Directed by Julius Avery
Written by Billy Ray (screenplay and story) and Mark L. Smith (screenplay)
Cast: Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, John Magaro, Gianny Taufer, Pilou Asbæk, Jacob Anderson, Dominic Applewhite, Iain De Caestecker, Bokeem Woodbine, Éva Magyar, Erich Redman
Soundtrack: Jed Kurzel
I’m going to overrate Overlord just a touch, because I’m happy that it not only exists but is also quality.
In our post-modern world, we’ve become highly accustomed to cynicism, sarcasm, and irony to the point that it’s incredibly rare to see a movie with a 100% schlocky concept take itself at least 95% seriously, but that’s what Overlord does and that’s a lot of what I like about it. The basic premise (G.I.s drop in on D-Day and find a Nazi re-animation experiment) feels like a movie you’d find in a Redbox, made on a low budget and sacrificing sincerity for humor and annoying quips, but what we get comes from a major studio, has enough money behind it to look like a real Hollywood movie, and, most importantly, is not written by Joss Whedon.
And, yes, any history major can tell you that American troops were not fully integrated until 1948, so it’s “unrealistic” to have black and white soldiers alongside each other in 1944, but, given the highly fictional nature of the story, and given that nobody seems to bring this up when talking about The Dirty Dozen or Force 10 From Navarone, I’m not going to get worked up about that in this case.
Back to the movie itself, I’d say there’s some fat that could be trimmed (ninety minutes is more ideal for this type of movie anyway), and not all of the emotional pieces quite fit together, and the performances are a little bit of a mixed bag, but, overall, as a piece of R-rated (let’s not understate that importance) action-horror entertainment, you definitely get your money’s worth. It’s bloody, it’s violent, it’s gory, and it rocks (and the action is well-executed and well shot, which is also increasingly rare).
I wish they would have released it in October, I don’t know why it got pushed back to after Halloween, but, I’ll take it just the same.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Directed by Chang-dong Lee
Written by Jungmi Oh & Chang-dong Lee, based on the short story “Barn Burning” by Haruki Murakami
Cast: Ah-In Yoo, Steven Yeun, Jong-seo Jeon
Soundtrack: Mowg
And now for something completely different.
This was a movie I took a chance on just because it was there, and I got nervous when I realized with only a few minutes before showtime that it’s two-and-a-half hours long (not that I can’t handle subtitles for that length of time, but still), but it was well worth it in the end.
Burning is a difficult movie to talk about because there’s not a whole lot that happens in terms of plot points, and the less you know going in the better (I guess I could go as far as to say that it’s like a laid-back Taxi Driver), but if you like slow burns, this is a film for you. It’s certainly a movie that’s stuck with me in the days after seeing it.
At its core, Burning is subtle. The pace is relaxed without being completely lethargic (I can honestly say I didn’t really feel the length despite seeing it at a late hour), it shows you enough without having to tell but also (for the most part) doesn’t show too much, and, low-key, it’s a fantastically well-shot film (not unlike Spotlight in that way).
It’s well off the beaten path, but if you’re feeling mysterious and you can find it, I highly recommend Burning.
Rating: ★★★★☆