It’s been 10 years since the last live action feature from
Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and his newest
film won’t disappoint fans of his particular style. I’m Thinking of Ending
Things, based on a novel by Iain Reid, follows a young woman (Jessie
Buckley; Wild Rose) and her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons; Game Night)
as they drive up to meet his parents for the first time.
The film, like the book and most of Kaufman’s works, is
heavy on introspection. During the drive we frequently hear Buckley’s voiceovers
questioning her relationship. Although they’re initially presented as an idyllic
couple, her first remarks (the film’s title) suggests otherwise. In the midst
of taking the next step forward with Jake, she is actually considering breaking
up with him and their conversations abstractly reference this.
It’s these protracted dialogues that will lose viewers. Some
may find the seemingly unrelated and extended tangents exhausting. They are relevant
to the main plot but, in the moment, they can drag on as the couple make obscure
references to topics like literature, recitations of poetry, film criticism,
and even the musical Oklahoma! which plays a more crucial role than
expected. Within these conversations are subtle hints towards the film’s nature
and the mindset of its characters and Kaufman deserves credit for his ability to
convey information to the viewer without forced exposition.
Jake’s parents try to be welcoming, but have a concerning demeanor.
Compared to his first film (Synecdoche, New York),
Kaufman has significantly upgraded his visual flair. The film is shot entirely
in a 4:3 aspect ratio, likely intended to convey the mental claustrophobia experienced
by the lead, and features a distinctive, eerie aesthetic. The drive takes place
during a blizzard and heavy snowfall is almost always in the frame furthering
the film’s constrictive feeling as if
the characters are snowed in without a way to escape their current situations. Jake’s
family home, the main interior location, is an old farmhouse that has a
weathered and unsettling beauty. The wooden floors are worn, the furnishings
are outdated, and the wallpaper features bold colors and patterns that manage
to be rustic and cozy while still communicating unease due to their sickly
shades of green and blue.
Throughout the film, and especially with Jake’s parents, supporting
characters have alarmingly strange behavior. Jake’s unhinged mother and father are
borderline deranged while trying to exchange pleasantries with their son’s new
girlfriend and appear to change physically and mentally during their dinner. At
times it even seems like the film’s genre is pivoting towards horror which deliberately
deprives the viewer of comfort and certainty and keeps the narrative direction
inscrutable for most of its runtime.
As the story approaches its conclusion, Kaufman veers away
from the source material. It may be unsurprising coming from the man who wrote Adaptation,
but the film takes the book’s psychological thriller narrative and expands it
into a self-reflexive and surreal story about longing, loneliness, and fantasy.
The ending may again lose some viewers but as perplexing as it initially is,
the tonal shift leads to a much more thought-provoking destination than a
straightforward translation of the novel would have. It better fits the medium,
adds meaning to the alarming eccentricities that preceded it, and gives the
viewer reasons to reexamine the film’s expertly layered narrative.
He may be a star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Chris
Hemsworth (Thor) has had mixed results outside of it. Extraction
is his chance to prove himself as a true action lead. He plays Tyler Rake, a
mercenary hired to extract a kidnapped gang leader’s son from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is supported by
his handler Golshifteh Farahani (About Elly) and faces enormous obstacles
as the city’s police are under the control of a rival crime lord. To his
credit, Hemsworth has a believable physicality as he fights through dozens of goons.
His performance, as usual, shows few emotions. This is partly due to how his
character is written, but part of it is also his own limited acting ability.
The director, Sam Hargrave, knows his action. This may be
his first film, but he comes from the same background as other stuntmen-turned-directors
like David Leitch and Chad Stahelski (John Wick) and is best known for
his work as stunt coordinator on the latest Avengers movies for directors Anthony
and Joe Russo, who also produced this movie. Because of this pedigree, it’s tempting
to describe the style of action as John Wick in Bangladesh, but Hargrave seems
directly inspired by the work of Gareth Evans in The Raid series.
