Last Night in Soho (2021) Review

Title: Last Night in Soho
Year: 2021
Director: Edgar Wright 
Country: UK
Language: English

Edgar Wright is one of the most enjoyable directors to watch in regards to filmography. 2/3rds of the Cornetto Trilogy (Hot Fuzz & Shaun of the Dead)  are hilarious genre films. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an awesome gamer flick & Baby Driver is a fun crime picture.  Last Night in Soho is his 6th venture and it is quite impressive. 

In this feature, an aspiring fashion designer (Thomasin Mackenzie) , is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker.

Last Night in Soho (2021) is a great psychological horror that reminds me of other great films; Vertigo (1958), Midnight in Paris (2011), Black Swan (2010) and even Psycho (1960) The aesthetics feel as if Alfred Hitchocock and Dario Argentino made a baby. The use of color and cinematography make every frame pop with euphoria; the dreamlike editing of the film gives the picture an atmosphere of dread. 

Last Night in Soho has many twists and turns; you think it's going the route of Black Swan, but then it becomes an Agathe Christie novel, and then transforms into something else entirely. The film serves as a good reminder to not idolize the past, as the past can be haunting, but it also aims full tilt towards #metoo feminism ("that a really nice name") . Wright has made me feel like a really creepy dude & has me rethinking how I approach women. 

Many reviewers complain about Last Night in Soho being too "over the top", and while I agree with that sentiment, I think its chaotic nature makes it incredibly enjoyable. If I wanted a lame by the numbers, play it safe horror movie I'd see Halloween Kills. Soho really left an impression on me. 

Movies I Despise: Inception (2010)

Title: Movies I Despise
Film: Inception
Year: 2010
Director: Christopher Nolan 

Back a decade ago, in 2010, Inception was touted as a "masterpiece" by nearly every filmgoer, including your grandmother. It was a critically acclaimed, commercially successful venture by the rare auteur Hollywood director Christopher Nolan. Many aspects of the film, especially the booming score by Hans Zimmer, have etched their way into a wide variety of Blockbusters throughout the decade. I know film professors who teach this very film to their students. To say that this picture is not good is film snob blasphemy; but I will try. 

 Inception is about a thief  (Leonardo DiCaprio) who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O.

The plot of Inception couldn't work in real-life & therefore the characters need to give exposition in order to sell the audiences' on the plot devices' believability. For Inception to work you can't be spending too much time thinking "this doesn't make sense!".  There are many movies, like Ghostbusters & Back to the Future, that have to explain their technology. They do so in very compact & digestible ways ("The Libyans!").  Inception spends too much time rambling on about what is happening & why it is happening. "This is happening because of this!" Ok, I get it, it's a dream you don't have to tell me aga- "This will happen because of this!".  Entire characters exist just to serve as plot narration. Can anybody tell me what purpose Elliot Page's character serves aside from exposition? Imagine Ghostbusters, but every 5 minutes the characters explained what a ghost was. 

This constant need for exposition is bad because 90% of the movie is in a dream (or in a dream within a dream). There is no such thing as "dream logic". Dreams can't and shouldn't be be explained. I do not need to be told why the characters are experiencing x,y,z because you can easily get away with "it's a dream". See Richard Linklater's Waking Life for a beautiful film about dreaming. See Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo for a brief creative dream sequence. Inception could have thrown anything at us and instead gave us the most creatively bankrupt ideas for what a dream could be visually represented onscreen. I get why it didn't go all out, you don't want your audiences confused, but Inception's visual style was nearly identical to a James Bond movie. Didn't Goldeneye also have a ski fight scene? 

As Inception concluded with a cliffhanger ending that film snobs will analyze to death on Youtube, I wasn't left with a sense of awe, but rather a sense of frustration and boredom. How could a film with such a creative and intriguing premise be reduced to a B-level action movie? 

Dune (1984) Review

Title: Dune
Year: 1984
Director: David Lynch
Country: US
Language: English

In 2021 Dennis Villeneuve directed Frank Herbert's Dune to critical and (hopefully) commercial success. I recently watched it in the theatre and was impressed by the epic feel of its immense cinematography and booming score by Hans Zimmer. The first onscreen adaptation, not including Alejandro Jodorowsky's attempt, was David Lynch's Dune. Considered "unfilmable" due to the complexity of its plot, Lynch's adaptation missed the mark with audiences and did not perform well with critics either. 

In this, a Duke's son (Kyle MacLachlan) leads desert warriors against the galactic emperor and his father's evil nemesis to free their desert world from the emperor's rule.

Fresh from the success of The Elephant Man, Lynch had free reign to work on any project he wished, including Return of the Jedi, which he turned down. . Producer Dino de Laurentiis convinced him to work on Dune, which ended up causing a class between studios and Lynch's strange style of film-making.  Lynch, with only two films to his name at the time, couldn't resist signing with a major studio and ended up spending a regrettable 3 years on this picture. 

