Review by Dan Skip Allen S3E8: "Chapter 24: The Return"The Mandalorians, led by their newly appointed leader Bo Katan Kryse (Katie Sackoff), are still fighting the returning forces of once presumed dead Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). He is still pursuing the Dark Sabor and ruling over Mandalore. The Mandalorians are fighting tooth and nail for their home planet. And won't let another despot rule. This is what season three has led to all year. This was a thrilling conclusion to season three of The Mandalorian.
Some character stuff involving Grogu and Din Djarin was also thrown in for good measure. After all, the show is named after him, so his and Grogu's character arcs have to be dealt with. With Jon Favreau's writing and Rick Famayua back as director of this final episode of season three, they needed to end the previous story points about the Mandalorians. And they do exactly that. Moving forward, there are some interesting things going on for Mando. They always leave up wanting more. That being said, this final episode had good action scenes again. One involving a crashing and exploding ship was quite breathtaking. The big scene was a fight between two people who wanted to rule the planet and the people. With help from Mando and Grogu, there was a satisfying conclusion to that fight, but there may be a lingering issue going forward with characters who were left out of the finale. They could play a bigger role in season four. Who knows? It was a great season though overall. The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+. Rating: 4.5/5
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GUY RITCHIE'S THE COVENANT -- One of the Most Realistic and Heartfelt War Films in Recent Memory4/18/2023 Review by Dan Skip Allen (L to R) Dar Salim as Ahmed, Jason Wong as Joshua "JJ Jung", Jake Gyllenhaal as Sgt. John Kinley, Christian Ochoa as Eduardo "Chow Chow" Lopez, and Rhys Yates as Tom "Tom Cat" Hancock in THE COVENANT, directed by Guy Ritchie, a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. Credit: Christopher Raphael / Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures© 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved. The definition of a covenant is an agreement or pact. In Guy Richie's The Covenant, that title means the world — especially to Jake Gyllehall's character, Sgt. Michael Kinley. Richie delves into the Gulf War for the first time. His kinetic fast-paced style comes in handy for this war film about an unspoken brotherhood in the military. This is one of the best films I've seen this year, and it's because of that brotherhood that I love this movie so much. Michael Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a Master Sergeant in the Army. He leads an elite group of men who focus on finding IEDs in Afghanistan. While doing a search of vehicles during a routine stop, the team's translator gets killed in a bombing. While back on base, the leader recruits a new interpreter: Ahmed (Dar Salim). He has a little history of being hard to work with, but he and Gyllenhaal's character form an understanding, and they begin to trust each other to great results. I've seen many war films, from WWII to the various wars recently in the Middle East. Guy Richie's style is perfectly used to make a war film like this come to life. The action is fast-paced and kinetic. There were multiple scenes that were heart-pounding. I was on the edge of my seat. Richie brought me into these moments like I was literally there. It was done so realistically that I felt exhausted while watching these scenes. Even though this movie is very intense and graphic, it also has a funny side, mainly because of the way the military guys talk to one another. These men in this elite group have a shorthand that is pretty funny. They also give each other names, which had me chuckling at the beginning of the film. This type of dialogue adds to the authenticity of this story. I'm sure people in the military can corroborate this type of talk. This film has two distinct stories, though. The screenplay was written by Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, and Marn Davies. They split this film into two parts — two halves of a whole. The first half is about American soldiers doing their job in Afghanistan, when a scenario has them fighting for their survival. The other half of the movie is about that unsaid brotherhood between these two men. Each side focuses on one of the two main stars in the film.
Another star of this movie is the subtitles. Although this is an English-language movie, it has many subtitles because of where it takes place. The Middle Eastern languages are presented in subtitles on the screen. Most of the time, quite a bit of information is put on screen using these subtitles — such as character names and or military jargon — but mostly they are used for characters to have conversations. This is one of the most creative uses of subtitles I've seen in a film since Slumdog Millionaire from my perspective. I wasn't expecting much from Guy Ritchie's The Covenant. It was going under the radar for me, but I was sorely mistaken. This is one of the best war films I've seen in years. It has war scenes that are so well choreographed, and the violence and action throughout are nail-biting. I was literally on the edge of my seat during a bunch of these scenes. That said, the real heart of the film is the relationship between these two men. They understand their roles in this war. Once their jobs are done, this story takes it to another level of storytelling. The screenplay is impeccably written by Richie and others. His direction goes to another level, though. It's a pleasant surprise from beginning to end. Guy Ritchie's The Covenant hits theaters on April 21. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Somebody Somewhere was one of the most critically acclaimed shows of last year, quietly picking up enough fans to get it a season two renewal. The show returns with another breezy batch of seven episodes, managing to one-up its already refreshing first season with even more hilarious and heartfelt moments.
