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Review by Camden Ferrell  In 2024, Alex Garland wrote and directed Civil War where he worked with military advisor Ray Mendoza. That same year, Garland announced that he would step down from directing and that his newest movie Warfare would be his last, and that it would be co-written and directed by Mendoza. This movie is based on Mendoza’s experiences as a Navy SEAL during the Iraq War in 2006. Told in real time, this movie can sometimes drag and lack nuance, but it still features some genuinely nerve-wracking and intense moments of military combat that will keep you engaged. A platoon of servicemembers are in Iraq on a mission when chaos erupts on the scene. From here, the audience is taken through a real-time portrayal of all the events that unfolded as they deal with life-threatening perils and the horrors of combat. It’s a story that’s intentionally limited in scope, and it’s one that aims to be realistic, not necessarily cinematic. Thus, it’s working with narrative limitations that can make it feel less than substantial at times. Written by Mendoza and Garland, it definitely dives into realism more than anything. Not just in its violent and intense moments, but also in the minutiae of daily life for this platoon. It’s a neat aspect that’s written, but it’s also one that makes the movie feel like it takes its time before the ball gets rolling. While it’s a necessary build up, it’s one that feels like it eats up more runtime than it should. Once the danger starts though, the script takes a backseat to the violence at hand, so it doesn’t have a chance to shine outside of a handful of emotional beats for specific characters.  The movie is brought to life by a who’s who of the next generation of actors. This includes actors like Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Michael Gandolfini, and Charles Melton to name a few. This ensemble plays very well off of each other, and in a Q&A I attended, they mentioned that they spent weeks in a simulated boot camp where they could bond with each other and push themselves to truly get into these roles. Their moments of camaraderie are emboldened by the prevalent moments of fear and pain.
While the movie has some pacing problems, it absolutely excels in immersing viewers into the stresses of warfare. Its real-time approach prevents viewers from getting a chance to cut away from the action and breathe. If the platoon is suffocating under the fear of death and debilitating injury, the audience does not get the luxury of looking away. It’s a bold approach, and it’s one the lifts the film above its shortcomings. Warfare is an ambitious project that tries to recreate the real events that occurred to a platoon almost two decades ago, and it works more than it doesn’t. It has some problems tackling some of the more nuanced issues of war, but it’s a flaw that is mostly forgivable by the good intentions of its director. Fans of war movies and general audiences alike will find something to appreciate in this film, whether it’s the visceral performances or the quite often impressive craftsmanship on display. Warfare is in theaters April 11. Rating: 3.5/5
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Review by Camden Ferrell  Banned in Vietnam, Viet and Nam is the second narrative feature film from writer and director Truong Minh Quý after his 2019 effort The Tree House. His newest feature had its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival where it received a nomination for the Queer Palm. It is without a doubt a visually stunning experience, but its hypnotic musings on love and Vietnamese history can make the film meander too much for its own good. This film follows the titular duo, two young Vietnamese miners who find themselves engaged in a love affair plagued with difficult decisions including Nam’s desire to leave for Europe. This romance is underscored by a country in the wake of war and trauma as Nam’s mother is searching for answers about his father who left during the war. While there is an underlying plot driving the story forward, the movie seems less concerned with plot and more concerned with its own atmosphere and ambiance. This is a decision that will have differing mileage depending on the viewer. That being said, while the plot feels secondary, Quý’s script is still full of undeniably tender and beautiful moments throughout. Their impact is sometimes undermined by its sluggish pacing, but in a vacuum, he wrote some truly nuanced dialogue and interactions that make the film feel painfully real at times. He especially excels at the moments of intimacy between his two leads, and it’s an incredibly compelling relationship that he is able to create with so few words.  At its core, the movie would fail to work without the wonderful chemistry of Đào Duy Bảo Định and Phạm Thanh Hải who play Viet and Nam, respectively. They lean into the long pauses and fill them with indescribable yearning that really elevates the movie even in its weaker moments. It’s a vulnerable, physical, and emotional role that they both play so well. In a movie like this, believing in their love is non-negotiable, and they deliver marvelously.
