Movie Review: The Tax Collector

 

Cue up the shitty Bon Jovi song and that rambling Matthew McConaughey voiceover from the Lincoln commercial because David Ayer has come home!!! After venturing out of his established artistic realm to helm a WWII film (Fury) and a couple of profitable yet widely maligned blockbusters (Suicide Squad, Bright), the veteran writer/director has returned to the LA criminal underworld that granted him those opportunities to tackle bigger projects. With The Tax Collector, Ayer demonstrates that he had no problem getting back into his gritty grove despite his extended absence from this corner of cinema.  

There shouldn't be any confusion about what type of movie The Tax Collector is. Ayer has made a name for himself telling stories about morally conflicted criminals that try to keep their professional lives separate from their personal and learn in the most brutal way imaginable that this dream of a double life can't be sustained forever. Here, that criminal with a conscience is David Cuevas (Bobby Soto in a meditative yet explosive breakout performance)-the crown prince of a respected LA crime family who spends his days collecting money from the other gangs that operate on his family's turf with his best friend/top enforcer (the always committed Shia LaBeouf) before returning home to live a blissful domestic life with his wife (Cinthya Carmona) and kids at night. This comfortable, delicate dance between worlds is suddenly interrupted when a powerful former rival (Jose Martin) of his family returns from Mexico and offers to form a partnership-which David declines and quickly leads to a vicious war that threatens to upend his entire existence.

What makes Ayer's take on a straightforward crime story like this effective is the unflinching way he goes about telling it. Everything he does here from the dialogue to how these characters react when the shit hits the fan is predicated on being as naturalistic as possible, which opens the door for a streamlined exploration of the consequences that come with embracing this lifestyle. Underneath the money, power and false sense of security that comes with it is a promise that the vicious cycle of violence that you've thrived off for so long will eventually come for your head. Unspeakable acts of brutality will be committed against you and your family and when the reign of terror ends, you'll either be in the ground or left with a level of trauma that can never be shaken. While this approach results in a unapologetically grisly film that isn't always easy to watch, this emphasis on the visceral pain that a life of crime comes with is what makes Ayer's work in this genre space so uniquely raw and compelling.

Is The Tax Collector on the level of Training Day, End of Watch or even Sabotage? Not quite. The script could've done a better job with developing David's relationships, the acting ensemble behind Soto and LaBeouf isn't notably great and despite a clever final scene reveal, the ending is a bit too rushed. Still, it was reassuring to see that Ayer can still seamlessly churn out this type of movie after a pretty long lay off and I'm pretty confident that his next project will end up being better. 

Grade: B

Movie Review: An American Pickle

A dramedy about a European immigrant who falls into a vat of pickles shortly after arriving in the United States and ends up being perfectly preserved for 100 years before waking up in 2019 Brooklyn and moving in with his great grandson feels like a premier entry from a stoned pitch brainstorm session. Since Seth Rogen has attained serious pull in the industry, this highdea actually got made. An American Pickle's daringly original premise leads to a finished product that is both endearingly unique and unbelievably scattershot.

Making something that traverses multiple genres simultaneously requires a deft touch to pull off.  Despite Rogen's strong commitment to his dual roles, An American Pickle lacks that. Cinematographer turned director Brandon Trost and writer Simon Rich (Man Seeking Woman, Miracle Workers) have assembled a film with such a lack of rhythm that it almost feels like a rushed student film. The pacing and tone shifts in just about every scene as the film attempts to piece together about 6 subplots surrounding these two family members from different generations attempts to bond and establish careers over its sub 90 minute runtime. 

There's musings on everything from what means it to be Jewish to the pressure younger generations feel to make family members from past generations proud of their accomplishments to the culture shock that comes when a person who's been away from the world for 100 years re-enters a society with much different societal norms than the one they unintentionally departed. It's like watching the start of a dozen different promising movies get thrown into the same anthology because the people who made wanted to get all of their ideas onto the screen, regardless of whether or not they were ready to be shot. While there are some genuinely funny and heartfelt moments that stem from this busy storytelling approach, the unwillingness to really lean into the absurdity or sentimentality that its premise teases, and underlying awkwardness in the way its packaged numbs a good deal of its potential impact.

An American Pickle garners the rare distinction of being an admirable mess. It may have serious artistic flaws that prevent it from resonating on a meaningful level as a comedy or drama, but its pure originality and strong effort from its star to sell this multigenerational family narrative was enough to make it compelling even at its most overstuffed and convoluted. Even when it isn't fully realized is, ambition is hell of an asset that can prop up a project and develop a level of respect for the filmmakers for trying to make a project that stood out as different. Creativity is a rare gift and while An American Pickle put up a mixed bag of a performance, there's enough potential on display here to believe that Rich and Trost have the raw gifts that could be refined into something exceptional somewhere down the line if they just take the time to fine tune their craft.    

Grade: B-        

Movie Review: The Rental

Disappointed that COVID-19 ruined your summer vacation plans? Well, new horror movie The Rental may make you feel a bit better about those unexpected cancellations. The directorial debut of actor Dave Franco capitalizes on the very real anxieties that the owners of Airbnb properties are secretly spying on their guests. It tells the tale of a pair of couples (Dan Stevens/Alison Brie, Sheila Vand/Jeremy Allen White-all solid) who embark on a weekend trip to a secluded Northern California oceanside home. Their wishes of having a relaxing getaway in a beautiful place are promptly destroyed as the isolated setting and some unsettling discoveries/events around the property forces them to confront the frailty of their relationships all while simultaneously having to entertain the possibility that they don't have the place to themselves.

