Review by Sean Boelman

Every year, there are a handful of would-be prestige pictures released just under the wire before the turn of the calendar signals the beginning of a new awards cycle. More often than not, these campaigns seem to be more out of obligation than the film genuinely earning it, and that is the case with Munich — The Edge of War, a passable thriller elevated by a solid cast.

Based on Robert Harris’s novel, the movie follows a British diplomat who, during the rise of Adolf Hitler, finds himself at the center of potential peace negotiations when a former classmate of his who is working for the German government begins to question his allegiance. In terms of espionage thrillers, it’s very by-the-numbers, with a lot of boardroom talk and very little action.

Perhaps the most fundamental flaw of the film is the fact that these events didn’t really have all that much effect on the eventual onset of World War II, and yet the movie expects the audience to believe that they did. It’s really just a bunch of proceedings that amounted to little more than an insignificant formality, not the precursor to war that they would have the viewer think.

There have been so many films now about “good Nazis” who turn against the tyraniccal ways of the Third Reich, and at this point the message has become old. It would take a very fresh perspective on the dilemma of deciding between patriotism and morality for it to be interesting, and Ben Power’s script does not offer that.

What Power does bring to the table is an interesting angle on British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who is one of the more controversial political figures in history. The lead characters are stale and underdeveloped, but it is this depiction of Chamberlain as a conflicted man, torn between the expectations of a country and what he knows but is unable to say, that allows the movie to stand out.

Jeremy Irons gives a performance that is one of, if not the single best he has given in his career. Every time he is on screen is absolutely electric, commanding the viewer to watch him rather than anything else happening on screen. George MacKay is the other notable star in the film, although his role isn’t as substantial or memorable.

From a technical level, the movie is competent even if it does leave something to be desired. The production design does a good job of setting the time period, but what is missing is a strong mood. For a film that is set largely behind closed doors, the movie fails to create a sense of claustrophobia. Only one scene, the first in which the audience sees Hitler, is adequately suspenseful.

Munich — The Edge of War has an elevated sense of self-importance, and that is what drags it down. Ultimately, it’s just a very average espionage thriller with a strong supporting performance and an intriguing take on a well-known politician.

Munich — The Edge of War hits theaters on December 31 and Netflix on January 21.

Rating: 3/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

Tsai Ming-linag is a renowned director based in Taiwan and is considered one of the region’s most accomplished filmmakers. He has directed numerous features and short films in a career spanning across four different decades. One of his most well-received films, Goodbye, Dragon Inn, released in 2003, is receiving a 4K restoration and release as this calendar year closes. While the film is a sincere ode to the movie theater experience, its execution is slow and deliberate in a way that may put off potential viewers.
 
The Fu-Ho Grand is a movie palace in Taipei that is about to permanently shut their doors. In its final screening, the theater shows the 1967 wuxia film Dragon Inn. As the movie plays, we see the lives of an array of patrons and employees intersect. It’s a very simple premise that could serve as the foundation for thematic exploration and promising character interaction.
 
While it’s clear that the movie comes from a place of love, its execution leaves a lot to be desired. Its dialogue is absolutely minimal and while this makes sense for many characters given the setting, it doesn’t give the viewer much to latch onto. Even though all of the action on screen has a purpose, there’s nothing to supplement it, and the movie feels bloated as a result. The minimal action can only say so much, and when a large chunk of the film’s runtime is spent in these long takes, its message loses its impact. I think some more in-depth dialogue in the scenes outside the theater could have fleshed out these interesting characters in a more entertaining way. 

The actors are fine throughout although there isn’t much for them to do outside of acting like themselves. Any characters with interesting arcs or backstories don’t do anything impressive and further contribute to the occasional hollowness that plagues the entire film. While the movie is short, I would have preferred a longer film that gave more depth and personality to its ensemble. Certain characters had really interesting roles that could have been expanded on and made the film feel more complete and rewarding.
 
The cast of characters include a ticket taker, a projectionist, an eccentric tourist, and also actors from the film being screened. Without revealing any details about these characters, each of them could have had engaging arcs that could have further cemented the film’s themes in a memorable and captivating way. However, the film is content with merely observing and trying to find beauty in its mundanity, gracing the audience with only a glimpse of genius every once in a while.
 
As mentioned before, Goodbye, Dragon Inn is an ode to the movie-going experience. It explains this sentiment perfectly, and the film is made with genuine passion, but it does it in a way that ultimately feels pretentious. This is unfortunate for a movie with a legitimately uplifting yet bittersweet sentiment that billions of people can relate to. It’s poetic, but it’s a poem that you’ll either love or feel indifferent towards.
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Goodbye, Dragon Inn is available in select theaters and streaming through Metrograph December 31.
 
Rating: 2.5/5

Review by Sean Boelman

With a career that has spanned more than thirty years, Pedro Almodóvar is one of the most acclaimed Spanish-language filmmakers of all time. His newest film, Parallel Mothers, is yet another starring his frequent collaborator Penélope Cruz, and unsurprisingly, he again guides her to one of the best performances of her career.

The film follows two mothers who give birth on the same day as their lives become unexpectedly intertwined. Most of Almodóvar’s film’s are melodramatic, almost feeling like a better-made telenovela. It’s very twisty, and while the plot points are on the predictable side, the filmmaker’s skill makes the film resonant nevertheless.

One of the drawbacks of the film is its pacing. All of Almodóvar’s work requires a great deal of patience, but this one takes even more time than usual to reveal its hand. Part of what makes it frustrating is that the audience knows exactly where the film is heading, and yet it tries to play it off as a surprise.

