Howard Hughes' neuroses, business triumphs and court cases and unlike his more recent efforts, the performances and writing aren't strong enough to atone for its overstretched narrative and needlessly long runtime.

Movie/Franchise That Would've Benefitted from More of Reilly: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Reilly had the rare distinction of being a non-villain with a decent-sized role in a Marvel movie to not return for any future installments. While his Guardians of the Galaxy character Rhomann Dey isn't particularly memorable or crucial to the story, it's sort of a bummer that Reilly never returned to the series in some form. Just imagine the great things Reilly could do in an expanded role where he got to goof off with the Guardians and deliver some prime James Gunn quips. Since there's almost zero chance he shows up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Gunn should consider casting him in one of the zillion DC projects he has in the works right now so the world can finally get the chance to see if this creative partnership can be as good in practice as it is on paper.    

2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 6

()=previous ranking

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (5-0) Week 6 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

2.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Buffalo Bills 

3.(3) Buffalo Bills (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

4.(8) San Francisco 49ers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

5.(6) Minnesota Vikings (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Miami Dolphins

6.(10) Dallas Cowboys (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles  

7.(7) Baltimore Ravens (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New York Giants 

8.(5) Green Bay Packers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New York Jets

9.(11) New York Giants (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

10.(4) Miami Dolphins (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

11.(13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

12.(9) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New Orleans Saints

13.(15) Tennessee Titans (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye

14.(16) Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Denver Broncos

15.(26) New York Jets (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Green Bay Packers

16.(18) New England Patriots Week 6 opponent: Cleveland Browns

17.(14) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

18.(12) Los Angeles Rams (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Carolina Panthers

19.(17) Arizona Cardinals (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

20.(20) Cleveland Browns (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New England Patriots 

21.(23) Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1) Week 6 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

22.(25) New Orleans Saints (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

23.(22) Atlanta Falcons (2-3) Week 6 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

24.(24) Seattle Seahawks (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

25.(19) Detroit Lions (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Bye

26.(21) Denver Broncos (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

27.(27) Las Vegas Raiders (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Bye

28.(28) Chicago Bears (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Washington Commanders

29.(29) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

30.(30) Washington Commanders (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Chicago Bears

31.(32) Houston Texans (1-3-1) Week 6 opponent: Bye 

32.(31) Carolina Panthers (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

Week 5 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Josh Allen (Bills) 

If Allen didn't get pulled at the start of the 4th quarter, he would've cleared 50 fantasy points with ease. Save for an INT, the Bills signalcaller put together a flawless performance (424 YDS/4 TD's passing, 42 YDS rushing) against the reeling Steelers that allowed him to leapfrog Lamar Jackson as the highest scoring fantasy QB thus far. A potential shootout with the fellow AFC heavyweight Chiefs awaits Allen and the Bills on Sunday afternoon.

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Kirk Cousins (Vikings)

LVP: Russell Wilson (Broncos)

So much for Wilson righting the ship after his solid Week 4 outing against the Raiders. Russ once again looked lost and displayed questionable accuracy/decisionmaking as he put together a poor showing (274 YDS/0 TD/2 INT's/22 Rushing YDS) in a losing effort against the similarly bad Colts that they had every opportunity to win. If Wilson can't do anything against a shockingly helpless, Josy Bosa-less Chargers defense on Monday night, he should be benched on an indefinite basis.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Lions), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Justin Herbert (Chargers)

Running Back

MVP: Austin Ekeler (Chargers)

Ekeler's return to fantasy relevance continued in a big way as he served as the clear focal point of the Chargers offense in their road victory over the Browns, earning a season-high 20 touches (16 carries, 4 receptions) which he turned into 199 scrimmage YDS and a pair of scores. Herbert's lingering back injury and Keenan Allen's continued absence with a hamstring injury has given Ekler the workload he needed to snap out of his early season funk and that will keep him on the RB1 map even in a tough Week 6 matchup against the Broncos stout run D.   

Honorable Mentions: Leonard Fournette (Buccaneers), Breece Hall (Jets), Josh Jacobs (Raiders)

LVP: A.J. Dillon (Packers)

Despite averaging nearly 6 YDS per carry, Dillon was an afterthought for the Packers offense in Sunday's surprising loss to the Giants-finishing the day with an unimpressive 6 CAR/34 YD line. While the Packers backfield split has been every bit as wonky as expected, Dillon has too much upside as a rusher (particularly in the redzone) to sit in 12+ team leagues. 