By blending interpersonal relationship horrors with some old school slasher vibes, Franco displays an impressive command of establishing atmosphere and suspense by telling a story that gradually ups the ante. Having revelations come to light that makes these couples question their ability to trust each other adds to the mounting paranoia brought on by the weird happenings going on around the house and makes the eventual exclamation mark payoff to this slow burn tale become even more panic-inducing. The brisk 88-minute runtime does allow for some plot holes to materialize and the ending could've been more rewarding if it were just a smidge less ambiguous, but those minor script problems are largely irrelevant when they're applied to a movie that is an unnervingly tense ride that becomes more harrowing by the minute. The Rental is a lean, effective genre exercise that adds Franco to the ever-expanding list of actors turned filmmakers who appear to have bright futures ahead of them behind the camera.         

Grade: B+

Movie Review: Palm Springs

Groundhog Day is held in such high regard that every movie that features a plot involving time loops gets linked to it, regardless of genre or the presence of any other narrative parallels. After 27 years of occupying this space alone, another romantic comedy has finally decided to follow Groundhog Day's storytelling formula. While time will tell if it can develop a comparable legacy, Palm Springs boasts the same combination of charm, laughs and lighthearted fun that allowed Groundhog Day to become a cultural touchstone.

What makes Palm Springs "two people get stuck repeating the same day for eternity" hook work is the fantastic lead pairing of Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. There are clunky narrative detours involving puzzling, underdeveloped explanations of the physics of the time loop and adding melodramatic layers designed to accelerate the character's efforts to find a way to break the loop where the committed, multi-faceted turns of Samberg and Milioti are the only things keeping the project from falling apart.

The emotional fatigue and monotony that comes with reliving the same day isn't exactly a setup that's designed for romance to thrive in and the Samberg/Milioti team never treat it as such. There's hostility, a refusal to be fully honest with each other and even some anarchy when some unforeseen variables enter the equation at a few points alongside the inevitable sparks that tease the presence of a potential budding relationship. The lone constant through this rapidly-shifting emotional gamut is that Samberg and Milioti tackle the fluid nature of their character's relationship with the utmost grace.

Each sequence provides an opportunity for them to win the audience over in a different way (laughs, charms, soul-bearing revelations) and they do so repeatedly until it reaches the best possible conclusion for its characters. Getting to the point where the viewer is invested enough in the main characters that the eventual outcome makes them feel something positive is typically the ultimate goal of a romantic comedy and for whatever problems it has, Palm Springs is a big hit on that front.

While I'm not definitely not as smitten with it as a lot of professional critics are, Palm Springs is the best straight-up comedy of the year so far and another impressive entry on the film resume of The Lonely Island crew. Hopefully the collective enthusiasm and record-shattering streaming numbers (it's undisclosed viewcount over the first three day of release was the highest Hulu has ever had for a movie in its history) it's produced will be another step towards convincing the industry to start investing more resources into adult-aimed comedies.  

Grade: B+

Movie Review: The Old Guard

In a world where the pandemic didn't exist, the 2020 summer movie season would be just past the halfway point. The likes of Black Widow, F9 and Top Gun: Maverick would already be out and the release of Tenet would be just a day away. Luckily, Netflix has arrived to fill the void left by the closure of movie theaters and subsequent delays of marquee titles by gifting the world with a much-needed dose of high quality blockbuster entertainment in The Old Guard that makes this unusual summer feel just a little bit more normal.

The Old Guard tells the story of a group of immortal warriors (Charlize Theron, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli) with regenerative healing abilities that covertly use their gifts to help people in need all over the world. Their centuries-old cover is blown after they're hired for a bogus mission in South Sudan by an ex-CIA operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) whose working for a young British pharmaceutical executive (Harry Melling) that intends to expose their condition to aid in the development of a miracle drug that would serve as a cure for all life-threating ailments that would earn him a historic payday. Further complications arise when the team becomes aware of a young American solider (KiKi Layne) that suffers from their affliction after she quickly recovers from getting her throat slit in combat and have to head to Afghanistan to retrieve her. With their anonymous existence suddenly destroyed and a skeptical new member-the first of which they've had in nearly 200 years-now in their ranks, these warriors are forced to prepare for their toughest battle to date.

What's cool about The Old Guard is that its really invested in exploring its characters. When you're working on a film that's designed to be part of a franchise (the graphic novel in which its based on is a trilogy), getting to know the protagonists is imperative to generate a hook that will get the viewers interested in this universe for the long-term and by using the introductory film to examine the emotional toll that comes with living forever, it allows a strong investment in these characters to be built right away. Scenes scattered throughout the narrative provide insight into how each individual on the team has dealt with their blessing/curse: Theron's Andy, who is the oldest of the group, questions whether or not their efforts are actually helping anyone,  Schoenaerts' Booker remains haunted by watching his family slowly die over the years, Layne's Niles struggles to accept the solitary life she's suddenly forced to live as a result of her newly-discovered condition and the love that blossoms between Kenzari's Joe and Marinelli's Nicky gives them a positive outlook on their work and being alive for hundreds of years that starkly contrasts with the rest of the group. Pondering the existential burden that comes with living for so long and how every person is going to tackle that struggle differently wasn't something I really expected coming in, and writer Greg Rucka- who also penned the graphic novel series-deserves a lot of credit for bucking the genre norms by taking a solid chunk of time to explore the emotions of the story's heroes without ever detracting from the momentum of the primary plot.  

At the end of the day, this is a film about badass soldiers who have been kicking ass on every continent for centuries and some strong character work wouldn't be enough to shield the presence of limp action sequences that didn't live up to the legendary reputations of these characters. With diverse fight choreography from Daniel Hernandez, a committed cast that did a good chunk of their own stunts and steady direction from Gina Prince-Bythewood (Beyond the Lights, Love & Basketball), all of the essential boxes on that front are defiantly checked.

