Mark's Remarks

HOW THE RATING SYSTEM WORKS ★★★★ - Excellent ★★★ - Very good ★★ - Okay ★ - Poor ______________________ Over 700 movie reviews and counting! Follow my blog for film reviews from an audience point of view.

[filmforthought]

The Meg

Starring Jason Statham, Rainn Wilson and Li Bingbing

Rating: 🦈🦈🦈

Throughout middle school, the Wii was the biggest console out there. After school, kids would rush home to play all kinds of exciting games like Super Mario Odyssey or Wii Sports.

However, I faced some flack for my taste in Wii games, particularly my love for Endless Ocean. In the game, you were a diver who would swim around the… Endless Ocean.

There was no objective to the game. You would simply swim around and discover new fish. Although it was easy to find small fishes, large fishes like hammerhead or great white sharks really stood out.

Of those large fishes, I never encountered a megalodon.

On the other hand, Jonas, played by Jason Statham, has had a history with a megalodon as a diver. When a few people are stuck at the bottom of the ocean by the force of a meg, a reluctant Jonas is called to save them. After the mission, Jonas and his team come together to kill the meg.

Although not as soothing as Endless Ocean, The Meg is the perfect summer shark flick because of the strong chemistry among the team and fun action.

When Jonas and his team go up against the meg, you feel like you’re a part of the crew. There are a range of different personalities, where it’s easy to relate to at least one character.

Some characters include Jonas who goes at any length to get the job done, the billionaire Jack who is arrogant, and Suyin, a loving mother. These personas blend so well together because they all care about one another.

Personally, I identify with Jonas. I’m definitely as ripped, good looking, and I can easily outswim a megalodon.

The characters get involved in some crazy situations. While a big shark’s bite of the action is ridiculous, you can’t help but enjoy it.

You have to get a kick out of Jonas when he swims out alone to throw a spear at the meg or zips his small submarine around the bottom of the ocean to save his colleagues. If you’re going to sit in your chair with your arms crossed actually judging this fun movie, you’re a living blobfish.

It’s great to see Statham acting in a role like this again. In recent memory, Statham has taken on some crummy roles. Last summer, The Mechanic 2 wasn’t good enough to be in the $5 bin at WalMart, let alone screened at movie theaters across the country. Also, Statham has been Fast and Furious at cashing checks from that bombastic franchise.

In this case, Statham finally plays an enjoyable lead and is the action hero we’ve loved before in flicks like The Transporter, Crank, or the first Mechanic (let’s erase the second one from our memory).

The Meg goes as swimmingly as possible. It’s entertaining enough to stuff your face with gummy sharks, I mean popcorn, and leave your brain in the deep end.

Sorry Endless Ocean, but I don’t think your hammerhead sharks square up to The Meg.

[filmforthought]

What Will People Say

Starring Maria Mozhdah, Adil Hussain and Ekavali Khanna Rating: The coveted ★★★★

We care a lot about what others think about us. Just look at our Instagram accounts, where we put a smile on for the world and pretend we are living the best life to impress everyone else.

On the other hand, sixteen year-old Nisha's parents take their image much too seriously. Nisha, played by Maria Mozhdah, is just like any other Norwegian teenager: she wants to explore relationships, have fun and experiment with the fruits of life.

But Nisha lives a double life. She'll go out and party with friends, but creep through the window to get in her room just before her dad, played by Adil Hussain, makes sure she's tucked in. When her dad finds out about this other side, Nisha faces serious consequences.

Nisha's parents raise Nisha the old school way through their Pakistani roots. Their culture does not tolerate Nisha's behavior because they worry what others will think of them raising such an unruly child.

Ya know, a crazy girl who kisses a boy. So scandalous!!

However, it's challenging to be a teenager in an environment where you cannot make a single mistake; especially when that's what being young is all about. Contrarily, the parents have a hard time realizing how western customs will effect their daughter.

Thus, there’s a culture clash for Nisha. What does she identify with most? Her Pakistani roots or Norwegian customs?

What Will People Say is one of the greatest films of the year. Director Iram Haq gives an eye opening experience to show how brutal growing up in such a strict culture can be, which will make you feel a range of emotions.

Director Haq holds nothing back on her extremely honest view of the traditional culture through Nisha's parents that made me appreciate my upbringing even more. It's upsetting to see the consequences Nisha endures for mistakes we've all made as kids.

Haven't you snuck out to see a guy or girl when you told your parents you were just hanging out with a buddy up the street? If you brought back a special someone to Nisha's household, expect your date to be beaten to a pulp if he or she lays a finger on you, even with your consent.

Here in 21st century America, we have the freedom to do a lot. We can speak our mind, hang out with friends whenever, or date people we like. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in eastern countries, the traditions from the 5th century are still in place today.

The director makes a point that eastern culture needs to evolve for the betterment of all. It's a culture where women are powerless, children cannot grow, and the rest of someone's life is completely arranged by their parents.

This is hard to accept today. Children like Nisha should be given the opportunity to be whatever they want and have experiences to develop into better people. Times are changing and we think it's getting better, but if we look at the other side of the globe, progress still needs to be made.

A reason why Nisha’s parents act harsh is because they care more about what others think about them. Instead of worrying about what others will say, they should accept the unavoidable and natural mistakes in growing up.

Haq shows how much the parents care about their child, but it’s suffocating. Their culture’s way of showing care is outdated. The traditional parenting methods must adapt to a way where the parent can be more respectful of their child’s privacy and more accepting of their development.

After watching this, I gained a greater appreciation for the childhood I had. I held those memories of acting foolishly with my friends a little closer.

With every minute, it felt like I was getting closer to the edge of my seat. Nisha's rollercoaster ride will make you feel everything.

I cried, laughed, groaned and covered my face in panic. The story changes the tone so many times that your state of emotion will constantly adjust.

What doesn't change is the stone cold acting by Adil Hussain, who plays Nisha's dad. Her father is ferocious and brings a sense of hostility whenever he's in a scene.

Hussain gives an intense performance that's Oscar worthy. He loves his family, but can strike fear in both Nisha and the audience.

Maria Mozhdah also gives an outstanding performance as Nisha. You feel for her every time she pays a steep price for doing something so minute.

It's easy to root for Nisha because we've all been there. We've been in Nisha's shoes before and we want her to have the freedom to enjoy her childhood. Mozhdah's acting makes Nisha's case even more convincing.

While we do care about What People Will Say, we should take it lightly. Everyone makes mistakes once in a while, but these mistakes make us the people we are today.

If you implement a parenting style where your child is not allowed to mess up, the methods need to change.

[filmforthought]

The End of Summer

Starring Setsuko Hara, Yoko Tsukasa and Ganjirō Nakamura

Rating: ☀☀☀

The sun is beaming, the heat is surging, and the air conditioning is cranking higher. It can be exhausting to get through the humid weather, but I love this time of year.

It’s when I can take an extended break from the headaches of school. I go to a job I love during the day, run in the afternoons, and wind down with a movie in the evenings. Ah, so simple and carefree.

Unfortunately, it’s all coming to an end soon and I’m saying this in the beginning of August. God, it breaks my heart to move on. The End of Summer is here for the Kohayagawa family, too.

The family consists of a grandfather, his three children, and other grandchildren. In the final smoldering months of Japan’s brutal summer, the Kohayagawas have some heat of their own to handle.

