|
Review by Camden Ferrell  Nearly 40 years after the release of Stanley Kubrick’s classic horror film The Shining, audiences will get to return to that world once again. Based on King’s best-selling novel of the same name, Doctor Sleep is a sequel to the fateful events that happened at the Overlook Hotel. This is a thrilling and satisfying adaptation that should please fans of both the film and books. This movie takes place over many years and follows Danny Torrance as an adult. He’s a recovering alcoholic who meets a young girl who also has the ability to shine. Danny then learns that he must protect her from an evil cult that feeds off of those who shine. This is an entirely different type of story than The Shining, and it feels completely fresh and original because of it. I was a fan of the book, but it was one that seemed difficult to adapt for the screen, but writer and director Mike Flanagan (Gerald’s Game) does a marvelous job of condensing the story and adapting it for film. It’s a more thorough and ambitious story he aims to tell, and with King’s source material, he does a great job of doing so. This movie is led by Ewen McGregor (Trainspotting) who plays an adult Danny. He does a great job of understanding the depth of his characters. He battles with his demons, both real and supernatural in a way that feels very rooted in reality. He carries many of the scenes in the movie and is a rather engaging actor to watch in this role.  Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible series) gives an impressive turn as the antagonist and leader of the cult. She is beautifully frightening, and she gives a powerful and screeching performance that elevates all of her scenes and creates a formidable threat to the protagonists. The movie also features Kyliegh Curran in her first major role, playing the young girl with the shining. She does a passable job alongside her co-stars, and even if it seems underwhelming, it shows promise for this young star.
What’s great about this movie is how it seamlessly unites both King’s and Kubrick’s version of The Shining. It pays homage to both and continues its sequel with a similar spirit that will please all horror fans. It also features plenty of small details and references for fans of the Doctor Sleep novel. There are plenty of unique touches from Flanagan that make this movie feel more fleshed out and enjoyable. It’s a surprisingly human story about trauma and addiction that give this movie a more profound subtext. The movie also succeeds in all of its unpredictable and shocking moments. Almost all of the film’s final act deviates significantly from the book in a way that is pleasing and surprising at the same time. Even if the creative choices can undermine some of the subtle character development, it makes up for it by being continuously original and frightening. Even though it is over two and a half hours long, thanks to the fast pace and confident direction, it goes by very quickly. Doctor Sleep is a worthy successor and a sequel done right. It has great performances, scares, and plenty of surprises. Doctor Sleep is in theaters everywhere November 8th. Rating: 4/5
0 Comments
ADOPT A HIGHWAY -- Ethan Hawke Delivers a Fantastic and Compassionate Performance as an Ex-Con10/31/2019 Review by Camden Ferrell  Adopt a Highway is a drama film that premiered earlier this year at the South by Southwest Film Festival. This movie is the directorial debut of actor Logan Marshall-Green (Upgrade). What the movie lacks in compelling plot-driven narrative is more than made up for by yet another masterful performance from Ethan Hawke. This film follows Russell Millings, an ex-convict who was a victim of California’s three strike policy. He was robbed of decades of his life due to a minor drug charge. Upon his release from prison, he tries to navigate his new environment when he finds a baby who was abandoned in a dumpster. The movie takes its fish out of water premise to human levels and distinguishes itself in the process. The script by Marshall-Green is a mostly unobjectionable. It’s a reflective character study with a hint of social commentary spread throughout. It revels a lot in its minimalist exchanges, but it really succeeds in how it develops Hawke’s character through actions rather than words. It’s a modest script, but it’s one that works well with the premise. The obvious highlight of the film is Hawke’s (First Reformed) performance. It’s become very clear that he is one of the most talented actors working today, and this more subtle role is a testament to his own abilities. He embodies the character in a very realistic way that can feel heartbreakingly real at times. He interacts well with the cast, especially the baby he finds in the dumpster. It’s a fantastic performance that practically defines this movie.  The movie also does say a lot in its parallels between its protagonist and the baby he finds. Marshall-Green meditates on the idea of a stolen life, of robbed opportunities, and uncertainty. At heart, Hawke’s character is still a boy despite what his appearance would suggest. It’s a life that, despite being a victim to society, still has some compassion left in it. This is an emotional message that Marshall-Green attempts to make.
