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Review by Jonathan Berk  Ryan Coogler looms large in terms of modern-day directors to the point that it seems impossible that his new film, Sinners, is only his fifth. From his debut with Fruitvale Station, and the first of four collaborations with Michael B. Jordan, to Creed to Black Panther, and its slightly divisive sequel Wakanda Forever, Coogler has continued to demonstrate his understanding of the form. Sinners is his first truly original story, and he flexes his skills to incredible levels. This film should silence any doubters and secure Coogler as one of the most important voices in cinema today. Set in Mississippi during the 1930s, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Jordan) return to establish a juke joint. They are fleeing their immediate past and returning to a past they left behind. Their young cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) helps them establish the team they need to make their grand opening a big success, with his own guitar playing being paramount to the entertainment. While they are setting about to achieve their dreams, a new evil lurks just outside their walls. It doesn’t take much research to learn that Coogler is a student of the art form. Like Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright, Coogler is able to rise above imitation and pastiche to synthesize the films that inspired him into something personal and authentic to his voice. Film nerds will spot the inspiration and the homage embedded in the frames as they burst onto the silver screen, but you’ll hear Coogler’s voice. His story, style, and aesthetic are clear and feel immensely original while managing to also feeling familiar. These elements of his craft lend themselves to the viewing of the film as well. Every aspect of this film is immersive and equally impressive. The film looks incredible in its cinematography, costumes, and production design. These elements bring the audience into a world that feels so lived-in. The characters are crafted in such a way that they don’t have to dump tons of backstory for you to truly know who they are. While the frameworks of archetypes are there, it doesn’t feel like cookie-cutter clichés dancing on screen. These people have lived lives, and we are joining them at a crossroads. The stakes are clear, and Coogler makes all of that an unbelievable cinematic adventure that keeps the audience hooked from minute one.  Jordan is always watchable as a screen presence, but he is always at his best with Coogler. The same actor playing twins is often a risky choice by filmmakers, and from the first time he is on-screen with himself, Coogler wants to show off a bit. The two light a cigarette and pass it back and forth seamlessly in the same frame. Smoke and Stack are similar yet distinctly different, and a lot of that is due to Jordan’s dual performance. His charm goes a long way, but there is something to his performance that stands out.
Caton makes his feature film debut here, and that detail was shocking. Nothing about his performance feels like a debut. Yet, his character, Sammie, is ultimately making his debut to the world. He has existed, but this night is pivotal to the life he will lead. He has ambitions of his own, but the people in his life all seem to believe they know what is best for him. A familiar role, but the way it plays out in the film feels incredibly original. The cast as a whole is completely incredible. Fans of Delroy Lindo will be ecstatic when he shows up and owns every scene he gets. Wunmi Mosaku is incredible as Annie in this film. Hailee Steinfeld has been an incredible screen presence since her debut in True Grit (2010), and gets to show her evolution as an actress here. Then Jack O'Connell continues his 2024 momentum and stealing scenes and playing an incredible villain. Of course, one could argue that the real breakout of this movie is music. The songs and score written by Ludwig Göransson take inspiration from various genres, but center around the blues. The trailers allude to many things about the film, which I’ve mostly left out in case a reader doesn’t want to know the details, but almost nothing about the role music plays in this. While not quite a musical, Coogler again demonstrates his love of cinema by paying homage to the Hollywood musical and its framework. The importance of music has on this story and its characters will likely resonate with audiences. If nothing else, it elevates an already incredible genre movie. Sinners may be Coogler’s opus. It delivers in every aspect and shows why creative people should be given creative license. What’s lost on the Hollywood executives who are constantly chasing existing IP because of the built-in audience is the idea that, at some point, all of those IPs were new. They started with nothing, and fans flocked to them, likely because there was something genuine about them. This film is a great example of that. Sinners is in theaters now, and you should see it on the biggest screen possible. Rating: 5/5
