Review by Paris Jade Windfall tells the story of a couple that comes home in the middle of a robbery. In the beginning, the robber (Jason Segel) is caught in the middle of robbing a wealthy couple's vacation home. He decides to take them hostage in request of money, and so the movie follows them waiting on the cash to arrive at the house. What is interesting about this film is that you do not get a single name out of any of these people. The husband (Jesse Plemons) seems to be a very famous CEO, but his name is never said. He never says his wife's (Lily Collins) name, and of course, the robber never shares any details on himself. This is definitely an entertaining film. You watch as this regular man tries to finesse his way into robbing this couple. Immediately you can tell he has no clue what he's doing. He doesn't seem to be evil, so why did he decide to rob them? You can quickly tell how frightened he is, and he ends up being friendly towards the wife, having an entire conversation about her life with her husband. You are hooked almost immediately to the plot when starting this film. Watching the dynamic of the three characters is incredibly entertaining. You honestly don't know what will happen next, and much happens throughout the film. Because this robber has no clue what he is doing, the interactions between him and the couple are almost comical. The couple begins to bicker and show how terrible their relationship is. Meanwhile, the robber is trying to figure out what to do with himself and get out of his situation. As the film continues, the husband basically helps him rob him, like raising the amount of money they should give him.
There are certain moments where the husband is extremely annoying, and you feel pretty bad for the wife. You also root for her to escape and for the robber to get away. However, you are easily entertained from start to finish, even though the pacing is just a tiny bit slow. Although, the ending makes up for it all. There are twists and turns, and when you think you're reaching the end, something else occurs, and suddenly you don't know what will happen. The cinematography and score are great and make you feel the tension in the room as they wait for the money to arrive. If you are looking for a comical thriller, this is the film for you. Windfall is now streaming on Netflix. Rating: 3.5/5
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Review by Dan Skip Allen Black Crab is a film with a story and subject matter that is all too familiar to the world right now, specifically Eastern Bloc countries. Even though this film is fictional, it is very real for part of the world, namely Ukraine. They are going through unimaginable pain and suffering right now. A movie can't encapsulate what those people are going through, but it can try. The beginning of Saving Private Ryan came as close to resembling D-Day as any film before or since. That's an example of a movie that did a great job creating a war-like situation as any I've ever seen. This film tries to do that for a modern-day war. After an invasion occurs in an unnamed Eastern Bloc country, thirty-seven years later, the whole of Europe is on the brink of destruction by an unknown enemy. The world is a post-apocalyptic landscape now. Noomi Repace plays a mom who gets recruited on a mission to potentially save Europe and the world. She and five others have to go on a life or death mission across a hundred miles of ice over an archipelago to deliver a package that could save everyone. Rapace has made a career for herself of playing these types of female heroines in the United States and abroad. Her breakout role as Lisbeth Salander has allowed her to choose any and all roles she thinks are good for her career. Roles in Prometheus and last year's Lamb have shown she's not that indiscriminate on what she chooses, though. I, for one, am always happy when I see her name in the credits of a film. She's usually worth the price of admission. Military films like this with a life or death mission can be good, but sometimes the plot and script can be a bit much to believe. This film has a plausible story, especially during this difficult time in the world. The whole device of one person making it to deliver a talisman to save the world has been a bit overdone. It all depends on how the film is directed and brought to the populace if it's any good or not. Using a MacGuffin to move the plot forward is always very risky. Black Crab has a good cast of European actors besides Repace to round out its cast. Netflix has chosen to release the film with dubs not to turn off American audiences. In some cases, this is a bad idea, but it was a good idea here. American audiences know how to digest their action movies without reading them. This film works better that way from my perspective. I enjoyed it better without subtitles this time around.
The film moves at a pretty good pace considering its two-hour run time. The stops and starts help move the story forward but still slow the film down during those times. If some of these slower moments were cut from the film, it would move at a more brisk pace. There are just too many of these stops that keep derailing the action scenes that the film needs. Overall, it's not a bad film despite this problem with the length and stops and starts. This film has a pretty good premise that is very topical to the world, especially Eastern Europe. Noomi Repace gives another solid performance in a movie that may not get eyes on it if she were not in it. The rest of the cast is fine as well. The direction by Adam Berg is very good. He had to deal with terrible conditions, and despite that, the film still looks and sounds very good. Netflix has invested in this film, and I think it'll pay off. It's a solid action film with a good premise and story. Black Crab is now streaming on Netflix. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
There are plenty of documentaries about the legendary jazz musicians of our day, especially the iconic blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Those worried that The Torch might be just another biography with the same story that music fans know will be surprised to see that this has one of the more interesting angles that any music doc has taken in recent memory.