Instead of the comparatively steady camerawork from John Wick,he uses Evans’s
more unstable camera and accentuates it to mixed results. The action is
typically in clear view, but the constantly wavering camera can be distracting
rather than immersive. In its worst moments, the cinematography is even a bit
nauseating.
The relationship between Rake and the boy isn’t effective enough to ground the movie.
Shakiness aside, there are still some great set pieces. Chief
among them is an extended sequence of Rake attempting to flee Dhaka with the
boy. Hargrave stitches together several scenes to create what appears like one
unbroken shot. The technical craft is incredibly impressive as the camera seamlessly
moves from the street and repeatedly into and out of moving vehicles. This builds
the tension of the car chase as the leads weave through the crowded, narrow streets
and dodge pursuing vehicles. However, this scene, despite its strong craft,
runs too long. The problem is escalation. As the scene continues, the action doesn’t
necessarily surpass what preceded it and
the tension begins to deflate.
The film knows what it is, a bare bones action film, and has no greater ambitions. There is very little story beyond the setup. Rake is hinted at having emotional baggage related to a wife or child no longer in his life and lives by himself popping pain pills and drinking heavily. In a line of clumsy dialogue, a character tells the audience that Rake is borderline suicidal. During the course of the rescue, he forms a bond with the boy which is meant to endear him to the audience, but this is mostly unsuccessful. The narrative offers little, if any, emotional investment in the characters or their safety. Without it, even the expertly constructed action wears thin. The movie runs out of steam well before the credits roll and the final shootouts are more tiring than climactic and the intended emotional moments have minimal impact. It deserves praise for its intricate choreography but Extraction never creates enough emotional stakes to hold the audience’s interest.
Public schools are not the typical targets for embezzlement
and fraud, but Bad Education proves otherwise. Set in Roslyn, a wealthy
area of Long Island, NY, the film follows the district’s popular superintendent
Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman; Logan) as he prepares to submit his next
budget to have a skywalk added to the high school. Beside him is his hardened assistant
superintendent Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney; I, Tonya) who functions as
the business manager, their school board chairman Bob Spicer (Ray Romano; Everybody
Loves Raymond) and Rachel Bhargava (Geraldine Viswanathan; Blockers),
a student writing an article for the school newspaper that uncovers discrepancies
in the school’s accounts.
In some ways, this is a story about people caring about
results without examining the process as long as the results were favorable.
Tassone was seen as the man that took the high school to new heights. During
his tenure, the high school became 4th in the nation with many of its
students entering top schools like Harvard leading to an increase in property
values and the script takes extra effort to repeatedly emphasize this point.
Each individual in the system, directly or indirectly, was benefiting from his
work. Families saw their home prices rise and their children received better
education with a greater chance at a promising future. As long as that trend
continued, Tassone had earned their trust and didn’t warrant further inspection
despite some red flags.
Jackman’s performance makes it easy to see Tassone’s appeal.
To make this willful disbelief believable requires a certain
type of personality and Hugh Jackman brings that to the character. He is smart,
well-dressed, and gregarious. He’s accommodating to everyone from junior staff
to board members to parents and students and genuinely cares for their
well-being and the overall success of the school. He works long hours and has improved
the school in incredible ways and was able to use a cover story to create
sympathy in others. Jackman plays Tassone as extremely well-behaved. He wears a
ring on his finger and speaks of a young wife who died decades earlier that he still
hasn’t moved on from. The tragic backstory makes him an almost saint-like
figure to the community and Jackman gives him the easygoing confidence and
charisma needed to understand how so many could have been swayed by his
behavior.
Director Cory Finley (Thoroughbreds) weaves through the scandal from the perspective of the townspeople or board. We’re first introduced and ingratiated by the duo of Tassone and Gluckin only for the story to gradually reveal their true natures. While the script rightfully places blame on the administrators, it is not as scathing as expected. Finley spends more time humanizing than indicting which is a strange decision. It leaves viewers shocked at the audacity and the enormity of their crimes, but doesn’t create the blood-boiling level of outrage that recent films like Dark Waters or Just Mercy have. It’s a choice that shifts the focus from the crime to the cult of personality that allowed it, but unintentionally diminishes the lasting emotional response to the film, despite its intriguing story.
