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Review by Adam Donato  Nolan Ryan is one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history and is known for playing the most seasons ever. With such a long career, making a documentary about his life must be a daunting task. This Bradley Jackson documentary runs at an hour and forty two minutes. It covers everything from his relationship with his wife, which began when they were only children, to his life post retirement. Does this documentary have the arm to do this baseball icon justice? One of the more down to earth aspects about Facing Nolan is its focus on his personal life. Fortunately, Nolan Ryan is still kicking today so he’s able to give some insight into how he felt during defining moments in his career. His wife, children, and grandchildren get plenty of time to shine and show who Nolan Ryan was outside of the game of baseball. This goes a long way to humanize a character that is known for being a tough-as-nails cowboy type. Speaking of cowboy type, the story makes sure to focus on Ryan’s aspirations outside of baseball as he is a Texan through and through. After watching this, audiences are sure to know who Nolan Ryan the man is as well as the baseball player.  It’s surprising to see the amount of all-stars collected for this documentary. Standouts include Pete Rose, the all time hits leader, and Randy Johnson, the second most strikeouts all time. Getting players like Rose to speak about Ryan is especially interesting because Ryan was a very brutal player. One of his tenets as a player was that he threw hard and sometimes threw wild. The documentary seems proud of his ability to scare hitters by throwing inside and in too many cases, hitting them. This aspect feels distasteful as hitting other players as a fear tactic is a cheap shot. That being said, hearing from players who hated playing him is a perfect way to showcase what it was actually like to face Nolan.
One of the more impressive aspects of the movie is that it makes fans of the teams he played on have closure. Anytime an all time great player leaves a franchise, he is usually maligned by said franchise’s fan base. Mets fans got a World Series championship out of him, but trading him away feels right as Ryan never quite fit in in New York. The California Angels got his physical prime and only lost him over poor ownership. Houston got his most postseason success outside of New York. Texas got his twilight years which were his most efficient and certainly his most iconic moments. Ryan’s whole career is pretty well covered and will leave the viewer shocked to know that he never won a Cy Young award. Baseball fans are sure to enjoy Facing Nolan as it certainly does justice to the longest career in Major League Baseball history. This documentary perfectly encapsulates his entire career, all his achievements, and still has time to show off who he was as a person. Be sure to check this one out! Facing Nolan screens in theaters for one night only on May 24. Rating: 4/5
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Review by Sean Boelman
It is well-known that it is hard to make films starring and about kids, and Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s The Worst Ones explores that process. In doing so, it definitely probes deeply and poses some interesting questions, but one has to wonder if the film is part of the problem, even if its heart is in the right place.
The film is about a group of teenagers who are street cast in a feature film as the lines between their lives and the film begin to blur. It’s an attempt at meta filmmaking that is certainly quite ambitious and earnest, but its observations are seldom as insightful as the filmmakers clearly hope it to be. There are some interesting ideas here about the manipulation that can result from using non-actors — especially young non-actors — in a film production. However, in using nonprofessionals in this production itself, Akoka and Gueret weaken their argument to merely asking theoretical questions. Johan Heldenbergh plays the director of the film-within-a-film and he does a good job of bringing a lot of approachability to a complex role. The character has two sides: is he the savior trying to give these troubled youth an opportunity, or the manipulator inserting himself into the lives of these children and young adults and pushing them in the wrong direction? 
The film’s approach to the children is much less gray. It’s clear that we are meant to pity these children, not just for the situation that they are in, but also the fact that their plight is being milked for someone else’s advantage. Then again, watching a film that is in its own way also exploits these children feels rather… gross.
It is clear that Akoka and Gueret don’t intend for this to be all sunshine and roses. They want the audience to think about some of the more challenging aspects of this film and the film-within-a-film. But at a certain point, the film starts to fall victim to many of the issues that it is commenting on, and the result is hardly effective. Akoka and Gueret do a great job of directing the film, creating these layers of reality that separate the film based on what is happening. It’s the type of narrative that could easily become difficult to follow because of all that is going on in it, but the directorial approach goes a long way in making everything more understandable. The Worst Ones has a lot of intriguing elements that make it something to be recommended, but in trying to explore this gray area, it ends up in a gray area itself. Perhaps this is the type of challenging film that is necessary to start this conversation, even if it falls victim to those issues itself. The Worst Ones debuted at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The Tunisian film Under the Fig Trees debuted in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and it’s the type of international discovery that the section was designed to find. Wowing in its simplicity and humanity, this may not be the flashiest of movies, but it leaves a lasting impact nonetheless.
