Just as a brief preamble, it’s been a pretty down year for movies, as far as I can see. Other than Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nothing else has come close to being my favorite of 2019, but, all of the following four are standouts in their own way, and the first two in particular I bet will get some awards love.
From the director of Snowpiercer (a very entertaining movie with a questionable ending) comes a film that I think is getting a little overhyped in terms of the level of praise, but is nonetheless one of the best films of the year.
I say that because I was led to expect that Parasite would be totally mind-blowing, and, well, it didn’t quite reach that level for me (I mean I wouldn’t call it more successful than Burning in that regard), but it’s still a sight to behold (figuratively and literally; the cinematography is wonderful), and it did go places I didn’t expect, so I must give it that credit.
What really makes Parasite go though is the performances. As the plot essentially revolves around a long con, there’s a lot of acting on top of acting that could easily be overplayed, but this ensemble handles it with an impressive level of nuance.
Some have called this movie a dark comedy, and while there were moments that made me laugh I think I’d label it more of a twisty drama, but we’re splitting hairs at this point.
As I said, one of the best of the year, if not totally mind-blowing.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Regrettably, I’ve still not seen Robert Eggers’ previous film, The Witch, though after seeing The Lighthouse I feel even more inclined to seek it out.
I’m not the biggest fan of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, but The Lighthouse definitely cribs some notes from it, in a good way. I wouldn’t say I found The Lighthouse horrifying or unsettling in the way of, say, Hereditary; I’d actually call it a rather entertaining, darkly comedic descent into madness, which I don’t think I really expected from a film about two men stuck on an island, living that harsh 19th Century life.
The most compelling factor by far though, beyond even Dafoe and Pattinson going mad together, is Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography. Forgoing colorful widescreen for 4:3 black & white, every single frame of film is a work of art, to the point that you could populate an exhibit at The Met (or maybe MoMA? Hard to say) with just stills from The Lighthouse.
It’s certainly not cookie cutter Halloween fare, but you could do a lot worse.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Everything I have seen so far from that quirky Kiwi, writer/director TaikaWaititi, I have enjoyed, and Jojo Rabbit is no exception.
You might not think a comedy about a 10-year-old fanatical Nazi in late-World War II Germany whose imaginary best friend is Adolf Hitler would work, but somehow Waititi (who also plays Der Führer) pulls it off. Not to heap too high praise on it, but, to me, Jojo works in much the same way that Blazing Saddles works (in fact I’ll go ahead and call it a blend of Blazing Saddles and Moonrise Kingdom) in making a farce of blind bigotry; but it’s not exactly the same in that, despite its fanciful premise, Jojo is a bit more grounded (as opposed to the more cartoonish reality of Blazing Saddles), which allows it to move in some surprising tonal directions. Frankly, it’s the sort of story I think could only be handled by a New Zealander.
It’ll make you laugh, perhaps make you cry as well, but I recommend it across the board.
Rating: ★★★★☆
You could write the history of Black American Cinema without mentioning Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite himself), but why would you want to?
Dolemite Is My Name marks Eddie Murphy’s return to the world of R-rated movies after a twenty year absence (seriously, it’s been since Life), and while he may not look like or particularly sound like Rudy Ray Moore, it doesn’t matter. He’s totally invested in the film and having a great time doing it, which easily extends to the audience.
Beneath the torrent of ribaldry, however, is a rather heartwarming story about chasing (and grinding for) your dreams no matter how far along in life you may be; which is nice, though parts of it feel a bit by-the numbers.
However, as fun as Murphy is in the lead, there’s one actor who steals every scene he’s in, and that’s one Mr. Wesley Trent Snipes.
Maybe I’m insane (or just insanely ignorant), but playing real-life actor/director D’Urville Martin might be the best performance of Snipes’ career, at least comedically. I couldn’t take my eyes off him whenever he was on screen.
All-in-all, much like its namesake, Dolemite Is My Name may not be a total work of art, but for a Netflix watch it’ll be well worth your time.
Written and Directed by Drew Goddard Cast: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, Chris Hemsworth, Manny Jacinto, Jim O’Heir, Alvina August, Nick Offerman, Mark O’Brien, Xavier Dolan Soundtrack: Michael Giacchino
Bad Times at the El Royale is not the worst movie ever, nor would I even say, “It sucks.” However, it’s not nearly as clever as it thinks it is (or as most people seem to think it is).
The biggest and most glaring issue is that for a film that’s nearly two-and-a-half hours long, the amount of information you receive is borderline shockingly low, which I could abide if it was super-stylized (a la Mandy, or something more Tarantino-esque like Inglourious Basterds), but it’s really not. It’s more plot-driven than character-driven, and dare I say neither the characters nor the performances are all that special.