This season follows our protagonist Sam (Bridget Everett) as she and her family — both biological and created — go through their lives in rural Kansas, only to find themselves beginning to drift apart. While some of the story beats are a tad on the predictable and dramatic side, the show manages to avoid ever feeling melodramatic. It is worth noting that the humor in this season is a bit cruder than the last, yet it still maintains its mostly wholesome and heartwarming tone throughout. Sure, they’re making scatological jokes or telling each other that they’ll “c-u-next-Tuesday,” but it’s all done in good spirits, and it consistently gets laughs as a result. One welcome development this season is that some of the supporting characters — like Joel (Jeff Hiller) and Fred (Murray Hill) — get more developed individual arcs. Everett’s Sam is still the focus of the show, and she’s still as charmingly flawed as she was before, but it’s nice to see the second season expand the world in this way.
An increased focus on Joel and Fred also allows the series to dive more into its LGBTQIA+ themes. Although the first season was interesting in its depiction of the queer community in the small town American heartland, this season really gets to explore that deeper. And yet, the show also doesn’t feel like it’s forcing these themes, instead showing them in a way that is natural and endearing.
The ensemble is as great as it was before, led by some astounding turns from Everett, Hiller, and Hill. All three are firing on all cylinders comedically and emotionally. Hiller, in particular, is impressive this time around. While he was mostly a wacky sidekick in the first season, he gets to do some much more substantial things here. And while this is a comedy with a relatively straightforward visual style, there is some very strong direction throughout. The season finale, which is directed by Jay Duplass, stands out as particularly tender. The final five minutes of the episode are both heartbreaking and moving thanks to a combination of Duplass’s direction and Everett’s performance. Season 2 of Somebody Somewhere manages to be even better than the first season, which was one of the hidden gems of last year’s new shows. Sure, it’s quaint, but that’s exactly what makes it charming. It’s just nice all-around, and there aren’t a ton of shows like that right now. Somebody Somewhere debuts on HBO on April 23 at 10:30pm ET/PT, with new episodes airing subsequent Sundays. All seven episodes reviewed. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
If there’s one thing that 2023 has lacked so far in terms of cinema, it’s a great studio comedy. Sure, films like 80 for Brady and Cocaine Bear brought the laughs — but neither was an old-school gut-buster with jokes in the double digits per minute. Broken Lizard, the team behind such films as Super Troopers and Club Dread, is here to save the day with Quasi, a hilarious new comedy that provides a wonderful bit of escapism.
The film is a comedic retelling of the Quasimodo story from The Hunchback of Notre Dame — or at least, in a way. In reality, the film shares very little in common with the Victor Hugo novel, simply using some of the characters and the setting as the foundation for an R-rated comedy. The result is about as silly and hilarious as it could have been. When it comes down to it, how much one enjoys this film will largely depend on how much one vibes with Broken Lizard’s sense of humor. It’s filled with the same type of silly, sophomoric, occasionally raunchy humor that made Super Troopers into a legendary cult classic, and it’s certainly possible that this one ends up earning the same status. However, in Broken Lizard’s best films, there’s a layer beyond the crude jokes that makes it work, and that is what was missing from some of their recent outings. Here, the romantic subplot does a lot of heavy lifting to give the film an emotional core, but the film also benefits from having all of the Broken Lizard guys getting to make a movie together again, and the sense of friendship and brotherhood permeating through it.
All five of the Broken Lizard guys are firing on all cylinders with their multi-role performances. Jay Chandrasekhar probably gives what is the funniest performance in the film as the flamboyant king. Sure, he’s just doing a schtick, but it’s perfect for the tone they’re shooting for. Steve Lemme is also very funny and charming as the eponymous hunchback.
One of the more surprising things is that, of the studio comedies in recent memory, this is one of the edgier ones when it comes to satire. Troupe member Erik Stolhanske plays an exaggerated caricature of the Pope, and some of the stuff he does is honestly insane. Once the religious crowd gets their hands on this, they’re going to be up in arms — but the film’s all the better for it. From a purely technical level, Quasi is probably Broken Lizard’s most ambitious film yet given that it’s a period piece. The production design feels very reminiscent of the classic medieval spoofs of masters like Mel Brooks and Monty Python — and Broken Lizard’s sense of humor translates exceptionally well to this style. With Quasi, the Broken Lizard team takes what is arguably their biggest swing yet, and the result is a comedy that is very funny in an old-school way. It’s a much-awaited return-to-form for the comedy troupe, reminding fans why we fell in love with them in the first place. Quasi streams on Hulu beginning April 20. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Taking a classic movie and modernizing it as a series is a challenge because of the substantially longer format. The new Prime Video series Dead Ringers overcomes that obstacle, not just because it is a career-best outing for the phenomenal Rachel Weisz, but also because it is a tense, sensual, and fun thriller the likes of which we have not seen in a while.
