Alec Baldwin – People Talking

Twofer Movie Review – ‘Summer of 84’ and ‘BlacKkKlansman’ – Kickin’ it Old School

Directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, & Yoann-Karl Whissell (aka RKSS)
Written by Matt Leslie & Stephen J. Smith
Cast: Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Gruter-Andrew, Tiera Skovbye, Rich Sommer, Jason Gray-Stanford, Shauna Johannesen, J. Alex Brinson, Harrison Houde, Mark Brandon, Susie Castillo, William MacDonald
Soundtrack: Jean-Philippe Bernier & Jean-Nicolas Leupi (aka Le Matos)

I’m not exactly sure what got the ball rolling on this whole Eighties pop culture revival (maybe Super 8?), Stranger Things being the most prominent example, but the film-making trio of RKSS had one of the first loud shots across the bow with 2015’s Turbo Kid, and three years later they’re making noise again with Summer of 84.

I was cautiously optimistic heading into this one, excited for what it could be but also prepared for a possible let down; but then the movie started, and I loved it, and I loved it, and I loved it. I actually thought to myself, “I’m going to give this five stars; it’s that amazing,” not to mention it combines elements of two of my favorite Eighties light horror pieces, Silver Bullet and The ‘burbs.

Then, the last ten minutes happened.

I won’t reveal anything specific, but I will say that it was enough to knock a full star rating off of what could have been a nearly perfect film.

The crux of the problem is that I’m fine with many different kinds of endings, be they happy, sad, bittersweet, ambiguous, or a complete tonal shift, but, no matter what, they need to feel earned. For example, as much as I enjoy Near Dark as one of the best vampire movies out there, it has a happy ending that I don’t really buy, because it’s inconsistent with the rest of the film in terms of what’s been set up and the overall journey we’ve already been on.

In the case of Summer of 84, I’m not sure who to blame. Perhaps the writers for writing it or the directors for not executing it in a way that feels right, or perhaps it’s just a “lost in translation” thing, I don’t know, but I think they could have gotten their point across in a way that’s not a complete betrayal for the audience (at least in my opinion; others will no doubt feel differently).

Still though, I don’t want to totally sandbag a movie I very much enjoyed and appreciated. All-in-all it’s a tight script, the kids have a surprising amount of individual ability and collective chemistry, and there aren’t many moments where it betrays that fact that it’s a Canadian production. And, it’s got a killer synth soundtrack.

If you can find it at a local theater, I highly recommend giving it a whirl. If not, it’ll be on-demand soon enough, but, either way, it’s worthy of your support.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Directed by Spike Lee
Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee, based on the book by Ron Stallworth
Cast: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Corey Hawkins, Jasper Pääkkönen, Paul Walter Hauser, Ryan Eggold, Ashlie Atkinson, Robert John Burke, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alec Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, Craig muMs Grant, Arthur J. Nascarella, Ken Garito, Frederick Weller, Michael Buscemi, Nicholas Turturro
Soundtrack: Terence Blanchard

Truth be told, I haven’t seen very much of Spike Lee’s work, and what little I have seen I’ve found mostly to be frustrating and tedious (dear Lord, save me from Clockers), but I’m almost always willing to set the past aside if something looks promising enough, which brings us to BlacKkKlansman.

Based on an extraordinary true life tale, BlacKkKlansman is the story of Ron Stallworth, the first Black officer and detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department, who, despite his skin color, managed to infiltrate the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.

I have not read the book, so I can’t confirm or deny the authenticity of the film (it seems movied-up, just a bit; though for all I know it could be a case of reality being crazier than fiction, a la Hacksaw Ridge), but nevertheless the story is its main strength, along the with the performances, particularly from John David Washington and Adam Driver. Even Topher Grace showed me a nice little range I didn’t know he had in him (I still can’t figure out why Nic Turturro is in the movie though, and if you see it you’ll know what I mean).

Because of this, I will go as far as to say that the movie works in spite of Spike Lee’s direction, not because of it. I understand he wants to be directly confrontational to make his message clear, but in my opinion the way it’s structured is to the detriment of the overall film (I mean, come on, Dear White People handled its business better, and that was from a first time writer/director).