It’s a shame because I like Drew Goddard for his work on The Cabin in the Woods and The Martian, but something just didn’t quite jell here. Maybe trimming some of the fat to reduce the runtime and quicken the pace would have been an improvement unto itself, but I’m really just spit-balling here; who knows what would have worked?
Again, I didn’t hate it, and if you’re still really curious it might be worth a Redbox rental down the line, but that’s about as much of a recommendation as I can give it.
Rating: ★★½ (out of five)
Special Effects
Original Release Date: November 16, 1984 Written and Directed by Larry Cohen Cast: Zoë Lund, Eric Bogosian, Brad Rijn, Kevin O’Connor, Bill Oland, H. Richard Greene, Steven Pudenz
Soundtrack: Michael Minard
In our [hopefully continuing] little series on the life and works of Larry Cohen, Special Effects has decidedly been the biggest disappointment.
Much like Bad Times at the El Royale, I didn’t hate it. It at least has the trademark Larry Cohen (and vintage New York City) energy to keep you going, but it suffers from a lack of a strong lead performance (or supporting performance for that matter), and a lack of just plain old verisimilitude. As talented a screenwriter as he is, and as much as I appreciate the influences from, say, Vertigo, there’s an uncanny valley effect to the story here that not even Cohen can overcome, and it’s difficult to not realize how insane and unrealistic it all is.
Again, it’s a shame, because obviously I like Larry Cohen, and I don’t think Zoë Lund and Eric Bogosian are untalented, but the film is a misfire, plain and simple.
(All Planet of the Apes films inspired by Pierre Boulle’s novel La Planète des Singes aka Monkey Planet, but you probably already knew that.)
None of this should have worked.
The original 1968 Planet of the Apes movie is a total classic, and Lord knows it was followed up by many a sequel of, shall we way, differingquality. Not to mention that epic fail of a remake in 2001.
So why reboot the franchise with a prequel (of all things) more than forty years after the original film?
I don’t know. I still don’t know. But I’m glad they did it.
“They” in this case being husband and wife super-team Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who wrote and produced the first of these new films, and who have remained on as guiding hands (to say the least) ever since. Whereas so many reboots/remakes/sequels/prequels/re-imaginings/etc. feel like cynical cash grabs, the Jaffa/Silver Apes movies seem to have a passion for the material that shines through, and I think a lot of that is owed to Rick and Amanda.
I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. These films are the paragon of “movies that nobody wanted or needed, but we’re getting them anyway.” They are well-executed, emotionally moving works of art, but even beyond that, they are pushing the envelope of filmmaking.
Historically, I’m an anti-CGI guy, and I still very much am when the practical will look better, but, in the case of these films, what they’ve been able to do with motion capture technology and digital rendering is beyond outstanding; though, of course, without quality writing, I don’t know how much it would matter, but I digress.
Let’s get to it.
Original Release Date: August 5, 2011
Directed by Rupert Wyatt Written by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver Cast: Andy Serkis, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Richard Ridings, Christopher Gordon, Devyn Dalton, Jay Caputo, James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Tyler Labine, Ty Olsson, James Pizzinato, Dean Redman, Sandy Robson, Timothy Webber Soundtrack: Patrick Doyle
To think this all started with just one ape…
We weren’t quite ready for this back in 2011 (I know I missed it for sure).
Not that Rise of the Planet of the Apes (or ROTPOTA, as it’s often abbreviated) didn’t do well at the box office (it was actually right in line with the major superhero releases of the year, which is impressive), but I think most people were so caught up with “OMG, CGI MONKEYS” that a lot of actual film criticism went out the window.
I say all this because, upon further review, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is nearly perfect. It’s a film that thrives on the “show, don’t tell” philosophy, using visual storytelling as a means of both exposition and character development in order to move us through a rather sprawling plot (in terms of passage of time) at an expeditious but not overwhelming pace. In different hands, this movie easily could have been two and a half hours long, completely bloated, and needlessly bogged down in the details (and/or unmotivated action schlock), but Rupert Wyatt and company knew well enough to keep things moving. I’m not saying all of the logic is flawless, but it’s more-than-acceptable movie logic.
In terms of the cast, I’m not the biggest James Franco fan in general, but I think he does just fine here, and that’s largely true of everybody else (especially John Lithgow, who, range-wise, has the most to do). If I have one minor criticism, it’s that a few of the more antagonistic characters are maybe just a touch too arch, but there’s nothing that’ll take you completely out of the movie. By-and-large, everybody feels pretty real.
Of course, the true stars (of all of these movies) are the motion capture actors; most notably Andy Serkis as “Caesar”, but I’ll throw in Terry Notary (who’s no one trick ape) as “Rocket” and Karin Konoval (who gets a human cameo in this film) as “Maurice” as well. They’re really the Kirk, Spock, and McCoy of this franchise, and the range of emotion they bring is ultimately what transcends the digital divide to make everything work.