Dishonorable Mentions: James Robinson (Jaguars), Cam Akers (Rams), J.K. Dobbins (Ravens)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Gabe Davis (Bills)

Safe to say Davis' injured ankle felt a bit better than it did a week ago. Davis put the jets on and hauled in 3 deep targets for a ridiculous 171 YDS and 2 TD's in a blowout victory over the Steelers. Considering that the Chiefs allowed a couple of long bomb TD's to Davante Adams last night, Davis could easily do similar damage this week. 

Honorable Mentions: Davante Adams (Raiders), Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Tyler Lockett (Sehawks)

LVP: Christian Kirk (Jaguars)

About the only thing the Texans have done well this season is defend the pass and Kirk learned that the hard way this week. Jacksonville's top wideout got bottled up all afternoon and managed to secure just 1 catch for 11 YDS in a 2nd straight losing effort for the Jags. As quiet as he's been over the past 2 games, Kirk commands far too high of a target share (his per game average prior to this week was an even 9) in this offense to remain slumping for too much longer.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins), A.J. Brown (Eagles), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)

Tight End

MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Last night, the world witnessed one of the greatest fantasy football explosions in history. Despite finishing the game with only 25 YDS-which is his season low by a mile, Kelce was able to secure 4 short TD's in the redzone that not only salvaged his evening but swayed the outcome of a whole lot of matchups late Monday night. Anybody who invested a top 15-20 pick in Kelce has to be thrilled with the results thus far as this man continues to prove that he's the most productive pass-catching tight end the game has ever seen. 

Honorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), Hayden Hurst (Bengals), Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

LVP: T.J. Hockenson (Lions)

Joining Russell Wilson on the Week 4 MVP to Week 5 LVP pipeline is one T.J. Hockenson-who was held to 1 catch for 6 YDS on a day where the Lions offense struggled mightily against the Patriots, and Jared Goff seemed to only have eyes for 3rd string running back Craig Reynolds on dump off passes. The frustratingly erratic 4th-year pro will look to get back on the plus side of the coin when the Lions return to action versus the Cowboys in Week 7. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Gerald Everett (Chargers), Tyler Conklin (Jets), Robert Tonyan (Packers)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Cowboys

Matthew Stafford and the Rams banged-up, sneaky awful offensive line was not prepared for the pain the Cowboys were ready to inflict on them on Sunday. Dan Quinn let his physical, athletic front 7 run wild and they were able to parlay their effective all-out assault on their overmatched opponents into 5 sacks, 2 FUM REC, an INT and a TD in a 23-10 road victory. The special teams unit also got in on the action with a blocked FG in the 3rd quarter. This outstanding group will get their toughest test of 2022 to date when they head up to Philly to take on the undefeated Eagles on Sunday night. 

Honorable Mentions: 49ers, Bills, Broncos

LVP: Dolphins

As much as losing Teddy Bridgewater on their 1st offensive play of the day hurt the Dolphins on Sunday, the play of their defense is what ultimately cost them the game on Sunday. This very talented group had no answers for Breece Hall, Zach Wilson and Michael Carter as they allowed the not exactly explosive Jets offense to hang 38 points on them in a shocking blowout loss. They won't be worth starting against the Vikings solid offense this week. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Chargers, Rams, Saints

Quick Movie Reviews: Bros, Amsterdam, Luckiest Girl Alive

Bros: Major studios collectively deciding to pretty much throw in the towel on making romcoms somewhere around 2016 has allowed streaming services to develop a pseudo-monopoly on the genre. While it's commercial failure will undoubtedly reenforce this current line of thinking, Bros is a great film that got an extra pop from playing in theaters. Even in a crowd of only 20 or so people, the laughter and joy emanating in this space throughout the film was infectious. Nearly every single scene contains some sort of belly laugh and there are several moments where the dialogue was being drowned out because people were laughing so loudly (myself included). It's been an eternity since I've seen a comedy that has garnered that type of enthusiastic reaction from people, and I had somewhat forgotten how special it is to get swept up in laughter with other people. 