Unlike the 2021 adaptation, it isn't clear if Lynch had any real passion for the source material as the story bounces all over the place, plot points are left hanging, and characters have no real development. I felt very disoriented by a picture that felt far from epic. Paul, who Lynch attempts to give a messianic aura to, feels bland and uninteresting. The special effects, like many sci-fi from the 80's, are extremely dated. If the CGI was not bad then, it sure is now!

It is quite refreshing that we have a true adaptation of Frank Herbert's material in Villeneuve's Dune. David Lynch is a remarkable director- when he is given free reign on his own material. It is unlikely this book could have been adapted by ANY director prior to the 2010's. Even Steven Spielberg was smart enough not to touch this "unfilmable" piece of literature. 

0 Stars

Dune (2021) Review

Title: Dune
Year: 2021
Director: Dennis Villenueve 
Country: US
Language: English

In 1965 Author Frank Herbert published Dune as two separate series in Analog magazine. It was tied for the Hugo Award & won the Nebula Award for best novel in 1966. Nearly half a century later it would be cited as the best selling science fiction novel of all time. In 1984, after his commercial and critical success The Elephant Man, David Lynch would adapt it into a fairly memorable yet displeasing to critics film adaptation of Dune. In 2021 Dennis Villeneuve would be the second person to dip his hand into adapting the material for screen. That is the version we will be reviewing today. 

Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chamalet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people.

In the past decade (2011-2021) due to the advancement of CGI, there are many movies that are touted as epic, but don't feel epic (Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars)  In my subjective opinion, Dune is the first film that actually feels epic in quite a while. It is immense! Filled to the brim with gorgeous cinematography, remarkable set design, rich story, intriguing character development.  and a powerful Oscar worthy soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Villeneuve's Dune is this generation's Lord of the Rings. 

Ambitious and fairly complex, Dune celebrates Herbert's book by being more faithful to the story than Lynch's take. It is quite clear that Villeneuve understood the subject matter at hand & went out of his way to make the picture a satisfying experience. Well, perhaps I should replace that word "satisfying", the film starts the titles "part one" so going in you know this film will not conclude its story. This can be frustrating as it is a 2hr 35 min movie (with trailers it was more like 3hrs in the theatre). I did feel similar to another epic Lawrence of Arabia that the film was too long. By the 2hr mark I felt like Dune had told its story well enough, it didn't need "extra". 

Lawrence of Arabia is a cinema classic, as are other epics I feel are too long like Ben Hur & Gone With the Wind, so perhaps it's just my patience for films end at the 2hr mark. I was quite flabbergasted when my cousin suggested that the film was too short. While Dune is quite a feat, it is incomplete, and thus expectations are quite high for the sequel. I sure hope Villeneuve gives this story a conclusion that this first half deserves. 

Vengeance is Mine: All Other Pay Cash (2021) Review

Title: Vengeance is Mine
Year: 2020
Director: Edwin
Country: Thailand
Language: Thai

Masculinity is really frail when you analyze it under a microscope. Much of what "being a man" means is held up by norms and traditions that don't really make much sense and/or are incredibly dated. Those who think they are "alpha males" are usually just those who stick to these strict, ridiculous standards and put down those who are different from an perceived "norm". Alas, Vengeance is Mine is a good window into toxic masculinity. 

In a society ruled by machismo, a hibernating "bird" (boner)  becomes a serious matter. In a life of brutality, the sleeping bird is an allegory for a peaceful and serene life, even when the whole world tries desperately to rouse it.

Erectile disfunction is the theme of Vengeance is Mine. Our main character is struggling to accept his difficulty and often reacts about the news in violent ways in order to prove that he is a "man". When most movies talk about boners they tend to be coy, this film doesn't beat around the bush and is both hilarious and heartfelt because of it. The film frames societies obsession with getting/maintaining an erection as part of toxic masculinity. 

Faith Akin provides impressive choreography to the fight sequences that mimic 80's action movies, similar to the style of John Woo. Genre elements and stylized action work very well to entertain the viewer, but some side plots prove to be extremely boring and distract from the main theme. It feels like the writers were a little too ambitious and wanted to be about more things, but Edwin should have known better, cut the side stories and made the film 30-40 minutes shorter. 

Vengeance is Mine is a fun film that will have audiences talking about how brash and over-the-top the language and action scenes were. It's quite a weird picture that I doubt would ever get funding in the West. Southeast Asian films are hidden gems of World Cinema. 

What If? (2021) Review

Title: What if?
Year: 2021
Country: US
Language: English 

What if? was originally a comic book anthology that originally ran from 1977-1984. The purpose was to show readers an alternate Universe where key moments in Marvel & World history had not occurred as they normally did. Such comics included What if Iron Man was a Traitor? and What if Spiderman joined the Fantastic Four? Disney adapted the series into a television show that streamed on Disney+ in 2021. 

