The genre of disaster movies loves to take the well-worn “Murphy’s Law” of “anything that can go wrong will go wrong" as pseudo-logical permission to get excessively creative with their hazards and menaces. There’s most certainly spectacle to be generated but also overindulgence. Just ask Roland Emmerich. The new Norwegian dramatic thriller The Tunnel from director Pål Øie is somewhere wisely in between.
Read MoreThe edge of the comedic machete harvesting all the low-hanging fruit planted by the six writers sharing story and screenwriter credit on this sequel is regrettably dulled from the R-rated coarseness of 1988 and its different time and temperament. But zingers still zing, thanks to the likable performers and characters. When they’re having fun, we’re having fun. To call back again to Jackie Wilson, the silly glee of this movie evokes the refrained lyric of “Oh what a feeling to be loved!” That’s all this movie is trying to do and that’s just fine.
Read MoreTo borrow a term from the great Stan Lee, there are casual comic book fans and then there are “true believers.” The latter never miss an issue of their favorites and, even greater, walk through life inspired by the heroic pillars written in and drawn through those page-turning panels. In the new Disney+ film Flora & Ulysses, we are graced by one of those true believers in a film that has its cape hung up out of sight, tights put away in drawers, and heart smack dab in the right place. The film opens on Disney+ on February 19th.
Read MoreThe Mauritanian presents a compelling case in the opposite direction to all those oorah roars. Shedding cinematic light on a staunch case of injustice tangential to those fateful 2001 events, this film has the unenviable task of proving its story’s importance in spite of the egregious systemic flaws it chronicles and exposes. You don’t have to go as far back as slavery or colonization in national history to know how most triumphantly-inflated Americans don’t want their noses rubbed in their heinous mistakes. The treatment of Mohamedou Ould Salahi is one of them.
Read MoreA different movie would emphasize a caddish villain and layer the drama on far too thick for some kind of extra emphasis meant to help a big star try and prove they can shun glamour and act next to a heavy. Justin Timberlake accounts himself with precisely the admirable effort matching his character. Dark places bring out a true strength in the actor instead of a bad-boy edge. Such credibility and candor build honesty rather than showy magic.
Read MoreShout-outs are cute tributes that are morsel-sized by design, which is what makes the short film medium an ideal spot to play with them as a storytelling engine. Husband and wife filmmakers Charlotte Barrett and Sean Fallon (A Bad Feeling/The Phantom Menace) use The Shout Out to spin the impact, boundaries of length, and that desired purpose of positivity that comes with those quick tributes.
Read MoreThe majority of movie audiences prefer their happy endings. Too often, screenplays are written with an exorbitant magic eraser, one stronger than anything made by Mr. Clean, to make sure any unsightly tragic blemishes are wiped clean in time for the credits when people go home. Savvy moviegoers know real-life drama isn’t that easy to erase and true happiness is far more difficult to earn, rather than luck into. Actress turned filmmaker Tamara Bass shows that she is someone who understands that reality. On that account, her film If Not Now, When? is an uncommon movie that tempers the illusions of automatic bliss.
Read MoreAt the tipping point in Shadow in the Cloud when action becomes necessary to confront mounting threats, it is a lone woman surrounded by chauvinistic men that doubtlessly steps up above all others. Pushed to fight or flight, she’s going nowhere and her battle cries are “You’ll see what I’m capable of!” and “You don’t understand how far I will go!” Fellas, be afraid. Don’t dare cross a determined woman, no matter their size, age, or profession. They have outright toughness most cannot fathom.
Read MoreToo much of this sequel’s accomplishments stop at that last prepositional phrase of “for the main character.” Everything crafted for Gal Gadot’s heroics works wonderfully to strengthen her and the character’s prominence. Good graces and affections are rightfully earned. Maybe it is enough of a victory that Wonder Woman is not the problem of a Wonder Woman movie. That said, the material and surroundings she is given do her very little favors.
Read MoreMany existential movies that kick around the questions of life, death, and afterlife dangle the idea of revision. From It’s a Wonderful Life to The Tree of Life, characters alive, dead, or somewhere in-between are presented visions or exercises of how their lives could have been different with wholesale changes or tangential opportunities. Those musings often steer them to accepting their life as it was, pitfalls and all. The new drama Wander Darkly from Tara Miele working the festival circuit goes there not with an eraser, but with a red pen instead. Channeling my school teacher day job, Wander Darkly, in an interesting way, is about proofreading life more than revising it.
Read MoreThis look and moment, which gets reminisced later as part of wedding vows, is the beginning of a very light and lovely shared journey in All My Life. From this opener onward, the two stars have each other, and us, hooked. Based on a touching true story of temporary time impeding on a forever kind of love, this approachable and endearing romance stockpiles the smiles to brighten all the trials and tribulations that follow.
Read MoreThere’s another great line in Luxor that says this is “a place that whispers to you if you listen.” It’s an effect threaded into the soundscape of the film by sound designer Frédéric Le Louet (The Informer) wafting in and out of the score from documentary composer Nascuy Linares (Embrace of the Serpent). The tourists around Hana hear tales of reincarnation and the passionate myths of polytheistic demigods. Whether she believes them or not does not compare to where her conflicted self esteem hangs precariously during this short holiday.
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