Each action scene boasts a feeling of seemingly effortless fluidity that should be present in a movie that's centered around a team that's fought alongside each other tens of thousands of times. They're such a well-oiled machine that they can adjust on the fly to whatever their opponents throw at them (guns, fists, axes, swords, grenades) and snuff out on a whim when one of their own needs some help in taking down an enemy. It's kind of like watching the Globetrotters except instead of spinning basketballs on the fingers, "The Old Guard" can brutally dispatch a room full of people in 90 seconds or less with whatever's available to them. Staging action sequences that emphasize the dynamic combat gifts of the protagonists and just how much of a disadvantage their enemies are at regardless of what weapons they brandish or how extensive their training is goes in a long way in helping to sell the belief that the titular band of heroes are the most experienced, lethal warriors the world has ever seen.

The Old Guard is a terrific opening chapter in this likely franchise. It's another impressive example of a filmmaker who previously only made small-scale dramas seamlessly adapting to the world of blockbusters as well as the perfect antidote to this unusual summer slate that had been completely devoid of the massive, well-crafted fun movies that typically occupy this portion of the calendar up to this point. If the strong action/characterization balance can remain in tact for the future installments, The Old Guard could very well end up going down as a classic franchise.   

Grade: A-

Movie Review: Da 5 Bloods

A short synopsis of Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods sets up a war story with a distinct narrative told from a  perspective that's rarely been shared on film. Four black Army veterans (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr.) who dubbed themselves "The Bloods" return to Vietnam in the present day to retrieve the remains of their beloved fallen squad leader (Chadwick Boseman) and a large stash of gold they buried in a combat zone. That simple premise seems to offer up a litany of excellent opportunities to examine a wide variety of subjects including the specific set of hardships that faced black soldiers faced when they returned to the United States, the eternal bond between soldiers and having the long dormant ghosts of their past be reawakened upon their return to Vietnamese soil all within the framework of an old school adventure tale. Despite early indications to the contrary, this isn't the film Da 5 Bloods ends up being.

At the start, Da 5 Bloods seems to be on the cusp of telling a complex, haunting and deeply poignant story. These four men spend their early scenes reconnecting in the present day by having conversations that reflect on the hellish environment of the battlefields they fought on and allude to everything from how a lot of white men that were their age were able to get out of going to Vietnam,which unsurprisingly includes a home run of a dig at Donald Trump, to the continued disenfranchisement they faced upon returning home. These pivotal establishing moments also introduce powerful arcs surrounding Lindo's character's long battle with PTSD and Peters' character discovery that he's fathered a daughter (Sandy Hurong Pham) with a former prostitute (Le Y Lan) he was close with during his service time. It's simply excellent storytelling that touches on a lot of interest, powerful subjects that haven't been explored in most of the past films about Vietnam and lays down the groundwork for something that feels like it's going to become really special.

Then the hunt for the lost gold comes into play and Da 5 Bloods morphs into something radically different. While this treasure hunt makes for quality entertainment that features some terrific moments of suspense, it ends up obscuring and undermining the deeper themes Lee hints at exploring in depth in the earlier parts of the film. This 90 minute sidequest sees the introduction of several supporting characters including Lindo's character's concerned son (Jonathan Majors), a trio of 30-somethings (Melanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Paakonen) who belong to an organization that clears landmines in former warzones and a local militia that's also hellbent on finding the gold that prevents further development of the Bloods both on an individual and group level as well as some heavy-handed, painfully contrived moments that take away from the raw realism that was on display in the early stages.

There isn't even the presence of some unexpected betrayal or a greed-driven dissolving of bonds along the way to make up for some of the depth that was lost by approaching this treasure hunt with full blown tunnel vision, it's pretty much just good guys vs. bad guys fighting over a huge gold stash in the Vietnamese jungle that ends with an Expendables-esque bloody standoff. Spending this much time on an engaging yet ultimately hollow treasure hunt just feels like an odd miscalculation by Lee that significantly dulls the potency of his intention to a shine a light on the black soldiers whose presence and plight has been minimized in both the history books and cinematic takes on said history.      
Da 5 Bloods is without question the most conflicted I've felt about one of Lee's films. It's a well-acted, uniquely compelling film that also happens to be scattershot and devoid of a clear message. It's a good start to unearthing a historical viewpoint that's been largely glossed over and a missed opportunity to explore it further. It's a showcase of the limitless ambition that makes Lee such a fascinating filmmaker and a damning example of the trouble he can have with forming his sweeping vision into a focused, cohesive product. While it's far too flawed for me to consider it a great film, it's definitely one that I'll have a hard time forgetting.           

Grade: B

Movie Review: The King of Staten Island

Pete Davidson's opening act as a public figure has been lively to say the least. He's been a fixture on Saturday Night Live since 2014, generated tabloid headlines with everything from his love life to his struggles with mental health and pissed off some powerful people (the Catholic Church, Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw,) with his dark, take-no-prisoners sense of humor. Despite the level of attention he's commanded, do we really know who Davidson is? The semi-autobiographical The King of Staten Island aims to answer that by exploring how the childhood trauma of his father dying shaped him as a person.

The film's narrative imagines a world where Davidson didn't find comedy. His character Scott is a 24 year old unemployed stoner that uses the lasting emotional damage from the death of his father-who like his real life father was a firefighter who died on duty when he was a child-to justify his selfish behavior, fear of making deep emotional connections with others and willingness to quit doing something at the first sign of hardship. This approach to living is suddenly challenged when his mother (Marisa Tomei) starts dating an intense fireman (Bill Burr), whose presence threatens the comfortability of his long-standing family dynamic and forces him to deal with certain aspects of his father's death that he had previously internalized.