What If? tells the story of the Marvel Multiverse wherein are a seemingly infinite amount of alternate timelines that often have small and/or large key differences compared to the  official MCU films.

The most striking feature of What If? is the cel-shaded animation style that gives the onscreen images a unique pop. As a result, the 3D CGI looks very much like 2D animation. The technique is usually reserved for video games, but for this show it gives a comic book aesthetic. As a result MCU's character's transitions from live action to animation doesn't feel too jarring. The characters still feel like living breathing people. 

The episodes in this series, of which there are 8 of, are very hit and miss for me. I loved What If Dr. Strange Lost his Heart? as it was filled with emotion and depth. I disliked What if Thor was an Only Child? because it was pretty boring and felt like meaningless filler.  While some of the show is popcorn entertainment, I do love that they are not afraid to get extremely depressing. The What if Ultron Won? episode is especially brutal. 

While What If? is (subjectively) hit and miss with its stories, I can't deny that it is extremely well made and will appeal to a wide variety of audiences. I would enjoy more seasons of this bizarre, campy, funny romp  that has the ability to show a tremendous amount of heart. 

Falcon & The Winter Solder (2021) Review

Title: Falcon & The Winter Soldier
Year: 2021
Country: US
Language: English

The First Avenger, The Winter Soldier and Civil War were not only great Captain America ventures, they are my favorite films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far. I love that they are filled to the brim with spies, espionage and legitimately thrilling moments. I feel like Captain America has become a far more compelling character than any other Avenger. That saying his finale at Endgame was bittersweet; I wish we got more Captain America, but I am excited to see what Falcon will do with his shield. 

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan)  team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities -- and their patience. 

Even if you're a Universe saving Avenger you'll still face discrimination if you're black. Sam Wilson gets stopped by police, denied a home loan, and passed up as the next Captain America for a blonde haired blue eyed white guy. Falcon & The Winter Soldier is very critical of the institutions in America that hold POC down & examines how deep rooted these problems are.

Although at the same time, the protagonists are also disenfranchised people who are misplaced because of a post-snap inept government. Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) is a teenager who leads the rebellious "Flag Smashers" group. Her methods can be cruel, but the writers fail to make her an intriguing villain, or even somebody in a morally grey area. I find myself sympathizing with her and wondering what Sam Wilson's problem is. The show wants me to see Wilson as an appropriate replacement for Steve Rogers, but Rogers wasn't such a government stooge (see: Civil War) . 

Also, per my Loki complaint, every episode needs a big fight whether its warranted or not. Marvel seems to think its' audiences attention span is non existent. I would have liked this show to slow down a little. Overall the show is a decent watch, a little too on the nose with political commentary (His shield is stained!), but worth a viewing. 

Should race, gender & sexuality be "historically accurate" in television & film?

Race, Gender, Sexuality & "Historical Accuracy"
Michael J. Carlisle
Unedited Essay/Rant

 Recently I have viewed a number of social media posts about Bridgerton , Netflix's new show about about the powerful Bridgerton family of Regency-era England. The controversy is that it is not historically accurate because characters that should be white are played by POC (people of color). After-all, if it's racist to portray Scarlett Johansson as asian in the live action Ghost in the Shell, then it should be wrong for any race to play something that is traditionally not their race. Reverse racism!

What side do the scales fall on again? How many decades have minorities had to deal with their culture being mocked? The main image of Jesus we see is it as a white man, even though it would be more "historically accurate" for him to have a darker complexion. Is the history we are taught in school actually "accurate"? Every American is taught that Columbus "discovered" America, even though a vast amount of indigenous cultures were here long ago & Columbus was more of a colonizing masochist than any real hero. 

There are letters upon letters of men writing love notes to each other in WW1 & WWII, but we are taught they were "just good friends!".  We are taught Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake for heresy, but we aren't taught that the "heresy" in question was for wearing men's clothing. She could have been trans, but we tend to ignore that when reviewing her life. 

I believe that "History" as we know it is fluid and constantly evolving. We will forever have an incomplete picture that will change the more information we have access to & it is partially shaped by our attitudes and understanding of our world at the time.  The history we have access to also depends on who is in power & what policies are in place. 

When people say they want "historical accuracy" it really means they want the history they perceive to be accurate. In the West "historical accuracy" is history from the white male colonizer's point of view. See every Western ever made and you'll notice that none of them portray events from the indigenous perspective. Adding women, poc or lgbtt people as main characters instead is seen as "woke", "liberal", "pc", "leftist" (insert buzzword) 

Quite frankly visual art (movies, tv shows) shouldn't be constricted to any notion of "historical accuracy". That ship sailed long ago with Amadeus, Braveheart and *gasp* are you telling me The Sound of Music really didn't happen that way? I think an audience is smart enough to understand that Thomas Jefferson in the hit Broadway musical Hamilton wasn't actually black. The themes, subtext, visual language & message of the show should be on your mind more than trivial differences between stage and reality. 

