Review by Tatiana Miranda Within the past two months, there has been an abundance of fictionalized true crime-related miniseries released, such as Pam & Tommy, Joe Vs. Carole, WeCrashed, Inventing Anna, and The Dropout. Of those recent titles, two are from Hulu, which follows the success of their 2019 true crime-based drama The Act, which is about the life and actions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Hulu's newest fictionalized miniseries, The Girl from Plainville, recounts the death of Conrad "Coco" Roy and the indictment of his girlfriend, Michelle Carter. In 2014, Roy died due to suicide-by-manipulation from Michelle Carter, who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served 11 months. Similar to how Gypsy Rose Blanchard's actions were portrayed in The Act, The Girl from Plainville attempts to show the case in a not necessarily black and white way. Based on the Esquire article of the same name and the 2019 documentary I Love You, Now Die, the show goes beyond the court case and attempts to give an understanding of what led to Carter's actions. In a Good Morning America interview, Elle Fanning, who plays Michelle Carter, stated that the media portrayed the case in a "one-dimensional way" that didn't showcase all the nuances involved. Through interpretations of text messages between Carter and Roy and imagined scenes shown from Carter's point of view, the series gets this point across. Although The Girl from Plainville achieves its goal of portraying the case with nuance, it also takes an abundance of creative liberties that aren't based on even a bit of factuality. For instance, there are regularly moments in the show that showcase Carter's imagination, such as a musical scene between her and Roy singing "I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" in the style of her favorite Glee characters, Finn and Rachel. Moments like this are an attempt to show how Carter might've viewed their relationship. Still, since it's not based on anything, it's likely added for entertainment value and instead turns what should be a dark and eye-opening story into something pulled out of Riverdale. Beyond the surreal moments like this, the series as a whole has flaws in its way of storytelling. The series jumps back and forth from Carter and Roy's interactions to the consequences of his death, such as Carter's court trial. While the series takes a unique creative direction in showing texts between the two as face-to-face conversations, it doesn't make up for the lack of creativity everywhere else. In Yhara zayd's YouTube video, "hi, not everything needs to be a fictionalized miniseries, kthxbye", she points out that with series like The Girl from Plainville, sometimes the stories realistically are not interesting enough to be fictionalized. This is especially true with The Girl from Plainville since it's based on a profile article and documentary, which both portray the case in the same way as the show.
While fictionalized miniseries can provide a unique insight into certain cases, the abundance that has come out recently seems to be regurgitating the same information portrayed in other forms. Even though the cast of The Girl from Plainville gives their all, the series lacks any interesting perspective that differs from its source material. The Girl from Plainville streams on Hulu beginning March 29, with new episodes streaming subsequent Tuesdays. All eight episodes reviewed. Rating: 2/5
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Review by Camden Ferrell Mothering Sunday is a new romantic drama film that is based on Graham Swift’s 2016 novel of the same name. It had its premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and played numerous festivals afterward like the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie is helmed by director Eva Husson with a script from Lady Macbeth writer Alice Birch. The movie may not have the most depth, but it succeeds due to its incredibly erotic nature and the chemistry of its two leads. Jane is a maid for a wealthy British family in 1924. On Mothering Sunday, she receives the day off and goes to visit her forbidden lover Paul, the son of a rich family who is engaged to be married within his social circle. Jane’s life is shaped by a single afternoon of passionate carnal love with Paul, and we see the effect this relationship has on her over time. This is a simple and beautiful premise that gives the story the opportunity to focus on its characters and their feelings in lieu of a more eventful plot. Birch’s script isn’t nearly as engaging or insightful as her prior efforts, but it lays a decent enough foundation for the actors to build on. The erotic nature of the film is able to grow thanks to how the story was structured and the characters were written. It does have a few scenes that disrupt the overall flow of the story, and this can make the final product underwhelming. The strongest aspect of this movie is its performances. Big actors like Colin Firth and Olivia Colman play very small roles, and the rest of the supporting cast isn’t very prominent, so the burden of carrying the movie falls on its two leads. Odessa Young plays Jane, and Josh O’Connor plays Paul. Both actors are talented in their own rights, and they are quite great in this movie. This film lives and dies by the chemistry of its leads, and they have great chemistry. Their physical and emotional connection are strong throughout, and they handle the erotic scenes with gracefulness and tenderness. Without them, it's possible this movie could have failed to capture audiences like intended.