If that synopsis wasn't a clear enough indication, The King of Staten Island isn't the laugh-a-minute comedy audiences may have expected Davidson's first solo star vehicle to be. While there's plenty of terrific one-liners and a handful of extensive comedic bits that are pure gold, humor is more of a complement to rather than the driving force behind Scott's journey.  

At its core, The King of a Staten Island is a serious character study designed to be a creative, cathartic outlet for Davidson to detail the struggles that have defined his life. As pretentious or unappealing as they may sound, he knocks it out of the park. Through his tremendous performance and the impressively nuanced script that he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow and his lifelong friend Dave Sirius, he's able to allow the viewer to empathize with how the deep trauma of his father has affected his ability and willingness to get attached to people while also acknowledging that there are instances where he weaponizes that pain in an attempt to justify his shitty behavior towards others. His refusal to sugarcoat his battles or ignore the hurt he's caused others with his actions, even if some of the events aren't entirely true to his life-is what makes this movie so quietly powerful. Being open about your experiences is never easy or fun, but it's crucial in helping develop a deeper understanding of a person's plight and how they see the world. I feel like I know Davidson better than ever after watching him pour his heart out here and I've never liked or respected him more because of it.

While this is very much Davidson's show, Apatow's role in making The King of Staten Island such a powerful film can't be minimized. From laying out a narrative framework that dramatized Davidson's struggles without stripping them of their authentic emotional power to his subdued direction to assembling a magnificent supporting cast (Tomei, Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow, Steve Buscemi, Ricky Velez) to portray the people that Scott has hurt the most and ultimately help him start to change his behavior for the better, Apatow went all out to tell Davidson's story in the most honest, rewarding way possible. Finding the heart in people and situations where they're least expected is Apatow's secret weapon as a director and that gift made him the perfect choice to bring this story to the screen.

Quite frankly, I didn't realize how much I loved The King of Staten Island until I sat down to write this. It's subdued poignancy took a few days to really sink in and now I'm really in awe of what the Davidson/Apatow/Sirius team was able to pull off here. Approaching the lasting mental/emotional impact that stems from experiencing childhood trauma in such a sincere, unfiltered fashion made this a deeply moving portrait of a flawed young man who is finally starting to come to terms with the loss of his father. Davidson gives a face to every person who feels like they're an outcast because they're having a hard time dealing with their pain and his willingness to showcase his insecurities is exactly why he's a relatable rising star that an entire generation has rallied around.
          

Grade: A-

Movie Review: The Lovebirds

Netflix's deep pockets and desire to put out as much content as possible has made them an ideal life raft for projects that had their theatrical release plans altered by the pandemic. The first of these acquisitions, the Issa Rae/Kumail Nanjiani-led comedy The Lovebirds that was previously set to be distributed by Paramount, hit the service last Friday and proved to be another quality addition to their increasingly impressive original film library.

Rae and Nanjiani play a New Orleans couple that's dangerously close to breaking up after 4 years together that suddenly become on-the-run fugitives after a man claiming to be a cop (Paul Sparks) commanders their vehicle and uses it to kill a man (Nicolas X. Parsons) that they coincidentally already hit with their car earlier in the evening. In an attempt to clear their names after fleeing the scene in a panic following a misunderstanding with another couple (Catherine Cohen, Barry Rothbart) that finds the body, they have to play amateur detectives and end up stumbling upon a seedy underworld in their city that they never knew existed.

As much as it could've benefited from further embracing the zaniness of its premise, Rae and Nanjiani do more than enough to make The Lovebirds work. At just 87 minutes (with credits) and no significant supporting characters to aid them, these two are tasked with handling the brunt of the comedic load and they pull it off with confident ease. Whether its arguing about restaurants, trying to talk their way out of being tortured or intimidating fratboys for information, each of their quick-witted exchanges has a natural rhythm that makes their banter (and partnership) feel completely believable. Setting up two talented, well-matched comedians with a string of situations where the improv opportunities are abundant is a pretty foolproof plan to make a comedy that hits the right notes.

There's definitely nitpicks to be had (the romantic aspect of Rae and Nanjiani's dynamic isn't as convincing as the comedic one, some lulls in the laughs department around the halfway point, the aforementioned restraint when it comes to digging into the crazier developments in its plot) that prevent it from reaching its full potential, but none of them are enough to stop The Lovebirds from being a breezy watch with some soaring comedic peaks and a proper showcase for two of the industry's most justifiably buzzed-about rising stars. It was honestly just nice to be able to watch a project that was set to be released earlier in the year actually set the light of the day amidst all of the disheartening craziness that the world is currently going through. Lord knows we need some laughs in 2020 and The Lovebirds certainly does it part in delivering them.    
 
Grade: B

Movie Review: Extraction

It's been proven on several occasions in recent years that good things tend to happen when you get a seasoned stuntperson to direct an action movie. Extraction is the latest example of the rewards that can be reaped from having someone with intimate knowledge of the action-staging process running the show.

Like Chad Stahleski and David Leitch before him, Sam Hargrave-whose resume as a stunt coordinator includes Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame, The Accountant and Leitch's Atomic Blonde-ensured success on his inaugural directorial endeavor by building Extraction around his established strengths as a creative individual. The incredibly straightforward plot centered around a former Australian special forces solider turned mercenary (Chris Hemsworth, who is very convincing as a cold blooded killing machine going through a not-so-subtle battle with his personal demons) that is hired to retrieve the teenage son of an Indian drug lord (Rudhraksh Jaiswal in a surprisingly understated turn) who has been kidnapped by a rival kingpin (Priyanshu Painyuli) from Bangladesh actively invites opportunities for big action setpieces to emerge and allows for constant narrative momentum to be achieved relatively easily. While this straightforward approach to storytelling will likely leave the people that are seeking something deeper rolling their eyes, keeping things clear and concise on the narrative front is a great way to get the maestro behind the camera to devote the bulk of their efforts to the stuff that brings genre fans to their feet.

