Review by Dan Skip Allen The young adult genre has only been around for about twenty or so years. Kicked off by the witches and wizards in the Harry Potter films, a series of very successful book-to-screen adaptations, the genre has had some highs — The Hunger Games and Twilight Franchises, among others — but also a few lows — like the Divergent and Maze Runner trilogies. It's safe to say this genre has been all over the map over the last twenty years. Artemis Fowl is the latest attempt to capitalize on the genre and it's from the house of mouse. When the news hit that Disney had bought the rights to the popular young adult book series from Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, people were excited but very hesitant. This was going to be a huge undertaking, to say the least. They chose an established director who has worked in worlds of fantasy mixed with real-life before with Thor in 2011. Artemis Fowl has a similar mix of a fairy world and the house and grounds off of the coast of Ireland of Artemis Fowl. Real people being mixed with fairies, trolls, and dwarves is not going to be easy to accomplish by anybody's standards. If anybody could do it, it would be Kenneth Branagh. Eoin Colfer created a very magical world different than most young adult adaptations. The Percy Jackson and Harry Potter films are the closest to resemble what he has done, but they aren't close in scope. Similar to the first book, the first and probably last movie, falls into the same trap: they try to introduce too much too soon. The viewer hardly gets to know the lead characters before they are thrust into this fantasy world they know nothing about. Characters are introduced so fast you can't catch your breath before the story and movie moves on. That being said the film is a little convoluted at times, even to the point of being hard to follow. For those who didn't read the book, I can imagine they were pretty lost moving forward. Branagh assembled a pretty good cast of established supporting actors such as Colin Ferrell, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, and Nonso Anozie. That said, real stars of the film are Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, and Tamara Smart. The cast is not the problem with this film, though. They do the best they can with this difficult dialogue and script. The script is pretty closely adopted by a handful of writers.
With Branagh's experience with melding real-world aesthetics with fantasy worlds, he accomplished the impossible of creating the fairy world of Haven City. It looks amazing. Having the fantasy aspects not come out right would have been a fail right off the bat. Like the acting, the visuals were not the problem with the film. Flying fairies, tunneling Mulch Diggums, trolls, and time warps all look very authentic. The film succeeds in placing the viewer in the world Eoin Colfer created very effectively. Besides the script adapted from the source material, the real problem with this movie is as a viewer you're not invested in these characters enough to care about them. Even having read the book I wasn't invested in them at the end of it either. Why should the movie be any different? Branagh rushes the story along so as to not get to know the leads very much. The children actors aren't anybody I've seen before so I didn't care about them very much. The biggest mistake is that Artemis Fowl is billed as this criminal genius and I didn't believe for one second he was evil. They don't establish that very much in the movie except for a little dialogue at the end of the film. These kids were good in the movie, but I cared more about what the established stars characters were doing and not the leads of the film. I didn't go in with high hopes and I still came out disappointed. Artemis Fowl is now streaming on Disney+. Rating: 2/5
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Review by Sean Boelman
Writer-director Boaz Yakin’s experimental romance Aviva is among the year’s most unconventional and bizarre films and will undeniably divide audiences because of its aberrant content. However, Yakin’s vision is definitely a singular one with plenty to provoke and challenge the audience.
The movie tells the story of two international lovers who go through a tumultuous romance after meeting online. At its core, the film is a melodramatic but insightful romance made about the modern generation. Without Yakin’s unique stylistic flairs, the movie arguably would have worked best as a time capsule of relationships in the modern world. However, the thing about the film that makes it stand out is that each of the two leads is played by two different performers: one male and one female. With this, Yakin offers a deconstruction of gender dynamics in the modern world (both implied and directly stated). At first, it can be a bit much to keep up with, but once Yakin finds his rhythm, it works perfectly. That isn’t to say that the movie is without its issues, though. By trying to capture the male-female dichotomy, Yakin implies some things that aren’t as progressive as the film seems at first glance. The most problematic of these mistakes is that the movie inadvertently defines some characteristics as male and some characteristics as female.
The intended statements about the fluidity of identity and personality are really pretty profound, but the film lends itself a bit too eagerly to deeper analysis, and at a certain point, some of its well-meaning does begin to fall apart when put under a microscope. Even though it never quite reaches the level of exploitation, its sincerity doesn’t always come across.