Husson’s direction is a little all over the place with this movie. She definitely excels in the movie’s moments of physical passion as those scenes are executed exquisitely. However, the in-between moments sometime lack the artistry and pacing of her other scenes, and this can make the film come off as stilted in execution. Regardless, the movie is shot adequately, and the music is romantic and subtle. There are some overarching problems with the movie, but it still mostly succeeds in telling a passionate and titillating story of forbidden love and how it affected her life over time. Mothering Sunday is certainly a movie for adults only and rightfully so. It Is content to be unambitious in its narrative, so it can instead focus on the raw passion of its characters. Its erotic nature is paramount to its success, and it works very well thanks to how it is tenderly executed by its director and her actors. It may be a bit too slow in places, but it’s a sweet and romantic film that ultimately succeeds in its intent. Mothering Sunday is in theaters March 25. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Adam Donato To quote Charlie Day in Horrible Bosses 2, “Fuck you, I love Sandra Bullock!” Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock plays Sandra Bullock in what appears to be an original popcorn flick. At least it’s not a franchise, sequel, reboot, adaptation of something else. Instead it’s a classic movie star romantic comedy adventure. Channing Tatum plays Channing Tatum who’s having quite the year with this and Dog. Does Brad Pitt add enough legitimacy to make this “original blockbuster” successful? There’s three movies that exemplify the quality of The Lost City. Marry Me came out on Valentine’s Day earlier this year. It looked equally as cheesy and stupid as The Lost City. They don’t like each other, but they’re forced together and they just might find love along the way. Not to mention the age gap. While Owen Wilson and Jennifer Lopez are an awkward match despite almost being the same age, she was engaged to a man when she could very realistically be the same age as his mother. Similarly, when Bullock was getting her drivers license, Channing Tatum was born. The joke in the movie that Brad Pitt makes more sense for her as a romantic option really brings to light that Tatum and Bullock are an awkward match. They both play the same character they do in every movie. She’s a down-on-her-luck woman just trying to get by. He’s a goofy hunk who is trying his best. They’re independently enjoyable in the movie, but their romance is barely believable despite the movie’s efforts. Last summer saw the release of Jungle Cruise. A determined woman has to venture through the jungle to solve an ancient mystery, but she has to put up with mister funny muscles until they fall in love. For an original blockbuster, it kinda feels like a movie that already feels like a bunch of movies. Jungle Cruise is just the most recent comparison. This whole movie is cliche. The only character that feels fresh is played by Brad Pitt. Everything with his storyline is done perfectly. Daniel Radcliffe does a solid impression of Jesse Eisenberg in Batman v Superman. There’s enough personality here that the run-of-the-mill plot is tolerable. The edge that The Lost City has over Jungle Cruise is that it’s less cynical. Although it’s generic, it’s not trying to ride off the coattails of franchise recognition.