Naturally, the action front is where Extraction works overtime and let's just say those long hours paid off. By utilizing fluid camerawork, having enemies that routinely catch the heroes by surprise and emphasizing the brutal physicality/emotional toll of combat,  Hargrave's directorial approach feels grittily realistic. The impact of every punch/bullet/stab is felt and hardly a moment goes by where you feel like danger isn't around the corner, which results in a string of dazzling setpieces that boast suspense levels that are comparable to a pure thriller. All of the pulse-pounding excitement and "HOLY SHIT"-worthy moments of carnage that stems from this technique is best highlighted by a 10+ minute long take that goes through several locations near the halfway point. It's the type of jaw-dropping visceral spectacle that leaves you wondering how the hell they were able to pull it off as soon as it's over as well as an important visual reminder that stunt performers are the most criminally underappreciated individuals working in the entertainment industry. Considering how assured and technically-sound the direction is here, I don't think it's unfair to believe that Hargrave could be setting out on a path to become a premier action filmmaker.

Extraction is a pure adrenaline rush that delivers plenty of terrific action with absolutely no fat to speak of. While I'm not willing to put in the class of John Wick, Kingsman and The Raid quite yet, it's definitely a standout project that demonstrates the benefit of having a team in place that knows how to assemble these scenes from the pre-shoot choreography/storyboarding all the way to the editing process. Cheers to Mr. Hargrave on a hell of a directorial debut and may there be many more chances for him to stage immaculate shootouts, fist fights, etc. on screens of any size in the future.

Grade: A-

Movie Review: Love Wedding Repeat

Netflix's conveniently-timed spring escapism slate continues with their latest romantic comedy Love Wedding Repeat. Like he did with both versions of Death at a Funeral, Love Wedding Repeat sees writer/director Dean Craig telling a story about civility quickly making way for chaos at a massive gathering. The man of honor (Joel Fry) gets accidently drugged with a highly potent sleeping medication, the brother (Sam Claflin) of the bride (Eleanor Tomlinson) discovers that the ex-girlfriend (Frieda Pinto) he loathes along with her current boyfriend (Allan Mustafa) are seated next to him at the reception and an uninvited, coked-up guest (Jack Farthing) suddenly arrives after the ceremony with the sole intention of professing his love for the new bride. Now, it's up to the bride and her brother from preventing these potentially debilitating obstacles from completely derailing what was supposed to be an idyllic day in a picture-esque Roman castle. 

For a movie that plays with the concept of how unforeseen variables can dramatically alter the outcome of an event, Love Wedding Repeat is surprisingly safe and predictable. Almost all of the hiccups as well as the fallout that stem from them can be telegraphed from a mile away and the few creative bits that do come along don't amount to much of anything in the bigger picture. Not even a resetting of the event that served as the start of the chaotic domino effect that occurs in the last 35 minutes can liven up the flat approach Craig takes in fleshing out a premise that should've been a rock solid jumping off point to make something really creative. 

While its failure to capitalize on a golden opportunity to subvert the genre is disappointing, Love Wedding Repeat is still a hard movie to hate. There's a handful of really funny moments, the likable cast shows up to play (especially Claflin, Fry and Olivia Munn as the love interest of Claflin's character) and the scenery in/around the Italian castle in which this was filmed is breathtaking to look at. When the storytelling falls flat, pleasant characters and some laughs are usually enough to yield some positive returns in the world of romantic comedies.

Love Wedding Repeat isn't likely to become a widely celebrated entry in this time-tested genre. It's not the next The Big Sick, Long Shot or even Set It Up.  However, it's a warm offering that gets just enough right to work. Throw this shit on a Sunday afternoon if you're feeling like watching something lighthearted and mindless, and chances are you'll come out satisfied.      

Grade: B-

Movie Review: The Invisible Man

The year was 2016. Universal was trying to enter the extended universe game, but since they don't have the film rights to any superheroes anymore, they had to dig deep to find a property that had the potential to sustain the public's interest over a long period of time. What they came up with was "The Dark Universe", a series of films focused on the classic monsters including Dracula and Frankenstein  that put the studio on the map back in the 30's. Those grand ambitions crumbled before they even got a chance to really materialize into much of anything after the debut film (2017's The Mummy) in this proposed series tanked on a spectacular level and all of the other Dark Universe titles in development were promptly canceled. Pulling the plug on The Dark Universe might've been a blessing in disguise for Universal after all because Leigh Whannell's masterful timely take on The Invisible Man would've never come to fruition if The Mummy had performed like they had hoped.

While horror veteran Whannell does a terrific job of building suspense and delivering traditional shocks, the way he handles an abusive relationship is what makes The Invisible Man so deeply unnerving. Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) isn't a terrifying monster because he's found a way to become invisible, it's because of the ways he reigns constant terror on his ex (Elisabeth Moss) that he views as his property. Watching him go to great lengths to discredit, terrorize and toy with a woman who left him because of his unrelenting abuse is far more bone-chilling than any jump scare or gruesome supernatural death could ever possibly be. There are plenty of women in the world right now that are currently in a relationship like this or have been one in the past, which is something that is impossible to overlook as the events of this film transpire and subsequently adds a subtly harrowing undercurrent to every single scene of the film.