The film follows a group of young fieldworkers as they converse about life, love, and the other things that are important to them in the world. Sehiri’s background is in documentary filmmaking — this being her narrative debut — and her work in nonfiction gave her the experience to do wonders here, creating something intimate and insightful. Sehiri does an excellent job of balancing the themes in the movie so it never feels like it is preaching a message to the audience. Yes, the film does address weighty subject matter like sexism and the patriarchy, but it does so in a way that feels natural and flows perfectly with their concerns about other, more trite aspects of their lives. What makes Sehiri’s movie so effective is that it feels equally weightless and impactful. It’s entirely airy and lovely, but never feels insignificant. It’s clear that Sehiri has a profound love for this culture that she is depicting, and she wants to show it in all of its beauty and flaws so that the rest of the world can see it. It is impressive the level of intimacy Sehiri is able to make the audience feel with all of these characters. Through their conversations about the mundanities of their daily lives, we get to feel for and care about these characters in a way that one wouldn’t expect without ever feeling like it is being condescending towards them. The fact that these are all unprofessional actors definitely adds to the feel of realism that the film aims for, but it’s quite effective. Fide Fdhili leads the cast — and ultimately the movie was built around her — and has a fantastic, compelling screen presence to her that one wouldn’t expect from a young girl. The film is also gorgeous to look at. The use of natural light is just astounding and creates an atmosphere that is unique — almost even idyllic. It’s an interesting effect that, by eliminating artificial sources of lighting, the movie feels askew in a way that contrasts nicely with the heightened sense of realism in the script. Under the Fig Trees is an impressive narrative debut for Erige Sehiri, taking the sensibilities of nonfiction filmmaking and creating a compellingly grounded film. It’s subtle in a way that is thoroughly powerful. Under the Fig Trees screened at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar. Rating: 4/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda  When the poster for the new Adrian Shergold film Cordelia dropped, many speculated it to be a sexy period piece starring Johnny Flynn and Antonia Campbell-Hughes. While the film does star Flynn and Campbell-Hughes, the image used for the poster is misleading as Cordelia is a psychological thriller, not a steamy story taking place in a historical setting. Yet the movie's misleading advertisement is the least of its faults. In its attempt to be a groundbreaking psychological thriller, Cordelia loses any tension or scare factor and instead turns into an awkward mess of wasted potential. The film follows the character Cordelia's (Campbell-Hughes) unraveling psyche as she grows close to her seemingly attractive neighbor Frank (Flynn). The first half of the movie teases an incident that happened twelve years prior, leading to Cordelia's intense PTSD and social anxiety. This contrasts the false sense of security she feels when she's with Frank. Cordelia's trauma-filled passivity makes her a boring titular character who continuously makes the worst imaginable decisions. Meanwhile, Frank has the potential to be a charming, helpful neighbor turned lover who has secrets of his own, but his character development is rushed through and, therefore, lackluster. When Cordelia finally reveals what happened to her twelve years ago, the reveal is underwhelming and overshadowed by the chaos of everything else happening in the movie, which is surprising since so much of the beginning of the film focused on teasing the cause of her PTSD. Several other reveals meant to be shocking are given screen time for the characters to digest. Although it almost gives them too much screen time as the audience is forced to watch Cordelia pointlessly sob over multiple revelations throughout the movie.  While Flynn and Campbell-Hughes have interesting chemistry together that makes the reveal of their respective motives exciting to watch, it is due to their acting skills and not the film's writing from Adrian Shergold and Antonia Campbell-Hughes. The dialogue is often pointless and runs in circles repeating the same concepts. For example, there are only so many times someone can understandably bring up the fact that they suffered a mysterious traumatic incident twelve years earlier. The time spent on pointless dialogue takes away from the time Cordelia could've spent creating trust in certain characters, making later reveals much more shocking.
Sometimes the genre of psychological thrillers gets mixed with the goal of creating a nonsensical movie that leaves one feeling uneasy, and it's clear that's what Cordelia intended to do with open-ended storylines and plot holes. Instead of leaving the audience uneasy and questioning what really happened, it just leaves you confused and aggravated. While Cordelia certainly has some intrigue, namely its poster, it is ultimately a movie worth missing out on. Cordelia begins playing in theaters and on demand on May 20th. Rating: 1/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Stefan Forbes’ HOLD YOUR FIRE. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films release.
There are a lot of shocking things about Stefan Forbes’s documentary Hold Your Fire, but perhaps the single most stunning thing is that it did not receive an Oscar-qualifying run. Timely and powerful despite having a smattering of flaws, this documentary presents a fascinating and powerful look at criminal justice reform despite its flaws.