Swallow is one of the hardest watches in years. It’s
not long and there isn’t much gore, but director Carlo Mirabella-Davis knows
how to get under the audience’s skin with a simple premise. The film stars Haley
Bennett (Hardcore Henry) as Hunter, a housewife recently married to a
man from a wealthy family. They live together in the stunning mansion overlooking
a river purchased for them by his parents
and she spends her days decorating and cleaning it while he works for the family
business. During this time Hunter develops a strange fascination with consuming
inedible objects.
Even knowing its topic beforehand will not prepare you for
the acts on display. Hunter’s behavior starts small, with a marble, but quickly
escalates to disturbing heights. Mirabella-Davis films these scenes in medium
shots where Hunter’s body language takes center stage. We see her subtle
grimaces, convulsions, and pain as she swallows things no human being was ever
meant to eat. These scenes are universally revolting. The director doesn’t rely
on extreme close ups or tracking into Hunter’s face to get the point across.
Instead, Mirabella-Davis’s static shots eliminate any potential distractions
forcing the viewer to unwillingly imagine Hunter’s physical experience and
contemplate what emotional state could
have caused someone to behave in this manner. Very little graphic imagery is
shown, but Mirabella-Davis frames the actions in an uncomfortably inviting way.
Some will find these moments, and therefore the film itself, unwatchable due to
their repulsive nature yet this is only a testament their effectiveness.
Hunter examines the objects in unsettling detail before consuming.
Haley Bennett is incredible in the difficult role and
carries the film. Hunter has a disturbing, inexplicable habit that could make
her too strange for viewers to relate to, but Bennett’s performance highlights
her vulnerability. Hunter isn’t crazy, despite her actions. She seems fragile,
broken by some aspect of her past, yet good-natured. Hunter wants to be a good
wife to make her husband happy, she wants to fit in with her in-laws, and is too
timid to do anything to offend them. She gives the impression that she is trying
to redeem herself by being what others desire and is an extremely sympathetic
character. When her compulsion develops, it is disgusting, but it calls
attention to some unknown emotional baggage she carries. Bennett gives her the
frailty needed to make Hunter a victim using a terrible coping mechanism rather
than a lunatic.
In it’s final act, the film shifts its focus from Hunter’s present to her past. Mirabella-Davis examines Hunter’s background and allows her to confront issues that have been plaguing her. These scenes are heartfelt and tender as Bennett again displays Hunter’s sincere vulnerability. While other filmmakers would have focused on the gross-out elements, Mirabella-Davis takes the more difficult route to understand rather than to judge. He is invested in the characters motivations rather than her actions and creates the same interest in the audience. Swallow is a stomach-churning experience, but one that sympathizes with its subject and delves beyond the obvious to comprehend the compulsion without vilifying its victim.
With large-scale lockdowns and “shelter-in-place” orders in effect, there has never been a better time to check out the best of last year’s films (now available for streaming). Note that only the number one film is ranked.
For once, the Academy got it right. Not only is Parasite this year’s Best Picture winner, it actually deserves the award. Bong Joon-ho crafted an intricate thriller that works on so many levels. He deftly balances the film’s tone as it moves from comedic heist movie to thriller while imbuing it with unclear morality. The class divide between the rich and poor families is always present, but neither side becomes a hero or a villain and, in its closing moments, the film leaves the audience with complex, uncomfortable thoughts on the outcomes of its characters and their culpability in creating their own fates.
Director Pedro Almodóvar is no stranger to semi-autobiographical films, but Pain and Glory represents one of his most intimate works. Antonio Banderas stars as an aging director reminiscing on his life and loves. Banderas is stunning in a quiet, complex performance as he reconnects with an old partner and thinks back to his upbringing in a small Spanish village. The film is nostalgic, romantic, and vulnerable in a way few films this year have been. Despite its specificity, Almodóvar relates this personal tale to universal feelings of anxiety over the decisions we have made and the lives we have chosen.
