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Review by Borja Izuzquiza  A title card solely featuring movies centered around boxing would more than likely go into the next day. Each of these would provide the typical jabs, uppercuts, and hooks with the hope that one of the moves will land a much-anticipated knockout. As it were, boxing movies ultimately rely on decisions to be determined a winner. The latest to climb into the quadrilateral, The Fire Inside, delivers a bout worthy of a unanimous decision. After having been the first woman to receive an Academy Award nomination for best cinematography on Mudbound, Rachel Morrison assumes new challenges by stepping into the director’s chair for the boxing film. The trailblazing narrative between her achievements and that of the film’s subject Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny), run parallel, as both find success in typically male dominated worlds. For Shields, the challenges of “making it” in the sport of boxing where misogyny runs rampant not just within the sport, but also exist because of external expectations, is exacerbated by a difficult comeuppance in Flint, Michigan. With the tutelage of her coach and former boxer Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry), Shields faces the whirlwind of obstacles stacked against her. Additionally, the commentary surrounding the role and expectation for women in sports is loud and resounding. Shields is expected to act nice, dress sexy, and take less money than her male counterparts for equally if not more substantial and successful work. Halfway through, Shields accomplishes what she believes is her ultimate purpose, expecting her fortunes and those of her family to change for the better. At first, the anticipated results do not materialize for Shields, leading her to reassess her position. With this introspection, the film uses these moments to tack on added layers concerning the meaning of success not just in life, but in sport where supposed greatness is measured and recognized by accolades and achievements. Therefore, this perspective makes The Fire Inside one of the few “sports” movies that offers views on the politics and purpose of sport as it relates to female participation.  Morrison’s vision for exploring Shield’s rise is clear. Visually, her cinematography background manifests as her experience undoubtedly influences the already unique work of cinematographer Rina Yang. Shields worldly experiences are exemplified in moments where the gritty Flint surroundings are juxtaposed with the bright and sprawling Beijing skyline. Furthermore, the grittiness is reflected in the boxing matches as well, as they avoid feeling excessively choreographed in favor of an in-your-face brutal approach.
In her direction, Morrison makes the most of Barry Jenkins’ tightly composed script to elevate Shield’s plight. The director adeptly grounds Shield’s experience throughout, helping the struggle resonate deeply. Ryan Destiny also delivers an exceptional portrayal of the athlete as she balances the unrelenting will of a boxer with a firm grasp of her destiny against the helplessness of a teenage girl when faced with the truths of her harsh reality back home. Destiny along with Henry also succeeds in developing a heartfelt and fiery relationship that borders on father/daughter dynamics to drive home the story’s emotional crux. Having found her voice as a cinematographer, Morrison exhibits an already expert directorial output even for a debut. As the bout nears its conclusion it becomes evident that the judge’s decision will ultimately be rendered unnecessary, as The Fire Inside delivers a total knockout. The Fire Inside is in theaters now. Rating: 4/5
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Review by Camden Ferrell  Ever since his first feature, The Witch, came out in 2015, writer and director Robert Eggers has carved himself a definitive place in contemporary cinema. His fourth feature, Nosferatu, is his attempt to adapt and reimagine a cinematic classic. Even if it isn’t as strong as his previous works, this movie boasts performances and impressive craft that confirm that Eggers is a modern auteur through and through. Thomas is a man working in real estate when he finds himself tasked with working for enigmatic Count Orlok. Little does he know that his new client is a vampire obsessed with Ellen, Thomas’s wife who is suffering intense and concerning episodes of horror. This is a story that many are familiar with, but Eggers adds more narrative and character depth that makes this quite engaging. In my opinion, Eggers excels more as a director than a writer, and this is no exception. His script is well-written as always, but I find that there are moments where his style usually compensates for a script that might not be the most well-paced. His dialogue is strong as usual, but he continues to suffer from an extremely subtle and forgivable tendency to bloat his script.  It’s no surprise that he continues to get good performances from his actors, but the acting exceeded expectations. Hoult plays Thomas very well, serving as a frightened yet relatable audience surrogate. Bill Skarsgård delivers a transformative performance as Count Orlok that is extremely compelling without being too campy. However, the real star of the show is Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen. She surpassed all expectations with a haunted and extremely physically demanding performance that steals almost every scene she is in. It’s one of the best performances you’ll see this year, and it is a showcase for the potential she has as an actress.
It wouldn’t be a Robert Eggers movie without gorgeous visuals, and this movie delivers. He collaborates with cinematographer Jarin Blaschke yet again to capture this Gothic world with stunning brilliance. Grim but never dull, the visuals elevate the movie to overcome its few shortcomings. Fans of horror and vampires will absolutely love Nosferatu. General audiences might also find much to love about this movie as well. It’s creepy, well-acted, beautiful shot, and incredibly eerie. While it’s my least favorite of Eggers’ movies, it’s hard to deny it’s extremely well-made even if slightly bloated. Nosferatu is in theaters December 25. Rating: 4/5 Review by Borja Izuzquiza  After almost two hours, The Six Triple Eight concludes with an inspiring coda it wishes the rest of the movie could have lived up to. During these final 10 minutes, archival footage and interviews with the surviving members of the 6888 battalion help the movie reach its goal; shining a light on the remarkable story of 855 black women tasked with an impossible challenge during World War II. Morale for American soldiers was low in 1943. Over 17 million pieces of mail remained undelivered due to changing strategies, yet the importance of making sure these were delivered was essential to provide comfort during difficult times. As such, the six triple eight battalion, composed of black women are assigned the task of sorting and delivering the letters: all 17 million of them in three months. The enormity of the task was designed to have the battalion fail. Led by Major Adams (Kerry Washington) the soldiers had repeatedly asked to be assigned meaningful work in service of the war effort. Rampant racism and misogyny across the armed forces prevented them from doing so. Finally, the 6888 battalion were given the mail sorting task, but not without the challenges of discrimination.  Directed by Tyler Perry, The Six Triple Eight is a well-intentioned if not poorly executed effort. Perry begins his project with a less than enthralling battle scene and continues with a disjointed and uneven focus. The biopic beats are familiar even though the film’s subject merits its own distinct rhythm. Every element vies for generic supremacy over the next, while the accompanying score is saccharine in its intentions to be rousing. Odd lens choices are sporadically used for no obvious purpose as well, ultimately distracting from what are supposed to be meaningful moments. Furthermore, several characters are introduced to the mix filling in stereotypical roles, with most remaining underdeveloped.