There are also some meta elements throughout the movie that have mixed results. Many audiences, particularly those who are not as accustomed to experimentation like this, may find the near-constant fourth-wall-breaking to be too weird for their tastes. Others may not like the direct approach that Yakin takes to his themes. The merits of this film that are undeniable, though, are its dance sequences that are phenomenally choreographed. The cast is made up of professional dancers, not professional actors, and the movie even acknowledges the reasoning behind this decision. Still, it pays off with some gorgeous performances. Aviva is markedly not a film for everyone, and it isn’t without its fair share of flaws. Still, the level of ambition, skill, and heart that is on display here is obvious, and at the very least, it should be recognized for that. Aviva is now streaming online in partnership with indie theaters. A list of participating locations can be found here. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Taking its title from the Bible verse Luke 23:34, For They Know Not What They Do is a timely new documentary and a harsh yet honest indictment of the religious community. An examination of the hypocrisies of a community that supposedly professes love and compassion, this film offers a stark reminder of both the darkness and the potential of humanity.
The movie takes a look at four conservative and faith-based families who have come to terms with their children’s LGBTQ identities, exploring the relationship between religion and self-expression. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the film is its depiction of personal growth and how open-mindedness and empathy can lead to someone becoming a better and more understanding person. There are two stories in the movie that are dominant, and they have the most emotional impact because they are undeniably heartbreaking. A story involving a young man who is a survivor of the Pulse tragedy that happened four years ago in Orlando, Florida is moving and provides an emotional portrait of how a lack of support can be both physically and emotionally hurtful to the LGBTQ community. Another portion of the film tells the story of a gay man who, filled with self-hatred and without anyone to help him, was driven to drugs and formed a dangerous addiction. This segment is told from the perspective of the parents and offers what is likely the most powerful message to be gained out of the entire movie.
The remaining two segments are mostly uplifting, about people who found success despite facing opposition after coming out as transgender, but with a runtime of only an hour and a half, filmmaker Daniel G. Karslake spends these a bit less time on these in favor of the more hard-hitting stories.
Karslake weaves between these storylines in a way that is entirely effective and impactful. The transitions between the different segments and the supplementary material feel natural, emphasizing the thematic connections that tie them together rather than arbitrarily cutting them at convenient times. A majority of the film is told through interviews, and that allows it to have a very personal feel to it. By letting these people tell their own stories in their own way, Karslake focuses on the emotion they express. It wasn’t rare to see an interviewee burst into tears, and it has quite the emotional pang. For They Know Not What They Do has great potential for an educational tool against the hate and lack of compassion that is sadly rampant in American society today. It may not be an easy watch, but it’s a necessary one. For They Know Not What They Do is now screening online in partnership with indie theaters. A list of participating locations can be found here. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Thanks to its exceptionally creative style, the new French family flick Marona’s Fantastic Tale cements itself as an early contender for awards consideration (although studio fare will likely triumph). With some breathtaking animation and a cute story, this will be a satisfying watch for the young and young-at-heart alike.
The film follows a young dog who, following an accident, reflects on her life and the various owners she has had and the way in which she has experienced the world. In terms of animated dog movies, it’s pretty par for the course in a narrative sense, with comedic hijinks and heartstring-pulling moments in droves. One of the more noticeable issues with the movie is that it feels extremely rushed. Although it is understandable why the film must be action-oriented to appeal to younger audiences, the protagonist moves through too many owners too quickly. It would have been nice had the movie slowed down to take some time in the fantasy of the moment. The film is also held back by the fourth-wall-breaking narration that composes a majority of the storytelling. Unfortunately, the voice acting from Lizzie Brocheré is pretty monotonous and flat. After a while, it becomes a bit exhausting to hear her voice almost constantly, and viewers will be left craving more interaction.
Another thing about the movie that is somewhat frustrating is that the protagonist doesn’t have a particularly deep arc. The audience will obviously sympathize with her as a cute anthropomorphic canine, but for the most part, the film fails to convince the audience of what makes her tale so fantastic in the first place.
That said, there are some surprisingly deep moments in the movie that deal with unexpected issues such as poverty and racism. Even though the film’s central allegory may not be as cohesive as one would like, there’s still a lot here that makes it a mostly thought-provoking watch. However, inarguably the biggest triumph of the movie is its animation that is absolutely gorgeous and unlike anything else. The emotion that is largely lacking in the story and acting is made up for in droves by the visual style. The use of color here alone is beyond beautiful and will have an intense effect on the viewer. Marona’s Fantastic Tale is a great film thanks to its wildly idiosyncratic visuals. Even though it doesn’t break much new narrative ground, the visual style (that hopefully won’t be mimicked) is worth watching for alone. Marona’s Fantastic Tale is now streaming online in partnership with indie theaters. A list of participating locations can be found here. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Having changed its title from the generic “Anderson Falls” to the even more nondescript Darkness Falls, Julien Seri’s new film is exactly what one would expect: a moody crime thriller. However, thanks to committed and big performances from its stars, it suffices as passive entertainment even if it’s not particularly original.