If you haven’t seen Rise, or even if you have, I highly recommend a repeat viewing. The effects have aged slightly in six years (especially compared to the later films), but the story and storytelling still holds up, and it’s eminently entertaining while still packing an emotional punch (I was honestly moved to tears at the end).
Rating: ★★★★½
Original Release Date: July 11, 2014
Directed by Matt Reeves Written by Mark Bomback and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, Keir O’Donnell, Kevin Rankin Soundtrack: Michael Giacchino
One of the beauties of the Mad Max series is that you can watch any of them without knowledge of the others, and still understand what’s happening and why. This is also true of these Apes films, and Dawn handles it particularly elegantly (fair to say it’s The Road Warrior to Rise‘s Mad Max, in terms of pre- vs. post-apocalypse).
It’s a shame that Rupert Wyatt, for whatever reason, wan’t able to return to direct after doing such a great job with Rise, but Matt Reeves has proven to be no slouch.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (DOTPOTA?) is markedly different from its predecessor, but the high quality is still there (dare I say, some things are better, although it did have nearly double the budget; definitely worth it as it similarly held serve with the big superhero films of the year).
For one thing, it’s much more laconic and slower-paced than Rise, although I’d never say it drags, but, more importantly, the story is much less about constantly connecting the dots and much more about ideals and ethics (and atmosphere), like many great sci-fi stories before it (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy come to mind again). Technically, there are “villains” in this film, but it’s really different points of view at odds, both on the human side and the ape side.
The result is akin to a Shakespearean tragedy, equal parts devastating and beautiful.
One thing I have to commend this film in particular on is the production design. Unless you’re just shooting in a desert wasteland or a forest preserve (as often happened in the Eighties and Nineties), it can be difficult to convey a true sense of post-apocalyptic life, but James Chinuld and his team did a fantastic job, not only with the ape village, but “San Francisco” overrun with vegetation and the ravages of time.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Michael Giacchino’s score; not that Patrick Doyle did a bad job on Rise, but it definitely has a more generic overall sound whereas Giacchino’s score has more of a classic feel, and also works in elements reminiscent of the original ’68 film (though, again, Dawn had nearly double the budget of Rise, so you have to factor that in).
Again, the motion capture artists bring quality performances, but the human performers stand out a little more in this one (in a good way), especially Gary Oldman as a guy trying to hold an entire colony together, and I’ll give credit to Jason Clarke as well; you really believe his character and why he’s putting his life on the line for the sake of something bigger.
It’s lofty praise, but I’ve seen this film compared to The Empire Strikes Back, and I think that’s fair. It’s certainly an apt comparison in terms of the tones of the second installments relative to the first ones, and taking the stories in different directions. I don’t necessarily rate it higher than the first because I think they’re both equally successful at what they’re trying to accomplish, but, as I’ve mentioned, there’s a bit more polish thanks to the greatly increased budget.
And, yes, I teared up at the end of this one, too.
Highly recommend.
Rating: ★★★★½
Directed by Matt Reeves Written by Mark Bomback & Matt Reeves, based on characters created by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval, Amiah Miller, Terry Notary, Ty Olsson, Michael Adamthwaite, Toby Kebbell, Gabriel Chavarria, Judy Greer, Sara Canning, Devyn Dalton, Aleks Paunovic, Alessandro Juliani, Max Lloyd-Jones, Timothy Webber, James Pizzinato, Dean Redman, Sandy Robson Soundtrack: Michael Giacchino
“And now, the end is near…”
At last, we’ve reached the end of this trilogy (and, I hope, the end of this series, although if it keeps making money they’ll probably keep milking it until I’m dead, like Star Wars).
Right off the bat, I knew I was going to have to take points off from this movie because it does not handle the introductory catch-up as elegantly as its predecessor (title cards as opposed to clever montage). And, at the end, I felt like it was a little longer than it needed to be (although it was very late by that point), so, I just can’t rate War quite as highly as Rise or Dawn.
BUT, this is still a production of exceeding quality (especially the score; I think Michael Giacchino slightly tops himself from the last movie), and one I’d recommend without any qualms.
One last small criticism though, and I normally don’t get into plot elements for new movies, but, just to properly set expectations, I think the title of this film is slightly misleading. Yes, there’s a war on, and everything that happens is in the context of that war, but if you’re expecting a huge chunk of time devoted to battle sequences, this isn’t necessarily that movie (it’s very anti-Hobbit in that regard).
That said, one of the things I most appreciate about this film is that, despite the fact that it stars CGI apes (who at this point look nearly flawless, to be honest), it has the cinematic look and emotional tone of something from even further back than 1968. In fact, and older critics may call me blasphemous for saying this, but I very much got Sam Spiegel-David Lean vibes while watching this (which actually means we’ve come full circle, because The Bridge on the River Kwai was also based on a Pierre Boulle novel). It just has that classic of a feel to it.