Outside of the immaculate vibes it created in a room full of strangers, Bros wins marks for its commitment to portraying gay relationships in a manner that feels largely honest. While the final destination is every bit as mushy and jovial as you'd expect something in this genre to be, the road to get there is riddled with wrong turns and potholes. Star/co-writer Billy Eichner is able to turn a basic "two people with commitment issues try to start a relationship" into a thoughtful exploration of how the identity issues that gay men face (Eichner's character Bobby is very proud of his sexuality while his love interest Aaron played by Luke Macfarlane is a quiet, reserved former athlete who downplays it at every turn) and trickier relationship dynamics (several supporting characters are in open relationships) can impede the development of a serious romantic relationship. Throwing of all the character's insecurities on the table make the eventual formation of true love feel more earned and the disgustingly sappy moments this genre was built on more palatable, which is the ideal result in my book. Bros is the best thing the romantic comedy genre has delivered since Long Shot and the funniest fully narrative comedy since Good Boys, so hopefully people will find it somewhere down the line and give it the love it failed to get during its initial theatrical run.     

Grade: B+

Amsterdam: David O. Russell had been away from filmmaking for 6 years before cameras began rolling on Amsterdam early last year. Given the extended length of his hiatus, he probably should've picked something less ambitious to return with. Although Amsterdam is pretty entertaining, it's put together in such an unwieldy manner that it feels like we're watching Russell try to shake his storytelling rust off for 135 minutes. 

There was a really good reason that Disney made the plot so vague in the marketing. Breaking down this at least somewhat fact-based tale surrounding a trio of old friends (Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington) who met in Europe during World War I that find themselves unwittingly dragged into a massive government conspiracy couldn't possibly be coherently explained in a trailer or a TV/YouTube spot (honestly, there are parts of it that aren't coherently explained in the actual movie). On top of its plot that features a whole lot of moving parts and a revolving door of characters, it shifts tonal and genre gears so much that it becomes shocking when Russell remains consistent in his approach to back-to-back scenes.

What keeps this period screwball comedy political drama romance mystery thriller from becoming a completely irredeemable mess is the valiant efforts the carefully curated collection of superstar acting talents (Bale, Anya Taylor-Joy and Robert de Niro end up being the standouts of this splashy ensemble) make to admirably roll with all of the plot's scattershot punches and an ultimately important message about how democracy is something that needs to be constantly fought for since powerful people will always be plotting on how to take it away. Is Russell the best vessel to deliver a movie about the ever-present danger of fascism and combating it by loving each other? Fuck no. Is he able to sell his belief in that ideology well enough here? Yes, and that feat is very likely be my only significant lasting takeaway from Amsterdam.   

Grade: B-

Luckiest Girl Alive: In a key final act scene of Luckiest Girl Alive, the writer protagonist TifAni "Ani" Farrell (Mila Kunis) turns in an article to her editor (Jennifer Beals) where she finally publicly discloses what happened to her during a shooting at her high school 22 years earlier. After reading the piece, the editor bluntly says that an approximation of honesty isn't enough to service the powerful story she's trying to tell. Luckiest Girl Alive doesn't adhere to its own advice and tells a story that never gives the viewer more than an approximation of honesty. 

For the people that aren't familiar with the novel that the film is based on, Luckiest Girl Alive isn't just a story about a woman that survived a school shooting. Ani was gang raped by three of her classmates then accused by one of the men responsible of being involved in the plotting of the shooting as retaliation for informing the school's administrations about the event (she declined to inform the police after meeting with the principal). 

Years later, Ani is living a seemingly idyllic life working as a senior writer for a women's magazine who is on track to be named an editor at the New York Times Magazine with a wealthy supportive fiancé (Finn Wittrock) by her side. This all changes when she's approached by a documentary filmmaker (Dalmar Abuzeid) to talk about her experience on the day of the shooting-which unearths her long-suppressed trauma and causes the dream life she always wanted to slowly unravel.

What sits at the heart of Luckiest Girl Alive is a well-intentioned examination of the lonely, silently consuming hell rape victims often have to live in. In this particular case, Ani is met with instances of intimidation, victim blaming and slut shaming that prevent her from telling the truth about the issues for over 2 decades. At its best moments, it demonstrates in a raw, powerful manner exactly why victims choose to internalize their pain instead of trying to bring their rapists to justice and how people from both genders stigmatize and demonize people that have been on the receiving ends of horrific acts of life-altering sexual violence. But since this is a mainstream Hollywood production based on a best-selling novel, these moments of real powerful truth are consistently undercut by manufactured melodrama. 