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Review by Daniel Lima  As a black man who believes in the power of art to speak truth to power, I often find myself conflicted in how to approach films that attempt to do so through wholly conventional means. Does the message supersede the message takes? Should a film be lauded for shedding light or providing an underrepresented perspective on an issue, even if the way it does so is aesthetically compromised? The Palestinian drama The Teacher has me asking these questions yet again, and while it is worth commending, it is also clearly a work limited by certain constraints. Saleh Bakri plays a schoolteacher in the West Bank, long past his firebrand activist youth but whose ideals have never wavered. As the occupying Israeli forces and settler bear down on his neighborhood, he attempts to guide a student to cultivate his anger in productive ways. Doing so proves difficult under the unceasing yoke of oppression and colonization. Helmed by the Palestinian-British director Farah Nabulsi and shot in the West Bank, there is a refreshing lack of throat clearing in the film’s condemnation of Israel’s treatment of the West Bank and Palestine. These characters live under constant threat of assault, they have little to no recourse through any system that could preserve their rights, and there is an explicit understanding that this inescapable great evil is wrong. That’s not a given these days. To that end, characters discuss life under occupation and how it affects them in a direct manner, without ever feeling the need to justify or couch their anger and pain. This dialogue could be called heavy-handed, but it carries the ring of truth, like conversations that the people living in such oppressive conditions may regularly have. That Nabulsi takes a more naturalistic approach to these scenes, emphasizing the soundscape of the environment and relying on the powerful and nuanced performances of her actors — Bakri and Muhammad Abed Elrahman in particular — to sell the dialogue goes a long way. This is most evident in how the film addresses violence against the Israeli state and individual settlers encroaching on Palestinian land. Characters may treat it as a necessity, they may speak of it in anger, and they may be disabused of it, but the film pointedly never gives voice to the idea that this violence is wrong because violence is in general wrong, only that it should never be prosecuted out base anger and should strive to better the conditions of Palestinians. A lesser artist may have struck a more genteel form of discourse, one that flatters the sensibility of goodhearted Western liberals but ignores the experiences of a population whom violence may be visited upon with impunity. To Nabulsi’s great credit, she never feels the need to apologize for or explain why these people feel the way they do.  That this is not present is a testament to the lived-in understanding of the world of these characters, and the challenges faced by oppressed populations the world over. It is, without a doubt, the strongest part of The Teacher, the thing that sets it apart as an important film that speaks to one of the great moral issues of our time. That audacity, however, is not reflected in the storytelling.
Whenever the film wavers in its attention to the struggle of the Palestinian characters, things come to a screeching halt. A storyline about an IDF soldier held hostage by militant Palestinian forces attempts to provide more perspectives on this struggle, and when it does intersect with the leads it does allow for meaningful exchanges between them. Unfortunately, too much of it shifts the focus onto people who are given no time to be fleshed out, and interrupts the sense of place and focus the film would otherwise have. Worse yet is Imogen Poots, playing a young aid worker who grows close to Bakri. Her performance is serviceable, but every time she shows up it feels like an intrusion. Had the film been interested in addressing the role of well-meaning Westerners in an occupation aided and abetted by their governments, perhaps this wouldn’t feel so superfluous. As it stands, it’s hard to shake the feeling that white British woman is only here to secure funding for the film. As much as I respect the forthright manner the issue of Palestinian oppression and liberation are addressed in The Teacher, that is not to say that it aesthetically matches the fire of its rhetoric. While Nabulsi tends towards that more naturalistic approach, the score does creep in to underline the emotion of a scene, clashing with the rest of the film. When it does, the blunt dialogue can ring less as authentic, and more as the kind of self-important social issues drama the film otherwise feels like a departure from. This is not helped by the fact that, by necessity, almost the entirety of the experiences of these people is reduced to suffering and reacting to suffering. Here is where I find myself most conflicted. As of late, I have found myself very disappointed by the black cinema of today. Too often, I find these works only portray the black American experience as unceasing suffering, never argue for revolutionary change, lack any creative ambition, and so fail to meaningfully speak truth to power. To give a recent example, the film Nickel Boys may be aesthetically audacious, but roots its observations about black America firmly in the past, narrowing its scope and impact. The Teacher, however, is a film that is wholly of its time. The occupation of Palestine and the subjugation of Palestinians is an evil that is if anything not even discussed enough, let alone argued against with such vigor. Though the form is takes is somewhat wanting in terms of narrative cohesion and structure, it is a film that feels important not because it announces itself as such, but because it forcefully speaks for justice and empathy on an issue where so many in power are comfortable with neither. We would be so lucky if more cinema was this engaged with the world. The Teacher is now in theaters. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Daniel Lima  Conceptually, The King of Kings could work in several ways. It could function as an earnest rendition of the story of Jesus of Nazareth, aiming not to educate per se, but to impress upon the viewer the majesty, tragedy, and grandeur of the Son of God. It could serve to contextualize the story for nonbelievers, as a sort of road map that shows why this figure resonates with so many people thousands of years after his death (or, less charitably, as propaganda). At the very least, it could just be a fun adventure for undiscerning children. Sadly, it fails on all fronts, begging the question of why it was made in the first place. At first glance, it seems a curious object. While it is being distributed by Angel Studios — no stranger to religious or politically conservative media — the film was produced entirely by the South Korean animation house Monoc Studios, even going so far as to recruit Hollywood A-listers as voice actors before seeking distribution. Even more interesting is the form the narrative takes. Technically, this is an adaptation of a Charles Dickens manuscript that he would recite to his children every Christmas, and so here the framing device is Dickens telling his son the greatest story ever told. Incidentally, the man himself begged his family to never publish it, and they patiently waited until his last child died before selling the manuscript to a publisher. This does not make it into the movie. The film attempts to weave Dickens and his son directly into the narrative as observers, with the son growing increasingly enraptured in a tale that we are told is self-evidently enrapturing. This is obviously inspired by The Princess Bride, but fails to work here for two reasons. Firstly, while the interactions between the child and adult in that film are charming, the pair here are incredibly grating, with a bit of physical comedy in the beginning giving way to constant interruptions of the child screaming about how exciting this story is. This breaks up the momentum that the Biblical narrative might actually have otherwise, and since the two can’t directly interact with the story, it just serves to add to the runtime with increasingly annoying shouting. The bigger issue, however, is that The Princess Bride tells an exciting story, and this does not. The nativity, meeting the apostles, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the story of Jesus Christ clearly holds power as written in the Bible. A religious text, however, does not have to engage an audience in the way art does. Past films have gotten around this by focusing on a particular time in his life and treating him like a person with thoughts and feelings worth examining, or else telling the broad narrative in the form of a cinematic epic. Instead, this is a “nothing but the hits” rendition of his life, jumping through important parts of his life that even someone not well-versed in Christian lore is sure to be familiar with. It's a dramatically unsatisfying approach, inherently creating distance between the audience and the man.  Perhaps The King of Kings could have been compelling even without a traditional structure, but that would require selling this material in an artfully composed, visually dynamic way. Monoc drop the ball here, delivering a film that recalls lazy direct-to-video licensed films from a decade ago. There is a notable lack of detail to the 3D modeling, a lack of the imagination in bringing to life the world of first century Judea, a pronounced stiffness to the character animation, and a plainness to the many miracles of Jesus that rob this rendition of any of the wonder or beauty one may expect from a story of divine grace. Considering the freedom that that the medium allows for, it’s a glaring missed opportunity to create a unique vision of well-trodden material.
Anyone intrigued by the cast, know that each is phoning in their performance. Oscar Isaac as Jesus sounds like either a gift or a joke, but the result is far less interesting than one might expect, as he gives the most disinterested line reads of the entire film. Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Forest Whitaker, all the name talent give the absolute bare minimum of what is expected of them. The less notable professional voice actors have some moments, with a handful of amusing jeering from Brooklyn-accented Pharisees, but this is no one’s finest work. Given the lack of narrative, visual, or dramatic appeal to anyone who is not a believer, one would assume that The King of Kings is built to preach to the choir. It makes some mercenary sense for a foreign studio to produce a film for the Christian American market, as they seem to consistently show up for media that caters to them. Angel Studios has made a name for itself catering to a religious, traditional, and conservative audience. There is nothing inherently wrong with someone who identifies as such gravitating to a film that reflects their worldview and values. Even viewed from that lens, however, it’s hard to see how this could be satisfying. I cannot imagine being a hardline Christian and preferring something as toothless and unambitious as this over, for example, the God’s Not Dead movies. Those films are clearly animated by a bloodthirsty strain of religious fundamentalism that gives them a sense of purpose and character. Indeed, there are plenty of other works that voice popular Christian grievances, that articulate a worldview, that treat Christian dogma and scripture as sacrosanct, and bring it to life with a level of care and earnestness that makes it feel important. Why would anyone settle for this? I would be remiss if I said there was no red meat for the base here. Christian animosity towards the Jewish people has deep roots, with the idea that they bear collective guilt for the sin of killing Christ being used to justify their oppression for centuries. This film all but gives a full-throated endorsement of that idea, depicting a Jewish horde enthusiastically cheering for the murder of Jesus to a reluctant Roman official. That this exists besides an insistence that the town of Nazareth is in Israel (a term always used by Jewish people for the region, but the film otherwise uses “Judea”) is