The film tells the story of events that happened in Brooklyn in 1973, when a group of four men attempted to steal guns for self-defense, setting off the longest siege in NYPD history and defining the process of hostage negotiation as we know it. It’s one of those stories that is pivotal but often left out of history books, and Forbes’s documentary brings it to the spotlight. Forbes’s style of filmmaking is certainly very flashy, for better or worse. The movie plays out in an almost pulpy way, allowing the viewer to get wrapped up and absorbed in this situation as it unfolds. Some could argue that using such tragic circumstances for entertainment is ethically questionable, but it’s clear that this film’s heart is in the right place. It’s interesting, because even though the movie is clearly interested in communicating the nuances of the situation — showing that there is more to this type of standoff than the media and pop culture would let on — it falls victim to many of those same trappings of heightening the tension in the wrong places. 
Stefan Forbes’ HOLD YOUR FIRE. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films release.
Often, this comes at the expense of the deeper themes that this film explores. There is a lot to be said in this situation about racism and gun violence, but it’s not quite as impactful as it could have been. Granted, given that the runtime is a mere ninety-three minutes, the movie should be praised for even trying to juggle all of these ideas.
Part of the film’s issue is its slightly scattered nature. The movie jumps between different perspectives a lot, and while this is understandable given that this is meant to be from the standpoint of a mediator, it causes the arguments to lose some of their strength rather than fortifying them in a devil’s advocate sort of way. Still, there is an undeniable kineticism to Forbes’s film that makes it absolutely irresistible. There are a lot of archive materials with talking heads woven in, but this never feels too interview-heavy even though that is the primary method of storytelling. He manages to make the talking heads feel almost invisible, which is an impressive feat. Hold Your Fire is certainly an impressive feat of documentary filmmaking, and while the stylized execution works against it at times, it’s mostly very effective. It’s a compelling, largely unknown story that audiences should pay attention to. Hold Your Fire is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 4/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  Love, Death & Robots is an anthology show for adults that premiere on Netflix in 2019. It had its second season in 2021 and is about the release their third season. While David Fincher has been a producer from the start, this season sees him sitting in the director’s chair for the first time on the series among other creators. This season features another batch of enjoyable shorts of differing quality, and it’s clear that there are some episodes that are significantly better than the others this season. In this season, there are 9 episodes, and I was able to watch four of them: Three Robots: Exit Strategies, Bad Traveling, Night of the Mini Dead, and Jibaro. Fans of the show will recognize the first title, which is a continuation of those same robots we met in season 1. The rest of them are about radically different things like the open sea, zombies, and a reimagining of a folktale. Like previous seasons, these ideas are really unique, diverse, and interesting on paper, but the show has also had some problems with developing and properly executing their exciting and original premises. The writing in the four episodes I watched are decent. The writing has never been the strong suit of the show, and these episodes let other aspects take the reins. I will say that Bad Traveling was particularly well written more so than the other episodes and tackled some really interesting themes and ideas as well. I will say that while this season isn’t perfect in this regard, there is a noticeably reduction in the amount of casual and subtle misogyny that was so prevalent throughout the first two seasons.  As always, the actors they cast are above average, but the real star of the show is the innovative animation. This is a show that experiments with different styles and types of animations more than anything else streaming today. I particularly liked the animation of Bad Traveling and Jibaro as they both aimed for realism in their animation and achieved it with great results.