Still, there’s a lot to appreciate, just not enough for me to give it a full theatrical recommendation.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

P.S.
Even though I don’t know why he was in the film (other than being a friend of Spike Lee), it did make me happy to see Nic Turturro and Frederick Weller in the same movie, as twenty-five years ago they played Al Capone and Eliot Ness in Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues. Nobody cares about this but me, I know. Deal with it.

Quick Thoughts – July Mega-Post – ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ ‘Sorry to Bother You’ ‘Skyscraper’ ‘The Equalizer 2’

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

My affinity for these movies is fairly well-documented, from the first one to the last one.

And why not? After all, when the consensus “worst film” in your franchise is a John Woo guns-motorcycles-doves-knives spectacular, you know you’re doing something right.

A lot of that credit belongs to J.J. Abrams for resurrecting things in 2006 (and staying on as a producer ever since), which was perfect timing, because when the James Bond franchise zigged to more gritty and grounded, Mission: Impossible zagged to what classic Bond always was: a globetrotting, fun, high action, insane stunt-filled series. The key difference is that where the Bond actors would step aside for a stuntman (or stunt driver, or stunt pilot), Tom Cruise, more often than not, gets in there and does these amazing feats himself, and Fallout is no different; so much so in fact that to me the movie played more like a Bond Greatest Hits album than a Mission: Impossible film, which is fine by me.

Hate him all you want for whatever reason you want, I choose to respect Tom Cruise for this: he was an action star at 27, and is still an action star at 57, and while this may be the last Mission: Impossible movie with him in the lead, it looks like he’ll be an action star for at least a few more years.

All that said, and it’s hard to put my finger on exactly why, the script for Fallout feels like a step back compared to the last two films (not to mention my boy Jeremy Renner feels conspicuously absent). However, I will still give it four stars because the action and stunts are more than big-screen worthy, and because the movie does reward long-time fans (making reference all the way back to the first, and yes, second one).

Rating: ★★★★☆

Sorry to Bother You

Often times, when I find myself having to sit through a movie’s trailer dozens upon dozens of times (*COUGH*EighthGrade*COUGH*), I become resentful and refuse to see it on the principle of how annoyed I am, but in the case of Sorry to Bother You, I was always looking forward to it, just because it looked so refreshingly original, which it most definitely is.

In fact, not only is it an original script from writer/director Boots Riley, he also contributed a number of songs to the film’s soundtrack with his band, The Coup, so the whole project has a real homegrown vibe to it (but in a good way, not a crappy student film way).

Fair warning, the third act goes off the rails, which will divide people, but in terms of comedies with social commentary and satire, it’s the best I’ve seen since Ingrid Goes West (though the style of much of the satire is akin to the original Robocop, which, again, is a good thing).

It’s definitely not a movie for kids, and I’m sure it’ll piss some people off, but I enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to adults with brains.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Skyscraper

I know I’m not making a revelatory statement when I say that this movie is like if Die Hard and The Towering Inferno had a baby in Hong Kong.

In fact, it’s safe to say that not only do most people going to see this already know that, but the movie knows that they know that, and therefore delivers exactly that.

What I’m trying to say here is that the movie knows what it is: a fairly mindless yet relatively satisfying piece of popcorn entertainment. Is it dumb? Yes. Is it as dumb as it could be? No, and I appreciate that.

It’s nothing special, and you’re either on board or you’re not, but if you are, you’ll have a good time (and I even noticed and liked some of the music, which feels so rare these days).

Rating: ★★★½

The Equalizer 2

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m starting to get the sense that Antoine Fuqua is not a great action director, because though I think these movies are okay (largely because Denzel is Denzel), I have issues with both that hold me back from enjoying them as much as I theoretically think I should.

My major problem with the first one was I felt the “badassness” was way overwrought, and I thought the movie would have been better served by underplaying it a bit; but I guess be careful what I wish for, because the sequel swings the pendulum hard the other way, but overall I didn’t find the story as interesting as its predecessor, so, I don’t know.