Although the film is about Buddy Guy, it is more about the relationship between Guy and his protege Quinn Sullivan, a musical prodigy whose talents Guy discovered and fostered. With this, the movie becomes less about Guy himself and more about the process of passing down wisdom to the next generation of talent, hence the title. The film creates some interesting parallelisms between Guy’s mentorship with Sullivan and the guidance that Guy received himself from the legends of the field. It’s an interesting discussion of what it means to keep alive an artform that is in danger of dying out as things change and it becomes less culturally significant. Admittedly, the movie does start to feel a bit disorganized at times. The emphasis here is obviously on Guy and Sullivan together, but it’s as if the filmmakers kept getting distracted by the fact that they had a blues legend in their hands. The access that they had to Guy is great, but the film does fall back onto convention a few times.
If the viewer doesn’t already have an insane amount of respect for Guy coming in for his musical talents, this documentary will only seal the deal. Seeing him work with Sullivan shows that he is not just a gifted musician, but also just an all-around great guy that wants to make a positive impact on everyone he gets the chance to touch.
The movie does get the audience to respect Sullivan through the use of some pretty extensive performance footage. Putting him up against the legendary Guy would be an issue for most musicians, but Sullivan is talented enough to hold his own. That said, it would have been nice had he been given more of a personality through the film. Many of the interviews are with Guy’s peers, and they only serve to validate what we already can tell from the performances. It’s almost as if the filmmakers didn’t trust the audience to know that what they are hearing is good, so they hired someone to tell them. This time could have been used much more effectively getting to know Guy and Sullivan more intimately. The Torch is a must-see music documentary for any fans of blues music, and while it doesn’t always stick to its unique approach, those parts of the movie which do offer interesting insight into this side of the music industry. Jim Farrell has made a hidden gem in this genre. The Torch is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 4/5 Review by Paris Jade Measure of Revenge tells the story of Lillian Cooper (Melissa Leo), a mother of a famous musician who has suddenly died of an overdose. With the help of a drug dealer (Bella Thorne), Lillian pursues answers, justice, and revenge. If reading the synopsis makes you question whether this movie was entertaining, here is your answer: it's not. The pacing is incredibly slow, and none of the characters are likable or relatable. You learn absolutely nothing about Lillian's son before he dies, and he honestly acts like a jerk until his overdose. The movie starts with Lillian's son, Curtis (Jake Weary), coming back home from rehab. His mother is so happy to see him again, yet he acts like such a brat towards her. How are you supposed to care that this character is dead when he isn't even that great of a character? After he and his pregnant girlfriend pass from an overdose, Lillian believes that someone intentionally wanted them gone, so she decides to investigate the murder of her son. How does she do this, you ask? She consults his past drug dealer and friend. This definitely won't go badly, right? At first, the drug dealer is unwilling to help Lillian, but as the plot follows, she gives her little tips here and there. As the story continues, you watch as the mother spirals into her investigation, and you can't help but feel bad for her. She literally drives herself mad trying to get to the bottom of who gave her son these drugs. You can't help but wonder if Bella Thorne does terrible movies on purpose. The other thing about this movie is that while the characters are bland, the pacing is very slow. No action happens until an hour into the movie. How do you plan to grab an audience's attention if absolutely nothing is happening for the film's first half? Even when something happens, all you can say is "saw that one coming," or "well that happened," then move on like it never occurred. The editing is nothing special, regular cinematography. Just no "wow" factor. Where is the thing that makes the audience's mind blown? Not even the ending was anything special.