even more intriguing, pointing to a dichotomy that exists within the contemporary American Christian right between their support of the state of Israel, and lingering animus towards the Jewish people. Of course, at the end of the day, this is a movie for children, so this is left unenumerated on. The King of Kings, however, does not work as a kid’s movie, and I can’t imagine a child who would prefer this to whatever they can pull up on their iPad. It’s not for Christian adults who want an energizing rendition of the story of their savior. It’s certainly not for people with not inherent interest in Jesus of Nazareth whatsoever. Whoever goes into this expecting more than the most bare bones, cursory treatment of one of the most enduring legends in written history is bound to be disappointed. The Good Book has got to be better than this. The King of Kings is now in theaters. Rating: 0.5/5 Review by Adam Donato  As time goes by it’s becoming increasingly harder to make original films. Filmmakers are trying everything from mashing up genres and keeping things current to modern times. Drop does both as it blends the horror genre with a romance setting and is centered around a tech feature that most Americans probably don’t even fully understand. Violet, played by Meghann Fahy, is on a first date with Henry, played by Brandon Sklenar, but the vibe turns sinister as Violet keeps receiving air dropped messages from a nefarious stranger. The concept itself is reminiscent of a bottle episode as the majority of the narrative takes place in one location. Christopher Landon directs as he is very comfortable in this space having already directed a couple Happy Death Day movies and Freaky. Will Drop have similarly moderate success? There is a clear hunger for the horror romance in 2025. Heart Eyes came out earlier this year with similar positive reactions and modest box office success. Drop really leans into a schtick as everything in the story revolves around random phone messages. While this is a limited concept, the movie maximizes it to fill up an entire run time. At a hundred minutes, the film feels like a breeze as the situation is clearly understandable and the characters are likable enough that you’re invested in them making it out alive. It’s really easy to question why so many hoops had to be jumped through to make this plot center around air drop messages. That being said it’s a fun enough ride that won’t have you bored enough to be asking questions.  Fahy and Sklenar have good chemistry together, which is huge because the majority of the movie is centered around a one on one conversation between the two. Fahy has experienced most of her success on the small screen, but holds her own as a lead here. Sklenar is similarly small time, but recently found success in the controversial It Ends With Us romance film. The film does a good job riding the line between shipping these two together and leaving an element of mystery as anyone within fifty feet is a suspect for our main character.
Landon is really in his sweet spot here with another solid little horror flick. It provides in multiple different ways and never feels like it’s out of options. In a busy weekend at the box office, this should have an edge since it’s a horror film. Not to mention the biggest competition is a PG family film. Drop is certainly worth the price of admission. Drop is in theaters everywhere. Rating: 3/5 Review by Daniel Lima  It says nothing good about American culture that the fantasy of one man enacting violent revenge on his wife's killer has been so pervasive. At first glance, The Amateur appears to be just another middling entry into a somewhat suspect canon. To my own surprise, it is a more textured and measured film than I had thought possible, even as it makes all too familiar missteps. Rami Malek plays an introverted, socially awkward CIA analyst whose wife is killed in a terrorist action. When his bosses dismiss his plea to target the men who kill her, he strikes off on his own to achieve his vengeance. The drive of The Amateur is less the rush of retributive justice, and more the satisfaction of a job well. This is a process thriller, reveling in the details of how a technically proficient non-combatant can both evade the all-encompassing US surveillance state, and accomplish his fatal deeds. To that end, the film's pace is controlled and methodical, spending plenty of time on the psyche of the titular neophyte before he decides to take charge. Even then, the form that takes is almost bereft of action, barring some cursory fistfights. The tension comes from this character, a desk jockey who is nearly incapable of firing a gun, devising a method of execution he can stomach as his CIA bosses attempt to leash him. Whether learning to pick a lock on the fly, or bearing down on his target as another hunter bears down on him, the film resists the temptation of rapid fire editing and shaky cam. Instead, every scene moves forward patiently and legibly, but always forward. There’s never a sense of idleness or haste, and that unfussy approach recalls the propulsive studio potboilers of decades past.  The actual narrative is bog standard, but serviceable. That the film is so deliberately paced lends Malek’s quest a sense of importance that eludes many a similar direct-to-video action-thriller, with the film often taking a break from the intrigue to give him a quiet moment to reflect on his lost love. It’s unfortunate, then, that the star is Rami Malek, an actor with a chronic inability to portray human emotion. His typical disaffected mumble acting style works well enough for this character, but the moments that are supposed to ground the espionage in real pathos fall flat because of him. He is, as usual, the weak link in an otherwise strong ensemble.