The grandfather, played by Ganjirō Nakamura, is having an affair with an old flame. His children and the rest of the family are upset that he’s always sneaking away and not spending time with them. Also, grandpa’s running around in the blistering heat of summer is alarming.

Director Yasujirō Ozu creates the perfect blend of comedy and drama with the Kohayagawas. Although their family ties are a little confusing, it offers good laughs and tears.

Like any other Ozu film, we’re thrown right into the story. We meet the characters in the middle of their busy lives and we’re expected to know their names.

After a half hour or so, you can put the pieces together. However, in this case it was tricky to find out who-is-who.

I thought the young Noriko, played by Yoko Tsukasa, was the niece of Akiko, played by Setsuko Hara, for the whole film. But at the end of the movie, Noriko refers to Akiko as “Sister.” This could either be a term used toward Akiko as a close friend or throws the family tree off. No matter what she said, Ozu could make the relationships clearer.

Despite the confusion of family members, Ozu manages to make this strange relationship funny. It’s amusing to see the grandfather hustle throughout town to get to his girlfriend’s home. Also, when the family confronts the grandfather about his affair, they hilariously grill him. The grandfather spectacularly dodges so many questions, but Ozu points out that we can’t hide our secrets away forever.

While Ozu makes light of the old man’s romance, he shows how it negatively affects his family. Grandpa’s behavior didn’t come out of the blue; he cheated on his now deceased wife, which ruined the household.

Sure, we can laugh at the absurdity of this situation, but it’s worth recognizing the implications of cheating. Too many times in movies like this, the genre goes either one way or the other. The flick could either be a screwball comedy or tea spilling drama.

Ozu has the talent to blend the two perfectly together. While there are plenty of moments of laughter, it balances out with the dramatic parts.

Particularly, its ending is quite moving. A tall chimney blows thick dark smoke across the rural landscape. A farmer notices the haze and comments, “That’s the circle of life.”

Ozu exemplifies the power of film through this combination of drama and comedy, while giving perspective on Japan’s culture. Movies are supposed to move you into different emotions. They can make you laugh or cry, but great filmmakers can make you do both.

What elevates a director even higher is if they give you an insightful message. In this case, Ozu gives you insight into how extramarital affairs were received in 1960s Japan. The grandfather’s wife was broken by his foolishness, but his behavior never stopped. As sad as it is, some people can’t change for the better.

Change is something the grandfather battled throughout his whole life, right through The End of Summer. We can look at the grandfather’s dilemma with a serious or comedic lens.

What I look at with a serious lens is the end of my summer. I don’t want to leave my great job, hometown friends and great weather behind for school.

However, some changes are inevitable.

[filmforthought]

The Equalizer 2 Starring Denzel Washington Rating: ★

The Equalizer 2 was supposed to start at 10:30, but I arrived at 10:50 to skip the previews. There weren’t any previews to skip though, because the screen wasn’t working.

Here we were, sitting in the theater until 11:05 for the flick to start. I was contemplating on ditching the show to see Mamma Mia 2 in IMAX next door, but I stuck it out for Denzel.

There are two lessons to be learned from this experience: always go with your gut and read the signs.

Unfortunately, the sequel wasn’t worth the twenty minute wait, let alone the months of hype. It was without a doubt the biggest disappointment this year so far.

Robert McCall, played by Denzel Washington, is still your everyday guy turned vigilante when someone needs him. McCall’s ex-military past is brought to light when he tries to seek vengeance after his former colleague is killed.

2012’s Equalizer was a great action flick with its uniquely calculated hand-to-hand combat, good story and likable main character in McCall. It had the makings of a great action movie, which is hard to come by these days.

Six years later, we finally get the return we’ve all been waiting for. But wait, is this really the return? Because this isn’t The Equalizer I enjoyed years ago.

In the sequel, director Antoine Fuqua transitions McCall into a completely different and unlikable character. Right from the first scene I had reservations about the new McCall.

McCall is on a train in Turkey and beats up some dudes holding a young girl hostage. The vigilante returns the kid to her mother, and then this is never mentioned for the rest of the movie.

How did he get on a train in Turkey? Where is it going? How does he know about this girl? Who is the girl? What does this have to do with anything? Stupid stuff like this convolutes the supposed “plot.”

The story this time around isn’t direct like the first movie. McCall gets dragged into the investigation of his colleague’s murder and the motive behind it is stupid. The big unveil feels like the cliché we’ve all seen a billion times in action flicks.

There’s so much story that there’s hardly any fighting. Fuqua spends so much time trying to explain the stupidity of the plot (which still makes no sense), that he forgets it’s an action movie.

This is contradictory to the trailers that advertise it to be exciting. The five fighting scenes you see in the trailer are the only scenes like it for the entire two hours.

When the combat moments come, they’re underwhelming. The Equalizer stood out because of McCall’s special way of handling bad guys. McCall would neatly prepare objects around him and set a timer before the fight would break out. He only does these signature moves twice and they don’t hit as hard because the choreography isn’t special.

I wanted this sequel to be good. I appreciate action films that try something bold or different, so The Equalizer 2 seemed like something that was needed while enduring a stretch a Marvel movies who use the same CGI stunts every time.

To my dismay, the sequel is much more forgettable. It’s hard to believe, I know. Denzel Washington in a bad movie? Not possible.

However, it is. I wish I read the signs.

[filmforthought]

Mama Mia! Here We Go Again

Starring Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth and Cher

Rating: ★★★ ½

In sixth grade, a majority of the class had to participate in the yearly vocal concert. The theme in 2008 was “Music in Movies,” where the class was forced to sing songs from popular flicks with a smile on their faces.

It just so happened that Mamma Mia took the country by storm, so we had plenty of songs to sing. If you came to the concert that night, you would’ve loved the squeaky-voiced stylings of your favorite Abba songs like Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen and Money Money Money.

Safe to say, when I saw the movie ten years ago I wasn’t the biggest fan. Prior to the latest Mamma Mia release, I wanted to give the flick another shot. Maybe I was a little too harsh on it at the time because those songs were stuck in my head for the entire semester.

Well, my opinion didn’t change. The original Mamma Mia was too obnoxious and its ending was incredibly corny, even though the music was fantastic.

Oh, and Pierce Brosnan’s singing… Yikes.

Considering the annoyance of the original, I wasn’t excited, but I did Take a Chance. Shockingly, it was well worth that it.

The sequel brings together all the familiar faces from a decade ago to sing some great songs for an interesting story. Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, reopens the old hotel her mother Donna, played by Meryl Streep, ran to honor memory. Leading up to the reopening, hectic arrangements are made while we take a look back on what led Donna to open the hotel and meet the three men in her life.

Yes, you read that right; the Mamma Mia cinematic universe killed off a character. Takes notes Marvel.

For a Mamma Mia sequel, there was skepticism as to what the story would be like. I thought a different character would be getting married, where everyone has to get together again and sing kumbaya. However, the story is clever as we discover how Donna became pregnant with her daughter and had a summer fling with the three men from the original.

The flashbacks with Donna will make you go Head Over Heels for the juicy love triangle she puts herself in. Also, if you’ve seen the original, it all comes together really well and clears up the stones left unturned.

The story is surprisingly good and so are the characters. Everyone from the first Mamma Mia was annoying because they always yelled even though they were a foot away from each other. There was so much yelling, they might as well have shot the movie at the DMV. At least people would’ve acted naturally.