So many moments, you just sit there and think, "Well, that was random and weird." Lillian wasn't even on drugs herself, but it sure felt like it! There are also moments when you completely forget that Bella Thorne is in this film. She's on the poster; you'd think her character was essential, but no. You sit through a mom reeling through her son's death, driving herself crazy with some commercial breaks of Bella Thorne either selling or doing drugs. It sounds like the perfect movie for the family! You are absolutely wasting your time, but if you'd like to watch a rollercoaster of a film that, once finished, you question what you just watched, Measure of Revenge is for you. Measure of Revenge is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 1/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen Zach Braff as Paul Baker, Gabrielle Union as Zoey Baker, Sebastian Cote as Bronx, Leo Abelo Perry as Luca, Mykal-Michelle Harris as Luna, Christian Cote as Bailey, Andre Robinson as DJ, Aryan Simhadri as Haresh, and Caylee Blosenski as Harley in 20th Century Studios' CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Merrick Morton. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. This film isn't the first version of Cheaper by the Dozen released out into the world. It's actually the third film with this title — the first came out in 1950, and the second one came out in 2003 and starred Steve Martin, spawning a sequel in 2005 as well. This new version is going directly to Disney+. It's a bit different from the other versions. Paul Baker (Zach Braff) is a father with a dream who dreamed of being a family man until things didn't work out with his first wife. Zoe Baker (Gabrielle Union) is a mother and ex-wife of an NBA basketball player until he was too busy for her, so she went her own way. She and Paul met and joined families, and before you know it, there are a dozen of them living together in one house and running a family business together. The film deals with a lot of subjects involving family situations. With this many kids, it's hard to focus their time on all of them. Some of them are in high school and middle school. And there are toddlers as well. Each child has their own issues and dreams, but so do the parents. New possibilities involving the restaurant stretch the family dynamic thin. This franchise has its head in the right direction, but the fact that there are so many characters in the film makes it hard to write a script that can make all of this make sense. Topics of bullying, female independence, and bringing in a cousin who has a background of making trouble are just a few of the issues that the film deals with. That being said, the script is fine. Sebastian Cote as Bronx, Andre Robinson as DJ, Luke Prael as Seth, Aryan Simhadri as Haresh, Gabrielle Union as Zoey Baker, Zach Braff as Paul Baker, Journee Brown as Deja, Kylie Rogers as Ella, Caylee Blosenski as Harley, Mykal-Michelle Harris as Luna, and Christian Cote as Bailey in 20th Century Studios' CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Merrick Morton. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. The direction is also very good considering all that is going on in the film. This story has always been a feel-good story, and the director, Gail Lerner, knows how to balance everything going on. It's not easy with such a big cast. This isn't the perfect film with this perfectly imperfect family, but it's very good.
The cast is littered with so many young people who are new to me, but they all fit in nicely with this family dynamic. Despite everything going on with the various storylines, all these young actors get their moments to shine. None of them gets outshined by the others. The parental actors get their moments to shine as well. This film is a true ensemble piece. Disney has a formula, and they like to stick with it. Their films have a very family-oriented vibe to them and tell stories people can get behind. This film falls back on tropes Disney has set in place decades ago but works for what they are trying to do: tell a good, wholesome family-focused story. That's what they are good at. Even though this is the fourth film in the franchise, it's still working to a charm. Cheaper by the Dozen streams on Disney+ beginning March 18. Rating: 4/5 Review by Camden Ferrell Deep Water is an erotic thriller that marks the return of director Adrian Lyne, having not directed a film since 2002. The movie is based on a Patricia Highsmith novel of the same name and is finally being released after delays of over a year. While all of the pieces are present to create an engaging and captivating thriller, these elements don’t land properly and create a relatively bland experience that is more monotonous than it should have been. Vic and Melinda are a married couple with a child. They live what appears to be a normal life. They have a nice house and great friends. However, things are not as they appear. Vic allows his wife to have affairs with other men in order to avoid divorce and ruining their family. Their lives and the lives of those around them get thrown into a spiral when Melinda’s lovers start to disappear. This is a great premise that has the potential to be everything an erotic thriller should be. The script, written by Zach Helm and Sam Levinson, fails to capitalize on the set up for this movie. Levinson is typically a strong writer who knows how to create tension while still meaningfully developing characters, but that ability is absent from the movie. None of the characters feel fleshed out or particularly well-written. The plot is inconsistent in tone, and it seems unsure of what it’s trying to ultimately achieve. It reveals its hand way too early while failing to create any tension or thrills from it. The movie is led by Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas. Despite both being talented actors in their own rights, this movie fails to see them perform up to their usual standards. Even though they were a real-life couple at the time, their chemistry is non-existent in most of their scenes together. The supporting cast consists of other talented actors like Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, and Jacob Elordi, but they aren’t given much to work with either.