As terrific as the writing and direction is, Whannell's updated approach to this classic monster tale wouldn't have reached its peak if he didn't have someone as fearlessly gifted as Moss in the lead role. The truly special expressiveness she possesses along with some assistance from a top-notch makeup department that provides the necessary visible signs of distress allows her to convey the quiet terror and constant unease that anyone who is able to escape from their abuser or is a victim of stalking must feel every moment of every day. The pain she endures not only from Adrian, but from the people that she loves and trusts not entirely believing her stories of how he's abusing her in his invisible state is on full display and escalates in a fashion that is just heartbreaking to watch. Moss' willingness to go to such great lengths to convincingly convey such a deep level of suffering even turns an ending that could've been contrived in the hands of a lesser actor into a powerful piece of catharsis that gives way to a beautiful final moment that had me on the verge of tears as I exited the theater. If Moss doesn't at the very least warrant consideration for this extraordinary performance comes awards season, it'll be a full blown travesty. She's that fucking good.

The Invisible Man is a bold, chilling knockout that serves as another well-earned victory lap for the Blumhouse Productions team. Not since Get Out has a film blended real life and cinematic horrors together so effectively. This is 2020's first masterpiece and I'm not expecting to stop thinking about it anytime soon.    

Grade: A

Movie Review: Fantasy Island

Reimagining a late 70's/early 80's television series about guests who travel to a mysterious remote island to live out their fantasies as a supernatural horror movie is a pretty clever idea. Countless stories have told audiences that wishes don't usually end well, so why not turn one of the few pieces of art where happily ever after's were the norm into something sinister? While the wishes do indeed go poorly for the guests in the Jason Blum-produced version of Fantasy Island, sadly the movie itself does too.

Fantasy Island falls into the dreaded no man's land of teen horror flicks. It's far too inept from a writing and generating scares standpoint to work as an effective genre piece yet is just intriguing enough to not be a completely laughable stinker. There's some semblance of dumb fun to be had trying to piece together the jumbled mystery plot that features nonsensical, unexplained mythology galore, some awkward tonal shifts, a bizarre sense of restraint following its more absurd revelations and a couple of charismatic presences (Jimmy O. Yang, Michael Pena) in an otherwise stiff ensemble cast (Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell in particular might want to get their pulses checked to confirm that they are indeed still alive) prevent Fantasy Island from ever achieving the high level of unintentional hilarity that it flirts with throughout. With cult classic status off the table, what's left is a harmlessly bad early year entry into the horror movie pool that will be easy to forget. It's a real shame that this was so close to being another unapologetically kooky aquatic winter classic a la Serenity, and I'll be holding this oddly specific strain of failure against Jeff Wadlow, Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach for the rest of their careers.

Grade: C-

Quick Movie Reviews: Horse Girl, The Photograph, Sonic the Hedgehog

Horse Girl: What begins as a quirky indie comedy about a seemingly awkward craft store employee (Alison Brie) quickly morphs into a dark, disturbing character study about a woman's increasingly difficult struggle with mental illness. While co-writer/director Jeff Baena's (The Little Hours, Joshy) surreal, improv-heavy style obstructs whatever message Horse Girl is trying to convey and leads to an abrupt ending that is pretty underwhelming, Brie works overtime to maintain a level of intrigue that no amount of uneven filmmaking can erase. Her fearless, transformative performance makes it easy to feel awful for her character even as she engages in increasingly alarming behavior as a result of her paranoid schizophrenia. Although Brie will likely continue to predominantly star in comedies, this is the type of powerful, multi-faceted acting showcase that will hopefully result in her landing more dramatic roles in the future.
Grade: B-

The Photograph: A great mainstream romantic drama released on Valentine's Day that isn't even remotely sappy or contrived almost seems too good to be true, but The Photograph is indeed real. The story dedicates a good chunk of time to fleshing out its characters, the leads (Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield) have that rare type of explosive chemistry that becomes apparent from the moment they first appear on screen together and the eventual happy ending feels earned because the road to get there was refreshingly bumpy. It sure as hell isn't perfect (the flashbacks involving Rae's character mother and the love interest she left behind aren't nearly as engaging as the scenes in the present), but writer/director Stella Meghie deserves major kudos for creating a warm, heartfelt love story that is far more convincing than your average big screen romance.
Grade: B+

Sonic the Hedgehog: What a turnaround for this little blue alien speedster. Less than 9 months after horrifying the internet with the presence of some unsightly human teeth, the redesigned big screen  Sonic is leading a movie that's setting the box office ablaze (it made $113 million worldwide in its first four days of release). Truly an inspirational underdog story that people in the film industry should celebrate for years to come. As for the movie itself, I found it to be a good time. It's a goofy little family adventure comedy that moves at a brisk pace, produces some decent laughs and gives Jim Carrey a valid reason to return to the vintage manic goofball antics that made him such an exciting comedic force in his mid 90's to early 2000's heyday. For a video game adaptation about a hedgehog that runs really fast and collects magic rings that allows him to transport to different places across the galaxy on a whim, that's more than enough for me to deem it a success.
Grade: B

Movie Review: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emanicpation of One Harley Quinn)

DC's redemption arc has been a long time coming. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Man of Steel represented a brutal start for a superhero universe that was trying to establish a loyal audience in a space monopolized by Marvel. Once they stopped trying to emulate the formula that turned their rivals into the most unstoppable empire in blockbuster entertainment, the tides started to turn. With the notable exception of Justice League, Warner Brothers has spent the past few years focusing on standalone films and the results have been pretty ideal as Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Shazam! all amassed relatively widespread praise.

Is DC ever going to catch Marvel on the popularity front? Probably not, but matching or exceeding the quality of their product is well within reach-especially since they have the luxuries of being able to experiment with content that isn't suitable for a family audience and not being constrained by having to tie all of their titles into a bigger shared narrative.The Harley Quinn-headlined Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a potentially huge moment for the DC brand as it marks the first time they've created something really special that can go toe-to-toe with the best this genre has to offer.