Sometimes in movies, the characters watch a blockbuster movie, not unlike the beginning of Tropic Thunder. Recent Netflix “blockbuster” Red Notice embodies this feeling perfectly. It feels like a parody movie. The stars just play themselves, the jokes are cringe (“Ummmmm, I have a rule against dark and scary caves.”), and the plot couldn’t be less interesting. All of this applies to The Lost City. Most of the time with movies like this, it comes down to how much chemistry the two main stars have. It’s already established they look off. That would be less of a problem if the treasure hunt adventure was interesting in the slightest. Still, it’s a fake movie that was designed in a lab. This is nobody’s passion project. It’s a basic movie that solely gets by with a collection of likable stars. Movies like The Lost City are designed to be as vanilla and inoffensive as possible. What helps it feel fresh is that it’s a love letter to schlock. It’s hard to dislike something that moderately accomplishes the low goals it sets out for itself. The casual movie fan will think this movie is a riot and they’re not wrong. It's a perfect date movie. The Brad Pitt parts make it worth a single watch. The Lost City hits theaters on March 25. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Julia Child is one of the most well-known television chefs there is, and so it’s no wonder that there have been several projects made chronicling her life. The new series Julia is pretty standard biopic material, but it is so convincingly performed and charmingly written that it is hard not to love.
Interestingly enough, the series picks up at a place where Child is already successful from her cookbook, but is not yet a global sensation because she has not yet made The French Chef. This series follows the production of the first season of her iconic cooking show, and blends behind-the-scenes showbiz drama with the social angle of things. The storytelling here is definitely very condensed. The writers manage to capture the making of an entire season of the cooking show in a mere eight episodes, but in doing so, they effectively capture the hectic feeling that defined this production. Add in all of the subplots, and it’s an altogether riveting series. There are some interesting themes discussed in the series, but more often than not, these feel like an afterthought. There is one arc that does a fabulous job of exploring the role of feminism in a story like Child’s, but other subplots are entirely underdeveloped, like one following the Black producer on The French Chef.
Child is obviously a very likable figure, and many people have said that she is as approachable off the screen as she is on screen, but that doesn’t always translate into a compelling character arc. She’s almost too perfect in how she’s presented, and while this was always going to be a bit fluffy, it’s a tad overboard.
Sarah Lancanshire gives a very good performance in the leading role. Unlike previous takes on the iconic chef, it’s much more nuanced, with many layers of emotion within it. There’s also a fabulous supporting cast, including Fran Kranz, Brittany Bradford, and David Hyde Pierce, all of whom play people who supported her along her journey. The series does a great job of emulating this era of television. Although the carbon-copy recreations of The French Chef are minimal, the show does a great job of showing the pieces that went into creating the look. It’s strongly crafted all around, even if it isn’t particularly flashy with what it does. Julia is the type of prestige project that will absolutely be eaten up by older audiences. It’s a cute little show, and while it may not quite do justice to its potentially weighty themes, it’s a pretty delightful watch. Julia debuts on HBO Max on March 31, with new episodes streaming subsequent Thursdays. All eight episodes reviewed. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen Films exploring mental illness can be difficult to watch because of the trauma it could cause to those watching. It's hard to see people dealing with this kind of thing in films. People deal with these aspects of life in real life, so seeing them on the big screen or streaming isn't the best. The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins, and What They Had, starring Robert Forster and Blythe Danner, are two recent films dealing with mental illness. These are two excellent examples of how mental illness is depicted on film. You Are Not My Mother takes an entirely different approach to the topic. Char (Hazel Doupe) is a teenager who lives with her mother Angela (Carolyn Bracken), her grandmother Rita (Ingrid Craigie), and her brother Aaron (Paul Reid) in Dublin, Ireland. When her mother leaves the car in a park and goes missing, she worries about her mental state. She also has to deal with problems at school most teenagers deal with, like peer pressure and bullying. Director Kate Dolan relies on a couple of different things to make the film have a very suspenseful, horrific nature. One of them is the creepy music by Die Hexen. The score is very atmospheric and moody. It helps create a feeling of dread that the film used to perfection. Also, little things like vomiting a tooth or weird dancing help with the film's creepiness. This film goes down a dark path that it may not be able to come back from. The acting in the film is very good, but also very off at times. The Bracken character is very off-putting. Doupe and her school counterparts are all fine in helping to create an atmosphere of horror throughout the film. The reactions of the girls and the mother are what drive the horror aspects. Giving good performances helps create a better experience for the audience watching.