The film follows a police detective who becomes convinced that his wife’s suicide is in fact a staged murder carried out by a ruthless father-and-son duo of serial killers. It’s a pretty standard procedural drama with a revenge element that isn’t fully fleshed out and motivations that are pretty problematic if thought about in detail. As is the case in any film of the genre, there has to be a factor that connects the murders in the film, and the one that writer Giles Daoust chose to go with here isn’t very good. In fact, there’s a lot of implicit misogyny that is largely left unaddressed. The nature versus nurture stuff that the script does explore is good, but hardly enough to counteract its problems. And at under an hour and thirty minutes, absolutely everything feels rushed. The middle portion of the film is certainly most interesting, but viewers are rushed through that to get to a climax that is predictable and anticlimactic. Because the film doesn’t take the time to slow down, it doesn’t earn much of an emotional reaction.
Furthermore, the characters don’t have much in the way of personalities. The protagonist is motivated by the death of his wife and the need to protect his son, which are two of the most traditional motivations for a character in this situation, but they fail to elicit any but the most basic of sympathies from the audience.
That said, Shawn Ashmore does his best to scrounge something out of the material, and at times he does, delivering a performance that is legitimately believable. Gary Cole, on the other hand, fully embraces the schlocky nature of the script and goes very big, but it’s fitting for the character and is enormously fun to watch as a result. There are a few interesting shots throughout the film, many of which occur in the showdown finale, but as a whole, the film has a very muted style to it. If the film had leaned more heavily into some of the Western elements that obviously influenced it, it could have been a lot more entertaining. Darkness Falls is a competent film, but it doesn’t do enough to make it stand out in a genre that is already terribly bloated. Gary Cole does deserve another chance at playing the villain, though, as he is a great fit for the role. Darkness Falls hits VOD on June 12. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
A take on Bonnie and Clyde for the social media generation, Joshua Caldwell’s Infamous is about as annoying as one would expect from a derivative film with two barely charismatic stars. Even though it may be entirely well-intentioned, Caldwell’s movie pales in comparison to other recent modernizations of this myth.
The film follows two star-crossed lovers who long to escape their meager small-town living by setting out on a series of robberies and streaming them to social media, leading them to gain a devoted cult following. The movie doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and one character even repeatedly points out the numerous fallacies in the film’s logic. A big part of what keeps the movie from working is that the character development is extremely subpar. Bonnie and Clyde doesn’t work by glorifying the criminality of the characters — it is compelling because of the relationship they shared, and that element was, for the most part, a significant nonstarter here. The acting also didn’t do the film many favors. Bella Thorne has shown in the past that she can be somewhat charming if she’s given material with a comedic tinge to it. Unfortunately, she’s playing it too straight here, coming across as little more than another ex-Disney star trying to be edgy. Her co-star Jake Manley doesn’t fare much better either.
Another issue with the movie is that it feels long and repetitive. Even though the film is only an hour and forty minutes, the numerous robberies (with little differentiation in the way in which they are set up) fail to excite the audience after a certain point. Viewers will soon be desensitized to the stakes.
There are some interesting ideas on the surface about the negative influence that social media has on younger generations, but despite being integrally tied to the movie’s premise, it still manages to feel like an afterthought. Instead, the film feels like a shallow attack on the attention-hungry nature of youth in America. Caldwell’s movie also could have benefitted from some more consistency in terms of style and technique. There are some interesting sequences shot from the perspective of the social media videos, but they aren’t used often enough to have much impact. Other gimmicks, such as on-screen text, feel like desperate attempts to give the film an energy of any sort. Infamous is an unpleasant and honestly quite boring take on a story that has been committed to the screen many times before. If audiences are looking for a modernization of Bonnie and Clyde, it’s worth checking out last year’s much better (and insanely timely) Queen & Slim instead. Infamous hits VOD on June 12. Rating: 2/5
Review by Camden Ferrell
The British comedy-drama, Sometimes Always Never, serves as the feature directorial debut of Carl Hunter. This movie had its premiere back in 2018 at the London Film Festival. Even though the movie doesn’t make the most of its brief runtime, a confident and consistently strong Bill Nighy gives this movie a strong backbone.