This time around, the characters are less wired. Yes, they have fun in the musical numbers, but it’s not in your face. They’re not forcing the fun; they’re letting you have fun.

The most fun can be had during the musical numbers. Most of the songs are from Abba’s catalogue, but they’re not the smash hits that were featured in the original. While they do sing Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia again, a majority of the tunes aren’t too familiar, but they are all sung well by the cast.

When Dancing Queen comes on though, it’s a party. Shamelessly, my mother and I were dancing in our chairs. If we got up, the theater would have had another thing coming!

Prior to watching the sequel, my state of mind was, “oh boy, Here We Go Again.” Surprisingly, after the bopping final number, I said to my mom, “I wouldn’t mind going again!”

This is a big step up from the original and much more fun. The story’s a lot more compelling, the characters are likable and the numbers will make you move.

It’s a completely different feeling from what first felt in sixth grade. I can picture myself ten years ago, standing on the top row, shoulder to shoulder with my buddies, whispering “I don’t want to be here” in between each song.

Today, I wouldn’t mind singing those songs. Better yet, I’d want to be in the front row so there’d be enough room for my moves.

[filmforthought]

Suspiria

Starring Jessica Harper Rating: ★★★

Put yourself in Suzy’s ballerina shoes for a second.

Finally, after years of hard work, you’ve made it! You’ve received an offer to perform ballet at a dance academy in Germany, and couldn’t say yes quicker. You pack up your bags, and fly over to Germany without looking back.

When you arrive, it’s pouring rain. After getting soaked by the downpour, you eventually find a taxi that’ll get you to the academy.

Once your long, traitorous journey comes to an end, you’ve finally arrived at the celebrated academy. You approach the door, but suddenly, someone comes running out screaming obscenities.

It’s befuddling, but you ring the doorbell because you’ve come this far. A person behind the door tells you to go away. In disarray, you find a hotel to shack up for the night.

The next day, you’re back at the academy and it’s a 180 from yesterday: the sun’s shining, people are friendly, but something’s off-putting. Remember that lady you saw screaming out the door last night? It turns out she was stabbed to death and hung from the ceiling of an apartment complex.

This can’t be your normal dance academy, right? Well, Suzy finds that out the hard way.

While Suzy has a terrifying time at the academy, it’s an entertaining experience for the audience. Director Dario Argento brings horror to the screen that’s cheesy and over-the-top, yet unique and engrossing.

Most of today’s horror consists of special graphics and believable gore, but Argento embraces corniness with the murders that look like something out of the movies I can pull off with my buddies. When someone is killed in Suspiria, they go out gloriously.

One death includes someone getting stabbed in the heart, literally. The killer stabs his victim in the chest, where Argento zooms in on a bleeding heart. After that scene, you’ll have a hand over your chest and the other over your mouth.

It also freaked me out to the point where I was checking my hair for lice. As the critters crawled throughout the academy, I sifted my fingers through my hair hoping I wasn’t the victim. Luckily, I was all clear. However, it was a little weird when my head got a little itchy later in the evening.

While Argento packs in the thrills, he throws in some good laughs too. Argento is aware of the wackiness, so he puts in eccentric characters who talk or act obscene. For example, Argento himself plays a mute butler who looks ugly as sin, but he just got his teeth replaced. Let’s just say he may need more than new teeth.

Argento’s character is peculiar and so is the set design by Giuseppe Bassan. If the stabbings in the heart and lice from the ceiling don’t freak you out, the blue velvet walls and long corridors dressed in red might.

Bassan’s production immerses the audience in this upside-down world. The academy appears to be a pleasant place dedicated to the art of dance, yet it’s unsettling. It’s reminiscent of Blue Velvet, where director David Lynch turned a gleeful song into an eerie tune.

At first, it might not be in your best interest to slip on Suzy’s ballet shoes. Attending a dance academy notorious for its record of murders doesn’t sound appealing.

However, if you’re in the mood for some thrills, the shoe will fit.

[filmforthought]

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard Rating: The Coveted Zero

My dad and I got to the movies early so we can grab some dollar dogs from the concession stand before the new Jurassic World started. It was a long line, but worth the wait.

Finally we reached the register. “Six dogs,” my dad said to the cashier. She went back to where they stashed the dogs, then returned to the counter. “We don’t have any. It should take about thirty minutes.”

Little did I know we would’ve been better off waiting around for a half dozen dogs instead of watching one of the greatest disappointments of the year.

Unfortunately, Jurassic World has returned to the screen for its second installment. In this addition, we are reunited with Owen, played by Chris Pratt, and Claire, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, as they return to the destroyed Jurassic World theme park to save the dinosaurs from a volcano that’s about to burst and destroy the island.

Not only was the island destroyed, but so was my time watching this movie. There were plenty of good things on TV tonight. The Phillies racked up a gargantuan seventeen runs against the sorry Pittsburgh Pirates and the Sixers’ Furkan Korkmaz scored forty points in a summer league loss. But no, I was stuck in the theater watching this garbage.

Why was this garbage, do you ask? Well, where do I begin?

The Jurassic series should be fun for everyone. It’s a bunch of dinosaurs roaming around and the main characters getting out of their way. Fairly simple, right?

Fallen Kingdom takes this easy concept and manages to screw it up so poorly that it’s insulting.

Although this should be a mindlessly fun popcorn flick, Fallen Kingdom is much too dramatic and bleak. In every scene, there is overly dramatic music by Michael Giacchino blaring from the speakers.

When Owen just closes a door, there’s a full orchestra and brass section ready for when he puts his fingers on the handle. Every scene is obnoxiously loud and corny with its score. By the end, I would’ve preferred to spend a week in solitary confinement so I can have some sort of silence.

The annoying score sadly matches the repetitive action that occurs in mostly every scene. I’m training for a marathon later in the year, but my god, I’ve never seen this much running in my life.

Anytime something bad happens, these characters sprint around all over the screen. There comes a point towards the end where our heroes are stuck, and they yell, “RUN!” When production wrapped up, the actors’ legs were probably in the best shape of their lives.

Considering the actors are running and yelling for most of the movie, they too are a pain in the dino tail. I’m not entirely sure what Claire does. Claire hardly talks about the cause she’s supposed to be there for.

On the other hand, Owen is a complete waste. All Chris Pratt contributes for his portrayal of Owen is giving moody shots to the camera. I wasn’t sure if Pratt was shooting for an issue of GQ or the disappointing trash on the screen.

While I did discover some cool dinosaurs during this movie, I also discovered another important thing: Chris Pratt is the new Paul Rudd. Like Rudd, Pratt is talentless and contributes little to the movie. I’m not sure why everyone loves him so much, because he was the blandest choice for this should-be exciting flick.

What didn’t make Fallen Kingdom exciting was its bleakness. Practically half of the movie is shot at what appears to be a haunted mansion in the middle of the woods.

Normally, Jurassic Park movies are supposed to be bright, fun and colorful. However, the sequel makes it feel like Gotham City with its dark political commentary, dystopian setting and disturbing events.

Where’s the fun in that? I came to the theater expecting dinosaurs and decent special effects. Instead, it was full of a bunch of menacing dudes in suits trafficking dinosaurs who loved to talk about special interest groups.

If you plan on bringing the family or friends to Fallen Kingdom, you’d make a big mistake. Not only will you have a horrible time watching this, but they’ll consider you extinct.