The show is a gender-swapped remake of the 1988 David Cronenberg film of the same name, itself based on the novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. It follows two identical twin gynecologists whose unorthodox and precisely-orchestrated life is threatened when one of them falls in love with an actress to the chagrin of the other. Of course, the highlight of this show — and the main reason for it to exist — is the extraordinary dual performance by Weisz. Jeremy Irons’s take on the roles in Cronenberg’s film is pretty iconic, so Weisz had quite the challenge on her plate. She more than delivers, giving two performances that are each extraordinary: one big and sinister, and the other quiet and sly. It’s clear that Weisz is having a blast on this project, and that feeling is absolutely infectious. The show offers some themes, both expected and unexpected. It’s no surprise that the central dilemma in the show revolves around the idea of playing god, a concept which has seemingly been omnipresent in medical horror since the genre’s inception. However, the gender-swapping of the roles allows the show to offer a much more intriguing exploration of femininity and womanhood than its counterpart.
Dead Ringers manages to be one of the sexiest shows on streaming right now. Not only does the series contain an unexpectedly large amount of sex scenes, but it also just radiates confidence in its sexuality. And yet, it also feels like there is a much greater purpose to the show’s sexuality than titillation. Especially in the back half of the series, the characters and show use the idea of sexuality to provoke thought in fascinating ways.
The show is also extremely suspenseful, with the last two episodes in particular being especially unsettling. Although the show isn’t exactly body horror, there are some portions that are likely to be too much for those who are squeamish, including some graphic and bloody scenes of surgical procedures. Still, the effects for these more violent/gory moments are undeniably impressive in a way that is sure to be unsettling even for those with a tougher stomach. As a whole, the series is quite strong on a visual level, with a sleek style and poppy soundtrack that give the whole affair a feeling of energy and fun that is quite effective. Dead Ringers is one of the few remakes that manages to actually work because it takes the concept and does something fresh and original with it. Throw in a performance by Rachel Weisz that is truly an all-timer, and you have another win for streaming in the first months of 2023. Dead Ringers streams on Prime Video beginning April 21. All six episodes reviewed. Rating: 5/5
Review by Allison Brown, Josh at the Movies
Other People’s Children has had a healthy festival run, including stops at Venice, TIFF, and Sundance, and it does not disappoint on that hype. Writer/director Rebecca Zlotowski lays out an honest and deeply feminine story exploring the nature of stepparenting, the biological clock and fertility struggles, complicated relationships, and loneliness.
Rachel Friedmann (Virginie Efira) is a high school teacher genuinely interested in the success of her students. She takes guitar lessons after work with car designer Ali (Roschdy Zem), and love blossoms rapidly. Soon after their first night out, they are rolling around in bed. Despite a female director, I think there is a bit of gratuitous nudity. This is the case for many of Efira’s projects, so perhaps it is a matter of personal preference. Ali has a complicated history and a four-year-old child, Leïla (Callie Ferreira-Goncalves). His ex-wife, Alice (Chiara Mastroianni), wanted a second child, but Ali was not interested. Distraught, Alice cheated on Ali, and he found out, so she fell into the arms of her first love, Christophe. They are still on good terms for the sake of their child, but Rachel is forced to form some sort of a relationship with Alice as well to be in Ali and Leïla’s life. Leïla quickly grows sick of Rachel following their introduction and questions why she is always around. After all, Ali loves her mother, not this strange woman. Rachel is understandably hurt as she begins to fall in love with the child as well.
After a doctor’s visit, Rachel is told she has few follicles left and must genuinely consider getting pregnant as quickly as possible lest she lose the opportunity to be a mother. The comedy is expertly paired with deep emotionality. Amid this urgent struggle, the doctor who gives her the advice looks like he is knocking on death’s door and even makes the joke himself. Rachel believes she has finally found her soulmate in Ali and begins to see him as a potential father. After her relationship with Leïla begins to flourish, Rachel realizes she genuinely wishes to be a mother and subsequently sets the path of the film.