Zombie movies, as a genre, are far past their expiration
date, but One Cut of the Dead uses genre tropes for a comedy ultimately about
resource-strapped filmmaking. The movie-within-a-movie setup works on its own,
but is revisited with additional hilarious context as the story of a low-rate
director making a zombie movie gone wrong is flipped on its head with the physical
humor of a great screwball comedy and the anxious anticipation of a sports movie
all wrapped up into one surprising treat.
Quentin Tarantino has made his warmest, most mature movie yet. Reveling in his deep love of classic TV and cinema, but refraining from the worst of his fanboy tendencies, he has made lovable characters caught in a time of change. The story is unique in his catalog in that it has almost no action. It’s essentially a hangout film where we follow the daily lives of two Hollywood insiders as they appear to be at the end of their careers. Tarantino gets us invested in these soon-to-be has-beens using his signature dialogue and the unbeatable ensemble cast led by Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio to hold the audience until the film’s cathartic finale.
It may have been adapted several times before, but Greta Gerwig’s Little Women stands on its own . She uses a unique structure to not only adapt the classic novel, but to also pay tribute to its author’s life. Each of the March sisters is rendered in full detail with their own distinct personalities and desires and Gerwig creates the natural chemistry of siblings that love each other even as they squabble. Each is presented with compassion and their goals are equally respected as Gerwig provides a warm refresh to this beloved story.
Part bone-dry satire and part commentary on masculine ideals, The Art of Self-Defense has an offbeat tone that will confuse some. Jesse Eisenberg turns in his best role in years as a timid accountant who grows under the direction of a Sensei karate teacher with warped ideas. The film goes to some disturbing places as it explores the extremes of gender standards but also points out their farcical nature with the Sensei’s borderline moronic teachings. It’s a strange package, but one that is supported by a tightly-constructed script and satisfying plotting.
The shorthand of ”Superbad, but with girls” is both accurate and misleading. The premise is similar as two best friends decide to cap off their high school experience by attending a raging party the night before graduation, but debut director Olivia Wilde adds extra dimension to the characters. The kids that party also have good grades and were accepted into top schools and seemingly shallow roles have unexpected depth to them. The film is also filled with hilarious diversions en route to the final destination, but its success stems from the genuine affection between two lifelong friends.
A documentary following a solitary bee-keeper in a remote part of Northern Macedonia is not exactly an easy sell, but directors Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov have mined a plethora of topics from this obscure premise. The film uses the life of Hatidže, its humble lead, to tackle a wide variety of topics ranging from natural resource usage to the brutal effect of capitalism to life regrets. Her modest existence carries unexpected emotional resonance in this empathetic study.
In the Aisles is another movie that would be difficult to pitch to financiers. The story follows a man who gets a job stocking shelves at a warehouse store on the night shift. Franz Rogowski plays the lead in this gentle tale. He is a man looking for stability in his life. Both he and the film find the comfort and beauty in what many would consider mundane. The expansive store and the community of workers within it lead to comradery and potential romance. Director Thomas Stuber approaches the story with tender respect for the humble lives and their modest desires. It’s a sensitive, affecting film that, in its romantic moments, is almost like a German In the Mood for Love.
Ad Astra is sci-fi film that focuses on inner emotions.
Brad Pitt plays an astronaut heralded for his ability to stay calm under
pressure that is asked to take a secret voyage to find the source of dangerous
solar flares affecting life on Earth. Director James Gray creates an uniquely
mundane vision of space travel. In his world, interplanetary flight has become
routine, like the coach class ticket of future. Space stations on the moon are
closer to subway stations than anything else and this approach grounds the film,
allowing it to focus on its lead’s thoughts rather than the technology at hand.
The reliance on voiceover and slower pacing may be off-putting to some, but Gray
has used the outer space setting to explore the inner self and the conflict
caused by the ideals of heroism, while still sprinkling in a few exhilarating set
pieces.
This film is not an easy watch due to the objectionable
content on display. It is a revenge story of a female convict in Tasmania that enlists
an aboriginal man to help her track down the men who acted against her. The
film takes an unflinching look at injustices faced by its characters, forcing
the viewer to not only sympathize, but to even experience the atrocities from
their perspectives.