The only redeeming quality of the night was after sitting through that complete disaster, we did grab some dollars dogs. However, it was not worth the price we paid.

[filmforthought]

West Side Story

Starring Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris

Rating: ★★★

When I’d hop in my dad’s Honda Accord station wagon, there’d be a plastic Bob the Builder toolbox under the passenger seat filled with cassette tapes. Sometimes I’d pop in the classics, like Andy Williams.

The crooner sung a beautiful song, “Maria.” It started out dark, then flourished in beauty towards the end, as Williams belted, “Mariaaaa!”

All these years I never thought of where the song came from. Jump to last night at a screening of West Side Story, and the search was over.

Maria and Tony are forbidden lovers, because they are connected to two rival gangs in New York. Maria’s brother is a part of the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang, and Tony is a part of the Jets, a white gang. Conflict arises between the two gangs, which puts Maria and Tony’s future at stake.

Some numbers feel out of place and Natalie Wood is a miscast, but the Romeo and Juliet adaptation is cinematic in every way with its spectacular choreography and songs.

The choreography from Jerome Robbins is wonky, but works. It’s set in the alleys and mean streets of New York, but most of the dancing is ballet.

If the film were to be remade today, I’m sure the choreography would take a modern approach. However, as misplaced as it is, the dancing still works.

The entire crew moves seamlessly and feels professional. It’s not like La La Land where it’s jaw dropping to see Ryan Gosling put on a little tap dance. The choreography is beautifully executed, which makes it a spectacle.

Daniel  Fapp’s cinematography brings style and color  that compliments the choreography well. Although set in the concrete jungle, Fapp makes the colors pop off the screen with bright reds serving as silhouettes for the dancers in transition scenes or accentuating a rainbow colored window paine in the background. These gleaming choices in color bring some light to the heavy issues between the rival gangs.

The songs are catchy as well. As previously mentioned, “Maria” is a gorgeous song that captures the feeling of love overcoming someone to the point where they cry out their name. We hate to admit gents, but we’ve all been there before.

Even “I Feel Pretty” is featured in this one. It’s hard to resist twirling around in your row when Maria sings it in the bridal shop.

While there are good songs, there are a few oddities too. When in the bridal shop, Maria and Tony sing a weird song about getting married. This couple’s gotta chill out a little bit, because they only met yesterday!

Also, there’s a song where after an unfortunate incident, a member of the Jets encourages his gang to be cool in “Cool.” The member has a constipated look on his face throughout the number, while the other members restrain their ill intentions through dance. The number came off as uncomfortable.

Other than a couple misfired numbers, the casting of Natalie Wood was also a misfire. Although Wood most likely attracted many viewers with her star power, she as a white woman was not the right fit to play a Puerto Rican lady.

Wood’s acting is fine, but her dubbed singing voice doesn’t match her pipes at all. Maria sings soprano through most of her songs, but it’s too much of a stretch. Not only was Wood unfit ethnically for the role, but the lady who dubbed her voice was over the top.

Compared to Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, Wood’s singing performance is much harder to believe. Yes, Hepburn’s singing in Lady was obviously dubbed, but the voice matched somewhat closely to her’s. On the other hand, Wood’s singing sounds like it’s from a completely different Side.

West Side Story has its flaws, but it’s still a spectacle all should see. Most of the songs and dances are captivating and the tale of Romeo and Juliet never gets old.

Another thing that’s old are cassette tapes. After seeing this one, I should dust off the ole Andy Williams tape and appreciate the true meaning behind “Maria.”

[filmforthought]

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Rating: ★★★

Rewind to 1999 or earlier and take a step inside the Marrone house. When you first come through the front door, you’ll be met by a pink rug, long white drapes over the big window, floral couches, and two little kids glued in front of a cabinet TV.

The sad part about this isn’t that my sister and I have grown so much, but the floral couches are still around. My father reassures, “they’re fine. All they need is to be reupholstered.”

What was made our eyes fixate to the magical box? Was it the slime that fell from the ceiling on Nickelodeon game shows or the outlandish antics of Ren and Stimpy?

Sometimes, yes. However, most of the times we were locked in on the old shows like The Andy Griffin Show, Happy Days, and Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

There was something about Mr. Rogers that was captivating. Maybe it was his calmness or the personal touch he had.

When you flicked on his show, it felt like Mr. Rogers was talking to you directly. If you felt that special connection through the television, it’s on a whole different level when Mr. Rogers is on the big screen.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? delves into the history of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and examines the friendly host through interviews of his colleagues and family. It looks at Mr. Rogers from both sides by acknowledging not everyone loved America’s favorite neighbor.

Not to sound like an old man yelling at the whippersnappers from his porch, but TV for kids isn’t what it used to be. There aren’t many children shows where the host engages with the audience while tackling tough issues.

This is why we appreciate Mr. Rogers. He wasn’t afraid to talk about difficult topics such as divorce, death, or assassination. Although he seems like a square, Mr. Rogers was a revolutionary when it came to teaching kids about how rough the world can be.

The neighborhood wasn’t a bubble like where some of us may live. It isn’t a place where the neighbors are waving from their front lawn when you walk by. There’s always conflict and Mr. Rogers could talk it out with anybody.

What made Mr. Rogers an effective communicator was his directness to the viewer and his use of puppets. Mr. Rogers was a jack of all trades as the host of his show. He did all the voices for his puppets and acted too.

There’s a nice personal touch when Rogers talks to the viewer in these ways. It makes you feel like it’s just the two of you, and Mr. Rogers or his puppet are there for you. The perfect example of this is from when Mr. Rogers spoke before congress to gain additional funding for PBS.

The documentary discusses all the positive effects of his show and, surprisingly, his many critics.

While we can easily hold a love fest for Mr. Rogers in the neighborhood, many were not pleased with his show. Some blame Mr. Rogers for making young children feel entitled, while others were upset about his sexuality.

Unfortunately, these kind of people never had the half hour in the day to sit with Mr. Rogers and listen to his reasoning. Today, we live in a world where anger over politics can literally cause riffs into families.

If Mr. Rogers were around today, I’m not sure if he would have a hayday on what to talk about on his show or if it would be too much. Regardless, most of the messages from his forty year career still resonate.

Fast forward to 2018 and nothing too drastic has changed. The drapes are still over the window, but the rug is torn out. I’m a little taller and have some facial hair, but still a kid at heart.

Mr. Rogers was the same way. Throughout the span of his long career, the host endured many changes in issues to talk about. However, even in his last days, he remained a kid at heart.

[filmforthought]

Persepolis

Starring Catherine Deneuve, Sean Penn and Chiara Mastroianni Rating: ★★★½

Other than sexy stuff like books, classrooms and reasonable professors, the most attractive feature of attending university is the freedom. At college, you have the freedom to do whatever you want.

With this freedom, you’ll see many people on campus wearing whatever they feel like. One guy from my suite exercised this freedom by always going to class in his pajamas.

But what if one day, women on campus were told to wear long head scarfs and gowns because the men told them to? You’d be in a classroom with dudes in pajamas and ladies in full body apparel. It may sound ridiculous, but this is just a taste of what life is like in Tehran, Iran.

Marjane, voiced by Chiara Mastroianni, grew up through a pre and post-revolutionary Iran in the 1970s. Her childhood was extremely difficult because of Iran’s constant battles, changing of power and the government’s oppression. As a young adult, Marjane reflects on her past.