As mentioned before, Fincher made his animation directorial debut with his short Bad Traveling, and it’s easily one of the best episodes the series has put out thus far even if it still has some minor flaws. I also enjoyed some of the execution in Night of the Mini Dead and Jibaro even if they weren’t as memorable as Fincher’s episode. While I enjoyed all of the episodes so far to some extent, it doesn’t seem like a big step up in quality for the series, and it remains a show full of beautifully animated and average to great anthology shorts. Love, Death & Robots will please its fans in its third season but for those who had a hard time getting into the show previously, this one will still probably not satisfy you. It’s worth watching for Fincher’s episode alone, but as always there’s always at least one thing to enjoy in each episode. Love, Death & Robots season 3 will be available on Netflix May 20. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Adam Donato  (L to R) Adam Demos as Max, Victoria Justice as Lola in A Perfect Pairing. Credit: Vince Valitutti/Netflix © 2022. A Perfect Pairing is directed by television director Stuart McDonald and is written by Hilary Galanoy and Elizabeth Hackett. It stars Victoria Justice as an upstart wine connoisseur who leaves her corporate office job to pursue her own company. She ventures out to Australia to nab one of her former employers biggest clients that she had already been working on. While she doesn’t even have her own license, her no-quit mentality compels her to take up a position working there where she’s saddled with the handsome groundskeeper. Though they’ve both gotten under each other's skin, maybe just maybe there might be something there. Let’s get this part of the review out of the way: It’s the same romance TV-movie level content that has been made a million times before. That being said, someone who is not interested in superhero blockbusters may say the same about something like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All the plots are basically the same. Instead of an uptight businesswoman forming a relationship with a down to earth guy, it’s a superhero origin story in which the hero fights the opposite version of himself. The only thing that’s really different about either type of movie is who are the two leads, where is the setting, and what is the tone. Anyone who has seen these types of movies knows exactly what’s going to happen, but the difference maker is the surrounding details. The two main leads in A Perfect Pairing are Victoria Justice and Adam Demos. They start out on each other's nerves as she forces her way into working on their farm to which he insists she is not cut out for it. Once they accept their situations, they begin to bond during the time they spend together. As soon as they decide to cement their romance, there’s a misunderstanding that seemingly puts an end to whatever has just started. Only for a big romantic gesture at the end to wrap things up. Their chemistry is weak and Demos is more responsible than Justice, who has ample experience being a lead. She’s bright and personable, while he’s more closed off and his character transition is jarring. To his credit, he’s a hot, hunky, and humble man who works with his hands so that covers a lot of bases for the female fantasy.  (L to R) Adam Demos as Max, Victoria Justice as Lola in A Perfect Pairing. Credit: Vince Valitutti/Netflix © 2022. These movies are nothing more than female fantasy. The concept of getting the gumption to quit your boring office job to make a name for yourself. Then not only do you accomplish your goal on your own terms, but there’s a dream guy to fall in love with on the way. Every movie says the same thing. Slow down and enjoy the simpler things in life. Travel while you’re still young and meet new people. Take risks that make you learn more about who you are. If one enjoys this standard plot of a movie, then this is no exception.
It’s not the worst experience of a movie. Justice is an admirable character. There’s a good vibe surrounding the movie. There’s some musical moments in the film that feel forced, but any amount of personality is graciously accepted. The backstory from Demos is odd to say the least, but definitely plays into the fantasy. The setting in Australia on a farm definitely fits the formula for this type of movie. It comes into play a couple times as she has to deal with the terrain, wildlife, and hard decisions that come with farm life. A Perfect Pairing accomplishes everything it sets out to accomplish, despite the bar being extremely low. All the Nickelodeon girls who grew up watching Victorious will certainly enjoy seeing one of their favorite childhood stars grow up with them will certainly enjoy this movie. A Perfect Pairing is the epitome of cliche TV movie romance with some flashes of personality. Nothing here of any significant importance that nobody needs to see. Sure to satiate the romance crowd, but to anyone else, it’s a bore. A Perfect Pairing is now streaming on Netflix. Rating: 2/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  Eugenio Derbez is one of the most well-known Mexican comedy actors today, and he most recently starred in the Best Picture winning movie CODA. His newest movie is The Valet, a comedy that is the remake of a 2006 French movie of the same name. This movie is a very standard and relatively enjoyable romantic comedy that hits all of the typical beats without aiming to do anything particularly fresh. Antonio is a valet, living life with his big family and looking for love after his wife breaks up with him. One night, he finds himself accidentally photographed with Olivia, a famous actress, and the married man with whom she’s having an affair. In an effort to preserve her image, Oliva and Antonio begin a relationship to not implicate her with her married fling. The fake relationship premise and story have been done before, and this movie is fine but opts to follow the formula for this story closely. The movie is directed by Richard Wong whose previous movie, Come As You Are, was also enjoyable despite its flaws. Wong is perfectly adequate as a director, simply telling this story with no frills or risks, and it works for better or worse. The movie desperately needs to feel surprising and original, but his execution is far too safe to achieve such a goal.  The cast is mostly decent throughout. Derbez is the heart of this film, and while he doesn’t give his usual over the top performance, he still brings a lot of humor to the role. Samara Weaving co-stars as Olivia, and she’s usually a very talented actress, but her performance in this movie is passable at best. The movie also stars Max Greenfield and Betsy Brandt who give decent performances despite being forgettable.