Something I've always found kind of odd about superhero movies is the difficulties they can have in establishing a tone that consistently matches the personality of the main character. The prospect of global annihilation, a romantic subplot or some kind of family melodrama has a habit of getting in the way of letting the heroes defining traits shine through. Birds of Prey doesn't even consider flirting with being one of these films.

Every single thing about Birds of Prey's is embedded with the spirit of Harley Quinn-who is once again played with just the right amount of charismatic madness by Margot Robbie. The busy non-linear plot never comes up for air, the action sequences are vibrant, chaotic bursts of pure adrenaline and it's completely unafraid to embrace its origins as an over-the-top comic book with a legitimate rebellious streak. While its proudly cartoonish vibe will definitely grate on some, its frenzied energy hypnotized me into a state of pure euphoric glee.        

Making Quinn's emancipation from the constraints of a flawed film that didn't always utilize her properly possible was the efforts of director Cathy Yan and screenwriter Christina Hodson. These two wisely used Robbie's pitch perfect portrayal of Quinn as a springboard to build a deranged world that truly revolved around her. Quinn's gift for creating mayhem at every turn attracts the attention of bad guys (Chris Messina, Ewan McGregor-who gives a master class in overacting as primary villain Black Mask) and an eventual team of partners (Ella Jay Basco, Rosie Perez, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead) that are exactly the kind of fiercely determined, visibly fucking insane people she belongs with. Paring characters that seamlessly complement Quinn with messy situations that routinely end in massive stylized fights breaking out establishes a colorful, anarchic environment that is easy to get sucked into and hard to forget.

Outside of a couple gripes with the specifics of how the Birds of Prey are put on the collision course that brings them together and the underutilization of Winstead-whose hardass crossbow-wielding/motorcycle-ridding assassin Huntress steals almost every scene she's in, Birds of Prey is a hell of a superhero flick that boasts a pretty unique feel that really clicked with me. If James Gunn can bring the same brand of R-rated chaotic fun Yan and Hodson assembled here to next year's The Suicide Squad, this little Harley Quinn-driven corner of the DCU is going to continue to shine.

Grade: A-

Movie Review: Underwater

Sci-fi horror flick Underwater faced a long, bumpy road on its way to theaters. It was shot back in the spring of 2017, but bizarrely remained without a release date until May of last year as 20th Century Fox was in the process of being purchased by Disney. Nearly three years after principal photography commenced, Underwater has finally been freed from the holdover vault and surprise surprise, it's a very solid film that didn't deserve to sit on the shelf for so long.

Like most good creature-driven survival thrillers, Underwater doesn't spend any time dicking around with filler. By the time the 15 minute mark rolls around, an earthquake has hit a drilling rig that's stationed seven miles underwater and the surviving crew members (Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick, John Gallagher Jr., T.J. Miller, Mamondou Athie-who all do an admirable job of conveying the necessary combination of panic and well-timed courage) are forced to flee the wreckage and walk about a mile across the ocean floor with damaged equipment while holding out hope their company's other drilling station still has functional escape pods. This uphill battle to survive becomes even more dangerous when the group discovers that previously undiscovered sea monsters were responsible for the earthquake and might kill them before their insufficient oxygen supply gets the chance to.

Director William Eubank capitalizes on that quick start to make a suspenseful genre piece that never loses its momentum or succumbs to the maddening stupidity that has derailed some of the other recent man vs. unknown alien species movies (Life, The Cloverfield Paradox). Accompanied by an intense score and an eerie atmosphere provided by the lack of light that defines its setting, Eubank makes the bottom of the ocean feel like a vast yet claustrophobic space full of elusive, unimaginable terrors. Having the feeling that danger could potentially arrive at any second during the crew's already treacherous journey allows the jump scares/monster attacks to be very effective while also establishing a level of nuance that isn't overly common in this genre anymore. This relatively subdued approach to dealing with horrors that allude the grasp of mankind is undeniably indebted to sci-fi classics like Alien and The Thing, but the sustained, well-crafted tension that comes from it allows Underwater to emerge as 2020's first unexpected cinematic success story.
               

Grade: B

Movie Review: Bad Boys for Life

At about the midway point of the long-in-development threequel Bad Boys for Life, Detective Lt. Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) turns to his longtime partner/best friend Detective Lt. Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and says"It's time we be good men" before they go question a perp that's involved in a string of connected assassinations in which Lowery was targeted.

Does that elusive transformation from "Bad Boys to "Good Men" happen over the course of this film? Not quite. Bad Boys for Life- which sees Michael Bay pass the directorial torch to the very capable Belgian duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah-features the same combination of fast cars, massive chaotic gunfights and crude humor that this series reveled in during its younger years. However, that doesn't mean there hasn't been any maturation since these characters last graced the screen in 2003. Bad Boys for Life makes a point to emphasize that Burnett and Lowery aren't the invincible warriors they once were. They get overpowered in fights, they reluctantly accept roles on a team headed up by younger cops (Paola Nunez, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton) and they even admit that they're closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. They may not be good men yet, but the bits of perspective they gain on the fragility of life during their latest explosion-filled romp around Miami have them heading down the right path.

Let's be honest though: This is a buddy movie above all else and no amount of thoughtful reflection on the mortality of the 50+ heroes would matter if the central pairing's relationship was no longer convincing. Fortunately, Smith and Lawrence remain a terrific tandem. The energy they bring to their respective characters along with the lovingly smartass dynamic that exists between is every bit as strong now as it was 25 years ago. Sony should be thrilled that Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz decided to exit the original because it's highly unlikely that Bad Boys would've become a sleeper success story that eventually morphed into a franchise without this electric pairing at the top of the marquee.