As entertaining as the story is, it is frustrating how it waffles on articulating a worldview, or a cohesive thematic through line. Much of the film is spent questioning Malek’s desire for revenge, whether it’s truly helpful in a personal or cosmic sense, and the significance of ending a human life. There’s also a slight critique of the US government’s own penchant for extrajudicial violence, and the carte blanche that covert operations are accorded. These are interesting subjects to explore (and as relevant as ever), but the film ultimately pump fakes actually engaging with them. Malek’s revenge quest concludes in a way that rings a false note considering the journey he had went through, and the moral perspective on the CIA’s power is jarringly toothless. Perhaps the source material is a bit more provocative in taking an actual stance on these ideas, but there’s a limit to how far a modern studio summer release will go in either admonishing or supporting these brands of violence. If it had, it may have been more impactful. Yet it is hard to be too hard on The Amateur for a lack of thematic heft, or emotional resonance, because that was not the assignment. Where this film does succeed is in making a solid, meat-and-potatoes, airport thriller cinema. Its primary concern is not heady ruminations on the nature of violence, but constructing little puzzle boxes for the nerdy guy to squeeze his way out of through sheer smarts. That it accomplishes that with assuredness and poise, in the cinematic landscape of today, is a cause for small celebration. The Amateur arrives in theaters 4/11. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Adam Donato  Freaky Tales is the first feature directed by the duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck since Captain Marvel, a film that made bank at the box office, but sullied their street cred due to middling reviews. Since then the pair has gone back to their sweet spot directing series like Mrs. America and Masters of the Air. This film is reminiscent of their television work as it’s a collection of interconnected stories split up into chapters. There’s minor connections, but for the most part these chapters stand alone. The film sports an ensemble cast including some pretty noteworthy names. With very little marketing, can this episodic genre film catch the eye of cinephiles and put these directors on the road to redemption? The narrative touches on some serious subjects, but has little to nothing of substance to say about them. This isn’t a major problem as the film is more concerned with being a fun genre film. There’s elements of action, comedy, science fiction, and thriller all in here and it makes for a fun time. There’s a clear love for the central location of the film, which is Oakland. The setting permeates the story and the character as its essential to the whole film. It’s a fun thing when the city itself feels like a character in the movie. The format and tone is reminiscent of a movie like Trick ‘r Treat. While the stories start out very grounded, they elevate into being very high concept and everything feels like it comes together in a satisfying way.  The first of four chapters focuses on a young emo couple that is part of a rising force against this evil gang of Nazis. Jack Champion, who plays Spider in the Avatar franchise, is heavily featured in this part. It’s also shown in 4:3 format, which is fun as during the fight sequence there’s a fun moment where the blood exits the frame and sits on the borders. Just a fun little detail. Chapter two brings an 8 Mile style musical element to the film, which keeps it feeling fresh. This part is headlined by artist Normani and Dominique Thorne who has worked with a string of acclaimed directors like Ryan Coogler, Barry Jenkins, and Shaka King. Their chemistry is great and it’s the most fun sequence of the film. Also, stay for the credits as they do a musical number through the end of the film. Pedro Pascal is the most high profile name in the film and he is the star of the third chapter. This section plays up the thriller aspect of the film and is great at keeping you guessing at what’s gonna happen next. The final chapter is an eruptus sci fi action sequence that ties all the loose threads together Ben Mendelsohn is obnoxiously experienced at playing a sinister bad guy and he does it here to perfection. Jay Ellis is the star of the show here though as he plays a NBA player with this green magic power. This is a larger element that is a part of every chapter. It allows for some pretty wild action and gore that’s worth the price of admission.