Freeing herself from the inconspicuous blend, Lena Derricotte King (Ebony Obsidian) is an exception. Her storyline composes the films’ emotional arc, although the efforts to retrace these are also subpar. Undoubtedly King’s contributions are nothing short of heroic, yet as an example of Perry’s uneven vision, he decides to focus more on her personal struggles and motivations while employing problematic thematic elements to boot. Poor justice is afforded not only to Derricotte, but to the entire battalion, resulting in the belittling of an extraordinary accomplishment. Despite all its missteps, the film ultimately will fulfill its intended purpose. With heavy hitting names like Perry involved and with a streaming home on Netflix, viewers will undoubtedly tune in to The Six Triple Eight and learn about these overlooked and remarkable women. The 6888 battalion was tasked with an almost impossible feat, yet thanks to their unbreakable resolve, these women served their country despite their country not showing the same commitment to them. Ultimately, a good movie is bound to be made concerning their historical accomplishments; they deserve as much. The Six Triple Eight is streaming now on Netflix. Rating: 2/5 Review by Adam Donato  The musical biopic sub genre continues to thrive and will never go extinct. With so many coming out all the time, it’s imperative to make your film stand out. Better Man does nothing but stand out. The film is about a British pop star named Robbie Williams. Never heard of him? Neither have most Americans. The decision to portray Robbie Williams as a computer generated monkey man will definitely catch some people’s attention. There will be people who will only watch the movie because he’s a computer generated monkey. If that’s what it takes to expose people to the music and life of Robbie Williams, then whatever works. Unfortunately, the whole computer generated monkey man shtick doesn’t feel like an essential aspect of adapting this artist. It never fully connects in the narrative or about the person to justify the decision. Then it just feels reduced to relying on a gimmick. A fun gimmick, but a gimmick nonetheless. The narrative of the film is just like any other musical biopic complete with all of the cliches. It’s the type of story that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is parodying. The monkey man of it all is a welcome distraction from the mundanity. The quality of the computer animation looks very good too. They pulled it off, but some heavier moments are hard to take seriously when it’s happening to a monkey man.  The musical sequences are quite dazzling and absolutely nuts. Michael Gracey had previously directed The Greatest Showman, which was an absolute hit at the box office and the songs still persist on the radio to this day. It’s clear how much Gracey has improved as the musical numbers are so full of life. Two that distinctly stand out are when they’re dancing in the street and the concert fight. You don’t even need to previously be a fan of the artist to enjoy his music. The songs range from fun to soulful and are sure to be new additions to your playlist. The clips of the musical numbers have already been making the rounds on social media and hopefully attract more open minded people to give the film a chance.
Most musical biopics follow the same type of structure, but Better Man does everything it can to differentiate itself from the crowd. It should be encouraged when filmmakers take big swings, even when they don’t fully work out. Similarly to Gracey’s past work, the musical sequences serve better as music videos than part of a movie with a compelling narrative. Robbie Williams’s story may not be remembered, but his personality is sure to shine through. American audiences should give this artist a chance in theaters this holiday season. Better Man will is in select theaters on December 25 before going wide on January 17. Rating: 3/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  Pedro Almodóvar has cemented himself in film history with his illustrious catalogue of movies over the last few decades. However, this year marks his first foyer into English-language cinema. The Room Next Door, based on What Are You Going Through by Sigird Nunez, marks his first film in English and had its premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival. While it doesn’t hold a candle to his better works, this movie still benefits from his dreamlike dialogue and great leading performances. Once close colleagues, Ingrid and Martha’s lives went in different directions. Many years later, they meet again as one of them deals with a unique end-of-life situation. From a plot standpoint, this is relatively simple for Almodóvar, which gives the dialogue and performances a chance to take center stage and truly flourish. The biggest variable with this movie is how Almodóvar’s writing would translate into English, and the results are more positive than not. While some moments feel disjointed and unnatural, it largely works. The dialogue is sharp and has a subtly ethereal and poetic quality that is evocative of his previous films. The only weakness is that there are moments throughout where the script feels like its stretched particularly thin which can often make the movie drag more than I’d like.  The clear standout of this film is its leading performances. Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton lead the film as Ingrid and Martha, respectively. They have solid chemistry throughout and handle the complex subject matter with ease like the seasoned actors we’ve known them to be. Even when the script has its shortcomings, they make up for it more times than not.
It wouldn’t be an Almodóvar movie without some unique visual flair, and this movie is no exception, even if it’s less accomplished than most of his movies on a visual level, there is still some great production design and cinematography to give it his signature feel. Pair this with a great score and some truly emotional and poignant moments, and you get enjoyable, albeit minor work from the auteur. At the end of Almodóvar’s career, this movie will be noted for being his first English movie and not much else. While it has a lot of great qualities, it fails to live up to his best works. It’s good supplementary material to his career despite it being not particularly memorable or brilliant. It’ll satisfy his fans even if it’s a minor work by his standards. The Room Next Door is in theaters December 20. Rating: 3.5/5 |