POC deserve to see themselves in any role they please. Generations of black people had to view their race in film as slaves or servants or portrayed as literal Jim Crows from Dumbo.  They should be able to view themselves as kings, heroes, queens, scientists, doctors etc. even if that wasn't actually possible in that time, at that place. The audience is smart enough to get past race & see the bigger picture.

Even when it comes to fictional characters, like James Bond ("based" on a real person does not count as "historical") people have a stick up their butt about how they should be portrayed. In No Time to Die the actor is still portrayed by a middle aged white guy, but because he's more sensitive it isn't TrUE to ThE cHarActEr and obviously made for cuck libs. We've had the same character do the same schtick for 29 movies, over a period of 50+ years. At what point are we allowed to move on? At what point does the Franchise become stale because "it must be this way!". 

LGBT people have been, and still are,  underrepresented in cinema despite there being a significant presence of lgbt actors throughout the history of Hollywood like Cary Grant, James Stewart & Greta Garbo. If movies can pretend there are more straight people than there actually are irl, then why can't we pretend there are more gay people? Cinema often demands we suspend our disbelief for far more dramatic events. If I can believe in plausibility of  The Hulk in The Avengers, then surely a gay Hulk is not much of a leap in reality. 

I hope this messy, unedited rant of an essay was comprehensible. I just despise when people try to force art to maintain the boundaries of their limited worldview. We should keep art accessible for everyone & part of that is stepping away from colonialist tradition and transforming characters into people that a wide variety of people can see themselves as. If white cis people complain that they want to "see themselves" too...they have nearly a century where they dominated television & film. The majority of films still are being made to cater to them. 

Loki (2021) Review

Title: Loki
Year: 2021

Let me begin by saying this; I HATE Thor & Thor: Dark World. They are the most pointless drivel that Marvel has produced thus far. I'm also fairly lukewarm to The Avengers; it's an alright film that I watched once and never thought about again. I LOVE the character Loki however. I think Tom Hiddleston does a remarkable job in his role & if he could be in every movie it would be delightful. For now I'll take the Disney+ TV series by the same name. 

The God of Mischief Loki (Tom Hiddleson) ends up in the TVA (Time Variance Authority) when he does something that alters the pre-set timeline in a way that is unintended. 

Loki was released shortly after the brilliant Disney+ series WandaVision. While that series was about grief and love, this is about fate and pre-determination. "Glorious purpose!" Loki is a force to reckon with as he's determined to prove that he isn't in a set timeline & won't be forced to comply with one. It doesn't take its subject matter as seriously as WandaVision, but it does prove to be an equally entertaining ride from episode 1 to episode 10. 

While WandaVision didn't need to follow every poignant emotional scene with violence, Loki goes to that well in every episode. It's a problem I have with Marvel; they just can't let an emotional scene permeate, we must see our hero overcome physical danger as well. Not sure if they should go with Person A's Plan or Person B's plan? Literally fight it out. It gets repetitive after a while. 

While the series is not perfect, Loki proves to be the catalyst for decades of Marvel movies ahead. The ending, which is decently built up to, left my jaw on the floor. While I may not rewatch the entire series, I did re-watch the last episode over and over again. More style than substance, but still a fairly intelligent viewing. 

WandaVision (2021) Review

Title: WandaVision
Year: 2020
Director: Jac Schaeffer
Country: US
Language: English

In Infinity War, Thanos (Josh Brolin) destroyed Vision (Paul Bettany) in order to gain the Soul Stone and wield the full power of his infinity gauntlet.  Vision's love, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) was forced to watch this horrific act. Despite our heroes allowing everyone to be unsnapped back to existence, Vision remains dead at the end of Endgame. So, if he remains dead then how can he possibly exist in Wanda Vision? Why is the show framed like a Sitcom from the 30's? Why does the trailer show the two in 6 different decades? Such questions will be answered. 

Wanda Maximoff and Vision are two super-powered beings living the ideal suburban life, but things slowly go off the wall & our two heroes suspect not all is what it seems. 

"What is grief if not love preserving?" WandaVision comes in the midst of great loss and suffering around the world. Covid-19 has ripped us from our loved ones before we are ready, and many will have a difficult time coping with their grief in healthy ways. WandaVision's exploration of grief as a process, rather than a one-time event, reminds me of C.S Lewis' A Grief Observed. Both Lewis & this series illustrate grief coming in waves, Lewis notably stating grief is like "a bomber circling round and dropping its bombs."

Marvel Studios has a reputation for producing popcorn pictures that merely exist as escapist entertainment, but WandaVision appears to be the most down-to-earth emotionally vulnerable work they have made yet. The show criticizes our unhealthy desire to dive into entertainment as therapy, because our "escape" can easily become our "prison". Often advertised as a "parody" of television, WandaVision is more a surreal meta-analysis of society akin to Pleasantville. 