The Farewell
is a stranger-than-fiction, but apparently not uncommon, story of a family
that refuses to tell their grandmother that she is dying of cancer. Director Lulu
Wang uses her personal experiences to base this story in difficult emotions.
The film touches on the differences between Eastern and Western mentalities,
the obligations we have to our loved ones, and is surprisingly funny with a subdued,
but sarcastic performance from Awkwafina.
Opening with a moment of unity and closing with something far
different, Les Misérables follows three members of an anti-crime brigade
in Paris. The film begins with a soccer match that has hundreds of locals shouting
in solidarity for their national team but quickly shifts to its focus: the relationship
between law enforcement and the citizens they serve. Corporal Ruiz (Damien
Bonnard; Dunkirk) transfers into a new police unit in is placed on a
team with Chris (Alexis Manenti) and Gwada (Djibril Zonga). He quickly realizes
their methods and beliefs are very different from his own as they torment the
community and reveal possible illicit connections to criminal groups. The film
is not an adaption of Victor Hugo’s famous novel, but it shares many of the same
themes of class struggles and takes place in some of the same locations a
century and a half later.
Director Ladj Ly’s greatest gift is his control over crowds.
The film carries a sense of unease with characters constantly in conflict. The
police clash with the residents who clash with their mayor and with other factions.
There is an omnipresent civil unrest that threatens to boil over into outright
violence at any moment. Simple discussions immediately escalate into screaming
matches between divided groups, seconds away from beating each other senseless.
The message is one of pent-up frustration. Whether it’s their living
conditions, their economic opportunities, or their treatment by the police, the
people of this neighborhood have suffered injustice and it has manifested in a
level of collective agitation that is a powder keg just looking for a spark.
The street crime unit is always combative in their interactions with the locals.
The film questions, and answers, the police’s role in this
chaos. Supposedly the protectors and agents of law and order, the street crime
unit sees itself as the only thing keeping the neighborhood peaceful. Ruiz is a
newcomer and is appalled by the actions of his teammates. They are
self-righteous, unjust, and actively antagonistic. At times, their behavior is
almost unbearable as Chris sees a teenager he finds attractive and threatens to
molest her under the guise of a drug search. They view themselves as infallible
and refuse to apologize for any of their harassment with a character even
screaming “I am the law!”. Their beliefs and the realities of their behavior are
shown in stark contrast.
Ly sees law enforcement that behaves in this manner as the progenitors of discord and violence in the community. He places special focus on the youth of this area who are tormented at an early age by the police. They learn to run away immediately, even when they have done nothing wrong, because they know that their innocence or guilt don’t factor into how they are treated. They become the true victims as Ly reinforces his thesis. The message can be a bit heavy-handed at times with characters like Chris being an indefensible tyrant, but Ly makes a compelling case for how systemic abuse by authorities can create and perpetuate a cycle of violence and discord in struggling communities.
Set on a drilling base at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, Underwater
follows a crew of workers when something goes terribly wrong. Norah (Kristen
Stewart; Personal Shopper) is a mechanical engineer that narrowly escapes
a collapsing wing of the base and informs the others of the catastrophic damage.
It appears that an earthquake has destroyed most of their base and its crew. As
Norah and the others attempt to escape, they encounter anomalies that suggest
they may not be alone on the ocean floor. The film is the first studio feature
of William Eubank (Love), an indie sci-fi director, and he carries much
of his style into the project.
Eubank is adept at creating tension. It’s immediately obvious
that several of the crew are going to die, the questions are who, how, and when
and Eubank keeps this guessing game interesting. Some deaths are predictable
when characters venture away from the group, but other deaths can be swift and unexpected.
There are plenty of jump scares, but few that feel cheap. There are moments of
levity used to break the tension with T.J. Miller (Cloverfield) making
sarcastic jokes in precarious situations, but these aren’t as annoying as they
initially appear. Miller serves as an audience surrogate, pointing out the
insurmountable danger they face that films often ignore. His jokes are usually
only worth a chuckle, but they’re not to the film’s detriment.
