Everyone loves a good monster fight and Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the movie to deliver it. Set five years after the 2014 Godzilla, the mysterious organization Monarch is tracking monsters, called Titans, that lay dormant all around the world. Enter Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga; Up in the Air), a biologist that has developed a device that can mimic Titan sounds in order to control them. When eco-terrorists, led by Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), begin releasing the Titans and causing worldwide catastrophe, Monarch and Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe returning from the previous film) attempt to use Godzilla to protect humanity.
While the kaiju may not have an explicit personality, the film succeeds in giving them some semblance of character. Ghidorah, the three-headed, winged dragon-like creature, is shown as villainous, malicious, and portrayed as a usurper to Godzilla’s throne The serpentine design of the long necks and the way the heads snap at each other convey a malice that isn’t present with Godzilla. He is shown as humanity’s savior and protector. He repeatedly ignores the vulernable main cast as he chooses to fight Ghidorah instead. Mothra in particular becomes an interesting character. She’s labeled as the “Queen of the Monsters” and becomes an ally to Godzilla and is one of the most likable monsters. Her resilience in fighting creatures like the fire-breathing Rodan, despite her comparatively smaller size, make her one of the most compelling characters in the film.
There are moments when the film tries to put forth a deeper message, but doesn’t devote the needed time or effort. The original 1954 Gojira was a parable about the dangers of nuclear weapons. Godzilla was awoken by weapons tests and left damage similar to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This film tries to weave in a similar theme, but this time with climate change. The eco-terrorists claim that the Titans are rising due to humanity’s increasing pollution. They view the destruction caused by the kaiju as a way to reset the balance of the earth and minimize the human population to the point that they can co-exist without harming nature. This may have been an interesting motivation, but when only briefly mentioned and used to justify devastating actions it feels hollow and more than a little silly.
But modern Godzilla isn’t about grand messages. It’s about big monsters fighting each other and this movie has that in spades. The 2014 Godzilla was criticized for withholding its action until the final minutes, but no one could ever make that complaint here. Director and co-writer Michael Dougherty (Krampus) has created gargantuan creatures that move with the heft often missing from CGI. Godzilla’s trademark roar is thundering and the fights between kaiju are intense with arresting use of simple, but effective coloring. Ghidorah’s yellow, Rodan’s red, and Godzilla’s and Mothra’s blue bioluminescence makes for a striking contrast that helps keep the visuals clean and discernable. Dougherty still includes some of the tension building from the previous film. He stages each battle with iconic tableaus of the monsters racing towards each other, igniting anticipation for the glorious fight to come. The story may not be substantial, but Godzilla: King of the Monsters delivers a kaiju free-for-all in gorgeous detail.
4/5 stars.
After jokingly picking up plastic instruments at a birthday party for a friend’s child, an increasingly bitter 30-something married couple makes the unlikely decision to start a band together, using their fights as inspiration for their songs. Writer-director-star Zoe Lister-Jones and Adam Polly lead the band with some help on the drums from their strange neighbor played by Fred Armisen. The songs may be amateurish, but the performances are enthusiastic and the lyrics are relatable. As the band develops, so does the central relationship. The music-as-couple’s-therapy conceit brings playfulness to the film and their quarreling adds humor to each of the songs. The gradual rekindling and reevaluation of their romance through rock and roll is a heartwarming transition.
Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) deserves some type of award. Not just for writing and directing this film, but for convincing a major studio to finance and distribute it in a wide release. Nothing about mother! screams mass appeal. This is the work of a filmmaker of extreme talent with the swaggering confidence and sufficient budget to attempt such a crazy endeavor. A woman (Jennifer Lawrence; The Hunger Games) lives in the countryside with her writer husband (Javier Bardem; No Country for Old Men) in idyllic peace until a fan knocks on their door. Before long the house descends into chaos as droves of unwanted guests commandeer her space, becoming increasingly rabid for her husband’s approval. Interpretations range from ecological damage to biblical stories to the insatiable ego of an artist but what remains constant is the sheer skill needed to pull something like this off. mother! a mesmerizing, dizzying, often frantic film that could only be made by a director with Aronofsky’s originality and mad ambition.
It’s hard to think of a film that turns an unsettling premise into such a joy to watch. Without spoiling the setup (it’s better to not know before viewing), James (Kyle Mooney; Saturday Night Live) rejoins his family as an adult and is obsessed with Brigsby Bear, a TV show that only he has had access to. His parents encourage him to reintegrate with society, but fandom remains his highest priority. With no more episodes being developed, he decides to create a movie that will be Brigsby’s final chapter. Instead of ridiculing James’ unrealistic goals, the film takes every opportunity to support him. Characters band together around his infectious enthusiasm and childlike wonder. As James embarks on his journey, his naivete and confusion about the norms of society provide an endless source of humor. Mooney’s effervescent charm permeates every frame of the film. It’s a counterpoint to our cynical times that is bursting with genuine exuberance and unbridled optimism.
Greta Gerwig (Damsels in Distress) could not have had a more auspicious debut than this. Her first film as a solo writer-director draws on her own experiences growing up in Sacramento and follows Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan; Brooklyn) in her last year of high school. The fiercely independent daughter of an equally strong-willed mother (Laurie Metcalf), Lady Bird struggles to find her place in her hometown. She drifts through different social groups, boyfriends, and arguments with her mother. As a young woman trying to define herself, Ronan captures the conflicted, confused teenage experience and Gerwig is completely in tune with her difficulties. She separates her film from other teen stories by examining not only Lady Bird, but an entire home (including her mother, father, and brother) in transition. She views these characters as equally important and shows how each is simultaneously facing their own life altering challenges. Her ability to balance multiple plotlines and see the greater context of each character’s arc make this one of the best coming-of-age movies in recent memory.
Despite being my top pick for last year, this may be the most idiosyncratic choice on this list. Terence Davies’ biopic on the life of Emily Dickinson will not be for everyone. It’s slow moving with the elaborate, often flowery dialogue of the period and makes no attempt to build to a traditional climax. Rather, the film presents Dickenson’s adult life in deeply sympathetic detail. Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) delivers a career defining, nuanced performance as the great poet.