Furthermore, the film doesn’t really connect all of its pieces until the final act. The first two thirds are compelling, but leave the viewer wondering exactly why they are watching it. And then the last thirty minutes is exceptional, tying everything together in a way that is enormously profound. The final image of the film is without a doubt one of the finest of the year.

The film does a very good job of building the characters in a way that is fascinating and complex. One of Almodóvar’s strengths is that he takes these stories that seem so ridiculous and makes them feel extremely human. Even though the characters don’t always make the most likable decisions, the audience still sympathizes with them.

The absolute highlight of the film is Penélope Cruz’s performance. Each of the three acts calls for something very different from her, and she pulls off all of them while making it feel like a cohesive performance. And her chemistry with junior actress Milena Smit, who also holds her own, is excellent.

On a technical level, the film has Almodóvar’s usual style of hyperrealism to the point of looking artificial. It’s this constant fluctuation between the real and the fake which drives both the story and its execution. And the cinematography by José Luis Alcaine is exceptional, especially during the more symbolic second half.

Parallel Mothers might be one of Almodóvar’s weaker works to date, but even his lesser attempts are still thoroughly impressive. It’s worth watching for Penélope Cruz’s turn if nothing else, as it is extraordinary in every sense.

Parallel Mothers is now playing in theaters.

​Rating: 4/5

Review by Sean Boelman

Initially, nature documentaries may seem simple given that so many of their shots are done from afar, but the reality is that they are some of the most complex films around. Marie Amiguet and Vincent Munier’s The Velvet Queen is a perfect example of why, a gorgeous and often awe-inspiring movie.

The film follows a wildlife photographer and a novelist who set out on a quest in the Tibetan plateau attempting to spot the elusive snow leopard. Although watching people watch wildlife may not sound like it is the most cinematic story on paper, Amiguet does an excellent job of finding the narrative thread to carry it through.

One of the things that really drives this story is the relationship between the two human subjects. The movie pairs two people who are highly experienced in this world, a wildlife photographer and an adventurer, and their love for nature is infectious. And yet, despite both of them being very skilled in what they do, the film doesn’t feel inaccessible at all.

Of course, the main draw of the movie is not the people — it’s the animals. The film mythicizes the snow leopard in a way that makes us fall in love with the species’s breathtaking elegance. There is a certain level of mystery to the big cat because of the fact that its habitat is so secluded and that it is such a reclusive species, and the movie really leans into that.

However, with that also comes a lot of waiting. The subjects of the film are very patient in their search for the snow leopard, but the movie does not demand the same patience of the viewer. Instead, we get to see and learn about some of the other animals that share the ecosystem with the eponymous creature.

There is a lot to be said in the film about the fleeting nature of natural beauty, which lends the movie some implicit environmentalist themes. One of the film’s main messages is about human interference in the ecosystem. These questions directly relate to the subjects trying to catch a glimpse of the snow leopard, but can also be applied to the bigger picture.

Of course, the movie is also absolutely gorgeous in the way it was shot. The nature cinematography is phenomenal, shot predominantly from afar because of the difficulties of approaching the snow leopard up close. However, the techniques used by the filmmakers make it feel intimate nonetheless.

The Velvet Queen is a great nature documentary that is impressive in its quietude. All of the elements come together here to create a movie that is absolutely breathtaking, both visually and in what it does narratively.

The Velvet Queen is now in theaters.

​Rating: 4/5

Review by Sean Boelman

The cinema is no stranger to Shakespeare adaptations, as many filmmakers over the years have attempted to bring the work of the Bard to the screen with varying degrees of success. It’s a difficult line to toy — being faithful to the source material while still interpreting it for a modern audience — and Joel Coen does it perfectly with his version of “The Scottish Play”.

The movie tells Shakespeare’s classic story of a Scottish lord who receives a vision of three witches who tell him he is destined to become King, causing him to become a tyrant mad with power. It’s a story that has been done many times before, both directly and through reimaginings like Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, and Coen’s take on the work is direct in terms of scripting but artistically distinctive. 

One of the most distinctive things about this play in particular is Shakespeare’s breakneck pacing, and Coen preserves that. There aren’t many subplots to be found, and so the audience is mesmerized as Coen weaves Shakespeare’s intricate web of double-crosses and deceit. The only scene which strays from this line is the perplexing Porter scene, brought to life here hexingly by Stephen Root.

In what was a brilliant decision, Coen does not modernize the Shakespearean language whatsoever, nor does he try to make the themes feel new. But it is not the way in which it is written that the film is distinctive, but the way in which it is directed. Everything about the movie is done as if it was a psychological horror, which will get audiences invested in the story.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the film is the way in which it is shot by Coen. Much of the movie was shot on soundstages, which gives it a surreal, artificial look. The result is a nightmarish feel that is more haunting than any other adaptation of this work has been. And the sound design is certainly among the best of the year.

With how closely Coen sticks to the text, the characters work as well as they ever do. The Thane of Glamis is a wonderfully complex character, morphing from valiant hero to detestable tyrant. And while Denzel Washignton may have been an unorthodox choice for the character given that he is older than usual for those who portray the Thane, he brings an extraordinary vigor to the character.

The ensemble of the film is also exceptional. Frances McDormand gives an unhinged, sweeping performance as the Lady, but it’s rousing in every sense of the word. Corey Hawkins surprisingly steals the show as Macduff, absolutely radiating cool. And other notable turns come from Alex Hassell, Brendan Gleeson, and Harry Melling.

With his adaptation of such an iconic work, Joel Coen has managed to stick to what everyone knows while still making it feel unique with his style. It’s a truly mesmerizing watch, and one of the finest Shakespeare films of all time.

Joel Coen’s version of “The Scottish Play” hits theaters on December 25 and Apple TV+ on January 14.

Rating: 5/5