In addition to the film's mental illness and school bullying aspects, it also has elements involving family and how various characters deal with their family members. How these things can fit into the film is key. They can't be shoehorned in, or they won't make sense in the context of what Dolan is going for. She tries to do too much in this regard. All these character subplots are too much for the film to handle. Horror films dealing with mental illness and or bullying can work in the proper context. It takes the right mood, which this film tries to create via the music and creepy performances from Bracken specifically. Doupe and the others work within this dynamic Dolan creates. They are very engaging in their performances. I was interested to see how this story progressed, but the end product was a bit too underdeveloped for me. The moody atmosphere worked for the most part, though. A few too many subplots took away from the main focus, but it worked pretty well regardless. You Are Not My Mother hits VOD on March 25. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Naomi Watts has somehow gotten typecast as the go-to actress for movies about a woman triumphing over odds that are extraordinarily stacked against her, and at this point, it’s even starting to get a bit old. Her latest entry into that canon, Infinite Storm, is an attempt to humanize the survival film genre, an odd decision given that the genre is already tied to basic human empathy.
The movie follows a climber who gets stuck in a blizzard, discovering a stranded stranger and embarking on a race against the clock to get themselves off the mountain before nightfall. It’s another based-on-a-true-story survival thriller that is made with the intention of inspiring the audience about the strength of the human will. Yet the daring mountain escape that these climbers are embarking on is not all that exciting to watch. Although the stakes here are literally life-and-death, the film does not do a good job of convincing the audience of that. It’s not as cinematic as the filmmakers seem to think it is to watch two people struggling to trudge through the snow and falling down every once in a while. Then, in the last thirty minutes, the movie turns into something very different. It’s arguably more interesting, because it has some fascinating questions to ask about guilt and PTSD. Had this been the entire film, it could have been quite compelling, but given that it’s only about a third of the runtime, it’s not able to go into much depth.
The character development in the movie is also lacking. It’s a hard line to tread, because to be believable, there can’t be much dialogue, but the lack of dialogue also forces the film to develop its characters in a different way. Yet it’s as if writer Joshua Rollins didn’t even bother writing the characters, haphazardly throwing together a bunch of cliches.
Watts cranks out pretty much the exact same performance that she has given in her last dozen movies, and while it’s not a bad turn, it feels phoned in. The only other actor with a substantial role in the film is Billy Howle, although he isn’t given much to do but sit there. For better or worse, it’s Watts’s show, but not even the Oscar-nominated actress could save this. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the movie is that it doesn’t even look that good. For films like this, the execution should at least be interesting, but the settings here look overwhelmingly generic. And the movie frequently goes all-in on the blizzard element, meaning it is just hard to see a lot of things, and it’s distracting. Infinite Storm isn’t unwatchable, but it’s so generic that it probably isn’t worth your time. It’s another in the recent line of mediocre Naomi Watts starring vehicles, just one that is capitalizing on the revitalization of cinema to get increased play. Infinite Storm hits theaters on March 25. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Julie Cohen and Betsy West are a directorial duo behind a string of recent documentaries about pioneering women, and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is the latest subject whose story they are tackling. Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down is as inspiring of a film as one would expect, even if it does fall back on some conventions.