There isn’t enough I can say about how beautifully shot this entire movie is. Quý and his cinematographer Son Doan make every frame feel like a painting you never want to look away from. It utilizes minimal camera movement and extended takes to create a dreamy atmosphere, and it’s a method that works for better or worse. While I can’t commend the visual splendor of the film enough, I will say that the movie does have a severe pacing problem that keeps it from greatness. However, I’m inclined to believe it’s by design. This seems like a movie you’re supposed to float in and out of more than follow, but it has mixed effects. While I can appreciate the deliberately stalled pace, it’s often at the expense of so many other great elements. Viet and Nam is beautiful, but it can be occasionally demanding. It has some very nuanced explorations of the lingering effects of trauma and war below a delicately crafted story of closeted gay love. While I can’t say it’s great due to its execution, it’s a rewarding experience that I encourage everyone to view with an open mind. Viet and Nam is in theaters March 28. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Daniel Lima  At a time where the world seems to be getting worse by day, a new collaboration from David Ayer and Jason Statham seems like a heavenly gift. Yet as much as I craved another story about a violent macho man beating all of America's problems to death, I did worry that A Working Man might be too abrasive, too noxious for someone like me to enjoy. I did not anticipate an utter lack of any animating idea whatsoever. Statham is a retired commando working a humble construction job, just a regular blue collar, punch card roughneck looking to win custody of his daughter. When his bosses' daughter goes missing, he has to fall back on his particular set of skills to get her back from a nefarious criminal cabal. The best examples of this particular male power fantasy use the familiar set up as a foundation for unique idiosyncrasies. Colorful performances, a distinct cast of characters, clever dialogue, the nature of the threat, the flavor of action, all go a long way in making something that could be generic stand out. Ayer and Statham already accomplished this last year with The Beekeeper. To give them some credit, A Working Man is a functional film. Statham's gruff, direct persona has served him well through his career, and he is as able as ever to put on the air of a working stiff. So long as he's bouncing from one violent confrontation to another, manhandling and threatening and brutally executing odious people with ease, his blunt force charisma is enough to power the film. It is a shame, then, that this does not make up most of the film. About halfway through, Statham’s character begins to get more methodical in his search, trading the fun scenes of him interrogating criminals through creative means for going undercover and laying low. This gives more time to develop the many antagonists, but it also adds a lot of time where the star of the show is entirely passive or off screen, making it incredibly hard to stay emotionally invested. As the story meanders further away from that core appeal of Statham bulldozing his way through bad guys, it becomes both less exciting and harder to follow.  This lack of narrative focus feeds into a hazy sense of thematic purpose. In The Beekeeper, Statham starts off attacking a local criminal operation, but progresses through higher and higher echelons of power, tying his personal vendetta into a crusade to rid American society of deeply rooted evils... that happen to be a litany of right-wing grievances. The clear escalation within the storytelling feeds into the animating thesis of the film: moral rot flows downstream of power and privilege.
Here, there are so many different figures representing so many points of the criminal ladder, it’s impossible to parse who exactly is the ultimate bad guy. If the powerful people at the top are the worst of the bunch, why does Statham spend so little time confronting them? If it’s the underlings perpetrating the crimes their bosses order, is that not antithetical to the supposed working-class ethos of the character? What are we to make of the drug peddler who earns some respect just because he served in the military? As charged as the politics of that previous film may have been, it presented a neatly defined threat, and an overriding sense of purpose and import to the quest for revenge. That gets lost in the shuffle here, and it makes for a less compelling movie. I wish I could say that the film is elevated by the action, or the supporting ensemble, or the dialogue, but these only impress in fits and spurts. There are moments of over-the-top violence, with beautifully explosive squibs sending out clouds of red mists, but the fisticuffs are often too darkly lit and too quickly edited to get a sense of what’s going on. Though there’s a handful of fun turns by the likes of Michael Peña and Chidi Ajufo, most of the cast is given precious little material to work with. Most of the best quips can be found in the trailers, and while they’re just as knowingly self-aware in the actual movie, they’re too scattered to leave an impression. With a leaner story and a clearer vision of who — or what — its hero is fighting against, perhaps the meager boons of A Working Man would be more impactful. As it stands, this is a middling entry into the oeuvres of both its star and director. A Working Man clocks into theaters March 28. Rating: 3/5 Review by Jonathan Berk  The Penguin Lessons is a new film that, despite being set in the past, feels somehow extremely current. I found this movie to be a pleasant surprise for a multitude of reasons, namely because of Jeff Pope's incredible script, Steve Coogan's astounding performance ( which combines drama and comedy), and Peter Cattaneo's solid direction. Of course, the cute penguin and the fact that the story is inspired by true events help to make it quite compelling. This feels like one of those quiet films that may not work for everyone…but if it does, it’ll leave you gob smacked. Inspired by a true story, Tom (Coogan) moves to Argentina in 1976 to work as an English teacher at a private school. He is very content living life on the sidelines, doing just enough to stay afloat. However, Tom discovers he lives in a divided nation, and teaches a class of unteachable students. It’s not until he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach against his better judgment that his life starts to change. Fans of Coogan will not be too surprised at his ability to nail this role. Tom exudes a dry sarcasm mixed with cynicism from the moment he first arrives in Argentina. He keeps most people at a distance, seemingly interested in nothing more than just skating by. An early scene shows him taking a nap on a bench when he is supposed to be coaching rugby. He overhears a conversation between the local fishmonger and Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio), a school custodian, about the change in government. Sofia inquires whether her conversation disturbed his nap, but he pretends he heard nothing. It’s a keen insight into Tom's psychology. He is very much interested in people, and clearly has ideas about the way things should be — or at least the way things could be. However, he opts for the passive role in life. The way the story plays out in Pope’s script forces Tom to have to make some tough choices. Coogan not only can bring levity to many of the scenes but is capable of effectively delivering the emotionally powerful ones. He can maintain the facade of his outward persona while his eyes betray the true emotional turmoil boiling underneath. It’s a powerful performance inside a captivating story.  The supporting cast is also deserving of praise. Jonathan Pryce plays the school’s headmaster, who is a tough nut to crack — but eventually, he warms up as well. Björn Gustafsson plays a Finnish co-worker who is desperate for a friend and a shoulder to cry on, with no sense of personal space. Carrocio is great as Sofia, and her grandmother is played by Vivian El Jaber, who has incredible moments with Coogan. Several of the students give solid performances, with David Herrero being the standout. Despite all the solid performances from the human cast, there is a clear co-star that is undeniable…the penguin.