The phoniness starts at the very foundation of the story in the form of writer Jessica Knoll's-who also penned the novel-puzzling choice to also make Ani a school shooting survivor. Ani doesn't seem to be phased by the actual shooting and this event-which is shown in explicit detail around the halfway point- mostly just exists to make her a less sympathetic character and add to the list of the reasons she doesn't want to go to the police to report her rape. 

When you're making a film that's attempting to encourage rape victims to face their trauma and speak their truth, it's pretty bizarre to simultaneously make a film that not only doesn't show a shred of empathy for people that have lived through the hell of a mass shooting and the families of the people that didn't make it out alive, but uses their world-shattering pain to create additional layers of soap opera drama for a story that already had more than enough dramatic substance without it. Particularly as someone who has publicly spoken out about their own rape, Knoll should have the empathy and common sense to apply her own experiences with trauma to another group of people that have had a brush with one of the most barbaric evils human beings are capable of inflicting on one another.       

While the other plot developments aren't quite as hard to stomach, the parade of contrivances it trots out when things are getting a little too sincere do provide plenty of aggravating moments. Ani-who is played with as much conviction and grace as the script will allow for by Kunis- can't just simply deliver a cathartic, heartfelt monologue about her experiences, the long-awaited opening of her heart has to be followed by a heated argument with her fiancé at their rehearsal dinner. After she initially ignores the request to appear in the documentary, Ani goes to a random work dinner with her fiancé and his colleague just happens to be married to the caring teacher (Scoot McNairy) who came to her aide on the night of her assault after she stumbled into a convenance store that he happened to be in after walking through the rain barefoot and subsequently encourages her to set the record straight on camera. When Ani sits down for the actual interview, she has to have her attempt to tell her story interrupted by an unannounced appearance by one of her rapists despite the assurances from the director that he wouldn't be there. It's almost like Knoll and director Mike Barker don't trust the audience to handle the weight of the issues at hand and need to soften the devastating realities of them by adding a liberal dosage of the comforting familiarity of blatantly dramatized fiction. Maybe it's disrespectful for me to say this as a man who doesn't know the mental, emotional and physical anguish of rape firsthand, but I think that the people that have endured these assaults deserve better than a movie that only displays an approximation of honesty when dealing with this subject.   

Grade: C

Woody Harrelson Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Woody Harrelson-whose latest project "Triangle of Sadness" releases in NYC/LA/SF theaters tomorrow. 

Woody Harrelson's Filmography Ranked:

31.Seven Pounds (D+)

30.After the Sunset (D+)

29.War for the Planet of the Apes (D+)

28.The Glass Castle (C)

27.Semi-Pro (C+)

26.Money Train (C+)

25.Wilson (C+)

24.The Man from Toronto (C+)

23.Natural Born Killers (C+)

22.Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (C+)

21.Friends with Benefits (B-)

20.Anger Management (B-)

19.White Men Can't Jump (B)

18.Triple 9 (B)

17.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 (B)

16.Solo: A Star Wars Story (B)

15.Kingpin (B)

14.The Hunger Games (B)

13.Venom: Let There Be Carnage (B)

12.The Thin Red Line (B)

11.The Edge of Seventeen (B)

10.The People vs. Larry Flynt (B)

9.Out of the Furnace (B)

8.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (B)

7.Kate (B+)

6.Now You See Me (B+)

5.Now You See Me 2 (A-)

4.Seven Psychopaths (A-)

3.Zombieland: Double Tap (A)

2.Zombieland (A)

1.No Country for Old Men (A)

Top Dog: No Country for Old Men (2007)

Now that the days of The Coen Brothers working together on films are possibly over (Joel and Ethan haven't ruled out a reunion, but they've both committed to directing alone for at least the near future), debating their filmography has become a more definitive exercise. Among a filmography that has some unbelievable highs including Fargo, The Big Lebowski and Inside Llewyn Davis, No Country for Old Men could very well be their peak. Their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel is an atmospheric, slow-burn crime thriller loaded with stellar performances (Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Harrelson and Javier Bardem-who gave a career-defining turn as primary antagonist Anton Chigurh), striking monologues and the kind of rich moral ambiguity that spawns a million film theory essays.   