Freaky Tales is definitely gonna fly under the radar, but a solid flick with no backlash is exactly what the doctor ordered for Boden and Fleck. Clearly, they’re doing just fine post Marvel and have a good enough relationship that this film is littered with MCU stars. It’s a pulpy good time and deserves more attention. Not that it’s a great movie or anything, but definitely a solid flick that’s worth a watch. Freaky Tales is in theaters now. Rating: 3/5 Review by Daniel Lima  There is an apocryphal story that famed Hollywood agent once wagered with a friend that he could make anybody a star, found some work for his aikido instructor, and thus started the illustrious career of Steven Seagal. Funny as the thought may be, anyone who has seen his early work knows how distinct his screen presence is, and the unique flavor he brought to what could have been boilerplate material. I thought of him often — and other martial artists who cemented themselves as leading men and women — as I watched The Martial Artist, a vanity project that only serves to make clear the obvious limitations of its would-be star. Pakistani-American actor Shaz Khan plays a young man in America who dreams of becoming a mixed martial arts champion. Though his fighting skills and passion are unparalleled, that same drive to succeed begins to take a toll on his personal life and the people he cares for, forcing him to look inward and reconnect with his heritage and who he is to stop the cycle of self-destruction. The underdog who embraces violence, finds himself humbled, and builds himself up has been a cliché narrative in both martial arts movies and sports dramas for decades. It might not be doing anything new, but the familiar template does allow Khan the opportunity to show what he is capable of not only as a lead, but as director, writer, and producer as well. It is an opportunity he squanders. The Martial Artist is meant to function as a character drama, centering on the rise and fall and rise again of the young handsome man who the audience wants to see grow as a person and fighter. The core problem here is that he sucks. Not Shaz Khan himself (though his performance is notably affectless and bland), but the protagonist, who is given no redeeming qualities beyond a drive to succeed, which is not enough to support audience sympathy when over an hour is spent on how mean and selfish and petulant he is. By the time the inevitable personality shift happens, it’s impossible to be invested in his personal journey, because there’s never been a hint of anything more to his character. Not that any of the ensemble fare better. For a film meant to get into the mind of a fighter, and show how his behavior affects the people around him, precious little time is spent on fleshing the supporting cast out. He has a girlfriend who we are told loves him and works at a law firm, but both are informed attributes, and its a wonder why she even would want to hang out with him to begin with. His mother wants him to stop fighting, and that’s all there is to say about her. There’s a bunch of local hoodlums who harass him and his community, though they only serve as a flimsy excuse for something to happen. Technically, these relationships all change over the course of the film, but they do so without no ceremony and zero dramatic weight, often skipping over that development with jarring time jumps and montages. As much that is spent on Khan pouting and arguing with these people, it’s incredible that they are so thinly written.  The same could be said of the rest of this world. Though the story nominally sees Khan join a premium fight promotion and become a bona fide celebrity, budgetary constraints mostly confide the characters to barren gyms and suburban homes. While that is understandable, that this is all captured with such a drab palette, lacking any visual flair beyond keeping things in focus, makes watching this unfold a chore. Adding to this is how slowly the very predictable story unfolds, as these paper-thin characters spout their hack dialogue. Worst of all, however, is the lack of sound design plaguing far too many scenes. The lack of any ambient noise is deafening, obliterating any sense of place or texture. Taken as a whole, the entire film feels artificial, more a hastily assembled product than art.