WandaVision is a tremendous achievement that succeeds in pushing Marvel Studios towards high art. I'm certain this will be analyzed by academics for years to come. It's a shame that very few MCU projects reach this level of maturity; the show is leaps and bounds more tolerable than Endgame. I hope we see similar shows in upcoming years. 

Black Widow (2021) Review

Title: Black Widow
Year: 2021
Director: Cate Shortland
Country: US
Language(s): Misc. 

For many years fans demanded a solo Black Widow movie, and Marvel didn't give it to them because Studios believed that movies starring women wouldn't make a lot of money (even though Gone with the Wind is the highest grossing movie of all time adjusting inflation) I felt, until recently, they didn't treat the character with respect. In Avengers: Endgame she sacrificed herself and didn't even get a funeral. "She's dead? Oh well, move on." Thankfully a solo movie finally came to fruition. 

Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.

Black Widow is a pretty dark film for the Disney Marvel Cinematic Universe. I have never any of these superhero flicks actually address such a horrific issue such as human trafficking. This one does in a fairly tasteful manner (not downplaying it) , with a great sense of urgency. The film does best at provoking one's attention when it maintains the atmosphere of being a serious thriller akin to the Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The film also does a good job at making Black Widow a far more important member of the MCU. Too often does she sit in the sidelines or is just forgotten about until a convenient moment. Unfortunately a lot of the character's screentime takes a backseat to her less interesting family members. Scrapes of the fatphobic jokes from Endgame seep into the pictureand ruin otherwise poignant moments. Florence Pugh, while great, outshines our main character in every scene they are in. 

Despite these flaws, Black Widow is a great MCU film with a strong message & makes me wish the character could have lived past Endgame. This film is far more subtle in its feminism than  the other female led MCU film Captain Marvel and, due to being more of a spy film than a 90's nostalgia picture, far more entertaining. 

Where is Anne Frank (2021) Review

Title: Where is Anne Frank
Year: 2021
Director: Ari Folman
Country: Belgium
Language: English

My first exposure to Anne Frank was watching the George Stevens directed film Diary of Anne Frank (1959) in my grade 5 social studies class. In my elementary school years we had months of time dedicated to studying every aspect of The Holocaust. It is quite unfortunate that nowadays there are people who know very little about that time period, proving that movies like Where is Anne Frank need to be made in order to reinvigorate public knowledge about such a dangerous time. 

The film follows the journey of Kitty (Ruby Stokes) , the imaginary friend to whom Anne Frank dedicated her diary. A fiery teenager, Kitty wakes up in the near future in Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam and embarks on a journey to find Anne, who she believes is still alive, in today's Europe.

The gorgeous animation of Where is Anne Frank feels like a series of paintings that have come to life. It has a unique look that won't be found in the majority of modern animation, especially because most newer animation is computer animated. Balancing past and present, Director Ari Folman does a tremendous job at telling a beautiful - yet painful- story that will appeal to the hearts of children and adults. 

Where is Anne Frank has a timely message about living by people's example, rather than using their image for monuments, coffee shops & other capitalist gains. The scenes involving refugees also point out that we shouldn't spend too much time thinking about "what would I have done in this scenario?". but rather "how can I help people right now?".

The opportunity to be kind, selfless individuals  who help others is something that we should think about & act upon on a daily basis. Anne wrote that humanity should be kind and compassionate to each other; hopefully audiences of this wonderful picture will take that to heart. 

Flee (2021) Review

Title: Flee
Year: 2021
Director: Jonas Rassmussen
Country: Denmark
Language(s): Various

Having been born and raised in a peaceful country, the Great White North of Canada, it is fairly difficult for me to imagine what the refugee experience must be like. I sympathize with those people as I am always for any amount of refugees coming into the country, but I have to admit that it's hard to relate with them and/or know what their emotional needs are. Flee proved to be a very eye opening, soul searching experience in that regard. 

Flee is a documentary...sort of. It's about a man named Amin who needs to confront his past as a refugee from Afghanistan & recounts their survival as undocumented immigrants in Soviet Union era Russia. 

Crowned the grand jury winner at Sundance Film Festival, Flee is an animated documentary that recounts the unfilmable. Through audio testimony and a Waltz with Bashir style of art we are witness to the darkness of human trafficking, while also subject to the cathartic joy of finding love and friendship. Flee is an important film because the immigrant/refugee experience is rarely observed in such detail. Too often are we given a glossy Hollywood repaint of such trials and tribulations. 

The film is a sensitive and urgent testimony to the plight of refugees. It must be seen because it will evoke a tremendous amount of empathy in modern audiences. It's an honest and heartfelt portrayal that made me feel like I should be doing more for newcomers in Canada. If just the journey itself is that grueling, I can't imagine how assimilation must feel. 