The film’s influences are obvious.
The film boasts impressive visual effects. The sets have the
unadorned look of an oil rig rather than a high-tech sterile environment and it
adds to the realism, particularly when portions of the base collapse. Eubank
uses the same contrasting speed-up / slow-down effect from his earlier films during
explosive scenes to capture the power of the blasts and it provides some needed
style. There are also interesting designs like the pressurized suits the crew
wears to traverse the ocean. The suits could easily be mistaken for mech suits
with their intricate, almost modular appearance. The designs of the sea
creatures are mostly standard, but their quick movements and glowing eyes are
frightening enough. The best design is
revealed towards the end when the film shows it still has a secret up its
sleeve and is able to create a unexpected, but truly awe-inducing moment.
While the direction may be strong, it’s impossible to ignore the script’s unoriginality. The film is a cross between Alien, The Abyss, and The Descent with little original plot to add. It has the same blue-collar cast as Alien, the setting of The Abyss, and the creatures and claustrophobia of The Descent. The main crew has little development and the film seems more interested in its set pieces than its characters. Surprisingly, this was a beneficial choice. The lack of character focus allows the film’s strongest features, it’s visuals and direction, to shine. In the few moments when relationships and backstories are emphasized, the cast struggles with the lackluster script and do the film a disservice. It’s story is completely familiar but the film’s tense direction and visual flair are enough to make it an enjoyable ride.
With 2019 coming to a close, here are my most anticipated films of the upcoming year. Note that titles from last year’s list that were delayed to 2020 have been excluded here (like I’m Thinking of Ending Things which would otherwise be near the top).
12. Underwater (1/10/2020)
William Eubank is one of the most promising young sci-fi
directors working today. He brings big ideas and grounded emotions with
incredible special effects and visual flair. His two films to date (The
Signal and Love) were not complete successes but they showed a
filmmaker with potential to do something special if given the right canvas. Underwater
is his first studio film and while the January release date and multiple delays
are worrying, I’m still hopeful for a thriller with a unique vision.
11. Another Round (TBD 2020)
Rejoining many of his team from The Hunt, Thomas
Vinterberg has another impressive project in the works. Starring Mads Mikkelson
and co-written by Tobias Lindholm, the film follows a group of high school teachers
that experiment with being intoxicated throughout the day after learning of a
theory that claims it is beneficial. The precarious plot and the combination of
Vinterberg, Mikkelson, and Lindholm mean we can expect plenty of taut drama.
10. Color Out of Space (1/24/2020)
The producers of Mandy have re-teamed with Nicolas Cage for an adaptation of a short story by H.P. Lovecraft. The premise is strange, but that’s to be expected given the pedigree. Festival reviews have been positive and it looks like another great opportunity to see the great actor at his craziest and at his Cage-iest. The film is also the return of director Richard Stanley (The Island of Dr. Moreau) and is a welcome entry in the growing number of fun B-movies made with A-grade talent.
9. Next Goal Wins (TBD 2020)
Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is directing a live-action remake of the acclaimed documentary about the football team of American Samoa going from being a terrible team to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. The sports underdog story should allow Waititi plenty of situations to craft his signature brand of goofy humor and the casting of Michael Fassbender (Shame) in the lead role is an interesting twist. Fassbender is an incredibly talented actor, but he hasn’t starred in a comedy before. His inclusion is an exciting wildcard in what I hope will be a sports comedy to rival the likes of Shaolin Soccer.
8. Tenet (7/17/2020)
Using in theaters only trailers and previews, the hype machine for Tenet has already begun and with good reason. Christopher Nolan is one of few filmmakers that is as critically acclaimed as he is commercially successful granting him the chance to make original ideas with budgets usually reserved for established franchises. Nolan has called Tenet his most ambitious film yet and it appears to involve time travel elements that will create Nolan’s favorite puzzle-like structure for the narrative and will likely have film fans discussing what happened and in what order for months after release.
