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Review by Joseph Fayed  Vicky Krieps as “Empress Elisabeth of Austria” in Marie Kreutzer’s CORSAGE. Courtesy of Robert M. Brandstaetter. An IFC Films Release. Imagine a period piece featuring a protagonist who may or may not feel more like an outsider than they do a member of royalty. Imagine a screenplay that reminds you that women have dealt with the same societal expectations for centuries. Writer-director Marie Kreutzer uses both approaches to tell the story she chooses to tell in Corsage. The film follows Empress Elisabeth of Austria, played by Vicky Krieps, as she turns 40 and deals with her image to both the public and those who know her the best. Elisabeth's marriage is falling apart, she is told she needs to lose weight, and she becomes depressed. Despite the many supportive figures in her life, Elisabeth still struggles with these pressures and constantly searches for a feeling of liberation. The most effective part of the historical fiction drama was its emphasis on multiple aspects of Elisabeth's life. Being told over a year of Elisabeth's life helps the story feel less stagnant. While Elisabeth may have lived an interesting life, one aspect of it being at the center of this film would easily make her character one-dimensional. While that pacing may be unsatisfactory to some viewers, each title card with a different date is like another act beginning, and Elisabeth's 40th year of life comes full circle by the end.  Vicky Krieps as “Empress Elisabeth of Austria” in Marie Kreutzer’s CORSAGE. Courtesy of Robert M. Brandstaetter. An IFC Films Release. Vicky Krieps's performance carries this film. Having held her own acting alongside some great talents in the past, Krieps has fun with her character by making her seem more eccentric. She is not overtly quirky, yet there are moments where her presence feels like it belongs in a dark comedy. Elisabeth is acted as an out-of-place millennial in 19th-century Austria, and here it works.
Many comparisons between this film and Marie Antoinette have been made, but this is a very different film beyond the surface level. Sure, both films feature modern music in their score, but Corsage places more of an emphasis on aging defiantly than acting out of defiance. Now that she is considered "old" by beauty standards, we see Elisabeth as a character with no holds barred against those who judge her social status. Why she chooses to act out is a large part of the story's appeal. Corsage is an ode to nobody despite its historical influences. But it's the characterization of Empress Elisabeth that will have your attention over its historical inaccuracies. Corsage is now playing in theaters. Rating: 3/5
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SCARE PACKAGE II: RAD CHAD'S REVENGE -- Fun and Campy Anthology Horror With a Strong Framing Device12/22/2022 Review by Sean Boelman  Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge is the long-awaited sequel to the cult-favorite anthology horror film, and creator Aaron B. Koontz has promised that it will be bigger, better, and funnier. Tailor-made for the Shudder subscriber base, an audience that thrives on meta-commentary and movie references, this is a movie made by horror fans for horror fans. Set after the events of the first movie, this anthology film follows the attendees of the funeral of video store owner Rad Chad as it devolves into something much more sinister. Made up of four segments, each directed by an up-and-coming indie horror filmmaker, this serves as a showcase for some of the most exciting voices in the future of horror. The first segment of the anthology, “Welcome to the ‘90s,” is undoubtedly the most interesting. It’s a bit unfortunate that it had to come out in the same year as another ‘90s-themed anthology horror flick (V/H/S/99), but this parody of slasher tropes offers plenty of satisfying carnage and some witty and insightful laughs. Unfortunately, the second segment, “The Night He Came Back Again! Part VI: The Night She Came Back,” uses the same inspiration — slasher flicks — and is significantly less effective. “Special Edition,” is the odd one out of the bunch — the only one that tries to be genuinely scary, but too messy to work.  The finale (if one can even call it that — because the film continues on for another fifteen minutes after the final segment), “We’re So Dead,” pulls its inspiration from several movies. Although it’s pretty entertaining, it feels like more of a setup for a game of Where’s Waldo? of horror references than an actual horror story.
However, what stands out about this film is that the star of the show is not the anthology segments, but the framing device. The connective tissue takes up at least half of the runtime — if not more. And that portion of the movie, a comedic riff on the Saw series, is more fun than anything else the film has to offer. As is the case with the first movie, there is a heavy emphasis on practical effects and gore, and they’re quite impressive. The film’s aesthetic is also very retro and almost grimy, paying homage to the VHS era to which the movie obviously owes so much of its existence. It’s enjoyably campy, which is exactly what an anthology horror film needs to be memorable. Although the segments themselves aren’t anything special, the framing device makes Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge one of the most successful anthology films in the history of the format. It’s a fun little movie with plenty of laughs and awesome practical effects to satisfy horror fans. Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge is now streaming on Shudder. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Christian Bale as Augustus Landor in The Pale Blue Eye. Credit: Scott Garfield/Netflix © 2022.
Based on the novel by Louis Bayard, the horror-tinged mystery The Pale Blue Eye is a passion project for filmmaker Scott Cooper — one that he has been trying to have realized for several years at this point. While the film is far from his strongest, Cooper’s strong craftsmanship allows it to be an immersive viewing experience nevertheless.
The movie follows a world-weary detective hired to investigate the vicious murder of a West Point cadet, enlisting the help of another cadet by the name of Edgar Allan Poe. Interestingly enough, this is the second film this year with this premise — after Shudder’s Raven’s Hollow — but this one feels much less like fanfiction. Ultimately, the biggest weakness of the movie is that the mystery being investigated isn’t all that interesting. The ways in which it integrates grisly murders that, within the film world, “inspired” the works of Poe is intriguing, but the actual meat of the case surrounding it struggles to be as compelling. That said, Scott Cooper is such a master at building atmosphere that it doesn’t matter if the mystery isn’t intriguing. Even if the viewer isn’t hooked by the story itself, they will be drawn in by the cinematography, costuming, and visual effects that create a macabre world for these characters to exist in. 