Based off director Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel, the animated feature uniquely tells a coming-of-age story that educates viewers on the history of conflict in Iran and gives perspective on what it was like to grow up in an oppressed environment.

The animation feels like you’re sifting through Satrapi’s graphic novel with each page jumping out at you. It looks like a darker version of a cartoon you’d come across on Saturday morning while flipping through the channels.

This type of animation makes for a comfortable experience. There aren’t any grand Pixar-esque effects to distract you. It’s a well drawn out black-and-white cartoon which effectively uses animation to exaggerate scenes or tell stories.

For those who aren’t familiar with Iran’s complicated past, Persepolis breaks it down the easiest way possible through storytelling. As a young child, Marjane tells her father how she believes the Shah is a good person who is trying to benefit Iran. Then, Marjane’s dad sits her down and tells of country’s history like story time. Cut to a few scenes later and Marjane is parading around her living room saying, “down with the Shah!”

With a topic as complicated as recent Iranian history, it’s nice to be told of their story in a simple fashion. Also, Marjane’s reaction to her father’s tale was reminiscent to kids who took a politics class in my high school.

It was obvious a handful of students only formed political stances because their parents told them to believe in the same things they did. You’d have a eighteen year-old dude who lived in the Golden Crest part of town who’d complain about taxes being too high instead of listening to the other side of the argument. Contrarily, Marjane has a better reason for listening to her father considering the government locked up many members of her family and friends.

With so many arrests and constant violence, to grow up in a brutal place like Tehran is unimaginable. Marjane wanted to have a simple childhood, but it wasn’t possible.

As a teenager, Marjane grew to appreciate punk bands although listening to the music was frowned upon. Normally when someone wants to purchase music from their favorite band, they’ll just drive to the local store a pickup a CD. For Marjane, she had to find dealers on the street who hid the CDs in their pocket like cocaine.

Not only was getting music difficult, but so was wearing a hijab. The regime in place from the 1980s and onward made it a punishable offense for women to wear hijabs and long black dresses which covered their body.

At a young age with long black hair, Marjane never had the opportunity to roll down the window and let the wind go through her hair. It was scandalous for Marjane to even take off her head scarf in the car while driving with her friends.

These are only a couple examples of the repressive nature Marjane and her family endured throughout her young life. As an American watching Persepolis, your gratefulness for freedom will rush back.

Women aren’t required to look a certain way because the men in charge tell them what to wear. You can go to the record store and pick up any One Direction album you want. You don’t have to worry about being arrested over a party, unless you’re raging too hard.

Sometimes, it’s the little things we overlook in our country. America is an idea that’s still developing, yet ages ahead of other countries. The US is far from perfect, but there are some things that’ll make you think “thank God I live here.”

As if dealing with life in a chaotic city wasn’t enough, Marjane has to go through the usual parts of growing up like dating stupid boys and going through puberty. These moments of the film are the most compelling because they can relate to anyone.

Marjane tells of her childhood with a great amount of wit. There were a handful of times where I was cracking up at how honest she told her story by exaggerating some situations.

When Marjane is with a boyfriend, everything is perfect with flowers blooming and her boyfriend’s car floating through the air when he takes her home. However, after they breakup, Marjane negatively reflects on her time with her ex-boyfriend by making him look ugly in flashbacks and completely changing the tone of how much she loved him, to how much she hated him.

It’s something we do when talking about past flames, but we’re always shy to admit it. Marjane embraces her past and tells of it honestly and hilariously.

We take the little things for granted like wearing pajamas to class, but it’s something we should actually be thankful for. Although the person in pajamas may look like a bum, it’s important to remember there are other parts of the world where women have their bodies completely covered and are subject to punishment if they don’t participate.

While writing my concluding thoughts at 4AM, I’ll just slip on my pajamas for bed before I think about class. That is, if I wake up in time.

[filmforthought]

Book Club

Starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia and Don Johnson Rating: ★★

On a Saturday night at 7 for Deadpool 2’s opening weekend, I attended Book Club with my mother. I know after this first sentence many of you are thinking, “wow, this guy is so cool I wish I could be like him.”

Considering the latest Marvel blockbuster was released for the first time that weekend and all the manchildren countrywide stormed the theaters, I thought there wouldn’t be a soul attending Book Club. I left the house kinda late as my mom rushed me out the door proclaiming there would be no seats left. I laughed and thought, “I don’t know why I’m seeing this movie, so why would someone else?”

But don’t judge a book by its cover.

To my dismay, the theater was packed with loyal female AARP members. It felt like I was in my weekly YMCA zumba class being the youngest person in the audience by at least thirty years.

So here we are, on a drizzly Saturday night in May stuck on a retirement home field trip to the movies while all the other youngins are oohing and awing at the men in tights flying around the screen in the theater next door. You may ask, “what screening was the most fun?” Surprisingly, it was Book Club.

Four women, played by Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen, have had their own book club for decades. The group makes outrageous life choices when the book of the month is “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Although it lives up to every cliche in the book and has the feeling of a Lifetime flick, there’s actually some decent humor.

All four plot lines for each character are predictable right when the pages start turning. Once the book closes, everything falls into place as you’d expect.

On a different page, the production feels basic. There are a set of poorly photoshopped images from the characters back in their glory days that look ridiculous. The production design by Rachel O'Toole feels as tacky as a Hallmark card. I think I could pull off better green screen usage with my friends in my basement.

Although it’s not a page turner, Book Club is still entertaining for its many laughs. The four leads have strong chemistry and act well for this romantic comedy, which make the jokes funnier.

The crowd I was sitting in cracked up at a lot of jokes. It was a lively group who laughed from start to finish and I did too.

Maybe seeing it with a fun audience made the experience much better. I don’t think I’d get the same enjoyment sitting in the theater alone.

This is the perfect movie for going out with your mom or a group of lady friends. If you read between the lines you’ll notice the usual crucks of a rom-com and a low budget production, but that’s no fun.

If you want to go out for the night and shove popcorn in your face and get a decent laugh, this could be the one. Even if this shows up on cable, you could leave the channel on and get some chuckles out of it.

Just don’t go see Deadpool 2 this weekend, that’d be totally lame.

[filmforthought]

Isle of Dogs

Starring Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray Rating: ½

I checked my watch and it was only forty-minutes in. I rarely do this, but after thinking for a while and enduring another stale joke, I decided to get up.

Then, I had one of the most elderly moments of my life. I jumped up from my seat, but suddenly my lower back hurt. In agonizing pain, I fell into my chair and sunk.

Not only did I have to agonizingly sit through director Wes Anderson’s latest dull animated feature, but I had to sit biting my fist for sometime. I didn’t know what was worse: the pain in my back or watching Isle of Dogs.

After all dogs in Megasaki City are banished by executive order, a twelve year-old flies a plane over to the Isle of Dogs to find his bodyguard dog. With the help of the dogs on the island, the boy goes through an adventure to reunite with his best friend.

Anderson meticulously pays homage to Japanese culture and provides decent animation, but its quirkiness will leave you barking.

As a fan of Anderson and his last animated feature, Fantastic Mr. Fox, I was optimistic. The director’s last film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, was one of my favorite flicks of 2014 and has strong replay value. Hotel has the unique Anderson touch, but it’s not overwhelming.

Fast-forward twenty-nine dog years and now we unfortunately have Isle of Dogs. While this movie is a dog, there are some things worth wagging your tail for.