The film tells the story of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and how she has rehabilitated after the assassination attempt that was made on her and left her partially paralyzed and with a speech impediment. Although the assassination attempt happened ten years ago, it was such a terrifying news event that it still feels like yesterday. Cohen and West’s approach here is very hopeful, and that’s a big part of what makes it work so well. Although the film does talk about the assassination attempt, and explore the political implications that it has, the focus here is more on how she persevered and triumphed against the odds to successfully rehabilitate herself. Granted, there are some moments that feel a bit cheap. It’s clear that the film is meant to get an emotional response out of the audience, and for the most part, it succeeds. Regardless of your political leanings, it would be hard not to be moved by this story of dedication and perseverance in the face of adversity. The film does a great job of connecting the audience with the subject through a variety of means. Giffords’s relationship with her husband and the rest of her family is an integral part of the documentary because it is so fundamental to her identity. It’s really sweet and compelling and gives the film the personal touch it needs. Like Cohen and West’s other documentaries (at least the ones about living subjects), the access that they get to Giffords is extraordinary. But the other thing that is going to make this film stand out are the other interviews that it was able to assemble. The film even features an appearance from President Barack Obama, which is no small feat. It’s a very polished documentary, with a combination of fly-on-the-wall footage and interviews telling its story. These highly-produced and conventional but powerful documentaries often end up being crowd-pleasers, and audiences are just going to eat this up because of how agreeable it is. Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down is a documentary that is hard not to love. Although it is definitely made to a formula with a specific audience in mind, there’s a reason that this formula has led to so much success. Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down screened at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which ran March 11-19. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The SXSW Film Festival often showcases some of the most bizarre and quirky films that will play in the festival circuit all year, even outside of the Midnighters sidebar, and Spin Me Round will satisfy that itch. Jeff Baena’s movie thrives in its weirdness, with a wicked sense of humor along with an interesting, if occasionally shallow exploration of its themes.
The film follows the manager of a chain Italian restaurant who is selected to attend her company’s retreat in Florence, where she gets the opportunity to meet the charismatic owner of the company, sending her on an unexpected adventure. It manages to be both inconsequential and extremely twisty at the same time, and the result is very entertaining. It’s clear that the movie is meant to say something about sexual harrassment and discrimination in the workplace, but the film’s plot is so goofy that it is hard to take its very important message seriously. And the ending definitely sends some mixed signals that could be misconstrued by some viewers as inappropriate or even malicious. Another issue with the movie is that it seems to stretch on for a bit too long. There are several points in the film which could have served as the ending, and yet it keeps adding on twist after twist. And while the unexpected changes in direction that the movie takes are undeniably entertaining, it can be a bit much. The thing that works so well about this film is its eclectic characters. The protagonist is compelling enough, but it is the supporting players that make the movie shine. It very much has the vibe of a bunch of famous people getting together to do whatever the hell they want, but it works because of how talented the cast is. Alessandro Nivola is the standout in the cast, giving a devilishly charming performance in his role. It’s like the antithesis of his turns in The Art of Self-Defense, proving that he is about as versatile of an actor as they come. Other hilarious parts belong to Zach Woods, Tim Heidecker, and Fred Armisen. Films like this often feel like little more than an excuse for their cast and crew to take a trip to an idyllic country and get paid for doing it, but that doesn’t feel to be the case here. It’s not some flashy travelogue that uses its gorgeous scenery as a crutch, it’s a genuinely witty and well-timed comedy. Spin Me Round is not going to be for everyone, much like the rest of Jeff Baena’s work, but it’s the type of wild comedy destined for cult status. The star-studded cast of fan-favorite comedians will get this a fair share of fans. Spin Me Round screened at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which ran March 11-19. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda Two years after the premiere of the Netflix original series Bridgerton comes the second season. Following the first season's popularity, the new season takes a twist from what fans have become familiar with and sets a precedent for what the rest of the series may look like. Based on the second novel of the Bridgerton book series by Julia Quinn, season two follows the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Anthony, as he attempts to find a wife during the courting season. While a majority of the cast from the first season reprise their well-loved roles, several characters, such as Rege-Jean Page's Simon Basset and Sabrina Bartlett's Sienna Rosso, are only mentioned in passing. The star of the first season, Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton, appears in a portion of some of the episodes, but it is clear that she is no longer the focus of the show. Season two features several new characters, such as Kate and Edwina Sharma, who both play love interests to Anthony. For fans of the book series, while the show does stay true to many plot points, it does utilize moments from other books or creates new, original scenarios to benefit specific plot points, such as the case with the development with Lady Whistledown's story. Compared to the first season, the second one features significantly fewer sex scenes but still has a fascinating love story that the series is known for. Beyond the romance plots and steamy scenes, the underlying mystery of Lady Whistledown and her motives persist in this season, even after the revelation of her identity. Now that Whistledown's true identity is known, we see her as she makes enemies and allies. While the secondary plot regarding Lady Whistledown can be intriguing at times, the reveal from the first season no longer makes it as interesting and often hinders the series and overshadows key moments in the show. Because of this, it becomes even more apparent in this season that romance is what the series is best at, not mystery or betrayal.