Even though the movie isn’t terrible, it meanders far too long, and doesn’t know how to tell its story effectively. It has occasional moments of excitement, especially in its final act, but it still ultimately fails to captivate audiences with the thriller it promised to be. Deep Water might be a fun film for fans of its lead actors, but this film might not be exciting enough for most people to enjoy. It’s competently made on a technical level, but it lacks the storytelling ability that its director and writers have been known to execute properly in the past. Deep Water is streaming on Hulu March 18. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen Gangster films have come in all shapes and sizes in the history of cinema. Sometimes they come in the form of epic films like the Godfather trilogy and Goodfellas. Other times, they come out as biopics like Donnie Brasco. Once in a while, there are even comedies about gangsters like Analyze This and its sequel and Get Shorty. The Outfit is a very different kind of gangster film than I've seen before. Leonard (Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies) is a run-of-the-mill mild-mannered English tailor in Chicago, but he has a tragic past. He gets wrapped up in a murder mystery above his pay grade. He has to figure out how to navigate this mystery without getting himself or his employee Mable (Zoey Deutch, Before I Fall) killed. The thing is, Mable has some secrets of her own involving the son of the mob boss Richie (Dylan O'Brien, The Maze Runner). This film has a lot of twists and turns. The Outfit is a film set in one location: the tailor's shop. Everybody comes and goes from this shop. All the pertinent dialogue to the viewer to help figure out the murder mystery is right in front of them. All the actors sell this little story perfectly. The director, Graham Moore, created an atmosphere of tension and fascination with this Chicago underworld. The characters are fascinating and thought out, making the story that much more fun to follow. Even though the film's single setting might make it claustrophobic, what it actually does is open it up to a lot of story beats that might not have been able to be fleshed out. The script by Jonathan McClain and Moore is very open and informative while keeping the secret up until the end of the film. The idea of an English tailor who creates suits is very prophetic within the context of the film. Suits have all these cuts and layers to them. The people that buy them can give a lot away about who they are and what they are about. This man can determine this by just doing his daily job of creating suits.
The cast of The Outfit is very good, starting with the men and women I mentioned already. The thing is, there are more fascinating characters within this little gangster film. Francis (Johnny Flynn, Emma) is a member of the boss's gang and a cutthroat killer. Roy Boyle (Simon Russell Beale) is a very convincing mob boss. He's ruthless. Violet (Nikki Anika Bird) is the wild card in this story. Her motivations are very subtle and filled with revenge. This cast is filled with capable actors who perfectly play their part in this mystery. As far as gangster films go, this isn't the loudest or most explosive film. It's a more character study of this man, his loyalties, and where he has come from that has gotten him to this place and time. The single location works perfectly to help keep this mystery. The story unfolds one twist at a time, which is fun to see. The viewers will never see what's coming. It's locked up tight until the script decides to let itself unfold. The cast act out every scene like it's a Shakespeare play to get the most out of every line of dialogue and movement. This film might not be for everybody, but I loved all the nuance and movement around this one location. All the characters kept me entertained throughout. Mark Rylance hasn't been this good in years. The Outfit hits theaters on March 18. Rating: 4/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda After the success of the Netflix docuseries Tiger King and Don’t F**k With Cats comes a new one titled Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. This blend of pop culture and true crime documentary follows the story of Sarma Melngailis and her infamous raw vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine. While the story begins as a usual one of a failed business due to fraud and embezzlement, as it goes on, it becomes increasingly clear that the media at the time didn’t have the whole picture. Talking head interviews of Pure Food and Wine managers and employees, Melngailis’s friends and family, as well as Melngailis herself, break down the downfall of the restaurant and Melngailis’s picture-perfect vegan lifestyle. The documentary begins with Melngailis’s roots and how she came to open Pure Food and Wine with her then-partner, Matthew Kenney. News footage and tweets regarding the restaurant prove how popular it was at the time, with its raw vegan menu being groundbreaking and a spot for many celebrities to frequent. The story then shifts to Melngailis’s growing relationship with a man named Shane Fox, who is later revealed actually to be named Anthony Strangis. Love mixes with lies and deception as he takes control of the business and funds, leaving her employees confused and unpaid. Beyond interviews filmed for the documentary, there are also e-mail correspondences, text messages, and phone calls between Melngailis and Strangis, as well as diary entries from Melngailis written as everything was going down. Since neither of them informed their families or employees at Pure Food and Wine of what was really happening, the messages between the two and Melngailis’s inner thoughts give insight into the manipulation and control Strangis had over her. Bad Vegan is not just the tale of the failure of one of the most popular restaurants in Manhattan at the time, but also one about the reality of abusive relationships and how individuals can be coerced into doing terrible things for the ones they love. The discussion of brainwashing and cult-like behavior coincides with that of Patty Hearst, a well-known figure who committed bank robbery due to her involvement with a cult. In the episode titled “No Angels in Hell”, it becomes evident that, although Melngailis was mentally abused, she also had a part in her own undoing. The documentary attempts to uncover the truth regarding the supposed victim’s actions and if Melngailis was entirely unaware of what she was doing.