Anderson attempts to add something to the Japanese culture, rather than rip it off. The settings of Japan feel authentic and all the Japanese characters speak Japanese. However, the delivery of the Japanese dialogue is much too confusing.

Instead of simply putting subtitles under where characters speak Japanese, Anderson chooses to have an English translator step in from time-to-time who speaks over them.

Anderson works way too hard to let the Japanese speak their language. Instead of navigating through different ways of delivering the translation, the director should’ve just used subtitles.

The meaning behind not using subtitles is understandable. Anderson wants us to step in the English speaking dogs shoes by not processing a single word of what a Japanese character is saying.

This feeling is accomplished, but it’s tiring to switch back and forth from translators and blunt labels over Japanese writing. As a lover of foreign film, don’t over think. Just use subtitles!

Just as Anderson tries his best to give an authentic Japanese experience, he also brings a different approach to animation. Using stop motion animation with tiny set designs and dolls, this isn’t your daughter’s Pixar flick. It’s easy to tell that over forty-people worked on the animation, but it bites after looking at it for a while.

Despite the attention to detail, it’s ruff on the eyes after a half hour. The dogs reside on an island of garbage and look like they all need rabie shots. I was waiting for Sarah McLachlan to come on the screen and ask for a donation for these poor pups.

For those expecting a typical looking animated flick, this definitely isn’t for you. There was a couple who sat in the theater for the first ten minutes, then stepped out realizing they weren’t watching something like Coco. They daschund outta the pound just in time.

The main reason why it’s hard throwing a bone to Isle of Dogs is because Anderson leaves too many paw prints on it. I’m all for the unique experience of an Anderson flick, but it gets annoying when the director provides too much quirkiness.

The characters are weird and not likable, the script by Anderson is flat with bad jokes and the style is overbearing. If Anderson could tone down the annoyingness, this could be at least watchable.

On the other hand, Anderson devotees will probably think otherwise. Fans of the director will drool at the over usage of his unorthodox methods, while others will find it excessive.

There are two types of people in this dog-eat-dog world. There are the ones who love Anderson and will have their eyes glued to the screen and chuckle at every sneeze from the dogs.

Then, others are like the one other person who was in my theater for Isle of Dogs. The audience member clearly invested a lot into watching this flick with his purchase of popcorn, soda, and a $10 ticket.

Even though all the effort he put into seeing it, the man left with only twenty minutes to go. Can you imagine? This man must’ve spent at least $20 to watch a movie, hoping it would be a time well spent. Instead, it crushed him to the point where he couldn’t take it anymore and had to leave.

Maybe I would’ve done the same thing a lot earlier, if I could.

[filmforthought]

Tully

Starring Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis and Ron Livingston

Rating: ★★★

She’s cleaned your diapers, picked you up from soccer games and stuck up for you in a parent-teacher conference with Mrs. Smith when you were accused of spitting in Jimmy’s sandwich for lunch. But let’s be real, he had it coming to him.

If you’re lucky enough to have a good relationship with her, mom has done all she could for you to have the best childhood possible. She’s sacrificed so much for you to be the person you are today.

And in return how could we repay such a heavy debt, especially at a young age? Maybe a heartfelt letter or special gift would do the trick? How about something simpler like a hug or kiss?

All of the above are wrong. The greatest gift for mom in return for all that’s she done for you comes in the form of sleep.

Yes, just the ability to snooze for eight hours would be a miracle for mom, but it’s hard to come by particularly when another kid is on the way.

This is the case Marlo, now a mother of three with the arrival of her new baby girl. Marlo’s new baby causes the mother exhaustion by being up most hours of the night to quiet her crying through cradling and breastfeeding.

However, Marlo has the opportunity of getting those lost hours of sleep back when her brother offers her a night nanny. The nanny, Tully, played by Mackenzie Davis, stays in Marlo’s house for the night and looks after her baby so the parent can get rest.

Although it gets off to a rough start, Tully is surprisingly a heartwarming feature with a deep story and good performances.

The first twenty-minutes feels like an endurance test as a pregnant Marlo navigates through any other day. In the latest stage of pregnancy, Marlo takes her kids to school as her mentally impaired son screams in the car and kicks the seat.

While Marlo’s son is screaming to the high heavens, you wonder why you’re at the theater in the first place. Of course you applaud the effort Marlo puts into parenting and recognize her son’s unfortunate circumstance, but with film’s power to transport you out of reality, you question, “why did I chose this reality? Isn’t this what I’m trying to escape?”

If you sit in church and hear a baby, a precious gift from God, cry for thirty-seconds, you will give the parent a death stare until they take their child into the lobby. So hearing a child cry for much longer through giant Dolby surround sound speakers will make you want to storm out of the theater and cry.

But it’s worth hanging in there until Tully comes into the picture. Among all the chaos of spilling breast milk on the kitchen table, getting up at 3 AM to the sound of a crying baby and still driving two other kids up and back from school, Tully’s arrival makes the endurance test pay off.

Tully is a young lady in her mid-twenties who is extremely calm and holds an optimistic worldview. Despite Marlo looking like the sole survivor of the apocalypse, Tully treats her and her baby with the utmost kindness. Marlo pours her soul into being the best mother during the day, and Tully continues her work ethic into the night.

With Tully in the picture, it’s fun to see Marlo evolve. Marlo kicks off the movie looking like she will burst at any moment and after her child’s birth, she still looks like she’s been hit by a truck. However, Tully’s stable company puts a smile on Marlo’s face through facing less stress.

As direct as the plot comes off, it’s impressive to see how deep director Jason Reitman takes this story. It’s not like Nanny McPhee where the kids are unruly and in the end it turns out everybody is great.

Reitman gives you perspective on the life Marlo misses. At forty, Marlo reminisces on her twenties because Tully makes her feel young again.

The long nights at the bar, passionate times with her husband and even her single days beckon when she steps on a lego in the living room. Life’s bleak for Marlo as an adult, but with a little of the burden lifted off her shoulders from Tully, she realizes that this older life is actually rewarding.

It’s rewarding to check this one out for the performances alone. Charlize Theron, who recently starred in one my favorite films of last year, Atomic Blonde, stunningly goes from action hero to mom. When leaving the theater, I mentioned to my dad that Theron was the main actress in Blonde, to which he replied, “Wow! I would’ve never guessed.”

Theron physically transforms herself from her toned figure to a bloated and stressed post-pregnancy mother. The actress did some of her own stunts in Blonde, but the job of being a mother appears to take more of a toll. Marlo’s evolution from exhausted to energized is apparent thanks to Theron’s stellar performance.

Mackenzie Davis is also a diaper-I mean, gamechanger as Tully. The night nanny brings life to the screen and acts relatable for those in their twenties.

Tully reps hip clothing, seems to know it all and always has a positive attitude even with a baby crying all hours of the night. I know as a youngster at twenty-one, we’re supposed to be optimistic, but a baby’s scream would definitely change my world view. I don’t know how Tully does it.

We take our mother’s work for granted, but sometimes, so do our moms. Just like we have our down moments, mom does too. When mom has to cut down on the glasses of wine because she can’t handle it like she used to, she thinks, “wow, ten years ago I could chug this whole bottle on one knee.” But hopefully in losing that talent, she’ll then look at her children and say that it was worth it.

Then again, if my mother reads my Infinity War review, she may think otherwise.