Really, there’s not much else that I can say. For a third installment in a series, it’s hard to ask for much more: gorgeous to look at, emotionally engaging, and a story that feels rather timeless.
A fitting conclusion to one of the greatest movie trilogies, certainly of my lifetime, if not all-time. I can only hope more people come to appreciate its brilliance as time goes on.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Just to wrap this all up, all of these movies are strong on their own merit, but they also go the extra mile to throw in references to the original movies from the Sixties and Seventies (usually subtle; usually), which is fun and interesting for the fans.
Again, I can’t say enough how unimaginable it was before these films came out that I’d ever find myself so invested in digitally-created characters in live-action movies, but the effects people at Weta do tremendous work, guided by quality performances from quality actors.
Give this series the keys and it’ll drive your heart.
I don’t know what to tell you if it doesn’t.
P.S. Thanks to Alamo and Mondo for the incredible merchandise, as usual.
Written by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley (story and screenplay), Jon Watts & Christopher Ford (screenplay), and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, based on the comic book by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau. Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Abraham Attah, Hannibal Buress, Kenneth Choi, Selenis Leyva, Angourie Rice, Isabella Amara, Martin Starr, Garcelle Beauvais, Michael Chernus, Michael Mando, Logan Marshall-Green, Jennifer Connelly (voice), Christopher Berry, Tunde Adebimpe, Tiffany Espensen, Chris Evans, Kerry Condon (voice), Andy Powers Soundtrack: Michael Giacchino
Generally speaking, I like the MarvelCinematicUniverse (MCU), and, based on a limited sample size, I think Jon Watts is a quality filmmaker.
From that alone, you’d think I’d have nothing but excitement for Spider-Man: Homecoming, but it’s unfortunately more complicated than that. The fact that there are six credited screenwriters (more than any other MCU film) is a bit unnerving, but much bigger than that is the fifteen years of baggage.
Spider-Man as a cinematic property has a rather checkered history (to say the least) since the “original” Sam Raimi film in 2002 (which, frankly, is the only other Spider-Man movie I’d recommend outright). That trilogy ended in disaster with the notoriously awful Spider-Man 3, and an attempt to reboot the character with another trilogy barely five years later was prematurely terminated with the equally disastrous Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014.
What has happened in the meantime is somewhat mysterious, but, for whatever reason, Sony finally cried uncle and began leasing out its star IP to Marvel Studios for inclusion into the MCU, starting with 2016’s Civil War, and continuing at least through 2019.
This was cause for celebration among fans worldwide, but I’m slightly more cynical, because the fact that Sony still has [what I assume to be] a sizable stake in it makes me nervous.
However, much like with Baby Driver, my fears were quickly allayed once the actual movie started.
To say that Spider-Man: Homecoming is the best Spider-Man film ever made is like saying Jaws is the best killer shark movie. It’s just that obvious (and, at first blush, I think it easily makes my top five MCU movies, if not top three). This is not to say it’s entirely perfect, but, it does have have an actual plot, and characters, and action that’s in accordance with the story. These things may seem trivial to point out, but given how many movies these days feature bare-bones frameworks to hang action upon (and then, on top of that, aren’t even fun), I do not take these elements lightly.
Also, boy oh boy is it refreshing to see a [non-sequel] superhero movie that isn’t an origin story, particularly for a character that’s had theirs told multiple times already (why D.C. feels it necessary to take us down Crime Alley incessantly, I’ll never know).
As far as the cast goes, it’s pleasantly jarring to see young actors in a high school movie who look like they really could be (if not actually are) in high school, Tom Holland naturally being the head of the class; he’s terrific in this (although I did rather enjoy Zendaya’s performance, even if she’s not in the movie nearly as much as expected). In addition, you’ve got Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr. putting in quality shifts, as well as a colorful group of supporting characters (I’d say something about Marisa Tomei, but she just doesn’t get a lot of screen time, so there’s not much for me to comment on).
Most importantly though, the movie is simply a joy to watch. It blends action and humor like few of its contemporaries, while still maintaining a genuine sense of weight. Some of the high school stuff and some of the end action is a bit much for me, but, on the whole, I really have to hand it to Marvel. Just when I think I’m about to begin tiring of them, they find another way to keep it fresh, in this case being able to successfully craft a smaller, more intimate story in an undoubtedly larger universe.
Spider-Man: Homecoming, for a comic book/superhero movie, is very much down to earth in the way that For Your Eyes Only is down to earth relative to other James Bond movies. There’s a climactic ending, to be sure, but there are no blue lasers shooting up into the sky, and no vast terror plot to destroy humanity.
Truly, Homecoming is about our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)
P.S.
It’s an MCU movie, so of course you’re not leaving during the credits (it’s totally worth it).
Shout out to Mondo for the sweet glassware once again.