This Netflix docuseries is nothing special in terms of documentaries. Still, it does pose the interesting question of how the justice system should deal with those involved in cults and abusive relationships. The series also gives a unique insight into Sarma Melngailis’s undoing, going beyond what many media outlets reported on at the time and giving her a way to share her story outside of the courtroom. Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. is released on Netflix March 16th. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Video game adaptations are notoriously difficult to pull off since games are an inherently interactive medium and cinema is more passive. Based on one of the most popular game franchises of all time, Paramount+’s Halo may not be the best in the genre, but it does enough things really well that it will be exciting to see where it goes from here.
Set during a brutal war between humans and aliens, the series follows a powerful human warrior known as Master Chief as he is given an order that causes him to question all that he thought he knew to be true. At least in the first two episodes, it seems to be setting up a very conventional sci-fi epic story, albeit in the rich world of Halo. The thing that is really surprising about this show is that it is not super action-packed. Granted, these first two episodes are filled with exposition, and so it’s entirely possible that the remaining seven episodes of the season will be more exciting. But apart from a solid, if somewhat generic, opening war scene, there’s not a whole lot of excitement here. From the beginning, it’s clear that there are some messages to be found here about honor and the cost of war, but it’s mostly typical stuff for the genre. However, it is truly unfortunate that the best scene in these first two episodes may leave a sour taste in some viewers’ mouths due to its bleakness and the potential parallelisms that can be drawn between it and current events.
It’s clear that this isn’t quite the Master Chief that gamers around the world have come to love. The series is meant to add a different, more human side to the character, yet it does so with an arc that is relatively bland. The character original to the series, Quan Ah, is arguably more interesting, but is still quite archetypal.
That said, Pablo Schreiber manages to pull off both sides of his character quite well. There’s a dichotomy between the stolid, badass side of the character from the games and the more vulnerable portions that are more unique to the show, and it feels like he is paying respect to the character fans expect while still making it his own. As one would expect, the world-building of the series is absolutely phenomenal. The way in which the series creates the details, from the sets to the costumes and everything else, is super immersive. At times, the CGI isn’t the best, but it’s likely because so much of the budget was dedicated to other parts of the execution. Halo isn’t exactly a home run, but there are enough interesting elements that imply it will be getting even better as the season continues. It’s not a fans-only affair, either, as it has a pretty agreeable and familiar sci-fi storyline. Halo debuted at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 11-19. Two out of nine episodes reviewed. Rating: 3/5 Review by Camden Ferrell As the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 and most productions came to a stand still, many celebrities found themselves at home with time on their hands. Many of these actors channeled their free time into creative projects like the anthology film With/In. While the people involved probably didn’t have bad intentions, most of the vignettes come off as tone deaf and incredibly bland given the context under which it was made. The movie consists of thirteen vignettes, all made with different directors and actors. These vignettes all deal with the pandemic in some way, and they explore this global event through different lenses. In theory, this could be an enlightening experience to give us a better look into the psyche of a diverse group of individuals during this historical time. The anthological structure of this movie could be used to establish parallels and common themes, and it also allows certain vignettes to be duds without tainting the overall movie. However, these two advantages aren’t enough to save this movie. From the start, it’s clear that these stories aren’t particularly compelling. It uses the pandemic as a narrative crutch rather than a backdrop, and this limitation means the stories feel monotonous in tone. None of the individual stories are written particularly well, and it seems like an attempt to mindlessly wax poetic about the pandemic or to shamelessly virtue signal. As a whole, almost every vignette feels lazily made. The low budget equipment is not the problem with these films, it’s the complete lack of passion and entertainment that ultimately bog the entire experience down. The only section that I’d argue feels like an actual movie with effort is Twenty Questions which was written and directed by Arliss Howard and features a great performance from Carla Gugino.
Despite being full of great actors, the whole film equates to people having fun filming a short film with their family without any real substance or artistry. In addition to being bland, these films, coming primarily from privileged individuals feel tone deaf in how they tell stories about how they “coped” during the pandemic. COVID movies aren’t inherently a problem, but when it is a shallow attempt to virtue signal from well-off celebrities, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Being over three hours, With/In is not an experience worth checking out. It’s far from terrible, but it’s soulless and doesn’t have nearly enough commendable aspects to recommend viewing. There are a handful of enjoyable moments and only one great vignette, but everything else is painfully forgettable. The movie also feels incredibly dated already, and this doesn’t bode well for its longevity. With/In is available on VOD March 15. Rating: 2.5/5 |
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