Technically, it was a couple of different penguins, but every moment that there is a penguin on screen is just wonderful. Coogan is able to bounce off the bird as if it were Rob Brydon during any of the moments from The Trip franchise. That’s not a shot at Brydon as much as it is a credit to both Coogan and the penguins. There is so much chemistry with this pair that it makes the movie a pure joy to watch. However, the penguin gets moments with other characters — and they all work. An unexpected element of this story is one that parallels with the Oscar-winning I’m Still Here, as the new government is making people disappear. It’s a plot point that greatly impacts Tom and his fear of getting involved. The fear of government retribution also creeps into the classroom, and what he is allowed to teach. The students at the school are mostly spoiled kids of wealthy Argentinians with various connections to the new regime. The idea of doing nothing while so many others' lives are being impacted is a major source of conflict for Tom and one that many may relate to right now. There is no denying that movies about teaching usually connect with me. Tom doesn’t start as a teacher that I would support. However, as the film went on, I found Tom to be a kindred spirit. The connection to the unexpected pet only felt all the more relevant for me, having just lost a dog of over 15 years and then immediately gaining a new puppy. I say all this to make sure it’s clear that this film felt like it was made for me at this specific moment. Your mileage may vary. Despite my predisposition to connect with this film, I still think it is quite exceptional. Pope’s scripts for Stan and Ollie and The Lost King worked for me as well. Coogan is usually a reason to give a film a chance if he has more than a few scenes. There is much at work to make The Penguin Lessons a standout; and yes, the penguin is also a metaphor. The Penguin Lessons will be in theaters on March 28. Rating: 5/5 Review by Adam Donato  Magazine Dreams was acquired by Searchlight Pictures and was supposed to release at the end of 2023. Due to several unfortunate factors, mainly the assault allegations against star Jonathan Majors, the film was delayed and dropped by the studio. The film is now finally going to be seeing a wide release in 2025. This week, the Majors controversy reared its ugly head again quotes from Majors admitting to the assault allegations. It’s difficult to separate the art from the artist when the entire selling point of the film is the performance of Majors. If one is turned off by anything involving Majors, then that is totally understandable. Many filmmakers and artists worked hard on this film so the film does deserve to be judged by the contents within and not by external factors. Elijah Bynum is the writer and director of Magazine Dreams. This is his sophomore feature following Hot Summer Nights. Magazine Dreams is a character study about a bodybuilder that has high aspirations, but struggles with his mental health. The film heavily deals with themes about male loneliness as our protagonist is not excelling in his life as he thinks he should be. It’s very reminiscent of the Joker film as our protagonist is constantly being beat down by the society around him and turns to drastic measures to claim what he believes is his. The tone is very dark as the audience will be left feeling an utter sense of pity. It’s a familiar story, but told through the lens of a bodybuilder, which is an interesting sport to learn about here.  It’s ironic that this film was produced before the allegations against Majors came out because this performance feels like a response to this. Almost as if it's propaganda trying to rehabilitate Majors’s image as he is just a supremely driven individual who occasionally flies off the handle despite trying his absolute best to keep a lid on it. Majors is really good in the film. It’s very difficult to watch him try to remind himself constantly about how to properly operate, but inevitably lets his anger get the best of him. He has several freak out scenes that are just heartbreaking. The bodybuilding competition meltdown is a more obvious one, but the most impressive scene is when he confronts his former attacker in a diner. When he’s at his lowest is when he really shows his true colors and you really get to see his toxic outlook on himself and the world around him. Without spoiling anything, the film ends in a very ambiguous way as we are left to imagine how a person like this can continue on the path they’re on. Majors isn't doing anything crazy out of his comfort zone as this role feels like a more grounded version of the character he was playing in Creed III. Nonetheless, he still deserves credit as he carries out this movie on his “small” deltoids.
Magazine Dreams is sure to fly under the radar, which is unfortunate because a lot of artists came together to make a good movie. The timing is inconvenient, but if one can separate life from art, then there’s a lot of value to be found here. It’s tragic to watch this pathetic character fall farther down the hole he continues to dig for himself. While staying proactive is key, it’s important to maintain positive relationships and be kind to ourselves. Check out Magazine Dreams in theaters this week. Magazine Dreams will be in theaters on March 21. Rating: 4/5 |