Flee has an immense amount of heart; pouring with moments of grief as well as joy. Such a tender film deserves to be seen by a large amount of people. Perhaps this film will affect how politicians make laws in regard to citizenship. It will certainly win the Best Documentary Oscar. 

No Time to Die (2021) Review

Title: No Time to Die
Year: 2021
Director: Cory Fukuda
Country: UK
Language: English 

Prior to seeing No Time to Die I had only heard two opinions about the film; it's either the best Bond in its 50+yr franchise, or the worst. I have to admit, ever since Quantum of Solace (2008) I've had a considerable lack of interest in these movies. Daniel Craig, I initially thought, could never live up to the Bond of my childhood, Piece Brosnan (Goldeneye). The combined enthusiasm of Dr. Michael W. Boyce (film professor) & Dr. Lisa Funnell (author of Geographies, Genders, and Geopolitics of James Bond ) brought my interest back from the depths. I had to see this picture, especially after it had been delayed time and time again. 

James Bond (Daniel Craig) has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter (Jeffery Wright) , an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

In No Time To Die Craig's Bond has been molded to fit with our modern audiences' sensibilities. Gone are the sexist quips & attempts to make our hero the invulnerable poster-boy for toxic masculinity. What we get in return is a more intimate look at a man who is far more emotionally vulnerable than we've seen in previous ventures. I suspect this is where the divide is; a lot of people see this as a woke, sjw, neo-liberal take on a franchise that catered to men. Personally, I see it as a refreshing perspective. There's only so many times we are hand-fed the same uber-masculine 007 agent before we get bored with it.

Part of the film was a little hard to follow because I had not seen the the last few Craig films and that may be No Time to Die's biggest weakness;  it expects you to already know many of these characters.  I suspect, especially with how things played out, the days of the standalone Bond film are long gone. I appreciate that I didn't need to have seen Goldeneye to watch Die Another Day. This may also be where there's a divide; many people like that the films are a continuing series like the Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than episodic. 

No Time to Die is the longest Bond film to date, but it didn't feel that way for me. I was captivated by Director Cory Fukunaga's. at times, poetic version of Bond that blew me away with its beautiful cinematography. The film even made me re-consider my dissaproval of Billie Eilish's theme song. 

Shang Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) Review

Title: Shang Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings
Director: Destin Cretton
Country: US
Language: English

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung is one of my favourite living actors. I loved him in Wong Kar Wai's masterpiece In The Mood For Love, the first film in which I had seen the actor's immense capability at capturing an audiences' heart. I did not know he was cast in this picture,  as I had not paid attention to any trailers, so when he made his presence known in Shang Chi I was immediately intrigued. Could he live up to the great acting prowess that I thought he had? We'll see!

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) , the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.

Shang Chi's father, Wen Wu, is brilliantly played by Tony Leung. His magnetic presence steals every scene that he's in, even when he shares it with a giant CGI dragon. The master of a criminal organization known as The Ten Rings, Leung struggles with self destructive grief with the same elegance and charm he had throughout his cinematic career. 

The film is packed with very cohesive fight scenes that are wonderfully choreographed; reminding me a lot of the martial arts films from the 70's that I would stumble upon as a child (I didn't grew up in the 70's, we just had a specific kung fu tv channel). The plot, while very formulaic and similar to other Marvel ventures, never feels like a drag. Awkwafina acts as great levity to the plot when it becomes too dark or risks becoming dull. 

There is nothing, besides Leung, that excited me about the film or in any way sparked my creative energy. Shang Chi is a fine, run of the mill, picture that was suitable for one escapist viewing. I don't regret seeing it, but I might have opted for a cheaper theatre had the film not been overhyped for me on twitter. 

Justice League: Snyder's Cut (2021) Review

Title: Justice League
Year: 2021
Director: Zach Snyder
Country: US 
Language: English 

Let me get this out of the way; I cannot stand Zach Snyder's directing. Scenes are either frustratingly  sped up or they are super slow to the point of comical. His desire to snap zoom (zooming quickly in and out) leaves me nauseous and his insistence of lack of color leaves his pictures bleak and dull. I do my best to avoid his movies, BUT for a long time I heard "wait until Snyder's cut of Justice league comes out, it's going to be a masterpiece!" and I had to endure film twitter being obsessed with #freethesnydercut so...sigh. Here we are.

Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Godot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

I have not seen the original Justice League, so I have nothing to compare Snyder's cut to, but man THIS IS BAD. The Matrix used slow motion ("bullet time") to show impossible scenarios such as Neo dodging a bullet, Synder uses slow motion for meaningless trivial things. A car drives by? slow motion. A background character walks up stairs? slow motion. Snyder is known for his conservative use of cuts, which would be welcome if he had any understanding of how to make a movie. Much of Justice League needs better editing because the story often crawls to a snails pace. 