What of the martial art? While it does seem Khan and the other actors may actually have some fight training, and the handful of action beats seem like they have been designed and choreographed with some thought, the filmmaking neuters what could have been achieved. The camera stays in a medium shot, creating remove between the action and the audience, with incessant spinning around the fighters and choppy editing ruining any sense of rhythm or place. It’s hardly the worst of the movie’s problems, but its a shame to see some of the interesting settings go to waste. As flawed as this film is, there is one section that shows a glimmer of what could have been. At one point in the story, Khan visits his ancestral home in Pakistan. As he learns to accept his responsibilities as well as his failings, gets to know his distant relatives, slowly transitioning from speaking only English to Urdu, and hones his martial skills atop mountains overlooking gorgeous vistas. It’s all undermined by the issues detailed above — drab palette, lack of emotional attachment, boring lead — but this is where the film actually sets itself apart from all the other martial arts vanity projects, by focusing in on what makes Shaz Khan unique. It’s tempting to be a bit easy on The Martial Artist. This was a low budget, independent production seemingly meant to act as a calling card for the director/producer/writer/star. It’s hard to be charitable, however, when reminded of films like Kung Fu Rookie, Life After Fighting, Contour and Parole Violators. It is possible to make a compelling and thrilling action drama with meager means. This attempt was a failure. Hopefully Khan can find or create something that will put his talents to better use. The Martial Artist is now in theaters. Rating: 1.5/5 Review by Adam Donato  The Friend is based on a novel by Sigrid Nunez, who has been popular as of late. She is also the author of The Room Next Door, which also has a great cast, but is paired with a top flight director in Pedro Almodovar. On the other hand, The Friend is directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, who have a much less acclaimed filmography compared to Almodovar. Here we have the likes of Naomi Watts and Bill Murray gracing the front of the poster as well as Apollo played by Bing the dog. The story is one of grief as Watts’s character is saddled with Murray’s Great Dane after he tragically kills himself. Can this sweet little dog movie touch hearts at the box office? The story of the film is very much so paint by the numbers. The ending of the film is telegraphed from the moment she takes in the dog. It’s solid enough, but nothing to write home about. It’s actually quite relatable as anybody who has rented before will definitely be frustrated by the situation Watts is put in by her landlords. It’s morally conflicting though as her character is definitely in the wrong. She’s not a bad person as her situation is justifiable. There’s so much time in the film focused on the logistics of taking care of the dog, when more of it should’ve been focused on dealing with grief. The film is way too long as it is, clocking in at just under two hours when this could’ve been a tight ninety minutes. By the time we’re focusing more on the emotional aspects of the narrative, it’s too little too late.  The performances are the saving grace of the film. Naomi Watts is a seasoned professional and carries the film. She expresses her character’s vulnerabilities in such an effective way. Bill Murray is barely in the film so it’s kind of cheap that he’s one of the three faces of the poster. He’s serviceable just playing himself, which is better than most actors any day. There’s some high profile people in supporting roles here. Carla Gugino is very limited in her role. Constance Wu’s character is a perplexing speed bump in the narrative. Sarah Pidgeon flounders in her role, whereas Ann Dowd brings a good amount of heart. Bing was perfect. Such a gorgeous dog that thrives on screen.
The Friend is a perfect flick to check out for dog lovers. It really explores the role of a dog in our lives and how we can learn about our lives from their perspective. They’re such loving and innocent creatures that we need in our lives. While the story isn’t great, it’s worth the watch thanks to this cast. It’s sweet and sad in a warm kind of way. It won’t be in theaters for long so check it out soon, but this could wait for streaming. The Friend is in theaters April 3. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
French filmmaker François Ozon makes some of the most luscious melodramas you will ever see. His latest film, When Fall Is Coming, might not be his finest hour, but it offers many of the same charms that fans have come to expect from him — namely the pristine sights and punchy dialogue — making this an entertaining, if not altogether affecting, watch.
When Fall Is Coming tells the story of a retiree who finds her idyllic summer with her grandson threatened after she accidentally serves her daughter poisoned mushrooms and her best friend’s son is released from prison with a plan of his own. For a film that initially presents itself as a restrained countryside drama, the direction that Ozon ends up taking this story is pretty wild. In some ways, When Fall Is Coming plays out akin to a “What would you do?” morality tale. However, Ozon seems much less interested in exploring the binary of right and wrong than he does in asking the question of “How far would you go?” Unfortunately, this spectrum would lend itself much more to a tense thriller than the talky drama that Ozon crafts. That’s not to say that When Fall Is Coming is not compelling; it absolutely is, and the film radiates with Ozon’s signature delicious melodrama. Particularly in the third act, when the film’s conflict reaches its almost absurd head, it’s easy to linger on every word and line of dialogue. However, Ozon does demand the viewer’s patience as he takes his time in the first act setting everything up precisely only to send it crumbling down. Where Ozon struggles is balancing the different characters and storylines. When Fall Is Coming is hardly his first ensemble piece, but the focus of the film feels very skewed. If the construction of this story is like a puzzle, Ozon spends too much time inspecting the individual pieces as opposed to the image that they come together to build. 