One of the smaller details that I enjoyed was how Derbez’s on screen family spoke just as much Spanish as English. It’s a minor detail that really means a lot in terms of representation. Despite not being surprising or original, this is still a nice touch. Overall, the movie feels far too long, clocking in at nearly two hours, and its story is incredibly predictable. It’s a comedy that one can watch and mildly enjoy without too much effort, but it’s not something to actively seek out among all of the other new releases available. The Valet will definitely please fans of Derbez, but many may still find this remake to be predictable and far too safe for a comedy film. There are a few good gimmicks and funny moments, but it could have easily been thirty minutes shorter. The Valet will be available on Hulu May 20. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
(L-R): Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) and Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) in Disney's live-action CHIP 'N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
If there is one thing Hollywood can’t get enough of, it is milking once-valuable IPs past their prime in an attempt to cash in on nostalgia and create a new franchise. And despite the efforts of Lonely Island members Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is one of the most corporate nonsense kids movies to come out in a while.
The film follows Chip and Dale decades after their television show (the one that this is a reboot… er… comeback of) has ended and they have drifted apart as they must come back together to solve a mystery involving an old friend. For a movie that so desperately wants to be edgy, it’s disappointingly subdued in its plotting. Granted, there are a few gags in the film that will leave viewers shocked that the filmmakers got the permission from Disney to include them — not that they aren’t family friendly, but that they are so weird and cynical compared to the type of humor that fills a lot of Disney movies. However, that is where the positive comparisons to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? stop. This movie desperately wants to live up to its similarly Disney-produced predecessor’s image so much, but it misses the things that made that one work. Yes, it’s chock full of references, and there are a few funny moments, but what is missing here is a compelling mystery. The twist isn’t bad, but it is also nowhere near as fresh as it seems to think it is. 
(L-R): Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) and Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) in Disney's live-action CHIP 'N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The dynamic works if you have a fondness for the characters of Chip and Dale from your childhood, but the fact of the matter is that it’s shallow and derivative. It feels more like Andy Samberg and John Mulaney playing themselves than them playing their respective characters, and it’s disappointing.
There are some other good voice performances in the cast playing new roles, like J.K. Simmons and Seth Rogen, but the thing that the film is missing is a strong live-action presence. Kiki Layne is the main actress with a live-action role, and while she’s obviously talented, she feels wasted here. Apart from not really taking advantage of the medium as well as it could have, the visuals of the movie look very good. The way in which the animation was blended into the real world looks fantastic, even if more should have been done with it. It’s a pretty cool mix of 2D animation and 3D animation that works quite well. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers was a major disappointment, especially given all of the talent and potential that was involved. It’s sure to have its fair share of fans, but many of those are going to be too blinded by nostalgia to see that this isn’t as smart as it appears. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers streams on Disney+ beginning May 20. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  With his two previous directorial efforts, Ex Machina and Annihilation, Alex Garland has established himself as one of the most exciting directors working today. His new movie, Men, is a horror movie that sees him expanding his cinematic horizons for better or worse. The movie features a masterful lead performance from Jessie Buckley and some gorgeous cinematography, but it can feel the slightest bit uneven at times. After a traumatic incident, Harper decides to go on a vacation to the countryside of England to clear her mind and heal. Upon arrival, ominous happenings with the locals proves things are not as they seem. This premise is simple on paper, but Garland has a special way of weaving emotionally complex characters into these stories to make it feel fresh and original. While its writing is above average, it pales in comparison to Garland’s previous films. This movie tackles universal and complex themes with grace, and it creates a memorable lead character. However, it sometimes doesn’t balance the horror, drama, and emotion the way it needs to. His previous movie, Annihilation, is a complex and beautifully written movie, but this movie fails to be as consistent as his previous efforts.  The most outstanding aspect of this film is Jessie Buckley’s lead performance. She has consistently proven that she is one of the most talented actresses in recent years, and this is another masterful performance under her belt. She plays the pain, fear, and sorrow with such breathtaking emotion, and it still makes the movie worth watching even in some of its duller moments. Rory Kinnear is also fittingly creepy in his unique performance alongside Buckley.
Another great thing about this movie is its gorgeous cinematography. From the start, the movie is meticulously crafted from a visual standpoint, and it’s gorgeous and haunting. While the scares and thrills don’t always land and it can take a while for it to build up momentum, Garland once again shows that he knows how to make an unforgettable final act. It’s gruesome, shocking, and emotional, and it should still captivate even the film’s harshest critics. Men is ambitious, and it’s bound to be a divisive outing from Garland. Buckley is astonishingly profound in this role, and it’s a visual treat. The slow pacing and uneven execution in the first half tend to bog down the overall product. Regardless of its flaws, this is a movie that’s definitely worth viewing as it’s sure to inspire many discussions upon release. Men is in theaters May 20. Rating: 3.5/5 |