After the disappearance of his son decades earlier after a heated game of Scrabble, Alan has spent years looking for him. When Alan needs to identify a body at a morgue, he is joined by his other son, Peter as they try and repair their damaged relationship. This premise is interesting, but it is most useful in giving its characters depth and long-lasting wounds that the film aims to explore throughout. Frank Cottrell Bryce’s script does a decent job of using these events to underly the main focus of this movie which is the character’s emotional baggage and their own interactions. Despite its fairly serious subject matter, the film’s protagonist is an avid Scrabble player, and this gives the film its own unique quirk. The game quickly becomes metaphorical in more ways than one, and it proves to be a creative way to establish character traits. The film succeeds in large part due to its performances. Bill Nighy plays Alan, and he is the driving force behind the movie. He plays a deeply troubled man, but the way the Nighy masks it through his affinity for Scrabble and his attitude towards his family is rather interesting. The film also benefits from the great supporting performance from Sam Riley who plays Alan’s son Peter. His rocky relationship with Nighy’s character is clearly strained, and both actors do a great job of portraying this turmoil.
The movie does aim to balance its comedy and drama with mixed results. Bryce’s script is undoubtedly witty, and Hunter does employ some quirky visual techniques, but there are times when its comedy can somewhat undermine the serious themes of the film. Luckily, the movie doesn’t go out of its way for a punchline, so the script does feel more natural as a result.
Hunter’s first outing as a feature film director is far from perfect, but it is definitely promising. He has a distinct visual style that sometimes evokes a rather famous idiosyncratic filmmaker. Some moments come off as derivative of an overused style, but there are some really creative visual choices that give the film a unique style. The biggest flaw with this film is how it allocates its brief ninety minutes. There is a subplot about Alan’s grandson and his love life (the title of the movie comes from these scenes), but it feels inconsequential to the events of the rest of the film. The movie doesn’t devote nearly enough time to Alan and Peter’s strained relationship or the long-term effects of trauma. This is a choice that makes the movie narratively inconsistent and somewhat shallow. Regardless, the movie does have enough virtues in its acting and visual style to overcome these shortcomings. Sometimes Always Never isn’t the profound family drama that it could have been, but it’s a sweet and simply story that is propelled by Nighy’s fantastic leading performance. It’s a promising albeit imperfect debut from Hunter, and it may be worth a watch upon release. Sometimes Always Never premieres via Virtual Cinema June 12. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The newest joint from the beloved and incendiary auteur Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods gives a voice to a group of veterans whose experiences so often go unheard in the media. But as is par for the course for Lee’s recent work, he takes this historical storyline and ties it to modern social issues in a fascinating and thought-provoking way.
The movie follows four African-American veterans who return to Vietnam searching for a stash of gold that they hid along with their fallen squad leader, whose remains they also hope to return to his family. It may not be the most original storyline (there are some overt homages to Apocalypse Now and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre), but the angle which Lee and his co-writers take is undeniably topical. Fans of Lee won’t be surprised to see some of the more overt jabs that Lee takes at the status quo. There’s a (very funny) recurring gag including “Make America Great Again” hats, among other jokes made at the expense of Trump supporters. That said, arguably the most impactful moments in the film are those that address the African-American community coming together in the face of adversity, a topic which is timely now more than ever. Part of what makes the movie so effective is the excellent relationship it builds between the four leads. All four actors — Delroy Lindo, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Clarke Peters, and Norm Lewis — do a great job and have excellent chemistry together, but Lindo in particular is a standout with a performance that is wonderfully nuanced and emotional. He has a few soliloquies in the film that are amazing and will stand out among the year’s best scenes.
At over two and a half hours, the movie does run a bit long, and there are some obvious areas that could have been slimmed down. A storyline involving a mine clearance organization falls flat, and the external conflict of a group of Vietnamese mercenaries looking for the same gold feels forced.
This time could have been better used serving other storylines that are underdeveloped, such as the relationship between Lindo’s character and his son (played by the always excellent Jonathan Majors) or the flashbacks featuring the four characters with their squad leader (a sadly underused Chadwick Boseman). Still, the film never fails to entertain, and it consistently has the emotional impact that Lee intends. The movie features many of the techniques that Lee has been experimenting with in his recent films, and while that does lead to it feeling like a Spike Lee greatest hits collection, it proves that the director still has plenty to say and knows how to say it. The soundtrack featuring music by Marvin Gaye is also a killer. Da 5 Bloods may not be quite as outside-the-box as some of Lee’s most iconic joints, but he’s still a brilliant filmmaker, and it shows. This is a riveting and timely watch, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to boot. Da 5 Bloods streams on Netflix beginning June 12. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Capitalizing on the popularity of Game of Thrones alum Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, director Jonas Alexander Arnby’s Exit Plan is perhaps the most ambitious of these starring vehicles yet. Perfectly taking advantage of Coster-Waldau’s talents while offering an intriguing sci-fi premise, this film is much more thoughtful than one would initially expect.