7. Mank (TBD 2020)
David Fincher (The Social Network) hasn’t directed a film in half a decade so his next feature is long overdue. Based on a screenplay by Fincher’s late father, the film follows screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he writes the script for Citizen Kane. Fincher has shown his mastery of period details in Zodiac and Mindhunter and with Gary Oldman in the lead role, this will be much more than the typical biopic about a Hollywood insider.
6. The Lodge (2/7/2020)
The only film on this list I have already seen, The Lodge
is a psychological thriller from Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (Goodnight
Mommy). Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road) plays a future stepmom with
a traumatic past left alone at a remote cabin with her two future stepchildren.
What follows is a tense and troubling series of inexplicable events that cast
doubt over all the characters. Franz and Fiala are unrelenting in their commitment
to unnerving horror and the end product is satisfyingly ruthless.
5. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (TBD 2020)
Aardman Animations (Chicken Run) is still the best stop-motion animation studio working today. They are masters of slapstick humor and use expressive puppets and fluid movements to bring their stories to life. The original Shaun the Sheep Movie was an absolute delight that showed how much humor can be mined from characters that don’t even speak. Farmageddon released in the UK recently and the feedback has been just as positive as for the original.
4. Dune (12/18/2020)
His last film (Blade Runner 2049) may have flopped at the box office, but Denis Villeneuve demonstrated that he was more than capable of bringing a complex science-fiction world to life. Villeneuve is being given something the previous adaptations have not had, at least not concurrently. He has a blockbuster movie budget and his film will only cover the first half of the book, reducing the risk that the film will suffer from a condensed plot. A sequel based on the remaining half of the novel as well as a television series spinoff, also directed by Villeneuve, have already been announced placing significant confidence in this new adaptation of a beloved novel.
3. Annette (TBD 2020)
Leos Carax is definitely an oddball. His last film (Holy
Motors) featured everything from motion capture suits to chimpanzees to
talking cars, but somehow worked. He has the manic energy and absurd plots to
make films that seem like the work of a mad genius. His newest film is his English-language
debut and sadly the first to not include the great Denis Lavant as the lead,
but it does have Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard to compensate. The story is
supposedly a musical about a girl with a special gift. There is no telling what
any of this could mean, but the unpredictability is the most exciting aspect of
any Carax project.
2. Memoria (TBD 2020)
Another English-language debut, Memoria is the newest
film from Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can
Recall His Past Lives). Starring Tilda Swinton and set in a mountain
village in Columbia, the beauty of the area will provide ample opportunity for
his contemplative style and his focus on nature.
1. About Endlessness (TBD 2020)
After finishing his trilogy “about being a human being”, Roy
Andersson (You, the Living) returned to the Venice Film Festival this
year with About Endlessness. Like his previous work, the film uses the
same stark artifice for ironic humor, but initial reviews have noted a more
emotional tone. Andersson is one of the most distinct filmmakers alive and it is
entirely fitting that he release a 70 minute film titled About Endlessness.
I can’t wait.
The seventh adaptation of the beloved book, Little Women,
directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), is the story of the four daughters
of the March household, Jo (Saoirse Ronan; Brooklyn), Meg (Emma Watson; Harry
Potter), Amy (Florence Pugh; Lady Macbeth), and Beth (Eliza Scanlen;
Sharp Objects). Set during the civil war, each of the girls has their
own ambitions, lives, and loves as they learn to become adults together.
Gerwig is able to create the warmth and care of a loving
family. The young women are close in age and know each other incredibly well.
The argue, tease, and tussle, but the depth of their genuine affection is
clear. Even when they are petty, it’s impossible to overlook how much they love
each other. They have all the inside jokes and goofy banter of people who have
spent their lives together. Their closeness is also shown in their physicality.
They walk arm-in-arm and seem to always be on top of each other. When they
gather to hear a letter from their father, they sit closely together, locked in
a familiar mutual embrace. The ease and comfort they feel around each other is
palpable and it makes their bonds of sisterhood immediately believable.
The affection shown between the March sisters is incredibly endearing.