However, this movie does make some surprising choices with its narrative. It goes in unexpected directions that aren’t necessarily bad, but somewhat disappointing. There is a definite turning point in the film where it seems to become significantly less engaging. Hawke remains electric, but the pace severely drags, and the plot feels aimless too often. Despite this, its final act does have one special moment that is achingly beautiful. It is achieved through the superb acting of Hawke and the development of his character over the course of the film. Even though the film doesn’t even clock in at 90 minutes, it still makes a somewhat efficient use of its time. Adopt a Highway is not a compelling plot-driven narrative, but a quiet and thoughtful character study. This movie shows promise for Marshall-Green as a director and serves as another showcase for Hawke. Adopt a Highway is available on VOD on November 1st. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Sean Boelman  Courtesy of Cohen Media Group. Serendipity, directed by artist-turned-filmmaker Prune Nourry, is a personal and captivating look at a difficult period in Nourry’s life. Quite possibly one of the best documentaries of the year so far, this film delivers as both an evaluation of what it means to be an artist and what it means to be human. The movie follows Nourry after she receives a breast cancer diagnosis, expressing her feelings through her art dealing with femininity and female fertility. Although plenty of documentaries have dealt with diseases and how they affect artists, none has been as effective and intimate as this, largely because the film is, intrinsically, a work of Nourry’s art. Over the course of the movie, viewers will come to admire Nourry, not only for her artistic bravery and ingenuity, but also for the courage and perseverance she shows despite the major obstacle which she is facing. Viewers who have a personal connection to breast cancer, whether themselves or a loved one, will likely find themselves moved by Nourry’s experiences and how well she was able to express her emotions regarding them. The film also offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Nourry’s art. The two storylines (her work and her experiences with cancer) often intersect, but they also work well on their own. Sequences depicting the preparations that Nourry makes for her various multimedia exhibitions are enchanting and wonderfully-made.  Courtesy of Cohen Media Group. Nourry’s statements about femininity and female empowerment are definitely intriguing and thought-provoking. The movie allows some very interesting insight into Nourry’s creative process and what she wants to say with her work. Since Nourry directed the film herself, she is able to effectively guide the audience to her message in this way.
If anything, there is enough story in this movie for it to have been much longer. Clocking in at under an hour and fifteen minutes, this film breezes by, particularly if one is able to connect with the subject and her story. Certain sequences could have spared to be expanded, but the movie is nonetheless very impressive given that Nourry is not a filmmaker first. As one would expect, the film is very accomplished on a visual level. Likely due to her work as a visual artist, Nourry has a keen eye for composition, and much of the movie is absolutely beautiful to look at. Even the medical shots in the film feel elegant and beautiful. Additionally, the movie’s use of music is quite unique, adding to the overall style and mood of the piece. Both an art documentary and a cancer documentary, Serendipity bites off a whole lot to chew, but somehow, it manages to be a revelatory experience. Equal parts beautiful and moving, this will likely go down as one of 2019’s most underseen films. Serendipity is now playing in theaters. Rating: 5/5 Review by Sean Boelman  Jane Birkin as Johnny and Joe Dallesandro as Krassky in Serge Gainsbourg's JE T'AIME MOI NON PLUS. Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus is an unorthodox romance, the directorial debut of French filmmaker and musician Serge Gainsbourg. Receiving a re-release in a new restoration, this is a film that purposefully and unabashedly defies convention, but in a way that is often shocking and frequently entertaining. The movie follows a tomboyish waitress who falls in love with a gay garbage truck driver, causing his partner to become jealous. Although this plot is somewhat problematic by today’s standards, this film was originally released in 1976, at which time it would have been a surprising exploration of an aspect of sexuality that wasn’t often discussed, much less portrayed on-screen. In terms of pacing, the movie definitely won’t appeal to most audiences. By no means is this a traditional romance, the purpose of the film very much being to make the viewer uncomfortable to an extent that the movie can be very hard to watch at times. That said, Gainsbourg’s direct approach to the story is interesting and thought-provoking, to say the least. In a few instances, the film does seem like it leans a bit too heavily on shock value, but those who are familiar with Gainsbourg’s music (which is sometimes very sexually explicit) will likely be unsurprised by this. However, it never feels as if Gainsbourg is exploiting the sexuality on screen, but instead, like he is portraying it in an honest (and brutal) way.  Jane Birkin as Johnny in Serge Gainsbourg's JE T'AIME MOI NON PLUS. Gainsbourg’s use of characterization in the movie is also quite unique. Although all three of the characters have characteristics with which the audience can identify, the film never takes one particular character’s side. Instead, Gainsbourg focuses on the dynamic between the three leads as broken individuals linked by the lust that unites them and divides them in equal measure.