Bottom Feeder: Seven Pounds (2008)

In all honesty, Will Smith should be more embarrassed about starring in Seven Pounds than slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. This first ballot entry into the Nauseating Melodrama Hall of Fame is so corny, contrived and manipulative that it makes The Pursuit of Happyness look like the epitome of sincerity.       

Most Underrated: Now You See Me 2 (2016)

Now You See Me 2 marks an increasingly rare instance of a sequel exceeding the quality of its predecessor. By adding the magnetic, funny Lizzy Caplan to the lead group of magician thieves (Jesse Eisenberg, Harrelson, Dave Franco), bringing in the always super committed Daniel Radcliffe to play the over-the-top cartoonish villain and somehow increasing the manic, self-aware goofy energy that made the first one pop, director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights)-taking over for Louis Leterrier was able to make one of the breeziest summer blockbusters of the 2010's.   

Most Overrated: War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

The further the newest Planet of the Apes trilogy went along, the sillier it got. War for the Planet of the Apes capped things off on a particularly dreadful note. By making the bizarre choice to insert bits of goofy comedy into an otherwise cold, tragic story, slow the pace down to such a crawl that the film felt often felt like it was moving in slow motion and trot out a plot that is effectively just a soulless reworking of Apocalypse Now, War for the Planet of the Apes eviscerated whatever traces of emotion, excitement and wonder that this series was still holding onto from its terrific debut entry (Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Fingers crossed that the new trilogy that's set to launch in 2024 will be able to actually stick the landing. 

Harrelson Franchise That Should Continue Forever: Zombieland

Emma Stone repeatedly said during the Zombieland: Double Tap press tour in October 2019 that she suggested to director Rueben Fleischer, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and co-stars Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin that they reunite for a Zombieland movie every 10 years (the original came out in 2009). If that came to fruition, it would be a serious blessing. Both of these films are exceptionally fun rides, and this cast has such a strong comedic/family rapport that it would be kind of a shame if they only had a pair of undead-slaying jaunts together.     

2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) Week 5 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

2.(5) Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

3.(3) Buffalo Bills (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers 

4.(2) Miami Dolphins (3-1) Week 5 opponent: New York Jets  

5.(7) Green Bay Packers (3-1) Week 5 opponent: New York Giants 

6.(9) Minnesota Vikings (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Chicago Bears

7.(6) Baltimore Ravens (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

8.(16) San Francisco 49ers (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Carolina Panthers 

9.(12) Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

10.(11) Dallas Cowboys (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

11.(12) New York Giants (3-1) Week 5 opponent: Green Bay Packers 

12.(4) Los Angeles Rams (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

13.(8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Atlanta Falcons 

14.(10) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Houston Texans

15.(23) Tennessee Titans (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Washington Commanders

16.(21) Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Cleveland Browns

17.(20) Arizona Cardinals (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles 

18.(18) New England Patriots (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Detroit Lions

19.(14) Detroit Lions (1-3) Week 5 opponent: New England Patriots 

20.(15) Cleveland Browns (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers 

21.(19) Denver Broncos (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

22.(25) Atlanta Falcons (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

23.(17) Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1) Week 5 opponent: Denver Broncos 

24.(30) Seattle Seahawks (2-2) Week 5 opponent: New Orleans Saints

25.(24) New Orleans Saints (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

26.(31) New York Jets (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Miami Dolphins 

27.(29) Las Vegas Raiders (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

28.(26) Chicago Bears (2-2) Week 5 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

29.(22) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Buffalo Bills 

30.(28) Washington Commanders (1-3) Week 5 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

31.(27) Carolina Panthers (1-3) Week 5 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

32.(32) Houston Texans (0-3-1) Week 5 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

Week 4 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Russell Wilson (Broncos)

Victory may have painfully alluded the Broncos on Sunday in Vegas, but Wilson's fantasy owners finally got a vintage performance out of Mr. Unlimited as he logged 237 YDS and 2 TD's through the air and 29 YDS and a TD with his legs. PPR/Half PPR league players got an additional boost from his 1-YD reception on a trick play. Wilson should be able to put up at least somewhat decent numbers again when the below average Colts defense roll into Mile High on Thursday night.

Honorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Lions), Josh Allen (Bills), Tom Brady (Buccaneers)

LVP: Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

Given the heater Jackson was on to start the year, he was bound to come back down to Earth eventually. It was however a bit shocking to see him put together a clunker like this. Rainy conditions at M&T Bank Stadium along with a relentless Bills front that feasted on his banged-up offensive line kept Jackson pretty completely in check all game long as he managed just 188 scrimmage YDS (144 passing, 44 rushing) and 1 passing TD on the afternoon. A pair of costly picks including the game-sealer by Jordan Poyer were just the rotten cherry on top of a miserable afternoon for 2022's top fantasy QB thus far. Jackson has a good chance to get right on Sunday night against the Bengals. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

Running Back

MVP: Josh Jacobs (Raiders)

With every receiver outside of Davante Adams not chipping in much and Derek Carr struggling to make plays in the redzone, the Raiders turned to Jacobs to be their offensive catalyst versus the Broncos and he delivered in a big way by turning his 33 touches (28 carries, 5 receptions) into 175 scrimmage YDS and a pair of scores on the ground. The fears about Jacobs entering a committee under Josh McDaniels haven't been realized to date as he's handled about 3/4 of the total touches out of the backfield and given that he's looked pretty good in all 4 games, there's no reason to think that will change as long as the 4th-year pro stays healthy. 

Honorable Mentions: Austin Ekeler (Chargers), Miles Sanders (Eagles), Rashaad Penny (Seahawks)

LVP: Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

Taylor owners were in a tremendous amount of pain this week as the consensus #1 overall fantasy pick put together 43 total YDS and a lost fumble against the middling Titans. Making matters worse, Taylor suffered an ankle sprain at the end of the game and might not be able to go on Thursday night against the Broncos. Just a real fun time to have the 2021 rushing champion on your team.

Dishonorable Mentions: James Robinson (Jaguars), Tony Pollard (Cowboys), Travis Ettiene (Jaguars)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers)

Being the only healthy, non-geriatric receiver in a game with a comically pass-heavy game script has its perks. Evans hauled in 8 catches for 103 YDS and 2 TD's as the Bucs got dusted by the visiting Chiefs. As ugly as this offense has looked on nearly every drive this season, Evans has been able to produce and considering there's no way this group will continue to be this bad as the season progresses, he should have no problem being at least a top 20 overall receiver.

Honorable Mentions: Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Tee Higgins (Bengals), Deebo Samuel (49ers)

LVP: Gabe Davis (Bills)

Despite him downplaying the re-aggravation of his ankle injury at Thursday's practice; Davis was clearly hobbled on Sunday. He struggled to get open even with the Ravens focusing much of their attention on Stefon Diggs and ended up with just a lone catch for 13 YDS in the Bills comeback win. Davis will be a very shaky start in Week 5 when the Bills return to Buffalo to take on the Steelers. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Terry McLaurin (Commanders), Dionate Johnson (Steelers), Michael Pittman Jr. (Colts)

Tight End

MVP: T.J. Hockenson (Lions)

Without Amron-Ra St. Brown, D'Andre Swift or D.J. Chark in the lineup, Hockenson got to really spread his wings and fly this week. The University of Iowa product made the type of monster impact many believed he was going to regularly make when the Lions drafted him 8th overall in 2019 by erupting for a career-high 179 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 receptions against the Seahawks porous secondary. Hockenson will look to keep rolling on Sunday when he squares off against a Patriots defense that has allowed at least 1 TD to a TE in 3 straight games.    

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Gerald Everett (Chargers), Zach Ertz (Cardinals)

LVP: Dalton Schultz (Cowboys)

Schutlz's quicker-than-expected return to action after suffering a PCL sprain 2 weeks prior proved to be a very quiet one as he failed to catch any of his 3 targets as the team leaned on CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown and Michael Gallup-who scored a TD in his season debut- in their easy win over the Commanders. If Schultz plays on Sunday versus the Rams, he won't be worth starting.

Dishonorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), Kyle Pitts (Falcons), George Kittle (49ers)

Defense/Special Teams 

MVP: 49ers

DeMeco Ryans went against his usual tendencies and blitzed like crazy against the Rams poor, depleted offensive line and it paid off beautifully as his group registered 9 sacks, a fumble recovery and a pick 6 while only allowing 9 points. The 49ers have a dream matchup against the limp Panthers offense on Sunday, so it wouldn't be a shock if they're right back in this space next week.