The film repeatedly points out the gender inequality of the time.
The girls, Jo in particular, all seem limited by the opportunities available
and the expectations of social norms. They want to be independent, but there
are precious few ways for women to support themselves. Furthermore, the idea of
an independent women is itself controversial. While Gerwig is direct with this
message, it isn’t excessive or detrimental to the narrative. The limitations are
encountered naturally and, sadly, often feel more relevant to the modern world than
we would like. Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) appears as the unmarried
elderly aunt that attempts to conform their behaviors to society. Her acting
feels artificial, as usual, but she serves to demonstrate how different the
leads are from most women of their time. All the March girls are strong female
characters, but Gerwig deserves special praise for allowing each to be strong
in their own way. Too often media will prescribe a single notion of what a Strong
Female CharacterTM means to the exclusion of many. The girls here have
different desires from fame to companionship to motherhood and each is
presented with equal care and respect.
In her second outing as director, Gerwig has once again proven herself a formidable talent. She deftly controls the large cast of characters, often in scenes featuring dozens of performers, and does so while still giving each lead their own personality and enough opportunity to develop. She is a sensitive and empathetic director with affection towards all her characters. They are all imperfect, but flaws are not judged, only accepted as part of being human. Even when characters act impulsively or selfishly, they are still eminently lovable. Gerwig has created a warm, empathetic adaption of a classic story with themes and messages that still resonate today.
At his summer residence in the Palace of Castel Gandolfo, Pope
Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins; The Silence of the Lambs), previously known
Joseph Ratzinger before his papacy, and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan
Pryce; Brazil) discuss the future of the Catholic church and, most
importantly, each other.
For a movie that is mostly old men talking, The Two Popes can be remarkably engaging. The initial meeting of Ratzinger and Bergoglio is an extended repartee where neither appears to be on the same wavelength. Bergoglio is trying to get the Pope’s signature to allow his retirement, but Ratzinger seems intent on changing the topic. Instead he grills Bergoglio on his positions and past actions, pressing on his reasoning and how it compares to the Catholic church’s official stances. These are the film’s strongest sections because the writing allows each person to be seen as a flawed individual, rather than being limited to their position.
The more they interact, the more the actors are able to add
to their personalities. Both Hopkins and Pryce are seasoned professionals and
while neither is able to fully hide that they are English rather than German or
Argentinian, they easily bring out the unique traits of the two men. Pryce
makes Bergoglio an impassioned but humble humanitarian who cares more about
helping others than upholding dogma. Hopkins shows Ratzinger to be ambitious,
but practical. While he wants to keep his position, he is more interested in
the continuation and growth of the church and is willing to make personal
sacrifices for its sake. Both are more than their titles indicate and the script
gives them each personality quirks like favorite hobbies or television shows
that add some levity to their characterizations. The roles are rich opportunities
for the leads to make the holy leaders human and relatable.
Seeing the men interact like regular people is the most entertaining aspect of the film.
Director Fernando Meirelles (City of God) opts to shoot
The Two Popes in a documentary style. As the men converse, Meirelles
uses handheld cameras that follow the leads as if trailing a live event. There
are zooms, wide shots around corners, and scenes where the camera appears to be
behind a bush following the conversation. The visuals are similar to the
fly-on-the-wall style in Armando Iannucci’s work (Veep), but without the
farce. This creative choice prevents the film from feeling like prestige Oscar-bait
and instead makes it a more humble and honest affair.
While the film does portray its subjects positively, it doesn’t make them saints. They are shown having doubts and regrets about themselves and their past actions. They even address major issues like the church’s knowledge and concealment of sexual abuse and the responsibility they have to the victims and their other followers. Several of these scenes involve flashbacks with other actors playing younger versions of the leads but these are the least compelling sections, despite providing additional background on how the men became who they are today. They also occupy a significant portion of the film’s runtime and carry nowhere near the heart and humor of the simple discussions. The significant use of flashbacks undermine the chemistry of the two fantastic leads, but The Two Popes is still a lively, welcome surprise.