The three leads of the movie, Jane Birkin, Joe Dallesandro, and Hugues Quester, have very good chemistry together, selling the love triangle aspect of the film. Birkin, likely the most well-known of the cast, does a great job of carrying the movie. Her subtle emotion, even in the film’s more over-the-top sequences, goes quite a long way. On a technical level, the movie is very impressive thanks to Gainsbourg’s unique style. Since Gainsbourg was a musician before becoming a filmmaker, the use of music in the film is key. The score (composed by Gainsbourg) is wonderful, both fitting the movie quite well and functioning as a musically complex piece on its own. Gainsbourg’s visual style is also richly detailed and artistic. An interesting step into the past, Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus certainly won’t be for everyone, but it is a film that is unique in both form and content. Hopefully the other three movies in Gainsbourg’s filmography will also receive a restoration soon. Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus is now playing in theaters. Rating: 4/5 Review by Sean Boelman  “The Elephant Queen,” premiering November 1 on Apple TV+. The Elephant Queen, directed by Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone, is a new nature documentary exploring the African savannah. Although it lacks the charm and narrative rhythm characteristic of other animal-centric documentaries, the film is watchable thanks to some absolutely gorgeous visuals. Ultimately, perhaps the biggest thing working against this movie is its title. Audiences will go in expecting a film about elephants, when in reality, it is actually an exploration of the larger role that the eponymous creature plays in the ecosystem of the African savannah. While a significant portion of the story does follow an elephant and her family, there are multiple sidebars that don’t add particularly much to the movie. Some of these sidebars, such as one involving foam nest tree frogs, present some interesting information of which most audience members (particularly the younger ones) may not be aware. That said, other portions of the film feel extremely derivative, simply redoing a narrative that has been done many times before in nature films and television. Because of this very uneven narrative, the movie feels much slower than it likely should. With nature documentaries, the filmmakers are constructing a cinematic story from the hours of footage they shoot of their subjects. It is truly a disappointment that, with footage this wonderful, Deeble and Stone were unable to make something more compelling and entertaining.  “The Elephant Queen,” premiering November 1 on Apple TV+. As one would expect, the nature photography that is on show in this documentary is astonishing. Featuring both wonderfully detailed close-ups and sprawling landscape shots, the creative team behind this movie really knew what they were doing in capturing the beauties of the savannah. Even if one is unable to get absorbed into the storyline, it would be nearly impossible not to be fascinated by the visuals.
Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor provides a very neutral narration to the film, and while it doesn’t have a ton of energy, it does lend the movie a feeling of elegance and grace. More akin to Planet Earth than Disneynature, Ejiofor’s narration seems crafted more to deliver information than to entertain. As a relatively recognizable name, Ejiofor is likely to be one of the film’s biggest draws for casual viewers. However, the movie’s main success is in giving the audience an admiration for the natural order of the world. In a way that is more effective than most other similar films that came before, this movie really emphasizes the balance in the ecosystem and how every organism has their role to play. If viewers come away from the film learning one thing, it should be this. The Elephant Queen is not the most entertaining nature documentary, yet it is redeemed by some beautiful cinematography. Full of breathtaking shots of the African savannah, this is little more than eye candy, but good eye candy at that. The Elephant Queen will be available on Apple TV+ at launch on November 1. Rating: 3/5 |