Gladiator II: There's some really great stuff in Gladiator II. The battle sequences from the huge naval battles down to the brutal 1-on-1 swordfights are absolutely remarkable, the production design team was able to transform modern day Malta into a richly detailed, jaw-dropping replica of Ancient Rome and getting Denzel Washington to play a sleazily charismatic arms dealer/aristocrat whose hungry to overthrow Rome's emperors (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, who both do some great scenery-chewing) is a masterstroke of casting that results in the birth of one hell of a villain.
But as is often the case with modern day Ridley Scott films, the legendary director actively finds ways to limit the effectiveness of the really great working blueprint of a movie he has sitting in front of him. What should be a simple revenge tale of a lost son of Rome (Paul Mescal-who does well with the physicality of the role, but struggles to channel the fury that's supposed to flow through the character) fighting to bring down the corrupt, maniacal assholes responsible for his suffering (aka a slightly reworked version of the original's plot a la Star Wars: The Force Awakens) is complicated by Scott's insistence on stacking up underdeveloped subplots involving the large collection of side characters it introduces (minor spoiler: Pedro Pascal's General Acacius is involved in nearly all of them and still manages to sit on the sidelines for the bulk of the movie!) until it loses interest in the revenge tale entirely. The lack of catharsis, sorrow or really any emotion outside of apathy that the ending evokes is really shocking for a narrative that is steeped in tragedy, legacy and the mourning of a good life that the bloodlust of power-hungry tyrants didn't allow to be lived. Scott has been doing this shit for way too long to not have the discipline to focus on the story he's trying to tell and not dilute it by veering off into a million different directions that don't meaningfully add to the hero's journey. There's still enough entertainment value in the action sequences and macho soap opera theatrics for Gladiator II to work, it's just frustrating to see a movie that easily could've been great settle for being unremarkably good.
Grade: B
The Piano Lesson: While the marriage between the story's grounded family drama and explicit supernatural elements isn't always the cleanest and there are a few scenes that could've been trimmed down or cut out entirely without impacting the plot in the slightest, The Piano Lesson is one of the best screen adaptations of an August Wilson play to date. Malcolm Washington does a good job of avoiding the stagey trappings that Wilson's single location, dialogue-heavy style tends to attract by moving the camera around and making purposeful, organic cuts that confirm that these actors aren't stuck in the cramped confines of a Broadway stage and the great performances from this small but mighty ensemble cast (John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Skylar Aleece Smith, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins) are all able to find the sweet spot of honoring the heightened emotions of its theatrical origins with the comparatively minimalist approach cinema can use to explore its themes of generational trauma brought on by the lasting ramifications of slavery, family dynamics and how relatives are able to interpret their own family history in such radically different ways. Be sure to seek this one out on Netflix if you dug Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences or just want to see a movie that's made for adults that explores the painful past of many families living in the United States in a unique way.
Grade: B
Wicked: A collision of two chapters (blockbusters, musicals) of his unusual directorial career made Jon M. Chu the right person to finally bring Wicked to the big screen 21 years after it made its debut on Broadway. The veteran filmmaker tackles the sweeping musical setpieces, Wizard of Oz lore dumps and tale of the powerful friendship that once existed between two famous witches that went onto to become bitter rivals that makes up Wicked with a peppy, workmanlike craftsmanship that takes great pleasure in building up such a huge world.
As much as Chu's giddy directorial proficiency benefits the production, it's the work of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that allows the film to really sing when it needs to (no pun intended). Elphaba and Galinda's relationship is the glue that ties this whole thing together and these two women beautifully capture how their vastly different personalities and upbringings caused them to resent then respect each other before they're forced to part ways by circumstances beyond their control. The strength of their efforts really materializes in the stirring final act that perfectly sets up the second half of the film. There's really no movie if those emotional beats don't land, and both Erivo and Grande do a terrific job of selling the devastation and necessity of this moment and how it allowed both women to fulfill the destiny this world had planned for them. The Oscar nominations that are likely coming their way will be well deserved.
Despite the strength of its lead performances and Chu largely living up to the challenge of making an epic musical, there are some really glaring, embarrassing deficiencies that are impossible to overlook. The CGI is goofy as hell and violently clashes with the stunning practical sets Nathan Crowley designed while cinematographer Alice Brooks' muted, drab lighting choices fail to capture the vibrancy of its fantastical setting. It also continues the embarrassing recent trend of prequels, sequels and spin-offs making comically inorganic references to previous films in order to get some kind of nostalgic nod of approval from the audience or some shit (the Yellow Brick Road one here is a strong contender to top a certain Aliens reference from Alien: Romulus as the most egregious one of the year). Will any of these elements improve in Wicked: Part Two? Probably not, but I'm looking forward to finding out next November.
Grade: B
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