(L to R) Christian Bale as Augustus Landor and Harry Melling as Edgar Allen Poe in The Pale Blue Eye. Credit: Scott Garfield/Netflix © 2022.
Still, the slow-burn pacing is likely to put off some viewers. And even when the movie does reveal its hand and the mystery is fully unraveled, the payoff doesn’t feel as big as it should. Although a lot happens in the story, none of the events have enough of a consequence to create any legitimate stakes.
Christian Bale is meant to be the hero of the film, playing the gruff detective investigating the murder, and it’s a performance not too dissimilar from many of the others he has delivered before. That’s not to say it’s a bad turn — he’s quite good at playing this archetype — but it definitely feels like watching Christian Bale investigating the crime rather than the character he plays. However, the more interesting performance comes from Harry Melling, who plays Poe as a West Point cadet. Melling shows us a very different side of the poet. Rather than the emo loner or introverted hero that he has been shown as in the past, the movie shows him as a quirky weirdo, and Melling perfectly captures those eccentricities. The Pale Blue Eye is sure to have plenty of detractors citing its slow pacing and inconsequential story. But for those who are a fan of Scott Cooper’s moody, brooding style of horror, this is sure to be an interesting exercise in atmosphere, if nothing else. The Pale Blue Eye hits theaters on December 23 and streams on Netflix beginning January 6. Rating: 4/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Japanese filmmaker who has been making movies for decades, even winning a Palme d’Or for 2018’s Shoplifters. His newest movie, Broker, is his first Korean movie and features a cast of acclaimed Korean actors and actresses. This movie had its premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Best Actor Award for Song Kang-ho. Like his previous movies, this film is a steady and emotional journey that will often tug at your heartstrings. Sang-hyeon and Dong-soo work together on an illegal operation where they will steal babies from a church’s baby box and sell them to prospective parents. However, So-young is a yong woman who leaves her baby one night and returns shortly after. She learns of this whole operation and sets out on a journey with them to find the baby new parents. This is a very interesting premise that involves elements that I’ve never really seen talked about in movies. Kore-eda’s writing is as reflective as always. He has an interesting way of taking multiple characters and letting their personalities and desires slowly unfold over the course of the movie, and this movie is no exception. It is quite subtle at developing its characters even when the dialogue can be a little too straightforward. There are some really interesting ideas and unique perspectives on common themes that allow this to stand out from an emotional standpoint.  The acting throughout this movie is also quite impressive. Led by the reliable Song Kang-ho, this cast of characters is as endearing as they are relatable. They’re all flawed individuals, but they bring such humanity to the story. Song is fantastic as Sang-hyeon, and Gang Dong-won does a great job co-starring as Sang-hyeon’s right hand man. Lee Ji-Eun also gives a troubled yet captivating performance as So-young, elegantly capturing the complex emotions that come with giving your child away.
Despite everything working in its favor, including the gorgeous cinematography, the movie still is far from perfect. This is mostly due to the different storylines that the film juggles which can sometimes be unbalanced and throw off the pacing of the final product. Its main storyline is fantastic and is firing on all cylinders, but the other elements that it shares screen time with don’t always pack the same emotional punch or plot progression. Broker is a great film with great performances. Kore-eda’s first Korean film is captivating and incredibly emotional. It has his signature emotion and steady pace, and his ensemble plays extremely well off each other. Fans of Shoplifters are going to love his newest movie and the themes he explores quite well in the movie’s run time. Broker is in theaters December 26. Rating: 4/5 Review by Sean Boelman  Although most documentary awards tend to go to flashier documentaries made by higher-profile filmmakers, there are often hidden gems that go under the radar. Trevor Frost and Melissa Lesh’s Wildcat is one such movie, telling an extraordinarily compelling story in more ways than one. The film follows a young soldier struggling with PTSD and depression as he finds a second chance when he gets the opportunity to foster an orphaned baby ocelot in the Amazon rainforest. It’s a story that almost seems too specific to be compelling, but it is also those stories that are unknown that are the most unexpectedly riveting. For much of the movie’s opening, it seems as if it is going to be something really conventional, but at a certain point, it becomes clear that there is much more to this story than it initially let on. The overall arc is a tad on the predictable side, but it is thoroughly moving and inspiring despite this. Of course, the film doesn’t struggle to develop its animalian subjects because it’s hard not to be in awe of the adorable nature of the big cats. However, more surprising is the fact that it is able to effectively and independently develop its human subjects. The movie does not look down on or pity its subject.  In addition to the obvious environmentalist themes, the film also explores mental health and PTSD in a much more empathetic way than most movies are able to. The film lingers on the humanistic elements of his story which blend together with the “boy and his pet” elements wonderfully.
There are some scenes in which it feels like the movie is pulling at the audience’s heartstrings, and to an extent, it is. However, it is extremely effective at what it does, getting an essentially guaranteed emotional reaction out of the viewer. It earns every single ounce of emotion that it gets. Something else that helps this film stand out is that it is not glossy like a majority of nature documentaries. Much of the footage feels very raw, as if it is footage recorded for a wildlife live stream. The result is that it feels much more grounded, which is particularly important during the more emotional sequences. Wildcat is enormously effective, both as a nature documentary and a movie about rebuilding oneself in a time of pain. It has a profound emotional effect — both expected and unexpected — making it one of the best documentaries of the year. Wildcat is now playing in theaters and streams on Prime Video beginning December 30. Rating: 4.5/5 |