Justice League is a very bloated 4 hours that felt like a chore to sit though. Nothing about it looks or feels as epic as the story wants itself to be. There are many parts of the film that go nowhere and have no significance to either plot or "character development". For instance, in the beginning Wonder Woman is taking down a terrorist organization that is holding a bank hostage. Who are these people? No explanation. Why are they doing this? No explanation. Are they even mentioned again? Nope. 

This film could have easily had a tighter, more rounded story that got rid of a lot of unnecessary filler, but it's clear Snyder couldn't help himself as he left the worst of his trademarks all over this garbage film. Watch this if you want to abandon all your dreams. 

ZERO STARS 

The Suicide Squad (2021) Review

Title: The Suicide Squad
Year: 2021
Director: James Gunn
Country: US
Language: English

One of the worst movies I have ever seen was Zack Snyder's Suicide Squad. The premise, a bunch of bad guys turned soldiers for suicidal mission, had the potential to be very funny, but NOTHING was done with it. Even the Joker, an interesting character just by name alone, was ruined by Jared Leto's awful Ace Ventura impression. The film was so bad they decided to remake it, thankfully with James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) at the helm. 

Supervillains Harley Quinn, (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena) and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.

The Suicide Squad is....funny? and entertaining!? I had bottom of the barrel expectations for the film & James Gunn far exceeded them, making a gory foul mouthed picture that will have you in awe of the characters' wacky hijinks as the story completely unfolds into insanity. Never in my cinematic dreams did I foresee a polka-dot infused superhero battling a starfish kaiju that the hero can only attack when thinking of his oppressive mother. 

Even though The Suicide Squad looks and feels like the standard Hollywood blockbuster with average looking CGI, it is clear that Gunn was allowed a fair amount of freedom to indulge in his weirdest impulses. Off-beat humor and comical violence add to a unique vibe that makes this film feel like it didn't come straight from a factory. 

The Suicide Squad, much like Birds of Prey, is bright and vibrant. It is very much the opposite of the tired brooding superhero picture we are used to seeing from DC Studios. While there isn't much in the way of substance, being entertained during a pandemic makes this a decent picture. 

Becoming Cousteau (2021) Review

Title: Becoming Costeau
Year: 2021
Director: Liz Garbus
Country: US
Language(s): French/English

Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997) was a man of immense importance to the underwater community of scientists. He developed the aqua lung, pioneered marine conservation, won the Palm D'Or for a documentary, made an incredible amount of educational films, and tried very hard to get involved with climate change awareness. Cousteau did many lifetimes of work in his long career, but it came with many sacrifices.

Becoming Cousteau is a look at the achievements and tragedies surrounding the famous explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau, featuring an archive of his newly restored footage.

Director Liz Garbus uses a vast amount of archival footage combined with audio clips & readings of Cousteaus’s diary to create a somewhat traditional & straightforward documentary that manages to capture our imagination, leaving a significant impression of the mythical Cousteau.

Though Garbus' presentation isn't very innovative, one has to be impressed by the director's get-to-the-point approach at activism. She doesn't want to engage us with glitz and flashy editing techniques; she would rather let the facts speak for themselves. The film was quite eye opening in regards to the severity of man made climate change. I'm certainly going to think about ocean activism in the future due to watching this. 

Garbus avoid the media cliche of "printing the legend" and gives us a more well rounded, more nuanced approach to Cousteau. The euphotic highs and dizzying lows are highlighted by a very remarkable score that adds to the compelling nature of the subject matter. Certainly a worthwhile viewing. 

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) Review

Title: Eyes of Tammy Faye
Year: 2021
Director: Michael Showalter
Country: US
Language: English

On first impression, I feel like the majority of people who preach are completely full of themselves. I think that they must be doing this as some sort of scam on the gullible and/or vulnerable. This initial thought process is due to the many televangelists that plagued the television during my youth. The first ones I remember being Tammy Faye & Jim Bakker, who were found guilty of numerous accounts of fraud and conspiracy. This film looked like it was really going to be critical of that lifestyle, so I just had to watch it. 

This picture is intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain).

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is certainly critical of Jim Bakker & Tammy Faye in very justifiable ways, although I feel it doesn't go far enough in its criticism of evangelism as a whole. At times it also goes too far in painting the characters as buffoons, treating them more as sitcom characters than actual human beings. While we get the darker side of Jim Bakker, we don't get a full grasp of Faye's involvement in their scandal. What did she know? Surely she was not as clueless & naive as the film wants us to believe. 

 Ah, but I have seen interviews with Tammy Faye (including a Larry King one where she weighed 65lbs) and it is very hard to stay mad at her. She was so full of life; such a charismatic individual. She stood up for LGBT people during the AIDS crisis when nobody cared for them. Jessica Chastain plays Faye remarkably. Her performance was so great that Chastain received a 10 minute standing ovation at TIFF. I fully believe she will win the Best Actress Oscar for her magnificent role. 