The film follows an insurance investigator who, in the midst of an existential crisis of his own, begins to investigate a claim involving a mysterious hotel that specializes in assisted suicides. It’s an intriguing sci-fi premise that seems almost like something one would see in an episode of Black Mirror because of its eerie but somber and meditative tone. Perhaps the biggest success of this film is its ability to get the audience in the headspace of the protagonist. Over the course of the film, he starts to lose his grip on reality, trying to understand the nuances of life and death. Ultimately, what the film seems to want the audience to take away is that it is impossible to truly comprehend these processes and it’s futile to try. There are also some very interesting conversations in the film, aided by some extremely strong dialogue, that will undoubtedly provoke thought. One of the best scenes in the film features one of the “stand-ins” who helps create the “perfect death” for the guests of the hotel as she discusses the superficial feelings and desires that people experience as they exit this world.
Coster-Waldau is absolutely brilliant in his leading role, giving a performance that is much more nuanced than anything else he has done since his most reliable source of income has come to an end. Perhaps the biggest mistake being made by Hollywood is typecasting him as an action star, as this film proves that he has greater potential in offering dramatic turns.
Arnby does a good job of immersing the viewer in the dreamlike world of the film. This is particularly important in the second half, which is set in the hotel, but there are subtle and effective cues in the production design and cinematography sprinkled throughout the film to make the viewer feel like they are a part of this not-too-distant future. That said, one of the film’s missed opportunities is that it doesn’t really explore the ethics of assisted suicide with much depth. This is a very hot-button topic, with some cultures being much more accepting of it than others, so it’s disappointing that writer Ramsus Birch didn’t take more time to flesh out these ideas more thoroughly. Exit Plan is an impressive work of high-concept sci-fi that is sure to please fans of the genre. If nothing else, hopefully this will lead Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to get taken seriously as an actor and get more meaty roles like this. Exit Plan hits VOD on June 12. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Centered around one of the most obscure holidays tackled by Hulu’s Into the Dark series yet, Pet Appreciation Week, the June “episode” Good Boy is also one of the most entertaining entries yet. Like a devilish mix of Cujo and Gremlins, this horror deconstruction of the dog movie is somehow both fun and thoughtful.
The film follows a journalist who, after a round of layoffs at her publication, decides to adopt an emotional support animal, only to discover that he may be a bit too good at his job, viciously killing anyone who adds extra stress to her life. It’s just as insane as it sounds, and it works a lot as a killer metaphor for the dangers of poor stress management. What is most surprising about the film is that, beneath all of the wacky horror-comedy fun, there is some legitimate substance here. Although a Me Too storyline feels underdeveloped, the rest of the film does a very good job of handling the topics it addresses, particularly when the film tackles issues of mental health. Part of what makes the film connect so well is its excellent character development. Maggie is a very likable protagonist and her arc, while predictable, is super compelling. The relationship she has with her dog serves as a wonderful center to the film. Even the obligatory romantic subplot is really effective at adding to the film’s characterization and overall message.
Of course, some of the credit has to be given to the enormously talented Judy Greer, who has finally gotten a role worthy of her skills. Her foundations in comedy serve the character well, but it’s obvious that she has the potential to be a great horror star for this generation. Her performance here is zany in all the right ways.
And yet, despite the clearly humorous nature of the film (the absurd premise should say it all), there are some shockingly intense moments to be found here. In small bursts, it’s extremely brutal, which is all the more surprising (and refreshing) given the typically tamer stuff that Blumhouse produces. On a technical level, the film looks significantly better than a majority of the theatrically-released horror films that are released. There’s a quirky visual style here, the colorful backgrounds of the shots contrasted starkly with the darkly gory kills. The special effects even look pretty great, setting this as one of the best entries in the series. Thanks to a creative premise executed in a bloody and ingenious fashion, Good Boy is a thoroughly amusing cross-genre treat. Even though it seems like an unlikely candidate on paper, it’s one of the more inspired Into the Dark films yet. Into the Dark: Good Boy streams on Hulu beginning June 12. Rating: 4.5/5 |
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