In the lead role, Hélène Vincent (Three Colors: Blue) delivers such an incredible performance that it makes one wonder why she never became a massive international breakout. Ozon’s films tread a very delicate line between soapy and ridiculous, and it is often his performers who ground them. Vincent brings a subtle emotion to the role that allows it to resonate, whereas another actress might have brought a more divaish quality that would have overplayed the histrionics.
The rest of the cast is also quite solid in their respective roles. Pierre Lottin’s performance is nearly as interesting and nuanced as Vincent’s, having an ineffable charm but also a streak of darkness and repressed trauma that makes the role alluring yet subtly off-putting. Young actor Garlan Erlos also deserves praise for holding his own against a cast of more veteran performers. Like all of Ozon’s films, When Fall Is Coming also looks exquisite. The film is primarily set in Burgundy in the French countryside, and with that comes some of the most stunning vistas you’ll see in any film this year, photographed wonderfully by cinematographer Jérôme Alméras. Composers Evgueni and Sacha Galperine contribute a fittingly intoxicating score, striking the right balance between dramatic and elegant. As an entry into the work of a master filmmaker like François Ozon, When Fall Is Coming doesn’t stand out. It has the great performances, strong dialogue, and gorgeous visuals characteristic of the filmmaker’s finest work but not quite the heart that makes it tick. Still, Ozon rarely makes bad films, and this one is no exception to that rule. When Fall Is Coming hits theaters on April 4. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Camden Ferrell  After decades where video game movies were doomed to failure from the start, it appears we’re entering a period of time where it seems like Hollywood is giving these adaptions a fighting chance at competency. A Minecraft Movie is the next film that is attempting to prove that video game movies can be more than just mindless and soulless cash grabs on a beloved IP. While nobody is going to confuse it for high art, audiences will certainly agree this Jack Black-led comedy is so outlandishly stupid that it becomes one of the most entertaining video game movies we’ve seen in recent years. Natalie and Henry are two siblings looking to start a new life in Idaho when they find themselves thrust into an unexpected adventure. Along with a local celebrity and their real-estate agent, they enter the world of Minecraft (aka the Overworld), a land where Henry’s creativity can roam free. Along with the help of another human named Steve, this group of misfits are on a journey to find their way back home. It’s a classic family adventure set up, and it’s a convenient way of telling a familiar narrative among the unique video game settings of this world. This is Jared Hess’s first feature as a solo director in 10 years, and it feels like a strong return to form for him. This movie was written by five writers, and it’s actually quite surprising that Hess is not one of them because of the quirky offbeat humor it possesses. While it definitely has some of the cheesiness and tropes of standard family fare, there’s also a frequently present eccentricity that feels aligned with Hess’s style as a director. This means the movie has broad appeal that ensures parents can also enjoy this movie with their kids.  One of the main aspects that make this movie worth watching is its absolutely unhinged performances. This movie is led by Jack Black as Steve, and it’s about as energetic and insane as you’d expect. He gives 110% in every scene, and it truly gives the film a loud and unique personality. He’s joined by an ensemble that consists of Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen. Of these actors, Momoa matches Black’s energy and delivers another crazy and over-the-top performance. Their individual performances and chemistry are worth several laughs at a minimum.
Even though the performances are firing on all cylinders from start to finish, I’ll admit it’s not fully sustainable throughout the movie, so it does have some dull moments as a result. On top of that, some of the humor might not speak to all ages equally. Additionally, some of the goofiness and borderline amateurish aspects of the film heightened the absurdity of everything to an entertaining degree, but this might not hold true for everyone. On paper, this movie shouldn’t work. But thanks to Hess’s signature style of filmmaking and the fervent dedication of its cast, this movie is one of the biggest surprises of the year. It’s a genuinely entertaining movie with heart, passion, and plenty of tomfoolery. Kids and adults alike are going to get a kick out of this movie for one reason or another. The video game movie genre has another success story. A Minecraft Movie is in theaters on April 4. Rating: 3.5/5 |