Despite its flaws, Director Michael Showalter gives us a film that is full of style. We breeze through scene after scene of 80's glitz and glamour, which kept me very entertained despite my reservation about the script. The film has a typical biopic Walk the Line formula, but darn is it fun. 

Benediction (2021) Review

Title: Benediction
Year: 2021
Director: Terrence Davies 
Country: UK
Language: English

World War One was a horrific war where men left their comfortable homes & often died, not from wounds of war, but from malnutrition and disease. The many who did not die were left with painful memories that permeated their dreams & transformed their mental health in very damaging, disfiguring ways. Benediction is very much about the scars and turmoil left from a world that felt more shattered than ever before. 

Benediction is based on the life of English poet Siegfried Sassoon, who achieved renown as a poet via impassioned anti-war verses that landed him in a military psychiatric hospital; later, he emerged from the closet to live with unusual openness as a gay man.

The film spans three stages of Sassoon's life, weaving in and out  of different stages of youth and old age in attempt to find meaning in his lost world. The result is a film full of anguish, despair, lost love and longing. Sassoon consistently reaches into the void, trying to make sense of his emotions and place in the grand scheme of things. Though flawed in its script, it is a breathtaking poetic vision that will stick with you for quite some time. 

Bursting with mid century flavor, Benediction has a marvelous eye for set design, costuming & décor. Combined with exquisite cinematography & a rich score, it is fairly easy to be transported to a world that is far removed from 2021. Jack Lowden does a tremendous job at playing a young Sassoon; the urgency to find meaning that he gives his character can be felt through the screen. 

I found myself quite taken by Benediction. Some audience members may not like how brooding & bittersweet the film is, but I found great meaning & was transformed by the story's core theme of finding oneself.  I do think the film may be a bit too long, but I have a great desire to view it again. 

Power of the Dog (2021) Review

Title: Power of the Dog
Year: 2021
Director: Jane Campion
Country: New Zealand
Language: English

For many, the first female director they have heard of would be Kathryn Bigelow. She was the first female to win Best Director, for The Hurt Locker (2009)  and remains 1 of 2 women to receive that award. For me, Jane Campion was my first. Her impressive feature The Piano (1993) was a tour de force that remains one of my favourite films. When I heard her latest feature, Power of the Dog, would premiere at TIFF I knew that I MUST see it.

Charismatic rancher Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother (George Burbank) brings home a new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.

Power of the Dog is not your typical Western; it's a slow burning melodrama that is filled to the brim with stunning cinematography shot in New Zealand. It has the look of an epic adventure film, but is far more psychological and mysterious. Campion strips away at the conventions of our typical idea of the West - mainly our perception of masculine myths. 

The hyper-masculinity of our characters' environment leave long lasting emotional scars that slowly transform them into pitiful humans. Cumberbatch steals every scene he's in as a repressed protagonist of our story. Jonny Greenwood's breathtaking & harrowing score underline the psychological drama that is unfolding within our eyes. Campion's direction proves to be flawless. 

Third runner up for the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, Power of the Dog will certainly be a big contender come award's season. While slow paced pictures aren't everyone's cup of tea, I certainly found myself enthralled. 

Titane (2021) Review

Title: Titane
Year: 2021
Director: Julia Ducornau
Country: France 
Language: French

For me, the most anticipated movie of the Toronto Film Festival was Titane. Directed by Jullia Ducornau, the film somehow won the Palm D'or (prematurely announced by Spike Lee at the beginning of the festival) at Cannes in France. My spouse, cousin and I watched this absurd picture in awe. When it finished we wondered if we all simultaneously hallucinated the bizarre events that unfolded. 

How do I talk about Titane without spoiling it? A father (Vincent London) reunites with his son that has been missing for years. A woman (Garance Millier) is pregnant with a sports cars' baby? 

Titane is quite a trip. It's cerebral, violent, barbaric, sexual, and layered with complex themes and imagery. It's a film that questions heteronormativity and is also...feminist and sweet? Ducournau plays to the desires of straight men, only to turn everything on its head & show the true horror of toxic masculinity. You want a striptease? You'll get the most gay striptease in cinematic history. 

Throughout its runtime Titane dissects & strips away outdated ideas of masculinity and femininity, until only the non-binary is left. Even the seemingly uber masculine firefighters, who brag about their sexual conquests, have their moment of confusion over identity and sexuality. It's rare to see such a non-binary, openly trans coded film that doesn't go out of its way to please its viewers.

Titane is an ambitious film that will leave viewers with a variety of emotions. I initially felt shocked by the film, but it left a great impression in my mind. A good film will have you thinking about its themes long after the picture ends. I haven't stopped thinking about it.