Among the many balls and events, the most memorable scenes this season are when most of the Bridgerton family are together. For instance, the third episode showcases a game of pall-mall between the Bridgertons and the Sharmas. The episode is full of cute moments that also aid character and relationship development. Compared to the first season, this one relies on the relationships between all of the Bridgertons even more, and it gives backstory to what life was like for them growing up. Along with Anthony's romantic storyline progression, the audience also gets a peek at other members of the Bridgerton family as they find romance and develop in their passions, setting the plot for future seasons. If the series continues in its path following the book series, fans of the show will likely get a third season about Benedict's love life next. While the new season showcases several convoluted secondary plot points and drastic character changes between seasons, its fascinating romance storyline distracts from any minute flaws the series may have. Bridgerton season 2 streams on Netflix March 25th. All eight episodes reviewed. Rating: 5/5 [SXSW 2022] APOLLO 10 ½: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD -- A Nostalgic, Fanciful Coming-of-Age Movie3/18/2022
Review by Sean Boelman
The films of Richard Linklater typically feel like they exist in some sort of alternate reality that is more fanciful, yet they still wonderfully capture what it means to be human. Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood is arguably his most quixotic yet, but it’s undeniably charming despite its overwhelming nostalgia at times.
This is a coming-of-age story set in Houston in 1969 against the backdrop of the Space Race, in which a kid is selected for a special secret space mission to test the moon landing module before the iconic Apollo 11 voyage. It’s a cute work of historical fiction, although it is the more common coming-of-age portion that resonates more than the fictitious moon mission. The narrative structure that the movie has is a bit inconsistent, but there is certainly a level of charm to it. Most of the film is told through a narration, voiced by Jack Black in a very funny if somewhat out-of-place performance, that accompanies the events of the movie. And at times, the narration becomes obnoxious, like several lists name-dropping a bunch of names in clear nostalgia bait. How Linklater weaves in the socioeconomic context of the time is really fascinating. Obviously, there are some missed opportunities here — the Civil Rights movement ended a year before the film was set, and yet it doesn’t really explore the idea of this post-Civil Rights American society — but as a portrait of the issues facing white suburbia at the time, it’s interesting.
That said, it is easy to get endeared to this middle-class family, if only because of the universality with which Linklater writes his movie. Obviously, this world of NASA scientists is highly specific, but Linklater taps into that feeling that we all had as a kid of wanting to explore the unknown, and this is what makes the film stand out.
Interestingly enough, Linklater goes with a much smaller cast here than he did in his previous animated project, A Scanner Darkly. In addition to Black’s narration, there are performances from Zachary Levi and Glen Powell. Those are the only A-listers in the movie, but Black does a significant majority of the heavy lifting here, for better or worse. He overshadows Milo Coy, who’s actually really good in his performance as the younger protagonist when he is actually given the room to do his thing. The animation style here is absolutely gorgeous, much the same as A Scanner Darkly and Waking Life. The contrast of the detailed, realistic characters against the almost impressionistic backgrounds is pretty wonderful. And though one could expect no less from Linklater, the soundtrack is full of absolute jams. Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood is full of references and homages, and it’s a bit cutesy, but it’s hard not to have your heart warmed by its childhood optimism. It’s the type of good, wholesome family content that will light up your day. Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood is screening at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 11-19. Rating: 4/5 |
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