[filmforthought]

Funeral Parade of Roses

Starring Pîtâ, Osamu Ogasawara and Emiko Azuma

There are some films hailed as “ahead of their time” which all movie buffs are required to appreciate. Prior to watching Funeral Parade of Roses, I couldn’t find a single negative review or blog post.

I’m a huge fan of Japanese cinema and try to watch as much of it as I can. When I saw Funeral was playing on TCM on Demand, I had to jump on it.

I think this was my first mistake. I went into Funeral expecting a Japanese feature with a wild story, but little did I know this was an experimental film.

Made in the Japanese new wave film period of the 1960s, director Toshio Matsumoto explores the identities and sexuality of a transgender women group in Japan. Matsumoto particularly focuses on the life of Edie, who has a tumultuous past of child abuse and murder.

Buried under the layered messages, random shots of butts and documentary footage, there is an interesting plot. However, in experimental films the plot’s never straightforward.

Some of the messages I partially understood from Matsumoto are the identities many people hide and considering there are so many hidden identities, you may find it hard to find yourself. In simpler terms, it’s like Billy Joel’s The Stranger:

“Well, we all have a face/That we hide away forever/And we take them out/And show ourselves when everyone has gone/Some are satin, some are steel/Some are silk and some are leather/They're the faces of a stranger/But we'd love to try them on.”

Matsumoto could also be considered revolutionary for predicting this Billy Joel hit. The director even alludes to the many masks we try on, as Edie stands in a gallery of masks while a man over the intercom explains the different purposes for each disguise.

Edie’s mask consists of all the makeup her and her friends pile on their faces. They put on these masks to sexually express themselves by appearing as a different gender.

Under this facade, Edie hides her dark history, which has a similar take to the Greek tragedy “Oedipus Rex,” where a gay son murders his mother and sleeps with his father. With a plot like this, I’m sure you’re asking me, “why didn’t you think this would be out there in the first place?”

Although the Greek tragedy aspect of the story is the most entertaining, it’s the hardest to believe. I know it sounds silly for me to question this insane story, but how is this even possible? How does Edie as a child get away with murdering his mother? Additionally, how didn’t Edie kill his father when he repeatedly stabbed him with blood gushing everywhere? I don’t know, maybe I should be thinking more about the other messages Matsumoto is trying to send.

A reason why this flick is so trippy is because it’s also providing a take on the 1960s culture of Japan. Edie’s friends are a bunch of hippies who shoot random films and smoke joints in a cramped apartment. They’re big on free love and political activism.

Whenever I hear about Japanese culture at college, the professors stress how the Japanese have a rigorous work ethic to dominate market share through quality products. On the other hand, Matsumoto reminds you that just like America, Japan had a time where young folks supported a similar platforms of peace, love and understanding.

Japan’s movement wasn’t a visible as America’s, considering most of the hippie action takes place in a small apartment. This is another example where people put on their masks in public to hide their psychedelic ideals.

These are some of the messages I took away from this experience, but there’s obviously much more. If you go into this movie, you first have to be someone who really loves film to truly appreciate it. Fans of Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange will appreciate that the director was inspired by Funeral. It’s guaranteed regular movie watchers will clock out in the first ten minutes.

In your first sitting, you most likely won’t get all the messages Matsumoto puts out there. It’s difficult to understand everything considering the director takes this flick all over the place.

One moment, you’re following an actual story, then the next Matsumoto is interviewing a random person asking questions like, “do you like being a gay boy?” There’s also sporadic cuts to a line of naked men with one dude holding a flower in his butt, title cards, flashbacks, and so much more.

If someone tells you they love this film after one sitting, they’re probably just a know-it-all. To get some of Matsumoto’s meanings, this requires multiple viewings if you’re really that interested.

If it comes by on TCM on demand, give it a shot and see how long you’ll last. It’s nothing I would go out of my way to watch, unless you really dig experimental flicks.

I wasn’t blown away by it like many critics are. By understanding some of the meanings I thought it was cool, but I can’t say I get it all. Maybe one day I’ll come back to this post after watching it for the tenth time and say how it’s the best movie ever.

Until then, it doesn’t get my final rose.

[filmforthought]

The Rider

Starring Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau and Lilly Jandreau Rating: 🐎🐎½

In eight seconds your life could change. You could either be fine when you hit the ground or on your deathbed.

As a rodeo cowboy, your life hangs in the balance within those few seconds, but it’s the thrill from that moment which gives you life.

Based on a somewhat true story, Brady, played by Brady Jandreau, is a South Dakotan rodeo cowboy who is recovering from a concussion. The future of his rodeo career is in jeopardy when doctors encourage him not to ride anymore, though his heart can’t accept it.

Director Chloé Zhao makes a bold, yet successful choice of casting the real life people who inspired the characters in her rodeo film. It feels authentic, but the pacing could giddy-up.

The acting is superb and you’d never know that this is the cast’s first attempt at it. Lead actor Brady Jandreau, who the film is inspired by, is a natural.

Jandreau can impressively do it all as an actor. He is calm in the presence of his mentally impaired sister, electric in an argument with his father, or upset with tears after a visit to his disabled rodeo friend. It’s incredible how Jandreau does it all in his first time role and hopefully this isn’t his last rodeo.

The cast surrounding Jandreau full of non-actors are convincing as well. Especially Brady’s father, portrayed by Tim Jandreau, who isn’t a stranger to booze and gambling, but has an emotional side. The father makes poor choices, however he doesn’t want his son to make the ultimate poor decision.

Zhao’s choice to let the cast play themselves saddles up much better compared to director Clint Eastwood’s recent attempt with The 15:17 to Paris. Eastwood told the story of the three men who foiled a terrorist attack on a train to Paris in 2015 by letting the actual heroes portray themselves.

The director took the risk, though it didn’t have the same result as Zhao. In Paris, it felt like Eastwood tried a couple takes with the guys and used what he had. On the other hand, Zhao’s actors are better prepared and give the bona fide touch to elevate its story. Eastwood, take notes.

A reason why the actors are so invested in Zhao’s work is because of their love for rodeo riding. Everyone knows the uncertainty of riding, but it’s a part of life people love and die by.

The obsession over the rodeo is similar to America’s obsession with football. All the players know when they slip on their helmet, they are at risk for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), yet they play anyway because of their passion for the game.

Brady may have staples on the side of his head and on the brink of death when on a horse, but at least he’ll die doing something he loves. The cowboy didn’t chose to live a simple life that’ll last to an old age. He’d rather die young because Brady feels he lived a more fulfilling life through the rodeo.

The message, story and characters are strong, yet Zhao could pony up on the pacing. Towards the middle, it becomes a little too drowned out in moody shots and chill conversations.

I woke up at half past noon the day I saw The Rider, but I still almost drifted towards the middle. It would’ve been nice if there was a little more drama to add some excitement.

Brady has conflicts with his father and friends, though they don’t escalate much. Maybe an argument here or there would be nice to move along the pacing. Luckily, the final act is compelling enough to make up for most of the downtime in the middle.

All it takes is eight seconds to change your life. You may find yourself on top of the horse in victory or on the ground with the horse stomping on your head.

If you don’t want to put yourself in harm’s way, you’re better off just watching The Rider to let other people do that for you.