As a member of the tribe, I was pleased to see how effortlessly and accurately Judaism is woven into the film. Rachel, her father, and her sister attend Rosh Hashana services and are worried they might miss the blowing of the shofar and place stones on their late mother’s grave. A peak comedic moment is a stop at a gravestone on the way home that simply reads “Pussy.” With 2021’s Benedetta and TIFF’s Paris Memories, Virginie Efira has proved herself a force to be reckoned with and has cemented her place as one of my favorite foreign actresses. As in prior work, Efira produces a tender and poignant performance in Other People’s Children that dares the viewer to restrain tears. Although a wonderful film, it does have some faults. Zlotowski’s editing style is somewhat dated, with her choice to overuse iris shots. The pace sometimes feels hurried as it moves from one stage of her relationship to the next, but it eventually equalizes at the midway point. I hoped Rachel would be provided a happy ending, but the denouement is bittersweet. Instead, she is left with an inspirational message, but still unfortunately incomplete. Other People's Children opens in theaters on April 21. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Adam Donato From the director of the 2015 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year comes To Catch a Killer. Damian Szifron has been quiet for the best decade outside of a television special, Stories that may Happen. Wild Tales was an Argentinian film, but To Catch a Killer is an American film through-and-through. Shailene Woodley plays a rundown police officer who teams up with Ben Mendelsohn’s FBI chief investigator to catch a crazy criminal. This crime thriller has talent in front of and behind the camera, but is it good enough to garner people’s attention? Almost a decade after tweenybopper movies like The Fault in our Stars and Divergent, Woodley has made more artistic acting choices. She saw the most success by getting nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role in Big Little Lies. Her performance in To Catch a Killer is more mature and refreshing compared to everything we’ve seen from her previously on the big screen. She’s been jerked around and now she’s not going to take shit from anybody. When the story gives her big opportunities, Woodley takes advantage and carries the movie. Hopefully this can become a trend in her career as she’s definitely got what it takes to be a leading lady. Mendelsohn has a catalog of solid dramatic performances and this movie is a fitting addition. He’s usually the villain in his more blockbuster fare thanks to his standout performance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. There’s still that intestinal in this performance as his character and Woodley’s struggle to work together. While Woodley’s dramatic flash raises the ceiling for this dramatic thriller, Mendelsohn maintains a high floor as his fans know he’s going to bring it no matter what. While he may not be straight as an arrow here, it’s nice to see him playing for the good guys in this one.
This story is filled with violence and doesn’t shy away from the reality of it. There’s intrigue throughout until it reaches its satisfying conclusion. Ralph Ineson, of The Witch fame, plays the terrorist on the loose and shines when given the opportunity. Gritty and full of stakes, this crime thriller is sure to have fans of the genre glued till the end. Szifron deserves ample credit for directing two unlikely costars and gets the most out of them. To Catch A Killer justifies its two hour run time and is worthy of being checked out, whether that be on demand, streaming, or even a theatrical release. In the wake of the recent onslaught of franchise sequels, it’s refreshing to see an original movie like this. To Catch a Killer hits theaters on April 21. Rating: 3/5 Review by Adam Donato While Katie Holmes is certainly not the movie star she used to be, her directing career seems to be her central focus. Her acting is still alive and well, nonetheless, as she usually stars in her directorial features such as Alone Together and All We Had. Her latest effort — Rare Objects — is an adaptation of a novel by Kathleen Tessaro. The story follows a young woman who moves back in with her mother as she attempts to rebuild her life. On this journey, she makes friends with Katie Holmes’s character who is also fighting her own battles. Is this flick good enough to convince IFC to give this feature a theatrical run? Julia Mayorga leads this movie as Benita. Her character is put through the wringer, but still finds a way to keep moving forward. Her performance certainly holds up the film, along with a supporting role from Alan Cummings. The two share what is probably the best scene in the movie, where Cummings really gets to shine. Somehow Katie Holmes is the worst actress in her own movie. Her portrayal was reminiscent of the meme where the woman has a bag on her head with the caption “omg she’s so random lol.” This may be intentional as her character is a recovering drug addict, but it came across as annoying more often than not. Derek Luke also appears in a brief and insignificant role. This is a movie for adults, which is clear from the uber-uncomfortable rape scene at the beginning of the movie, so it’s frustrating when the characters continuously come right out and state the theme of the movie. Sometimes things are more beautiful after they’re broken and it’s about the growth on the journey that makes the destination so sweet. This is a standard theme in movies like this and has a hard time having any real impact when it’s telegraphed as such. There’s nothing new or above average going on here. At just over two hours, the runtime really weighs on the viewing experience. Maybe the source material was equally as standard, but there’s nothing to go out of your way for with this movie.