Honorable Mentions: Eagles, Giants, Cowboys

LVP: Rams 

In fairness to the Rams, they looked perfectly fine for most of the night outside of the 2 long TD's they allowed to Jeff Wilson Jr. and Deebo Samuel as they only allowed 18 points to a pretty good 49ers offense. Those miscues along with their inability to net a sack or takeaway were however enough to banish them to the bottom of the fantasy leaderboards. While they likely won't get blanked in the sack department for a 2nd straight week, the stingy Cowboys offense-who rank 26th in fantasy points allowed to opposing defenses-don't provide them with a good bounceback opportunity.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Broncos, Buccaneers, Colts 

Movie Review: Smile

2022 has served as an incredible showcase for up-and-coming horror directors. Chloe Okuno (Watcher), Zach Cregger (Barbarian), Mimi Cave (Fresh) and Halina Reijn (Bodies Bodies Bodies) all flashed a level of technical prowess, ambition and command that are very rarely seen from filmmakers who had little-to-no prior experience directing features. Joining this list is Parker Finn-whose debut feature Smile is an impressively crafted film that sidesteps its conventional setup nearly every step of the way.  

Finn has gotten some (and will continue to get) some flak for how Smile shares DNA with other horror movies. There are parallels to beloved genre favorites such as The Ring, It Follows and Final Destination within its plot about a therapist (Sosie Bacon in a tremendous performance that should significantly bolster her stock in the industry) who begins to lose her grip on reality after a new patient (Caitlin Stasey) commits suicide in front of her. For me at least, Finn's visible influences were secondary to the magic he was creating behind the camera. 

On the storytelling front, Finn is able to deftly blend the psychological terrors of mental illness and grief-induced psychological trauma with the supernatural horrors of bloodthirsty demons. Bacon's character Rose has been haunted by her mother's (Dora Kiss) own suicide for most of her life and in the aftermath of her patient killing herself, she's forced to unpack all of the emotions she has surrounding that horrific event. At the same time, she has to deal with the burden of most of the people in her life (her fiancé played by Jessie T. Usher, her sister played by Gillian Zinser, her boss played by Kal Penn) fearing she's headed down a similar path as her mother after she begins to exhibit behavior that can easily be perceived as disturbing and erratic while attempting to prove that a supernatural entity that nobody else can see is behind these actions. It's a clever metaphor for the battle mental illness sufferers deal with every single day of their lives as well as a really honest look at the helplessness, guilt and frustration that the people surrounding them feel as their efforts to help them fight their disease fall short.

What really hammers home Smile's effectiveness is how the film's themes inform all of Finn's aesthetic choices. Between a Cristobal Tapa de Veer score that veers between dissonant dread that's quietly lurking in the background and frantic, pulsating panic that could immediately activate any internal signal of imminent danger human beings can possibly feel, camerawork that routinely deploys unusual angles and frequent sharp changes in speed from slow pans to blisteringly fast close-ups and its intermittent usage of grisly imagery, Finn builds a steadily ominous atmosphere that is laced with visceral shocks to the system. It has the feel of a disorienting nightmare where the forces of evil take active glee in luring you into a false sense of security before slowly tearing you apart until there's nothing left but dust. There are veteran directors that would kill to have Finn's mastery of building scares that prey on the character's greatest fears while mimicking the crippling horror of someone mind's betraying them to the point where they become unrecognizable to themselves and the people that care about them. Pulling off something so multifaceted and compelling on a fictional horror and real-life social commentary level on your first movie is the mark of somebody that seems destined to stick around Hollywood for a long, long time. 

As impressive and engrossing as it is on the whole, Smile does run into a bit of trouble at times. Some of the jump scares are cheap, predictable jolts and the story threads that lead to Rose's ex-boyfriend (Kyle Gallner)-who just happens to be a cop-becoming heavily involved in the proceedings are contrived enough to earn some head nods and groans of disapproval from viewers. But Finn displays so much careful craftsmanship behind the camera and Bacon is such a sympathetic, emotionally transparent force in the lead role that all of the shortcomings end up being easy to overlook. If Smile goes on to earn a similar degree of reverence as the aforementioned films it's been compared to, it would be a well-earned fate worthy of a non-sinister version of the titular facial expression.   

Grade: B+