There are some satisfying moments and plotlines, and I really can’t hate on the slower pace (and the James Bond-esque cold open was kind of nice), but, I can’t say I’ll be all that disappointed if they never announce an Equalizer 3.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Movie Review – ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ – The Well Runs Deep

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Written by Christopher McQuarrie (story and screenplay) and Drew Pearce (story), based on the television series created by Bruce Geller
Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin
Soundtrack: Joe Kraemer

It’s been a little over three-and-a-half years since the last Mission: Impossible movie was released, and I still can’t figure out if “Mission: Impossible Fans” are even a thing (I mean, I’m definitely one), but I know they should be. Over the span of nearly two decades, one of the best action film series in existence (and certainly one of the better film series in general) has slowly but surely been dosed out to us, and I really don’t think the movie-going public has fully appreciated it. It’s time they come ’round.

My own personal journey with this [movie] franchise began in earnest in 2011, as a means to an end. Sure, I had seen the first one on TV a bunch of times (gotta love USA Network), and the second one in theaters back in 2000 (the third one I missed completely, probably thanks to being in college at the time of its release), but when I learned that they’d be showing footage from The Dark Knight Rises ahead of IMAX screenings of Ghost Protocol, well, as Master Shake would say, “Now what you’re saying is interesting.”

It was then decided, my best friend and myself would watch I, II, and III on the opening day of the fourth installment, and so we did. “Mission: Impossible Day”, as we naturally called it, was not an exercise without merit, after all, Ghost Protocol had callbacks going all the way back to the first one, but it was that fourth film in the series that really sold me on the franchise. The original is objectively the best film (and might be my favorite Brian De Palma movie; I know that sounds crazy), but Ghost Protocol remains my favorite, because Brad Bird and company absolutely nailed that perfect mix of “serious stakes” and “fun and enjoyable” (pretty much the same tone as Ghost Busters, though with much less ectoplasm…I hope).

So, where does Rogue Nation fit into all of this?

Well, it’s not the best one, and it’s not my favorite one, but it’s very, very good.

Performance-wise, everybody’s fine all around, though not everyone is given much to do. Cruise, Ferguson, and Pegg are decidedly the stars of the show, with Renner, Rhames, and Baldwin solidly in support. For those characters with unsure allegiances, they do a great job of keeping you guessing throughout the run time, which is especially appreciated in a movie about espionage. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Sean Harris (who you might recognize from Prometheus). He’s not an all-time villain by any stretch, but he brings about a nice mix of menace and creep factor that an evil spy should.

One aspect of the series I’ve always appreciated is that each movie has a different director at the helm, and Rogue Nation gives us longtime Bryan Singer-collaborator Christopher McQuarrie (perhaps most famous for writing The Usual Suspects). In terms of overall filmmaking, McQuarrie wisely decided not to try to out-top the last installment, opting instead to go smaller and more intimate, relatively speaking (the scope of the story still spans the globe). The result is something darker and generally less humorous than I expected, but the laughs are still there, and the action and accompanying stunt work is definitely still there (arguably never better, as that is actually Tom Cruise hanging onto the side of a real plane). It’s almost like a nice medium between new tough-realistic James Bond and classic over-the-top James Bond.

McQuarrie’s screenplay also features some clever self-reflection on the series itself, referencing past events, and even going as far to say that Ethan Hunt is the embodiment of “destiny” (or something to that effect). All-in-all, it was refreshing to watch a big movie that, while it certainly had the global market in mind, was made with more than a 5th grade level of intelligence. There’s some product placement I could complain about, but it’s mostly in the first reel, so it’s not a distraction throughout.

Honestly though, perhaps lost in all of the spectacle, the five different directors (i.e. J.J. Abrams), and the myriad of producing partners (i.e. J.J. Abrams), is that this whole film franchise is really Tom Cruise’s baby; because Paramount may have held the property rights, but it was fan of the TV show Tom Cruise that actually got the ball rolling. Not only has he been the star of each film, but he’s produced them all as well. In fact, Mission: Impossible was the very first movie released under the banner of his production company, Cruise/Wagner Productions.

So, go ahead and say what you want about the man personally, but Tom Cruise continues to give us the gift of a great action franchise, arguably at the time we need it most, and Rogue Nation is a worthy addition to it.

Whether you’re a “Mission: Impossible Fan” or not, I’m betting you’ll have a good time (though if you’ve not yet seen Ghost Protocol, I recommend checking that one out first, but I’m not making it a requirement).

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.
Have you seen Kingsman yet?