Now the question turns to whether or not Bad Boys will be back for more after a spectacular opening ($73 mil domestic over the MLK Day weekend) this past weekend. Bad Boys for Life is a fitting final chapter for a series that has remained consistent in quality throughout, but the ending also provides a potentially interesting jumping off point for another chapter if the powers that be decide to keep it going. All I'll ask is if they do decide to make a fourth installment, please let it retain all of the laughs, unapologetic excess and wall-to-wall excitement that has allowed Bad Boys to become a banner buddy action comedy series.          
Grade: B+

Movie Review: Charlie's Angels

Box office detectives have been working overtime all week long to try and get to the bottom of the failure of the Charlie's Angels reboot. So far, a poor marketing campaign from Sony, lack of "bankability" of the lead actors and an unwillingness for audiences to accept female-led action movies have emerged as the top theories as to why the 2019 Angels got their wings clipped. My two center on the matter: it was just another IP that people stopped caring about for whatever reason. Trying to figure out what hit titles from yesteryear can find success once again in the present day will largely remain an uncrackable code-especially for franchises that don't have the luxury of basking in the infallible, money-printing aura of Disney. For every Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Halloween and Ocean's Eight, there's going to be a Men in Black: International, The Mummy and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Since massive hit franchises play such a pivotal role in achieving success in the industry, studios are going to have to continue engaging in this high-risk practice to try and stay afloat in this ultracompetitive era where every financial miscalculation has potentially dire consequences.

As for the actual on-screen product, the only sin Charlie's Angels commits is that nothing really stands out about it. While the solid chemistry between the Angels (Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska) along with the joy writer/director/star Elizabeth Banks displays in putting a modern spin on this iconic franchise allow it to be a pretty breezy ride, that isn't enough to shake the "been there, done that" feeling that lurks in the background of this globe-trotting actioner. The "tech company secretly mines dangerous weapon" plot offers up literally no surprises, the paper thin villains (Sam Claflin, Nat Faxon, third person I can't disclose with providing spoilers) feel more like narrative formalities than actual threats to the protagonists and despite being pretty well-choregraphed, the action sequences are bizarrely small in scale for a mid-budgeted studio movie. General competency in most areas is enough for a genre obsessive like myself to have a good time, but you're going to need to do better than that to please people that don't belong in that camp and no amount of good intentions or enthusiasm for the Charlie's Angels brand can cover up the lack of truly electrifying action spectacle this film has.

Ultimately, it kind of sucks that this revamped Charlie's Angels is going to be laid to rest before it got a chance to hit its stride. With its well-matched leads and a writer/director that was visibly invested in the world she was creating, there was a lot of potential for a nice little franchise to emerge. A lot of its faults could've been corrected by simply adding more elaborate action sequences and getting seasoned comedic performer Banks to add some more humor to the proceedings, but alas the people have spoken and now we're left to wonder what could've been in a less volatile time at the box office.                

Grade: B

Movie Review: Ford v Ferrari

2019 awards season has just received a heavy dose of good ol' fashioned rousing American cinema. Ford v Ferrari is the ultimate underdog story that brings all of the cheers, smiles and warmth that the best films in the genre tend to deliver. Is the adversity-filled, establishment-challenging journey that rebellious "outsiders" Caroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) embark on as they try to bring glory to the long-suffering racing division of the Ford Motor Company that's gotten embarrassed by Ferrari year after year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Grand Prix radically different from the countless other sports biopics out there? Not particularly, but the sheer intensity of the racing sequences, sturdiness of James Mangold's direction and commanding power of its central performances allow it to be a very compelling everyman epic where the eventual triumph of the protagonists feels well-earned. Especially during a portion of the calendar where over-the-top artistic theatrics often take center stage, the simple, effective showmanship of Ford v Ferrari is more than worthy of admiration.         

Grade: B+

Quick Movie Reviews: Parasite, Jojo Rabbit, Dolemite is My Name

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

Movie Review: Zombieland: Double Tap

Patience is a virtue that isn't always easy to follow in a world where a Wi-Fi connection grants you access to an abundance of entertainment options. However, sometimes waiting for years upon years for a new entry in a series that you enjoy provides a highly rewarding payoff that justifies the pain that comes with enduring such a long wait. Zombieland: Double Tap is the latest title to prove the underrated merits of this increasingly prevalent industry practice.

A decade away from this undead wasteland drained not even an ounce of the non-stop goofy fun that made Zombieland stand out from other genre fare. In fact, given how natural and cohesive everything on screen feels, you would think Double Tap was made immediately after the original. The lovable leads (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) all enthusiastically step back into their roles as a smartass makeshift family whose bonds are tested after spending 10 years living in borderline isolation, all of the newcomers (Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch and scene-stealing MVP Zoey Deutch) fit perfectly into this offbeat, meta world and of course, there's a heaping helping of gleefully gory zombie carnage. Having a sequel recapture everything that made the predecessor great without feeling like a forced retread is a beautiful thing that I believe deserves to celebrated just as much as any other triumph in the world of movies.

Plain and simple, Zombieland: Double Tap is a god damn blast that is right on par with the original. It warms my heart that all of the key players (in addition to the aforementioned primary cast, director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick also returned) were so eager to make a sequel happen and their passion-driven efforts are reflected in the quality of the product on screen. Stone reportedly suggested to Fleischer during the latter stages of filming on Double Tap that they try and get the band back together every 10 years. If these hypothetical future sequels ended up being as  irresistibly entertaining as the first two outings, I'd be 100% down to cap off every decade with a trip to Zombieland.   

Grade: A