[filmforthought]

Let the Sunshine In

Starring Juliette Binoche and Gérard Depardieu

Rating: Zero, 0, Goosegg, Nada, 0%, No Stars

Have you ever walked through a supermarket, just minding your own business, then suddenly you see an old classmate at the end of the frozen vegetable aisle? You see the person and turn your cart in the other direction, but you unfortunately make eye contact with each another.

Just as you’re about to zip out of the aisle, your name is being called by the classmate, so you have no choice. For twenty-minutes you’re stuck in a conversation that you’re trying to get out of, while your main goal was to just get some frozen peas for dinner and leave.

Let the Sunshine In has the same feeling, but for an hour and thirty-six minutes. Isabelle, played by Juliette Binoche, is a divorced Parisian looking for love, but it’s difficult when there’s so many men running in and out of her life.

The entire film is spent with Isabelle having conversations and intercourse with multiple men, but without any direction. Isabelle will talk to a dude, have a fling with him, cry about it for a moment, then another dude will come into her life and then the cycle starts all over again.

As Isabelle is in this cycle, we hardly know anything about her. Isabelle has been divorced and has a daughter, but you’d never know that because they’re barely in the picture Considering you hardly know anything about the main character or the other men involved in her life, it’s extremely difficult to care for anyone in this movie.

It’s like getting stopped at the supermarket by that person from high school. Both people in the conversation could really care less about one another because they’ve been out of touch for so long, so what’s the point? Why waste time? Just let me get my Swanson dinner and leave me alone.

The characters and discussions are lifeless along with the cinematography by Agnès Godard. Is this film really set in Paris? Because you’d know it.

All of the scenes filled with boring dialogue are shot in plain rooms. When you go to the cinema, usually your goal is to escape the four walls you’re stuck in at home. However, Godard surprisingly makes this film even worse by making you feel enclosed in the characters’ exchanges. Then again, a handful of people in the screening I went to were freed from Godard’s pitiful cinematography by leaving the theater midway through.

What makes Godard’s camerawork even more nauseating is the fact that the film is set in Paris. The only glimpse you get of the most beautiful city in the world is a single shot of the Eiffel Tower.

As bad as this flick is, the cinematography could at least be a redeeming quality with a handful of shots in Paris. It doesn’t take much to make the city look beautiful and to give the audience something to awe at.

All Godard could’ve done is just prop up a camera anywhere in the city and use the shots for in between scenes, or some of the dismal conversations could’ve had a Parisian backdrop, but this movie couldn’t even get that right.

Possibly the most insulting part is its ending. Yes, although the ending was highly anticipated to mark the end of over an hour and a half of suffering, it was one of the most bizarre moments witnessed on the big screen.

In the end, Isabelle is receiving advice from a psychic, played by Gérard Depardieu. I’m not sure what the point was in bringing in French film star Depardieu, but my psychic mind reading skills tell me money.

While Isabelle is receiving advice from the psychic, the credits start rolling on the side of the screen. For about five minutes during this massively important ending scene where Isabelle is finally given some direction to her love life, the credits go during their conversation.

You’d think this kind of film with hardly any budget, story, direction or feasible camerawork would have little credits, but it’s impressive to see the hundreds of people who were involved in creating this heaping pile of des ordures or garbage for the English speaking. What a waste.

The film itself knows how bad it is that it brings out the credits before it’s over. If the movie knows how trashy it is, then it’s clear you shouldn’t go either.

Unless if you enjoy being pinned in those endless conversations at the supermarket and desire to see something like that on the big screen. Nah, I’d rather just hide in the freezer until the annoying person gets out of the aisle.

[filmforthought]

Racer and the Jailbird

Starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Adèle Exarchopoulos

Rating: 🏎🏎🏎

“I’m a gangster and I rob banks.” If a man tells you this on one of your first dates, maybe it’s not gonna work out.

That doesn’t matter to Bibi, played by Adèle Exarchopoulos, a race car driver who falls for Gigi, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. Gigi poses as an importer/exporter of cars, but he’s actually the member of a Belgian gang who robs banks. Bibi lives in the shadows of Gigi’s secret, but Gigi promises to leave his line of work.

The concept for director Michaël Roskam’s latest film is in place with potential: bank robberies, race cars, the mob and steamy romance. For two hours and ten minutes it still moves at a speedy pace, but somethings are too melodramatic.

When Bibi and Gigi first meet at a race track, they promise to meet each other in two weeks after Gigi handles “some business.” In the following two weeks, the couple follow through on their date and they get down immediately. I’m not sure if Gigi just happened to have a Marvin Gaye album sitting in his record player when Bibi came by, but wow does a Belgian romance move fast.

The passion between Bibi and Gigi will make you want to turn the air conditioning up in your theater. The two are madly in love and their fast tracked affection is understandable.

Roskam packs in so many plot lines that it’d be challenging for Gigi to fit them all in her race car. The director tries his best to fully develop the characters, but there are some questions left unanswered.

Although we know Bibi is a race car driver, it’s not entirely explained what her father does aside from being her manager. The father brings in some mob friends who get involved in her relationship with Gigi, but it’s not clear how they’ve partnered up with her dad.

Additionally, Roskam emphasizes Gigi’s tumultuous past with dogs. There are two scenes in Bibi’s part of the story where a dog’s involvement doesn’t add up. Still, it’s worthy to applaud Roskam for creating a symbol representing Gigi’s tough upbringing. Despite his masculine facade, even a gangster has a weakness other than someone missing their payments.

While Roskam includes elements perfect for the big screen like robberies and car chases, he makes the tone feel more melodramatic than thrilling. There are moments between Bibi and Gigi that are so cheesy that I swear I’ve seen some of these lines on a Hallmark Valentine’s Day card.

For example, when Gigi is on the phone with Bibi in an intense situation, he makes her hold on the line with, “wait… wait… I need to tell you something.” Bibi hangs on as both cry for about a minute. Then, after all this buildup, Gigi goes, “I love you. Never forget that.”

Yeesh, I can’t imagine if Bibi had to call Gigi to remind him to pick up grapes from the supermarket.

Other moments include where Bibi tries to get to the truth about Gigi’s line of work, where Gigi brushes it off with something like, “don’t worry I’m getting out of it soon.” Bibi will look pouty, then Gigi will pet her chin and go, “I still love you.” Then, it’s time for the theater to turn up that air conditioning again.

Maybe Roskam was inspired to take the film in this direction while catching up on some episodes on The Days of Our Lives, but as corny as it gets, I still enjoyed the drama. Sure, it’s a little over-the-top, but the love between these two is on fire.

The romance might be overbearing for some, but the overall entertainment value is at its peak for this Belgian film. The handful of racing scenes for Bibi are intense and well done. It’s reminiscent of Le Mans, where legendary actor Steve McQueen zips through French racing’s most difficult task of a race that’s 24-hours long.

Granted, it’s not nearly as ambitious as Le Mans was, but the camerawork by Nicolas Karakatsanis is beautiful. The camera is planted on the front hood of the race car as it seamlessly glides around the rigid turns and straightaways of the race track.

Gigi’s side of the story is compelling as well. The bank heists Gigi goes on are extraordinary, with his last one particularly being so clever, yet dangerous.

Roskan may get carried away with the amount of stories and drama, but the film is so well done that I feel nit-picky at the end of this critique. The film has everything we go to the movies for: romance, action, drama and some laughs. It’s not perfectly executed like last year’s Youth, but the effort is there.

Just don’t make an effort to date someone who is a gangster that robs banks. A race car driver on the other hand? You got the green light.