Rare Objects is anything but rare. The movie gets its point across with as little subtlety as possible and Holmes’s performance follows suit. Maybe with Holmes’s name all over it, this flick will catch the eye of her fans. If this review is too harsh on Holmes, just remember she’s one of the stars of Jack and Jill. Skip this one. Rare Objects is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 2/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Animation aimed at adult audiences is reaching its prime these days, with stories becoming more intelligent and art styles becoming increasingly sophisticated. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is impressively animated, but it is held back by some frustrating choices with regards to the film’s spectacle and casting.
The movie follows a group of people and a giant talking frog who work together to prevent disaster after a natural disaster strikes Tokyo. Of course, given that the film is inspired by the work of Japanese author Haruki Murakami, there is another layer to this beyond the surface, as this adventure causes the characters to come to realizations about themselves and life. The fact that this movie is based upon a collection of short stories means that it naturally has a somewhat episodic structure, but Földes manages to make everything feel nicely interconnected and kaleidoscopic. Although the pacing is hardly fast, Földes does a great job of creating a cinematic experience that is immersive and transfixing. What is really missing from this adaptation is an understanding of Murakami’s intricate character work. Although it is understandably difficult to balance multiple characters in a film with interconnected storylines like this, the issue here is more with Földes’s inability to grasp scale. Murakami’s work is defined by its intimacy and humanity, and while there are glimpses of that here, other parts feel frustratingly distant.
Indeed, the biggest issue with the movie is that it often feels more like a spectacle than a character study. The film is at its best when it slows down and lets the characters just talk — as this is when many of the more poignant and insightful moments come. When the movie is about talking frogs and fighting monsters, it falls somewhat flat.
That being said, there is no denying the impressive technicality of the film’s animation. Földes animated the movie with the assistance of live-action reference performance, and the result is character work that feels absolutely full of life. The visuals as a whole are also excellent, with a very trippy, immersive palette. Unfortunately, the decision to release the film in English is just frustrating. To an extent, it is understandable given that the collection on which the movie is based was initially published in English, but in the visual medium of film, the decision to have these Asian characters voiced by a predominantly non-Asian cast is… a choice. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is certainly impressive from a purely technical angle, but it leaves something to be desired on a narrative level. Although there is plenty good enough here to recommend it, there was a lot of potential here for it to be something more. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman opens in theaters on April 14. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
It’s always exciting when a filmmaker’s profile grows so substantially that their early works are rediscovered and given a larger platform than they ever had. Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi became internationally recognized with his Academy Award-winning masterpiece Drive My Car, and his graduation project, Passion, is now receiving a release for the first time ever in the United States.
The film follows a group of friends who experience unexpected tensions when a couple among them announces their engagement. As is the case with pretty much every graduation project known to man, Passion is certainly flawed. However, the interesting thing about these early features — especially when watching them after the filmmaker is already established — is seeing how they reflect the foundations of the filmmaker’s evolving stylistic and narrative tendencies. The part of Hamaguchi’s calling card that is most evident here is his use of flawed characters. Of course, as this is his first feature, he’s still struggling a bit to find the balance between humanistic and empathetic with their flawed and unlikable qualities. There are definitely some moments here where frustration wins out and the audience becomes disconnected with the characters. Hamaguchi’s patient pacing is also very much on display in Passion. While the movie is hardly as long as some of his other work, it does move at a similarly slow pace. It’s a lot of conversation, and especially impressive considering the plot is the fact that he manages to avoid falling into the pit of melodrama.
The film offers some poignant observations, but the dialogue feels much more direct than a lot of what he would do later in his career. It’s understandable that the movie wouldn’t be particularly subtle given that Hamaguchi is still working out some kinks, but what he has to say here isn’t quite interesting enough to justify the slightly bloated narrative.
Passion is hardly as visually interesting as some of Hamaguchi’s later work, but this can be forgiven for two main reasons: it was made on a smaller budget, and in 2008, with less developed camera technology at his disposal. And some of the framing — one long take in particular — is intriguing, showing the seeds of his later visual styling. One thing about Passion that is unquestionably fantastic is its performances. The entire central group is quite good, but the main trio — Aoba Kawai, Ryuta Okamato, and Fusako Urabe — particularly shine. (Fans of Hamaguchi’s work will recognize Kawai and Urabe as the stars of one of the segments of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy.) Passion isn’t broadly must-see filmmaking like Hamaguchi’s later work, but it’s worth watching for those who are fans of the auteur. If nothing else, it offers a fascinating glimpse into how he has grown in the past decade and a half. Passion hits theaters on April 14. Rating: 3/5 |
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